Zechariah: The First Three Visions

1. The Vision of Riders under the Myrtle Trees.

Zechariah 1:7 “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:”

Let me give you a little reference point here.

The Hebrew calendar does not begin with January. It begins with April, so Zechariah saw his vision on February 24, 520 BC. How do I know that exact date? Because the second year of the reign of Darius was 520 BC.

5 months prior to this, the Lord appeared to Haggai to give him a message to challenge the returning remnant to get to work rebuilding the Temple.

Haggai told the returning remnant about the coming destruction of the Gentile world powers that would take place before God established His Kingdom upon earth.

Haggai told the remnant that the One to rule the Kingdom was the Messiah, and the Messiah would come from the line of Zerubbabel who was the civil ruler of Jerusalem at this time since there was no king in Jerusalem.

Zerubbabel was also in the line of David, and while the temple, Zerubbabel’s temple was being rebuilt, Zechariah received his visions.

Zechariah 1:8 “I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.”

Zechariah did not dream this vision. He saw it. He was wide awake when he received the visions, and he received all of them in one night.

What Zechariah saw startled him as he begins by saying BEHOLD. Zechariah knew that what he was seeing was important to the returning remnant.

In his vision, Zechariah sees a man riding upon a red horse. Well, who is this man upon the red horse? The Bible identifies Him for us.

Zechariah 1:11–12 “So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.” Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?””

When the Angel of the Lord in this form appears in the Old Testament, it is none other than the Pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ.

It is the Pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ on the red horse. What is the Pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ doing in Zechariah’s vision? He is watching over the world.

Now, it is true that Satan is called the prince of this world system and the god of this age.

Ephesians 2:2 “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,”

2 Corinthians 4:4 “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

The carnality and evil in the world are under Satan’s control, but only God is sovereign.

Even though Satan is controlling the world systems, Jesus Christ is standing in the shadows watching over those who belong to Him.

In Zechariah’s vision, in particular, it is the nation of Israel over which Jesus is watching, and Jesus Christ continues to watch over them today which is why in 1967 during the 6-Day war the Arab world with Soviet weapons could not defeat Israel in battle.

How does it make you feel knowing that God is watching over you?

Zechariah sees Jesus riding upon a red horse. Now, we know from Scripture that red speaks of blood and bloodshed.

In the Book of Revelation, the red horse rider speaks of bloodshed during the Tribulation period.

Revelation 6:4 “Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.”

In Zechariah’s vision, however, the color red is not talking about warfare. The red speaks of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that was to be shed.

Zechariah sees Jesus watching over this world because it was Jesus who was going to shed His blood for all of humanity.

Now, the vision gets a little stranger.

Zechariah sees behind the Pre-Incarnate Christ, red, speckled, and white horses. The Bible does not say these horses had riders, but I believe they did have riders, and the riders of those horses were angelic beings under the command of Christ.

The Bible gives us a hint of what is going on around us.

2 Kings 6:15–17 “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Daniel 10:11–13 “And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”

Dear friend, God is watching over us, and I believe He has angels assigned to each of us to protect, minister, and serve His children. God is not going to let anything happen to you until your mission on earth is complete. Read Acts Chap. 7 about Stephen for proof.

In Zechariah’s vision, I believe the white horse stands for victory as Jesus Christ is going to reign supreme.

I believe the speckled horses are a combination of red and white. I believe these speckled horses represent the victory to be had had by the bloodshed of Jesus Christ which makes us white as snow in God’s eyes.

Zechariah sees the Pre-Incarnate Christ and the others in a grove of myrtle trees that were in the bottom. The myrtle tree is common to Israel, and you can find many references to them in the Kingdom passages.

What does in the bottom mean? Well, I do not think it means bottom as we think of the bottoms. I think it means the myrtle trees along with the Pre-Incarnate Christ were down in a valley.

What valley? The Valley of Megiddo where the final battle of Armageddon takes place. (Rev. Chap. 19:11-21).

When Jesus was hanging on the Cross, He was literally on a red horse shedding His blood for every human being from Adam to the last human being that will ever be born. When He comes at Armageddon with His angels to the final battle, He will be on a white horse because the victory accomplished by His death and resurrection will finally be completed.

Today, Jesus Christ is just waiting for the Father to the give the command. In the meantime, He is patrolling and watching over the earth.

Zechariah 1:9–10 “Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.””

The Devil might be going to and fro as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour, but the Lord Jesus Christ has His watchful eye on this world.

At the time of this vision, the earth was at rest which means there was no warfare taking place.

Now, this is pretty interesting.

Of the 6,000+ years of recorded history, there have only been a total of about 200 years of peace. Mankind is violent, and war rages in his heart which is why so many people lost their tempers so quickly. They lose their tempers because violence and rage reign in their hearts. At the time of this vision, the earth was at rest, but it was not a lasting peace.

Zechariah 1:12 “Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”” (VERY DEEP).

This verse has a dual application. It had an application in Zechariah’s time, and it has an application for the Millennial Kingdom.

For 70 years while in captivity, Jerusalem had been lying in ruins, debris, and ashes, but the remnant had returned to rebuild. The remnant were asking God how long it would be before God brought real blessings to them. Those blessings will be realized during the Millennium.

At the time of Zechariah’s vision, Jerusalem was struggling, but the Gentile nations were at peace. The Gentile nations were ignoring the plight of Israel, but those nations had forgotten that God is jealous when it comes to Israel.

Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Today, think about the number of nations that disregard Israel, denying its right to exist as a nation. The Gentile nations in Zechariah’s day were at peace but not for very long. Today, we hear clamoring for peace, but there can never be permanent peace until the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning in Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace.

The peace offered by Jesus Christ today is not worldly peace. It is peace with God, a peace that comes from the forgiveness of our sins.

Can I ask you a question? Are you at peace with God?

Dear friend, in the last 125 years, do you realize how many millions of people have been killed in warfare? There can be no peace apart from Jesus Christ. Violence and rage will reign in your heart until you allow Jesus Christ to reign in your life.

The key to world peace today is Jerusalem. As long as Jerusalem is at war, the world will be at war, but peace is coming, and Jerusalem will be at peace when the Prince of Peace is sitting on His throne in Jerusalem during the Millennium.

I hope you understand.

God has a plan and a program for Israel. That plan will be realized when Jesus Christ returns to this earth to reign in Jerusalem leading Israel to eternity, but in the meantime, Jesus Christ is patrolling this earth protecting His until the appointed time.

2. The Vision of the Four Horns.

Zechariah 1:18–19 “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.””

Zechariah sees 4 horns, and these four horns are the ones who have scattered both Israel and Judah, the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.

In the Bible, a horn represents Gentile power.

Daniel 7:24 “The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.”

Revelation 17:12 ““The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.”

These four horns can represent all the nations that have abused Israel and Judah from the Assyrians to Nazi Germany to the rise of global antisemitism in the Gentile world today.

More than likely, these 4 horns specifically refer to the Gentile powers discussed in the Book of Daniel and in the Book of Revelation.

Babylon

Medo-Persia

Greece

Rome

These four Gentile powers correspond with Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Daniel Chap. 2.

Daniel 2:31–33 ““You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.”

The head of gold was Babylon as it was the greatest of them all.

The silver was Medo-Persia, who even though great, was not as great as Babylon.

The brass was Greece who came to power quickly through the exploits of Alexander the Great.

The legs of iron represent Rome who of the four empires is the only one that was not destroyed by an outside force.

I believe, because I believe there is a continuity in the Bible, that Zechariah’s four horns are the same four Gentile powers of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

The Gentile powers have had their way with Israel throughout the centuries, but that will change in the future, and Jesus Christ is patrolling this earth protecting Israel and his people, and his people include Israel and those of us who belong to the true church.

Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

For the church, the day of redemption is the Rapture. Israel’s redemption will be the Millennial Kingdom.

3. The Vision of the Four Carpenters.

Zechariah 1:20–21 “Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.””

Now, this will get a little confusion if you are not careful.***********************

This is the best way for me to show you what Zechariah is describing as four craftsmen.

The first horn was Babylon. Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC. It was cast down by the Medo-Persians, the 2nd horn; therefore, the Medo-Persians were the first carpenter or craftsman.

Medo-Persia, the 2nd horn was cast down by Greece, the 3rd horn; therefore, Greece was the second carpenter.

Greece, the 3rd horn, was cast down by the Romans, the 4th horn; therefore, the Romans were the third carpenter.

The Romans, the 4th horn, will be cast down by the 4th carpenter, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:16 “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

The destruction of the first three horns is a matter of world history, but if you study the history of Rome, you will discover that Rome was not destroyed by an outside power. Rome collapsed due to corruption, but one of these days, the Roman Empire will be reborn.

Now, there is a passage in the Bible that describes Rome being reborn. We usually say this passage is referring to the Antichrist, and it is, but it is also referring to the rebirth of Rome.

Revelation 13:1–3 “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”

I do not want to bore you with history, but I must for just a minute.

When Rome “collapsed”, it really split into. Rome became the Eastern Roman Empire marked by the Greek Orthodox Church. The Holy Roman Empire, or the Western Roman Empire, was marked by the Roman Catholic Church. There have been many men who tried to put the two parts back together. The first to try was Charlemagne the Great in 800 AD who proclaimed himself the Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas day of 800 AD.

There have been others who have tried to reunify the Roman Empire. Mussolini tried. The European Common Market tried. Many others have tried but have not been successful.

Now, in the Bible, things can happen suddenly, or things can happen over a period of years, and that includes prophetic events.

We know that there will be a Revived Roman Empire because the Bible tells us. The first step in the reunification of Rome was not and is not the European Union or the Common Market. The first step toward reunification occurred in 1964 when Pope Paul VI met with the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, Athenagoras on January 6 on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Now, how interesting is that!!!

In Europe today, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, is trying to unify Europe against Donald Trump because of his stance on Ukraine. I am not saying Macron is the Antichrist, but I am saying that he is one of many who have tried to reunify the Old Roman Empire.

There is one coming, the Antichrist, who will do what so many have failed to do, and that is revive the Roman Empire.

He will be the world’s last dictator, but He will be cast down by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords at the conclusion of Armageddon. It is at that point God's earthly Kingdom will be established honoring all the promises God made to Israel.

Dear friend, you must understand this if you want to understand God’s prophetic plan.

God’s promises to the church will be realized at the Rapture which, I believe, happens before Israel signs a 7-year agreement with the Antichrist.

God’s promises for Israel will be realized when Christ physically returns to the earth.

It is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of a carpenter, who is and will be the 4th carpenter.

I hope you are not completely confused.

Here is what you have to keep in my mind, and I am telling you this is the key to understanding God’s plans for the future.

(1) God is not through with Israel.

(2) When God says Israel in the Bible, He means Israel just as Rome is Rome and Babylon is Babylon.

The Church is not Israel, and the United States is not Babylon.

Today, God chooses people through Jesus Christ. It does not matter from where you come or what your skin color is.

Unless you are in Christ, it makes no difference to which nation you belong.

Even thought that is totally true, God is still going to make good on His promises to Israel. God is going to be faithful to Himself and His Word to Israel. If God were unfaithful to Israel, upon what basis could I believe He was going to be faithful to the church?

God is going to be faithful to Israel, and God is going to be faithful to the church, and one of these days, God will pour out His vengeance on the Gentile nations of this world for their treatment of Israel and Judah.