ZECHARIAH 6: 1-8
THE FOUR CHARIOTS DESCEND (THE EIGHTH VISION)
[Revelations 6:1-8]
The vision of the four chariots and their horses is the eighth and last in this series of visions. This vision not only completes the visions but returns to the same theme as was found in the first. The LORD is supreme over the nations and is sovereignly working for the good of His people (CIT). The intervening visions focused on Israel's relationship with the LORD. Once God's people are in right relationship with Him, God is ready to move forward with the intervention promised in the first vision. The LORD's people could not expect to see their spiritual, emotional, and economic oppression vanquished and the kingdom of God ushered in until their own relationship with the LORD had been put on right footing. But now God reverses the situation for His sanctified repentant remnant by a wave of His almighty hand.
God's timetable is not determined by the need to punish the peoples who reject His rule, but by the need for His own people to be purified and ready to enjoy all He has prepared for them. When that is accomplished, God will ensure that no outside power will disrupt their peace and the enjoyment of their fellowship with Him.
Why did God allow His people to go through such suffering at the hands of an enemy He was going to destroy anyway? The intervening visions in which God postponed His judgment upon the peoples and powers which oppress His people teach us that it is more important that His people learn to trust and follow Him and be built up through adversity than it is that their enemies be punished.
So let us look more closely at the universal providence of God which is now acting to cleanse away the sinfulness of the earth.
I. THE COMING JUDGMENT UPON THE NATIONS, 1-3.
II. THE GOING FORTH OF JUDGMENT, 4-7.
III. THE RESTFUL AFTERMATH OF JUDGMENT, 8.
I. THE COMING JUDGMENT UPON THE NATION, 1-3.
Verse 1 uses the same phrase as before to indicate the start of another vision. "Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains and the mountains were bronze mountains."
Despite the fact that Zechariah has been weighted down by numerous overpowering visions, he is startled when he again lifted up his eyes and looked and graphically beholds four chariots advancing from between the two mountains of brass. The word for the two unnamed mountains (or hills) have a definite article in Hebrew which may indicate that they were well known. The mountains were bronze (or copper). Bronze typifies refining, purifying by fire or judgment. It was used when types of righteous judgments were established as is seen when Moses held up the bronze serpent in the wilderness for those bitten by fiery serpents because of their sinful rebellion (Num. 21:9; Jn. 3:14; 2 Cor. 5:21). The altars of burnt sacrifice of the Tabernacle and Temple that signify God's judgment against sin were bronze.
Thus the mountains are very likely the only two neighboring mountains of significance in the Bible, Mount Zion and Mount Olivet. They are mounts from which God's judgment goes forth upon the world. The valley of Je/hos/ha/phat (the Kidron Valley), which means Jehovah or "the Lord will judge," lies between those two mountains and is associated in prophetic Scriptures with God's judgments upon the nations (Joel 3:2f, 4:16; Zech. 14:4). Jews, Christians, and Moslems fix this valley as the scene of the last judgment.
Although used to transport kings and other notable persons, chariots were principally military vehicles. The designation of chariots would suggest battle to the ancient world. They symbolize the LORD's power (Ps. 68:17; Isa. 66:15; Hab. 3:8). Action is about to occur and chariots represent that action. The number of chariots seen is also significant. The number four stands for what is universal or world wide (2:6; 6:7). Ezekiel (37:9) and Zechariah (6:5) talked about "the four winds" and Isaiah (11:12) "the four corners (or directions) of the earth." The eternal city, the new Jerusalem of Revelation (21:16) is a city built four square (Jer. 49:36) [world-wide?]. Thus the universality of the judgment is indicated by the four chariots. Four chariots are pulled by four different colored horses. (Another clue to their identity is that verse five associates them with the "Presence" or "dwelling place" of the Word).
The focus of the prophet's description changes in verses 2 & 3 from the chariots to the horses which were drawing them. "With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses."
From verse five we know that these horses are going forth from the Lord just as the horses were in the first vision (1:10). There thus seems to be a connection between the first and last vision for in both of them we find colored horses sent to patrol the earth.
The significance of the varied colored horses undoubtedly is connected with the so called "four horsemen" of the Apocalypse (Rev. 6:1-8). The horses in the Revelation appear in the same context of judgment riding forth upon the nations of the earth as a result of the opening of the seven sealed book (Rev. 5:1-14). [Although these chariots seem to be regularly patrolling the earth and not solely confined to the apocalypse (v.7).]
Horses were a natural symbol for might and warfare (Job 39:19ff) and these most likely represent a carrying out of God's judgment on the earth. The symbolic representation of the varied colored horses is most probably as follows. The red horses harnessed to the first chariot are the color of blood and symbolize war and blood-shed. Read Rev. 6:4. The black horses harnessed to the second chariot symbolize mourning, scarcity, famine and death (Job 30:28, 30; Jer. 14:2). Read Rev. 6:5-6.
The white horses harnessed to a third chariot symbolize victory and triumph. Read Rev. 6:2. The strong dappled (beruddim-nail spotted, as if sprinkled with nail heads) horses harnessed to the fourth chariot may symbolize death by a wide range of means, such as violence, plagues, and pestilence, etc. Read Rev. 6:8.
II. THE GOING FORTH OF JUDGMENT, 4-7.
Zechariah again asks for help in interpreting the vision in verse 4. "Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me,'What are those, my Lord?'"
The prophet desires to know the meaning of this vision. He is particularly concerned about the significance of the chariots for they have been mentioned in every verse. So he respectfully asks the interpreting angel. "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you ..." (Mt. 7:7)
In verse 5 we find the angel's reply. "And the angel answered and said to me, "'These are the four spirits (winds) of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth.'"
The four chariots are declared to be the four winds (ruhoth is breaths, winds or spirits -sg. ruah) of the heavens. With just the designation chariots and horses we might have the idea of lumbering and slowness, but the swift and powerful designation of spirits or winds is given so we can more accurately comprehend them. These powers or spirits are standing before the Lord of all the earth. They are the forces which shape events in the world. Possible they have been assigned to do God's bidding in different parts of the earth.
Micah the prophet saw the host of heaven in 1 Kings 22:19 standing beside the throne. Daniel in Daniel 7:10 declares a thousand thousands served Him and ten thousand stood before Him. Gabriel announced himself in Luke 1:19 to the father of John the Baptist as the one who stands in the presence of God.
Thus since angels can also be called the chariots of God (Ps. 68:17; 8:10), these four chariots are most probably angelic beings or heavenly powers (possibly Ezekiel's 1:15-22 four living beings). Those invisible celestial messengers of God stand in His presence and obey the His word (Ps. 103:19-21) going forth in joyful service as swift and powerful as the winds (Ps. 104:4).
To stand before means to behold His glory in Heaven which is their blessedness and they serve His glory on the earth which is their business. They stand before Him to receive orders from Him and to give account to Him concerning their services on earth.
Behind visible phenomena, there is the eternal purpose and power of God working with the invisible active agency of His angelic host. God does not need angels to preform His will but He is pleased to make use of them that He may put honor upon them and encourage our trust of His providence.
The Lord of All the Earth is a millennial designation describing the sovereign rule of the Messiah over the earth in the visible kingdom age (Micah 4:13, Zech. 4:4). The decrees of earth's Sovereign Ruler will not be frustrated.
[There is insufficient support for the interpretation that the four chariots denote the four world empires or the four beasts in Daniel 7:1-3 since neither the fact of the chariots nor their colored teams furnish credible grounds for such.]
God is merciful but He will deal with sin and with those who sin against His people as verse 6 portrays. "With one of which (chariots) the black horses going forth to the north country; and the white one goes forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country."
The black horses go to the north country to bring about famine and death. This chariot is followed by the one pulled by the white horses which represent victory and conquest. The horses going forth as previously noted symbolize judgments upon the earth and the chariots symbolize the angelic spirits sent to do God's bidding. Israel's most terrible enemies, Assyria, Babylon, Rome, invaded Israel from the North.
Thus since the white horses may also follow the black ones to the north indicating that Israel, the God ruled ones, will find that the judgment of the Lord will bring victory over world powers and they will be victorious over the oppression of their attacking enemies.
The dappled or spotted horses which brings judgments of pestilence and plagues goes to the south country, toward Israel's ancient foe Egypt. [Egypt was the land of bondage or slavery. The judgments of the dappled horses may indicate a freeing from bondage.]
(To the east of Israel is the Mediterranean Sea and to the west is the Arabian Desert.)
The destiny of the enemies of the LORD's people is in God's hands. He will deal with them as they deserve.
In verse 7 the horses are straining at their harnesses, eager to fulfill their mission. "When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth, and He said to patrol the earth. So they patrolled the earth."
When the strong spirits (or chariots or horses - though their genders are different in Hebrew) came out from the presence of the LORD, they were eager to be about their regular task of patrolling the earth. They had been restrained until the right time. The strong chariots or military hosts realize that the whole earth is in the bondage of lawlessness and is out of control and desire to bring their judgment upon the entire earth in hope that people will repent of their wickedness.
When we come from God's presence in worship we too should be eager to perform what ever task God has given us. Our time is always the right time for we are to walk in the light as long as we have it (Jn. 12:35-36).
[The text may included all colors of horses in this request to patrol the earth since the red horses seem otherwise left out. It does seem from Zech. 1:7-17 & Rev. 6:1-7 that the scope of all these horses is world wide.]
III. THE RESTFUL AFTERMATH OF JUDGMENT, 8.
The Angel of the LORD calls out to Zechariah in verse 8. "Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, "See those who are going to the land of the north have caused My spirit to rest in the north."
Here again (6:6) we find special attention being given to the north. Why is the north such a focal point? If we look to Scripture we will find a country north of Israel deserving special consideration (Jer. 1:13-19, 25:9-13, Isa. 41:25), the country of Babylon.
If you will remember the previous vision concerned latter day Babylon, it is the world wide economic, political and religious system that persecutes the latter day repentant remnant of Israel (Rom. 9-11). It is no wonder that upon this Babylon certain and special punishment will be vented. And let us not forget, for God will not, that the enemy of the north re-established where Nimrod's Ancient Kingdom of Babylon was, in the land of Shinar will be the apostate religious system attempting to become God itself.
Thus these powers of Babylon which so pollute and contaminate men's souls and minds will face God's wrath. The chariots of God will not return from the land of the north until God's Spirit can rest there.
But the Spirit of YAHWEH is not only the spirit of judgment which destroys what is ungodly but He also quickens and invigorates what is related to God. Thus this vision not only sets forth the judgment of God upon the earth by which God purifies the sinful world, exterminating all that is ungodly but also that He will cleanse the world by His Spirit in preparation for the coming of the Messiah and His millennial kingdom.
CONCLUSION
This last vision emphasizes God's initiative and control over events that occur on earth. It presents divine intervention in Zechariah's day (6:6, 8), and the overarching truth of God's on–going control over all things. God has not loosened His control over what happens on earth, but it is governed by the spiritual goals He has set Himself (2 Pet. 3:9) and not by a need to vindicate Himself against the sinfulness of man.
God will not allow godless Babylon to continue long unjudged (Mt. 23:32; Gen. 15:16). Nor has He forgotten His promise to establish the Messiah's throne of righteousness on Mount Zion so that He may extend His rule over the whole earth and bless all people by His reign. It is an appointed goal of history toward which all things are moving (Rev. 9:15).
And when the Rider on the white horse appears in the eastern sky, the final judgment and blood cleansing of the earth will occur and the Presence of God will dwell upon the earth for a thousand years of glory in the rod of Iron Rule of our Messiah.
