Zechariah 1:7-17

Intro

Today we are going to begin our study of, what are known as, the night visions of Zechariah. As we jump off into these visions of which there are 8, we need to be quickly reminded of some important considerations and also I would like to provide you with what my goal is going to be as we pick up these often confusing and sometimes difficult visions.

The first thing that I think we need to make sure that we understand is that these visions, regardless of what we think they mean, must have held significance for the original audience. These visions were recounted by Zechariah to the people and they served a purpose and that purpose was more than just providing them vague and interesting tidbits of what some unknown point in the future was going to be like. As we approach prophetic literature we have to remember that it was intended for and given to its original audience. Not that we aren't to learn from it and not that we aren't also often intended as a part of the audience for the text in the providence of God as He delivered His word once and for all for His saints. In other words there are times when we are also clearly meant to be the recipients of the divine word as well but we must never divorce that from its original audience.

This I think is one of the greatest errors that has crept into our thinking today when it comes to prophecy, when you see many of these prophecies as exclusively dealing with our contemporary events and read as it were with your bible in one hand and a news paper in the other, it is easy to forget that these passages and prophecies were delivered in a place and time and to a people and that it was intended for them. God purposed it for them! We must therefore seek to understand how this text was to be applied to them before we can take these things and apply them to ourselves!

In that light we need to just be reminded quickly of the context of these visions. We read that these visions that were to be delivered to the people as a word from the Lord came to Zechariah on the 24th day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat.

If you were here for our intro or for our message last week on verses 1-6 you will remember that this is right in the midst of the fledgling efforts to rebuild the temple after the ministry of Haggai had called the people to set themselves to this task. We saw last week that Zechariah's first message had called the people to seek to not only be obedient in the outward task of rebuilding the temple but to also seek true heart level repentance from their sin and wickedness and turn to God and that if they did so they would find that He would turn to them and bless them. “Don’t be like your fathers!” Zechariah had admonished them.

Well, we gather from the next message in Haggai that these people had indeed heeded Zechariah’s message of repentance. On the 24th day of the 9th month Haggai had given them this message:

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

But from this day on I will bless you.”

It seems as though the combined efforts of Haggai and Zechariah were having their divinely purposed effect and these people were, as we like to say, “getting right with God” they were building the temple and had been now for 5 months (from the 24th day of the 6th month) been building the temple and heeding the message and ministry of these two prophets.

And so then it is very likely that as we read these visions we can assume that they were likely intended to aid in this process. The temple we read in Ezra 6 was completed:

English Standard Version Chapter 6

on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And so it took nearly 3 more years to complete this work!

Now we have to find in the text itself that this was its purpose in some measure but as we jump off that is the working paradigm that we ought to have baring coming across something in the text that would steer us in a different direction.

This is a good thing to remember for any bible study that you are undertaking. Get into the text, seek to understand the context, both in history and in the literary structure of the book you are reading, develop a few baseline guiding assumptions from that and then diverge from those only if the text moves you to do so. Start with the text and let the text guide your interpretation of it, bible study 101!

Now one of the other important points that we mentioned in our introduction was that Zechariah was a member of a priestly family and that while he was a prophet in his younger years in his later years he would take his grandfathers place as a leader of one of the 24 divisions of priests that did the work in the temple. This means that we can expect, because of Zechariah’s background and because the temple itself was such a central element of the ministry of this man, that we can expect that the imagery we encounter may often be tied to the temple and the worship in the temple.

Now this is just a guiding principle. Again if the text drives us in a different direct we will go there but this is a basic assumption that we ought to bring to the text.

This is where then I want to give us our last piece of info as we head off into the vision. When coming to literature like this with symbols and imagery there are at least two general camps of interpretation.

One camp we can call the interpretative maximalists. These people see nearly everything as symbolic and intentionally symbolic. Colors, animals, numbers, dates, individuals, nearly anything that is seen or spoken is scoured for its symbolic meaning.

Maximalists for example, look to our text today and see the colors of the horses and see, for some, the colors of the horses in this passage as a representation of sunset colors and then the colors of the horses with chariots in chapter 6 as symbolic of the sunrise and thus develop an intentional progression of time from the first vision to the last as a result of the colors.

Now I think we will find this progression of time in these visions, however, I don't know that the colors of the horses are meant to symbolize that or even anything in particular.

One thing that I really appreciate about the maximalist approach is that they seek to sound the depths of each and every word of the prophecy, they don't move past things too quickly and they give time and energy to considering these things. They also are adept at making wider connections throughout scripture and tracking the progression of a theme or image across the pages of the Bible. They understand the divine nature of God’s word His authorship of His word throughout time as the originator and source of the material and so they can trace the threads of symbolic imagery even across authors who used very different styles and write in very different context. This is all good.

However, as noted I think they are prone to also see symbols where there may not be a symbol intended. This often leads to tenuous stretched in reasoning that I fear can distract from the actual meaning of the text.

As I also said in our intro, there may be symbolic imagery we come across that I will be hesitant to take a stand on what it means, even to the extent of having to admit that I don't know, and yet this doest dissuade me from applying ourselves to this book and seeking to learn all we can from it.

On the other end you have, I guess you would have to call them minimalists. The interpretive minimalists see as few symbols in the text as possible. They only like to view something as symbolic if the text explicitly says it is so. Even in literature that is naturally highly symbolic they tend to try and find as literal of an interpretation as possible.

These people have no problem seeing horses and certainly don't look for meaning in the colors but they probably don't even look for meaning in the horses themselves.

These people are also prone then to miss the point of the text as often times the symbols in the text are imperative to understanding what the vision is intended to convey. We will see that in a moment with the horses!

Our approach is going to be to seek to find a middle way. I am far more sympathetic to the maximalist and would tend in that direction. I find them very helpful because it is much easier to call something a stretch than it is to find it in the first place.

I think these are good things for us to have in our minds as we apply ourselves to understanding these passages. As God’s people we want to understand His word and we need to be developing our minds and learning to employ the right tools to get to the true meaning of the texts so that we can properly apply it to our lives.

So now with that in mind lets jump into this first vision.

READ TEXT (1:7-17)

Jumping right into verse 8 we are given this very vivid glance into a scene that is likely pretty foreign to us. We have this man riding a horse, a red horse, and he is in this grove of trees, myrtle trees, which are in an (my ESV says glen) other bibles might say ravine or deep, and he has other horses behind him and the horses are red, sorrel, and white.

Zechariah sees this scene before him and descries it to us. We also meet quickly in verse 9 the angle who is with Zechariah and who will accompany him as a sort of guide and interpreter through many of these visions.

So Zechariah sees this scene.

Now we need to ask ourselves is this scene supposed to be symbolic of something in particular or is it just a backdrop for the message that is going to be conveyed?

Well here we immediately get to our maximalist vs minimalist approach. We have already said that there are those who see even in the colors of the horses a symbol for the setting of the sun. We have also already said that we aren't going to go that far.

However there are some connections that I think are helpful to see here. If you will remember one of our driving paradigms was that we are looking for temple imagery in the book and I do indeed believe that we can see a bit of a temple motif here in this scene.

This is primary seen in the trees and the ravine or deep. Now there isn't a ton to go on here and I would admit that this might drift toward a maximalist approach so I want to acknowledge this but when you look at the structure of the temple that Solomon had constructed one of the things that you see is that it seems like in many ways it was ment to represent Eden. Eden had been the garden where God had dwelt in a right relationship with man and so the Temple had a design that was meant to symbolize this place. Specifically it had carved all over it trees and flowers very representative of the garden and in the temple we find this source of water a giant pool that was used to cleanse the priests. Now we don't have time to trace all of these things but here we have a grove of trees and this grove or garden of trees is located in a ravine or deep place which seems to say that there might be water there and in the midst of these trees we now see this gathering of what we are going to see is an angelic force lead by what may well me the preincarnate Christ.

At the very least this seems to be a sort of Holy Place and in the midst of this pace we have this rider on a red horse.

We see then that Zechariah asks:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

What are these, my lord?’

He asks this of the angle that is with him. The these is specifically the man and the horses.

Now there were some things that Zechariah would have known. He would have likely connected the horses with might and power. People in this day didn't causally ride horses for fun, that wasn't a thing. Horses were used by royal emissaries and kings and by armies. This is likely why Zechariah asks his question. Here in this solemn place that seems to be a sort of temple backdrop we see this gathering of royal might and power. What could this mean, who are these horsemen Zechariah asks.

The scene continues then:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’

The angle with Zechariah says he will show Zechariah what this group of horses is and immediately we have the man who was on the red horse who we can gather has dismounted from his horse at this point replies to Zechariah with an answer.

This man we come to find is the Angle of the Lord who most agree is the pre-incarnate Christ, tells Zechariah that these are those who have been sent out to patrol, the word literally means to go back and forth across, the earth.

It would be a mistake to assume that there are only three horses because of the number of colors, the text does not say there are only 3, it says that the horses that were there were of those colors.

We can also gather that there were riders on those horses as well because the next thing that we hear is the riders from those horses (not the horses themselves!) answer the Angle of the Lord:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’

We can gather that this is the Angle of the Lord who is likely the pre-incarnate Christ who has sent out his army to patrol the earth and bring back a report of what they find.

Now at first glace there seems to be nothing wrong with the report! the earth remains at rest. But the Angle of the Lord, the captain of this Army, the pre-incarnate Christ cries out the the Lord of Hosts, which if you will remember is the name for God that means the God of Armies, He cries out:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

12 Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’

This then is the rub and the force of the entire vision. The earth is at rest and yet Jerusalem is still in rubble and its people face opposition. 70 years have nearly transpired by this point and yet God still seems to be angry with this people.

Now it gets a little hard to follow sometimes as who is doing the talking and who they are addressing jumps around here but the next thing that we find is that the Lord, the Covenant God of Israel now speaks to the Angle that is talking directly to Zechariah and this angle in turn give Zechariah these, we read, gracious and comforting words to declare to the people.

This this is the propose for the vision if you weren't able to follow it the whole way through. God had a word for Zechariah to deliver to the people and the whole reason for this vision was to provide the backdrop against which these words would be delivered to Zechariah by the angle and that he would in turn provide that backdrop to the people as he declares these words to them:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

This whole thing has been about giving Zechariah this message to deliver to the people.

Now before we take up the meaning of this message we need to go back and grab some important things out of the earlier parts of the vision.

The Horses

As we consider the components of this message and what they mean the first thing that we see here is the implied sovereignty and power of God to rule over the nations of the world. We have discussed the name Lord of Hosts and here we actually get to see a part of this vast army of angelic hosts that God has at His disposal as He governs the world and its affairs.

Note that this army was sent out to patrol and they have done that. This is a picture of the omniscience of God. God knows all and there is nothing that can prevent him from knowing anything. There is nothing that can prevent his host from doing their job and reporting to Him. Over and above these powerful nations like the Babylonians, the Meades, the Persians , there is above them all the Lord of Hosts, the God of Angle Armies and His armies can go where ever when ever they want to or are directed to and nothing can stop them.

The horses and their riders provide us with a powerful picture then of God’s power and sovereignty int he governance of all of the affairs of this world.

This connection is only strengthened by the reply that we hear from the Man who had been on the red horse, the Angle of the Lord. “How long will you have no mercy...”

The implication being that God is at complete freedom to do as he pleases and that He can turn his anger and vengeance on the peoples of the earth and turn his mercy and grace to the peoples of Israel at any point he pleases.

Rest

This takes us to the rest that the world is experiencing. It would be a mistake to assume that this rest means that the world is at peace. Historically you would be hard pressed to look at this time period and find a time of peace between all of these nations. Even after Babylon had been conquered by Darius there were rebellions and revolts.

No what it meas by at rest is that they are at rest from the punishments of God. God had promised through the prophets that a day would come when he turned his wrath from his people and would direct it at their enemies and yet here it has been nearly 70 years and yet the peoples of the earth are not yet experiencing the wrath of God against their sin, especially the wrath of God for their severe mistreatment of His people in their exile.

This is the reason for the reply of the Angle of the Lord:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?

It still seemed as though God was angry with His people because He had not yet begun to pour out His wrath on the nations of the world as He had promised He would do.

Now we need to not get lost in the questions of if this Angle of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ then what does that imply about the relation to the Father and what does he know, he says How long, really this is a lament and at the very least it would show us the great love that He has for His people but again these are not the key things for Zechariah, Zechariah is hurrying us toward the message that God has given Him to deliver and the rest of this is just backdrop.

Man we are running out of time fast and there is so much in this text.

The Message

Lets read one more time these words:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

We don't have time to consider the first part of the statement, the bit about the nations furthering the destruction. We just can see quickly that God is very angry with them for this, in chapter 2 God is going to call Israel the familiar phrase “apple of my eye.” God loves His people and while he was disciplining them for a time the nations in their hatred have gone farther than that discipline and are thus expressly under His wrath even though it still seems that they are at rest.

But now we get to the focal point of the message: The house shall be rebuilt! A measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem!

English Standard Version Chapter 1

My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

God has returned to Jerusalem.... Where does that come from? Can anyone remember?

1:4! Return to me and I will return to you!

We already find the answer to the previous prophecy, the people have carried out the repentance that was required because as Haggai has already said:

English Standard Version Chapter 2

from this day on I will bless you.”

And as we read here, God is returning to His people in mercy!

This is the heart of the message and God declares that first, the temple will be rebuilt. It shoudl come as no surprise that this will be a theme in Zechariah!

Remember these people are still at the very beginnings of this project, its going to take three more years. Can anyone blame them for maybe still wondering if it was going to work? They laid the foundations and were then stopped, who is to say that they wont get stopped again? The answer to that? The God of Angle Armies, that's who!

My House shall be built in it! Shall! There is no question about the outcome of this project!

And not only that!

English Standard Version Chapter 1

the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.

Jerusalem will be rebuilt as well! We will see more about this idea in chapter two so we wont spend time on it here but it is part of this promise that comes when God returns to act in mercy towards His people. They will complete His house and their will also have their city to dwell in.

Finally God ends:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

Prosperity and comfort. We don't have much time left, but just notice the “AGAIN.” This is pointing the people back in their history to the days of David and Solomon when this had been a description of the people’s situation. God promises them, as I move toward you blessing and comfort will flow again.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

We will see this theme of choosing Jerusalem three times in the opening three chapters of this Book. As God chose His people before so now he moves to choose them again. He has set his electing love and affection on these people.

Closing

Now I know we are well out of time but just a brief word in closing.

Our situation is not all together different from that of Zechariah's day! It ought not be if as we have asserted the post exilic period and the events that transpire there are actually parallels and foreshadowings of what was going to happen when Christ came to fulfill the messianic, kingdom, and salvation/redemption promises that the prophets had long foretold.

We have a job, build the temple.

We are to repent and when we do we find that God has moved towards us and provides blessings and comfort.

We also cry out how long as we wait for God to bring recompense upon the world.

We can trust that just as God had sent out His riders to patrol the earth then so now He is doing so and one of these days he will bring about that just recompense for those who have rejected Him and opposed His people.