Visions in the Night (Zech pt. II)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Motivating the people (a look back)
Motivating the people (a look back)
This morning we continue our survey of Zechariah (part 2 of 5) and we continue to look at this series of visions that he had in one night.
Previously we have seen:
Zechariah the prophet, contemporary with Haggai to the returning Jews from exile.
Purpose to encourage the rebuilding of the temple (Ezr5:1-2; 6:14-15)
I think there are some scriptures I need to bring back in to keep before us today as we continue.
1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.
The start with the prophesy to motivate; followed by the results
14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
A call for national repentance (Zec1:1-6)
3- visions and a message (Zec1:7-3:10)
Vision one: Rider and horses
Vision two: Four horns and four craftsmen
Vision three: Man with measuring line
And finally, Joshua the high priest w/instruction
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
Purpose of the visions:
To remind the people of God’s zeal for Jerusalem
To reassure Joshua of his role as high priest
And, God revealing of even greater to come (Zec3:8-10)
8 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
(Transition) now, this morning as mentioned when we started I would like for us to survey the other four visions (Zec4:1-6-8) and after that the instructions to crown Joshua (Zec6:9-15).
I want to bring to remembrance also that Zechariah is filled with lot’s of symbolism and some can be hard to comprehend, but will try to convey as best I can, but I think the take away will be obvious when we finish.
Visions in the night
Visions in the night
What a night for Zechariah, finally starting to get some good sleep only to be awoken by an angel to give him more. More visions with more questions. Don’t worry there are explanations too.
Vision of Gold lampstand and two olive trees (Zec4:1-14)
1 Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;
3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.”
What did Zechariah see (vv.2-3)?
Lampstand all of Gold
Seven lamps on it
Seven spouts
Two olive trees one on each side of it.
Being roused from his sleep seeing these things, Zechariah not sure what they mean, so he speaks up.
4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
Hey wait, he asked a question and the answer was don’t you know? Hum, let’s press on
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.
What fact does the angel reveal to Zechariah (v.6)?
This vision is for Zerubbabel (the governor)
It is not by might nor power by the Spirit
7 ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
Not by might nor power but by Spirit that will bring forth the top stone, the cap stone! - the cap stone is the finishing stone, so the finishing of the temple will happen under Zerubbabel
8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
From start to finish Zerubbabel, when you finish you will know that the Lord of hosts is with you and has sent Zechariah to you. Why? To encourage you to finish the work that has been started.
10 “For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth.”
We have a definition now of the seven lamps, seven pipes (v.2) here in (v.10), what is it?
They are the eyes of the Lord which scan the whole earth.
There will be gladness when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel hand.
11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?”
13 So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Still there is more questions, we have the explanation, definition regarding the golden lampstand, lamps, pipes, but now more questions since the olive trees have not been explained yet.
What are the two olive trees as defined (v.14)?
They are the two anointed ones.
Now we are not told who they are, could it be Zerubabbel and Joshua?
Could it be Moses and Elijah a the mount of transfiguration?
I would lean toward the former since this book is about motivating the returning exiles to get to work on the rebuilding the temple.
As for the small things, we know that the temple is pale in comparison to Solomon’s temple, but consider this
11 They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,
the young sang praises, the old wept.
2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?
It may not seem as much as the previous temple to those who had seen it in it’s former glory, but there is more to come, so hold on! - there are more visions to look at.
Vision of the flying scroll (Zec5:1-4)
1 Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”
What can you tell about the scroll from (v.2)?
It is flying, and it’s dimensions (about 30 ft x 15 ft)
This time the explanation is given right away
3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4 “I will make it go forth,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.”
what is the scroll according to (v.3)?
It is the curse that goes out
The curse defined on one side that the one who steals (the thief) will be purged (expelled out)
The curse defined on the other side as the one who swears will be purged (expelled out)
It was these kind of people that led to the downfall, the judgment of Israel and Judah
2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear.
and what Micah had to say too
2 They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. 3 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.
The thief, the one who swears falsely are going to be purged, expelled out from within God’s people.
Vision of woman in the basket (Zech5:5-11)
5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.” 6 So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.” He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: 7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”;
Note: in other versions it may use the word Ephah vs. basket
8 then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
What is the definition of the woman in the basket (v.8)?
Wickedness
Then we see in (v.9) two more women, with wings like stork’s and carrying away the woman in the basket with a lead top on it.
10 So I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?” 11 And he said to me, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”
Wickedness was going to be purged, expelled from within the people and carried off to land of Shinar (Babylon).
Was that not what happened? Was not Judah carried off to Babylon, the former temple destroyed because of the sin of the people? The land had to be purged so it would be rebuilt for that which is better was yet to come.
Vision of the four chariots (Zec6:1-8)
(originally I thought that we would make it through to (v.15) I do not think we will make it there, if not, we will pick up there next week.
1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds.
What do you learn about the chariots (vv.1-3)?
Four of them, with red horses, black horses, white horses and then dappled horses — strong steeds
4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.
What do the four chariots represent according to (v.5)?
Four spirits of heaven
6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth.
The black head’s north with white following
The dappled, strong steed head south.
They go to and fro throughout the earth.
8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
The ones to the north give rest to the Spirit of the Lord in the north country.
Is this at the completion of the temple there will be peace, there will be rest? It would be an easy assumption of that.
Now think about this 8 visions one night with many questions along the way. The central message was through Zechariah to Zerubbabel and Joshua to encourage them to continue their efforts in rebuilding the temple, for there is still better yet to come! - With that we will stop there and pick up next week (v.9)
(Prayer) (Exit)