Zechariah

No. 1.
JERUSALEM is the prominent subject of Zechariah’s prophecy, though the temple has its place in it, and especially the Messiah, by whom Jerusalem’s future glory will be established. It is by the remnant which returned from Babylon that Messiah is put to death― “wounded in the house of His friends;” but the house of David shall be cleansed from sin and uncleanness by the fountain opened in the One whom they pierced, when every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord.
About two months after Haggai began to prophesy, the heart of Zechariah was moved by the Lord to encourage the people to turn unto Him, to warn them not to be as their fathers, and to remind them that God’s words had always been fulfilled in His dealing with them. (chapter 1:1-6.)
Three months later the prophet had a vision of “a man riding upon a red horse,” standing “among the myrtle trees,” and behind him other “red horses, speckled and white,” by which he learns that “the earth sitteth still, and is at rest,” notwithstanding the humiliating state of Jerusalem the last seventy years, and that the Gentiles helped forward the affliction. The Lord is sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease, and declares that He will return to Jerusalem, have mercy on it, build the temple, comfort Zion, and yet choose Jerusalem. The “four horns,” emblems of power, which scattered Judah, &o., are to be frayed and cast out by other instruments, which he saw, “four carpenters.” (chapter 1:7-21.)
The vision of “a man with a measuring-line in his hand,” to measure Jerusalem, shows that Jerusalem is again to be the object of divine favor. We have therefore the future restoration of Jerusalem in peace and blessing. Those who have been spread abroad as the four winds shall be brought back. After the glory, judgment will be executed upon the nations which spoiled God’s people. It shall be the time of singing and rejoicing for the daughter of Zion, for Messiah shall come and dwell in her midst. In that day, when the Lord shall inherit Judah, and shall choose Jerusalem again, many nations shall be joined to the Lord. Well may the prophet here add, “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord!” (Chap. 2)
Looking at Joshua the high priest, in filthy garments, as representative of the state of the people, God shows that He can cleanse and fit them for His own presence, and make them a nation of priests, clothed in righteousness before Him. No doubt THE BRANCH is Christ; and the stone tells us of Him upon whom all Israel’s blessing is built, through whom the iniquity of the land is removed in one day. (Chap. 3)
But if the people are thus blessed, so that they call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig-tree, the prophet “is wakened out of his sleep” in the next chapter to see that the source and power of all blessing is divine— “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This he learns from the vision of the golden candlestick with the seven lamps therein, and seven pipes. The temple shall be finished, and all shall be established by the anointed priest, and the anointed king, in perpetuity of blessing; for he is told that the two olive trees which he saw on either side of the candlestick, are the two anointed ones which stand by the Lord of the whole earth. (chapter 4)
Iniquity, however, must be judged, as the prophet next learns from the “flying roll.” The wicked in Israel must be taken away. He is told also that a woman, which he saw sitting in the midst of the ephah, is wickedness, and the ephah he saw carried away to build a house in the land of Shiner. (chapter 5)
The prophet then sees four chariots, with different colored horses in each. The black horses go into the north country, and the white follow them; the grizzled go toward the south country, and the bay horses walked to and fro through the earth. All this may refer to the government of God in the four monarchies; but the latter part of the chapter shows that all concerning the establishment and glory of the temple is to be accomplished by Christ, “the man whose name is THE BRANCH,” who shall be both the anointed king of Israel and priest— “a priest upon His throne, the true Melchisedec,” and the counsel of peace shall be between Jehovah and Him. It need scarcely be added that we have not the Church here, but the temple at Jerusalem, and Israel’s future blessing in the earth under the personal government of the true Messiah.
Eternity.
WE have read of someone who said that the only word he remembered of a sermon he had heard was the word ETERNITY. This word he could never shake off from his mind; it was a distress to him, until he knew that he was saved, and had assurance from the infallible word of truth that he would be forever in glory with the Lord Jesus. And marvelous it is that many more are not equally arrested by the telling, solemn word ETERNITY. It may be that the ear is dull of hearing, because the word is so often brought before them. Still, however men may treat the word, it is certain that every one who reads these pages will be either a partaker of “eternal glory” with God and the Lamb, or be in “eternal fire” with the devil and his angels. Men may reason about it, and try all their powers to endeavor to turn and twist these divine statements, nevertheless the facts remain the same. The, word of God endures forever. The counsels of God are unaltered. And it is the attentive consideration of these realities that arouses the conscience, and leads the sin-convicted soul to cry out, “What must I do to be saved?” The possibility of persons being consigned to that place “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched,” was abundantly taught by the sinner-loving Saviour. He faithfully warned the careless. He touchingly appealed to their consciences as to whether it would not be “better to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.” (Mark 9:43-48.) He knew the awful eternity that awaits the unbelieving. He saw how diligently men were cultivating present gratification and gain, at the sacrifice of eternal blessings and the loss of their own souls. He, therefore, on another occasion, faithfully declared, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” How incalculably weighty, then, is the subject of ETERNITY, and how small the most momentous matters of time are when contrasted with it!
But whither are we bound? To which of these termini are we hastening? Are we at this moment treading the broad road which leads to everlasting destruction? Or have we discovered the mistake, repented, and turned to God through Jesus, who was crucified for sinners, and thus entered by the strait gate into the narrow road which leadeth unto life? Which is it? Are we venturing our hopes as to ETERNITY on our works, feelings, self-advancement, or other forms of building “upon the sand”? Or have we so entirely renounced self in every form as totally unfit for God, and so wholly accepted the Son of God, who was crucified for sinners, as the only foundation, the alone ground of salvation and way of peace? If the latter, your hopes are built securely on that rock from which nothing shall ever dislodge you. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11.) And whoever believeth on Him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:6.)
But many are indifferent. They neither ask themselves, nor will they permit others to ask them the question, “Where will you spend eternity?” But it must, sooner or later, be answered. The momentous subject must be realized, either in everlasting misery or in everlasting happiness. Then why not face it now? Why not?
“Where will you spend eternity?
Say not, I cannot tell;
The question means but good to thee,
And will be answered still.
To shun the light, or shut the sight,
The cup of wrath may fill;
ETERNITY where wilt thou spend?
Don’t say, I cannot tell;
The life thou lewdest now will end
In HEAVEN or in HELL.” Which?
No words can possibly convey the importance of the subject. It needs no argument. It is a simple question for the conscience before God. To be in hell-fire, lifting up the eyes in torments, and longing for a drop of water to cool the parched tongue of one tormented in that flame, is the Saviour’s own description of the misery of a lost soul. This, dear reader, you know. Then is it not worth a serious thought, a moment’s solemn consideration, a quiet calculation, according to God’s word, whether you will be there forever or not? Is it possible you can thus refuse to listen to the voice of the Son of God? Or can you think lightly of the apostle’s question, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
Be, then, like a wise man, who builds his house upon the rock. Be a wise virgin, and take oil in the vessel with the lamp; and so rest in the faithfulness of God to His own word, that, like Timothy, through the Scriptures, you may be “wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.”
God saw us, because of our sins, justly exposed to condemnation, to eternal misery, and His love moved in deepest compassion toward us. He provided a Saviour, who made peace by the blood of His cross­— “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Thus God, instead of condemning us, has, in deepest love to us, condemned our sin in His own holy, well-beloved Son, that, by His death, we might be reconciled to God, by His blood be cleansed from sin, and now stand, by faith in Him, righteous and accepted before God. This God gives to every one that believeth. The gospel is sent to proclaim this, and God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish. He saith, “Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man (the Lord Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38, 39.) Well, then, might the dear apostle exclaim, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
“ETERNITY! Eternity!
How long art thou, eternity?
As long as God is God, so long
Endure the pain of hell and wrong;
So long the joys of heaven remain.
O lasting joy! O lasting pain!
Ponder, O man, ETERNITY!”