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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
1:7-6:15 Eight Night Visions and a Sign-act. The eight visions that follow were all received in a single night shortly before the new year, a date often associated in the ancient Near East with temple building.
1:7-17 Vision One: The Lord's Hidden Horsemen. In his first vision, Zechariah sees horsemen, who report to God the condition of the earth and prompt the angel of the Lord to intercede for Jerusalem.
1:8 The first vision concerns a man riding on a red horse, accompanied by others on red, sorrel, and white horses. In Hebrew "red" is actually a conventional color for a horse (dark chestnut), while "sorrel" is a lighter brown. These normal horses are concealed among the myrtle trees (evergreens that provide plenty of foliage for cover) in the glen (a deep valley or ravine).
1:10-11 These horsemen, whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth (v. 10), are his "special operations" forces, not human beings (who could not quickly inspect the whole earth) but angels engaged in secret observation of the world to provide up-to-date and accurate intelligence information for the Lord. Their report states that all the earth remains at rest (v. 11).
1:12 For the nations to be at rest while the Lord's people have no rest is a reversal of the proper order. The angel of the Lord, God's personal representative, therefore intercedes with the Lord to bring to an end the seventy years of judgment (see note on Jer. 25:11).
1:13-14 gracious and comforting words. The Lord's response was positive, and Zechariah was commissioned to spread the good news. The Lord's jealousy toward Jerusalem and Zion was aroused: this covenantal language implies not merely an emotional change but action in their favor. Though the Lord's anger had been aroused against his own people by their sin (v. 2) and he had summoned the nations to judge them, now it was the turn of the nations to feel the Lord's wrath.
1:17 Since his people had returned to him (v. 6), now the Lord was returning to them. The temple ("my house," v. 16) would be rebuilt and the covenantal blessing of prosperity would flow out from it. The Lord would again choose Jerusalem as the place of his dwelling with his people.
1:18-21 Vision Two: Judah's Oppressors Oppressed. The second vision describes four horns (v. 18), which are symbols of military strength. "Four" symbolizes the totality of world powers responsible for the scattering of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem (v. 19). Interpreters differ on the precise identity of these four. The view taken here is that they represent
2:1-13 Vision Three: Jerusalem Unwalled. In this vision Zechariah anticipates a renewed Jerusalem, so full of people that it overspreads its walls. It will attract those Jews who remain in exile, as well as countless Gentiles.
2:1 The third vision is of a man with a measuring line in his hand. The focus of this vision is on the future size of the restored city, in contrast to its present unimpressive state.
2:5 Jerusalem will be so large that it will need to be "without walls" (v. 4) because of the numbers of people and animals within it. Yet the lack of a wall will not leave Jerusalem insecure: the Lord himself will provide a wall of fire around it, reminiscent of the cherubim and flaming sword that protected the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24) and of the "horses and chariots of fire" that protected Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). The glory of God that had earlier inhabited the tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:34; 2 Chron. 7:1), and had abandoned it before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 10), would return to inhabit the entire city (see Ezekiel 43).
2:6-7 Flee from the land of the north. In view of the return of the Lord's glory to Jerusalem and his coming judgment on their former rulers (1:18-20), those still in exile in Babylon should escape from there and return to Zion, the home of the temple.
2:8 The Hebrew in v. 8 is difficult to understand: it could be rendered "he sent me after glory" (see ESV footnote) or after his glory sent me. The rendering in the ESV text is suggested by the parallel clause found at the end of v. 9. Zechariah is thus alluding to his commission as a prophet (cf. Isa. 6:1-5; Ezek. 1:28) as he prepares to fulfill that role. His message is that the Lord is about to bring judgment on those who plundered his people (cf. Ezek. 39:25-29). Though once he brought the nations in judgment on Judah, now whoever assaults the Lord's people assaults the apple of his eye, that is, the pupil, one of the most sensitive parts of the anatomy.
2:9 The Lord will shake his hand over Judah's oppressors, thereby giving a signal for their destruction by their former slaves (cf. Isa. 13:2), and the implication of the Hebrew is that this is imminent ("about to shake"). These events would authenticate the validity of the prophet's words.
2:10 The instruction to sing and rejoice is paralleled in the Psalms at the conjunction of divine justice (Ps. 35:27; cf. Prov. 29:6) and divine presence (Ps. 90:14). The dramatic return of the Lord to inhabit his rebuilt house is cause for praise for those who have returned to Judah.
2:11 The nations too will come and join themselves to (enter covenant with) the Lord in that day (see Isa. 56:3-5; Jer. 50:3). The result will be Jews and Gentiles together in one nation, my people, with the Lord dwelling in their midst (cf. Eph. 2:13-16).
2:12 Though the nations will come to worship the Lord, Judah and Jerusalem will still be his chosen portion.
2:13 Since the Lord has roused himself from his holy dwelling, a hushed and reverent awe should descend on all flesh (cf. Hab. 2:20).
3:1-10 Vision Four: The Reclothing of Joshua. Here Zechariah sees Joshua, the high priest, allowed to represent the people before God and called to live faithfully, with the assurance that God is preserving his people for the messianic Branch.
3:1 The fourth vision is located in the heavenly courtroom, where the angel of the Lord is seated as the judge. Joshua the high priest, one of the leaders of the returned exiles (Hag. 1:1; spelled "Jeshua" in Ezra and Nehemiah), is the defendant, and Satan, whose name means "the accuser," is the prosecutor.
3:2 The Lord's rebuke of Satan provides the most likely basis for the reflection on the nature of spiritual authority in 2 Pet. 2:11 (cf. Jude 9).
3:3 Satan has a very strong case, for Joshua was not merely clothed with filthy garments but, more precisely, clothed in garments soiled with excrement, which would automatically defile the wearer. Joshua's defilement posed a severe problem for the people, since he was the intermediary through whom their own defilement was to be removed on the Day of Atonement. Yet the Lord ruled Satan's charges inadmissible before he could present them. The Lord's election of Jerusalem and Joshua's position as one "plucked from the fire" (v. 2; i.e., brought safely from the holocaust of exile) means that Joshua is free from any possible condemnation.
3:4 The Lord also acts to cleanse Joshua from his iniquity. He commands his servants to remove the filthy garments, so removing Joshua's iniquity, and to clothe Joshua in pure vestments, garments suitable for him to wear in the presence of the King of kings. Since the filthy garments represent iniquity, these "pure vestments" represent a new righteousness imputed to Joshua.
3:5 Zechariah requests that the reclothing be completed by placing a clean turban on Joshua's head, an act that has overtones of glory and royalty (Isa. 3:23; 62:3). Joshua's reclothing in ceremonially pure festival garments in the presence of the angel of the Lord is a sign of God's gracious acceptance of him and of the people he represented.
3:7 Joshua is charged with a task and granted a promise. The Lord commanded him to walk in my ways and keep my charge, language that describes faithful behavior within a covenant context. If he did these things, then he would also rule my house and have charge of my courts, which involved ensuring that the worship in the temple was undefiled by idolatry (cf. Ezek. 44:23-24). Joshua would also receive the right of access among those who are standing here, that is, in the heavenly council gathered before the Lord. The Lord would not be silent or distant from his people any longer.
3:8-9 The promise of divine attentiveness in the present was a shadow of greater things to come. Joshua and his friends, the priestly class, were men who are a sign: their very existence after the exile was an indication of God's commitment to bless his people (v. 8). The future held an even greater blessing, the coming of my servant the Branch (v. 8), which would result in the complete and instantaneous removal of the iniquity of this land (v. 9). "The Branch" refers back to the prophecies of Jeremiah. The Lord had declared in Jer. 22:30 that none of Jehoiachin's seed would sit on his throne, yet in Jer. 23:5 he nonetheless promised to raise up a righteous "Branch" for David (i.e., the Messiah), who would reign with justice and establish salvation for his people. The engraved stone was probably part of the high priest's clothing, a gemstone with seven "facets" (ESV footnote) fastened to the turban and inscribed with an inscription (Zech. 3:9). A similar ornament on Aaron's turban was engraved with the words "Holy to the Lord," which enabled Aaron to bear the iniquity of the people before the Lord (Ex. 28:36-38).
3:10 The coming Branch would definitively remove the "iniquity of this land," resulting in the blessing of restored fertility and peace for the land. As at the height of the Solomonic Empire, each man would invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree (1 Kings 4:25; Mic. 4:4).
4:1-14 Vision Five: The Olive Trees and the Lampstand. Zechariah sees lamps on a golden lampstand, a symbol of God's watchfulness and power to fulfill his promises to David's house (represented by Zerubbabel).
4:2 The fifth vision consisted of a solid gold lampstand flanked by "two olive trees" (v. 3). A "lampstand" (menorah) is almost always a ritual object, especially one made of gold: there was a single golden lampstand in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-40) and
4:4 Zechariah asked the angel, "What are these, my lord?" and he responded with an oracle explaining the message of the vision.
4:6 The oracle is addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor, who along with Joshua the high priest had been charged by the prophet Haggai with the task of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:1). God's word to him is a reminder that the obstacles that face him in the rebuilding task will not be overcome by conventional resources of might or power. Instead, the resources will come from an outpouring of God's Spirit (see Hag. 2:5).
4:7 With that assurance of divine aid, the great mountain of difficulties that stands in the way of rebuilding, whether practical, political, or spiritual, is cut down to size. All these obstacles will become a plain in front of Zerubbabel (cf. Isa. 40:4).
4:9 As Zerubbabel began the work when he laid the foundation, so he would bring it to completion when he brought out the "top stone" (v. 7), or capstone, of the building. The people would respond to Zerubbabel's action by invoking God's blessing upon the building, with shouts of "Grace, grace" (v. 7); its completion would vindicate the prophet's authenticity.
4:10a The growth of the building begun under Zerubbabel would be a challenge to those who thought of their times as a day of small things. God's work may start in small and unobtrusive ways, yet reach a glorious conclusion (Matt. 13:31-32).
4:10b A number of the vision's details remain to be clarified. The seven lamps on top of the lampstand are the eyes of the Lord, representing his watchfulness and awareness of everything that is going on through the whole earth. This watchfulness results in blessing for his faithful people (see 2 Chron. 16:9).
4:11-12 Some of the details of how the two olive trees (v. 11) on either side of the lampstand are connected to it are obscure. Whatever the precise nature of the branches and the golden pipes, their function is to transmit olive oil from the inexhaustible source of the two olive trees to the bowl of the lampstand, ensuring that the lamps will never go out.
4:14 The two olive trees are the two anointed ones (Hb. bene hayyitshar; "sons of new oil," ESV footnote). Yitshar indicates "new oil," one of the marks of the fertility that flows from God's blessing (Hag. 1:11). These trees are thus characterized by endless fertility, which means unlimited amounts of oil for the lampstand, and they stand by the Lord of the whole earth as members of his heavenly court. Most interpreters think these two represent Zerubbabel (the governor, who was descended from David) and Joshua (the high priest). They stand in the Lord's presence and receive his favor and protection. Other possibilities are that they represent Haggai and Zechariah, who as prophets had entrance into the heavenly deliberations; or the angels, who act as God's agents in supplying unlimited divine assistance to the restored temple.
5:1-4 Vision Six: The Flying Scroll--Wickedness Judged. The sixth vision is of a gigantic scroll,
5:5-11 Vision Seven: The Flying Ephah--Wickedness Removed. This vision symbolically describes iniquity's being removed from the land and taken off to Shinar.
5:6-7 The seventh vision is closely linked to the sixth, adding deportation to the threat of destruction. The prophet saw a basket (v. 6), or ephah, about three-fifths of a bushel. Inside this small container was their iniquity in all the land (v. 6), personified as a woman (v. 7). She was trapped in the basket by a circular leaden cover (v. 7) weighing roughly
5:8 Wickedness personified in female form may represent an idolatrous image of a female deity, perhaps Asherah, and is a comprehensive term for all kinds of sin, both religious and social (Deut. 9:4; 2 Chron. 22:2-3). It is also possible that the woman represents foreign wives (see Ezra 9; Neh. 13:23-27). The two issues were connected, since foreign wives often led the Israelites into idolatry (Neh. 13:26). Yet the vision includes nothing less than the removal of all iniquity from the land (see Zech. 3:9). The angel was careful that the woman did not escape. He thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. There is no danger of the situation's getting out of control. Wickedness exists under the power and authority of God.
5:9 The wickedness that has been personified in female shape was removed by two women with the wind (Hb. ruakh), the divine agency of motion, in their wings. They have wings like the wings of a stork, a large bird that migrates northward from Palestine each year, traveling in the same direction as the basket. There is no consensus among interpreters regarding any other symbolic significance of these women. They are God's messengers, perhaps angels or other heavenly beings. (If angels, this would be the only place in Scripture where angels are portrayed as women rather than as men.)
5:11 The basket of wickedness was to be transported to a new location in the land of Shinar (Babylon), where a house, or temple, would be built for it. All the idolaters would thus be removed, along with the object of their idolatry, to a safe distance from whence they would never again return to trouble God's people by their wickedness.
6:1-8 Vision Eight: The Lord's Army on the Move. Zechariah sees four chariots, symbolic of God's power ruling over all the earth.
6:1-3 The eighth vision is clearly similar to the first. Zechariah saw four chariots (v. 1) with horses of different colors: red, black (v. 2), white, and dappled (v. 3). On red horses, see note on 1:8. The chariots were going out from between two mountains . . . of bronze (6:1), whose color reflects a shining appearance. Chariots were the ancient equivalent of tanks, the key symbol of military power. These chariots were pulled by strong horses (v. 3), and there were four of them, the number of completeness. The heavenly army is finally on the move.
6:5 The interpreting angel explains that the chariots represent the four winds of heaven, stressing the universality of their range: nowhere in the world is outside their reach. The Hebrew word for "wind" (Hb. ruakh) is the same as that for "spirit," so these winds also represent the agency of divine power at work in the world (cf. 5:9).
6:6 The "chariots" went in different directions: the white and the black horses went to the north country, while the dappled ones went to the south country. The red horses were not included in the commission, perhaps being held in reserve. Judah's main enemies always came from the north (Babylon, Assyria, Persia) or the south (Egypt), since to the west is the Mediterranean Sea and to the east is the desert.
6:7 The strong horses (with their chariots) moved out at the divine command to patrol the earth, asserting and imposing God's sovereign rule over the whole world. The prime target was "the north country," Babylon, which was the objective assigned to two of the four chariots.
6:8 Victory is easily accomplished, and God's Spirit (Hb. ruakh) is set . . . at rest in the north country, the former home of his enemies. This implies the full and final defeat of those opposed to God (cf. Deut. 12:10).
6:9-15 A Sign-act: The Crowning of Joshua. This oracle looks forward to the successful building of the temple.
6:11 Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest is to be crowned with a crown of silver and gold in a symbolic action. The composite crown reflects the expectation of Hag. 2:8 that both of these elements would come to the temple from afar and fill it with glory. The resources for the sign-act are provided by those "who have arrived from Babylon" (Zech. 6:10), underlining the place of the exiles in the future of the community.
6:12 Joshua is to be crowned as a symbol of the reality to come, the Branch, a reference to Jer. 33:15. Zechariah reiterates Jeremiah's promise of a coming king who will flourish and branch out and build the temple of the Lord and will bear royal honor, reflecting the authority and legitimacy of the king's rule.
6:13 The coming king will sit on his throne, with a priest also seated on a throne (perhaps next to him). As in Jeremiah 33, the continuance of the Davidic monarchy and the Levitical priesthood are intertwined. The king is necessary to rebuild the temple, while the Levitical priests stand before the Lord in that renewed temple, offering sacrifices (Jer. 33:18). Between them both, the future king and the future priest, there will be a counsel of peace, and flowing from the peace and harmony between these two offices will be peace and blessing for the nation.
6:14 The oracle ends with the named exiles, underlining their present responsibilities. Two of the names are slightly different, perhaps nicknames. The crown is to be stored in the temple of the Lord as a reminder for the Lord (cf. Ex. 30:11-16; Num. 10:9-10) and as an assurance, for the people, of God's determination to act.
6:15 Those who are still far off will help those already in Jerusalem to build the temple of the Lord. Some interpreters think these represent Jews still in exile who will come to help; others think they represent future help from Gentiles in building the temple. They must continue diligently to obey the voice of the Lord their God, as they began to do in Hag. 1:12.
