‏ Zechariah 1:7-21

Summary for Zech 1:7-6:15: 1:7–6:15  ^a These eight visions addressed the Judeans’ fears that prevented them from responding in faith to God’s promises. These visions, which occurred two months after Haggai’s final two messages (Hag 2:10-19  ^b, 20-23  ^c), suggest that Haggai’s prophecies were being fulfilled.
Summary for Zech 1:7-17: 1:7-17  ^d Zechariah’s first vision depicts God’s concern for Jerusalem (1:7-15  ^e), followed by a response (1:16-17  ^f) that confirmed God’s intentions to rebuild his Temple and restore the city’s prosperity.
1:8  ^g The vision during the night follows a standard pattern: an introductory statement, a description of the vision, the prophet’s request for an interpretation, and an angelic explanation.

• The myrtle trees were probably in the wooded Kidron valley outside of Jerusalem. The Lord had symbolically returned to the city’s outskirts but had not yet entered Jerusalem because the Temple was still under construction.

• The colors of the red, brown, and white horses are not significant to this vision’s meaning. These angelic riders patrolled the earth (1:10  ^h), showing God’s continuing concern over Jerusalem.
1:10  ⁱ Patrol suggests the angelic riders’ ongoing scrutiny of the earth.
1:11  ^j The man sitting on a red horse among the myrtle trees (1:8  ^k) is called the angel of the Lord (cp. Gen 16:7-13  ^l; Exod 23:23  ^m; 32:34  ⁿ; Judg 13:21-22  ^o).
1:14  ^p My love ... is passionate and strong: This phrase, sometimes translated as “I am very jealous,” reflects intense, single-minded devotion that could produce hatred and envy or zeal and devotion. God is jealous—as the one true and living God, he has exclusive rights to his creatures’ worship (see Exod 20:5  ^q; 34:14  ^r).

• Jerusalem signifies the territories ruled by Judean kings; Mount Zion was the site of the Lord’s Temple.
1:17  ^s The repetition of again (four times in Hebrew) emphasizes the certainty of God’s intention to restore Jerusalem.
Summary for Zech 1:18-21: 1:18-21  ^t The second vision states God’s plan to bring his judgment against the nations who destroyed Jerusalem and exiled Judah. The prophet leaves unspecified the identity of the nations represented by the four horns; it is best to view the number four as symbolic of all those nations who will face divine judgment for scattering the people of God.
Summary for Zech 1:18-19: 1:18-19  ^u Then I looked up suggests that the prophet was interrupted by another vision while still preoccupied with the previous one (also in 2:1  ^v; 5:1  ^w; 6:1  ^x).

• Horns symbolized power and authority in the biblical world and might represent an individual ruler (see Dan 7:8  ^y; 8:8  ^z), a dynasty, or nations.
1:20  ^aa The word translated blacksmiths could refer to any sort of craftsmen (mason, carpenter, smith). If the horns representing the nations were metal (see 1 Kgs 22:11  ^ab), then blacksmiths were appropriate to the task of destroying them (see 2 Chr 24:12  ^ac; Isa 44:12  ^ad).
1:21  ^ae humbled Judah: They literally lifted up their horns against Judah.

• The Lord would cut off those horns, throw them down to the ground, and bring an end to their authority. The Judeans did not need to fear the surrounding nations.

‏ Zechariah 2

Summary for Zech 2:1-5: 2:1-5  ^af The scope of the visions narrows from the cosmos (vision 1), to the nations (vision 2), to the city of Jerusalem. The vision itself (2:1-3  ^ag) is followed by an explanation of its meaning (2:4-5  ^ah).
2:2  ^ai how wide and how long it is (Or how long and wide it is to be): By taking this measurement, God showed that he was planning for Jerusalem’s future.
2:5  ^aj The wall of fire represents divine protection (cp. 2 Kgs 6:17  ^ak).

• I, myself, will be: The emphatic construction of the verb “to be” might be a direct reference to God’s name (Exod 3:14-15  ^al).

• Fire and glory allude to the Exodus (see Exod 13:22  ^am; 14:20  ^an; 40:34  ^ao).
Summary for Zech 2:6-13: 2:6-13  ^ap God’s call for the exiles’ return from Babylon anticipated his people’s restoration to the land of Israel (2:6-9  ^aq) and the restoration of his presence to his people in Jerusalem (2:10-13  ^ar). 2:6  ^as Come away! The emphatic command carries the force of a promise that the Lord would lead his people out of exile and into a restored Jerusalem (cp. Isa 55:1  ^at).

• the land of the north: It was necessary to travel north in order to move to the east, so Babylonia was thought of as lying in the north.

• four winds: The Hebrew exiles would return to Judah and Jerusalem from all directions (see Ezek 12:14  ^au; 37:9  ^av).
2:8  ^aw Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession (literally Anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye): This might refer to Israel as God’s elect; it might also mean that those who harmed Israel poked themselves in the eye by bringing God’s judgment upon themselves.
2:9  ^ax their own slaves will plunder them: At the Exodus, the Egyptians paid the Israelites to leave their land (see Exod 11:2-3  ^ay; 12:35-36  ^az).
2:12  ^ba Israel is the Lord’s inheritance or special possession—the people of Israel belonged to the Lord (Deut 32:9-10  ^bb).

• The land was holy because of God’s glorious presence in the Jerusalem Temple (see Pss 11:4  ^bc; 15:1  ^bd).
2:13  ^be Be silent: The force of the Hebrew word (has) is similar to our English word “hush” (see Hab 2:20  ^bf; Zeph 1:7  ^bg).

‏ Zechariah 3

Summary for Zech 3:1-10: 3:1-10  ^bh The prophet’s vision depicts a heavenly courtroom with the prosecuting attorney (Satan) accusing the defendant (Jeshua the high priest) of being unfit for his priestly duties. 3:1  ^bi Jeshua was the high priest, the religious leader among those who returned to Judah from exile in Babylon (Ezra 2:2  ^bj). Jeshua partnered with Zerubbabel, the governor of the restored community, in rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 5:2  ^bk; Hag 2:1-5  ^bl).

• The Accuser, Satan (literally The satan) designates a member of the heavenly court whose role is to accuse human beings of wrongdoing, to act as prosecuting attorney (see Job 1:6  ^bm). The adversarial role may be performed by either human or divine beings (see Num 22:22  ^bn; 1 Sam 29:4  ^bo; 1 Chr 21:1  ^bp). By New Testament times, Satan was a personal name for the prince of demons (Mark 3:22  ^bq; 2 Cor 4:4  ^br; Eph 6:11  ^bs; Rev 20:2  ^bt).

• The Accuser’s position of authority in the heavenly court is shown by his standing at the angel’s right hand.
Summary for Zech 3:2-3: 3:2-3  ^bu The Lord is both defense attorney and judge; he censures the prosecution’s arguments, dismisses the case, and declares Jeshua innocent because he has been chosen and cleansed by God.

• Like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire, Jeshua and other Hebrew exiles were plucked by God from near destruction in Babylon.

• Jeshua’s filthy clothes (3:4  ^bv) symbolize the guilt and pollution of sin that prompted the divine judgment of exile. The accusations of Satan probably implied that just as a polluted priest was unfit for Temple service, the Hebrews were unfit to be God’s chosen people.
3:4  ^bw Take off his filthy clothes: This action dramatizes the removal of sin and guilt from Jeshua and the Hebrew people, restoring them to their former position through God’s cleansing.
3:5  ^bx The high priest’s turban bore a gold medallion inscribed with the words “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36-38  ^by; see also study note on Zech 14:20). The clean turban was placed on Jeshua’s head as an act of ordination that reinstated him as priest and mediator for the people.
Summary for Zech 3:6-7: 3:6-7  ^bz Restoration was contingent upon obedience to God (see also Deut 30:19-20  ^ca).
3:8  ^cb The high priest Jeshua and the other priests were symbols of greater realities.

• Servant and Branch are both titles for the Messiah (Isa 42:1  ^cc; 53:2  ^cd; Jer 23:5  ^ce; 33:15  ^cf). As servant, the Messiah obeys God’s will by becoming a sin offering so that many might be made righteous (Isa 53:11  ^cg; see Acts 3:13  ^ch; 4:27  ^ci). The Branch is a metaphor for kingship that identifies the Messiah as David’s descendant (Isa 11:1  ^cj; Jer 23:5  ^ck).
3:9  ^cl The single stone signifies authority. It might refer to the final stone of the Temple laid by Zerubbabel (4:7  ^cm), the “foundation stone” of the restored Jerusalem (Isa 28:16  ^cn), or the precious stones on the ephod of the high priests (Exod 25:7  ^co; 35:9  ^cp).

• The seven facets (literally seven eyes) of the stone imply perfection and completeness of knowledge and wisdom. They might relate to the seven lamps of the golden lampstand (Zech 4:2  ^cq) or to God’s “sevenfold Spirit” (Rev 1:4  ^cr).

• The inscription is reminiscent of the names of the tribes inscribed on the stones of the high priest’s shoulder-pieces (Exod 39:6  ^cs).

• The removal of Israel’s sin in a single day alludes to the Day of Atonement (Lev 16  ^ct). It foreshadows Christ’s crucifixion, when the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29  ^cu).
3:10  ^cv That day is shorthand for “the day of the Lord” (see 2:11  ^cw; Isa 2:11  ^cx; Joel 2:1  ^cy; Zeph 1:14  ^cz), the day of God’s intervention in history when God will judge the wicked, deliver the righteous, and restore creation (see Zech 12:8  ^da; 14:3-4  ^db).

‏ Zechariah 4

Summary for Zech 4:1-14: 4:1-14  ^dc This vision affirms that through his Spirit, God would enable Zerubbabel and Jeshua to rebuild the Temple. 4:1  ^dd woke me: The series of visions (1:7–6:8  ^de) came to Zechariah in a single night. The prophet slept briefly before this fifth vision.
Summary for Zech 4:2-3: 4:2-3  ^df gold lampstand: The golden menorah of the Tabernacle (Exod 25:31  ^dg) was duplicated in the new Temple as a symbol of God’s purity and holiness and the light of his revelation.

• The two olive trees represent the offices of priest and king in Israel; they are emblems for Jeshua and Zerubbabel. The golden oil (see also Zech 4:12-14  ^dh) represents God’s Holy Spirit.
4:6  ^di Jeshua and Zerubbabel would have success in the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, not by their own force or strength, but because of the presence of God’s empowering Spirit (cp. Hag 2:4-5  ^dj).
4:7  ^dk A mighty mountain ... will become a level plain is a figure of speech in both Old Testament (see Isa 40:4  ^dl; 49:11  ^dm) and New Testament (see Matt 17:20  ^dn; 1 Cor 13:2  ^do). Faith in God enables his servants to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

• The capstone or headstone (final stone) completes a stone wall or building (see Ps 118:22  ^dp).

• May God bless it!: This prayer seeks God’s favor and blessing on the new Temple.
4:10  ^dq A plumb line, a cord with a tin or lead weight attached to one end, is used in construction to ensure that a wall is vertical.

• The seven lamps: Seven signifies completeness or perfection. God sees all that takes place on earth; he controls the fates of peoples and nations.
4:14  ^dr two anointed ones: Jeshua and Zerubbabel, the religious and civic leaders of Jerusalem after the return from exile (3:1  ^ds, 7  ^dt; 4:6-7  ^du; Hag 1:14  ^dv; 2:2-3  ^dw), were anointed with oil as part of their commissioning. Under their leadership, the Temple of the Lord was rebuilt and worship was restored in Jerusalem.

‏ Zechariah 5

Summary for Zech 5:1-4: 5:1-4  ^dx Zechariah’s vision of the flying scroll reminded the leaders and people of postexilic Judah that they were still obligated to follow God’s commands. The blessings and curses of the law (Deut 28  ^dy) were still in effect. 5:1  ^dz looked up again: This is the sixth of eight visions that Zechariah had in the same night.

• A scroll, the equivalent of a book in biblical times, was usually made of rolled parchment or leather, but was sometimes made of papyrus, tin, or copper. This scroll was flying, unfurled like a banner for all to see.
5:3  ^ea curse (or oath): A covenant included curses on violators of the agreement (see Deut 29:12-21  ^eb).
5:4  ^ec This curse is sent like a law officer to punish violations of God’s covenant (see Ps 147:15  ^ed; Isa 55:11  ^ee).
Summary for Zech 5:5-11: 5:5-11  ^ef The seventh vision continues the theme of cleansing that began with the acquittal of the high priest Jeshua (3:1-10  ^eg). The removal of wickedness, much like the removal of Jeshua’s filthy garments (3:4  ^eh), was a gracious act of pardon by the covenant-keeping God.
5:6  ^ei The basket (Hebrew ephah) was a standard unit of dry measure, approximately ½ bushel. The Old Testament prophets’ condemnation of unjust ephahs creates a natural association between the ephah basket and evil (see Ezek 45:10  ^ej; Mic 6:10  ^ek).
Summary for Zech 5:7-8: 5:7-8  ^el The evil woman in a basket represents a seductive and dangerous force that is difficult to contain. The sin of idolatry had previously provoked God’s judgment (2 Kgs 17:16-18  ^em; 2 Chr 36:14  ^en). 5:7  ^eo The heavy lead cover (literally a talent [seventy-five pounds] of lead) is not a natural cover for an ephah basket, but shows that extraordinary measures were needed to seal the basket’s unholy contents.
5:8  ^ep Wickedness refers to evil generally; whether moral or ceremonial, it is opposed to righteousness (see Prov 13:6  ^eq; Ezek 33:12  ^er). The word wickedness (Hebrew rish‘ah) is similar in Hebrew to the name Asherah, the fertility goddess of the ancient Near East (see Deut 7:5  ^es; 16:21  ^et).
5:9  ^eu The depiction of divine or angelic winged creatures as women is unusual in the Old Testament. If the two women are the Lord’s servants, they are unique angels. If they are the attendants of Wickedness (a foreign goddess), their submission to God’s command demonstrates his power over false gods.
5:11  ^ev Idolatry is potently and aggressively evil; it cannot be confined, but must be shipped back to its source (Babylonia) by God’s decree. This symbolism indicates that God is able to purge his people of all the various forms of wickedness that separated them from him.

• The land of Babylonia was the land of Hebrew captivity (Mic 4:10  ^ew). The prophets condemn it as wicked and idolatrous (Isa 46–47  ^ex; Jer 50–51  ^ey). In the New Testament, Babylon represents the evil Roman Empire (Rev 17:5  ^ez; 18:2  ^fa; see 1 Pet 5:13  ^fb).

‏ Zechariah 6:1-8

Summary for Zech 6:1-8: 6:1-8  ^fc In Zechariah’s first and last visions, God sends horses to patrol the earth. Both visions show God’s sovereignty and his concern for the nations, a vital component of Zechariah’s message of comfort and encouragement to postexilic Judah. 6:1  ^fd Chariots symbolize the swift and decisive power of God’s intervention in human affairs.

• The two bronze mountains are enhanced images of the two bronze pillars that once flanked the entrance to Solomon’s Temple (1 Kgs 7:13-22  ^fe). Bronze symbolizes the impregnable strength of God’s dwelling.
Summary for Zech 6:2-3: 6:2-3  ^ff red ... black ... white ... dappled-gray horses: Zechariah attaches no particular significance to the colors of the horses in his vision (cp. Rev 6:1-8  ^fg).
6:5  ^fh The four spirits (or the four winds) of heaven are divine council members who report to God on their reconnaissance missions to the four compass points (see 2:6  ^fi). The whole world is under God’s dominion. The teams of chariot horses are agents of God’s judgment.
6:7  ^fj The teams of horses are portrayed as powerful and eager to do the Lord’s work (6:5  ^fk). They move only at the Lord’s command.
6:8  ^fl the Lord summoned me: The series of visions closes with a direct word from the Lord to Zechariah. In bypassing the interpreting angel, God emphasizes the sure and effective implementation of his word to Israel.

• have vented the anger of my Spirit (literally have given my Spirit rest): “Spirit” can mean “anger,” as it does here (see Judg 8:3  ^fm; Isa 33:11  ^fn).