Zechariah 1

Zechariah 1:1

I. EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE AND OBEDIENCE, AND WARNING TO PROFIT FROM MISTAKES OF FATHERS (1:1-6) The first six verses are introductory. They convey a message from the LORD through Zechariah the son of Berechiah to the people, urging them to return to the Lord. Verse 3 strikes the keynote of the book: “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.” He urges the people to profit from the mistakes of their fathers, who refused to listen to the former prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea. Judgment overtook the people, as the Lord had warned, and then they realized that the LORD was dealing with them because of their evil ways.

Zechariah 1:7

II. SERIES OF EIGHT VISIONS, DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE (1:76:8)Zechariah begins his book with a prophetic panorama from his own time to the Millennial Kingdom. A. Man Riding on a Red Horse (1:7-17)Meaning: God is displeased with the Gentiles who are at rest while His people suffer. He will punish the nations and restore His people. 1:7-11 In verse 7, the prophet begins his series of eight visions. In the first vision, the Lord is seen (man on the red horse, compare “the Angel of the LORD,” v. 11) with His agents (probably angels) who patrol the earth on red, sorrel, and white . . . horses. The myrtle trees in the hollow or low place represent Israel under Gentile subjugation. When the prophet asks the meaning of the riders, an interpreting angel promises to explain, but the Lord (the man standing among the myrtle trees) answers that their function is to patrol the earth. The patrols report to the Lord that all the earth is quietly at rest, probably meaning that the Gentile nations, especially Babylon, are at ease while God’s people are being oppressed. 1:12-17 The Angel of the LORD intercedes to the LORD of hosts for Jerusalem and . . . Judah, which have been desolate for seventy years. Given an encouraging reply, the interpreting angel tells the prophet to proclaim that God will intervene for His people. The nations had angered God by their cruelty to Judah. God would return to Jerusalem, and the temple would be rebuilt. The surveyor’s line here speaks of reconstruction whereas in 2Ki_21:13, it signifies destruction. . . . The prophet should tell the people that God will prosper the cities of Judah, comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.

Zechariah 1:18

B. Four Horns and Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)Meaning: Destruction of four Gentile world empires. The complete fulfillment of this second vision is still future. The four horns are identified as the four nations which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalemin other words, the four Gentile world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The four craftsmen are not identified, but they are obviously agencies raised up by God to destroy the Gentile powers which had scattered Judah. G. Coleman Luck explains: What are these four agents of God? It has been suggested that they may represent the four judgments of God mentioned in Eze_14:21 and Rev_6:1-8, these being war, famine, wild animals, and pestilence. Another suggestion which seems more probable is that they represent four successive powers that overthrow the four empires pictured in the previous vision: that is, Media-Persia overthrew Babylon, Greece overthrew Media-Persia, Rome overthrew Greece, and the Revived Roman Empire of the last days will be overthrown by the great Messianic kingdom. Certainly the general truth is clearly brought out that every evil power that rises up against the people of God will eventually be overthrown and judged.