Zechariah 6: 1 – 15
The Four Chariots From Bronze Mountains
1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” 9 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: “ Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD; 13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 “Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the LORD for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
In chapter 1 we read this, 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” 0 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” 11 So they answered the Angel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”
The scouts were going out to see if any activity was going on in the world that had any impact on the Israelites. They came back and answered that ‘all the earth is resting quietly’. This might sound okay at first hearing; however, it did not please our Holy Lord. These nations had dished out vengeance on the Jewish people far beyond what they should have done. Now they were kicking back in ease and resting quietly without a care in the world.
We see now in chapter 6 the horses are hooked onto chariots. This immediately leads us to realize something more serious is about to happen. These chariots are coming forth to do our Holy Adoni Yahweh’s will. We have already learned that Jerusalem, the Temple, and the position of high priest have been restored. Now our Holy Father will establish His people in security, protection, and peace. The chariots are God’s war machines ready to stop any future invasions.
1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
In verses 1 through 8 we are going to understand the destinies of the nations that have persecuted Israel. In verse one Zechariah saw his eighth vision. He quickly recognized 4 chariots, ‘1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains.’ Chariots were designed to either have two or 4 wheels. The chariots that are highlighted here were war chariots. They usually had a crew of two or three men, which included a driver, an archer, and a protector [one who carried a shield and deflected any arrows, spears, or swords].
We next see an interesting statement, ‘and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze.’ In the book of 1 Kings chapter 7 we read this, ‘15 And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each.’ It is interesting to me that the pillars were made of bronze. The pillars stood at the doorway to the Holy Place. These two pillars were taken to Babylon after the city was destroyed. We find this fact out in the book of 2 Kings chapter 25, 1 Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. 2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.4 Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. 6 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him. 7 Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon. 8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around. 11 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. 13 The bronze pillars that were in the house of the LORD, and the carts and the Bronze Sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon.
We can derive from these facts that the chariots are coming out of God’s Holy Temple in Heaven to do His bidding. In addition bronze is seen as a strong metal. It is made from copper and tin and is very suitable for casting. It has always been a symbol of judgment. In the book of Joel chapter 3, 1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land. 3 They have cast lots for My people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. 4 “ Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head; 5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My prized possessions. 6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem you have sold to the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their borders. 7 “ Behold, I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them, and will return your retaliation upon your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off; for the LORD has spoken.” 9 Proclaim this among the nations: “ Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. 12 “ Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow— For their wickedness is great.” 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. 16 The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17 “ So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.” By the way the Valley of Jehoshaphat is the rift between the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion.
Judgment will come upon those who oppress God’s Own and will come about in His time and at His command.
Now many have tried to tie these horses to the book of Revelation. However, please notice that we are not talking 4 horses but at least 8, two of each color, ‘2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds.’
We now are drawn to the colors of the horses along with the sights that they were told to go,’4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
The riders of these chariots are angels who are assigned the task by our Supreme Commander, 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.’
You will note that there is no east or west when you deal with Israel, only north and south. On the west is the Mediterranean Sea and the east is the wilderness. The black and white horse chariots went into the north. The Islamic nations have to travel from the north in order to attack Israel. Babylon was the key northern enemy of the Israelites. Black is the symbol of death and famine. White is the color of conquest. Please note this unique statement, ‘8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” The activity of the chariots would give God’s Holy Spirit rest because Babylon would be judged. Cyrus overthrew Babylon in 539 BC.
The next two world powers to be dealt with were Greece and Rome. Greece was often referred to as a leopard [ the speckled chariot took care of ] and red dealt with blood or Rome.
Our Holy God Is angry with the wicked everyday. Look with me at Psalm 7, ‘1 O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me. 2 Lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this: if there is iniquity in my hands, 4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah 6 Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded 7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me. 9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17 I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High” Our Holy Lord’s anger is expressed in His Judgment. Anger and Judgment are part of His Righteous Character. If you have any un-confessed or habitual sin in your lives, confess the sin and turn away from doing it again. Confession moves our Holy God to Mercy and refusing to repent leads to His Judgment.
9 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: “ Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD; 13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 “Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the LORD for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
The visions are over. Now the Word of the Lord comes to Zechariah again, ‘9 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah,’ These guys were real people who came back with the returning exiles from Babylon.
The statement ‘11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest’, would shock the people because the offices of priest and king were separate. Judah’s government was to be ruled as instructed by God Almighty by two distinct persons; a king – ruling the nations political life and a priest – ruling the religious life. Our Lord was telling the people through Zechariah that One would come who would rule as both the High Priest and King. – The Messiah.
The Great Adoni Yahweh points out a few great things relative to the coming Messiah. For one thing He Is Pre-eminent or Eternal.- ‘He shall bear the glory.’ The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah’s Divine Character in chapter 22 this, 22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 ‘They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the posterity, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the pitchers.’
In addition to his Preeminence our Holy Spirit spoke of the Messiah’s position – ‘and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” There weren’t any chairs in the Temple, so the high priest never sat down. Our Messiah, Master, King, Lord, and Savior complete all the work and is now seated at the right hand of the Father on His Throne. He will rule on the earth on His Own Throne. We read this in the book of Isaiah chapter 6, 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.’ In addition chapter 9 of the book of Isaiah says, 6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’
The second temple was just completed. Then what is this construction all about, ‘and He shall build the temple of the LORD.’ This Temple is in the future.
Lastly we notice this statement in the 15th verse, ‘15 Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” Some of God’s promises are conditional. We must obey Him in order to receive them. The rebuilding of the Temple required careful obedience. Our Holy Father promised to protect the people as long as they obeyed. Casual or occasional obedience is the result of half-hearted or divided commitment. It will not lead to blessing from the Holy Ruler. Many of God’s blessings come to us as a result of diligent obedience. A good thing to remember is that inconsistent obedience cannot produce consistent blessing.
