ZECHARIAH
The Minor Prophets:
Zechariah 1
THE name Zechariah means one whom Jehovah remembers: a common name, four others of the same name occurring in the Old Testament. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he was a priest as well as a prophet, which adapts him for the sacerdotal character of some of his prophecies ( Zechariah 6:13 ( Zechariah 1:1 his father died when he was young; and hence, as sometimes occurs in Jewish genealogies, he is called "the son of Iddo," his grandfather. Iddo was one of the priests who returned to Zerubbabel and Joshua from Babylon ( Nehemiah 12:4 )
The prophecy consists of four parts: (1) Introductory, Zechariah 1:1-6 (2) Symbolical, Zechariah 1:7 nine visions; all these were vouchsafed in one night, and are of a symbolical character. (3) Didactic, the seventh and eighth chapters containing an answer to a query of the Beth-elites concerning a certain feast. And (4) Prophetic, the ninth chapter to the end. These six last chapters predict Alexander's expedition along the west coast of Palestine to Egypt; God's protection of the Jews, both at that time and under the Maccabees; the advent, sufferings, and reign of Messiah; the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome, and dissolution of the Jews' polity; their conversion and restoration; the overthrow of the wicked confederacy which assailed them in Canaan; and the Gentiles' joining in their holy worship [HENDERSON]. The difference in style between the former and the latter chapters is due to the difference of subject; the first six chapters being of a symbolical and peculiar character, while the poetical style of the concluding chapters is adapted admirably to the subjects treated. The titles ( Zechariah 9:1 ; 12:1 prophetic matter which follows; nor is it necessary for unity of authorship that the introductory formulas occurring in the first eight chapters should occur in the last six. The non-reference in the last six chapters to the completion of the temple and the Jews' restoration after the captivity is just what we should expect, if, as seems likely, these chapters were written long after the completion of the temple and the restoration of the Jews polity after the captivity, in circumstances different from those which engaged the prophet when he wrote the earlier chapters.
The style varies with the subject: at one time conversational, at another poetical. His symbols are enigmatical and are therefore accompanied with explanations. His prose is like that of Ezekiel--diffuse, uniform, and repetitious. The rhythm is somewhat unequal, and the parallelisms are not altogether symmetrical. Still, there is found often much of the elevation met with in the earlier prophets, and a general congruity between the style and the subjects. Graphic vividness is his peculiar merit. Chaldæisms occur occasionally. Another special characteristic of Zechariah is his introduction of spiritual beings into his prophetic scenes. (Jamieson)
1 In the eighth month{Late Autumn} of Darius' second year as king, the LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. He said,
3 Tell the people, 'This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Armies of Heaven says: Return to me, declares the LORD(Jesus) of Armies, and I will return to you, says the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts.'
4 Don't be like your ancestors, who heard the earlier prophets preach to them, 'This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.' But they didn't listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD(Jesus).
6 Didn't my warnings and my laws, which I've commanded my servants the prophets [to preach], finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, 'The LORD(Jesus) of Armies of Heaven has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.'
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (around Jan. 15th), which is the month of Shebat; in Darius' second year as king, the LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.
The Horsemen of Revealtion
8 During that night I saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, pale, and white horses.
9 "What do these horses mean, sir?" I asked. The angel who was speaking with me answered, "I will show you what they mean."
10 The man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They're the horses the LORD(Jesus) has sent to patrol the earth."
11 Then they reported to the Messenger of the LORD(Jesus) standing among the myrtle trees, "We have patrolled the earth. The whole world is at rest and in peace."
12 Then the Messenger of the LORD(Jesus) said, "LORD(Jesus) of Hosts, how much longer until you show compassion to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You've been angry with them for 70 years."
13 The LORD(Jesus) responded to the angel who was speaking with me, using kind and comforting words.
14 The angel who was speaking with me said, "Announce: This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Armies(of Hosts) says: I'm very jealous about Jerusalem and Zion,
15 and I'm very angry with the nations who think they are at ease. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse.
16 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be rebuilt in it, declares the LORD of Armies. A measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.
17 Announce again: This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: “My cities will overflow with prosperity once more. The LORD(Jesus) will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem."
19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What do these horns mean?" He said to me, "These are the horns [of the nations] that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
21 I asked, "What are they going to do?" He answered, "Those horns scattered Judah so widely that no one could lift up his head. But the craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations. The nations raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah."
Zechariah 2
1 I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. (Revel 11:1)
2 I asked him, "Where are you going?" He answered, "I am going to measure Jerusalem to see how wide and how long it is."
3 Then the angel who was speaking with me left. Another angel came out to meet him
4 and said to him, "Run, and say to that young man, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited like an unwalled village because it will have so many people and animals in it.
Zechariah is called as being still a youth when prophetically inspired [GROTIUS]
5 I will be a wall of fire around it, says the LORD(Jesus). I will be the glory within it.
6 Hurry, hurry! Flee from the land of the north(Germany-The King of the North), says the LORD(Jesus). I've scattered you to the four winds of heaven.
7 Hurry, Zion!Flee, you inhabitants of Babylon! (Revelation 18:4)
8 This is what the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of hosts) says: Afterwards, the Glory sent me to the nations who looted you. Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.
9 I'm going to shake my fist at the nations, and their own slaves will loot them. Then you will know that the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of Hosts) has sent me.
10 Sing for joy and rejoice, people of Zion. I'm going to come and live among you, says the LORD(Jesus).
11 On that day many nations will join the LORD(Jesus) and become my people. I will live among you. Then you will know that the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts has sent Me to you.
12 The LORD(Jesus) will claim Judah as his own in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.
13 Everyone be silent in the presence of the LORD(Jesus). He is waking up and setting out from his holy dwelling place.
Zechariah 3
1 Then he showed me Joshua(Jeshua-Jesus), the chief priest, standing in front of the Messenger of the LORD(Jesus). Satan the Accuser was standing at Joshua's right side to accuse him.
Joshua(Jeshua-Jesus) All are the same name from Hebrew. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua or Jeshua. Joshua as high priest ( Haggai 1:1 ) represents "Jerusalem" ( Zechariah 3:2 ), or the elect people, put on its trial, and "plucked" narrowly "out of the fire."
The "change of raiment" implies its restoration to God's favor. Satan suggested to the Jews that so consciously polluted a priesthood and people could offer no acceptable sacrifice to God, and therefore they might as well desist from the building of the temple. Zechariah encourages them by showing that their demerit does not disqualify them for the work, as they are accepted in the righteousness of another, their great High Priest, the Branch ( Zechariah 3:8 ), a scion of their own royal line of David ( Isaiah 11:1 ). The full accomplishment of Israel's justification and of Satan the accuser's being "rebuked" finally, is yet future ( Revelation 12:10 ). Compare Revelation 11:8 , wherein "Jerusalem," as here, is shown to be meant primarily, though including the whole Church in general (compare Job 1:9 ). (Jamieson)
2 The LORD(Jesus) said to Satan, "I, the LORD(Jesus), rebuke you, Satan! I, the LORD(Jesus), who has chosen Jerusalem, silence you! Isn't this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?"
Satan--the Hebrew term meaning "adversary" in a law court: as devil is the Greek term, meaning accuser. Messiah, on the other hand, is "advocate" for His people in the court of heaven's justice ( 1 John 2:1 ). (Jamieson) twice repeated to express the certainty of Satan's accusations and machinations against Jerusalem being frustrated. Instead of lengthened argument, Jehovah silences Satan by the one plea, namely, God's choice.
3 Joshua(Jeshua-Jesus) was wearing filthy clothes and was standing in front of the Messenger.
4 The Messenger said to those who were standing in front of him, "Remove Joshua's filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken your sin away from you, and I will dress you in fine clothing."
5 So I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." They put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the Messenger of the LORD(Jesus) was standing there.
6 The Messenger of the LORD(Jesus) advised Joshua,
7 "This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: If you live according to My ways and follow My requirements, you will govern My Temple and watch over My courtyards. Then I will give you free access to walk among those standing here.
8 Listen, Chief Priest Joshua(Jeshua-Jesus) and your friends sitting with you. These men are a sign of things to come: I'm going to bring My servant, the Branch.
Joshua the high priest typifies Messiah, as Joshua's "fellows" typify believers whom Messiah admits to share His Priesthood ( 1 Peter 2:5 , Revelation 5:10 ).
the Branch--Messiah, a tender branch from the almost extinct royal line of David ( Zechariah 6:12 , Isaiah 4:2 , 11:1 , Jeremiah 23:5 , 33:15 ). Luke 1:78 , where for "day spring," "branch" may be substituted ( Malachi 4:2 , however, favors English Version). The reference cannot be to Zerubbabel (as GROTIUS thinks), for he was then in the full discharge of his office, whereas "the Branch" here is regarded as future.(Jamieson)
9 Look at the stone I have set in front of Joshua(Jeshua-Jesus). That one stone has seven eyes. I am engraving an inscription on it, says the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts. I will remove this land's sin in a single day.
Antitypically, the (foundation) stone alluded to is Christ, before called "the Branch." Lest any should think from that term that His kingdom is weak, He now calls it "the stone," because of its solidity and strength whereby it is to be the foundation of the Church, and shall crush all the world kingdoms ( Psalms 118:22 ; compare Isaiah 28:16 , Daniel 2:45 , Matthew 21:42 , 1 Corinthians 3:11 , 1 Peter 2:6 1 Peter 2:7 ). The angel pointing to the chief stone lying before Him, intimates that a deeper mystery than the material temple is symbolized. (Jamieson)
The eye is the symbol of Providence: "seven," of perfection ( Revelation 5:6 ; compare 2 Chronicles 16:9 , Psalms 32:8 ). Antitypically, "the seven eyes upon the stone" are the eyes of all angels ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ), and of all saints ( John 3:14 John 3:15 , 12:32 ), and of the patriarchs and prophets ( John 8:56 , 1 Peter 1:10 1 Peter 1:11 ), fixed on Christ; above all, the eyes of the Father ever rest with delight on Him. CALVIN (perhaps better) considers the seven eyes to be carved on the stone, that is, not the eyes of the Father and of angels and saints ever fixed on Him, but His own sevenfold (perfect) fullness of grace, and of gifts of the Spirit ( Isaiah 11:2 Isaiah 11:3 , John 1:16 , 3:34 , Colossians 1:19 , 2:9 ), and His watchful providence now for the Jews m building the temple, and always for His Church, His spiritual temple. Thus the "stone" is not as other stones senseless, but living and full of eyes of perfect intelligence ( 1 Peter 2:4 , "a living stone"), who not only attracts the eyes ( John 12:32 ) of His people, but emits illumination so as to direct them to Him. (Jamieson)
I will remove this land's sin in a single day.--that is, the iniquity and its consequences, namely the punishment to which the Jews heretofore had been subjected ( Haggai 1:6 Haggai 1:9-11 ). The remission of sin is the fountain of every other blessing. The "one day" of its removal is primarily the day of national atonement celebrated after the completion of the temple ( Leviticus 23:27 ) on the tenth day of the seventh month. Antitypically, the atonement by Messiah for all men, once for all ("one day") offered, needing no repetition like the Mosaic sacrifices ( Hebrews 10:10 Hebrews 10:12 Hebrews 10:14 ). (Jamieson)
10 On that day," declares the LORD(Jesus) of Almighty, "each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree."
Type of spiritual peace with God through Christ ( Romans 5:1 ); and of millennial blessedness ( Micah 4:4 ).
Zechariah 4
1 Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep.
2 "What do you see now?" he asked.I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each one having seven spouts with wicks.
3 And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl."
The two witnesses of Revelation
4 I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What do these things mean, sir(adonay)?"
5 Then the angel asked me, "Don't you know what they mean?" "No, sir(adonay)," I answered.
6 Then he replied, "This is the word the LORD(Jesus) spoke to Zerubbabel: You won't [succeed] by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts.
7 What a high mountain you are! In front of Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the topmost stone with shouts of 'Blessings, blessings on it!'
8 Then the LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to me. He said,
9 Zerubbabel's hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of Hosts) has sent me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD(Jesus), Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth."
11 I asked the angel, "What do these two olive trees at the right and the left of the lamp stand mean?"
12 Again I asked him, "What is the meaning of the two branches from the olive trees next to the two golden pipes that are pouring out gold?"
13 He asked me, "Don't you know what these things mean?" "No, sir," I answered.
14 So he said, "These are the two anointed ones who are standing beside the LORD(Jesus) of the whole earth."
The 2 witnesses of Revelation 11!
Zechariah 5
1 I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.
2 The angel asked me, "What do you see?" "I see a flying scroll," I answered. "It's 30 feet long and 15 feet wide."
3 Then he said to me, "This is a curse that will go out all over the earth. The one side of the scroll says that every thief will be forced away. The other side of the scroll says that everyone who takes an oath will be forced away.
4 I will send out a curse, saith the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of Hosts), and it will enter the houses of thieves and the houses of those who take oaths in my name. It will stay in their houses and destroy the timber and stone.
5 The angel who was speaking with me came forward. He said, "Look up, and see what's coming."
6 "What is it?" I asked. "A basket is coming," he said. Then he added, "This is what the people's sins look like all over the earth."
7 A lead cover [on the basket] was raised, and a woman was sitting in the basket.
8 The angel said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and forced the lead cover down on top of it.
9 I looked up and saw two women coming forward with wind in their wings. They had wings like those of a stork. They carried the basket into the sky.
the Septuagint here in Zechariah uses the same words as Paul and "the man of sin," whom the Lord shall destroy with the spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 2 Thessalonians 2:7 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ). Their "wings" express velocity. The "stork" has long and wide wings, for which reason it is specified; also it is a migratory bird. The "wind" helps the rapid motion of the wings. The being "lifted up between heaven and earth" implies open execution of the judgment before the eyes of all. As the "woman" here is removed to Babylon as her own dwelling, so the woman in the Apocalypse of St. John is Babylon ( Revelation 17:3-5 ). (Jamieson)
10 I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "Where are they taking the basket?"
11 He replied, "To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal."
Zechariah 6
1 I looked up again and saw four chariots going out from between the two mountains. They were mountains of bronze.
The 4 Horsemen:
2 The first chariot had red horses. The second had black horses.
3 The third had white horses. And the fourth had strong, spotted horses.
4 I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What do these horses mean, sir?"
5 The angel answered, "They are the four spirits of heaven. They are going out after standing in the presence of the MASTER(adown) of the whole earth.
6 The chariot with the black horses is going toward the north, and the white horses are following them. The spotted ones are going toward the south."
7 When these strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. He said, "Go, patrol the earth!" And they patrolled the earth.
8 Then he called out to me, "Look! Those who went to the north have made my Spirit rest in the north."
Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))*
9 The LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to me. He said,
10 Take an offering from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. This same day go to the house of Josiah, son of Zephaniah.
11 Take the silver and gold, make a crown, and put it on the head of Chief Priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak.
12 Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: Here is the man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the LORD(Jesus)'s temple.
A foreshadow that the Messiah's name would be JESUS-Joshua-Jeshua! This clearly shows the Joshua is the name of the Branch!
13 He will rebuild the LORD(Jesus)'s temple and receive royal honor. He will sit and rule from his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. There will be a peaceful understanding between them.
14 The crown will be a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen (son of Zephaniah) in the LORD(Jesus)'s temple.
15 Those who are far away will come and rebuild the LORD(Jesus)'s Temple. Then you will know the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of hHosts) has sent me to you. This will happen if you obey the LORD(Jesus) your God completely.
Zechariah 7
1 On the fourth day of the ninth month (November 19th in the Hebrew month of Chislev) in Darius' fourth year as king, the LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to Zechariah.
2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their men, to seek the LORD's(Jesus') favor.
3 They asked the priests from the house of the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts as well as the prophets, "Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done for so many years?"
This is the date the first and second Temples were destroyed
4 Then the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts spoke his word to me. He said,
5 Tell all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these past 70 years, did you really do it for me?
6 When you ate and drank, didn't you do it to benefit yourselves?
7 Aren't these the same words that the LORD(Jesus) announced through the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding cities were inhabited and undisturbed and the Negev and the foothills were still inhabited?'
8 Then the LORD(Jesus) spoke his word to Zechariah. He said,
9 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: Administer real justice, and be compassionate and kind to each other.
10 Don't oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And don't even think of doing evil to each other.
11 But people refused to pay attention. They shrugged their shoulders at me and shut their ears so that they couldn't hear.
12 They made their hearts as hard as flint so that they couldn't hear the LORD(Jesus)'s teachings, the words that the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts had sent by His Spirit(wind) through the earlier prophets. So the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts became very angry.
13 When I called, they wouldn't listen. So now when they call, I won't listen, says the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts.
Jesus says He because we hid from Him, he now hides from most of us!
14 I used a windstorm to scatter them among all the nations, nations they hadn't even heard of. They left behind a land so ruined that no one is able to travel through it. They have turned a pleasant land into a wasteland.
Zechariah 8
1 The LORD(Jesus) of Hosts spoke his word.
2 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: I am very jealous about Zion. I am fiercely possessive of it.
3 This is what the LORD(Jesus) says: I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth. The mountain of the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.
4 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. Each will have a cane in hand because of old age.
5 The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.
6 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: It may seem impossible to the few remaining people in those days, but will it seem impossible to me? declares the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts.
7 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: I am going to save my people from the land located from east to west.
The USA and the British Commonwealth
8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, who is faithful and just.
9 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: Be strong so that the Temple might be rebuilt, you people who are presently listening to the words from the mouths of the prophets who spoke when the foundation for the house of the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts was laid.
10 Before that time there was no money to hire any person or animal. No one who traveled was safe from the enemy. I turned every person against his neighbor.
11 But now I won't deal with the few remaining people as I did in earlier times, says the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts.
12 Seeds will thrive in peacetime. Vines will produce their grapes. The land will yield its crops. The sky will produce its dew. I will give the few remaining people all these things as an inheritance.
13 Just as you, people of Judah and people of Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will now save you, and you will become a blessing. Don't be afraid. Let your hands work hard.
14 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: When your forefathers made me angry, I made plans to destroy you, declares the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts, and I didn't change my plans.
15 So now I have again made plans, but this time to do good to Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Don't be afraid.
16 You must do these things: Speak the truth to each other. Give correct and fair verdicts for peace in your courts.
17 Don't even think of doing evil to each other. Don't enjoy false testimony. I hate all these things, said the LORD(Jesus).
18 The LORD(Jesus) of Hosts spoke his word to me again.
19 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: The fast in the fourth month, the fast in the fifth month, the fast in the seventh month, and the fast in the tenth month will become joyful and glad occasions as well as happy festivals for the nation of Judah. So love truth and peace.
The Fast Months INCLUDING THE DAY OF ATONEMENT will be changed into happy feast months full of food and fun during the Millennium!
20 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: People and citizens from many cities are going to come.
21 The citizens of one city will come to another city, saying, "Let's make a habit of going to ask the LORD(Jesus) for a blessing and to seek the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts. I'm also going."
22 Many people and powerful nations will come to seek the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts in Jerusalem and to ask the LORD(Jesus) for a blessing.
23 This is what the LORD(Jesus) of Hosts says: In those days ten people from every language found among the nations will take hold of the clothes of a Jew. They will say, "Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you.
The Gentiles shall eagerly seek to share the religious privileges of the Jew. The skirt with a fringe and blue ribbon upon it ( Numbers 15:38 , Deuteronomy 22:12 ) was a distinguishing badge of a Jew.
God is with you--the effect produced on unbelievers in entering the assemblies of the Church ( 1 Corinthians 14:25 ). But primarily, that produced on the nations in witnessing the deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus. Finally, that to be produced on the nations by the future grand interposition of Messiah in behalf of His people.
Zechariah 9
1 This is the message from the LORD(Jesus) against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of all humanity, including the people of Israel, are on the LORD(Jesus).
2 Doom is certain for Hamath, near Damascus, and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, too, though they are so clever.
3 Tyre has built a strong fortress and has piled up so much silver and gold that it is as common as dust in the streets!
4 But now the LORD(Jesus) will strip away Tyre's possessions and hurl its fortifications into the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre will be set on fire and burned to the ground.
5 The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall and will be filled with fear. Gaza will shake with terror, and so will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed. Gaza will be conquered and its king killed, and Ashkelon will be completely deserted.
6 A mixed race will live in Ashdod, and I will cut off the Philistines' arrogance.
7 I will remove the blood from their mouths and the disgusting things from between their teeth. Then only a few of them will be left for our God like a tribe in Judah, and Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
Ekron as a Jebusite--The Jebusites, the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, who, when subjugated by David, were incorporated with the Jews ( 2 Samuel 24:16 , &c.), and enjoyed their privileges: but in a subordinate position civilly ( 1 Kings 9:20 1 Kings 9:21 ). The Jebusites' condition under Solomon being that of bond-servants and tributaries, CALVIN explains the verse differently: "I will rescue the Jew from the teeth of the Philistine foe (image from wild beasts rending their prey with their teeth), who would have devoured him, as he would devour blood or flesh of his abominable sacrifices to idols: and even he, the seemingly ignoble remnant of the Jews, shall be sacred to our God (consecrated by His favor); and though so long bereft of dignity, I will make them to be as governors ruling others, and Ekron shall be a tributary bond- servant as the Jebusite? Thus the antithesis is between the Jew that remaineth (the elect remnant) and the Ekronite. (Jamieson)
8 I will camp in front of my house as a guard against those who come and go. No oppressors will pass through them, because I have seen it with my own eyes.
9 Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion! Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem! Look! Your King is coming to you: He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and rides on a donkey, on a colt, a young pack animal.
The prediction that Christ would ride a donkey into Jerusalem (John 12:15)
10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. Your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
11 I will set your captives free from the waterless pit because of the blood that sealed my promise to you.
12 Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners, for there is yet hope! I promise this very day that I will repay you two mercies for each of your woes!
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man.
14 The LORD(Jesus) will appear over them, and his arrow will go out like lightning. The LORD(Jesus) God will blow the ram's horn(shofar) and will march in the storms from the south.
15 The LORD(Jesus) of Hosts will defend them. They will destroy and trample the stones used in slings. They will drink and shout as if they were drunk. They will be filled like a sacrificial bowl [used for sprinkling] the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the LORD(Jesus) their God will rescue them as the flock of his people. They will certainly sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be beautiful and lovely. Young men will prosper on grain, and young women will prosper on new wine.
Zechariah 10
1 Ask the LORD(Jesus) for rain in the springtime. The LORD(Jesus) makes thunderstorms. He gives everyone rain showers for the plants in the field.
2 The idols speak lies. The fortunetellers see false visions. They speak about false dreams. They give useless comfort. That is why people wander around like sheep. They are troubled because there is no shepherd.
3 My burning anger is directed against the shepherds. I will punish the male goats. The LORD(Jesus) Almighty takes care of his flock, the people of Judah. He makes them like his splendid war horse.
4 From them will come a cornerstone, from them a tent peg, from them a battle bow, from them every leader.
5 Together they will be like warriors who trample the enemy in the mud on the streets. They will fight because the LORD(Jesus) is with them. They will put to shame those who ride on horses.
6 I will strengthen the people of Judah. I will rescue Joseph's people. I will bring them back, because I have compassion for them. It will be as though I had never rejected them, because I am the LORD(Jesus) their God, and I will answer them.
7 The people of Ephraim will be like mighty warriors. Their hearts will be glad as if they had some wine [to drink]. Their sons will see it and be glad. Their hearts will find joy in the LORD(Jesus).
8 I will signal them with a whistle and gather them because I have reclaimed them. They will be as numerous as they have ever been.
9 Although I have scattered them among the nations, they will remember me even in faraway places. They will live with their children and then return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and to Lebanon, and there won't be enough room for them.
11 The LORD(Jesus) will pass through a sea of distress, strike the waves in the sea, and dry up all the deep places of the Nile River. The pride of Assyria will be humiliated, and the scepter of Egypt will depart.
12 I will strengthen them in the LORD(Jesus). They will live in His name, says the LORD(Jesus).
HIS = THE FATHER!
Zechariah 11
1 Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire will be able to burn down your cedars.
2 Cry, cypress trees, because the cedars have fallen and the stately trees have been destroyed. Cry, oak trees of Bashan, because your dense forest has fallen down.
3 Listen! Weep, you cypress trees, for all the ruined cedars; the tallest and most beautiful of them are fallen. Weep, you oaks of Bashan, as you watch the thickest forests being felled.
4 This is what the LORD(Jesus) my GOD (Elohim-The Family of God) says: Take care of the sheep that are about to be slaughtered.
5 Those who buy them will kill them and go unpunished. Those who sell them will say, "Praise the LORD(Jesus)! I've become rich!" Even their own shepherds will have no pity on them.
6 The LORD(Jesus) declares, "I will no longer have pity on those who live in the land. I am going to hand the people over to their neighbors and their king, who will crush the land. And I won't rescue any of them from their power."
7 So I became the shepherd of the sheep that were to be slaughtered and also of the oppressed sheep. I took two shepherd staffs and named one Favor and the other Unity. And I took care of the sheep.
I= Jesus became the Shepard, the Messiah
8 I got rid of three shepherds in one month. I became impatient with the sheep, and they also became disgusted with me.
9 So I said, "I won't be your shepherd. Let those that are dying die. Let those that are missing stay missing. And let those that are left devour each other.
10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it in pieces, to break the promise that I had made to all the nations.
11 So it was broken on that day, and the oppressed among the sheep who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD(Jesus).
12 Then I said to them, "If it's alright with you, pay me my wages. But if it's not, don't." And they paid me my wages--30 pieces of silver.
I said--The prophet here represents the person of Jehovah-Messiah.
13 The LORD(Jesus) told me, "Give it to the potter." So I took the 30 pieces of silver. Such a magnificent price was set by them! I gave the pieces of silver to the potter at the house of the LORD(Jesus).
So . . . thirty pieces of silver--thirty shekels. They not only refused Him His due, but added insult to injury by giving for Him the price of a gored bond-servant ( Exodus 21:32 , Matthew 26:15 ). A freeman was rated at twice that sum.The thirty pieces are thrown down in the temple, as the house of Jehovah, the fit place for the money of Jehovah-Messiah being deposited, in the treasury, and the very place accordingly where Judas "cast them down." The thirty pieces were cast "to the potter," because it was to him they were "appointed by the Lord" ultimately to go, as a worthless price (compare Matthew 27:6 Matthew 27:7 Matthew 27:10 ). For "I took," "I threw," here Matthew has "they took," "they gave them"; because their (the Jews' and Judas') act was all His "appointment" (which Matthew also expresses), and therefore is here attributed to Him (compare Acts 2:23 , 4:28 ). It is curious that some old translators translate, for "to the potter," "to the treasury" (so MAURER), agreeing with Matthew 27:6 . But English Version agrees better with Hebrew and Matthew 27:10 . (Jamieson)
14 Then I broke my second staff, called Unity, in pieces, to break off the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
The breaking of the bond of union between Judah and Israel's ten tribes under Rehoboam is here the image used to represent the fratricidal discord of factions which raged within Jerusalem on the eve of its fall, while the Romans were thundering at its gates without. See JOSEPHUS [Wars of the Jews]. Also the continued severance of the tribes till their coming reunion ( Romans 11:15 ). (Jamieson)
15 Then the LORD(Jesus) said to me, Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd.
16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for the sheep that are threatened by death, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves.
An Antichrist, that comes in his own name. Probably a Jew, or someone that the Jews will accept as their Messiah during the End Times.
17 Doom is certain for this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye! His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind!
Doom comes to him being tossed into the bottomless pit … Revelation 20:10
Zechariah 12
THE LORD IS COMING and the REVELATION TO THE JEWS:
1 This is the prophetic revelation, the word of the LORD(Jesus) about Israel. The LORD(Jesus)--who spread out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit in a person—says:
2 I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem.
Jerusalem a burdensome stone:
3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed.
We know that in the End Times, Jerusalem will become a hot spot, a problem for the entire world! Just like it is today. Jesus tells us here that any nation involved in trying to shape it, will become entangled and will be defeated and confront every sort of problem.Compare Matthew 21:44
4 The LORD(Jesus) declares, On that day I will strike every horse with panic and every rider with madness. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will strike all the horses of the nations blind.
5 And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, 'The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the LORD(Jesus) Almighty(of Hosts), their God.'
6 At that time I will make the families of Judah like a raging fire - they will destroy all the surrounding nations. The people of Jerusalem will remain safe in the city.
7 I, the LORD(Jesus), will give victory to the armies of Judah first, so that the honor which the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem will receive will be no greater than that of the rest of Judah.
Judah (modern day nation called Israel) would be the first of the tribes to return to the land of Abraham and God will cause them to gain instant victories over the Arabs, as he did in 1948, 1967, 1973 and up until this day!
8 On that day the LORD(Jesus) will defend those who live in Jerusalem and even the weakest among them will become as strong as David was. The descendants of David will lead them like the angel of the LORD(Jesus), like God himself.
This is how it has been so far. However, most of this prophecy concerns the future times when Jesus is reigning on earth!
JEWS WILL LOOK UPON CHRIST WHOM THEY HAVE KILLED:
10 I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at the one whom they stabbed to death, and they will mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son.
They (the Jews) will at the return of Christ realize that the one who they killed and rejected was not only their Messiah, but their LORD and GOD! Future conversion of the Jews is to flow from an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit ( Jeremiah 31:9 Jeremiah 31:31-34 , Ezekiel 39:29 ). me . . . him--The change of person is due to Jehovah-Messiah speaking in His own person first, then the prophet speaking of Him. The Jews, to avoid the conclusion that He whom they have "pierced" is Jehovah- Messiah, who says, "I will pour out . . . spirit," altered "me" into "him," and represent the "pierced" one to be Messiah Ben (son of) Joseph, who was to suffer in the battle with Cog, before Messiah Ben David should come to reign. But Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic oppose this; and the ancient Jews interpreted it of Messiah. Psalms 22:16 also refers to His being "pierced." So John 19:37 , Revelation 1:7 . The actual piercing of His side was the culminating point of all their insulting treatment of Him. The act of the Roman soldier who pierced Him was their act ( Matthew 27:25 ), and is so accounted here in Zechariah. The Hebrew word is always used of a literal piercing (so Zechariah 13:3 ); not of a metaphorical piercing, "insulted," as MAURER and other Rationalists (from the Septuagint) represent.
11 At this time the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo(Armageddon) .
The last battle before the Millennium begins here!
12 The land will mourn, each family by itself: the family of David by itself, and the wives by themselves; the family of Nathan by itself, and the wives by themselves;
They have all been resurrected from the dead... David . . . Nathan--representing the highest and lowest of the royal order. Nathan, not the prophet, but a younger son of David ( 2 Samuel 5:14 , Luke 3:31 ). (Jamieson)
Jewish females worship separately from the males ( Exodus 15:1 Exodus 15:20 ).
13 the family of Levi by itself, and the wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and the wives by themselves.
Levi . . . Shimei--the highest and lowest of the priestly order ( Numbers 3:18 Numbers 3:21 ). Their example and that of the royal order would of course influence the rest.
14 Each of the surviving families from Judah will mourn separately, husbands and wives apart.
All . . . that remain--after the fiery ordeal, in which two-thirds fall ( Zechariah 13:8 Zechariah 13:9 ). Yes, 2/3 of mankind die in the tribulation!
Zechariah 13
1 When the time comes, a fountain will be opened to purify the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem from their sin and idolatry.
2 And on that day, says the LORD of Host(Almighty), I will get rid of every trace of idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land all false prophets and the unclean spirits that inspire them.
We will not remember the names of Easter, Dianna, etc!
3 Then if anyone still insists on prophesying, his own father and mother will tell him that he must be put to death, because he claimed to speak the Lord's word, but spoke lies instead. When he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him to death.
4 When that time comes, no prophet will be proud of his visions or act like a prophet or wear a prophet's coarse garment in order to deceive people.
5 Instead, he will say, "I am not a prophet. I am a farmer - I have farmed the land all my life.'
6 Then if someone asks him, "What are those wounds on your chest?' he will answer, "I got them at a friend's house.' "
THE FATHER AS YAHWEH-JESUS' PARTNER!
7 Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, the man who is My partner, says the LORD Almighty. Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.
Here the LORD IS NOT JESUS, but THE FATHER! Jesus is His partner, His friend and at one time HIS EQUAL!
2/3 of WORLD TO DIE!
8 and throughout the land two-thirds of the people will die.
Again the tribulation prediction that 2/3's of the world will die during this time. That is about 4 billion people or more!
9 I will bring that group through the fire{the trials of the tribulation} and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"
Again, this is the Father speaking here, as the whole world will someday know Him as Jesus knows him! God the Father is coming to live on the new earth which will be created after the Millennium.
Zechariah 14
1 Behold, the day of the LORD(Jesus) is coming, when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!
2 On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken away into captivity, and half will be left among the ruins of the city.
3 Then I, the LORD(Jesus) will go out and fight against those nations, as I fought in times past.
The Great Earthquake on The Day of the LORD!
4 At that time he will stand on the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west by a large valley. Half of the mountain will move northward, and half of it southward.
Joel 3:12, Acts 1:9-12
5 You will escape through this valley that divides the mountain in two. You will flee as your ancestors did when the earthquake struck in the time of King Uzziah of Judah. The LORD(Jesus) my God will come, bringing all the angels with him.
We are to actually escape God's wrath on the world by running INTO the crater of the earthquake! That will take plenty of faith, in that the right thing to do is to run away from an earthquake. Those that do that will die! See:Amos 1:1, Matt 24:30, Joel 3:11
-rather "through the valley," as in 2 Samuel 2:29 . The valley made by the cleaving asunder of the Mount of Olives ( Zechariah 14:4 ) is designed to be their way of escape, not their place of refuge [MAURER]. JEROME is on the side of English Version. If it be translated so, it will mean, Ye shall flee "to" the valley, not to hide there, but as the passage through which an escape may be effected. The same divinely sent earthquake which swallows up the foe, opens out a way of escape to God's people. The earthquake in Uzziah's days is mentioned ( Amos 1:1 ) as a recognized epoch in Jewish history. Compare also Isaiah 6:1 : perhaps the same year that Jehovah held His heavenly court and gave commission to Isaiah for the Jews, an earthquake in the physical world, as often happens ( Matthew 24:7 ), marked momentous movements in the unseen spiritual world.
6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish.
7 It shall be one day Which is known only to the LORD(Jesus)-- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.
No one knows the time----Jesus says this in Matthew 24:36
THE MILLENNIUM:
8 When that day comes, fresh water will flow from Jerusalem, half of it to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean. It will flow all year long, in the dry season as well as the wet.
9 Then the LORD(Jesus) will be king over all the earth; everyone will worship him as God and know him by the same name.
10 The whole region, from Geba in the north to Rimmon in the south, will be made level. Jerusalem will tower above the land around it; the city will reach from the Benjamin Gate to the Corner Gate, where there had been an earlier gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine presses.
11 The people will live there in safety, no longer threatened by destruction.
12 The LORD(Jesus) will bring a terrible disease on all the nations that make war on Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still alive; their eyes and their tongues will rot away.
13 At that time the LORD(Jesus) will make them so confused and in a state of panic. They will fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat;
14 The men of Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem. They will take as loot the wealth of all the nations - gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.
15 A terrible disease will also fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, and the donkeys - on all the animals in the camps of the enemy.
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES COMMANDED FOR ALL IN THE FUTURE!
16 Then all of the survivors from the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go there each year to worship the King, the LORD(Jesus) of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD(Jesus) Almighty (of hosts), on them there will be no rain.
18 If the Egyptians refuse to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles, then they will be struck by the same disease that the LORD(Jesus) will send on every nation that refuses to go.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar.
21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in all Judah will be set apart for use in the worship of the LORD(Jesus) Almighty. The people who offer sacrifices will use them for boiling the meat of the sacrifices. When that time comes, there will no longer be any merchant in the Temple of the LORD(Jesus) Almighty.
So goes the srgument that the Holy Days have been abolished! Right? Maybe that is why Paul kept them feast! See Acts 18:21
