Comfort and Assurance of God
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Introduction
Introduction
Its easy to feel overwhelmed in this life. We live in a fallen world and things are not for certain and with all the uncertainty we can get discouraged and begin to wonder where God is. Especially if we had recently failed, or been corrected or under the discipline of the LORD. During these times we look for comfort and assurance anything to know God is still with us - especially when facing the opposition against us - from the fallen world, the fallen people and the spiritual warfare going on around us.
This is the place Israel found themselves in. Back in the land, rebuilding the temple but still feeling small and insignificant and under the rule of a foreign empire. No longer under the reign of their own.
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?
Last week we started Zechariah and we know that his message focuses around his name - the LORD remembers. This week we begin looking at the 8 visions God gave Zechariah to encourage the people. This morning we will be looking at the first two.
The language we will encounter is apocalyptic - found in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and in Zechariah.
Apocalyptic addresses the minority/remnant under foreign domination. It exhorts the faithful to persevere against oppression. Apocalyptic warns of world-wide cataclysmic events and prophesies of new heavens and new earth. Apocalyptic uses visions and symbols that are mysterious and exciting.
As we venture in Zechariah visions we need to recognize what these visions are, probably more importantly what they are are not. They are symbolic representations of truths and events designed to highlight their meaning. They are not video surveillance footage. Usually the visions depict something from the future, but sometimes they depict the present and even past.
These first two visions of Zechariah are a message of God’s comfort and assurance to His people.
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 8 I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a chestnut horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were chestnut, brown, and white horses.
9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”
11 They reported to the angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and right now the whole earth is calm and quiet.” 12 Then the angel of the Lord responded, “How long, Lord of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years?”
13 The Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: The Lord of Armies says: I am extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
15 I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; my house will be rebuilt within it—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.
17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord of Armies says: My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.” 18 Then I looked up and saw four horns.
19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.
21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?” He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so no one could raise his head. These craftsmen have come to terrify them, to cut off the horns of the nations that raised a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
First Vision - Horsemen
First Vision - Horsemen
The Vision
The Vision
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 8 I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a chestnut horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were chestnut, brown, and white horses.
1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah 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 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began to rebuild God’s house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them. 3 At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues came to the Jews and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?” 4 They also asked them, “What are the names of the workers who are constructing this building?” 5 But God was watching over the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.
6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. 7 They sent him a report, written as follows: To King Darius: All greetings.
8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts. 9 So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?” 10 We also asked them for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the reply they gave us: We are the servants of the God of the heavens and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But since our ancestors angered the God of the heavens, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13 However, in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild the house of God. 14 He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried them to the temple in Babylon. He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus. 15 Cyrus told him, “Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.” 16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God’s house in Jerusalem. It has been under construction from that time until now, but it has not been completed. 17 So if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives in Babylon be conducted to see if it is true that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king’s decision regarding this matter be sent to us.
This word from Zechariah came 5 months to the day from the time they started rebuilding the temple. Three months after Zechariah’s first prophecy and two months after Haggai’s last prophecy.
On the twenty fourth day of the eleventh month - Shebat 5 months after the rebuilding began. The letter to Darius still out in the open unanswered. It took Ezra 5 months to journey from Babylon to Jerusalem - with the hand of the LORD helping him
8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king. 9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him.
At any moment the word from Darius could put an end to the rebuilding. Israel was vulnerable and uncertainty surrounded their work. We know what the response from Darius was but at this time they didnt know. During this uncertain time the visions of Zechariah come and they bring some of the most encouraging messages from the LORD ever preached to the nation of Israel. These are visions given to Zechariah and not dreams, as Zechariah is very much awake as noted by his constant interruptions and questions. The fact that it speaks of Zechariah speaking into the night possibly speaks towards the mercy of God. God often speaks His love to His people in the dark night of their sorrow and distress.
This vision is seen in the night and there is a man riding a chestnut or red horse. This horseman was standing among myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him there were chestnut, brown, and white horses.
The Interpretation
The Interpretation
9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”
There are keys to proper interpretation of symbols in prophetic scripture
Look for the text itself to provide the interpretation.
Make sure your interpretation of the symbols fits the immediate context.
Consider the greater context of the whole book
Ground your interpretation of a symbol in other revelation in scripture using the same imagery
We must be cautious when doing this. One writer may use a symbol in a different way than another writer. He may even use one symbol to represent different things in different contexts. However, it does give us something to work with beyond our own imagination.
Understand the imagery in the historical context in which the vision was given.
Consider two principles - revelation is progressive and second the law of double fulfillment - a near and far fulfillment an immediate partial fulfillment and a fuller fulfillment much later.
This is called the Mountain Peaks view of prophecy. Clarence Larkin (1850-1924) created this picture to explain the unrolling of prophecy throughout the ages. When you’re climbing a mountain range and you think you’ve gotten to the top, you realize there is a valley and the peak you thought was nearby is actually several mountains away with several valleys between.
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
7. Four points of prophecy
Prophets own time
Captivity and restoration
Christ
Millennium - New Heaven and New Earth
Verse 9 Zechariah quite plainly asks what these things are and there is an angel who says I will show you what they are. They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth.
The man riding (other translations say mounted) on a chestnut red horse - this is the Angel of the LORD - which is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. A Christophony. The LORD has horses behind Him and while there isnt explicitly riders described on them - the context and the narrative requires it because they report back their findings. These horses are the angelic hosts of heaven. This vision the color of the horses is not that important. How do I know that? Much of the vision is interpreted, but the horse colors are not given any particular significance. Therefore, it best to not get too focused on that. More of a detailed description than an important meaningful detail.
The scene is the LORD and His hosts standing in the midst of a myrtle forest (this is mentioned three times so its an important detail) in a valley or in a hollow or depths. The night or the darkness in the depths and the forest of myrtle trees. The myrtle trees have been used elsewhere to describe the people of God or the nation of Israel. Unlike the mighty cedars of Lebanon, myrtle trees only grow to a height of eight feet. This pictures Israel’s seeming insignificance or smallness.
13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; this will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.
Just as the myrtle tree is an evergreen, Israel has a remarkable tendency to continue on even though men like Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, and Hitler throughout her history have tried to destroy her completely. The blossom of the myrtle tree when crushed releases a wonderful fragrance. The same is true of Israel. Whenever nations have sought to crush her the fragrance of God comes from her.
The people of God are not in the depths and the darkness alone, the rider on the horse - the LORD Himself with His hosts is among His people. So the LORD is with His people in their troubles and griefs.
The Situation
The Situation
11 They reported to the angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and right now the whole earth is calm and quiet.” 12 Then the angel of the Lord responded, “How long, Lord of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years?”
The report given from the reconnaissance patrol is that they have patrolled the earth and right now the WHOLE earth is calm and quiet. To stop here and see this alone we might think - excellent isnt this a good thing? All the earth is calm and quiet - a peaceful serenity a peaceful rest from war and conflict. If this is in reference to the peace in Darius’s rule then it is peace at the result of Persian oppression and injustice. This is peace and calm that does not extend to Israel who is now under Gentile dominion.
Then the angel of the LORD responded “How long, LORD of Armies will you withhold mercy from Jersualem and cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years. Here then we see the true situation: the people of God were afflicted and suffering while the rest of the earth was at peace. In other words the world had no concern for the people of God and their current state.
No one is losing sleep over the oppression of God’s people. This reality shouldn’t shock you,
For it has been true throughout the ages and is true even today. The world is not concerned about the affliction of God’s people, no matter if that is Israel, or the church.
22 Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
The world doesn’t care how God’s people are afflicted, but Jesus does
Proclamations
Proclamations
13 The Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: The Lord of Armies says: I am extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
15 I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; my house will be rebuilt within it—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.
The LORD replied with kind and comforting to the angel. The angel proclaimed for the LORD:
He is extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
He is fiercely angry with the nations at ease.
The LORD says yes I was angry but only a little but the nations made it worse - they went beyond what the LORD called them to do. They may have been the LORD instrument for judgment but that didnt give them free reign to treat God’s people however.
The LORD then goes on I have returned in mercy to Jerusalem - this indicates that the people returned to the LORD according to Zechariah’s first message. The LORD declares His house will be rebuilt within and a measuring line stretched over Jersualem. Not only will it be rebuilt but it will be expanded.
17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord of Armies says: My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”
Again here we have the short-term and long term fulfillment. A sort of bi-focal lens type vision.
Whether promising in the present, the near future or the far future - the LORD speaks comfort and continues to choose His people.
22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!
Second Vision - Four Horns and Craftsmen
Second Vision - Four Horns and Craftsmen
The Horns
The Horns
18 Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
There seems to be no break from the first vision to this one and so I see no reason to break it - in fact I see it going together with the first. This vision is about four horns and Zechariah again asks for help to interpret the meaning. The angel again gives the meaning of the four horns growing out of the ground. Much as the horned animals are the fierce animals which use their horns to gore and destroy. These horns represent the fierce power and empires that have scattered Judah Israel and Jerusalem.
A horn is symbolic of power or used of a Gentile king representing his kingdom.
24 The ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. Another king, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings.
12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
One very common interpretation is that they represent the Gentile nations that generally occupy the four corners of the earth who have, throughout the centuries, troubled and persecuted the Jewish people. In other words, they represent the four points of the compass—and the Gentile nations that are generally found in them. But it seems best to see them, instead, as the four specific world empires that were frequently referenced in Daniel’s prophecies.
Daniel chapter 2 the great statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
The Babylonian empire represented as a lion with eagle wings
The Medo Persian empire represented as a bear raised up on one side
The Grecian-Macedonian empire represented as a swift and deadly leopard with four heads and wings.
The Roman empire represented as a horrifying mongrel beast
Four horns - four segments of the statue and four beasts - given to represent the times of the Gentiles in which after put to an end Israel will receive her King. It might be objected that only two of these empires had any significant impact on the Jewish people by the time of Zechariah—that is, specifically, Babylon and Media-Persia. But it needs to be remembered that Zechariah’s prophetic book is describing all of God’s for His people from that time and far into the future—even up to the time of the bodily return and earthly reign of Jesus.
The Craftsmen
The Craftsmen
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?” He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so no one could raise his head. These craftsmen have come to terrify them, to cut off the horns of the nations that raised a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Zechariah then was shown four craftsmen or angelic carpenters. That is skilled workers of metal, wood or stone. Their number intended to parallel the four horns, and with the four horns being symbolic or figurative - then we take these craftsmen to be symbolic and figurative also. There is a few things we must take note of.
It was the LORD who revealed these craftsmen to Zechariah. That makes them something that the LORD God wanted to known as a part of the message of comfort and assurance for His people. What they are is not as important as what their mission is either. Zechariah didnt want to know what they are but what are they coming to do?
The answer for the mission of the craftsmen is that they are coming to terrify and cut off the horns of the nations that raised a horn against Judah.
These four craftsmen terrify and cut off the world empires that distress the people of God and their identity is best understood again through the prophecy of Daniel.
The first craftsmen would be associated with the Medo-Persian empire - Cyrus who cast down the kingdom of Babylon - Darius received the kingdom but his general Cyrus cut it down. Isaiah 44:28
28 who says to Cyrus, “My shepherd, he will fulfill all my pleasure” and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.”
1 The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:
The second craftsmen would be associated with the kingdom of Greece and with Alexander the Great.
3 I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.
5 As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury.
7 I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, breaking his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power.
8 Then the male goat acted even more arrogantly, but when he became powerful, the large horn was broken. Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.
20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.
The third craftsmen would be associated with the Roman empire which conquered greece after the kingdom was divided amongst Alexander’s four generals. Daniel 7:7
7 “After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.
19 “Then I wanted to be clear about the fourth beast, the one different from all the others, extremely terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring, crushing, and trampling with its feet whatever was left.
23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. Another king, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings.
25 He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.
The fourth craftsmen is associated with the Kingdom of Christ who conquers not only the Roman Empire (both the earthy one of old and the revived Roman Empire of the future time at his coming) but all earthly kingdoms that proceeded it. This is the kingdom represented by Daniels prophecy of the stone cut without hands Daniel 2:34
34 As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.
35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
44 “In the days of those kings, the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The comfort of God - we may feel He has abandoned but like the rider on the horse He is in the midst. When we are going through the oppression and it seems the whole world could not care less - God cares and God sees and God remembers - He sees what we go through and He remembers His people and He is jealous for us and He remembers His promises and He is faithful. God’s people will have no ally in this world, have no deliverer or help in this world - Our soul defender is God.
I will “again choose Jerusalem.”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
What manner of love and commitment and grace and mercy
Does our God have that He would continue to love
And continue to have compassion
And continue to choose a people like Israel?
Only a God of great faithfulness.
2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Here we have a people who have been 70 years afflicted
For their unfaithfulness toward God
And now they are back in the land trying to pick up the pieces.
And God steps in and says, I am coming back!
AND I STILL CHOOSE YOU!
Now if you are one of those people who never fails the Lord,
Then this probably isn’t that big of a deal to you,
But if you are like the rest of us, this is reason for great rejoicing!
We serve a faithful God who will not ever forsake us.
“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, For I am your God your sustainer and strength. I’ll be your defender and cause you to stand, upheld by My merciful, almighty hand.
When thro’ fiery trials they pathway shall lie, My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply; the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that is trusting in Jesus as Lord, will press on enduring the darkest of storms, and though even hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never no never no never forsake.”
Our assurance does not rest on our ability to be faithful,
Our assurance rests on a God who is sovereign over nations and empires
Who chose us once when we were unworthy
And who continues to choose us though we remain unworthy.
That is the encouraging message to this Jewish remnant - and to the church the bride of Christ. Whom He will present spotless and holy
No one in the world is for you, but I am for you and that is all that matters.
I’m returning to you!