God's Judgments Part 2

In this passage we see, God, as King of nations, ruling the world by the ministry of angels.

In this vision Zechariah saw four chariots coming forth from between two bronze mountains, drawn by horses of different colors. Zechariah asked the angel who was with him, “What are these, my lord?” The angel told him they are the four spirits of heaven who are going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth. In the Bible angels are often called the “chariots of God” (Psalm 68:17). The servant of Elisha saw “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2nd Kings 6:17).

The decrees of God are the beginning of the events that will result in the establishment of the earthly kigdom that Christ will rule over are immovable as mountains of brass. God performs the things that are appointed for us according to His will and it is useless to oppose His will. It is our duty to submit to the will of God.

God executes His decrees in the world as a king who rides in an open chariot, to show His glory to the world and in chariots of war He rides forth to conquer His the enemies of His glory and government. He moves swiftly and strongly as chariots, but all directed and governed by His infinite wisdom and sovereign will, as chariots by their drivers.

The angels in heaven are the ministers of God and are employed by Him as the armies of heaven for the executing of His decrees among the inhabitants of the earth. They are the chariots which come from between the mountains and are the horses that draw the chariots, great in power and might and are clothed with thunder, are terrible, but cannot be terrified nor made afraid. They are observant of and obedient to the will of God as well-managed horses are to their rider or driver. Not that God needs them or their services, but He is pleased to make use of them, that He may put honor upon them, and encourage our trust in His providence. When He tells them to go forth, they go as His messengers and ministers of His justice and mercy. God’s wrath is executed upon the enemies of His people and His favor is conferred upon His people.

In the first part of this chapter God spoke by a vision, which only Zechariah saw. In the second part He speaks by a sign, or type, which was a prediction of the Messiah as the priest and king of His church.

In the Old Testament there are two eminent types of Christ, both were named Joshua, the same name which is translated by the Septuagint, and in the New Testament, Jesus (Acts 7:45). There is Joshua the chief captain, a type of Christ, the captain of our salvation, and Joshua the chief priest, a type of Christ the high priest of the church.

Something was done to Joshua the high priest by divine appointment that he might be a type of Christ, a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who was both a king and a priest. Joshua was far from being ambitious of a crown but to the great surprise of both Zechariah and Joshua, Zechariah is ordered to crown Joshua as if he had been a king. It was done in such a way it would

not offend Zerubbabel and kept the kings of Persia.

We are told some Jews came from Babylon with an offering. Instead of merely coming to visit Jerusalem and bring an offering they should have come to Jerusalem with the intent to settle in Judah and Jerusalem with their brethren in their own land, and for their remissness and indifference in not doing so they thought to atone it by this visit. Perhaps they came as ambassadors from the body of the Jews that were in Babylon, who lived there in ease and hearing

that the building of the temple went on slowly for want of money, they sent them with an offering of gold and silver for the building program. They brought their gold and silver, to be used in the rebuilding of the temple, but God had other plans for the offering. Their silver and gold was to be used to make a crown that was to be put on Joshua’s head.

It is believed that there were two crowns were made, one of silver and the other of gold; the silver

denoting his priestly dignity, the gold his kingly dignity. The purpose of the silver crown represented the kingdom of the Messiah when Christ was here on earth, for then He was the King of Israel (John 1:49). The crown of gold represented His exalted state, the glory of which far exceeded that of the former as gold does silver.