A Call to Return to God
Study note
This message came in 520 BC, during the second year of King Darius of Persia. The Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon but had become spiritually lazy. God reminded them that their ancestors had refused to listen to earlier prophets and suffered for it. He urged this new generation to learn from the past and come back to Him.
1 During the eighth month of King Darius's second year, the LORD gave this message to the prophet Zechariah. He was the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo. In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
2 "The LORD was deeply angry with your ancestors." The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
3 So tell the people: "The LORD of Armies says: Come back to me, and I will come back to you, declares the LORD of Armies." Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
4 "Do not repeat the mistakes of your ancestors. The prophets before you called out to them, saying, 'The LORD of Armies says: Walk away from your evil habits and wicked behavior.' But they refused to listen or pay attention," the LORD says. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
5 "Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets — did they live forever?" Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 "But my words and my commands — the ones I gave my servants the prophets — those certainly caught up with your ancestors. In the end they came to their senses and said, 'The LORD of Armies treated us exactly the way we deserved.'" But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
The Vision of the Rider Among the Myrtle Trees
Study note
This is the first of eight night visions God gave Zechariah. The man on the red horse is the angel of the Lord, standing among myrtle trees in a valley. The riders on different-colored horses had been sent by God to patrol the earth. They reported that the world was at peace, but God's people were still suffering. God declared His deep love for Jerusalem and promised to rebuild His temple there.
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, during King Darius's second year, the LORD gave another message. He gave it to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, grandson of Iddo. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
8 That night I had a vision. I saw a man on a red horse standing among some myrtle trees in a low valley. Behind him were more horses — red, brown, and white. I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
9 "What do all these horses mean, my lord?" I asked. The angel who had been talking with me answered, "Let me show you." Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up: "The LORD sent these riders to patrol the entire earth." And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11 The riders reported back to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees: "We have traveled across the whole world. Everything is quiet and peaceful." And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
12 The angel of the LORD responded, "LORD of Armies, you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer before you show them mercy?" Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
13 The LORD replied to the angel who had been speaking with me, using kind and comforting words. And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
14 The angel then told me, "Say this: The LORD of Armies says, 'I burn with deep, strong love for Jerusalem and for Zion.'" So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 "'I am extremely angry with the nations that are sitting around feeling comfortable. I was only a little upset with my people, but those nations piled on and made things much worse.'" And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
16 "So the LORD says, 'I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My temple will be rebuilt there,' declares the LORD of Armies. 'A measuring line will be stretched across Jerusalem for its reconstruction.'" Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
17 "Proclaim this too: The LORD of Armies says, 'My cities will once again overflow with prosperity. The LORD will comfort Zion again and will once more claim Jerusalem as his own.'" Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
The Vision of Four Horns and Four Craftsmen
Study note
In this second vision, the four horns represent the powerful nations that had scattered the people of Israel and Judah into exile. The four craftsmen represent the forces God would send to defeat those enemy nations. This vision assured the people that God would deal with every power that had oppressed them.
18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19 "What are those?" I asked the angel. He answered, "Those horns represent the powers that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 Then the LORD showed me four skilled craftsmen. And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
21 "What are they here to do?" I asked. He explained, "The horns scattered Judah so thoroughly that nobody could lift their head. But these craftsmen have come to terrify the horns and knock down the power of every nation that attacked Judah and drove its people away." Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.