Zechariah 5
Notes
Transcript
Vision 6
Vision 6
We mentioned at the beginning of the fourth vision in chapter 3 that the format of the opening line to the vision changed. For visions 4 and 5 things were different but now apparenlty we’re going back to seeing and lifting eyes. Let’s see how we start.
Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”
Okay so he looks up again and continues to look for the rest of the visions. This time we get flying scroll. This is a BIG scroll. 30ft x 15ft - ancient scrolls are 8-10 inches high and rolled up to 20ft long.
What does a scroll represent? - The word of God, the law
What could a flying scroll represent? - speed? from God alone untouch by man
The interpretation might help us answer these questions too.
Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.”
OH… uh things had been really hopeful and uplifting in these visions so far and now we get curse. This curse follows two failures of the people. These two are stealing and “swearing falsely” now, I don’t get the impression we’re talking about merely lieing here, and that is because the text adds “by my name” This is the taking of the Lord’s name in vain from the ten commandments. Ex 20.7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
The other sin is also a commandment Exo 20:15
“You shall not steal.
But I think these two can be used in the generic. If we took them genericly what do you think these two could represent?
The whole law. Don’t disregard your neighbor, don’t disregard God.
What does the law in general do? It convicts. What is it doing here? convicting the sinners but is it of just those who committed these two specific sins? No, which builds my point that this is not just about those two sins but all sin summarized in the law regarding God and mankind.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
If you only mess one up but not the other does that let you off the hook?
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Who is the one finding the sinners? By action of flying scroll I’m going to say that’s God. Who punishes these sinners? God. So this flying scroll also makes it clear that it’s not man’s judgment, or decision, or possible wrongful conviction that’s in view here.
Any flying scroll questions?
The Seventh Vision
The Seventh Vision
The basket case
Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.”
Okay we’re still looking up.
And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.”
Okay we’re definitely still on a sin kick here. But the sin is leaving it’s going out and it’s the iniquity or sin from all the land.
And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.
What do we all know about lead? It’s heavy. Why would you have a lid made out of lead? To make sure what’s inside stays inside. This woman will represent wickedness of all the land that is being removed. The symbolism of adultery equated with sin collectively is a strong one in the Bible. The ultimate imagery for adulery is the prostitute. Certainly pictured none clearer than in Hosea who married a prostitute and his wife, life, and children became the prophecy for Israel. This is also where I think we have the easiest parallel to imagery used in Revelation.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
Where does this basket go to?
Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.”
Where is Shinar? It’s the land of two rivers literally translated. For Dan there’s a rabbit hole to go down on your own time with the wheel of time series which has a land of Sheinar spelled differently pronounced the same which borders a place called the two rivers and there are more and more similarities that I’d encourage you to try and figure out. Anyone else interested in that has a good year+ worth of Novels to get through for that easter egg.
But back to this context Shinar is an ancient name for Babylon, before it was Babylon it was just the land of two rivers. Genesis 10:10 “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
This house is in the land of the epitome of sin Biblically. So much that while Revelation seems to clearly speak of Rome they use the word Babylon to represent it. Babylon was also known for goddesses that fit along with our word pictures here too.
Another parallel that fits this is the scapegoat. This weird ritual that happens where the sins of Israel are symbolically placed on a goat who is sent out.
We’ll finish the Eighth and final vision next week and then re-summarize the whole eight visions and how they might all fit together before we move on.
