We’ve come to the last of the 8 visions that Zechariah saw in one night.
• God gave him these visions while he was ministering to the people, encouraging them at the early stage of the rebuilding of God’s house.
• The last 3 visions shared the same theme - God’s judgement on sin.
Last week Lester covered the 6th and 7th vision - the flying scroll and the woman in the basket. Let’s read the 8th and last vision - the vision of the four chariots: Zech 6:1-8 (ESV).
The last 3 visions talked about God’s judgment. Let’s recap quickly.
• In the 6th vision we saw this flying scroll (a big placard 10m x 5m) listing the curse of God (judgement of God) against those who steal and those who swear falsely, basically representing those who transgressed God’s commands.
One commentator illustrates it in this interesting way. When God gave the commandments to Moses, they were writing on two tablets.
Most likely we would see the 3rd commandment –“You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain”, swearing falsely – in the middle of one.
And on the other tablet, right in the middle would be probably the 8th commandment – “You shall not steal.”
The liars and thieves represented those who broke the commandments of God.
The violators of God’s Law would banished and completely destroyed, the curse enters their houses and “destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.” (5:4)
• We see the severity of God’s judgement against sinners and the totality of God’s judgement against sin.
• That’s how God sees sin. That’s how God judges sin. That’s the seriousness of sinning against God, we heard that last week.
And then Zechariah saw the 7th vision of a measuring basket, representing the iniquity of the people and containing “wickedness”, personified by a woman.
• This wickedness was removed and taken away to the land of Shinar/Babylon, and parked in a house set for it, a picture of the idolatry and rebellion against God.
• The vision ends here. Wee know from the book of Revelation that this place of evil would face the wrath of God and be judged in the end times (Rev 17-18).
Let me extract from the vision John saw - Rev 18:1-3.
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
God would punish sin, severely and completely. And God would ultimately remove sin from this land. It will be taken away and be destroyed.
Now in this final vision we have four chariots led by the horses roaming the earth.
• They were led by red, black, white and dappled (different shades) horses.
• It’s difficult to read with certainty the colours because the text builds nothing on them.
• Here we have red, black, white and dappled colours. In the first vision, horses in red, brown and white. In Rev 6 John saw horses in white, red, black and pale, with riders given specific tasks.
• Suffice to say that they are angelic beings sent out to execute God’s commands.
Here, these powerful horses were harnessed to chariots and they were straining to go.
• Similar to what prophet Elisha saw when he was surrounded by the Arameans in Dothan (2 Kings 6:11-23).
• Chariots would indicate warfare, unlike the first vision where the riders were sent forth on horses to survey the earth. These chariots were sent out to execute God’s judgment.
The angel explained. Zech 6:5-7
5And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them (NIV going west, less accurate, added a consonant in Hebrew to mean ‘after the sea’.), and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth.
• In describing the directions they took, North and South were mentioned, likely being the ancient sites of Israel’s enemies.
• No mention of the other directions and no mention of the red horses.
• But the context indicates the roaming of the whole earth: “These are going out to the four winds of heaven…” and it concludes with ‘patrol the earth’, ‘go, patrol the earth’ and so they patrolled the earth, mentioned 3 times.
• The chariots went throughout the earth.
In the first vision the riders on horses came back with a report after surveying the earth.
• Their report then was that the nations are at rest/ease (after the afflictions they laid on Israel) and God was very angry. “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease.” (1:14-15)
• Now in this last vision, God shows at the end that His Spirit is at rest (6:8).
• The picture given is that these chariots roamed the earth and executed God’s judgment against sin.
Whatever the dominant world powers, the sovereign God would judge them.
• As He did in the past, based on the 2nd vision - four horns and four craftsmen – destroying Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and Medo-Persia – He would do it again.
• The iniquity and wickedness symbolically transported and parked in Shinar/Babylon - the north country, the land of the north - would ultimately be destroyed by God.
God will judge all evil and sin. And then His Spirit would be at rest. “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” (6:8)
• His Spirit is at rest because all enemies of God would have been judged. Nothing more remains to be done.
• Previously, the nations were at ease and God was angry. Now, God is at ease, when the nations are judged. God is satisfied with their just punishment.
The book of Revelation builds on these visions. The riders on coloured horses were sent throughout the earth to executed God’s final judgment in the end times (Rev 6).
• With each of them taking on a difficult facet of God’s judgment on a rebellious world
• God judges. God will judge. And His judgement is severe and thorough.
Zechariah and his people need not have to be too perturbed by the hostile nations around.
• The affairs of the nations are under God’s jurisdiction, not in man’s control. God will have the last word because He is sovereign.
• It is this certainty that makes prophecy possible. It is this certainty that makes the promises of God sure. It is this certainty that makes faith in His Word plausible.
God has the final word. He is determined to judge sin. He will punish evildoers. This is sure.
• Yet at the same time, we see God being determined also to save sinners! He wants to remove sin and restore righteousness, to remove wickedness and restore justice.
• We see that in the messages of Haggai and Zechariah, and the prophetic writings.
When the visions ended, God instructed Zechariah to do a symbolic act - Zech 6:9-15.
The revelations that Zechariah received, goes beyond just a word of comfort and encouragement for his struggling people in the midst of the ruins of Jerusalem.
• It was also to be an unfolding of God’s plan for all those who are willing to trust and obey Him, in every age.
A group of Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem with gifts for the community.
• God instructed Zechariah to go to Josiah’s house and do a symbolic act of crowning Joshua, the high priest.
• This was a very odd thing to do, because we don’t crown high priests, we crown kings.
• Zechariah was to make the crown from the silver and gold brought back by the group from Babylon.
He was to crown Joshua whom the Lord says represent the “Branch”, a word mentioned in the 4th vision ‘my servant, the Branch’. (3:8)
• This is what the Lord Almighty says, “Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.” (6:12-13)
To have a priest crowned as if he is a King and seated on a throne is unthinkable in Israel because priests do not sit on thrones and kings do not serve as priests.
• Joshua here prefigures the coming of the BRANCH who will rule as both priest and king.
• This prophetic act that merges the two offices points to a future Person, the coming of the Messiah, who unites in Himself the offices of the priest and king.
• As the high priest, Jesus stands as the Mediator between the holy God and sinful men, and makes atonement for them by sacrificing Himself.
• As the king, He is the reigning King who will usher in the Kingdom of heaven where He rules as Lord and King.
Jesus builds the Temple of God (indicating the people of God) and also the millennial Temple at the end times. At that time…
• 6:15 “Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God."
Joshua would not be wearing the crown for good; it’s a symbolic act. Joshua was not going to be King of Jerusalem.
• The crown was to be placed in the Temple of God as a memorial, a reminder of the things to come, what God has prepared and promised.
• Since the house of God at this point in time was still work-in-progress, they would have to wait for another 3 years before they could place it in the Temple.
• Again, we have yet another assurance from God that this house of God would be built and completed.
The seen crown would be a sign of God’s unseen promise, the coming of the priest/king Jesus Christ, 519 years down the road.
• Future generations would have this as a permanent reminder of the provision of God.
God is just. God is merciful. We have nothing to fear, if we put our trust in Him.
We are fully secured today because God is just. He will judge sin and sinners.
• Heb 9:27 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” All roads lead to the judgment seat of Christ.
• No one can escape His judgement. Everyone is accountable to God.
God is merciful. He has provided us a Saviour in Jesus Christ. He was judged on our behalf.
• If we have Christ as our Mediator and the atoning sacrifice, then we know where we stand. He is our Lord and King. We have nothing to fear.
PRAY: Thank you, Lord, that you are a God of justice. Thank you that one day there will be justice for all people and in all the places where we see injustice in our world today. Thank you that you have given us hope in Jesus Christ, our high priest and king. May we honour Christ as Lord and King. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
