Book of Zechariah

“ From November 520 we have the first of his dated oracles; his Visions followed in January 519, and his last recorded prophesying in December 518. [768]
These are all the certain events of Zechariah’s history. But in the well-attested prophecies he has left we discover, besides some obvious traits of character, certain problems of style and expression which suggest a personality of more than usual interest. ”

“ Being earnestly asked by honoured friends and readers of The Scattered Nation, the Quarterly Record of the Hebrew Christian Testimony to Israel, to write connected expository " Notes on Zechariah," I undertook to do so, without sufficiently realising as I must now confess how formidable the task of a continuous exposition of this particular prophetic book would prove, especially to one whose life is subject to much strain and distraction on account of many other claims and responsibilities in connection with the work of God among scattered Israel. ”

“ Book 38 Zechariah 38:001:001 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,
38:001:002 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
38:001:003 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.
38:001:004 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts ”

“ The heathen being overthrown, Israel is free, and may have her king again. Therefore Zechariah is ordered—it would appear on the same day as that on which he received the Visions—to visit a certain deputation from the captivity in Babylon, Heldai, Tobiyah and Yedayah, at the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have just arrived ”

“ There is scarcely a single competent scholar who does not now admit that the Hexateuch is a composite structure; that much of the Levitical legislation, which was once called Mosaic, is in reality an aftergrowth which in its present form is not earlier than the days of the prophet Ezekiel; that the Book of Deuteronomy belongs, in its present form, whatever older elements it may contain, to the era of Hezekiah's or Josiah's reformation; that the Books of Zechariah and Isaiah are not homogeneous, but preserve the writings of more prophets than their titles imply ”

“ We must not allow this curious imagery to hide from us its very spiritual teaching. If Zechariah is weighted in these Visions by the ponderous fashion of Ezekiel, he has also that prophet’s truly moral spirit. He is not contented with the ritual atonement for sin, nor with the legal punishment of crime. The living [Pg 305] power of sin must be banished from Israel; and this cannot be done by any efforts of men themselves, but by God’s action only, which is thorough and effectual. ”

“ Before finally taking leave of the loth verse, we must note once more that, in keeping with the special style and characteristic of our prophet (which we had occasion to observe again and again in our study of the first half of the book) , Zechariah not only bases his prophecy of Messiah s Person and Mission on the utterances about Israel s coming Redeemer of the " former prophets," but gives, so to say, a terse summary of God s previous revela tions on this great theme. This indeed is one reason why this short prophetic book of only fourteen chapters is so marvellously rich in its contents ”

“ All students of the prophetic Scriptures know how prominently he likewise stands out in the Book of Daniel. The young monarch, after the battle of Issus, besieged and quickly captured Damascus. Sidon was easily taken, but Tyre resisted him some seven months and was burned to the ground. Gaza and the other cities came next. Thus the burden of the Word of Jehovah as uttered here by Zechariah was literally fulfilled in the Syrian conquest of Alexander the Great. However, history tells us that the armies of the youthful monarch passed by Jerusalem a number of times without doing harm to the city. ”

“ Epiphanius, De Vitis Prophetarum, Dorotheus, and Hesychius, as quoted above, p. 80. They amount to this, that Zechariah, after predicting in Babylon the birth of Zerubbabel, and to Cyrus his victory over Crœsus and his treatment of the Jews, came in his old age to Jerusalem, prophesied, died and was buried near Beit-Jibrin—another instance of the curious relegation by Christian tradition of the birth and burial places of so many of the prophets to that neighbourhood. Compare Beit-Zakharya, 12 miles from Beit-Jibrin. Hesychius says he was born in Gilead. ”

“ Israel " in last section of the Book of Zechariah, 489 ; mountains of brass, 174 ; origin and dignity of Messiah, 194 ; prophets ashamed of their visions, 465, 466 ; stork-winged women in seventh vision, 165 ; the angelic messengers, 32 ; the " Blood Accusation," 329, 330 ; " the body of Moses," 123; the land of Shinar, 167; "the man" with the measur ing line, 59; the " scattering of the sheep," 482 ; the talent of lead, 159 ; Zeckariah and his Prophecies, 23, 63, 124, 504. ”

“ Judah s recognition of the strength of Jerusalem, 432 ; on " And I cut off three shepherds in one month," 393 ; authorship of final chapters of Zech ariah, 268 ; colours of horses in eighth vision, 177 ; crowning of Joshua, 189 ; deputation from Bethel, 212 ; fulfilment of prophecies pre dicting return of Israel to the pro mised land, 371 ; Jewish measures, 156 ; meaning of " Israel " in last sec tion of the Book of Zechariah, 489 ; means employed by God to wipe away the sins of Israel, 530-532 ; reason for Zechariah mentioning Egypt especially in reference to the Feast of Tabernacles, 530 ”

“ The better writings of the fathers, such as tended to learn ing and wisdom, are not excluded by the definite article. In like manner, neither Philo nor the New Testament gives exact information as to the contents of the division in ques tion. Indeed, several books (Canticles, Esther, Ecclesi astes) , are unnoticed in the latter. The argument drawn from Matthew xxiii. 35, that the Chronicles were then the last book of the canon, is inconclusive, as the Zechariah there named was probably different from the Zechariah in 2 Chronicles xxiv. ”

“ Jerusalem and the cities round about."
There are many Scriptures in the former prophets which bear witness to the truth of what Zechariah here affirms, namely, God's repudiation of mere outward acts of religious observances, and particularly of fasting, as being in any way pleasing to Him. " Wherefore have we fasted," we read, for instance, in Isa. Iviii., " and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest no knowledge? " Then the answer, which is very much the same as in Zechariah, " Did ye at all fast unto Me, even Me? " " ”

“ Evidence that there was no general return of the Jews in 536 B.C. Kent, Hist. J.P., 126-36; Torrey, Ezra Studies, 297-307.
Section XCV. Zechariah's Visions and Encouraging Addresses. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the evidence that Zechariah wrote from the point of view of a priest. 2. The structure and contents of his book. 3. The problems of the Judean community. 4. Their hopes of a national revival. 5. Zechariah's assurances. 6. The steps that were taken to make Zerubbabel king. 7. Evidence that the popular kingly hopes were disappointed. 8. The content of Zechariah's later sermons. 9. ”

“ In Zechariah 1:11 he is called "the angel of the Lord," and to him the (riders on the) "red horses, speckled with white" say: "We have walked to and fro," etc. Then (Zechariah 1:12) "the angel of the Lord" (i.e. the "man," "my lord," "the angel that talked with me") intercedes for the land against a world at ease. The date of the intercession was at the end of the 70 years' captivity of Judah. Zechariah 1:9-12.
Taken as a whole Zechariah 1:8-17 Zechariah's first vision reveals Judah in dispersion; Jerusalem under adverse possession; and the Gentile nations at rest about it. ”

“ A pause of nearly two thousand years has already ensued between the Qth and loth verses of this great prophecy between the time when Jesus, " that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet" Zechariah, presented Himself to the daughter of Zion as her true King, " meek, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass, 3 and the time when He shall " speak peace to the nations," and shall visibly " stand and feed (or rule ) in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah His God." ”

“ But the pillar of cloud and fire has a black and dark side towards the Egyptians, as well as a bright and pleasant side towards Israel; so have Zechariah's visions; for God's prophets are not only his ambassadors, to treat of peace with the sons of peace, but heralds, to proclaim war against those that delight in war, and persist in their rebellion. In this chapter we have two visions, by which "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." God will do great and kind things for his people, which the faithful sons of Zion shall rejoice in ”

“ And thus, also, these four powers, though successive in time, are exhibited to Zechariah together, and their antagonism and cruelty to God's people as already past and gone, " as each would be at the last, having put forth his passing might and perishing."
But the question may be asked, What consolation could the prophet derive or communicate to the people from a vision of four powers, two of whom at least had not yet arisen, who would in turn take up the work of scattering Israel? ”

“ Note, When God designs the restoring or reviving of religion he stirs up his prophets and people to pray for it, and does it in answer to their prayers. Zechariah prayed that the angels might be ordered to set the mitre on Joshua's head, and they did it immediately, and clothed him with the priestly garments; for no man took this honour to himself, but he that was called of God to it. The angel of the Lord stood by, as having the oversight of the work which the created angels were employed in. ”

“ This, I fed the flock of the slaughter, to the end of the narrative, where he is said to have asked for his hire, to have received it, and to have cast it into the Temple, to the treasurer all this Zechariah saw in prophetic vision. For the command which he received, and the act which he is said to have done, took place in prophetic vision or dream. This," he adds, " is beyond controversy, as all know who are able to distinguish the possible from the impossible." ”

“ This is the natural meaning, and the way in which the words were no doubt interpreted by the hearers of the prophet Zechariah." [11]
" In Christ," to quote another writer, " all is perfect harmony. There is a counsel of peace between Him and the Father whose Temple He builds. The will of the Father and the Son is one. Both have one will of love toward us, the salvation of the world, bringing forth peace through our redemption. God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only -begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life ”

“ Let us despise neither age nor youth in God's servants. The question to be asked in reference to those who profess to speak in the Name of God is not about age, experience, education, or worldly position; but are they really the Lord's messengers, and do they, like Haggai, speak "in the Lord's message"? Zechariah was contemporary and fellow-labourer with Haggai (Ezra v. i) to this extent, that his first message was uttered in the eighth month of the second year of Darius ”

“ A representative section, but a mere handful out of the whole people, was indeed brought back to the land after the seventy years captivity in Babylon, of which Zechariah himself was a witness, but that could not possibly be the restoration here promised; first, because, as is to be inferred from the whole prophecy, this was to be something which should take place at a \\
& future in the point of view, or outlook, of this post-exilic prophet, to whom, what we may call the chief act in the restoration from Babylon was already an accomplished fact ”

“ The first question which arises in the interpretation of this vision is concerning the person who leads the angelic hosts. He is called a man riding upon a red horse. This does not mean that he was nothing but a man, but it means that he appeared in the vision to Zechariah as a man, he had a human body. Later he is called the Angel of the Lord, and as such, he acts as successful intercessor for Jerusalem, and receives a loving answer from Jehovah. The leader must have been a divine person incarnate. ”

“ In Lowe's Hebrew Student's Commentary mi Zechariah, there is the following note:
"Another interpretation is that Zechariah's words are equivalent to this: The light of prophecy is dying out; while ye have the light, walk as children of the light. But to us it appears that to put the words, Do (or "did ") the prophets live for ever? into the mouth of Zechariah, is to destroy utterly his argument." ”

“ He said to the seer, See not, Isa. xxx. 10. Men would gladly have their prophets thus under their girdles, as we say, to speak just when and what they would have them speak, and not otherwise. 3. He threatened him: " Why shouldst thou be smitten? It is at thy peril if thou sayest a word more of this matter." He seems to remind him of Zechariah's fate in the last reign, who was put to death for making bold with the king; and bids him take warning by him. Thus he justifies the killing of that prophet by menacing this, and so, in effect, makes himself guilty of the blood of both. ”