How To Apply Prophetic Visions - Zechariah (Part 5)

HOW TO APPLY THE PROPHETIC VISIONS OF ZECHARIAH Principles of Interpreting a Prophetic Vision 1. Find the author’s main point. 2. Listen to the author’s explanation. 3. Look for connections to a preceding vision or to a preceding explanation of a vision. 4. Remember an object’s historical usage in prophecy. Was this object or thing used in a specific way in previous prophecies to the same audience? Zechariah 2:1 (ESV) And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Has the measuring line been mentioned before in Zechariah? Zechariah 1:16 (ESV) 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. Has the measuring line been used before in a prophecy that was specifically connected to this audience (i.e., God’s OT people)? 2 Kings 21:13–14 (ESV) And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and 14 turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, Amos 7:17b (ESV) Therefore thus says the Lord . . . your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’ ” Guiness, Alma E.."Reader's Digest: Mysteries of the Bible: The Enduring Question of the Scriptures".Pleasantville, New York/Montreal.The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.1988.ISBN: 0-89577-293-0 Is the measuring line being stretched over Jerusalem in Zechariah 2 a positive thing or a negative thing? Zechariah 2:1–2 (ESV) And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line 2 in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” Zechariah 2:3–4 (ESV) And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, 4 and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. Why wouldn’t Jerusalem have walls? ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. What’s the problem if your city doesn’t have walls? Photo: David Shankbone What’s the benefit of your city having walls? Photo: Ali shandal falah Photo:MohammadHuzam Does God care about the defence of His people? Zechariah 2:4–5 (ESV) ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ” the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5And ‫משתמש‪:‬כיכר השבת ויקיפדיה‪Photo:‬‬ Photo:US Forest Service Photo:Lance Cpl. George Melendez What does the measuring line being stretched over an overflowing Jerusalem and God’s being a wall of fire around her have to do with the theme of Zechariah? Theme of Zechariah: Return to Yahweh of Armies who returns (1:3; 14:5) with fury for His foes (1:15; 14:3, 12-13) and comfort for His children (1:13-14, 16-17; 10:6) to universally establish (14:9) His immediate (2:5, 10,11), holy presence (2:13; 8:3, 23; 14:20-21). Theme of Zechariah in chapter 2: Return to Yahweh of Armies who returns with comfort for His children by promising His immediate (2:5, 10,11), holy presence (2:13) as their protection (2:5). How did God want the original audience to respond to His being “a wall of fire all around”? Note: We are now moving into application. How do we apply an OT prophetic vision? 1. Look in the OT text for the explicit applications of that vision to the original audience. (I.e., Look for the commands connected to that particular vision.) What are the commands in Zechariah 2? 1. “Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north” (v.6) 2. “Up! Escape to Zion” (v. 7) 3. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion” (v. 10) 4. “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord” (v. 13) How do we apply an OT prophetic vision? 1. Look in the OT text for the explicit applications of the vision to the original audience. 2. Consider the original audience’s potential responses to those commands. Do you think God wanted the original audience to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem? Zechariah 2:6–7 (ESV) Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds 7 of the heavens, declares the Lord. Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. What might the original audience have thought of the command(s) to return to Jerusalem? For some Israelites living in Babylon, the prospect of leaving the safety of Babylon to move back to defenceless Jerusalem would have been terrifying. Besides, at this point, a lot of them were doing fairly well financially in Babylon. Do you think it would be easy for Jews living in Babylon to think, “I’m all for serving Yahweh, but can’t we do that in Babylon now that we’ve got decent houses and decent jobs here?” Good Reasons for Staying in Babylon Too old to make the trip to Jerusalem Have a very sick family member Questionable Reasons for Staying in Babylon Can’t find a buyer for the family business in Babylon Sale of the house in Babylon indefinitely delayed Illegitimate Reasons for Staying in Babylon Don’t want to leave a new/remodeled house. Don’t want to leave a lucrative/comfy job. Just got the kids into a prestigious school—besides there’s no tertiary education set up for my kids anywhere in Judea. How do we apply an OT prophetic vision? 1. Look in the OT text for the explicit applications of the vision to the original audience. 2. Consider the original audience’s potential responses to those commands. 3. Look for reasons in the OT text for the commands given to the original audience. What other reason does the explanation of the 3rd vision give Jews for moving back to Jerusalem? 1. God was going to plunder Babylon. Zechariah 2:8-9 (ESV) For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you 9 touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. Illegitimate Reasons for Staying in Babylon Don’t think Babylon would ever be totally destroyed Babylon has better defence forces, higher walls, and a moat in contrast to Jerusalem What other reason(s) did God give for the command for His people to leave Babylon and move to Jerusalem? 2. God promised to dwell in their midst. Zechariah 2:10–11 (ESV) Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. Illegitimate Reasons for Staying in Babylon I can worship God just fine from Babylon. God is everywhere, isn’t He? I won’t miss much if I don’t worship God at the Temple. We haven’t worshipped there for 70+ years, and I haven’t been struck dead. Our little home synagogue group in Babylon is such a blessing. I don’t think it will feel the same if we move to Jerusalem and have to worship with people that we don’t know. I wouldn’t like the large crowds at the Temple anyway. Besides, didn’t Daniel pray 3 times a day from his Babylonian home and have God’s blessing and protection? What is the modern application of the command to move back from Babylon to Jerusalem? • We must all move to Israel. • Everyone should go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. What would be special about moving back to Zion besides God’s renewed presence? 3. God promised to unite the nations to Himself. Zechariah 2:10–11 (ESV) Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come 11 and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. How do we apply an OT prophetic vision? 1. Look in the OT text for the explicit applications of the vision to the original audience. 2. Consider the original audience’s potential responses to those commands. 3. Look for reasons in the OT text for the commands given to the original audience. 4. Think of NT passages that echo, repeat, or modify the applications given in the OT text after the prophetic vision. 5. Look for parallels between the OT and NT audiences and apply the NT commands. Where is God’s special presence experienced among His people today? Matthew 18:20 (ESV) For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” What is the immediate context of Matthew 18:20? Matthew 18:17–19 (ESV) 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you [singular] 18 as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you [plural], whatever you [plural] bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you [plural] loose on earth shall be loosed in 19 heaven. Again I say to you [plural], if two of you [plural] agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Where is God’s special presence experienced among His people today? Where does God unite the nations together to be His people today? Ephesians 3:6 (ESV) This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Ephesians 3:21 (ESV) to him [God the Father] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. What is the NT equivalent of Jerusalem and the OT Temple? Where is God’s glorious presence most fully found in the New Covenant era? 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (ESV) 16Do you not know that you [plural] are God’s temple and 17 that God’s Spirit dwells in you [plural]? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you [plural] are that temple. 2 Corinthians 6:16–18 (ESV) What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. What are we saying if we skip church for non-health reasons? Maybe we don’t . . . 1) truly believe that God is present in a special way when His people gather for corporate worship 2) value God’s special presence among His gathered people above all other Sunday experiences 3) see anything special about God’s gathering the Jews and Gentiles together in one body 4) care to “sing and rejoice” or to “be silent before the Lord” “I’d rather take a chance on missing a good one than sit through a bad one." Hymn # 580: “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord”