The Four Horns
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Zechariah’s Visions
Zechariah’s Visions
he saw Jesus interceding for Jerusalem
How long will there not be peace in Jerusalem
How long will Jerusalem be in ruins
this from Zechariahs first vision
he saw Jesus as the king of the earth
with His patrolling angels
He learned about the great compassion the Father has for Jerusalem, and for it’s people
The first 9 apocalyptic visions that Zechariah has, took palace one right after another on the same night
they all are in sequence
lets look at the second
read Zechariah 1 18-21 and Daniel 2 31-35
Pray
Background
Background
remember that Daniel is still alive at this time
it was Darius who put him into the lions den
it was Daniel who interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar
the dream was about 4 kingdoms
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman
these are all successive kingdoms with the revival of the Roman empire going on today
Zechariah will know all about the dreams and visions of Daniel
under Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar the people are scattered
under Medo-Persian we have the terror of Haman, who plots to kill all of the Israelites
under the Greek empire we have the Temple and worship system desecrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes
then under Rome we have the temple destroyed and the people scattered again into the whole world
Daniel prophesies about these 4 empires, and some of what they they are going to do to the people
The 4 Horns
The 4 Horns
And I looked up and I saw, and look, there were four horns!
the horn in these times was a representation of a leader of a mighty nation
a mighty man, or a mighty nation
The horn of Moab is cut off and his arm is broken,” declares Yahweh.
Moab has lost its power, influence, no longer a threat
After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and it had great iron teeth, and it was devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the other beasts that preceded it and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up among them, and three of the earlier horns were rooted out from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of a human in this horn and also a mouth that was speaking boastfully.
the four horns of the second vision,
I think are the 4 empires that represent the world kingdoms
we see in the next verse
And I said to the angel who was talking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
these 4 empires are going to suppress Israel until the end
but God has plan for Israel
the bull has its power in his horns
they are sometimes fearless, and can do damage with its horns
so they have to be cut off
the calf bulls their horns are sometimes cut off soon after they appear
its easy to do when they are small
but sometimes the bull is full grown and the horns are thick and takes more to cut them off
The Four Craftsmen
The Four Craftsmen
these four craftsmen are the de-horners
these are the ones who God has put in place to take down empires
Then Yahweh showed me four skilled craftsmen,
remember back in
And I am extremely angry with the nations that are at ease, for while I was a little angry, they furthered disaster.”
God used these nations to punish Israel, He was a little angry with Israel
but He is extremely angry with these nations, Why?
they overstepped their God given boundaries in persecuting Israel
and I asked, “What are these coming to do?” And he answered, saying, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to frighten them, to strike down the horns of the nations that lifted a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
these 4 craftsmen are the ones to strike down the empires
They have been dehorned
they no longer have any power
these are the succeeding empires that took over
Babylon- 1st craftsman is Persia- then Greece- then Rome
no matter how fierce, how powerful, ominous.
here we have 3 craftsmen, then who is the fourth?
turn back to Daniel 2… Chaff
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;
nor does he stand in the way of sinners;
nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that gives its fruit in its season;
its leaf also does not wither.
Therefore all that he does prospers.
Not so the wicked.
Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.
the chaff is the throw away not usable stuff, that burns
the wheat is what is kept
And in that you saw the iron was mixed with wet clay, so they will mix in marriage and they will not cling to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the day of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left for another nation, and it will bring an end to all these kingdoms, but it will stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone from the mountain was chiseled out but not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, thereby the great God made known to the king what will be in the future, and the dream is certain and its explanation trustworthy.”
the dream is certain
the final craftsman is the Stone
The Stone
The Stone
Who or what is this stone?
Therefore the honor is for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe, “The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become the cornerstone,”
to whom you are drawing near, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God.
For it stands in scripture, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
this stone
is a stumbling stone to those who do not believe
a crushing stone to those who die in their unbelief
a cornerstone to those who believe
a stone cut without hands to the nations
that will steamroll over them
this stone is none other than The Messiah
The rock of our salvation
this stone will crush the whole statue
this stone will pulverize all who are in opposition to Him
the head of gold chest of silver ...
the vast empires of today
China, Russia, USA, Iran, North Korea
to Zechariah, God is telling him that He has a love and compassion for Jerusalem and its people
but there are 2 more kingdoms coming
the end is not yet
but be confident no matter what happens God has not forgotten you
Why are nations in tumult,
and countries plotting in vain?
The kings of the earth establish themselves,
and the rulers conspire together
against Yahweh and his anointed:
“Let us tear off their bonds,
and cast their cords from us!”
He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs.
The Lord derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
and in his fury he terrifies them:
“But as for me, I have set my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will tell the decree;
Yahweh said to me:
“You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage,
and your possession the ends of the earth.
You will break them with an iron rod.
Like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”
So then, O kings, be wise.
Be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve Yahweh with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son
lest he be angry and you perish on the way,
for his anger burns quickly.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
The master Horn Cutter has always been in control