Studies in Zechariah 01 Zechariah 1: — John W. Bramhall

The Glory of Christ in Zechariah

Shall we turn in the word of God to the prophecy of Zechariah. By the will and the grace and the help of the Lord we desire upon this visit to touch upon the great prophecy written by God's servant Zechariah.

There are two great reasons that we should meditate upon this wonderful book that is so timely in the days in which we live. First of all for a believer within the confines of this great book we have the presentation of the one we have worshipped this morning and remembered in his death.

And we find the glory of the Lord Jesus revealed in this same book of Zechariah. We shall find something in relation to his coming to the earth at his first advent. We shall also find much that tells us of his sufferings.

And we shall also find in his great climax that which reveals his coming glory. We join in the knowledge someday he will be glorified both in heaven as well as upon the earth. And then also the second reason for the study of the book, it is so timely in our present days because we are nearing what is described in this book as being the great day of the Lord.

That great day of the Lord is the time when our Lord Jesus will begin the strange works of judgment in relation not only to Israel but also in relation to the nations of the earth. You will find the book of Zechariah deals with God's earthly people in particular.

And particularly does it emphasize the city of Jerusalem again and again. And it also deals not only with the earthly people of God but it deals also with the nations that surround them. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 21, behold the fig tree and all the nations and all the trees.

For we are living in the day when we see the rise, the unprecedented rise of the nation of Israel. They may have gone back into that land and country in unbelief but they are there on the divine purposes of God, nearing the day of that great trial when he will refine a godly remnant and bring them through the fiery trial of the great tribulation to be the nucleus of the glorious kingdom that lies ahead.

And in relation to those days our Lord Jesus will deal with the nations and then bring in confirmation the glory of his blessed kingdom. We go to chapter one immediately and may I read the first six verses first of all.

The Structure of Zechariah's Prophecy

For this is the first division of the book of Zechariah. You have four divisions in the book of Zechariah, I name them briefly. The first six verses are an introduction where we have a call to national repentance.

Beginning in chapter one and verse seven and going down through to the end of chapter six, we have a series of eight visions given specifically to the prophet Zechariah in one night. They touch upon the days in which Zechariah lived but they also touch upon the consummation of the coming again of our Lord Jesus in power and glory and the exaltation of the nation of Israel.

The third division you will find in chapters seven and eight. And those two chapters relate particularly and only to a question that was raised by a deputation of Jews coming from Babylon undoubtedly in respect of the keeping of a self-imposed past.

And the prophet answers their questions and brings before them some truth regarding the coming glory and the coming blessing that Jehovah would bring upon his people. The last great section of Zechariah is chapters nine through fourteen, divided into two great burdens, chapters nine, ten, and eleven, and then the second burden twelve through fourteen.

Those last sections of Zechariah deal particularly with the closing days when our Lord will deal with his earthly people and will deal with the nations around them and consummate his coming in glory and power to be the king over all the earth.

Zechariah's Call to National Repentance

Let us read the first six verses where we have the first division of this prophecy in relation to a call for national repentance. In the eighth month in the second year of the Zechariah came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Ido, the prophet, saying, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets of Christ saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings.

But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words in my statutes, which I commanded my prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers?

And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. Division number one is the call to repentance as God speaks through the prophet Zechariah.

The name of Zechariah is very important to realize in its meaning. It means Jehovah remembers. And as we read this great book, we shall certainly recognize that God has not, and he never will, forget his earthly people.

And he has remembered them. But that nation of people which he remembers, and which he will yet restore in its nucleus for his glory, must come to him in repentance. And in the days of Zechariah, God declares in the opening of our chapter, verse two particularly, that he was greatly displeased against Israel.

The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. And in the original language of the text, there is suggested a great expression of vehement displeasure, almost to the extent of aborming his beloved people.

Now may I, for brevity's sake, just give a scripture reference, if you will follow it through at your own convenience. Read at your convenience the second book of Chronicles, chapter thirty-six, and verses fourteen through sixteen.

You will have in those verses, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen of second Chronicles thirty-six, one of the most solemn accusations that God ever wrote against his people Israel. And you will recognize the reason for his great displeasure.

And thus Zechariah faithfully declares the displeasure of Jehovah against his people Israel. But note verse three, there is an offer of restoration, and that offer is on the ground of repentance. For repentance is always God's condition for blessing.

For the prophet goes on to say, Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of Jehovah of hosts. And the prophet came, and all the prophets came, in times of repentance, calling upon the people to repent.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Malachi, all the prophets, they came to a people who had declined in their path of spirituality away from Jehovah, they came with a message of repentance.

But will you note these words as you have them at the end of verse four? Let me just go to verse four at the end. But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. And one can recognize the continuation of this ministry of repentance.

When John the Baptist came preaching, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. When Jesus our Lord came preaching, repent, for oh may we say, the offer of restoration and blessing is always conditioned upon repentance.

Look in verse four and five together. And God warns the people through the past experiences that are thus referred to. For the past history of Israel has its moral as well as its spiritual lessons. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets of Christ say ye?

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings. But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

And those warnings of the past? They come as a present application for the spiritual condition of Israel at that time. Oh beloved, how you and I can realize this spirit of repentance, this call of repentance, this warning of repentance.

God's Unchanging Word and Governmental Dealings

Oh beloved, that you and I even today might realize the condition of God's blessing for his people and for all, his repentance as the ground of it. But note verse six. And verse six emphasizes, regardless as to the past history, regardless as to the attitude that the people of Israel had shown and manifested, God's word is unchanging.

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants, the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? Oh God's inflexible governmental dealings will never change. He acts in accordance with our deeds.

He acts in accordance with his character and his principles. They are immutable. One of the greatest rabbinical teachers was a man by the name he was called, Kinship, and he was revered and still revered as one of the most highest of rabbinical teachers of the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures.

And though he was not pro-Christian, of course, yet he mentions the return in true repentance is required. As God says about your fathers, where are they? They've gone. And perhaps ironically, he suggests, the people say, well what about the prophets?

Have not they also gone? Where are they? But beloved, listen. There is a divine principle to distinguish carefully between the people, between the failures of the people, and between the failures, if possible, of even the prophets, and the immutable and the unchanging word of God.

The eternal character of the word of God remains ever the same, no matter the character of even the messengers. His message, his word, is unchangeable. And God carries out his threatening as well as his promises.

Now note the end of verse 6. Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. Now let me briefly summarize this call to repentance as we have it in these six verses.

Five Principles in the Call to Repentance

For there are five great principles that the prophet by the Spirit declares. First, in verse 3, the condition of all God's blessings, repentance. The change of heart and the change of ways as they thus seek the Lord in the confession of repentance.

Second, in verse 4, we have the principle of this fact, the evil and the peril of disobedience. You cannot turn away from God in disobedience without being under the peril of his divine chastening and of his divine governmental discipline.

The principle remains the same, and even for a child of God today, obedience is the key to blessing. Disobedience is the key to chastening and governmental discipline. But in the opening of verse 6, we have the unchangeable principle of God's word in its unchangeable character.

My words and my statutes, they never change. And oh beloved, may I take to my heart and may you take to your heart the truth. God's word never changes, no matter how the people change. How we need that in a changing time like this, do we not?

What a responsibility as believers to carry out the unchanging word of God. I am the Lord, I change not, said the prophet Malachi. And oh the joy of realizing, though conditions be as they may, we have the unchanging principle of the word of God to follow.

And then note at the middle of verse 6, and even at the end of verse 6, we have God's governmental dealings with his people in accordance with their deeds. Like as the Lord above sought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

And God doesn't change in his principles. But oh may I point out. Fifth, we have in the context of this section, God's immutable purposes. Jehovah is determined. Look at the middle of verse, of the middle of the verse, beginning with that expression.

Like as the Lord of hosts sought to do unto us. Now just take those out of the context for a moment and realize that Jehovah is determined to carry out his ways and his immutable purposes in relation to his people.

And that will be one of the great joys of seeing in the prophecy of Zechariah. And though they have failed, yet God's immutable purpose is thoughts toward them, of thoughts of peace and not of evil, to bring them to a determined end.

Hallelujah for an unchanging God. I change, he changes not. My beloved, is there anyone here today who is a believer in the Lord Jesus, needs to be brought back in restoration to that blessed Savior you've confessed and whom you know.

May I say, the call to repentance, how you find it in the Revelation chapters two and three, repent, repent, repent, repent, as the Lord spoke to the churches. My beloved believer, God's thoughts for you and for me are thoughts of love and peace and blessing.

May you and I be in relationship to him in a condition of obedience to receive him. And if you are not saved, oh that repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ may be yours. Let us read from verse fifteen, seven rather.

Zechariah's First Vision: The Horses Among the Myrtle Trees

Let's begin reading from verse seven and let's read through verse thirteen. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month, see that, in the second year of Darius came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Ido, the prophet, saying, I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom, or in the valley, and behind him there were red horses speckled and white.

Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still and is at rest. Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words, and comfortable words. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion with a great jealousy, and I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease.

For I was but a little displeased, but they helped forward the affliction. Therefore, thus saith the Lord, I return to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Now this is the first vision that was given to Zechariah on that one night, the vision of horses.

And in the opening of the vision there is a man standing, seated upon a horse without doubt, there in the midst of the myrtle trees. And the man who is thus seen by the prophet in the myrtle tree, who is he?

As thus we see him there in Versailles. I saw by night, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood upon the myrtle trees that were in the valley. Beloved, verse eleven gives you the answer to this question, who the man was, and who he is.

For we have in verse twelve the answer,. Then the angel of the Lord, this is the one whom we shall see, gives answer to the others who come before him with their message. And the angel of Jehovah answered,.

The one who's standing there, in verse eleven, is the angel of Jehovah standing upon the myrtle trees. Beloved, this blessed one is none other than the one in the Old Testament who is the angel of Jehovah.

Jehovah is his name. There's a very great difficulty to disassociate from the divine personality of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. For even in the rabbinical writings, the rabbis are persuaded that the name Jehovah is a name that is given to one who possesses deity, though they may not agree that it's the Christ of God.

Yet in their rabbinical writings, they are persuaded the name of the angel of Jehovah is the possession of a name that belongs to deity, very God. And how you and I have rejoiced again and again in contemporary scriptures of the Old Testament to recognize who the angel of Jehovah is, our blessed Lord himself.

And one can see his relationship as symbolized by the myrtle trees, as he does upon the red horse in the low valley. A valley of depression in relation to Israel. A valley in that day of Zechariah, when they were very low as a nation, but there was the presence, and there was the one who was their Jehovah concerned regarding their condition.

And thank God for him, how faithful. Sometimes I read Jeremiah 30 verse 10 and 11, Jeremiah 31 verse 35 and 36, and you will find that this blessed Jehovah of the Old Testament will never forsake his earthly people.

And how precious to realize his concern even in the days of Zechariah, as Zechariah is given the vision. But then, as you have in verse 8, behind him, there were red horses, speckled, white, all of them having riders without doubt.

And the angel of the prophet asked, What are they? Who are they? And the angel answered, that is speaking to him, and says these, in verse 10, these are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

And we have the report of these angels in verse 11. They give a report to the angel of Jehovah, that stands among the myrtle trees, saying, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

Oh, may I give the suggestion. Here we have those who for Jehovah, thus investigate the conditions of the earth, and report to him after the situation. And in the days of Zechariah, nominally speaking, the earth was at rest.

There was no wars being waged to any extent. And the Babylonian kingdom had disappeared. The Medo-Persian kingdom was inexistent. And there was no uprising among the nations at that particular time. And to the angel of Jehovah, in the vision of Zechariah, the angels who have been investigating to and fro upon the earth, representing Jehovah, they report that everything is at the present time, the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

The Lord's Jealousy for Jerusalem

But now I want you to note, as you begin in verse 12, and read on as we did through verse 17, you have the expression of the longing of the heart of the angel of Jehovah. For it is the longing heart of Jehovah, the Lord of hosts.

Then the angel of the Lord, the angel of Jehovah, answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

Beloved, may I suggest these words, how long they come from the heart of Jehovah himself. The longing of his heart for his people is real. The longing of his heart for the city of Jerusalem. The longing that they would be delivered, even as they had just been brought through the seventy years of Babylonian captivity.

How long, how long, how long? When you read in the book of Revelation chapter six, you read of those who have been, will be martyred, and beneath the altar their souls cry out, How long, O Lord, holy and true?

As they cry for vengeance upon those who have shed the blood of his people. And my beloved, may I say with all earnestness, there's never a heart as great as the heart of Jehovah himself in longing for the restoration of his people.

How long, how long? And yet he gives the answer. The Lord answered the angel that talked with me. He gave him good words, words of consolation, words of encouragement, and as they communed, the angel of Jehovah said, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

My beloved, I wish that the nations around knew the jealousy of Jehovah for his people and for Israel and for Jerusalem. Read on. In verse fifteen, I'm very sore displeased at the nations that are at ease.

I was but a little displeased with my people, but they furthered the affliction. And beloved, do we not confess that the nations that have been instrumental to bring retribution and divine retribution and chastening upon Israel, those very nations have exceeded what God desired to be accomplished.

And they furthered and forwarded the affliction. But now note, Jehovah says, I'm determined, therefore doth sayeth the Lord, I'm returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Cry yet, saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts, my city through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. My beloved, this prophecy goes further than the days of Zechariah.

This prophecy goes to the extent and the ultimate, ultimate extent, when the Lord will return to Jerusalem and build his house. My house shall be built in it. And in that day, a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem, and the continuation of this prophecy will be found as we get into chapter two, God willing, tonight, as Jerusalem shall be blessed in a coming day of glory.

And the first vision that Zechariah is given, is to see the angel of Jehovah upon the red horse. Very typical, the color red, as we recognize that he must come forth to conquer. And there will be much bloodshedding, when in the day of his return, in glory and power, he punishes the nations of the earth, as well as purifies the nation of Israel.

But he has purpose to build his house, and to glorify that nation of Israel, and to restore Jerusalem, and thus bring it where its blessings shall be extended throughout all the land of the cities, to comfort Zion.

The Second Vision: Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

But now let's look at the second vision before closing, beginning at verse eighteen, and reading through verse twenty-one. Vision two, is a vision of the horns, the four horns, and the craftsmen, or carpenters.

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns, or the powers, for the horn is always symbolical in the meaning of the Hebrew word, power.

These are the powers which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And the Lord showed me four carpenters, or craftsmen. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns, or the powers, which have scattered Judah.

So then no man did lift up his head, but these craftsmen, these carpenters, are come to fray, or to destroy them, and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn, or their power, over the land of Judah to scattering.

The horns, again we say, symbolic of power and strength. You have it referred to in Amos 6 .13. You find the psalmist referring the same word, the horns, to power, in Psalm 75 verses 4 and 5, as well as in Psalm 92 and verse 10.

And these horns represent the ruling powers of the world. May I just give you one link, which I trust you can follow through yourself. The great vision that Nebuchadnezzar was given in Daniel chapter 2, where the four great Gentile world powers are revealed.

The Babylonian world power, the Medo-Persian world power, the Grecian kingdom, and ultimately the Roman kingdom. These we know from Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, as well as other contemporary scriptures.

They represent the four outstanding Gentile world powers, down to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, even the rabbinical writer, Kinshey, said, these are four great monarchies, and their purpose was to tread down Jerusalem.

And it began with Nebuchadnezzar. It continued on, and it will yet continue on to the end. But then, there were four carpenters, one after the other, arriving to destroy the powers, and the subsequent powers that destroyed the preceding monarchies.

The Babylonian power was destroyed by the Medo-Persian. The Medo-Persian power was destroyed by the Grecian. The Grecian power was destroyed by the Romans. And the last great power, the revived Roman Empire, will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.

When in all of its final and terrible form, the revived Roman Empire will be upon the earth, and our Lord Jesus will destroy it in its final stage. And Kinshey, the Hebrew expositor says, even in his Hebrew interpretation of Zechariah, each kingdom shall be as a carpenter, to cut up the kingdom that preceded it.

And you have the same truth in Daniel 2. You have the same truth in Daniel chapter 7. You know, may I say, one of the most mysterious things to me as a believer in the Lord Jesus, is how, among some of the godly people of this present time, there are those who will not follow the teaching that there will be an ultimate restoration of Israel when the Lord Jesus Christ comes and cuts off the Gentile world power.

The Restoration of Israel and the Times of the Gentiles

Beloved, you and I are living on the threshold when the nations of the earth are coming to their final scene of judgment. And when the Lord Jesus will bring, as promised in this chapter, the restoration of Israel and the remnant of his earthly people into the time of their elevation and exaltation with Christ in glory.

For God has never yet taken his heart and his eyes away from the city of Jerusalem and from Zion. And vision 2 declares that he will yet bring to fruition, though in the days of Zechariah. And may I emphasize, when you read, Daniel, when you read these prophets that succeeded after the Babylonian captivity, as well as during the captivity, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and their contemporaries, those prophets recognize that away from Israel, God had taken the government of the earth.

And he had entrusted it in its world power in the hands of the Gentiles. And until the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, the Gentiles dominate in governmental capacity and power over the earth.

But ultimately, the destruction of its Gentile power is consummated, and the last consummation will be when in the revived form of the Roman Empire, our Lord Jesus will come from heaven. And the last great national or international gathering of nations against God's earthly people for their destruction, gathered around Jerusalem, which we shall see.

And what these prophecies all lead to, whatever vision you look at, what these prophecies all lead to, is the consummation that God will yet, in his determined purpose, bring his people as a remnant to himself, and set upon the throne of the earthly kingdom his own king.

Yet, as I said, my king, upon my holy hill of Zion, is the decree of the Lord. May the Lord help to illuminate our hearts and our minds, but beloved Lord, prophecy is not mere information. Prophecy has a moral value and a spiritual value for you and for me.

It shines as a light upon the darkness of this present scene, and the moral and the spiritual darkness of this present scene is so great that you and I can only realize and should deeply realize it. There's only one answer to all the problems the world faces, and whether it be the church, whether it be Israel, whether it be the nations, the answer to all the problems is the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All that you and I may say, Lord Jesus, come, and come soon, shall we pray. Blessed Father, we bow in thy presence. We thank thee that thou art the writer of future history, writing it just as clear and lucid as if it were past history.

And we've been able to breathe in this morning some of the prophecies that thou hast given to thy servant Zechariah, all touching upon the conditions of his day, but ultimately pointing to the final condition of glory when our Lord Jesus comes.

May every true believer say in his and her heart, even so come Lord Jesus. And then if there be one who knows not thee, Lord Jesus, may the Holy Spirit convict them in repentance and faith to come to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved for his name's sake.

Amen.