I. THE WORLD OF ZECHARIAH.

A.  Providence.

 Providence is mind-boggling.  We stand in awe of the God who can anticipate, evaluate, and manipulate events and individuals.  Before Paul chose to serve, he was known as a chosen vessel (Acts 9:15).  Jeremiah was known in the womb.  He even used plans at cross-purposes for His great "Cross Purpose" (Acts 2:23).  What makes the knowledge of providence even more amazing is that God has the ability to control events even without the working of miracles.

 It is important that one understand God's control over events in Old Testament world history, first evidenced in Israel's previous prosperity.  Into a hostile world of dramatic political intrigue and bloodthirsty imperialism, God brought forth a nation.  On this stage many Palestinian players seem insignificant, except to the Divine history.  Some passed into the mists of time, while others an impossible distance away decimated God's people, but all these events were according to purpose and plan.  

 To the secular observer, the ascendance of Israel under Solomon and then under Jeroboam II will seem an aberration; a lull between world powers which allowed Israel to swell beyond her real capabilities.  In fact, in the one case, they were reaping the fruits of righteousness, and in the other, being set up for a fall.  For whatever reason, for one brief moment in history the greatest power in the world was this tiny nation of ex-slaves in Palestine.

B. Desperation.1 

 If we are to grasp the tenor of Zechariah's message, we must know the desperation of Judah as he did.  Zechariah looks to the future, if for no other reason than there was nothing for him and his people in the immediate past.  Beloved Judah had walked with God from the gates of Hades by the Nile.  But in walking with Yahweh, she began to walk proudly, and then to stray.  She only learned to kneel trembling before the Creator when she was driven from her feet by the merciless onslaught of nations who ravished her.  When all earthly hope was gone, when Judah had been raped, robbed and removed, only then did she stretch a trembling hand toward the finger of God.  As He lifted her to her feet, she discovered He had been waiting to bless her in spite of all her unfaithfulness.  In adversity, Judah learned, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not" (Lamentations 3:22).
 To understand the situation facing this prophet, one must realize the Judah's gargantuan loss of those things which identified the people of God.  Some of these were not appreciated while others were precious even to the rebellious.  We may grasp the enormous tragedy of the conquest by an inventory of the loss. 

 We pick up the story of conquest with the reign of Josiah, whose reign is significant to Zechariah for two reasons.  First, his reign illustrates the attitude which brought about Judah's fall.  Josiah, like his great-grandfather Hezekiah, was a reformer.  Unfortunately, the people served Yahweh because the king commanded, not because it was right.  It is more than speculation to conclude that Israel's punishment was by then inevitable, for even after Josiah's death we read of the sins of his father Manasseh.

Surely at the commandment of the Lord {this} came upon Judah, to remove {them} from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon (II Kings 24:3,4).

 Josiah's death is also significant to the student of Zechariah.   Pharaoh Necho allied himself with Assyria in a desperate attempt to defeat Babylon, an effort doomed to failure with Assyrian glory at Carchamesh.  Josiah foolishly met the Egyptians at Megiddo, losing his life in the process (II Chronicles 35:20-24). Unfortunately reform proved too shallow and too late to avoid punishment, and the death of Josiah should be viewed as an act of mercy.  Josiah would be spared seeing the humiliation of his people and the superficiality of his reforms.  But the sight of his ill advised battle at Megiddo (Armageddon) would forever be known as the place of crushing defeat and death, a place which figures prominently in Biblical Apocalyptic literature.

In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo (Zechariah 12:11).

 There is no one point that captivity began, as it was not an event so much as a process.  By the time of Zedekiah, the land had already ceased to exist as a distinct nation with any kind of real self-determination, but the climactic terror was still to come in 586.  Even after the Jerusalem government was so devastated it had to move to Mizpah, there was evidently yet another deportation in 582 (Jeremiah 52:30).

 We usually identify 586 B.C.'s destruction of Jerusalem as being distinctive from the other deportations of Nebuchadnezzar.  It differed from the others in that rather than a plundering of objects and a scalpel-like deportation, there was deliberate destruction for their rebellion.  Judah's connection with Babylon, however, continues to be recorded into her exile by contemporary prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel.

            C.  Restoration. 

 If the ascendance of a nation with a history like that of Israel is unlikely, Judah's revival after conquest was absurd.  But Yahweh is the God of mercy, and never intended the exile to be permanent dispersement like that of Assyria. Poetically speaking, God intended the land rest and be cleansed from the evils polluting it; as though evil were an infection.

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 (II Chronicles 36:21).

 Though some managed to prosper, even serving in the government of their captors, it was a tragedy of epic proportions.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?  If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget {her skill}! If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth - If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy (Psalm 137:4-6).
 
 With the coming of the Babylonians, came financial ruin, widespread slaughter, the loss of freedom, and the destruction of the Temple, the dwelling place of God.  In the face of such an unmerciful onslaught, many would pray to a God who wasn't listening any longer.  Who could speak intelligently of hope?

 But hope was incredibly still in the picture, because the God of heaven still rules in the kingdoms of men.  God had already identified Cyrus as the king who would signal a return to Judah, and He accomplished it by emasculating Babylon from within.  After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the throne was held in quick succession by several kings, including his son, Evil-Marduk, an in-law, Nergal-Sharezar, the latter's son Labashi-Marduk, and a noble named Nabonidus.  These reigns totaled a collective 21 years in length, a sign of dangerous instability in any kingdom.

 During this time, the Persian king Cyrus revolted against his masters, the Medes.  He initially received Babylonian support, but soon, was a greater threat than the Medes ever were.  The Babylonian public resented their king's having moved his palace from the city proper and having failed to honor religious days.  Events were being shaped to allow Judah to return home.  

 According to the records of both sides, Cyrus took Babylon without a fight. The Babylonian Gobryas defected and defeated his former army at Opis on the Tigris.  The gates of Babylon were then opened to Gobryas from the inside, and Cyrus soon entered Babylon to a hero's welcome.  The end of Babylon came without a whimper.  

 Cyrus proved to be an able and benevolent king who immediately ordered returning to Judah for rebuilding (Ezra 1:2-4).  Since Cyrus encouraged loyalty and allowed local traditions, other nations also enjoyed these privileges, but the Jews came to his attention immediately.  The hope of Judah predicted some two hundred years previously has now come to fruition (Isaiah 44:28).  

 With the return to Judah, a grand chapter has commenced in the story of the fallen of the land.  As reconstruction began, the families of Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel set the altar on its base, and began to use it as Moses had commanded (Ezra 3:2).  On the second month of the second year, the Temple was dedicated.

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.  And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: "For {He is} good, For His mercy {endures} forever toward Israel." Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' {houses}, {who were} old men, who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes; yet many shouted aloud for joy, So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off (Ezra 3:10-13).   

 Following the promising dedication of the Temple, the work stagnated for two reasons recorded in Scripture.  First, there was constant opposition from enemies of God, and even by some with no ill will, but ignorant of the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 5:3-17).    

 The other reason was probably more devastating than opposition of enemies or the bureaucracy of officials.  The project was failing because people had lost interest in God's house while they built their own dwellings.  To remedy this situation, God raised both Haggai and Zechariah to prophesy concerning this very problem.

Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who {were} in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, {who was} over them (Ezra 5:1).

            D.  The Near Future. 

 The text of Zechariah is concerned with more than the failings of the past, or the distant promise of the coming Messiah.  At that very moment storms were gathering which would send lightning bolts into Judah.  These would challenge the identity and survival of God's people as again she must endure the ferocity of a world power.  Those who would follow God must endure. 

 This grand Persian Empire, so benevolent to the cause of Judah would soon pass into history at the hands of Alexander.  Though Xerxes gained a footing on Greek mainland at Thermopylae in 480, his harsh treatment of the Greeks at Athens would motivate them for centuries.  In ferocious outrage over the burning of the Acropolis, the Greeks rallied to defeat Persia at Salamis in the same year, and eventually replaced them as the dominant world power.

 During and immediately following the reign of Alexander, little changed in Palestine, though Hellenization was more widely accepted.  But Judah soon became a pawn in a deadly game of internal power struggles played by corrupt rulers. Seleucus IV conspired with High Priest Onais III to loot funds from the temple, an ominous precursor of the future.  After twelve years, Seleucus IV was assassinated by his brother, Antiochus IV (I Maccabees 1:11).  

 Beset on every side, Antiochus attempts resolution of his problems by uniting his charges culturally, and by creative financing of tribute.  He called himself Epiphanes which means "God Manifest,"  but enemies make a word play on this self-proclaimed title--"Epimanes" or the "madman."

 The office of High Priest begins a downward spiral into politics.  Menelaus bought the office outright, stole temple objects to raise bribe money, and killed Onais, the rightful High Priest.  Upon hearing that Antiochus IV had died in battle, disgruntled High Priest candidate Jason marches into Jerusalem with 1000 men. Since Menelaus has no claim on High Priesthood, many would have followed Jason, but he foolishly engages in a bloodbath.  Hearing of the rebellion, Epiphanes returns to loot the temple and commit other atrocities (I Maccabees 1:22-25).  

 Antiochus dispatched mercenaries to Jerusalem to restore order.  These loot the city, kill, destroy the walls, and establish a garrison called the Acra, all under the guise of entering the city in peace (I Maccabees 1:31-35).  The Acra proved to be the final straw for Jewish loyalists.  Built in the old "city of David," and including the temple site, it was central to Greeks and Jews who worshiped the Greek Pantheon. Eventually, renegade Jews intended to make the temple a place of combined Zeus and Jehovah worship.  

 Antiochus IV fulfilled his desire to unite the people under one law (I Maccabees 1:43).  He legislated directly against Jewish law by forbidding all types of sacrifice, observation of circumcision and of the Sabbath.  He decreed pagan worship, violation of dietary laws, including eating the flesh of swine (I Maccabees 1:47-52),  laws punishable by death (I Maccabees 1:52).  Antiochus destroyed all the known copies of the law, and made it a capital offence to own or obey God's law (I Maccabees 1: 59,60).  Antiochus founded the idol of Zeus upon God's altar (I Maccabees 1:57), finally offering a pig there.  This must have been some of the crises alluded to by Zechariah.

            E.  A Prophet of Hope. 
 
 Zechariah means "he whom God remembers,"  a name shared with 27 other Old Testament characters.  Zechariah says of himself that he is the son of Baruchiah and the grandson of Iddo.  One Iddo is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:16 as one of the priests who returned for the rebuilding with Zerubbabel.  This verse also calls Zechariah the "son" rather than grandson of Iddo.  Why is this?  Some believe Baruchiah had died at an early age, leaving Zechariah as the heir and "son" of Iddo.

 The book of Zechariah has three explicitly dated sections.  Zechariah 1:1-6 was revealed in the eighth month of king Darius, thus in November of 520 B.C.  It is a rather general call to repentance on the part of the returned exiles.  Chapters 1:7-6:8 are generally called the "night visions," seen by Zechariah in February of 519. Zechariah addresses the subject of fasting in chapters 7 and 8, and dates the revelation in December of 520.  The rest of the book is not dated in the previous detailed fashion.

 Liberals tirelessly object to the authorship of virtually every book, and elicit no wonder in doubting the authorship of Zechariah.  Through their jaundiced eyes, authors may never deal with more than one subject or vary styles.  Accurate predictions are especially vulnerable to authorship speculation since liberals "know" there is no such thing as true revelation.  Thus, sections dealing with the Greek period are viewed as a late interpolation.

 Aside from strong presupposition, no evidence has ever been introduced to legitimize skepticism of Zechariah, and there is objective evidence that the book is exactly what it appears to be: a unified revelation, a call to immediate repentance, a prediction of difficulties to come, and a clear picture of the triumphant savior.  Pfeiffer wrote:
 
A date later than about 200 B.C. is precluded by the fact that Sirach knew the book of "The Twelve Prophets" in its present form (Ecclesiasticus 49:10), and it is difficult to see how Zechariah 9-14 could have been added later to a volume of canonical Scripture.3
 To this Laetsch added, "So each succeeding theory refutes its predecessor while failing to establish its own claims."4

 Zechariah's prophecies are focused upon the immediate problems of restoration in Jerusalem.  Like Haggai, his contemporary, he is an encouragement to builders, though his message is a perfect contrast in emphasis from that of Haggai.

The difference in the two prophets seems to be this, that while Haggai's task was chiefly to rouse the people to the outward task of building the Temple, Zechariah took up the prophetic labours just where Haggai had left it, and sought to lead the people to a complete spiritual change, one of the fruits of which would of necessity be increased zeal in the building of God's House, the completion of which he witnessed four years later.5

          The prophet Zechariah did not step upon this stage, he was selected by the Lord to influence the remnant of Judah.  God had a definite purpose for his message and life, as He does for His servants in every age.  His purpose begins with the proclamation of his own great character, but this is only the beginning; spiritual issues which challenge His sovereignty must be corrected.  Whether men recognize this sovereignty or not, God intends to dominate every age of the history of this earth, and Zechariah's message was that there is hope in the future for those who trust in the God who holds it in his hands.  Even after the loss of all that spoke of God's presence in the land, He still is.  Even for those who had lost everything and did not enjoy this physical restoration, the hope of the world is still to come.  It was to this purpose Zechariah lived, and for it he was born.  

 Endnotes

1Much of this section comes from this author's own unpublished Conquest and Resistance from Assyria to Rome.

2Laetsch, Theodore Minor Prophets (Concordia Publishing House St. Louis, MO, 1956),  p. 403.

3Ibid, p. 405, Quoting Pfeiffer, Introduction, p. 612.

4Ibid.

5Baron, David Commentary on Zechariah, His Visions and Prophecies (Kregel Publications Grand Rapids, 1988), p. 9.

II. THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH.

A.  Ancient Heritage.
 
 The sounds heard among our brethren are not the songs of nativity, but a requiem for the dying.  We may well attribute this travail to a variety of sources: at each turn of a century, culture tends to evolve at a rapid pace.  When the century in question also begins a new millennium, one might expect this evolution to approach punctuated equilibrium in the rate of change.  The church in every generation must deal with its own peculiar society's problems (looking at the seven churches of Asia will give insight to the problems presented by prevailing culture).  Neither teaching nor pleading will silence the sounds of the raging world, but through diligent effort we may effectively mute them. 
 
 The Church must recognize the accelerating degeneration of standards, even the absurdity of "changing immutable things."  On January 1, 2001, the world may awake to have changed forever, though granted, the brave new world is mostly unique in its view of itself.  No doubt, the Church will have by then changed as well, but those who love the Bible seek to limit these changes believing them to be the result of a restless, rather than a seeking, spirit.

 Another reason for baseless change has less to do with externals and more with recognition of our context in history.  A church without heritage is a church without an anchor.  We remember previous generations, not because of "thinking of men beyond that which is written," or substituting secular history for law, but we believe the following: we owe a debt, there are lessons to be learned, and it gives us a sense of our context in history.  The church of Christ is not an irrelevant island, but we have had fathers of the flesh and of the spirit.

 Just as such studies give a sense of history, they also give a basis for hermeneutics; a study of Biblical history is no more than a continued development of context.  We are then interested in history not because it is full of drama, emotion, blood, and honor (though these things are true), but because it enhances our knowledge of scripture and our faith in God.

 But as we recognize the need for historical context, we see an even more pressing need: to develop a sense of a spiritual legacy, such as that described by Paul in Romans 4.
 

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which {he had while still} uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 
And the father of circumcision to those who not only {are} of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham {had while still} uncircumcised. 
Therefore {it is} of faith that {it might be} according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Romans 4:1,11,12,16).
 
 The acts of Jehovah in other ages forcibly reveal His principles, character, and relevance.  Planned obsolescence in the Old Covenant illustrates God's constant control over events neither cyclical nor random.  To know the Old Law's blessings and curses, its promises and pleadings is to see God's face.  Those who rob themselves of this knowledge by failing to study relatively obscure books like Zechariah blur God's justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  How are we children of Abraham?  We have continued his pilgrimage of faith.
 
 Straying churches and individuals could be retrieved by knowing the God of the Old Testament even as First Century Christians were encouraged to know Him.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans15:4).

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39).

B. The Prophetic Institution.

 God's prophets were unique, though we read of other prophets from profane and sacred sources.  Since men usually desire to know the future, this is unsurprising.
The life of a prophet/messenger is not a simple one.  Loneliness, pain, and frustration are never handled easily.  Yet for all the inherent frustrations, the role of the prophet has been common in history.  It is also one most of us have yearned for on occasion, even if the reasons are purely selfish.1 
 
 The Near East was proliferated with "diviners," as they are sometimes known. Numbers 23:23 depicts them in the same light as "enchanters," both shown equally impotent.

 Though some see great similarity between God's prophets and others, these are superficial.  When this author was a student in college, he was encouraged to learn public speaking from a variety of sources, two notable examples being Martin Luther King, Jr. and then president Ronald Reagan.  The messages of these two are quite different, though each possessed definite strengths to be desired by a preacher.  Was this author then encouraged to imitate the message of both?  This would be impossible.  Was he to adopt the theology of either?  This would be inadvisable.  Diverse speakers may share effective qualities regardless of content.  To say Adolph Hitler was a gifted speaker says nothing of the content of his speech.

 The prophets of God were men of unique character, courage, consistency, and even chronology.  These factors were most notable when prophets were outnumbered, unpopular or in peril (I Kings 18:21-39 and 22:11-24 illustrate differences between legitimate prophets and others).

 In Deuteronomy 18:18-22 prophecy is an established institution, where we observe the use of "prophet" (singular) rather than plural.  This text governed each prophet individually, but also links all together in one office.  Jesus, too, described prophecy as a singular work from Abel to John (Luke 11:50,51).  The prophets' many voices spoke from one mind, God's.  One must not only recognize the role of prophets in predicting but also typifying the one great prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18-22, Jesus.

 Three Hebrew words are translated "prophet."  They are "Nabhi," "Ro'eh," and "Chozeh," largely interchangeable, though the specifics differ.  The first is usually translated "prophet" or "spokesman," while the latter two are usually rendered "seer."  Preference in the use of these terms was a matter of custom, as we see in I Samuel 9:9.  But one may learn much of the nature of prophecy from these terms.  

 Since he is a "Nabhi" or spokesman, his voice is to be heeded as though God were speaking directly.  One may study Exodus 4:15,16 in learning this concept.  Aaron is designated Moses' Nabhi because of the latter's claimed inability to speak effectively.  God's spokesman/prophet was Moses, but Moses' spokesman/prophet was Aaron.

 Prophecy is a two-part process, consisting of reception (seeing) and proclamation (speaking).  Some speak without having seen (Deuteronomy 18:18-22), while others see without speaking (Isaiah 30:9,10); when either is lacking, a prophet is rejected.  None of the words means "prognosticator" primarily.  Prophets are so known by the frequency with which they accurately predicted, a feature which divides true and false prophets, but one may prophesy without predicting.

            C.  The Text of Zechariah. 

 Russia is home to a statue which is heroic in height and beautiful to behold. It depicts a woman standing with upraised sword as she beckons to comrades behind her seen only through her granite eyes.  It is called "Motherland," and it is the tallest statue in the world (taller than our own Statue of Liberty, but only because of the height of the sword!).

 Judging from the body language, the sword, and the title, I assume there is more to this statue than just a bad tempered and well-armed woman on the warpath.  It is a call to patriotism, even bloodshed in defense of the Motherland which is portrayed both gentle and powerful.  But is this what wars really are?  The reality is neither as large nor as grand as the depiction, but  we see an image of inspiration to faithfulness.  Men will never see such a glorified representation with their own eyes, but they see themselves in their own small struggles as those who answer the call of the "Motherland."

  We point out the interpretation of a statue to illustrate the importance of interpretation of literature which is equally rich with figurative imagery.  As we turn our attention to the text of Zechariah, it is tempting to focus on errors of interpretation.  Though much is widely misinterpreted, let us first examine the book's real import.

 One must first be aware of apocalyptic style in Zechariah.  This literary genre is characterized by highly figurative imagery and extensive use of word pictures depicting a cataclysmic and climactic struggle, ending in battle between the forces of good and evil.  The odds are stacked heavily in favor of evil, and what appeared bad then becomes worse.  But it ends with the triumph of good over evil.

 Though much of Zechariah includes the heightened use of imagery, the last section elevates this use of figurative symbols and deals with subjects in an apocalyptic style.  Zechariah is replete with imagery later used in John's Apocalypse, but not all of the book should be seen as primarily apocalyptic.  Blurring these will cause a reader to over-interpret and misapply symbols primarily intended for Jews of 520 B.C.  

 Apocalyptic literature arises in the face of some grave danger.  Inevitably, though human eyes may see the external crises, though they may despair over the hopelessness of the situation, the real crisis is within.  This is true whether we are dealing with rebuilding after Babylonians, the invasion of Titus, or facing first and second century persecution.  In each of these cases, the real problem (and solution) was spiritual, not political.  As well, these examples are seen as great cosmic disturbances based on their importance in the eyes of God.

 The reader of Zechariah is impressed with the inevitable success of the project at hand.  But this pictured glory is not based on the plans of men, it is because God is blessing these efforts.  A greater success is seen in a further look into the glorious future in the person of the coming savior.  Though blessed by God and glorified, these good leaders would meet their reward; the temple was never intended to stand forever.  But the great BRANCH of God and his Temple were different.

Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH (Zechariah 3:8).
 
 If one sees the importance of the building process to the first readers of Zechariah, he will not gloss over such heightened descriptions of events in Zechariah's near future.  If one realizes the importance of a coming savior to the people of God in the Old Testament, he will not pass over these events in order to apply this message to the end of time.  Both of these events were sufficiently important for God to describe them in the most glowing figurative ways imaginable.

 One must also examine contemporary views which pervert knowledge of, and reverence for, these Old Testament events and theology.  To various kinds of liberals, Old Testament events are fables and legends.  Liberals accept only tenets supporting modern mores, allegorizing or "de-mythologizing" when they condemn.2  But these are both unacceptable to a Bible believer, since the Bible refuses to interpret itself in this subjective manner.

 Interestingly, the error of Premillennialism in its various manifestations is similar in one respect.  Though they tend to be fundamentalist in respect to inspiration, Premillennialists also view the entire Bible as being relatively irrelevant except for the peculiarities of our own generation.  Thus, the thousand year reign of the kingdom on earth is seen on virtually every page of scripture.  Those facts and prophecies which do not fit are interpreted out of existence; the message evidently meant little to those who first read them.

A deeper study of the Sacred Volume dissipates this false prejudice and reveals the fact that not only are "The Thousand Years" of which John speaks found everywhere in both Testaments, but that next to the eternal state, the Millennial Blessedness of God's people of earth, and of the nations, is the one high point in all prophecy, from Moses to John, the bright broad tableland of all eschatology.3
 Those of us who reject the premillennial point of view do so in part because of the "evidence" above:  those who teach it find it everywhere.  If the thousand year reign is only mentioned once, it is reasonable to interpret it in light of the whole Bible, not the other way around.  Premillennialism, especially the dispensational variety, is exciting because of its claimed connection with current events.  However, this very appeal is its weakness, for as each year passes, as possible anti-Christs die, as events and world situations change, the theory must change as well. Fortunately for proponents of the theory, their disciples seem to have short memories and unlimited patience with poor track record of their teachers.

 The lessons of the prophets are valuable, far beyond the limiting effects of either liberalism or premillennialism.

There are still those who think that by diligent search they may find in advance in the prophets what they will read in the papers tomorrow. They search for automobiles, atomic bombs, airplanes, tire rationing, and the rise of world dictators....[T]his author is convinced that they read these things into the prophets instead of out of them.  He is convinced that this approach is a frame of mind that tends to blind the student to the true and lasting values in the prophets.  It leaves the prophet's message a puzzle to the prophet's hearers rather than being a revelation to them.4
 
 In Zechariah, we learn of the absolute certainty of God's eventual success. God's control over the future is made certain regulated by His faithfulness to His children, and His position as the master of past, present, and future.

(As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed, {even} God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17).
 

 Endnotes

1Barfield, Kenny, The Prophet Motive (Gospel Advocate Company, Nashville, TN, 1995), p. 1.

2Classic Liberal and Neo-Orthodox approaches to interpretation constitute much too broad a subject to be handled here.  However, it is important to understand the rationale of these related yet distinctive schools of thought.  To over-simplify, Liberalism evolved from doubting certain parts of text, such as those demanding literal working of miracles and specific prophecy, to complete rejection of God's direct inspiration of any text.  To extreme liberals, all scripture is highly suspect until it is proved by other sources.  In fact, profane sources are often shown untrustworthy.  To de-mythologize the Bible is to determine which parts are false and recognize them for the fables and folk-lore the liberals believe (wish) them to be.
 After having taken this line of thought about as far is it could go, the Neo-orthodox view became prevalent.  It does not seek to de-mythologize, but treats the entire text in an allegorical fashion.  No history is really true, but the stories had an importance to the readers.  No evidence has ever been produced to support this theory, but in this author's opinion it thrives in those who dislike the obvious and inconvenient demands of scripture, while retaining an ostensible respect for it.

3West, Nathaniel, The Thousand Years (Scripture Truth Book Company, Fincastle, VA), p. 1.

4Lewis, Jack, The Minor Prophets (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1966), p. 7.

III.         WILL IT BE MARVELOUS IN GOD'S EYES?
   
            A.  The Issue of Memory. 

 One of the great themes of the Bible, and in particular of Zechariah, is the subject of memory.  We must grasp this history in order to understand our heritage of faith, and for understanding the message of the prophets.  History always has this important function in the mind of God for acquainting His people with their own context, and so only the foolish ignore lessons of the past.  In both Testaments, constant allusions are given to such lessons on the order of "nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer." (I Corinthians 10:9,10).
 Zechariah presents us with the issue of memory not only in light of the need for men to remember, but he also confronts us with the memory of God.  While God's servants are characterized by memory lapses, knowing the memory of God is the impetus to serve Him acceptably with reverence and fear.  God's children often subconsciously behave as though He will forget sin rather than forgive it; they despair, assuming He has forgotten their faithfulness.  

 With the passing of time comes a dimming of the once known and treasured.  Memory became a watch-word throughout the history of Israel, as God repeatedly implored His people to remember even as He did.  But Israel forgot God, a forgetfulness in action rather than mind.  There is little danger of falling into abject ignorance of events, but many conduct their lives as though they never knew God. Few would ever proclaim, "God is dead," but many declare it through the testimony of faithless living.

For if these things are yours and abound, {you will be} neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (II Peter 1:8,9).

 Throughout the Bible, and pointedly in Zechariah, God is pictured as one who never forgets.  He remembers offenses of the past, but He remembers His covenant.  He remembers Zion, and He also remembers the haters of His children. He who never forgets has engraved the names of the faithful in stone, and they are "the apple of his eye" (2:8).

B. Through the Eyes of God. 

 As Zechariah views the Jerusalem of the near future in chapter 8, he sees much to be desired.  In contrast to the painful memories of those old enough to have lived through the disastrous events of 586, Jerusalem is a city of peace and safety.
 
Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.  The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets" (Zechariah 8:4,5).

 A large city which is safe enough for old people and children to relax in a public park without fear (rare in our own time) is a great blessing.  But for Jews who had known the days of alarm and siege, the very idea of such security must have been phenomenal.
 
Thus says the Lord of hosts: "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?" says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 8:6).
 
 The Lord's question demands an answer.  It is not whether one feels secure, it is whether one really is secure.  Only one whose future is secure in the hands of God almighty can know the peace which passeth understanding, while even the most optimistic unbeliever must find he has spent his life "whistling through the graveyard."  Our Lord slept while the storm raged, not because of His eternal optimism, but because of faith in His Father.

 So even as God causes people to contemplate a bright future, He demands recognition of the source of such blessing.  It is He; it is His memory.  Much of the book of Zechariah is focused on the utter futility of life without the hand of God.  Just as the return was planned and executed by providence, so must rebuilding be seen as the work of His hand.  If this future is not marvelous in God's eyes, it is doomed.  

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).
 
C. The Lessons of God's Memory.

 It is exciting to contemplate the level of intimacy which God has invited His children to enjoy with Him.  When we divest ourselves of a mystic view of scripture and truth, we can begin to say with accuracy and humility that God has shown us His mind.  To be certain, His ways and thoughts are higher than our own (and much is hidden), but in I Corinthians 2, Paul says God's very mind is seen.

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."  But God has revealed {them} to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 2:9-11).

 The mind and memory of God are significant because they reenforce faith in His promise keeping.  We also thus learn to order our lives according to those things cherished in His eyes, loathing those things He recalls with distaste.

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (II Timothy 2:19).

 Because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy" ( I Peter 1:16).
 
 The memory of God is not in question, it is the faulty memories of children. Zechariah shows a series of very painful memories of God.  There was never the slightest chance that God would ever forget one of these things, but what of His children?   Did they remember?

D. The Name of the Lord. 

 As we pointed out in a previous lecture, the name Zechariah means "He whom the Lord Remembers."1  Most commentators who write concerning prophets find great significance in their respective names.  If this is not significant, it certainly is a great coincidence that a prophet so concerned with spiritual memory would be so named.

 To know the name of the Lord is not a "Shibboleth" test or a mystic view of the Almighty.  Neither is it an academic knowledge of Biblical facts, but it has to do with one's faith led by knowledge.  Many speak of "really knowing the Lord," when they mean "being really emotional about Him."  But neither is this a proper interpretation.  To illustrate knowing Yahweh, consider God's words to Moses, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but {by} My name, Lord, I was not known to them" (Exodus 6:3).  But "Elohim" was known, if for no other reason than the Patriarchs used it in naming their own children.  Abraham was the friend of God, but it was to Moses He revealed Himself, not in the theophany, but in word.  By writing a detailed account of the will of God, Moses knew Him by His name.

 Judah before the conquest knew not God's name.  They knew of an entity named "Yahweh," but His demands meant little because He was an irrelevant inconvenience!  They knew the names of many gods, and yet they knew nothing of God, and certainly refused to honor Him alone.  Any such syncretism is absolute evidence of a nation which did not remember the name of their savior.  Because in the Bible, to remember is to recall and act on one's memory.

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob (Exodus 2:23,24).

 Three texts from Zechariah forcibly proclaim the name of the Lord to the remnant.  First there is the reference to engraving of "Holiness to the Lord" on the bells of the horses and upon vessels in Jerusalem (14:20,21).  As Unger reminds us, this engraving was previously seen engraved on the priestly Turban of Aaron.2  But what is the significance of having this inscription on such a variety of places?

 Horses generally either signify excess (in the case of Solomon) or an avenging army.  Though the context of chapter 14 is an apocalypse, if there is vengeance, it is God's.  Moreover, we find "Holiness To the Lord" on sacred and profane vessels.  Therefore the question of the purpose of these horses is less important than the knowledge that God's purpose is accomplished through His name's  declaration.  In both the battle won and the peace that will follow, every facet of these events proclaims Yahweh's name.  In events which are momentous and mundane, God's name will be honored.

 There are two other related texts which seem to suggest the proclamation of the name of the Lord to a forgetful world, both involving the High Priest Joshua. After the human failings of the man are dressed in the righteousness of God alone, thus stymying the accuser's case, Joshua and his companions are called a sign of the coming BRANCH.  In chapter 4, he and Zerubbabel are pictured in a combined vision of two olive trees, with a branch from each dripping oil into a golden bowl of anointing.

 While it is certainly true that this vision proclaimed God's approval of these men and their work, there is much more.  It may well be that the name Joshua, which is simply another form of the name "Jesus," is a clue that these are a precursor of the Messiah.  And while Zerubbabel was not a literal king, he approximated this kind of political leadership.  And while Joshua was a priest after the order of Aaron, he typified the priesthood of Christ.  

 There can certainly be no doubt that our Lord was anointed of God as both priest and king, that he is the true BRANCH, and that he came to declare the name of the Lord.

Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (II Corinthians 4:4).

Who being the brightness of {His} glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).

 Given its limited space, Zechariah contains as many references to Jesus and His coming as in any book of prophecy.  Luther described it as the "quintessence of Old Testament Prophecy." 4  Zechariah's Messianic influence cannot be denied. From him we learn such specifics as the price of betrayal (11:12,13), the entry into Jerusalem on an ass (9:9), and His piercing (12:10).  

 In a more general way, we are reminded of events which had immediate relevance, but which surely had a greater significance with the coming Christ and His kingdom.  These include the theme of the glorification of the holy city, the construction of God's house, the crowning, remembering David's house, and the references to a great shepherd and king over all the earth.  In this author's opinion, even a section dealing with the lies of false prophets must also see fulfillment in the work of Jesus.

 We emphasize these prophecies for two reasons.  First, such descriptions speak eloquently to the reader of the accuracy of prophecy.  Only if God were speaking through one could he have known such details of Jesus.  These are not only apologetic proof of the knowledge of God, but also are evidence of the esteem in which God held His plans for the salvation of mankind.

 Second, the prominence of the Messianic prophecy in Zechariah shows primary application to the end of time to be fallacious and dangerous.  One must ignore the centrality of the incarnation, minimizing the planned power of His death and resurrection in order to apply Zechariah to the end of time.  Yet, this is error is common.  In a bizarre twist, dispensationalists reject the kingdom which shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44) in favor of the one which waxeth old and decayeth (Hebrews 8:13).  Oswald Allis called this "a great anomaly in Dispensational teaching."4 He also wrote:

They hold that the kingdom promises are earthly, vastly inferior to the heavenly promises of the Church; yet they insist that it is these earthly promises only which Israel the nation has any claim upon or may ever hope to receive, that the earthly kingdom and the heavenly Church can never become one.  It is this attitude, we believe, that deserves to be characterized by the word "robbery."  It robs Israel of her true destiny and glory by excluding her from the Church of God.  By insisting that her heritage is earthly, it robs her of that better portion which is heavenly.5

 Zechariah insists that we remember the name of the Lord even as the Father. Those who remember God's name are then compelled to declare it through the story of His Son, even as God chose to declare His name by the mighty works of Jesus. By the memory of the name of the Lord alone would this house be built.  Only by God's intended declaration of His name to all nations would His great spiritual house be built.

E. The Words of the Lord.

 There is yet another declaration of the memory of God which bears investigation.  If one properly understands the declaration of the name of God, he must conclude that a memory of His law and covenant is likewise needed.  Through Zechariah, God shows a contrast between human and Divine memory.  God always remembers, having both ability and the willingness, but men forget because of limitations and character flaws.  God sets forth His covenant as proof of His faithfulness, and His laws in a call to obedience.  To the Jews of the dispersion, both were desperately needed.

 There are four principles of the memory of God's words taught in Zechariah. The book opens with a simple call to repentance in view of the forgotten Word of God.

Therefore say to them, "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Return to Me,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 1:3).

 The claim to know the name of the Lord without knowing and obeying His commands is a vain claim indeed.  The proof is seen in the fate of the fathers of these very folks who still mourned the great losses at the hands of Babylon.

 A careful reading of this text also reveals a second principle of memory of God's words, a conditional blessing.  For those who actively recall, God will then remember His promised blessings, a concept further re-enforced in 8:14-17.

For thus says the Lord of hosts: "Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath," says the Lord of hosts, "And I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. These {are} the things you shall do: speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath.  For all these {are things} that I hate," says the Lord. 
 
 The third principle of the memory of God's words is concerned more with His character; forgetful men bring difficulties upon themselves, but God remembers. Though some foolishly accuse, God is faithful and His years do not fail (Hebrews 1:12).

"For I," says the Lord, "will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:5) .

I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I {am} the Lord their God, and I will hear them.  {Those of} Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see {it} and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.  I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased (Zechariah 10:6-8).

And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it (Zechariah 12:3).

 The final principle of the memory of God's word is that He remembers His plans for a future covenant.  The glory of this prophecy is not limited to his day, or those events to shortly follow.  But in Zechariah, we see glimpses of lasting glory in final fulfillment of God's promises to His people in ages past.

In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David {shall be} like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them (Zechariah 12:8).
 Though reconstruction partially fulfilled God's promise to David of blessings upon his house, who could fail to see the greater glory of the covenant delivered by the great and glorified son of David, the Christ?  God remembered His covenant with the house of David, and though that earthly kingdom would someday cease, the heavenly kingdom of Jesus would stand even against the gates of Hell.

 Endnotes

1Laetsch, Theodore, Minor Prophets (Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis, MO, 1956),  p. 403.

2Unger, Merril F.,  Zechariah: Prophet of Messiah's Glory (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1963), p. 269.

3Baron, David, Commentary on Zechariah, His Visions and Prophecies, (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988), p. 5.

4Allis, Oswald T., Prophecy and the Church (Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, Phillipsburg, NJ, 1945), p. 279.

5 Ibid, pp. 279,280.

IV.       THE LORD AWAKES.

A. Transition.

 Having considered the unfailing memory of God, and how children are likewise encouraged to remember, we now wish to investigate a related subject.  Not only does God never forget, His memory of His people and promises must be illustrated through action.  God is said to have remembered His promises, but this is to be interpreted as the day of fulfillment through action.  There are those who hear such reassurances of the memory of God and see no physical evidence of His will being done as he has promised.  They ask, "How long, Lord?" (Revelation 6:10). 

 In Zechariah 2:13 we see a powerful portrait.  The Lord never sleeps, but in this text, He is aroused to action.  "Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!"  He is alive, He has seen, He has not even truly departed.  But He has withdrawn Himself into the holy habitation from a land corrupt with sin.  The Lord has known and remembered all the trials of His people throughout the generations, but the day has come that He must demonstrate His absolute Sovereignty.  On this Day of the Lord, children find their faith fulfilled. Rebels experience the wrath of a God who is all too real.  The home of God is redeemed and purified.  

B.  The Day of the Lord. 

 The "Day of the Lord" (14:1) is perhaps one of the more misunderstood concepts in all of Holy Scripture.  Pregnant with possibilities, bristling with power, it virtually shouts of the volatility of the anger of a rejected God.  On other days God may extend mercy as He pleads with those who will not hear, but when the Day of the Lord is come there will be no more pleading.  Like Jonah, prophets may even be sent to nations which know not God, but on the Day of the Lord there is no avenue for repentance.  Time is the shadowy, silent thief which steals opportunities, and when the anger of God reaches critical mass, there is no return.

 But one must also see the Day of the Lord as a day of reward as well as retribution.  For servants of God, the Day of the Lord is a day of blessing, a day when Righteousness rules and Divine promises are fulfilled.  This is the very concept so clearly explored in II Thessalonians 1:6-8 in reference to the end of time.  
Since {it is} a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to {give} you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 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.

 But to pigeon-hole one's interpretation of the Day of the Lord in either testament is to err.  Even in the New Testament times, the Day of the Lord included several days which God viewed as belonging to Him.  When is the Day of the Lord?  It is judgment day (II Peter 3:9)  It is Sunday (Hebrews 10:25)  It is the day of the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1-35).  Though the Ancient of Days owns them all, on certain days He decides to announce Himself, thus it is a day the Lord says is His.  Wise men live their lives in fear and reverence of the Day of the Lord. 

 The Day of the Lord concept is utilized with frequency in the Old Testament. In Zechariah, there are clearly events which belong to a particular era claimed by the Lord.  This causes some to immediately apply all pertinent texts to the last days of this earth, ignoring the poetic imagery of a Day of the Lord to a downtrodden people.  More importantly, it glosses over the great Day of the Lord which constituted the grand message of the Prophets: on the Day of the Immanuel, God with us.

 One's fate upon the coming of the Day of the Lord depends largely upon his actions in previous days.  We intend to see how these groups are viewed in Zechariah, but one may say with confidence, no soul may live in the Day of the Lord who has not prepared by living for Him in the previous day of small things.

For who has despised the day of small things? for these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth (Zechariah 4:10).

B. The Children of the Lord.

 The Day of the Lord is a day of reward for Children of God, whom Zechariah comforted, by showing the Father's esteem for them.  In Zechariah 1:7-11, they are a grove of trees.  These are neither the stately oak nor the towering cedar, but small and delicate myrtle trees.  In the eyes of God, His people are weak but precious.1 Likewise in Zechariah 2:8, we read of "the apple of his eye,"  a reference evidently to the pupil.  

[T]he word literally is "the gate," the opening in which the eye is placed, but it is generally, and most probably correctly, understood to mean the pupil of the eye...the member which we so carefully guard as the most precious of our members, the one which feels acutely the slightest injury, and the loss of which is irreparable.2

 Those who despair are reminded they are the apple of God's eye.  They are precious to Him; He feels their every injury.  On the day of God's awakening the evidence of His love will be made manifest. 
 
He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10).

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your  wings (Psalm 17:8).
 One may also remember that the "apple of God's eye" is the source of tears for the plight of His people (Lamentations 2:18).

 To speak of the People of God is more than to identify those with a nominal heritage, but those who have honored the heritage of faith.  These are the faithful remnant, not those who have rejected the word of the Lord.  Post-exilic prophecy is directed to this remnant who have suffered much at the hands of God's enemies, loss brought on by the sins of others.  But since Yahweh is the God of men as well as the God of a nation, He may speak lovingly of protection even in the midst of widespread desolation.
  
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:2).

 In the apocalyptic view of events, the worst is yet to come, but through faithfulness one may triumph.   To a nation which has suffered the desolations of the last one hundred years, this is devastating news.  But God will remember His faithful remnant on His day.  This would be true in the face of Antiochus IV of Greece, Herod the Great, Titus of Rome, or the persecutor of Asia Minor.  It may be that such triumph comes despite the loss of physical life.  But God will never forget His remnant; they will live in glory on the final Day of the Lord.  

 On the day of God's awakening, the cleansing of His people will also be evident.  We notice the following four examples of such cleansing in Zechariah: the priesthood (3:4,5), sin in general (13:1), idols (13:2), and false prophets (13:3-5). Careful analysis of these subjects shows two distinct kinds of cleansing. 

 First, there is the personal cleansing experienced in the new birth (John 3:3-5; I Peter 3:21).  The Child of God need not find personal perfection, for God cleanses those who walk with Him (I John1:7).  Like Joshua, one may stand against the Accuser in the Day of the Lord so long as he is dressed in the imputed righteousness of faithful obedience to God.

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."  And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by (Zechariah 3:4,5).

 This cleansing certainly points to the fountain of cleansing revealed in the New Testament, for we read in Zechariah 13:1, "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."  This is surely the inspiration for the grand old hymn:

There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
      -William Cowper

 This is not to say that God ignores the sins of His servants, so even this remnant is called to constant repentance of various sins.  In chapter 7, the remnant asks a question concerning their service to God:  should they continue in the fasting of the captivity?  After all, their prayers had been answered and they have been blessed.  But the prophet delivers a stinging rebuke:

Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: "When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh {months} during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me - for Me?"  (Zechariah 7:5).

 Clearly there was a need for constant cleansing, and for acknowledgement of God in prosperity as well as in need.  

 Second, there is also the issue of public cleansing which generally separates the people of God from impostors as in Matthew 13:24-30, 47-50.  In this light, the idols which have so plagued Judah in the past will no more trouble her.  God then proclaims the day of their demise, along with those who have preached in their name.  

"It shall be in that day," says the Lord of hosts, "{that} I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land" (Zechariah 13:2).

 Yahweh further predicts the shame of false prophets (13:3-6).  Until now, they have mimicked the clothing and mannerisms of true prophets, but now they will not be tolerated.  Their own parents will thrust them through.  The danger of such retribution then compels them to explain away their wounds by claiming they had been beaten in a brawl.

But he will say, "I {am} no prophet, I {am} a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth."  And {someone} will say to him, "What are these wounds in your hands?" Then he will answer, "{Those} with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zechariah 13:5,6) .

 It may be that even here we have an indication of the coming Messiah.  It is difficult to keep from contrasting these from THE PROPHET (Deuteronomy 18:18-21) who truly was wounded in the house of His "friends."

            D.  The Enemies of the Lord.
 
 Just as there was a day of remembering the children of God, there is also a day of awakening to bring destruction.  In Zechariah 13:7 we read, "'Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones.'"  Zechariah gives us numerous examples of the coming future in which those who have opposed the people of God will be brought to nothing because of their offenses.  God will awake to remember His enemies in the Day of the Lord.   

 In Zechariah 1, among appeals to repentance, we find assurances that those who have opposed God must pay a price.  Delay in God's retribution is often misinterpreted as injustice, but it is only God's patience for the proper day.  These are familiar concepts to the student of the New Testament which teaches us of God's patience (II Peter 3:8), and the issue of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7).  
 
 In Zechariah 1 we read :

Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.'  'But they did not hear nor heed Me,' says the Lord.  'Your fathers, where {are} they? And the prophets, do they live forever?  Yet surely My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?'" (Zechariah 1:4-6).

 And so we come to the realization that God brings retribution upon His people who sow to the flesh, often using sinners as His tools of destruction.  But God's use of such bloody tools are intended to bring His people to life and repentance, and do not signify their righteousness before Him.

And I said, "What are these coming to do?" So he said, "These {are} the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up {their} horn against the land of Judah to scatter it" (Zechariah 1:21).

 Vile nations had been horns of destruction.  Horns usually signify the use of military power,3 but they are only His tools.  They would only enjoy carnal success, and that for only a little while.  Each horn of destruction would itself be terrified by God's craftsman. 

 As God views sinful nations which have destroyed, He further explains His reasoning and the Divine perspective in chapter 1:15, "I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; for I was a little angry, and they helped - {but} with evil {intent}."  God's use of such nations in no way signified His acceptance of their evil deeds. They had accomplished His purpose in punishment, but they were unwilling and unwitting servants.  He remembered their sins, and in the Day of the Lord they will suffer.

 In chapter 9:1-8, we read a catalogue of the sinful nations and their sure defeat.  Syria, Phoenicia, and Philistia are all revealed in their true and horrifying light.  In verse 7, these tools of destruction are pictured as a vicious animal rising from his macabre meal of freshly killed meat.  The evidence of his destruction drips from his jowls, shining on unmerciful teeth.

I will take away the blood from his mouth, and the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he {shall be} for our God, and shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite (Zechariah 9:7).

 Those with blood on their hands (James 4:8), even those who have accomplished God's destructive purposes (Acts 2:23) will answer to an angry God.

            E.  The Home of the Lord.
 
 Zechariah was inspired to write an inspiring message.  In his figurative view of the struggles of God's people against His enemies a panorama invisible to human eyes is depicted.  These struggles are more than the daily efforts of construction, they truly comprised God's forceful overthrow of His enemies and deliverance of His children.  Like the statue "Motherland," Zechariah's purpose was to inspire men to greater effort by lifting their eyes to a heroic height.  The great plan of God had emphasis even beyond the confines of Zechariah's time and place, as God intended to carry the battle to the spiritual realm in the coming of His Son Jesus.

 And so we see the memory of God and the Day of the Lord described by Zechariah.  While we recognize that God's memory does not fail, these issues had been purposefully neglected until the proper time had come.  Zechariah leaves no doubt that the day of reckoning would come soon at its proper time and with proper results.  

 Zechariah also reminds us of the dwelling place of God and that the Creator would sanctify Zion on that great day.
  
So the angel who spoke with me said to me, "Proclaim," saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal'" (Zechariah 1:14) .

 God had allowed the place where His name was recorded to suffer great indignity, but in the longer view, He had always loved it.  Such destruction was needed in order to cleanse His habitation, but the Day of restoration was coming. Believers in Christ must also realize that the Kingdom of God, His dwelling place, the Church, is greater than any one member.  Through unfaithful living, the habitation of God may suffer, but God loves His home.  On the day of the Lord, it will stand in spite of those who have destroyed it from within.

 Believers in the day of Zechariah or in any other time are called upon to live in view of the coming Day of the Lord.  The building will be marvelous if God blesses and remembers it.  The builders will build if they remember the Lord who led them.  Though a fire is coming, the Father's remnant will live and be blessed.

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).
            
 Endnotes

1Laetsch, Theodore, Minor Prophets (Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, 1956),  p. 411.

2Baron, David, Commentary on Zechariah, His Visions and Prophecies (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988), p. 74.

3Op Cit., Laetsch, p. 416.

       Dan Kessinger
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       St. Marys, WV 26170