zechariah - · PDF fileI am sincerely grateful to Chuck Missler ... These notes were written...

Zechariah

Study Outline

Jeff Blake

Copyright © 2004-2006

by

Jeff Blake

Ox Brook Ministries

http://www.oxbrook.org/

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Most Scriptures are taken from the Modern King James Version of the Holy Bible

Copyright © 1962-1998

By Jay P. Green, Sr.

Used by permission of the copyright holder

Courtesy of Sovereign Grace Publishers and Christian Literature World

Scriptures taken from the New King James Version®

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This edition:

October 2006

I am sincerely grateful to Chuck Missler

(Koinonia House -- www.khouse.org)

for lighting a fire under me regarding God's Word.

The Holy Spirit used his uncompromising, scholarly, and in-depth approach to

Bible Study to speak to me in a way that has never happened before.

Within me has now been ingrained a passion to know and understand the Bible,

to deeply respect and honor it for what it is, and to treat it very seriously because

it is indeed the very Words of God.

Table of Contents

Lesson 1: Introduction + Zechariah 1:1-17 ..............................................................................................................1

Lesson 2: Zechariah 1:18-3:10...................................................................................................................................7

Lesson 3: Zechariah 4:1-5:4.....................................................................................................................................15


Lesson 5: Zechariah 7-8 ...........................................................................................................................................25


Lesson 7: Zechariah 10:2-12 ....................................................................................................................................39

Lesson 8: Zechariah 11.............................................................................................................................................43

Lesson 9: Zechariah 12.............................................................................................................................................47

Lesson 10: Zechariah 13...........................................................................................................................................51

Lesson 11: Zechariah 14...........................................................................................................................................57

These notes were written for use in our Home Bible Study. They were developed to encourage a

regular verse-by-verse study of the Bible: this is the best way to immerse ourselves in God's

Word. It needs to be read and studied "c-2-c", that is, "cover-to-cover." We need to involve

ourselves with the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), not just the popular or favorite passages.

In addition, it is essential to document how the Lord speaks and instructs us as we study His

Word. We are responsible to know His Word, and make it a part of our everyday life.

These notes are being made available to encourage you to engage in a daily, personal, and serious

study of God's Word.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." -- Psalm 119:105

"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." -- Psalm 119:11

"I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and

there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was

broken down." -- Proverbs 24:30-31

"Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks."

-- Ecclesiastes 10:18

© Jeff Blake 1 http://www.oxbrook.org/

Lesson 1: Introduction + Zechariah 1:1-17

I. Introduction

A. Zechariah, the book

1. longest of the 12 "minor prophets"

a. "minor" and "major" are just man-made labels based only on their lengths

b. what we call "the minor prophets" Hebrew writings call "the 12"

2. most frequently quoted "minor prophet" by the New Testament

3. most Messianic of the minor prophets

a. Messiah would ride in on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9 = Matthew 21:1-9; John 12:12-16

b. His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12-13 = Matthew 27:3-10

(i) and who ultimately gets the money: the potter!

c. the piercing of His body: Zechariah 12:10 = John 19:37

d. "strike the shepherd": Zechariah 13:7

e. the "Branch": Zechariah 3:8; 6:12; Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; 53:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 = Matthew 2:23

4. the only place in Scripture that the phrase, "the holy land" appears: Zechariah 2:12

5. the number "4" will be seen a lot

6. the phrase, "they're poking their finger in the eye of God" is Scriptural

a. "he who touches you touches the apple (pupil) of His eye": Zechariah 2:8

7. the Holocaust of WWII killed 1/3 of the worldwide Jewish population; the future Holocaust will kill

2/3 of the Jewish population: Zechariah 13:8-9

8. possible description of a neutron bomb: Zechariah 14:12

9. stylish differences between the first half (chapters 1-8) and the second half (chapters 9-14) may be due

to differences in political circumstances and/or a significant difference in Zechariah's age

B. Zechariah, the person

1. a very common name

2. born in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel: Nehemiah 12:1, 16

3. prophet and priest: Nehemiah 12:12-16

a. just like Jeremiah and Ezekiel

4. contemporary with Zerubbabel the governor, Haggai the prophet, and Joshua the High Priest

a. Ezra 5:1-2

b. Zechariah 3:1; 4:6; 6:11

5. "Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the (grand)son of Iddo": Zechariah 1:1

a. Zechariah = "Jehovah remembers"

b. Berechiah = "Jehovah blesses"

c. Iddo = "the appointed time" or "timely"

d. "Jehovah remembers and blesses at the appointed time"

e. "At the appointed time Jehovah blesses whom He remembers"

6. the Old Testament doesn't tell us how Zechariah died, but Jesus might have told us

a. "that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel

to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the

altar.": Matthew 23:35 (Luke 11:51)

(i) Abel to Zechariah, the first to the last recorded Old Testament martyrs

b. Jewish writings also state that a Zechariah, (grand)son of Iddo, a prophet and priest, was killed in

the sanctuary

c. another Zechariah was killed in the same way: 2 Chronicles 24:20-22

7. this Zechariah is at the end of the Old Testament; another Zechariah is at the start of the New

Testament: Luke 1:5-25, 57-79

a. also a priest

b. the father of John the Baptist

c. his wife is Elizabeth

(i) Elizabeth = "His oath"

(ii) Zechariah + Elizabeth = "Jehovah remembers His oath"


C. Zechariah's message

1. began 2 months after Haggai started his prophecy

a. compare Zechariah 1:1 to Haggai 1:1

b. 520 B.C.

2. Zechariah may have been much younger than Haggai

a. "…this young man…": Zechariah 2:4

3. both Zechariah and Haggai encouraged the people to resume building the temple: Ezra 5:1-2

a. temple completed in 515 B.C.

(i) Ezra 6:15

4. Haggai preached 4 sermons in 4 months and then disappeared from the written record

5. both preached about moral issues and called for spiritual renewal

a. Zechariah also revealed God's plan for the future of Israel

6. eight visions given in one night

a. Zechariah 1-6

b. all connected

c. precisely dated

(i) "On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month… in the second year of Darius, the word of

the Lord came to Zechariah": Zechariah 1:7

(ii) February 15, 519 B.C.

d. each vision has a similar pattern

(i) a description of what is seen

(ii) a question to the angel for its meaning

(iii) the explanation by the angel

II. Call to Repentance: Zechariah 1:1-6

A. 8th

month of Darius' 2nd

year

1. October 520 B.C.

2. dates given are relative to Gentile rulers, not Jewish rulers

a. it's the "time of the Gentiles"

(i) no descendent of David is on the throne

(ii) Daniel 2, 7

(iii) Hosea 3:4-5

(iv) Luke 21:24

B. "the word of the Lord came to Zechariah": Zechariah 1:1

1. this phrase occurs many times in Zechariah

2. similar expression also used in Haggai a number of times

C. about three months before the visions

1. compare Zechariah 1:1 with Zechariah 1:7

D. "very angry": Zechariah 1:2

1. literally "angry with anger" or "angry with wrath"

a. same as in Zechariah 1:15

2. they're being warned not to repeat the errors of their ancestors

E. "Lord of Hosts": Zechariah 1:3

1. "hosts" refer to an army

F. "Return to Me… and I will return to you": Zechariah 1:3

1. repentance is always a prerequisite to receive God's blessings

2. "'Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them.

Return to Me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord of hosts.": Malachi 3:7

3. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his

way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him;

and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.": Isaiah 55:6-7

4. "rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God": Joel 2:12-13

5. Matthew 4:17

6. Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 26:20

7. 2 Corinthians 7:10


G. "Do not be like your fathers…": Zechariah 1:4-6

1. we must be responsive to the lessons of history if we do not want to be destroyed

2. repentance is a primary goal of prophecy: there should be a change

3. "History teaches that man learns nothing from history." – Hegel

4. the brevity of life: Zechariah 1:5

a. highlights the hazard of delay in repentance

b. "So teach us to number our days": Psalm 90:12

5. "My words and My statutes… did they not overtake your fathers?": Zechariah 1:6

a. they couldn't get away from what the Lord said

(i) the exile was proof of it (see Zechariah 7:8-14)

b. we must count on the unchangeableness of God's word if we want to do anything that lasts

c. "He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly.": Psalm 147:15

d. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully

all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will

come upon you and overtake you": Deuteronomy 28:15

e. "Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are

destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments

and His statutes which He commanded you.": Deuteronomy 28:45

f. "be sure your sin will find you out": Numbers 32:23

6. God gave them unconditional promises, but He still required their obedience

III. Vision #1, the 4 Horses: Zechariah 1:7-17

A. "24th

day of the 11th

month": Zechariah 1:7

1. February 15, 519 B.C.

2. other things in Scripture have also happened on the 24th

day of the month

a. Nehemiah 9:1

b. Daniel 10:4

c. Haggai 1:15; 2:10, 18, 20

3. this is exactly 5 months after they resumed work on the temple: Haggai 1:12-15

4. this is exactly 2 months after the last of Haggai's prophecies: Haggai 2:10-23

B. "I saw by night": Zechariah 1:8

1. he was awake

2. it's a vision and not a dream

3. night visions are common

a. Job 33:15-17

b. Daniel 2:19; 7:2

c. Micah 3:6

d. Acts 16:9; 18:9

4. When we can't sleep, or when we wake up during the night, where do our thoughts go?

a. "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.": Psalm 63:6

C. "among the myrtle trees": Zechariah 1:8, 10

1. myrtle is a popular name, label, or idiom of Israel

2. Esther = myrtle ("Hadassah" in Esther 2:7)

3. myrtle used in the building of the booths for the Feast of the Tabernacles: Leviticus 23:33-44;

Nehemiah 8:15

4. myrtle is suggestive of the Millennium

a. Isaiah 41:19; 55:13

5. Jesus is among them

a. this person will be identified as Jesus Christ in Zechariah 1:11

6. Jesus is looking out for the nation of Israel

a. He may not be doing it too obviously, such as in the book of Esther

b. Israel has not been abandoned

c. God is not finished with Israel

D. "in the hollow": Zechariah 1:8

1. may refer to the low point in Israel's history

2. this was early in the "times of the Gentiles"


E. "horses: red, sorrel, and white": Zechariah 1:8

1. these horses have nothing to do with the 4 horses in Revelation 6:1-8

a. Jesus is on none of them in Revelation 6

b. Jesus is on one of them here in Zechariah 1

2. red suggests war and judgment

a. Isaiah 63:1-6 (Revelation 19:11-15)

b. Revelation 6:3

3. white suggests righteousness, mercy, and peace

a. Revelation 19:11

4. sorrel suggests… ?

a. not even sure of the exact color

(i) brown, tawny, bay, bright red?

(ii) piebald, speckled?

b. used only here in the Old Testament

F. "to and fro": Zechariah 1:10

1. other things have also gone "to and fro" in Scripture

a. the raven that Noah sent out from the ark: Genesis 8:7

b. the eyes of the Lord: 2 Chronicles 16:9

(i) "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong

on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."

c. seven eyes of the Lord: Zechariah 4:10

(i) Zechariah 3:9

(ii) Revelation 5:6

d. Satan: Job 1:7; 2:2

e. those vainly seeking the Word of the Lord: Amos 8:12

f. "many": Daniel 12:4

2. they were patrolling the events, and movements, and the happenings of the earth

a. and probably getting involved, too!

b. we have no idea of the magnitude of what is going on in the spiritual realm behind our backs

(i) a lot of it is for our benefit

(ii) "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the

heavenly places.": Ephesians 6:12

(iii) Daniel 10:10-13, 20-21

G. "Angel of the Lord (Jehovah)": Zechariah 1:11, 12

1. refers to Jesus, the preincarnate Christ

2. Genesis 16:7-13; (18:1-33); 22:11-18

3. Exodus 3:2-4

a. compare Exodus 3:14 to John 8:58!

4. Numbers 22:22-35

5. (Joshua 5:13-6:2)

6. Judges 2:1-4; 6:11-24; 13:3-25

H. "the earth resting quietly": Zechariah 1:11

1. definitely a disappointing statement to Israel

a. they were in turmoil

(i) no temple

(ii) no city walls

(iii) people all around them were against them

b. the nations were at ease relative to Israel's turmoil (Zechariah 1:15)

(i) Isaiah 32:9, 11

(ii) Jeremiah 48:11

(iii) Amos 6:1

2. they hoped for judgments to come upon their enemies

a. they were hoping for the Millennial promises

(i) Haggai had just given some of those prophecies: Haggai 2:7, 21-22

3. perhaps they too could have been resting quietly if they had been faithful


I. Jesus asks the Father a question: Zechariah 1:12

1. the time period of 70 years is specified in Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10

2. the return after the 70 years of exile was not the end of the story

a. this was the first return to the land

b. there was still the prophecy about the second return to the land

(i) "the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people":

Isaiah 11:11

(ii) it's happening now

J. declarations and words of comfort: Zechariah 1:13-17

1. "I am zealous for Jerusalem": Zechariah 1:14

a. repeated in Zechariah 8:2

b. the word for zealous can also mean jealous

c. Exodus 20:5; 34:14

d. Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; 29:20; 32:16, 21

e. Joshua 24:19

f. Joel 2:18

g. Nahum 1:2

h. God is not watching in a detached or passive manner

2. "I am exceedingly angry with the nations": Zechariah 1:15

a. literally "angry with anger" or "angry with wrath"

b. God will judge the nations

(i) Joel 3:1-17

(ii) Zephaniah 3:8

(iii) Zechariah 14:2-3

(iv) Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:19-21

(v) He will judge them regarding to how they treated the nation of Israel

- Matthew 25:31-46

c. the 2nd

vision (Zechariah 1:18-21) will be an amplification of Zechariah 1:15

d. "he who touches you touches the apple (pupil) of His eye": Zechariah 2:8

(i) whoever afflicts Israel is poking their finger in the eye of God

(ii) Deuteronomy 32:10

(iii) Lamentations 2:18

3. "I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy": Zechariah 1:16

a. "My house shall be built in it"

(i) the temple will be rebuilt

(ii) the future temple is described in Ezekiel 40-48

- prior to the destruction of Solomon's temple the glory of the Lord ("Shekinah") had

departed: Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:23

- the glory of the Lord will return: Ezekiel 43:2-5

b. Jerusalem's boundaries will expand

c. the 3rd

vision (Zechariah 2:1-13) will be an amplification of Zechariah 1:16

4. God will once again choose Jerusalem: Zechariah 1:17

a. this is repeated a number of times in Zechariah

(i) Zechariah 2:12; 3:2

b. prosperity will return

c. God will comfort them

(i) "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in

Jerusalem.": Isaiah 66:13

d. "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting place

forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision…'":

Psalm 132:13-18

e. "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.": Romans 11:29

5. Zechariah 1:17 ends chapter 1 in the Hebrew Bible


Lesson 2: Zechariah 1:18-3:10

I. Vision #2, the 4 Horns and Craftsmen: Zechariah 1:18-21

A. amplification of Zechariah 1:15

B. could simply refer to the nations punishing each other

C. a horn is a symbol of pride and strength

1. represents nations or kingdoms

2. Psalms 75:4-5, 10; 92:10

3. Jeremiah 48:25

4. Daniel 8:3-4, 20-21

5. Amos 6:13-14

6. Micah 4:13

D. to lift up one's horn is a sign of victory (1 Samuel 2:1)

E. to lower one's horn is a sign of defeat (Job 16:15)

F. "these horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem": Zechariah 1:19

1. could represent 4 nations or kingdoms that have afflicted Israel

a. may start with Babylon

(i) the "times of the Gentiles" started with the Babylonian captivity

b. this may be the 4 kingdoms or empires referred to in Daniel 2, 7

(i) Babylonian

(ii) Medo-Persian

(iii) Greek

(iv) Roman

2. could represent the entire earth

a. 4 compass points

b. 4 quarters of the earth

c. 4 winds

d. Israel has been afflicted from all directions

e. the "4" may just represent a composite action upon the earth

3. "Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem"

a. not mere symbols

b. Judah speaks of the southern kingdom

c. Israel speaks of the northern kingdom

d. no lost 10 tribes

4. Israel has been scattered all through their history

a. the "diaspora"

b. continuous persecution

G. four craftsmen/workmen: Zechariah 1:20-21

1. Zechariah was not interested in their identity, just their function

2. God has his agencies ("workmen") that will overthrow Israel's enemies

3. could also refer to each kingdom being defeated by the successive kingdom

a. Babylonian empire defeated by the Medo-Persian

b. Medo-Persian empire defeated by the Greek

c. Greek empire defeated by the Roman

d. Roman empire will be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ

4. Babylon will be punished

a. Isaiah 13, 14

b. Jeremiah 50, 51

c. Revelation 17, 18

5. "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord… it is a fearful thing to

fall into the hands of the living God.": Hebrews 10:30-31; Deuteronomy 32:35-36

6. Nebucadnezzar learned the hard way that God is sovereign over the nations: Daniel 4:17, 35

7. God has always been interested in Israel's well-being; things do not go unnoticed

a. "Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.": Psalm 121:4


II. Vision #3, Man with a Measuring Line: Zechariah 2:1-13

A. amplification of Zechariah 1:16

B. most scholars agree that this is Jesus

C. speaks of the future expansion and enlargement of Jerusalem

1. they were only rebuilding the temple at that time

2. they did not know the scope of the future plans for Jerusalem

D. sounds similar to Ezekiel 40, the measuring of the future Millennial temple

E. a "line" is used as a symbol for different things

1. of destruction

a. Isaiah 34:11

b. Lamentations 2:8

c. 2 Kings 21:13

2. a measure of perfection or righteousness

a. Isaiah 28:17

b. Amos 7:7-9

3. preparation for building

a. Job 38:5

F. "towns without walls": Zechariah 2:4-5

1. speaks of vulnerability

a. Esther 9:19

b. Ezekiel 38:11

2. speaks of bursting out of the boundaries due to population explosion

a. Isaiah 49:19-20

3. safety will come from the Lord: Zechariah 2:5

a. also seen in Zechariah 9:8

b. "wall of fire"

(i) Isaiah 4:5-6

(ii) Exodus 13:21-22; 14:19-31; 40:34-38

(iii) Numbers 14:14

(iv) Jehovah was associated with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire

4. the Lord and His glory will dwell among them

a. Him dwelling among His people is mentioned 3 times in this chapter: Zechariah 2:5, 10, 11

b. Isaiah 4:2-6; 40:5; 60:19

c. "the name of the city from that day shall be: 'The Lord is There'": Ezekiel 48:35

5. "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn… The

Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.": Psalm 46:5-7

G. message to the exiles still in Babylon, yet to return: Zechariah 2:6-9

1. the call to leave Babylon: Zechariah 2:6-7

a. Isaiah 48:20

b. Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6

c. Revelation 18:4

d. "from the land of the north": Zechariah 2:6

(i) Babylon is to the east of Israel

(ii) the route to/from Babylon was to the north along the "fertile crescent"

(iii) "they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an

inheritance to your fathers": Jeremiah 3:18

e. does not speak of the first return

(i) many stayed in Babylon, even Daniel!

(ii) speaks of the second return, the one that is happening now

- "It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to

recover the remnant of His people… He will… assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather

together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.": Isaiah 11:11-12

- "I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and

bring them back to their folds… and they shall dwell in their own land": Jeremiah 23:3-8

- "the Lord will scatter you among all peoples": Deuteronomy 28:64

f. can also speak of our quest to leave our spiritual Babylon, to keep apart from the world


g. the final Babylon will be destroyed

(i) the actual city of Babylon has never been destroyed as described in Scripture

(ii) it will be an actual physical event

- Isaiah 13, 14

- Jeremiah 50, 51

- Revelation 17, 18

(iii) will also include the false religious system called "Mystery Babylon": Revelation 17

2. God's judgment against those who afflict Israel: Zechariah 2:8-9

a. "He sent Me" = "God the Father sent Jesus"

(i) Isaiah 48:12-16; 61:1-3

(ii) Matthew 25:31-46

b. "he who touches you touches the apple of His eye": Zechariah 2:8

(i) "apple" = something hollowed (as a gate), that is, the pupil of the eye

- the gateway to the soul

(ii) this Hebrew word for pupil (babah) is only used here in Scripture

- a pun against Babylon?

- they considered themselves the gateway to the gods

(iii) Deuteronomy 32:10

(iv) Psalm 17:8

(v) Proverbs 7:2

(vi) "he who touches you pokes their finger in the eye of God"

c. "I will shake My hand against them": Zechariah 2:9

(i) a threatening gesture by the Lord of Armies, the Commander-in-Chief

(ii) Isaiah 10:32; 11:15; 13:2; 19:16

H. message to those already in Zion, 4 promises about their future: Zechariah 2:10-13

1. "I am coming and I will dwell in your midst": Zechariah 2:10

a. the 2nd

time it's mentioned in this chapter that He will dwell among His people

(i) Zechariah 2:5, 10, 11

2. "many nations… shall become My people": Zechariah 2:11

a. speaks of the Gentiles being saved

b. "in that day"

(i) speaks of the Rapture?

(ii) Amos 9:11-12

(iii) Acts 15:14-17

c. very shocking to the Jews, but should not have been

(i) promises to Abraham

- "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed": Genesis 12:3

- "you shall be a father of many nations": Genesis 17:4

- "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My

voice.": Genesis 22:18

- "in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.": Genesis 28:14

(ii) the prophets spoke of it

- "He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles": Isaiah 42:1

- "I will… give You… as a light to the Gentiles": Isaiah 42:6

- "I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the

ends of the earth.": Isaiah 49:6

- Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 55:3-5; 66:18-21

- Ezekiel 36:23; 37:28; 38:23; 39:7

- Micah 4:1-2

- Psalm 18:49; 117:1

- Deuteronomy 32:43

- 2 Samuel 22:50

- Romans 15:9-12

(iii) even the early Jewish Christians were surprised, too: Acts 11:1-18

d. Acts 2:39; 3:25; 26:23

e. Romans 9:24


f. the Gentiles are "grafted in": Romans 11:17-24

g. "I will dwell in your midst"

(i) the 3rd

time it's mentioned in this chapter that He will dwell among His people

- Zechariah 2:5, 10, 11

3. "the Lord shall take possession of Judah… the Holy Land": Zechariah 2:12

a. the term "Holy Land" probably refers to the Millennium when He will "remove the iniquity of that

land in one day" (Zechariah 3:9)

(i) the only place in Scripture that this term occurs

b. "choose Jerusalem"

(i) just as it's been said in Zechariah 1:17; 3:2

(ii) "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting

place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision…'":

Psalm 132:13-18

(iii) God chose Jerusalem for the Throne of David, so He is not finished with Israel

- Isaiah 2:2-4

- Zechariah 8:20-23

(iv) Israel is dealt with separately from the church: Romans 11:25-26

4. worldwide judgment at the 2nd

coming of the Lord: Zechariah 2:13

a. Isaiah 40:10

b. "He is aroused from His holy habitation"

(i) we probably don't fully understand the awesome magnitude of these types of statements

(ii) "The Lord will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation… He will give

a shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth… for the Lord

has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those

who are wicked to the sword… disaster shall go forth from nation to nation… at that day the

slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They

shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.":

Jeremiah 25:30-33

(iii) Deuteronomy 26:15

(iv) 2 Chronicles 30:27

(v) Isaiah 26:21; 57:15; 63:15

(vi) Habakkuk 2:20

(vii) Zephaniah 1:7

III. Vision #4, Joshua the High Priest: Zechariah 3:1-10

A. Joshua was the High Priest when they returned from Babylon

1. Ezra 4:3; 5:2

2. Haggai 1:1, 12; 2:2

3. Zechariah 6:11-15

B. Joshua will be used as a symbol of Israel

1. a High Priest stands in place of the people he represents

2. not speaking of Joshua's sins but of the people (Zechariah 3:9)

3. can also be a picture of us since we're grafted in (Romans 11:17-24)

4. can also be used to speak of our own personal sins

C. Joshua = "Jehovah saves" = Jesus

1. Matthew 1:21

D. "Satan… to accuse him": Zechariah 3:1

1. Satan is a real person, not just some sort of invisible force

2. "accuse" = (H7853) to be or act as an adversary, resist, oppose; to attack, accuse

3. "Satan" = (H7854) the adversary

a. Job 1:6-9, 12; 2:1-4, 6-7

4. "accusation" (H7855) in Ezra 4:6

5. "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our

God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before

our God day and night, has been cast down.'": Revelation 12:10


6. Jesus is our advocate

a. "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we

have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.": 1 John 2:1

E. "the Lord… the Lord": Zechariah 3:2

1. two people of the Trinity clearly seen

a. "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'":

Psalm 110:1

(i) Jesus used this passage to confuse the Pharisees

- Matthew 22:41-46

- Mark 12:35-37

- Luke 20:39-44

2. "the Lord rebuke you" is similar to Jude 1:9

a. the ultimate rebuke of Satan by God the Father will be in Revelation 20:10

3. "chosen Jerusalem"

a. seen again, just as in Zechariah 1:17; 2:12

b. re-affirms to them that they haven't been forgotten

4. "brand plucked from the fire"

a. not allowed to be consumed

b. they will be pulled out from the trauma and the dispersion

c. plucked out by His sovereign grace

d. Amos 4:11

e. Romans 11:4-5

f. Jude 1:23

g. fire often seem connected with Israel

(i) covenant with Abraham: Genesis 15:17

(ii) offering of Isaac: Genesis 22:7

(iii) Moses and the burning bush: Exodus 3:2

(iv) giving of the Law: Exodus 19:18

(v) rearing of the Tabernacle: Numbers 9:15-16

(vi) wilderness journeys: Deuteronomy 1:33

F. "filthy garments": Zechariah 3:3

1. literally garments covered with excrement

2. very offensive term

3. a picture of us, or anyone when standing before the Throne of God in our own garments

4. garments represent our rank, standing, or worth

5. "But we are all as the unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruation cloth. And we all

fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.": Isaiah 64:6

6. Isaiah 4:3-4

7. Proverbs 30:12

G. God is the one who forgives sins: Zechariah 3:4

1. only through Christ Jesus

a. Romans 3:22-25

b. Ephesians 1:7

c. Revelation 7:13-14

2. angels can't forgive sin

3. speaks of the future salvation of Israel

a. Isaiah 45:17; 59:20-21

b. Jeremiah 50:20

c. Romans 9:27; 11:25-29

4. Adam and Eve couldn't cover themselves

a. God demonstrated that the shedding of innocent blood was necessary: Genesis 3:7, 21

(i) this is where God may have originally instituted the concept of the sacrifices

5. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your

sins.": Isaiah 43:25


6. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the

garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks

himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.": Isaiah 61:10

7. parable of the wedding feast: Matthew 22:1-14

a. the hosts provided the guests with the wedding garments

8. Marriage Supper of the Lamb: Revelation 19:6-16

H. "I said": Zechariah 3:5

1. Zechariah is participating!

2. he's getting into the act

3. and they take his suggestion!

I. call to obedience: Zechariah 3:6-7

1. although they've been clothed with new garments, there is still a call to obedience

2. service is to flow out of a godly life

a. "If you love Me, keep My commandments.": John 14:15

J. the coming Messiah: Zechariah 3:8-10

1. "My servant": Zechariah 3:8

a. very important description of the Messiah

b. Isaiah 42:1; 49:3, 5; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11

c. Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24

d. Philippians 2:6-8

2. "the Branch": Zechariah 3:8

a. "branch" = sprout, growth, offshoot (H6780)

b. Isaiah 4:2

c. Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15

d. Zechariah 6:12

e. "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no

form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.":

Isaiah 53:2

f. "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.":

Isaiah 11:1

(i) "branch" = netser (H5342)

- from where Nazareth got its name

- "He shall be called a Nazarene": Matthew 2:23

3. "the stone": Zechariah 3:9

a. "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure

foundation": Isaiah 28:16

b. "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.": Psalm 118:22

c. Matthew 21:42-44

d. Acts 4:11

e. Romans 9:32-33

f. 1 Corinthians 1:23; 10:4

g. Ephesians 2:20

h. 1 Peter 2:4-8

4. "seven eyes": Zechariah 3:9

a. speaks of omniscience

b. complete knowledge of what happens on the earth

c. Zechariah 4:10

d. Revelation 5:6

e. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on

behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.": 2 Chronicles 16:9

5. "engrave": Zechariah 3:9

a. the precious stones on the priest's garments were engraved

(i) Exodus 28:11, 21, 36; 39:6, 14, 30


b. How was Jesus "engraved?"

(i) thorns on His head

(ii) nails in His hands and feet

(iii) spear into His side

(iv) "The only man-made things in heaven are scars."

6. "I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day": Zechariah 3:9

a. speaks of the future salvation of Israel

(i) Isaiah 45:17; 59:20-21

(ii) Jeremiah 50:20

(iii) Romans 9:27; 11:25-29

b. could also speak of the day of crucifixion

(i) "John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away

the sin of the world!'": John 1:29

7. "In that day": Zechariah 3:10

a. speaks of the Day of the Lord

b. speaks of the Millennial kingdom and the future, eternal restoration of Israel

c. "under his vine and… fig tree"

(i) speaks of Judah and Israel under the rule of Solomon: 1 Kings 4:25

(ii) "But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them

afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.": Micah 4:4

(iii) "…indeed a greater than Solomon is here": Matthew 12:42



I. Vision #5, the Lampstand and Two Olive Trees: Zechariah 4

A. "the angel… came back and wakened me": Zechariah 4:1

1. some interval of time might have passed

2. being awaken from sleep is also seen at the Transfiguration: Luke 9:32

3. put into a deep sleep

a. Adam: Genesis 2:21

b. Abraham: Genesis 15:12

4. visions of the night and deep sleep are seen associated elsewhere

a. Job 4:13; 33:15

B. solid gold lampstand: Zechariah 4:2

1. not candlestick

2. might remind him of the one in the tabernacle and the temple

a. Zechariah is a priest so he knew all about the temple

b. Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24

c. 1 Kings 7:44

d. beaten out of a single piece of gold

e. seven branches

f. the only light in the tabernacle

3. it had a bowl on the top to store the oil

a. instead of the priests manually filling the lamps (Exodus 27:20-21; 30:7-8; Leviticus 24:1-4)

(i) without human effort

4. each of the lamps were fed from separate pipes

a. Hebrew construction may indicate that there were 7 pipes to each lamp

(i) literally "7 and 7"

(ii) a total of 49

5. the 2 olive trees supplied oil to the bowl: Zechariah 4:3, 11-12

C. the 2 olive trees: Zechariah 4:3-5

1. Zechariah asks about them but doesn't get an answer

a. he will ask again in Zechariah 4:11

D. "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit": Zechariah 4:6

1. may be the most quoted verse from Zechariah

2. not by brain or brawn

3. not through human efforts

4. "says the Lord of Hosts"

a. the commander-in-chief of the heavenly armies

b. He has plenty of power and support to carry out His will

5. encouragement to those working on the temple

6. definitely speaks to all of us today

7. "'be strong, Zerubbabel… be strong, Joshua… and be strong, all you people of the land… and work;

for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts… 'My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'":

Haggai 2:2-5

8. "they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it

was Your right hand…": Psalm 44:3-7

9. "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him": Ezra 8:22

10. "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called

according to His purpose": Romans 8:28

11. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the

watchman stays awake in vain.": Psalm 127:1

12. "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were

not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your

faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.": 1 Corinthians 2:3-5


13. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds":

2 Corinthians 10:4

14. "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God…":

Ephesians 6:10-18

E. "great mountain… shall become a plain": Zechariah 4:7

1. may represent the difficulties that they're facing

F. prophecy about Zerubbabel: Zechariah 4:8-10

1. "When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord… they sang responsively, praising

and giving thanks to the Lord… all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord,

because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.": Ezra 3:10-11

2. he was to finish the temple: Zechariah 4:9

a. he wasn't going to die

b. someone else wasn't going to take over

c. this is a distinct prophecy that they will be able to use to test Zechariah's message

3. "who has despised the day of small things?": Zechariah 4:10

a. "But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, old men who had seen the

first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid": Ezra 3:12

(i) the previous temple was larger and made with better materials (1 Kings 7:9-10)

b. Haggai's 3rd

vision (Haggai 2:1-9) was in response to the people's discouragement

(i) "Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now?

In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?": Haggai 2:3

(ii) although it didn't look like it now, but the future glory will be more than the past glory

(Haggai 2:9)

c. the seven eyes of the Lord

(i) Zechariah 3:9; 4:10

(ii) Revelation 5:6

(iii) they rejoice to see it

- "if it's good enough for the Lord it should be good enough for you"

(iv) "which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth"

- "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself

strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.": 2 Chronicles 16:9

- "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.":

Proverbs 15:3

G. the identity of the olive trees: Zechariah 4:11-14

1. Zechariah asks a second time: Zechariah 4:11-12

2. "branches" = flowing stream; head of grain

a. (H7641) "shibboleth"

b. a password used in Judges 12:6

3. the two olive trees are apparently the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-12

a. "These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.":

Revelation 11:4

b. "anointed ones" is literally "sons of oil"

4. "Lord of the whole earth": Zechariah 4:14

a. not just of Israel, or of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

b. far broader scope than just Israel

c. Millennial phrase, and beyond

d. speaks of the ultimate kingdom age

e. Joshua 3:11, 13

f. Psalm 97:5

g. Micah 4:13

h. Zechariah 6:5

i. Revelation 11:4


II. Light of the World

A. Israel was planted among the pagan nations to be a light to them: Deuteronomy 4:6

1. Jerusalem was set in the middle: Ezekiel 5:5

2. God set the boundaries of nations: Deuteronomy 32:8

3. the Holy Spirit was to shine forth through them

a. the oil feeding the lampstand

(i) oil is an idiom of the Holy Spirit

(ii) seven branches: 1 on the center and 6 coming from it (Exodus 25:32)

B. they failed miserably

1. they were doing worse things than the nations around them: Ezekiel 5:6; 2 Kings 21:9-11;

2 Chronicles 33:9

2. they will therefore be judged like never before: Ezekiel 5:7-10; 2 Kings 21:12-13

C. we're planted to be a light among those around us: Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:15

1. the Holy Spirit is to shine forth through us

2. how are we doing?!

D. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will

be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where

will the ungodly and the sinner appear?'": 1 Peter 4:17-18

1. quotes Proverbs 11:31 from the Septuagint (LXX)

a. "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?": (1851

Brenton's English Septuagint)

b. "If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner.":

(NKJV)

III. Vision #6, the Flying Scroll: Zechariah 5:1-4

A. the tone of the visions now change

1. previous visions were of comfort and encouragement

2. the remaining visions are of judgment

a. God cannot ignore sin

B. "flying" implies activity

1. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to

the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents

of the heart.": Hebrews 4:12

C. 10 by 20 cubits: Zechariah 5:2

1. How did Zechariah know its dimensions?!

2. dimensions of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle: Exodus 26:15-25

a. total dimensions was 10 x 30

b. subtract 10 x 10 for the Holy of Holies

3. dimensions of Solomon's Porch: 1 Kings 6:3

D. written on both sides of the scroll: Zechariah 5:3

1. very unusual to be written on both sides

a. one side was usually better to write on than the other

2. a few things in Scripture were written on both sides

a. the "10 commandments" on the 2 tablets of stone: Exodus 32:15

b. scroll given to Ezekiel to eat: Ezekiel 2:9-10

c. seven-sealed scroll: Revelation 5:1

E. "the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth": Zechariah 5:3

1. the flying scroll represents the Word of God

a. the curse is associated with it: "according to this side… according to that side"

(i) "curse" refers to the judgment of God

- retribution

- punishment

(ii) "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us":

Galatians 3:13

2. it's the Word of God coming in judgment


3. a key concept in Revelation has to do with the "earth dwellers" or "those that dwell on the earth"

(Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:8)

4. curses and judgment are often associated with the Word of God

a. "…then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that

is written in this book would settle on him… and the Lord would separate him from all the tribes

of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of

the Law": Deuteronomy 29:18-21

b. "I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book

which they have read before the king of Judah, because they have forsaken Me… Therefore My

wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.": 2 Chronicles 34:24-25

c. "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice;

therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured

out on us, because we have sinned against Him.": Daniel 9:11

d. "Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.": Deuteronomy 27:26

e. "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this

covenant'": Jeremiah 11:3

f. Isaiah 24:4-6

g. Deuteronomy 11:26-28

h. everyone will be judged by the Word of God: it's inescapable

(i) Jesus said, "the word that I have spoken will judge him": John 12:48

(ii) "Yet surely My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did

they not overtake your fathers?": Zechariah 1:6

(iii) "He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly.": Psalm 147:15

(iv) "'And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against

adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,

and against those who turn away an alien -- because they do not fear Me,' says the Lord of

hosts.": Malachi 3:5

F. "every thief… and everyone who swears falsely by My name": Zechariah 5:3-4

1. "cut off" (KJV) = to be cleaned out, be purged out; expelled; banished

2. it appears that 2 of the "10 Commandments" are mentioned here

a. the 3rd

: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him

guiltless who takes His name in vain.": Exodus 20:7

b. the 8th

: "You shall not steal.": Exodus 20:15

3. "according to this side… according to that side": Zechariah 5:3

a. do these 2 represent all 10?

b. is it one commandment from each column?

(i) if we make a 2-column list of the "10 Commandments," 5 in each column, the middle

commandment in each column will be these 2 commandments mentioned here

c. is it one commandment from each section?

(i) the first 4 of the "10 Commandments" deals with our relationship with God

(ii) the final 6 deals with our relationship with others

4. "it [the curse] shall remain in the midst of the house and consume it": Zechariah 5:4

a. similar terminology regarding the destruction of the house of a leper: Leviticus 14:45

b. "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just.":

Proverbs 3:33



I. Vision #7, the Woman in the Ephah (Basket): Zechariah 5:5-11

A. the common interpretation of this vision is that it speaks of the future salvation of Israel, of sin being taken

away from Israel

1. see Addendum #1 for a discussion as to why I disagree that this vision speaks of that

B. the ephah was the standard dry measure of commerce

1. about 1 bushel

2. 10 omers

3. 1/10 of a homer

4. the ephah may speak of commerce

C. "their resemblance" or "their form" or "their appearance" or "their eyes": Zechariah 5:6

1. this may mean that the worldwide interest is commerce

2. the LXX says "their iniquity"

3. this may mean that commerce is their idol, or may even speak of corrupt commerce

a. "…making the ephah small and the shekel large, falsifying the scales by deceit… buy the poor for

silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals -- even sell the bad wheat": Amos 8:5-6

b. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in

their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.": 1 Timothy 6:10

D. "talent of lead" (KJV): Zechariah 5:7

1. the exact weight of a talent is unknown

a. probably somewhere between 75 to 125 pounds

2. can also refer to a generic round disc, weight, or stone

3. this is probably nothing more than just to represent a heavy, dense cover (Zechariah 5:8)

E. "a woman sitting inside the ephah… 'This is Wickedness'": Zechariah 5:7-8

1. not wickedness in general

a. when an idiom of a woman is used, it is usually used for something specific

(i) Revelation 12, 17, 18

(ii) Matthew 13:33

2. probably refers to the harlot of Revelation 17

a. the harlot represents the future worldwide false religious system

(i) presently refers to the Vatican

b. the harlot and Babylon are associated in Revelation 17

(i) the harlot is known as "Mystery Babylon": Revelation 17:5

c. here in Zechariah 5:5-11, the woman and Babylon ("the land of Shinar": Zechariah 5:11) are

associated

3. is this a forceful action?

F. the woman and the ephah are being taken to Babylon: Zechariah 5:9-11

1. the worldwide centers of commerce (the ephah) and religion (the woman) are being united and will be

in Babylon

a. Babylon will be the center of commerce: Revelation 18:11-19

2. a stork is an unclean bird: Leviticus 11:19; Deuteronomy 14:18

a. this passage does not sound Jewish in nature

b. this does not sound like wickedness being removed from Israel

3. "when it is ready" or "established" or "prepared" or "made ready": Zechariah 5:11

a. at just the right time

b. sin fills up or accumulates

(i) Genesis 15:16

(ii) Daniel 8:23

(iii) Matthew 23:32-35

(iv) 1 Thessalonians 2:16

(v) James 5:1-7


G. the physical destruction of Babylon as described in Isaiah 13, 14 and Jeremiah 50, 51 has never happened

1. once the evil religious system ("Mystery Babylon" of Revelation 17) is moved to Babylon, Babylon

can then be physically and utterly destroyed

2. this passage is the preparation for Revelation 17, 18

3. fulfillment may be part of the next vision

II. Vision #8, the Four Chariots: Zechariah 6:1-8

A. four chariots: Zechariah 6:1

1. chariots can speak of angels: Psalm 68:17

2. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger

with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all

flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many.": Isaiah 66:16

B. "from between two mountains… of bronze": Zechariah 6:1

1. bronze speaks of judgment

a. bronze gets harder with repeated heating; good for altars, etc.

b. bronze altar in the Tabernacle: Exodus 27:1-8

c. bronze serpent: Numbers 21:9; John 3:14

d. (in the Hebrew, brass, bronze, and copper are often used interchangeably)

2. the two mountains are commonly thought to be the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion/Moriah

a. the Kidron Valley is between them

(i) this is where Gethsemane is

- "Gethsemane" = "oil-press"

b. since the 4th

century many have assumed (presumed?) that the Kidron Valley is the Valley of

Jehoshaphat

(i) "Jehoshaphat" = "Jehovah judges"

(ii) no valley in that area has ever been named the Valley of Jehoshaphat

(iii) the name may only be figurative; there may not be one specific valley being referred to

(iv) "I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will

enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they

have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land.": Joel 3:2

(v) "'Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to

judge all the surrounding nations… for their wickedness is great.' Multitudes, multitudes in

the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.": Joel 3:12-14

3. as an additional idea, when Jesus comes He will split the Mount of Olives into two and make His own

valley

a. "For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken… Then the

Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day

His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of

Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain

shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.": Zechariah 14:2-4

4. as yet another idea, what about Armageddon? (Revelation 16:14-16)

a. "Armageddon" = "mount of Megiddo"

b. "the valley of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:5, 11)

C. "red horses… black horses… white horses… dappled horses": Zechariah 6:2-3

1. red speaks of war, bloodshed, judgment

2. black speaks of famine and death

3. white speaks of victory, righteousness, peace

4. dappled speaks of… ?

a. "dappled" = "hail-spotted"

(i) part of the 7th

bowl judgment is hail (Revelation 16:17-21)


5. these are probably not the same horses of Revelation 6:1-8

a. the horses in Revelation 6 appear to be in the beginning half of the final 7-year period; these

horses in Zechariah 6 appear to be at the end of the "Tribulation period"

b. the results of the horses of Revelation 6 affects only parts of the earth; there seems to be a sense of

totality and finality in the results of these horses of Zechariah 6

c. the horsemen in Revelation 6 are probably all Satanic or demonic in nature; these in Zechariah 6

come from "before the Lord" (Zechariah 6:5)

d. Satan might be imitating or mimicking these that are in Zechariah 6:2-3

6. "strong": Zechariah 6:3

a. some translations apply it to the colors

b. some translations apply it to the horses

D. "four spirits of heaven": Zechariah 6:4-5

1. "standing before the Lord"

a. these spirits are literal angelic beings

b. 1 Kings 22:19

c. Daniel 7:10

d. Luke 1:19

2. "Lord of the whole earth": Zechariah 6:5

a. not just of Israel, or of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

b. far broader scope than just Israel

c. Millennial phrase, and beyond

d. speaks of the ultimate kingdom age

e. Joshua 3:11, 13

f. Psalm 97:5

g. Micah 4:13

h. Zechariah 4:14

i. Revelation 11:4

E. black and white horses go north; dappled horses go south: Zechariah 6:6

1. they will deal with the enemies of Israel

2. no reason to go west because of the Mediterranean Sea

3. no reason to go east because of the desert

4. Israel's enemies came from the north and the south

a. Egypt and Edom are in the south

(i) "Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of violence against the

people of Judah, for they have shed innocent blood in their land.": Joel 3:19

b. Israel's enemies usually came from the north

(i) Assyria

(ii) Babylon (they were to the east, but they followed the "fertile crescent" and came down from

the north)

(iii) Magog: Ezekiel 38:6, 15; 39:2

(iv) "I will remove far from you the northern army": Joel 2:20

5. why do the red horses stay behind?

a. war in Jerusalem and Israel? (Zechariah 14:2)

F. the horses are now eager to go throughout the whole earth: Zechariah 6:7

1. first, they had certain missions (Zechariah 6:6)

2. now, they're ready to go out throughout the rest of the earth

G. "those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit": Zechariah 6:8

1. this sounds like something very special

2. may be the fulfillment of Revelation 17, 18: the destruction of Babylon

3. first rebellion was led by Nimrod: Genesis 10:8-10; 11:1-9

a. it involved Babel and the land of Shinar

4. everything occultic began in Babylon

5. this is the end of the visions

a. "rest to My Spirit"


III. Crowning of Joshua: Zechariah 6:9-15

A. this is an actual ceremony

B. Joshua is being used as a picture of what happens next

1. after all the judgments on the earth are finished Jesus takes His rightful place

2. this is exemplified by what comes next after the visions

3. Zechariah will act out the climax of the visions

C. a delegation from the captives who chose to remain in Babylon bring offerings: Zechariah 6:10

D. Zechariah is to accept the donation: Zechariah 6:11

1. the word for "crown" is plural: he is to make "crowns" not "crown"

a. speaking of Jesus, "on His head were many crowns": Revelation 19:12

E. "silver and gold": Zechariah 6:11

1. silver Levitically speaks of blood: Numbers 8:16; 18:15-16; Matthew 27:4-6; Exodus 28:25-27

a. speaks of the priesthood

2. gold speaks of kingship or deity

3. speaks of Jesus being a king and priest

a. "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.": Psalm 2:6

b. "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.": Psalm 110:4

c. a priest after the order of Melchizedek

(i) not after the order of Aaron

(ii) Melchizedek was a king and priest

(iii) Genesis 14:18

(iv) Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-21

d. only 3 people in Scripture are kings and priests

(i) Melchizedek

(ii) Jesus

(iii) the Christians, the body of Christ

- "You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood… and have made us kings

and priests": Revelation 5:9-10

F. "Behold, the Man": Zechariah 6:12

1. Pilate said that in John 19:5, and at that time Jesus was wearing a crown of thorns

G. the title, "Branch" is used in 4 different ways

1. king: Jeremiah 23:5

a. Matthew's gospel presents Jesus as a king

2. servant: Zechariah 3:8

a. Mark's gospel presents Jesus as a servant

3. man: Zechariah 6:12

a. Luke's gospel presents Jesus as a man

4. the Lord (Jehovah): Isaiah 4:2

a. John's gospel presents Jesus as God

H. "He shall build the temple of the Lord": Zechariah 6:13

1. not the temple that they're working on

a. it was prophesized that Zerubbabel would finish this one (Zechariah 4:9-10)

2. speaks of the Millennial temple

a. Ezekiel 40-42

b. Isaiah 2:2-4

c. Micah 4:1-3

I. "on His throne": Zechariah 6:13

1. "sit and rule… be a priest on His throne" symbolizes being a king and priest

2. Jesus is presently on His father's throne

a. Jesus sat down at the "right hand of God" and "with My Father in His throne"

b. Mark 16:19

c. Acts 7:55

d. Romans 8:34

e. Ephesians 1:20

f. Colossians 3:1

g. Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2


h. 1 Peter 3:22

i. Revelation 3:21

3. Jesus' throne will be the Throne of David: Luke 1:32

J. these crowns were to be a memorial of these prophetic visions: Zechariah 6:14

1. literally "crowns"

2. some alternate names are used

a. nicknames?

b. Babylonian vs. Hebrew names?

c. LXX uses the term, "patient ones"

K. this is all conditional on their obedience: Zechariah 6:15

This completes the first section; the next section (Zechariah 7-8) will happen about 2 years later.

Addendum #1

Why I Disagree with the Common Interpretation of Zechariah's 7th

Vision, the Woman in the Ephah

(Zechariah 5:5-11)

The common interpretation of Zechariah's 7th

vision is that it speaks of the future salvation of Israel, of sin being

taken away from Israel. Although it is clear from Scripture that Israel will eventually recognize and accept Jesus

Christ as their Messiah (Isaiah 45:17; 59:20-21; Jeremiah 50:20; Romans 9:27; 11:25-29), I don't agree that this

vision speaks of that.

• Only God can remove sin

- if the removal of sin is what this vision refers to, women are doing it

- see the notes on Zechariah 3:4

• God takes sin to vague, indeterminate destinations

- "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.": Psalm 103:12

- "You have cast all my sins behind Your back.": Isaiah 38:17

- "You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.": Micah 7:19

- if this vision is referring to the removal of sin, it's being taken to a very specific location: Shinar

• a stork is a ceremonially unclean bird

- I don't think that God would use something unclean to do anything positive with the nation of Israel

• "their resemblance (or iniquity) throughout the earth" (Zechariah 5:6)

- sounds as if it's referring to more than just Israel

- doesn't sound as if it's coming from Israel

• if visions are chronological, this doesn't fit

• sounds as if something very specific is happening; something is being prepared or set up specifically in Shinar

(Zechariah 5:11)

Solves the traditional problem of understanding the two Babylons of Revelation 17-18 and their destruction; one is

religious and one is physical.


Lesson 5: Zechariah 7-8

I. Attitudes of Obedience: Zechariah 7

A. about 2 years after the visions

1. compare Zechariah 1:1, 7 with 7:1

2. 4th

or 7th

December 518 B.C.

3. temple completed about 2 years later (Ezra 6:15)

4. historical background is in Ezra 6:1-18

B. dated by Gentile reckoning: Zechariah 7:1

1. "times of the Gentiles"

C. a delegation came from Bethel to Jerusalem with a question: Zechariah 7:2-3

1. "house of God" is literally "Bethel" (H1008)

a. refers to the city and not to the temple or "house of God" (H1004 + H430 or H3068)

b. a group returned from the exile and rebuilt Bethel

(i) Ezra 2:28

(ii) Nehemiah 7:32; 11:31

c. Jerusalem was the ecclesiastical center, not Bethel

2. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he

is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.": Malachi 2:7

3. "the fifth month… fast"

a. a man-made ritual to remember the burning of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar's army

(i) 2 Kings 25:8-9

(ii) Jeremiah 52:12-13

b. according to Zechariah 7:5; 8:19 they had a number of other ritualistic, anniversary fasts

(i) in the fourth month, to remember the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's army

(Jeremiah 39:1-2; 52:6-7)

(ii) in the seventh month, to remember the murder of the governor Gedaliah, and the Jews with

him (2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 41:1-3)

(iii) in the tenth month, to remember the start of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and his

army (2 Kings 25:1; Jeremiah 39:1)

c. there was only one fast required by the Law: the Day of Atonement

(i) in the seventh month

(ii) Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:27-32

(iii) Numbers 29:7

(iv) called "the Fast" in Acts 27:9

d. they were wondering whether it was necessary to celebrate the fast that commemorated the

destruction of the temple since the temple was being rebuilt

e. "so many years"

(i) were they tired of this ceremony or ritual?

(ii) there was nothing wrong with them fasting, but it had turned into an empty ritual

f. true fasting is invisible, low-key, between us and the Lord

(i) should be in response to the leading of the Lord, not a ritual or something done out of duty

(ii) it should be a private thing, not something for show: Matthew 6:16-18

(iii) it should be an act of humility: Luke 18:11-12

(iv) not just an Old Testament principle

- Matthew 9:14-15 = Mark 2:18-20 = Luke 5:33-35

- Acts 13:2-3; 14:23

- 1 Corinthians 7:5

- 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27

D. God's answer to them (and us!): "Are you serving God or yourselves?": Zechariah 7:4-7

1. God bypassed their ritualism, traditions, and hypocrisy, and went straight to their hearts

a. there really isn't an answer given about their fasting ritual

b. their man-made ritual of fasting wasn't the issue; they had a deeper problem

c. He challenged their attitudes

2. if they were looking to genuinely serve, honor, and glorify God, their question would not have come

up


3. "Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests": Zechariah 7:5

a. this wasn't just to the leaders, but to everyone

b. "during those seventy years" indicates that they originated these fasts during their captivity

4. "did you really fast for Me -- for Me?": Zechariah 7:5

a. challenges them about the reason for their rituals

b. He questions who they were doing it for: Him or themselves

c. was it a burdensome intrusion onto their lives, or an opportunity to show God how they felt?

d. were they griping about humbling themselves before the Lord?

e. "God's chosen fast": Isaiah 58

5. they didn't do it for God, but themselves: Zechariah 7:6

a. they were self-centered, self-motivated

b. they were involved in a man-made, useless religion

c. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.":

1 Corinthians 10:31

6. obedience is always best: Zechariah 7:7

a. He wants real inner changes, not false outward appearances

b. the captivity was the punishment for their disobedience

c. they used to be prosperous, but now poverty

(i) they used their money for wrong purposes

(ii) "For she did not know that I gave her grain, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and

gold, which they prepared for Baal. So I will return and take away My grain in its time, and

my wine in its season, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.":

Hosea 2:8-9

(iii) "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your

pleasures.": James 4:3

(iv) "'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?'

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Consider your ways! You have sown much, and

bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink;

you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a

bag with holes.'": Haggai 1:4-6

d. "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.": Proverbs 21:3

e. "'Now, therefore,' says the Lord, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and

with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is

gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.'":

Joel 2:12-13

f. "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the

Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as

the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.": 1 Samuel 15:22-23

g. "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come

before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands

of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my

body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord

require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?": Micah 6:6-8

E. God continues His challenges to them (and us!): "Are you listening to God or to yourselves?":

Zechariah 7:8-14

1. Zechariah 7:9-10 outlines what they should have done, and should be doing

a. will be repeated in Zechariah 8:16-17

2. "execute true justice": Zechariah 7:9

a. Leviticus 19:15, 35-37

b. Deuteronomy 16:18-20

c. Psalm 82:3-4

d. Isaiah 1:23

e. Jeremiah 5:28; 22:3


3. "show mercy and compassion": Zechariah 7:9

a. "love mercy": Micah 6:8

b. Proverbs 3:3; 11:17

c. Hosea 6:6; 12:6

d. Matthew 5:7

e. Luke 6:36

4. "do not oppress the widow or the fatherless": Zechariah 7:10

a. there appears to be a special place in God's heart for widows, the fatherless, and strangers

b. they're often grouped together

c. they've vulnerable, helpless members of society

d. Exodus 22:22-24

e. Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:28-29; 16:11-14; 24:17, 19; 26:12; 27:19

f. Job 22:9; 24:3; 29:12-13; 31:15-20

g. Psalm 68:5; 94:6

h. Isaiah 1:16-17, 23; 10:1-2

i. Jeremiah 7:6-7; 22:3

j. Ezekiel 22:7

k. Zechariah 7:10

l. Malachi 3:5

m. Matthew 23:14; 25:34-46

n. James 1:27

5. "do not oppress… the alien or the poor": Zechariah 7:10

a. Exodus 23:6-9

b. Psalm 72:4

c. Proverbs 22:22-23

d. Jeremiah 22:15-17

e. Ezekiel 22:12, 29

f. Amos 4:1; 5:11-12

6. "let none of you plan evil": Zechariah 7:10

a. "Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety's sake.": Proverbs 3:29

b. Micah 2:1-3

7. "in his heart": Zechariah 7:10

a. emphasizes that it's the heart that's important

b. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurable); who can know it? I,

the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his doings.": Jeremiah 17:9-10

c. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts… all these evil things come from

within and defile a man.": Mark 7:21-23

d. Matthew 12:34-35 = Luke 6:45

8. our horizontal actions are evidences of what our vertical relationship is

a. James 1:22; 2:14-26

b. 1 Corinthians 13

c. "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from

him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in

tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our

hearts before Him.": 1 John 3:17-19

9. the people's reaction was rejection: Zechariah 7:11-12

a. very similar to Nehemiah 9:26-31

b. these are all acts of the will

c. "refused to heed"

(i) Zechariah 1:4

(ii) "To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Indeed their ear is

uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the Lord is a reproach to

them; they have no delight in it.": Jeremiah 6:10


d. "pulled away the shoulder"

(i) speaks of a stubborn ox that refuses to be yoked

(ii) implies that someone is trying to lead them; someone is prompting them to get it right

- Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.": Matthew 11:30

(iii) "shrugged their shoulders" (NKJV)

e. "stopped up their ears"

(i) "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own

desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they

will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.": 2 Timothy 4:3-4

f. "they made their hearts adamant"

(i) "adamant" = very hard or impenetrable; a hard sharp stone such as flint; thorn or brier

(ii) they made their hearts so hard that they couldn't be molded into the character of God

- "But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we

are the work of Your hand.": Isaiah 64:8

- Ezekiel 3:7-9; 11:19

(iii) the heart is the inner man; it's our mind, affections, and will

- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all

your strength.": Deuteronomy 6:5

- Deuteronomy 4:29; 10:12

- Joshua 22:5

- 1 Kings 2:4; 14:18

- Psalm 86:11

(iv) "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your

hearts'": Hebrews 3:7-8; Psalm 95:7-8

g. "law… prophets"

(i) puts the words of the prophets on the same level as the Mosaic Law

h. "His Spirit" is the source

(i) "You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them": Nehemiah 9:20

(ii) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly

equipped for every good work.": 2 Timothy 3:16-17

(iii) "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy

never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy

Spirit": 2 Peter 1:20-21

i. their refusal to listen resulted in "great wrath from the Lord of the armies": Zechariah 7:12

(i) "And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early

and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But

they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until

the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.":

2 Chronicles 36:15-16

(ii) don't make God angry!

(iii) "You, Yourself, are to be feared; and who may stand in Your presence when once You are

angry?": Psalm 76:7

(iv) "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.": Hebrews 10:31

10. God's reaction to the people's rejection was abandonment: Zechariah 7:13-14

a. "they called out and I would not listen": Zechariah 7:13

(i) God is saying, "You didn't listen to Me, so I'm not going to listen to you."

(ii) see Addendum

b. God scattered them

(i) "Israel is swallowed up; now they are among the Gentiles… for they have gone up to

Assyria…": Hosea 8:8-9

- this speaks of what happened to the northern kingdom about 100 years before something

similar happened to the southern kingdom

(ii) "Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans… He gave them all into his

hand…": 2 Chronicles 36:17-21

(iii) Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64


c. "whirlwind" sounds like a previous warning to them, "They sow the wind, and reap the

whirlwind.": Hosea 8:7

(i) "if you play with matches you can burn your house down"

(ii) "You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies,

because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men.": Hosea 10:13

(iii) compare, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for

it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.": Hosea 10:12

d. "pleasant land" refers to Israel

(i) Psalm 106:24

(ii) Jeremiah 3:19

(iii) Daniel 11:16, 41

e. "desolate" because they weren't inhabiting it

(i) reminding them that their disobedience caused them to be scattered and held captive

(ii) Deuteronomy 30:3-10

(iii) "to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her

Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.":

2 Chronicles 36:21

II. Future Promises to Israel: Zechariah 8

A. Millennial promises

B. putting the focus on the glory to come

C. great encouragement

D. the phrase, "The Lord of hosts (or armies)" occurs 18 times

E. God is "zealous for Zion with great zeal": Zechariah 8:1-3

1. just as He said in Zechariah 1:14

2. strong language of commitment to Israel

3. "zealous" can also be translated "jealous"

4. "Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and pity His people.": Joel 2:18

5. Nahum 1:2

6. "I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem": Zechariah 8:3

a. just as He said in Zechariah 1:16-17; 2:5, 10-12; 3:2

b. "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting place

forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.'": Psalm 132:13-18

7. "Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain":

Zechariah 8:3

a. "…the faithful city… was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it… I will turn My hand against

you… afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city": Isaiah 1:18-28

b. "…O home of justice, and mountain of holiness…": Jeremiah 31:23

F. "old men and old women… boys and girls": Zechariah 8:4-5

1. old age during the Millenium: Isaiah 65:20

2. "full of boys and girls playing" may speak of a safe, fruitful, and peaceful prosperity

3. the most defenseless of society will be able to live in peace

G. nothing is too difficult for God: Zechariah 8:6

1. "marvelous" = hard, wonderful, difficult, extraordinary

2. Psalm 46:4-7

3. Jeremiah 32:17, 27

4. Luke 1:37

5. Romans 4:20-21

H. "I will bring them back": Zechariah 8:7-8

1. Isaiah 11:11-12; 43:5-7

2. Jeremiah 30:10-11

3. "My people"

a. "Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I

will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.": Jeremiah 24:7

b. "Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!'": Hosea 2:23


c. they have not been permanently rejected

(i) Romans 9-11

(ii) "blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in":

Romans 11:25

(iii) "…until they acknowledge their offense": Hosea 5:15

(iv) "…till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'": Matthew 23:37-39

(v) "…until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled": Luke 21:24

(vi) don't claim to be Jewish if you're not!: Revelation 2:9; 3:9

I. encouragement to everyone as they're still working on the temple: Zechariah 8:9-13

1. "be strong": Zechariah 8:9, 13

a. "'be strong, Zerubbabel… be strong, Joshua… and be strong, all you people of the land… and

work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts… 'My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'":

Haggai 2:2-5

2. safety and prosperity will return

3. they were a curse among the nations: Zechariah 8:13

a. Deuteronomy 29:23-28

b. 2 Chronicles 7:20-22

c. Jeremiah 44:22

4. they will now be a blessing, as promised: Zechariah 8:13

a. Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14

J. just as God had to punish them when He was provoked by them, He will now bless them:

Zechariah 8:14-15

1. "But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the

wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.": 2 Chronicles 36:16

K. things that they're to do: Zechariah 8:16-17

1. just as outlined in Zechariah 7:9-10

2. "be doers of the word, not hearers only": James 1:22; 2:14-26

3. 1 John 3:17-19

4. "these are things that I hate"

a. Proverbs 6:16-19

b. it's good to understand the things that God hates

L. fasts to feasts: Zechariah 8:18-19

1. finishes up Jesus' "mission statement" of Isaiah 61:1-3

a. compare Luke 4:17-21 with Isaiah 61:1-2

(i) Jesus came the first time to fulfill everything up to "the day of vengeance"

(ii) there is a gap of time here that corresponds to the Church Age

- the time between Jesus' 1st coming and His 2

nd coming

b. day of vengeance: Isaiah 63:1-6

c. this is everything after "the day of vengeance" in Isaiah 61:1-3

2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.": Matthew 5:4

3. the road to get there is to "love truth and peace": Zechariah 8:19

a. "I am the way, the truth, and the life": John 14:6

b. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not

your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.": John 14:27

c. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have

tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.": John 16:33

M. Jerusalem shall be the respected center of God: Zechariah 8:20-23

1. Isaiah 2:2-3

2. Micah 4:1-2

3. Jeremiah 65:19

4. Psalm 122

5. rub an Arab's nose in Zechariah 8:23!

a. "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'In those days… ten men out of all languages of the nations shall

take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying, "We will go with you, for we have heard that

God is with you."'"


Addendum (for Zechariah 7:13)

Question:

Is it possible to reject God enough that He will leave that person, that church, or that nation alone? Is it ever

possible to "cross a line" such that you've reached a "point of no return?"

Answer:

Yes, if He is constantly rejected, there is a point when the Lord will leave you, that person, or that nation alone.

This has nothing to do with your eternal security! This has nothing to do with His infinite love and willingness to

show mercy. God will not violate your sovereignty! You have free will. He will not force you to love and serve

Him. If the Holy Spirit is constantly being grieved and quenched, He will go elsewhere. Simply put, at a certain

point in time judgment must come; God must judge sin.

• "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.": Isaiah 55:6

(so there is obviously a time when He cannot be found!)

• Sin leads to a downward progression: Romans 1:18-32

• God will send a strong delusion upon those "who did not believe the truth": 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

• Zechariah 7:13

• Proverbs 1:20-33 (personification of wisdom)

"Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you…"

"I have called and you refused…"

"they would have none of my counsel…"

"they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord…"

"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.":

Proverbs 1:28

• The message of Jeremiah: "It's too late!"

• The Jews rejected Moses' first attempt to deliver them (Exodus 2:14 + Acts 7:25, 35), so God cleaned out that

generation (by waiting 40 years, Acts 7:30), and then sent Moses to them a second time (Exodus 2:23-4:17).

• The Jews were afraid to go into the Promised Land, so He cleaned out that generation, too, by waiting 38 more

years (for a total of 40 years since leaving Egypt): Numbers 14:22-24; Psalm 95:7-11; Hebrews 3:8-19

• To demonstrate His power, and to punish Pharaoh and Egypt, God hardened Pharaoh's heart

- Exodus 4:21; 7:3, 13-14, 22; 8:19; 9:7, 12, 35; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17

- at times they hardened their own hearts, too: Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34-35; 1 Samuel 6:6

If we don't consider His word important enough, or of enough value, the Lord may take it away from us…

• "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of

bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from

north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it.": Amos 8:11-12

• Here's a few thoughts:

- Are there as many good Christian radio and TV stations as you think there should be?!

- Is the Bible in our schools?!

- He won't speak louder than your TV!

• He can, and does remove "lampstands!": Revelation 2:5



I. Begins The 3rd Section Of The Book, Zechariah 9-14

A. written many years later

B. no reason to think that it was not written by the same Zechariah

1. stylish differences may be due to differences in political circumstances and/or a significant difference

in Zechariah's age

C. the same scope as the previous chapters: from the time of Zechariah to the future, eternal kingdom

II. Alexander the Great: Zechariah 9:1-8

A. this section may describe Alexander because it fits his successes quite well during the 4th

century B.C.

B. this prophecy given about 150 to 200 years before Alexander the Great

C. born 356 B.C.; died June 323 B.C.

D. took the throne in 336 B.C. at the age of 19 when his father, King Philip II was assassinated

E. in 12 years he defeated the world, and extended his empire to India

F. it's been said that, "When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds

to conquer."

1. that may be refuted by Plutarch's essay in his Moralia entitled "On Contentment of the Mind". It reads:

"Alexander cried when he heard Anaxarchus talk about the infinite number of worlds in the universe.

One of Alexander's friends asked him what was the matter, and he replied: 'There are so many worlds,

and I have not yet conquered even one.'" (http://www.pothos.org)

G. http://www.essene.com/history/alexander.html

H. defeat of the Syrians: Zechariah 9:1-2a

1. "burden": Zechariah 9:1

a. some translate this as "oracle" or "prophecy"

b. truth or prophecy can be a heavy or difficult message, especially when it involves correction or

judgment

(i) "…it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness… I went in bitterness": Ezekiel 3:1-3, 14

(ii) "…it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became

bitter": Revelation 10:9-11

(iii) compare Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me

the joy and rejoicing of my heart"

c. "The burden against Babylon…": Isaiah 13:1

d. "The burden against Tyre…": Isaiah 23:1

e. "The burden against Nineveh…": Nahum 1:1

f. "The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel…": Malachi 1:1

g. 2 Kings 9:25

h. Isaiah 14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11

i. Jeremiah 23:33-38

j. Ezekiel 12:10

k. Habakkuk 1:1

l. Zechariah 12:1

2. Damascus

a. capital of Syria

b. oldest continually inhabited city on earth

c. Damascus will be totally destroyed

(i) "The burden against Damascus. 'Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will

be a ruinous heap.'": Isaiah 17:1

(ii) Amos 1:3-5

(iii) has not yet happened

d. was a target of Alexander, but it's still there

3. Hamath was a principal city in upper Syria

4. Hadrach may be Hatarika, an area (or city?) near Damascus and Hamath


5. everyone, especially Israel will see this as happening from the Lord: Zechariah 9:1

a. "The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth

shall see the salvation of our God.": Isaiah 52:10

I. defeat of the Phoenicians: Zechariah 9:2b-4

1. judgments of Tyre and/or Sidon are also outlined in Isaiah 23:1-5; Ezekiel 26:1-28:23; Amos 1:9-10

2. Tyre

a. moved to an island ½ mile offshore

b. built a city with 150 foot walls (Zechariah 9:3)

c. they thought they were impregnable; their self-security was famous

(i) Assyrians besieged it for 5 years, and failed

(ii) Chaldeans besieged it for 13 years, and failed

- destroyed the mainland city

d. they became very prideful and very wealthy (Zechariah 9:3)

e. Alexander defeated Tyre in only 7 months!

(i) built a causeway out to the island using the rubble from the old, mainland city

- sounds like it fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel 26:4, "I will also scrape her dust from her,

and make her like the top of a rock"

(ii) also used ships to attack Tyre (Zechariah 9:4)

(iii) burnt it to the ground (Zechariah 9:4)

f. the power behind the king of Tyre was Satan: Ezekiel 28:11-19 ±

(i) parallel passage about Satan being the power behind the king of Babylon is Isaiah 14:9-21 ±

J. defeat of the Philistines: Zechariah 9:5-7

1. judgment is also outlined in Amos 1:6-8; Ezekiel 25:15-17

2. they were afraid because of Alexander's sudden and relatively easy defeat of Tyre: Zechariah 9:5

3. four of the five major cities are mentioned

a. Gath is missing

(i) Gath is also missing in the lists of Jeremiah 25:20; Zephaniah 2:4; Amos 1:6-8

(ii) they were defeated and may have been integrated into Israel: 2 Chronicles 26:6

b. Goliath was from Gath: 1 Samuel 17:4, 23

(i) he said that if he was defeated they would serve Israel: 1 Samuel 17:9

(ii) Why did David pick up 5 stones?! (1 Samuel 17:40)

- in case he missed?! was he being prudent?

- was this a lack of faith by David, or was this a demonstration of great faith?!

- did David understand something that no one else understood?!

- was this the same thing Caleb understood? (Joshua 14:6-15; 15:14; Judges 1:20)

- the answer might be in 2 Samuel 21:22

4. "mongrel race" or "illegitimate child" or "foreigners": Zechariah 9:6

a. could refer to a different race who will inhabit Ashdod, such as the Israelites

b. Philip preached there (Azotus): Acts 8:40

c. could it refer to the Nephilim/Rephaim?

(i) there were many in Philistia

- Joshua 11:22

- Goliath and his family

- David and his men fought and defeated them: 2 Samuel 21:15-22

(ii) could it also refer to the future?

- "…and also afterward…": Genesis 6:4

5. pride was a problem of theirs: Zechariah 9:6

6. "I will take away the blood… and the abominations…": Zechariah 9:7

a. probably means that they will turn away from their idol worship

7. "like a Jebusite": Zechariah 9:7

a. could be comparing them to the Jebusites who were defeated and integrated into Israel under

David and Solomon

(i) 2 Samuel 5:6-11

(ii) 1 Kings 9:20-21

b. in a similar way Philistia would also be integrated into Israel


K. protection of Israel: Zechariah 9:8

1. Alexander the Great was heading for Jerusalem, but stopped

a. secular history tells us why (Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews", XI, 8:3-6)

(i) facing the threat, the High Priest had the people make special sacrifices

(ii) the High Priest was then led by the Lord to go out and meet Alexander face-to-face

(iii) when Alexander saw the procession, he recognized the High Priest and the vestments, etc.

from a dream that he had when he was in Macedonia

(iv) the High Priest showed Alexander Daniel's prophecies about him (Daniel 7, 8, 11?)

(v) Alexander was so impressed that he spared the city and treated the Jews kindly

2. "no more shall an oppressor pass through them"

a. clearly refers to the time after Jesus' 2nd

return

b. there has been oppressors and occupation by others since Zechariah wrote this

(i) for example, the Roman occupation was cruel

c. final deliverance and peace for Israel: Isaiah 60:15-18; Ezekiel 28:24-26

III. The Coming King: Zechariah 9:9-10

A. Part 1, the humble Messiah: Zechariah 9:9

1. "Rejoice greatly"

a. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!": Psalm 118:26

(i) Matthew 21:9 = Mark 11:9 = Luke 19:38 = John 12:13

2. "king"

a. Psalm 2:6; 45:6; 110:1-9

b. Isaiah 9:6-7

c. Jeremiah 23:5

d. Luke 1:32-33

3. "just"

a. Psalm 45:6

b. Isaiah 11:3-5

c. Jeremiah 23:5-6

4. "having salvation"

a. Romans 3:26

b. 1 Corinthians 1:30

c. 2 Corinthians 5:21

d. Philippians 3:8-9

e. 1 John 2:1-2

5. "lowly/humble"

a. Isaiah 52:13-53:12

b. Philippians 2:5-8

6. "riding on a donkey"

a. Matthew 21:1-9 = Mark 11:1-10 = Luke 19:28-44 = John 12:12-19

b. fulfilled Sunday, 6 April 32 A.D.

(i) this was 10 Nisan, the day to choose the Passover Lamb: Exodus 12:3-5

(ii) exactly "69 weeks of years" after Artaxerxes Longimanus allowed Nehemiah to go and

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

- exactly 173,880 days (69 x 7 x 360)

- 14 March 445 B.C. to 6 April 32 A.D.

- "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and

build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two

weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.":

Daniel 9:25

- Nehemiah 2:1-8, "And the king granted to me according to the good hand of my God

upon me." (Nehemiah 2:8)

(iii) the "Triumphal Entry" was Jesus presenting Himself as king according to the exact prophecy

of Daniel 9:25

(iv) see the Addendum for the outline of the week began by the Triumphal Entry


c. "the things that make for your peace… now they are hidden from your eyes… because you did not

know the time of your visitation": Luke 19:41-44

(i) Jesus held the Jewish leaders accountable to know, understand, and believe Daniel 9:25!

- 38 years later, in 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed

(ii) their national blindness is only temporary

- "blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in":

Romans 11:25

- "…until they acknowledge their offense": Hosea 5:15

- "…till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'": Matthew 23:37-39

- "…until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled": Luke 21:24

- the Jews have not been rejected and replaced by the Church!

- don't claim to be Jewish if you're not!: Revelation 2:9; 3:9

B. Part 2, the victorious king: Zechariah 9:10

1. peace comes to Israel

a. will begin with the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ

b. He is seen reigning in this verse

c. Isaiah 2:4; 9:5-7; 11:1-10

d. Hosea 1:7

e. Micah 5:2-5

2. Ephraim is a common idiom of the northern kingdom

a. can also speak of all of Israel

b. Ephraim (in the north) + Jerusalem (in the south) = all of Israel

c. no 10 lost tribes!

3. quotes Psalm 72:8

4. there is a gap of time between verses 9 and 10

a. this gap corresponds to the Church Age

(i) the time between Jesus' 1st coming and His 2

nd coming

IV. God Will Save His People: Zechariah 9:11-17a

A. He has to restore Israel because of His unconditional promises

B. they will acknowledge His grace and mercy in Ezra 9:8-9

C. Jeremiah admitted that they were preserved because of the Lord's mercy: Lamentations 3:22-23

D. the "blood covenant" may refer to Genesis 15:1-21

E. "prisoners": Zechariah 9:11, 12

1. Isaiah 42:7; 49:9

2. God always wants to free people from bondage

a. Jesus' mission statement of Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18, "…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and

the opening of the prison to those who are bound…"

b. "…you were the slaves of sin, but…": Romans 6:17-23

c. "He has delivered us from the power of darkness…": Colossians 1:13-14

F. "waterless pit": Zechariah 9:11

1. could refer to spiritual drought

a. during their captivity they had no temple

(i) therefore there were no sacrifices and no worship

2. Joseph was thrown into a waterless pit: Genesis 37:24

3. they tried to kill Jeremiah by putting him into a muddy, waterless pit: Jeremiah 38:6

4. "He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and

established my steps.": Psalm 40:2

G. "return to the stronghold": Zechariah 9:12

1. "stronghold" may refer to Jerusalem

2. a call for the rest of the captives to return from Babylon?

a. Isaiah 48:20

b. Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6

3. the safest place to be is in the Lord's will

4. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble": Nahum 1:7


H. "I will restore double to you": Zechariah 9:12

1. the firstborn received a double portion: Deuteronomy 21:15-17

a. "firstborn" was a position and not necessarily the order of being born

(i) Isaac vs. Ishmael

(ii) Jacob vs. Esau

2. Israel was considered the firstborn: Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9

3. "Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their

portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs.": Isaiah 61:7

I. Israel will be used as God's weapon to accomplish His purposes: Zechariah 9:13

1. Judah (southern kingdom) is the bow; Ephraim (northern kingdom) is the arrow

2. Judah + Ephraim = all 12 tribes of Israel

a. no 10 lost tribes!

3. the idiom of being used as a weapon is also seen in Zechariah 10:3, "His royal horse in the battle"

4. "raised up your sons… against… Greece" could refer to the revolt of the Maccabees in 175-163 B.C.

J. "the Lord will…": Zechariah 9:14-17a

1. this phrase is seen 4 times in these verses

a. shows that the Lord is doing it all

2. "…be seen over them": Zechariah 9:14

a. arrows, lightning, and whirlwind are commonly used of the Lord

(i) Psalms 18:14; 45:5; 77:17-18; 144:5-6

(ii) Proverbs 10:25

(iii) Isaiah 5:26-28

(iv) Jeremiah 23:19-20; 25:32; 30:23-24

3. "…blow the trumpet": Zechariah 9:14

a. the shofar, the ram's horn

b. the trumpet of battle, warning, assembly

c. Jesus fought the battle of Jericho: Joshua 5, 6

(i) the shofar was used

4. "…defend them": Zechariah 9:15

a. "slingstones" reminds be of David going against Goliath: 1 Samuel 17

(i) David gave God the glory from the start

(ii) God was with David

b. lotsa blood

(i) "…the great winepress of the wrath of God… the blood came out of the winepress, up to the

horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs": Revelation 14:19-20

- 1600 furlongs = about 180 miles

- the distance from the Valley of Meggido (Armageddon) to Bozrah

5. "…save them in that day": Zechariah 9:16

a. "flock of His people"

(i) Psalms 23; 77:20; 100:3

(ii) Ezekiel 34:22-26

b. "jewels"

(i) Isaiah 62:3

(ii) Malachi 3:17

c. "banner" or "ensign"

(i) Isaiah 11:10-12; 62:10

6. Deuteronomy 33:26-29

7. "The Lord mighty in battle.": Psalm 24:8

8. Isaiah 30:30

K. "great is His goodness": Zechariah 9:17a

1. Psalms 31:19; 86:5; 145:7

2. Jeremiah 31:12

L. "great is His beauty": Zechariah 9:17a

1. Psalms 45; 50:12; 90:17

2. Isaiah 33:17


V. "grain… new wine": Zechariah 9:17b-10:1

A. speaks of prosperity and health

B. "Then Israel shall dwell in safety… in a land of grain and new wine": Deuteronomy 33:28

C. "You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both

lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.": Psalm 4:7-8

D. remember to look to the Lord for the prosperity: Zechariah 10:1

1. grain and grapes (prosperity) needs water

2. the Lord sends the rain

a. "former rain" at seed time in the Autumn; "latter rain" in the Spring to fill the corn

b. rain can be used both literally and figuratively or spiritually

c. rain was a reward for obedience: Deuteronomy 11:14-17; Leviticus 26:3-4

d. Jeremiah 3:3; 10:13; 14:22

e. Hosea 2:21

f. Joel 2:23-24

Addendum: What day of the week was Jesus crucified, and how long was He in the tomb?

(All the standard disclaimers apply here: Acts 17:11; "Your mileage may vary."; "Objects in your mirror may

appear closer than in my mirror."; "Do not use hammer to hit anything."; "Gun Control means hitting your target.")

I believe that Jesus was in the tomb for 3 literal 24-hour night-and-day periods.

Jesus said, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be

three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.": Matthew 12:40 (See also Esther 4:16; 5:1)

In 32 A.D.:

Sunday, 6 April: Triumphal Entry, Jesus rode in on a donkey (10 Nisan: Exodus 12:3-5)

Wednesday, 9 April: Jesus crucified 9 AM, died 3 PM

Thursday, 10 April: Passover, a Sabbath (14 Nisan: Exodus 12:6-11)

Friday, 11 April: first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a Sabbath (the second Sabbath in a row)

Saturday, 12 April: the normal Saturday Sabbath (the third Sabbath in a row!)

Sunday, 13 April: the Feast of the Firstfruits, Jesus' resurrection (17 Nisan. Note Genesis 8:4!)

Jesus rested from His work for 3 Sabbaths.

• He rested after the first creation: Genesis 2:1-3

• He rested after securing for us the second creation

- if we are "in Christ" we are a "new creation": 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15


Lesson 7: Zechariah 10:2-12

I. False, Useless Shepherds: Zechariah 10:2-3a

A. "teraphim" or "household gods" or "family idols": Zechariah 10:2

1. mentioned 15 times in the Old Testament

2. these objects played a key role in Genesis 31:1-35

3. archeological discoveries have shown that the "teraphim" implied leadership of the family, the title

deed to the family assets, and ownership of property

4. also used for idol worship

5. foolishness of idolatry: Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:3-11; 51:17-18; Habakkuk 2:18-19

B. diviners: Zechariah 10:2

1. occultic or false prophets, the pagan counterpart

2. prohibited by God: Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:9-14

3. divination punishable by death: Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27

a. a reason for King Saul's death: 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

4. one technique was to examine the liver and entrails of an animal: Ezekiel 21:21

5. Balaam was a diviner, a "prophet for hire": Numbers 22-24; Joshua 13:22

6. Philistines had them: 1 Samuel 6:2

7. Babylon had them: Ezekiel 21:21

8. Israel had them: 2 Kings 17:17; Jeremiah 14:14; 27:9; 29:8-9; Micah 3:6; Ezekiel 12:24; 13

9. God frustrates diviners: Isaiah 44:25

10. a girl involved in divination attempted to infiltrate Paul and Silas' team in Philippi: Acts 16:16-18

C. "delusion… lies… false dreams": Zechariah 10:2

1. Satan is a liar, "…the devil… does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him… he is a liar

and the father of it.": John 8:44

2. "'I am against those who prophesy false dreams,' says the Lord, 'and tell them, and cause My people to

err by their lies and by their recklessness'": Jeremiah 23:25-32

3. "Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your

sorcerers… for they prophesy a lie to you…": Jeremiah 27:9-10

4. "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are

in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they

prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.": Jeremiah 29:8-9

5. "false prophets… prophesy out of their own heart… envisioned futility… spoken nonsense…

envisioned lies…": Ezekiel 13

6. Ezekiel 21:29; 22:28

D. "comfort in vain": Zechariah 10:2

1. things made out of rock, metal, or wood are useless for comfort

2. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble,

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.": 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3. Jesus' mission statement, "…to comfort all who mourn…": Isaiah 61:2

E. "they are in trouble because there is no shepherd": Zechariah 10:2

1. it was important to God that Israel had a shepherd: Numbers 27:17

2. "'I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,

nor shall they be lacking,' says the Lord.": Jeremiah 23:4

3. "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the

field when they were scattered.": Ezekiel 34:5

4. because of their poor spiritual leadership, Jesus used the idiom of "sheep without a shepherd" to

describe the people's deep spiritual need: Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34

5. "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint": Proverbs 29:18

F. "My anger is kindled against the shepherds… I will punish the goats": Zechariah 10:3a

1. "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture…": Jeremiah 23:1-2

2. "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand… I will deliver My flock

from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.": Ezekiel 34:10


3. "goats" could refer to evil leaders

a. Isaiah 14:9

b. Ezekiel 34:17

4. an idiom of sheep versus goats seen in Matthew 25:32-33

5. Jesus always had compassion on the people, but treated the poor spiritual leadership harshly

6. much is said in Scripture about false shepherds and the importance of good spiritual leadership

a. God holds the leadership accountable

(i) "Hear this… priests… king… yours is the judgment… because you have been a snare… a

net… deeply involved in slaughter": Hosea 5:1-2

(ii) "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God": 1 Peter 4:17

b. the leadership is to set a good example

(i) "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the

peoples of the lands… indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this

trespass.": Ezra 9:1-2

(ii) "…your rulers cause you to go astray and destroy the way of your paths": Isaiah 3:12

(iii) "elders… shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving… willingly… eagerly…

being examples to the flock": 1 Peter 5:1-3

c. "So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness

of his hands.": Psalm 78:72

d. "I have made you a watchman…": Ezekiel 3:17-21; 33:1-11

e. "…rulers in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey… to destroy souls…": Ezekiel 22:26-31

f. unfaithful shepherds: Ezekiel 34

g. Israel had lying prophets: Micah 2:6-11

h. Israel had wicked rulers: Micah 3:1-4

i. Israel's false prophets misled them: Micah 3:5-12

j. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth;

for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.": Malachi 2:7

k. "take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you

overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.": Acts 20:28

l. "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him

if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea… offenses must come,

but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!": Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:1-2

II. The Coming One: Zechariah 10:3b-4

A. "His flock… house of Judah": Zechariah 10:3b

1. same idiom as in Zechariah 9:16

B. "horse in battle": Zechariah 10:3b

1. Israel will be used as His weapon

2. the idiom of Israel being used as a weapon is also in Zechariah 9:13

C. the coming Messiah: Zechariah 10:4

1. "out of him" refers to the tribe of Judah

2. "cornerstone"

a. this idiom used before in Zechariah 3:9

b. "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure

foundation": Isaiah 28:16

c. "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.": Psalm 118:22

d. Matthew 21:42-44

e. Acts 4:11

f. Romans 9:32-33

g. Ephesians 2:20-21

h. 1 Corinthians 1:23; 10:4

i. 1 Peter 2:4-8

3. "tent peg"

a. the Tabernacle was anchored by its bronze pegs fitting into silver sockets

(i) bronze speaks of judgment

(ii) silver speaks of blood


(iii) judgment fell onto Jesus

4. "battle bow"

a. Jesus is the one who fights for us

b. "…as when He fought in the day of battle": Zechariah 14:3

(i) "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.": Exodus 14:14

(ii) at the Red Sea, "And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty;

and the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against

the Egyptians.'": Exodus 14:25

(iii) "The Lord is a man of war": Exodus 15:3

(iv) "The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for

you in Egypt before your eyes": Deuteronomy 1:30

(v) "for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to

save you.": Deuteronomy 20:4

(vi) the Battle of Jericho: Joshua 5:13-15

(vii) "And there has been no day like that… for the Lord fought for Israel.": Joshua 10:14

(viii) Joshua 10:42; 23:3, 10

(ix) "For the battle is not yours, but God's.": 2 Chronicles 20:15

c. "Our God will fight for us.": Nehemiah 4:20

d. Jesus is the avenger of blood: Isaiah 63:1-6

e. Zechariah 12:1-9

f. "The Lord mighty in battle.": Psalm 24:8

5. "every oppressor together"

a. the Hebrew word for "oppressor" is always used in a negative sense

b. "no more shall an oppressor pass through them": Zechariah 9:8

c. "they shall rule over their oppressors": Isaiah 14:2

d. "those destroying you and ruining you shall go out from you": Isaiah 49:17

e. "I will also make your… oppressors to be righteousness": Isaiah 60:17

III. The Lord Will Strengthen Israel's Military: Zechariah 10:5-7

A. "they shall be like mighty men": Zechariah 10:5

B. "Ephraim shall be like a mighty man": Zechariah 10:7

C. it's because of the Lord

1. "because the Lord is with them": Zechariah 10:5

2. "I will strengthen the house of Judah": Zechariah 10:6

3. Judah (south) + Joseph (north) = all of Israel

a. common rhetorical device to indicate all 12 tribes

b. no 10 lost tribes

IV. Another Regathering: Zechariah 10:6-12

A. implies another dispersion

1. the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah led to the destruction of Jerusalem: Luke 19:41-44

a. the Jews were scattered throughout the nations: Luke 21:20-24

2. the Parable of the Vineyard Owner: Matthew 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-11; Luke 20:9-19

B. "It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the

remnant of His people who are left… from the four corners of the earth.": Isaiah 11:11-12

C. this was future to Zechariah

1. he may have remembered Isaiah's prophecy of Isaiah 11:11-12

D. the regathering is all because of God's mercy: Zechariah 10:6

1. God's love and mercy was not a response to something they did: God chose to love them

2. "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for

Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love

on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least

of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to

your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of

bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.": Deuteronomy 7:6-8

3. "When Israel was a child, I loved him": Hosea 11:1

4. "I have loved you": Malachi 1:2-5


E. they will be restored as if they had never been cast aside: Zechariah 10:6

1. everything will be restored double (Zechariah 9:12)

2. "Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor

them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But for

their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in

the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.": Leviticus 26:44-45

F. "I will whistle for them": Zechariah 10:8

1. "He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the end of the earth;

surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.": Isaiah 5:26

2. Isaiah 11:11-12

G. "they shall increase as they once increased": Zechariah 10:8

1. Israel's estimated population in 70 A.D. was 12 million

2. Israel's estimated population in 2001 was 6 million

3. massive immigrations to Israel from the Soviet Union and Ethiopia within the past 25 years

H. "I will sow them": Zechariah 10:9

1. "Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and appoint for

themselves one head; and they shall come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel! Say

to your brethren, 'My people,' and to your sisters, 'Mercy is shown.'": Hosea 1:11-2:1

a. "Jezreel" = "sown by God" or "God will sow"

2. "'It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer,' says the Lord; 'I will answer the heavens, and they

shall answer the earth. The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine, and with oil; they shall

answer Jezreel. Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not

obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall

say, 'You are my God!'": Hosea 2:21-23

a. quoted in Romans 9:25-26

b. "grain… new wine" as in Zechariah 9:17

3. "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah

with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over

them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to

build and to plant, says the Lord.": Jeremiah 31:27-28

4. "For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men

upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt… I will

make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall

know that I am the Lord.": Ezekiel 36:9-11

5. "'I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,'

says the Lord your God.": Amos 9:15

6. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to

give you a future and a hope.": Jeremiah 29:11

I. "until no more room is found for them": Zechariah 10:10

1. Israel will be too narrow: Isaiah 49:19-20

2. Israel will be expanded: Isaiah 54:1-3

3. Egypt and Assyria are probably used as idioms of captivity, bondage, and of all the enemies of Israel

J. there will be judgment against the pride and power of those who have oppressed Israel: Zechariah 10:11

1. similar language seen in Isaiah 11:15-16

2. reminds them of their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 14:21-32) and them crossing the Jordan

(Joshua 3:14-17)

3. these and future miracles will be even greater than the previous deliverance from Egypt:

Jeremiah 23:7-8

K. all their power will come from the Lord: Zechariah 10:12

1. not their own boastful arrogance

2. "For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God

forever and ever.": Micah 4:5

3. "up and down" = "to and fro"

a. same phrase seen before in Zechariah 1:10, 11; 6:7

b. Zechariah's fingerprint that he wrote all of this book?


Lesson 8: Zechariah 11

I. Introduction

A. instead of the cause given first and then the effect, Zechariah 11 gives the effect first and then the cause

1. effect: a destruction, scattering, and regathering yet future to Zechariah (Zechariah 11:1-11)

2. cause: Israel rejecting the Messiah (Zechariah 11:12-13)

a. Israel rejecting the Messiah will cause them to be rejected

(i) but they will accept a false Messiah (Zechariah 11:15-17)

3. history will repeat itself

a. there are similarities between what happened during the first slaughter and captivity (by Babylon)

and the one foretold here in Zechariah

B. from the positive, encouraging message by the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14) in Zechariah 9-10, to one

of great misery by the Rejected Messiah acting in judgment in Zechariah 11

1. Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24

2. "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the

one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your

children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your

house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who

comes in the name of the Lord!'": Matthew 23:36-39

C. Zechariah 11 explains what prevents the previous promised blessings from happening

D. the very important role of a shepherd is seen here again

II. Desolation of Jerusalem: Zechariah 11:1-3

A. probably refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

B. "Lebanon… Bashan… Jordan"

1. refers to the whole land in the direction that their enemies would come

2. depicting judgment from north to south

3. Israel's enemies usually came from the north

C. "cedars… cypress… oak"

1. everything will fall, from the mighty on down

2. "…the height of the cedars… strong as the oaks": Amos 2:9

3. Lebanon was known for its cedars and Bashan for its oaks

a. "…the cedars of Lebanon… the oaks of Bashan": Isaiah 2:13

4. this list of trees is also seen in Isaiah 44:14 in the context of making idols

D. "devour… wail… fallen… ruined… come down…"

1. language speaks of the reality, severity, and suffering of the coming judgment upon the land

III. The Flock Destined for Slaughter: Zechariah 11:4-11

A. Zechariah may be acting this out, the task eventually destined for Jesus Christ

B. they may remember similar words from Jeremiah about the first slaughter and dispersion by Babylon

(586 B.C.): Jeremiah 25:34-38

C. "owners slaughter them… shepherds do not pity them": Zechariah 11:5

1. speaks of their own rulers and teachers

2. similar to Micah's message prior to the first slaughter and dispersion, Micah 3:1-4

3. "Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,

and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.": Micah 3:12

a. quoted in Jeremiah 26:18

b. Jerusalem "plowed under" in 70 and 135 A.D.

D. "those who sell them say…": Zechariah 11:5

1. "…shepherds… they all look… for his own gain": Isaiah 56:10-12

2. "from the least even to the greatest, everyone is given to covetousness": Jeremiah 6:13; 8:10

3. "den of thieves": Jeremiah 7:11

a. Matthew 21:13 = Mark 11:17 = Luke 19:46

b. Jesus said, "Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise.": John 2:16


4. "through covetousness shall they… make merchandise of you": 2 Peter 2:3 (KJV)

a. even today some ministries emphasize material things

(i) "name it and claim it"

(ii) "health and wealth"

(iii) "blab it and grab it"

b. Paul's ministry was not "a cloak for covetousness -- God is witness": 1 Thessalonians 2:5

(i) they were not in the ministry for the money

(ii) not looking for gain or material things

(iii) they weren't looking to cash in on Christianity

(iv) everything was out in the open

E. God will not deliver them this time: Zechariah 11:6

1. God's protection and support is withdrawn

2. similar to what was said prior to the first slaughter, "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a

cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.": Jeremiah 7:16

3. "I will give everyone into… the hand of his king"

a. "The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar!'": John 19:14-15

(i) so God gave them their choice of a king: the cruelty of Caesar and the destruction of

Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

b. although God is rich in mercy, He cannot let sin go unpunished

(i) "For You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, and rich in mercy to all those who call on

You.": Psalms 86:5

(ii) "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is His mercy toward those who fear Him.":

Psalms 103:11

(iii) Psalms 86:15; 103:8

(iv) Ephesians 2:4

c. He will not violate your sovereignty: He will give you your choices

4. presumption of God's protection

a. it takes more than just merely identifying themselves (or ourselves!) with Him

b. "Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet

they lean on the Lord, and say, 'Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.'":

Micah 3:11

c. "Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the

temple of the Lord are these.'": Jeremiah 7:4

d. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the

called according to His purpose.": Romans 8:28

e. "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him": Ezra 8:22

F. "I fed… in particular the poor of the flock": Zechariah 11:7

1. part of Jesus' mission statement, "To preach good tidings to the poor": Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18

2. Jesus said, "…the poor have the gospel preached to them": Matthew 11:5

3. Jesus said, "it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven": Matthew 19:23-24

4. "God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith": James 2:5

5. Psalm 22:26

6. Zephaniah 3:12

7. Matthew 11:25; 18:3-4

8. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

G. "two staffs": Zechariah 11:7

1. shepherds had two basic "tools"

a. #1: the stereotypical "shepherd's staff" used to direct, guide, and handle the sheep

(i) a long, slender stick with a crook or hook at the end

- "At the top of every staff is a crook!"

(ii) used only for their benefit

(iii) can be a picture of the Spirit of God

b. #2: a rod or club that is used as a weapon to protect the sheep and the shepherd

(i) can be a picture of the Word of God

c. "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.": Psalm 23:4

(i) both direction and protection is very comforting


d. recommended reading: "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by W. Phillip Keller

2. "Beauty" or "Grace" or "Pleasantness"

3. "Bonds" or "Rope" or "Unity"

4. which is the "rod" and which is the "staff"?

H. "three shepherds": Zechariah 11:8

1. probably refers to three offices of leadership, religious or otherwise, that were involved in Jesus'

rejection

a. priests, scribes, and Pharisees?

b. scribes, Pharisees, lawyers? (Matthew 23:1-36 plus Luke 11:37-54)

2. God's judgment was just

a. it wasn't based on just one incident

b. it wasn't "one strike and you're out"

c. "…on the testimony of two or three witnesses": Deuteronomy 17:6

d. "by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established": Deuteronomy 19:15

e. "because all these men… have put Me to the test now these ten times…": Numbers 14:22

I. "I will not feed you": Zechariah 11:9

1. famine and cannibalism was foretold concerning the Babylonian siege

a. Deuteronomy 28:52-57

b. Jeremiah 19:9

c. Lamentations 4:10

d. Ezekiel 6:12

2. history will repeat itself in 70 A.D.

a. Josephus, the ancient historian was an eyewitness: "Wars of the Jews", V 12:3; VI 3:3-5

J. the staff, "Beauty" is broken" Zechariah 11:10

1. breaks the covenant with "all the peoples (nations)"

2. removes God's protection from Israel's enemies

3. God's grace and mercy are being withdrawn

4. breaks the covenant of peace among the nations

a. Job 5:23

b. Ezekiel 34:25

c. Hosea 2:18

5. destruction of Jerusalem: Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24

K. "the poor of the flock… knew that it was the word of the Lord": Zechariah 11:11

1. the faithful core group understood

2. there is always a faithful remnant

3. His faithful know

a. "I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are

Mine.": John 10:14

b. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are

called according to His purpose.": Romans 8:28

IV. "My wages… 30 pieces of silver… that princely price": Zechariah 11:12-14

A. up until now the devastating "effect" was described

B. the "cause" is now given: the rejection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah

C. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver: Matthew 26:14-16

1. the price of a slave gored by an ox: Exodus 21:32

a. the ox then had to be stoned

b. the unbelieving world (that "gored" Jesus) will be (hail)stoned in Revelation 16:23

D. the potter eventually ended up with the money: Matthew 27:3-10

E. the proof that this passage is referring to the Messiah is because Matthew 27:9-10 says it is, "Then was

fulfilled what was spoken…"

1. critics of the Bible point out that Matthew 27:9 says that it was "spoken by Jeremiah" not Zechariah

a. explanation #1: Jeremiah was the first prophet in the scroll of the Prophets, so it's just referring

the title of the scroll

(i) this is the most common explanation


(ii) the Hebrew Bible was broken up into 3 divisions as seen in Luke 24:44, "And He said to

them, '…all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the

Prophets and in the Psalms about Me.'"

- "Behold I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me.": Psalm 40:7

b. explanation #2: it was "spoken by Jeremiah" but written down by Zechariah

(i) Matthew 27:9-10 is not a perfect quotation of Zechariah 11:12-13

F. "to the potter… threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter": Zechariah 11:13

1. Judas threw the money into the temple: Matthew 27:5

2. the priests gave the money to the potter: Matthew 27:7

a. the priests could not take back the money from Judas: Matthew 27:3-8

(i) nothing detestable could go into the treasury: Deuteronomy 23:18

- it was "blood money": Matthew 27:6

- blood and silver are always linked in Scripture

b. the priests used the money to buy a field from a potter to bury strangers in: Matthew 27:7

c. they "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel": Matthew 23:24

(i) "strain out a gnat" = being concerned about what they can and cannot do with the money

(ii) "swallow a camel" = they killed their Messiah!

G. the staff, "Bonds" or "Union" is broken: Zechariah 11:14

1. unity among the Jews will be broken

a. there will be internal strife and dissention

b. they will fight among themselves

2. their territory will no longer be protected and held together

a. they will be dispersed (70 A.D.)

V. The Foolish Shepherd: Zechariah 11:15-17

A. "foolish" = morally impious; a moral failure; from a root meaning "perverse"

B. probably refers to the coming world leader that we commonly call the "Anti-christ"

1. "anti" = "instead of" or "in the place of"

C. "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you

will receive.": John 5:43

D. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1. "who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as

God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God.": 2 Thessalonians 2:4

2. "whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders":

2 Thessalonians 2:9

E. Daniel 9:27; 11:36-39

F. Revelation 13

1. there are actually 2 people that will be coming: the "beast" and the "false prophet"

2. Satan + "the beast" + "the false prophet" = "the unholy trinity" (Revelation 16:13)

a. Satan mimics God the Father

b. "the beast" mimics Jesus Christ

c. "the false prophet" mimics the Holy Spirit

G. he will feed on the sheep instead of feeding them: Zechariah 11:16

1. compare with the "Good Shepherd" of John 10

H. a physical description of the "coming world leader" or the "Anti-christ": Zechariah 11:17

1. "worthless" or "idol" shepherd

a. "idol" = false god

b. idols are "worthless": Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:3-11; 51:17-18; Habakkuk 2:18-19

2. seems to be very specific, so may not be figurative

3. he receives a head wound, regarded as dead, and appears to come back to life: Revelation 13:3, 12, 14

a. the term "sword" is seen both in Zechariah 11:17 and Revelation 13:14

4. "withered arm" may be a lingering effect of the head wound

a. "mark of the beast" on forehead or hand (Revelation 13:16) to mimic, sympathize, or identify with

the "Anti-christ"?

b. identification with the "false-christ" just as baptism is identification with the real Christ's death,

burial, and resurrection



I. Introduction

A. starts the 2nd

half of the 3rd

section of Zechariah; this is the climax

1. section 1: chapters 1-6



a. chapters 9-11

b. chapters 12-14

B. "Jerusalem" is seen 41 times in Zechariah

1. 11 times in Zechariah 12

2. 1 time in Zechariah 13


C. "in that day" is seen 21 times in Zechariah




4. speaks of the "Day of the Lord"

a. "the time of Jacob's trouble": Jeremiah 30:5-7

b. "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation": Daniel 12:1

c. "for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this

time": Matthew 24:21-22; Mark 13:19

D. this may correspond to Zechariah's 8th

vision, that of the 4 chariots (Zechariah 6:1-8)

II. The Coming Deliverance of Israel: Zechariah 12:1-9

A. "burden… against Israel": Zechariah 12:1

1. "burden" seen before in Zechariah 9:1

2. some translate this as "oracle" or "prophecy"

a. truth or prophecy can be a heavy or difficult message, especially when it involves correction or

judgment

3. "against Israel" emphasizes that its focus is on Israel

B. God's credentials: Zechariah 12:1

1. "who stretches out the heavens"

a. Psalm 104:2

b. Isaiah 40:12; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; 51:13

c. Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15

2. "lays the foundation of the earth"

a. Psalms 24:1-2; 102:25

b. Isaiah 48:13; 51:13

c. Job 26:7

d. Hebrews 1:10

3. "forms the spirit of man within him"

a. Genesis 2:7

b. Numbers 16:22

c. Ecclesiastes 12:7

4. the grammar speaks of continual action: God is always sustaining His creation

a. "For by him were all things created… all things were created by him… and by him all things

consist (hold together)": Colossians 1:16-17

b. "…upholding all things by the word of his power…": Hebrews 1:3

5. He is saying that if He can do all these creative acts, He can bring about His promises to Israel

C. "I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling": Zechariah 12:2-3

1. "cup" or "bowl" is a well-known symbol of God's wrath

a. Isaiah 51:17, 22

b. Jeremiah 25:15-28; 49:12; 51:7

c. Lamentations 4:21

d. Ezekiel 23:31-33


e. Habakkuk 2:16

f. Revelation 14:10; 15:7-16:21

2. "trembling" = drunkenness, reeling from intoxication

a. the idiom of drunkenness as judgment is common

(i) Psalm 75:8

(ii) Isaiah 29:8-9

(iii) Jeremiah 13:12-14; 25:15-28; 48:26; 51:39, 57

(iv) Lamentations 4:21

(v) Nahum 3:11

b. "confusion… madness… blindness" will also be seen in Zechariah 12:4

3. "all nations of the earth…"

a. this does not affect only the middle-east

b. this will affect the entire world as they come against Israel

c. Israel will be used as God's weapon to bring judgment upon the world: Zechariah 9:13; 10:3

4. "…are gathered against it"

a. "I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem": Zechariah 14:2

b. "many nations have gathered against you… He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing

floor… you shall beat in pieces many peoples": Micah 4:11-13

c. "…to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty": Revelation 16:12-16

d. those that adversely affect, or come against Israel are "poking their finger in the eye of God"

(i) "apple of His eye" = "pupil of His eye"

(ii) Deuteronomy 32:10

(iii) Psalm 17:8

(iv) Proverbs 7:2

(v) "For thus says the Lord of hosts: '…he who touches you touches the pupil of His eye'":

Zechariah 2:8

e. "Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold,

Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken

crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They

have said, 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be

remembered no more.' For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a

confederacy against You": Psalm 83:1-5

5. "I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples"

a. today the whole world has its attention on Israel

(i) no reason for it

(ii) Israel has no harbors, no strategic rivers, no significant trade routes, no natural resources

(iii) Israel has no strategic significance!

b. speaking of Jesus, "whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will

grind him to powder": Matthew 21:44; Luke 20:18

D. God will empower Israel to overcome their enemies: Zechariah 12:4-6

1. "horse" corresponds to military force

2. "confusion… madness… blindness": Zechariah 12:4

a. the same 3 curses on Israel listed in Deuteronomy 28:28, but these are on Israel's enemies

3. they will realize that it's the Lord helping them: Zechariah 12:5-6

a. same as in Ezekiel 39:6-7

4. "firepan in the woodpile": Zechariah 12:6

a. the wood won't be able to withstand the fire that is in its midst

5. "fiery torch in the sheaves": Zechariah 12:6

a. the sheaves are helpless against fire

b. sounds similar to what Samson did to set fire to the Philistines' "shocks (stacks of corn) and the

standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves": Judges 15:1-5


E. God will defend Israel: Zechariah 12:7-9

1. God first defends the "tents of Judah" instead of the fortifications of Jerusalem: Zechariah 12:7

a. the defenseless compared to the highly fortified

b. to emphasize that it's not through their military might

2. the feeble will be just as strong and effective as David was: Zechariah 12:8

3. they will be just as strong and effective as the "Angel of the Lord": Zechariah 12:8

a. the Angel of the Lord has been seen many times helping and protecting them

(i) Exodus 23:20; 32:34; 33:2

(ii) Joshua 5:13-15

4. "I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem": Zechariah 12:9

a. "seek" = "eager to go" or "sought to go" as in Zechariah 6:7

F. Why should God decide to empower and protect them?!

1. because of their conversion, because they'll accept Jesus as their Messiah

III. The National Conversion of Israel: Zechariah 12:10-14

A. "pour": Zechariah 12:10

1. refers to making a spiritual transformation

2. "I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring": Isaiah 44:3

3. "'I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of

Israel,' says the Lord God.": Ezekiel 39:29

4. Ezekiel 36:22-38

5. "…I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…": Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21

B. there are spiritual things yet to be done with Israel

C. "house of David" + "inhabitants of Jerusalem" = the entire nation of Israel

D. "Spirit of grace and supplication" is an OT idiom of the Holy Spirit

1. the Hebrew words for "grace" and "supplication" come from the same Hebrew root word

2. Ezekiel 39:29

3. Joel 2:28-29

4. Hebrews 10:29

E. this is the fulfillment of the prophecies that, "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26)

1. Isaiah 45:17; 59:20-21

2. Jeremiah 50:20

3. Ezekiel 36:25-33; 39:29

4. Zechariah 3:4, 9

5. Romans 9:27; 11:25-29

F. "they will look upon Me whom they pierced": Zechariah 12:10

1. although they didn't do it themselves, their rejection and unbelief made the sins of their ancestors their

own

2. Jesus' piercing is seen in John 19:31-37

a. John 19:37 quotes Zechariah 12:10

b. "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And

all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.": Revelation 1:7

c. speaking to the Jews, Peter told them that they crucified their Messiah: Acts 2:22-23; 3:14-15

3. in Numbers 21:9 they had to look upon the serpent of bronze to be healed

a. they couldn't do it any other way, otherwise they died

b. they had to turn away from self

c. Jesus used this as a parallel of Himself: John 3:14-16

4. see Addendum #1 for a comment about what is left untranslated here in our English Bibles

G. "they will mourn… the land shall mourn": Zechariah 12:10-14

1. the greatest type of mourning is that for an only son; the greatest grieving is that for a firstborn son

2. "like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon": Zechariah 12:11

a. refers to the death of godly King Josiah by Pharaoh-Necho

(i) he was the last ray of hope for Israel before the fall to Babylon

(ii) 2 Kings 23:29-30

(iii) 2 Chronicles 35:20-25


3. "in the plain of Megiddo"

a. also known as the Valley of Jezreel and the Plain of Esdraelon

b. very famous and well-known to the nation of Israel

(i) Barak and Deborah defeated Jabin, king of Canaan, and the commander of his army, Sisera:

Judges 4; Psalm 83:9

(ii) place of Gideon's victory: Judges 6:33-7:25

(iii) King Saul was killed there: 1 Samuel 29:1, 11; 31

(iv) place of Naboth's vineyard: 1 Kings 21

- Jezebel killed Naboth just so Ahab could have his vineyard

- even after Ahab had the vineyard, God still called it "Naboth's vineyard": 1 Kings 21:18

- Jezebel, gaining land by acquisition and inquisition: Revelation 2:20-25

(v) Elijah pronounced judgment on Jezebel, and that she would be killed in Jezreel and that the

dogs would eat her body: 1 Kings 21:23; 2 Kings 9:10, 30-37

(vi) Jehu killed Joram and left his body in Naboth's field: 2 Kings 9:24-25

(vii) Ahaziah died in Megiddo: 2 Kings 9:27

(viii) Jehu slaughtered Ahab's 70 male offspring in Jezreel: 2 Kings 10:1-11

(ix) King Josiah killed by Pharaoh-Necho: 2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-25

(x) the Assyrian army defeated the Northern Kingdom's army (the house of Israel)

- "fall of Samaria" in 722 B.C.

- they were taken captive, never to be heard of again

(xi) Gentiles will meet judgment in the plain of Jezreel (Armageddon): Revelation 16:16

4. "David… Nathan… Levi… Shimei": Zechariah 12:12-13

a. may refer to king, prophet, priest

(i) David was a king

(ii) Nathan was a prophet

(iii) Levi was a priest

- Shimei was of the family of Levi: Numbers 3:17-18, 21

b. may instead refer to families

(i) David had a son named Nathan

(ii) Shimei was of the family of Levi

5. "the land shall mourn, every family by itself… by themselves": Zechariah 12:12-14

a. may refer to the need of individual repentance and contrition

(i) a person can't repent for someone else

b. there needs to be genuine sorrow, regret, and contrition over sin: James 4:8-9

c. deepest grief seeks seclusion

d. from the national level down to the individual level

Addendum #1

In some places there is something left untranslated in our English Bibles; Zechariah 12:10 happens to be one of

them. What is left untranslated is "aleph-tau," the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet (Strong's

Concordance Hebrew word number H853). That phrase could therefore be translated, "they will look upon the

Aleph and the Tau whom they pierced". In the Greek it would be "the Alpha and the Omega." This also happens in

Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God (aleph-tau) created…".

These are titles of Jesus Christ:

• "the First and the Last"

- Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12

- Revelation 1:11, 17; 2:8; 22:13

• "the Beginning and the End"

- Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13

• "the Alpha and the Omega"

- Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13

There are some who have difficulty in recognizing Jesus as "Jehovah-God" in the Old Testament. These "identity

marks" may help resolve those difficulties.



I. The Conversion of Israel, continued: Zechariah 13:1-5

A. "In that day…": Zechariah 13:1

1. speaks of the Day of the Lord

2. speaks of a very specific day in the future

B. "a fountain shall be opened… for sin and uncleanness": Zechariah 13:1

1. sins washed away by the blood of the "pierced one" (Zechariah 12:10)

2. Jesus said, "the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into

everlasting life": John 4:14

3. "the blood of Jesus Christ… cleanses us from all sin": 1 John 1:7

4. "Jesus Christ… loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood": Revelation 1:5

5. "For with You is the fountain of life": Psalm 36:9

6. "They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns

that can hold no water.": Jeremiah 2:13

a. speaks of their own man-made religion

b. a fountain speaks of fresh spring water; a cistern speaks of the attempt to gather water from

uncertain rainfall

c. grace vs. works

d. seeking their own righteousness instead of the righteousness of God

(i) "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own

righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.": Romans 10:3

(ii) can speak of us, too

7. "O Lord, the hope of Israel… the fountain of living waters": Jeremiah 17:13

8. "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.": Proverbs 14:27

C. "the house of David" + "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" = the whole nation of Israel

1. from the rulers to the citizens; from royalty to the common people

2. "whosoever…"

D. purging of idolatry: Zechariah 13:2a

1. "I will cut off the names of the idols from the land and they shall no longer be remembered"

a. "cut off" = destroy; cut off a body part

b. even mentioning the names of false gods was forbidden

(i) "make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth":

Exodus 22:13

(ii) David said that he would not even "take up their names on my lips": Psalm 16:4

(iii) Joshua 23:7

c. "For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their

name no more.": Hosea 2:17

d. Ezekiel 36:25

e. Micah 5:12-14

2. "…covetousness, which is idolatry": Colossians 3:5

a. going after the "all-mighty dollar" instead of the "Almighty God"

3. after the "Rapture" there may be extensive demon and idol worship, even in Israel

E. purging of false prophets: Zechariah 13:2b-5

1. they will be killed by their own parents: Zechariah 13:2b-3

a. the Law required that a person's kin were to expose and kill those involved in idol worship

(i) Deuteronomy 13:6-10

b. "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to

speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.": Deuteronomy 18:20

2. they'll be ashamed to be a false prophet: Zechariah 13:4

a. they won't be proud to admit being one of those prophets

b. Micah 3:7

c. Jeremiah 2:26; 22:22


d. a rough or hairy garment was a distinguishing emblem of a prophet in ancient Israel

(i) 1 Kings 19:13, 19

(ii) 2 Kings 1:8; 2:8, 13-14

(iii) Matthew 3:4

3. they'll admit that they're not really prophets: Zechariah 13:5

4. there will be many false prophets and teachers, and deceivers

a. Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11

b. Luke 21:8

c. Acts 20:30

d. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

e. Galatians 2:4

f. Colossians 2:8

g. 1 Timothy 4:1

h. 2 Timothy 2:17; 3:6; 4:3-4

i. 2 Peter 2:1

j. 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:1-6

k. 2 John 1:7

l. Jude 1:4

m. the Apostle Paul was in peril from false brothers: 2 Corinthians 11:26

II. The Shepherd Savior: Zechariah 13:6-7

A. "wounds between your hands… I was wounded in the house of my friends": Zechariah 13:6

1. see Addendum #1 for further discussions and viewpoints

2. "wounds between your hands"

a. may be Messianic, speaking of the crucifixion

3. "wounded in the house of my friends": Zechariah 13:6

a. may refer to faithlessness by Jesus' disciples (and us!)

B. "My Shepherd"

1. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.": John 10:11

2. John 10:14

C. "the Man"

1. refers to the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ

2. "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh": 1 John 4:2-3

3. "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the

flesh.": 2 John 1:7

4. "…the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many":

Romans 5:15

D. "My Companion (or Associate)"

1. Jesus and His Father worked together

a. Matthew 11:25-27

b. John 5:17-47; 10:11-18, 25-30, 37-38; 14:9-31; 16:15; 17:1-26

E. "strike the Shepherd…": Zechariah 13:7

1. refers to Jesus Christ

a. quoted in Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27

F. "…and the sheep will be scattered": Zechariah 13:7

1. referred to the disciples when they ran off after Jesus was arrested

a. "Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.": Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50

b. "you will be scattered, each man to his own things, and you will leave Me alone": John 16:32

2. also refers to the nation of Israel in 70 A.D.

G. "I will turn My hand against (or upon) the little ones": Zechariah 13:7

1. "little ones" probably refers to the "poor of the flock" (Zechariah 11:7, 11)

2. could be "against", in that they'll be persecuted and scattered

a. John 15:20

b. Acts 8:1

c. James 1:1


3. could be "upon", as in protection of the faithful

a. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.":

Luke 12:32

III. The Coming Holocaust Against Israel: Zechariah 13:8-9

A. 2/3 will be killed: Zechariah 13:8

1. the Nazi Holocaust killed 1/3

2. this one will be twice as bad

3. "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me…": Ezekiel 20:33-38

4. "I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your

alloy.": Isaiah 1:25

B. 1/3 will be taken "through the fire": Zechariah 13:9

1. God always has His remnant, those who are faithful

a. Elijah learned that when he started whining: 1 Kings 19:9-19

b. the 144,000 of Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1, 3

c. Noah and his family: Genesis 6-8

(i) there were 3 types of people in the "days of Noah" (Matthew 24:37 = Luke 17:26)

- those that perished in the flood (the unbelieving world)

- those preserved through the flood (Noah and his family, a picture of Israel?)

- those removed prior to the flood (Enoch, a picture of the Church?)

d. Isaiah 10:20-23; 11:11-12

e. Micah 2:12

2. "fire" is idiom of the coming Tribulation

a. "I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.": Isaiah 48:10

b. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not

overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned": Isaiah 43:2

(i) the Red Sea, the Jordan River, and the coming Tribulation?

c. the story of the Fiery Furnace in Daniel 3:1-29

(i) Nebuchadnezzar set up an image to be worshipped: Daniel 3:1-7

- just as the coming Antichrist will

(ii) the 3 Israelites represent Israel

(iii) Jesus is seen with the 3 Israelites in the furnace: Daniel 3:25

(iv) Where was Daniel?!

- a picture of the Church?!

C. "refine them as silver… test them as gold": Zechariah 13:9

1. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a

refiner's fire and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify

the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in

righteousness.": Malachi 3:2-3

a. Christians don't face this type of refinement by fire: we've already been "refined"

(i) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,

all things have become new.": 2 Corinthians 5:17

b. see Addendum #2 for a more in-depth discussion of Malachi 3:2-3

2. "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.": Job 23:10

3. Psalm 66:10-12

D. "I will say, 'This is My People'": Zechariah 13:9

1. Zechariah 8:8

2. Jeremiah 30:22; 31:33; 32:37-42

3. Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:28; 37:23-28

4. Hosea 1:9-10; 2:23

5. Hebrews 8:10

E. "each one will say, 'The Lord is my God'": Zechariah 13:9

1. just like Thomas' declaration after he doubted, "Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my

God!'": John 20:28

2. Hosea 2:23


Addendum #1: What do we do with Zechariah 13:6?

Does Zechariah 13:6 continue the thought of verse 5, or start the next subject of verses 7-8?

"And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms (or hands)?' Then he will answer, 'Those with

which I was wounded in the house of my friends (or those that love me).'": Zechariah 13:6

Viewpoint #1: it continues the previous thought regarding the false prophets.

False prophets, and those involved in idol and pagan worship would cut themselves during religious rites; it was a

forbidden practice:

• from the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, "So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their

custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.": 1 Kings 18:28

• "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead…": Leviticus 19:28

• "You shall not cut yourselves… for the dead": Deuteronomy 14:1

• Jeremiah 16:6; 48:37

When this person is confronted, they will make an excuse that others did it to him to try and convince them that he

didn't do it to himself as part of a forbidden practice.

Viewpoint #2: it speaks of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, the subject of verses 7 and 8.

The location of the wounds ("between your hands") seems very specific, maybe too specific to refer to mere pagan

practices.

The "house of my friends" may refer to Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified. Critics point out that Jerusalem could

not be the "house of my friends" because they're the ones who rejected and crucified Him. In response to that, I'd say

that this passage is referring to the time when salvation has come to Israel, when they've accepted Jesus as their

Messiah, so Jerusalem could then be considered the "house of His friends;" they're now "My People."

However, let's take the thought even further; maybe it goes far beyond Jerusalem.

The idea of being "wounded" seems significant. We sent Him to the cross:

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and

afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities": Isaiah 53:4-5

"smitten" is same word translated "wounded" in Zechariah 13:6

can also imply being killed

"wounded" can also have the implication of being polluted or defiled

Jesus became sin for us: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become

the righteousness of God in Him.": 2 Corinthians 5:21

"friends" could refer to His disciples (and all believers): John 15:15

Abraham was the "friend of God": 2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23

When Jesus was with His disciples, was he ever really offended, hurt, or wounded?

• What about Judas' betrayal?

• What about Peter's denial

• What about Thomas' doubting and unbelief (John 20:24-29)?

• What about unbelief, faithlessness, and ingratitude by Christians in general?!

- Does faithlessness by His own really hurt and wound Him?!

- Do we "wound" Him each and every time we sin?


As an aside:

There seems to be an association between being a friend or beloved of God, and Him telling them the future:

• Abraham was the "friend of God": 2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23

• "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?'": Genesis 18:17

• Jesus told His disciples that "you are My friends": John 15:15

• "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called

you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.": John 15:15

• Daniel was "beloved": "…you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the

vision": Daniel 9:23

• Daniel was given many great prophecies

• John was the "beloved disciple": John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20

• John wrote the book of the Revelation

Addendum #2: "Refiner's Fire" (Malachi 3:2-3)

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire

and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge

them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.": Malachi 3:2-3

I. "refiner's fire": Malachi 3:2

A. "I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is

tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one

will say, 'The Lord is my God.'": Zechariah 13:9

B. Christians don't face this type of refinement by fire

1. we've already been "refined"

a. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all

things have become new.": 2 Corinthians 5:17

2. however, the genuineness of our works will be tested to see if they can withstand the test of fire

a. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if

anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's

work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire

will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he

will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved,

yet so as through fire.": 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

b. are the works we do for the Lord worthy of eternity?

II. "fuller's (or launderer's) soap": Malachi 3:2

A. "fuller" = primitive root; to trample; hence to wash by treading or stamping with the feet

B. "soap" = lye, potash, or alkali used for washing

1. used only here and in Jeremiah 2:22, "'For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet

your iniquity is marked before Me,' says the Lord God."

C. this is a violent, caustic idiom

D. "I will break the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains tread him underfoot.": Isaiah 14:25

E. "For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord God of hosts": Isaiah 22:5

F. Isaiah 63:1-6

G. "For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the

earth.": Micah 1:3

H. "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great

winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of

the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.": Revelation 14:19-20

I. "He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.": Revelation 19:15


J. Christians don't face this type of violent, caustic washing for redemption: we've already been cleansed

1. "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through

the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit": Titus 3:5

2. "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the

washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot

or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.": Ephesians 5:25-27



I. The Day of the Lord, Introduction

A. when God intervenes in history to deal directly with the wicked in judgment

1. then to establish His kingdom

B. the darkest period of all history

C. Jesus' 2nd

Coming is in 2 parts (see Addendum #1 for a comparison table)

1. Part 1 is the "blessed hope": Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

a. involves the idea of comfort: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7

b. implies a "pre-wrath" or "pre-tribulation" experience

(i) our penalty has already been paid for at the cross

c. it's the protection from the wrath of God

(i) "hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past": Isaiah 26:19-21

(ii) "It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger": Zephaniah 2:3

(iii) "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His shelter, in the secrecy of His tabernacle He

shall hide me": Psalms 27:5

2. Part 2 is wrath and judgment: the Day of the Lord

D. "day of wrath… (on) all those who dwell in the land… because they have sinned against the Lord":

Zephaniah 1:14-18

1. not all judgment is God's wrath

2. this is referring to something specific: "…that day…"

3. "on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth": Luke 21:35

4. a key concept in Revelation has to do with the "earth dwellers" or "those that dwell on the earth"

(Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:8)

a. Christians are not "earth dwellers" because "our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we are

looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ": Philippians 3:20

E. "the wrath of the Lamb": Revelation 6:16

F. Isaiah 2:12-21; 13:6-13; 24:21-23; 34:1-8

1. "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.": Isaiah 34:8

2. Isaiah 2:19, 21 sounds very much like Revelation 6:15-17 about hiding in caves

G. Jeremiah 30:5-7

1. "the time of Jacob's trouble": Jeremiah 30:7

H. Joel 1:15; 2:1-17; 3:12-14

1. "Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.": Joel 2:16

a. very reminiscent of Isaiah 26:20-21, "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors

behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold,

the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity…"

2. "Proclaim this among the nations: 'Prepare for war!… Let all the men of war draw near… assemble

and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to

the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations… for their

wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.'": Joel 3:9-14

I. Obadiah 1:15-21

1. "For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your

reprisal shall return upon your own head.": Obadiah 1:15

J. Zephaniah 1:1-3:8

1. "My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My

indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.":

Zephaniah 3:8

K. judgment of the nations: Jeremiah 25:15-28

L. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

1. "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the

gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.": 2 Thessalonians 1:8

a. those who are not saved are the objects of His wrath

b. the Day of the Lord isn't for those who are saved (the church)


2. "The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, and His indignation to His enemies. For behold,

the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and

His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh; and the slain

of the Lord shall be many.": Isaiah 66:14-16

3. "Your hand will find all Your enemies; your right hand will find those who hate You. You shall make

them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the

fire shall devour them.": Psalm 21:8-9

M. no one knows when it will happen; it's unpredictable: Matthew 24:36, 44; 25:13; Mark 13:32

N. "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night": 2 Peter 3:10

1. comes as "a thief in the night" to those "of the night": 1 Thessalonians 5:2-11

a. Christians are not "of the night": 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, 8

b. Christians are not "appointed to wrath": 1 Thessalonians 5:9

c. Jesus' 2nd

coming is a comfort to Christians: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

2. to the unsaved, judgment is just as certain as death

O. there are 3 prerequisite events to the Day of the Lord outlined in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1. the apostasy: 2 Thessalonians 2:3

2. the removal of the "restrainer": 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

a. the restrainer is the Holy Spirit

b. the church obviously goes with Him

3. the revealing of the "man of sin": 2 Thessalonians 2:7

4. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 is one of the most important prophetic passages in the New Testament)

P. Amos 5:18-20

Q. Malachi 4

R. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

S. Revelation 5:1-19:16

T. Psalm 2

II. Day of the Lord: Zechariah 14:1-5

A. "is coming": Zechariah 14:1

1. speaks of its certainty

B. "I will gather…": Zechariah 14:2

1. God is actively involved: He's causing it to happen

C. "all nations…": Zechariah 14:2

1. sounds very literal!

2. it would include the United States!

3. Joel 3:9-14

D. "against Jerusalem": Zechariah 14:2

1. a very specific, precise location

E. "half of the city shall go into captivity": Zechariah 14:2

1. Jerusalem has been overthrown 29 times in history

2. only "half of the city" has never happened before: it's been all or nothing

3. makes it obvious that this is a future event

F. "But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off": Zechariah 14:2

1. God will always have and preserve His remnant

2. "I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob… (I) will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as

grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.": Amos 9:8-10

3. Isaiah 4:3-6

4. "the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel": Joel 3:16

G. the Lord fights for them as "in the day of battle": Zechariah 14:3

1. this concept seen before in Zechariah 9:14-16; 10:4; 12:1-9 (see notes)

2. "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.": Exodus 14:14

3. at the Red Sea, "…the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for

them'": Exodus 14:24-25

4. Jesus fought the Battle of Jericho: Joshua 5:13-15

5. Joshua 10:14, 42; 23:3, 10


H. He will "stand on the Mount of Olives": Zechariah 14:4

1. after fighting for them in Bozrah: Isaiah 63:1-6

a. He will fight for the remnant, Satan's target

b. "I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face;

in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.": Hosea 5:15

2. the only place in Old Testament that the Mount of Olives is explicitly mentioned

a. referred to in 2 Samuel 15:30

3. highest peak in that area: 2680 feet

a. 200 feet above Mt. Zion

b. 300 feet above Mt. Moriah

4. this is the place of Jesus' departure: Acts 1:9-12; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51

a. He's returning to the spot from where He left

(i) "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as

you saw Him go into heaven.": Acts 1:11

5. the Shekinah glory came and left in that direction: Ezekiel 11:22-23; 43:2, 4

I. "you shall flee to the valley of My mountains": Zechariah 14:5

1. Azal may be Beth-Ezel (Micah 1:11)

2. an earthquake 200 years earlier is still remembered and used as a well-known reference

a. also mentioned in Amos 1:1

b. must have been extreme

c. used to describe how they'll flee

3. and speaking of earthquakes, they can be used as part of God's judgment

a. speaking to one of Israel's enemies, "You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and

earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire.": Isaiah 29:6

b. Revelation 16:18

J. "the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with Him": Zechariah 14:5

1. the word used for "saints" can also be translated "holy ones," "separated ones," or "angels"

a. used of angels

(i) Deuteronomy 33:3

(ii) Job 15:15

(iii) Psalm 89:5-7

b. used of people (saints)

(i) Psalm 16:3; 34:9; 106:16

(ii) Daniel 8:24

2. the saved and the angels will both be there at the 2nd

coming (the Day of the Lord)

a. the "Bride" will be united with Christ in glory (Revelation 19:7-9) before He returns to earth in

triumph (Revelation 19:11-16) and will form part of the "armies of heaven" (Revelation 19:14)

3. "…at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints (or holy ones)": 1 Thessalonians 3:13

4. "Behold, the Lord comes with a myriad of His saints": Jude 1:14

5. "…when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him…": Matthew 25:31

III. The Reign of the Messiah: Zechariah 14:6-21

A. major cosmic and global changes take place: Zechariah 14:6-11

1. there will be major topological and geological changes, probably throughout the entire earth

2. creation will be redeemed from the "bondage of corruption": Romans 8:18-22

a. the basic laws of nature will be changed

(i) law of entropy (decay) suspended?

b. many things will probably have to change to heal the damage and contamination of the earth

3. light will be existing everywhere (as in Genesis 1:3-4) instead of just from the light-bearers

(Genesis 1:14-18): Zechariah 14:6-7

a. "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.

The Lamb is its light.": Revelation 21:23

b. "There shall be no night there: they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives

them light.": Revelation 22:5

c. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have

the light of life.": John 8:12


d. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all": 1 John 1:5

e. John 1:4, 9

f. Isaiah 13:10; 24:23; 60:19-20

g. Joel 3:15

h. Matthew 24:29 = Mark 13:24-25

4. "living waters shall flow from Jerusalem": Zechariah 14:8

a. "eastern sea" = the Dead Sea

b. "western sea" = the Mediterranean Sea

c. obviously very literal

d. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of

God and of the Lamb.": Revelation 22:1

e. "in that day… a fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord": Joel 3:18

f. Ezekiel 47:1-12

g. could also refer to Jerusalem as being the spiritual center of worship and blessings

(i) Jerusalem shall be the respected center of God: Zechariah 8:20-23

(ii) seen before in Zechariah 2:12-13; 8:1-3, 20-23 (see notes)

(iii) "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting

place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.'": Psalm 132:13-14

(iv) "Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy

Mountain": Zechariah 8:3

5. "the Lord shall be king over all the earth": Zechariah 14:9

a. only He will be worshipped; there will be only one religion

(i) presently, Satan rules the world: John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2

- Jesus did not refute Satan's claim to it: Matthew 4:8-10

(ii) Satan will be bound for the 1000 years of Jesus' earthly Millennial rule: Revelation 20:2-3

(iii) Satan will eventually be thrown into the Lake of Fire: Matthew 25:42; Revelation 20:10

b. Jesus will rule with a "rod of iron": Psalm 2:9; Revelation 12:5; 19:15

c. "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'That I will raise to David a Branch of

righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the

earth.'": Jeremiah 23:5

d. Isaiah 54:5

e. Daniel 2:44

f. "there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the

kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'": Revelation 11:15

g. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!": Deuteronomy 6:4

6. major geological changes -- the "Arabah": Zechariah 14:10

a. "plain" = "Arabah"

b. present day Arabah is the region south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba

c. the ancient region of the Arabah is also known as the "Great Rift," "rift valley," or "Jordan Valley"

(i) generally speaks of the area north of the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba and northern

Africa

(ii) a geological fault from Mount Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba

(iii) Deuteronomy 1:7; 3:17

(iv) Joshua 11:2

d. this entire area will be transformed from a very deep depression into a raised fertile plain, with

"Jerusalem lifted up" (sticking out above it)

(i) Isaiah 2:2

(ii) Micah 4:1

(iii) may be referred to in Psalm 48:1-3

7. "The people shall dwell in it": Zechariah 14:11

a. Ezekiel 36:24, 28; 37:14, 21, 25

b. "'I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given

them,' says the Lord your God.": Amos 9:15

c. see notes on Zechariah 10:9


8. "no longer shall there be utter destruction": Zechariah 14:11

a. may refer to things which should have been utterly destroyed, things appointed to utter destruction

b. may be translated, "there will no longer be a curse" (NASB)

(i) refers to the curse of Genesis 3?

(ii) changes in the laws of nature?

c. alternate translation is "a shutting in" such as a net

(i) referring to being surrounded by their enemies?

9. "Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited": Zechariah 14:11

a. for the first time in history

b. Isaiah 2:2-4

c. Jeremiah 23:6

d. Micah 4:1-5

e. Hosea 2:18

f. Zechariah 3:10

B. a summary of what happened to those who had come against Israel: Zechariah 14:12-15

1. "their flesh shall decay": Zechariah 14:12, 15

a. they rot instantly, not slowly as in Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:21-22

b. sounds like the affects of a neutron bomb

(i) a small thermonuclear weapon that produces minimal blast and heat, but which releases

massive amounts of neutron and gamma radiation that can penetrate armor or several feet of

earth, and is extremely destructive to living tissue

(ii) see Addendum #2 for web sites about the neutron bomb

c. it affected the animals, too: Zechariah 14:15

(i) is this a hint that it was an act of man, such as a neutron bomb?

2. "a great panic from the Lord will be among them": Zechariah 14:13

a. they will be coming against Jerusalem, but also fighting among themselves

b. "drunkenness… confusion": Zechariah 12:2, 4

c. Exodus 14:24-25

d. Judges 4:15; 5:20-22; 7:22

e. 1 Samuel 7:10; 14:15-20

f. 2 Chronicles 20:22-23

3. Israel will plunder her enemies: Zechariah 14:14

a. very tangible; not figurative

C. Feast of Tabernacles: Zechariah 14:16-19

1. information is given in Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29:12-38; Deuteronomy 16:13-15

2. one of the 3 mandatory feasts: Exodus 23:14-17; 34:22-23; Deuteronomy 16:16

a. of the 7 feasts of Moses, 3 had mandatory attendance in Jerusalem by every able-bodied male Jew

(i) Feast of Tabernacles (booths), Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)

3. punishment for lack of obedience: Zechariah 14:17-19

a. no rain: Zechariah 14:17

(i) Deuteronomy 11:17; 28:24

(ii) 1 Kings 8:35; 17:1

(iii) 2 Chronicles 6:26; 7:13

(iv) Isaiah 5:6

(v) Jeremiah 14:22

(vi) Amos 4:7

(vii) James 5:17

(viii) Revelation 11:6

b. Egypt's special punishment: Zechariah 14:18

(i) perhaps as a result of their reliance on the flooding of the Nile for their crops instead of rain

(ii) God will punish who He will punish; none can escape!


c. there will be feigned worship and obedience in the Millennium

(i) just as today, not all churchgoers are Christians

(ii) not all Christians are obedient and following Him

(iii) "Through the greatness of Your power, Your enemies pretend obedience to You.":

Psalm 66:3 (MKJV)

(iv) after the 1000 year reign Satan will find followers: Revelation 20:7-9

D. all things will be sanctified: Zechariah 14:20-21

1. there will be no separation between secular and sanctified because holiness prevails

2. "And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy --

everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.": Isaiah 4:3

3. "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day": Zechariah 3:9

4. "In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.": Zechariah 14:21

a. "Canaanite" could refer to unclean, unsanctified people

(i) it's like saying, "all will be holy"

(ii) "Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.": Joel 3:17

(iii) might refer to what we today would call an Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian?

b. "Canaanite" has also been used to refer to dishonest, oppressive merchants: Hosea 12:7

(i) "The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor

and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.": Ezekiel 22:29

(ii) Amos 8:5-6

This is the fulfillment of "the times of restoration of all things" (Acts 3:20-21), the concept of the Jubilee Year: all

debts paid off, slaves go free, and the land returns back to its original owners.

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus was asked by His disciples whether He was going to set up the Kingdom at

that time (Acts 1:6-7). His answer regarded the timing, not whether the Kingdom was going to be established; His

answer had to do with "when" and not "if." In addition, Jesus' answer was saying that He had work for them to do

first (Acts 1:8).

Although the Jews had already rejected their Messiah, Jesus did not deny, contradict, or dismiss the unconditional

promises that were given to Israel and their right to the land, nor did He give any indication that those promises were

transferred to the Church.

Israel was not permanently rejected; her promises were not transferred to the Church. Israel is in the land today

because God put them there just as He promised ("I will bring them back": Zechariah 8:7-8; 10:6-12;

Isaiah 11:11-12). To deny this is anti-Semitic heresy; they're calling God a liar and poking their finger in the "eye of

God" (Zechariah 2:8). God does not break His promises; He does not change His mind. Romans 11:29 says just

that relative to the promises He made to the nation of Israel.

"For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his

people.": 1 Samuel 12:22

Further reading: Ezekiel 36-37. Notice the following key phrases:

"I will" "My people" "My land" "His land" "in your own land"

This is not an issue that can have a number of different viewpoints. We cannot arbitrarily speak for God. We are

obligated to take Him at His word: He says what he means, and means what He says. It is very important to take

the Word of God literally.

Speaking of the Word of God, it's…

"…precept upon precept… line upon line… here a little, there a little" (Isaiah 28:10, 13)

We must be diligent to consider "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27)

"c-2-c" = "cover-to-cover"


Addendum #1: Differences Between the "Blessed Hope" (or the "Rapture") and the "Day of the Lord"

(adapted from Cosmic Codes by Chuck Missler and Here's the Difference by William MacDonald)

"Rapture" "Day of the Lord"

Translation of all believers No translation at all

Affects Church believers only Affects all men on the earth

Involves the Church (John 14:1-4;

1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Involves Israel and the Gentile nations

(Matthew 24:1-25:46)

Translated saints go to heaven Translated saints return to the earth

Christ comes for His own, for His bride Christ comes with His own, with His bride

Christ comes for His saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Christ comes with His saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13;

Jude 1:14)

He comes in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) He comes to the earth (Zechariah 14:4)

Only His own see Him Every eye shall see Him

Invisible by the world; takes place in an instant, in a

"twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Visible world-wide (Matthew 24:27; Revelation 1:7)

Earth not judged Earth judged; righteousness established

Time of blessing and comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18) Time of judgment (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Christ comes as the "bright and morning star"

(Revelation 22:16)

Christ comes as the "Sun of Righteousness with

healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2)

A final tribulation period begins Millennial Kingdom begins

Before the day of wrath Concludes the day of wrath

Imminent, at any moment; no signs Follows definite predicted signs, including the

Tribulation period

Not clearly found in the Old Testament Clearly and often predicted in the Old Testament

A mystery; a truth unknown in Old Testament times

(1 Corinthians 15:51)

Numerous well-known prophecies (Psalm 72;

Isaiah 11; Zechariah 14)

No reference to Satan Satan bound

Addendum #2: Information about the neutron bomb

• The Neutron Bomb, by Carah Ong, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Director of Research and Publications:

http://www.nuclearfiles.org/reatomicbasics/020109neutronbomb.htm

• what is a neutron bomb: http://www.manuelsweb.com/neutronbomb.htm

• interview with neutron bomb inventor Sam Cohen: http://www.manuelsweb.com/sam_cohen.htm

• lance missile a.k.a. the neutron bomb: http://www.manuelsweb.com/lancemissile.htm

• the lance missile's lineage: http://www.manuelsweb.com/lance_lineage.htm

• lance missile presentation: http://www.manuelsweb.com/lance_missile_files/frame.htm

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