19.10.20p - Zechariah - Returning To The Lord

Introduction

Zechariah has always been a scary book to me. It ranks up there with Revelation because of its large number of visions and apocalyptic language. However, once we look at it from a higher perspective, we find that this book is not as scary or complicated as it seems. We can see the message of this book as we forget all of our knowledge of the New Testament and think as those Jews were thinking. So let's begin with understanding where and when this book was written. Zechariah was a prophet during the time of Zerubbabel, as we studied in the book of Ezra. The Babylonian exiles have returned to Jerusalem, and they began to build the temple of the Lord as Cyrus instructed. However, they stopped working because the nations around them were oppressing them, and they were disheartened to see how the new temple compared to the temple of Solomon. So the temple foundation laid dormant for twenty years until the rise of King Darius of Persia. At this time, God chose to send Jerusalem two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Haggai was a short book, but it was full of encouragement. God said over and over again that he would be with his people, and that he would pour out the riches of the nations on them in time. He calls Zerubbabel God's signet ring to say that through him, the promises made to David would come true.

When we turn to Zechariah, we find a very similar circumstance and a similar message. From 10,000 ft, Zechariah reveals his message in an eight vision story, one sermon on how God's people were only worshipping for themselves, and two oracles. One oracle is about a great shepherd king that will come and save God's people from bad shepherds, and the other is about how God would save Jerusalem from the nations that are raging against them.

The Eight Vision Story (1-6)

In the first six chapters, we have eight seemingly unrelated visions. If we were to study each of these visions individually, we would come up with all kinds of explanations for their meaning. However, looking at all the visions as a whole helps us see the progression from one vision to another. We need to overlook the details of the vision to see an overall message. Then, we can fit that message into the storyline. Before we get into the first vision, I would like for us to see the introduction to the book in the first six verses.

Zechariah 1:1--6 (ESV) --- 1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 2 "The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, 'As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.'"

The introduction to the book has God pleading with his people to return to him. This is the same thing we saw God trying to do in the book of Malachi, which takes place about one hundred years later. In Malachi, they respond, "How shall we return to you." But in Zechariah, they have repented of their sins and recognized God's faithfulness. God has brought about everything he promised. This return to God is the basis for the book.

The Earth Is At Rest (1:7-17)

In the first vision, a horse comes riding in from patrolling the earth and reveals that all is at rest, but it shouldn't be at rest. God's people are still destroyed. It has been seventy years since Jerusalem's temple was destroyed, and God's people have been allowed to return, but the temple is still in ruins. The angel asks God, "How long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?" (Zech 1:12) God responds with gracious and comforting words, "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." (Zech 1:16)

This is a vision about God choosing to prosper his people again after destroying them so long ago. He is going to judge Israel's enemies and give his people peace and prosperity.

Sending Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)

In the second vision, Zechariah sees four horns. These represent kings or kingdoms in apocalyptic language. In this case, the Lord shows Zechariah four craftsmen who are coming to "terrify" and "cast down" the "horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah."

So this little vision is promising that God is sending "craftsmen" to wipe out Judah's enemies and save God's people from being ashamed and vulnerable.

Measuring Jerusalem For Expansion (2)

The third vision is of a man with a measuring line in his hand. Measuring lines typically indicate an evaluation for judgment or expansion. Thankfully, this measuring line is for the expansion of Jerusalem. God will protect Jerusalem and make the nations into plunder for them (2:9). God even promises twice that he will come and dwell in their midst. To the Jew, this would refer to the glory of the Lord descending on the temple, but we understand it to refer to Jesus being God on the earth.

Cleaning the High Priest (3)

The fourth vision adds another part to the storyline. Not only will the enemies be killed, and the city is overflowing with people, but God will also give the people a clean high priest who can offer sacrifices on behalf of the people to atone for their sins. He says that as long as Joshua (the high priest at the time) obeys the Lord, he will have access to the Most Holy Place. But amid this fourth vision, he makes a promise that the branch will come and remove the iniquity of the people in a day. This side note will be crucial for later.

Grace To It (4)

The fifth vision is the second central vision. It is a vision of seven lamps on a lampstand with a bowl on top and two olive trees on the sides. The explanation of this vision is found in verses 6-7.

Zechariah 4:6--7 (ESV) --- 6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"

Joshua is restored as the high priestly figure, and Zerubbabel will be the kingly figure. However, he will give all the credit to the Lord because God is the one who made the rebuilding of the temple possible. So he will add the last stone to the temple, and everyone will shout, "Grace, grace to it." What a scene!

The Curse Goes Out (5:1-4)

Then, in the sixth vision, things take a turn for the worst. The curse goes out over the face of the whole earth as a scroll flies over. This represents the failure of the people again. Their failure will once again cause them to be destroyed.

Iniquity Sent Away (5:5-10)

Fortunately, the seventh vision comes in and reveals that the iniquity of the people is in a basket, and it is being carried away. This is illustrated by a woman being thrown into a basket with a leaden weight on the opening. The woman represents all wickedness, and as two women with wings carry it away, the people are reassured that their iniquity will be removed. The branch from the third vision has come and removed the iniquity as was promised in the fourth vision.

God's Spirit At Rest (6:1-8)

This brings us back around to the final vision of horsemen patrolling the earth again. In the first vision, there was rest on the earth, but in this vision, God's spirit has rest. We can see the progression of this story as God's people are restored, and the nations are judged. God finds rest in this balance, and we can see from our vantage point that God has accomplished all of this. Jerusalem was rebuilt, the people were restored along with their temple; the nations were judged as God rose evil nations against them. But the people were cursed by their disobedience and needed someone to remove the iniquity.

Conclusion: A Priest On The Throne (6:9-15)

After these visions are over, Zechariah is commanded to collect silver and gold to make a crown and put it on the high priest.

Zechariah 6:12--13 (ESV) --- 12 And say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."'

This would represent that the branch will come and be both a high priest and king. This is an odd way to conclude this section, but we can see how it explains everything. The branch is Jesus, and he will carry away the iniquity of us all by being our high priest and king.

Sermon About Obedience (7-11)

The first six chapters are the hardest to understand. The last eight chapters will be a little easier. In chapters 7 and 8, we see the people asking Zechariah whether they should continue to fast as they remember the destruction of Jerusalem multiple times a year. Zechariah tells them that God doesn't care anything about their fasting and external obedience. He says that they are only doing that for themselves. Instead, God wants them to be faithful to God and faithful to one another. He wants to see justice and peace. So God decides to bless the people abundantly, and he commands that they feast when they use to fast.

The Shepherd King Oracle (9-10)

Then, in chapters 9-11, we see God foretell the coming of a humble king who will shepherd his people so that they are mighty, glad, and remember the Lord wherever they live. He will be a humble and gentle king who strengthens the nation. This sermon is wrapped up with a performance by Zechariah. He becomes a shepherd who fires the under-shepherds who mistreat the sheep. After firing them, he grows impatient with the sheep. He let's those who refuse to follow die and be destroyed. Then he breaks his staffs Favor and Union to represent that those sheep will not receive favor or be united with his people.

The Salvation of Jerusalem Oracle (12-14)

The book concludes with a sermon that is one of the most debated sections of scripture. In this section, many people try to determine the details instead of seeing the picture that is being given. Chapter 12 begins with God making Jerusalem unbreakable. The nations rage against it, but they cannot conquer the city. Instead, God comes in and strikes them down. Then, God's people conquer all their enemies and become like David, God, and the angel of the Lord.

Zechariah 13:1 (ESV) --- 1 "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."

Here we see the branch has come and accomplished what he was sent to do. He has cleansed the people of their iniquity. The rest of chapter 13 lays out how the people will be faithful even though they will continue to be persecuted. God will refine them and be proud to be their God.

Chapter 14 reiterates what was said in chapters 12 and 13, but this time he adds an illustration of God defeating the enemies that is terrifying. The nations rage against God's people and carry half of the city into exile while the other half is saved. The Lord shows up with his feet on Mount Olive. Then, he splits the earth in two and causes the living waters to flow out of Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:9 (ESV) --- 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

The enemies of the Lord will be plagued, and they will rot, but some of the nations will worship the Lord. Everyone will be able to worship him in the end because all who obey will be considered "Holy to the Lord" (Zech 14:16-21).

What Is The Message?

Many people want to interpret the prophecies of this book in correlation with the events that happened in the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem. Others want to believe in some event that still hasn't happened yet. I see a lot of those correlations in this with the life of Jesus, but the problem comes when we try to make it fit history. The visions and the apocalyptic language in this book are fantastic. However, I don't believe God is trying to give us an understanding of how a physical battle will be fought. If he is talking about a physical battle, the details don't fit anything we have ever seen. But, if we see these events as physical representations of the spiritual battle to save God's people from their sins and give them the security that they have always needed, I think it all makes sense. Some parts of this are literal. Jesus is pierced, and people do mourn. The fountain that was opened as Jesus said in John 4 and John 7, representing the spiritual life that he provides. There was an earthquake, and the vale of the temple was torn in two, not the earth. The persecutions that Christians face can't be represented by a physical city being besieged because we have no physical town. These are figures used to encourage Jews who have no concept of all that Jesus would one day come and accomplish. God is revealing the spiritual realities using physical images. The siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD was nothing like this description. Instead, this is like the Ezekiel 38-39 battle of Gog and Magog, or Psalm 2, where the nations are raging against the Lord and his anointed.

That is where we find the message of this book. Like Israel, all of us have wandered away from the truth and pursued our idols. Many of us have come back to God like these Israelites, hoping for a better life filled with meaning and joy. Maybe we fasted as they did, really worshipping for ourselves instead of for God. Perhaps we were trying to be righteous and exhibit external obedience. As the Jews were discouraged by the nations around them, so are we. That makes this prophecy extremely encouraging. God is telling us that those who return to the Lord and repent will receive a spirit of grace, compassion, and mercy as they follow the shepherd/king who God has set up. They will become like David, God, and the angle of the Lord in battle. This decision will result in persecution and suffering, but the result will be salvation and life through the one true king. I believe all of the things that Zechariah reveals happen in the New Testament and point toward God destroying the enemies of God's people and giving them peace, security, and victory in the end. They are cleansed from their sins and worship the Lord as his holy people.