Intro
In our study of Zechariah, we come to the last of his eight visions. On the night of February 15, 519 BC God gave Zechariah eight visions concerning His plans for Israel.i These are recorded in the first six chapters of the book.
Follow with me as we read Zechariah 6:1-8 from the NKJV.
“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."ii
These visions came to Zechariah at a time when God’s people were apprehensive about their future. Zechariah and his companions in Jerusalem had come from Babylon to rebuild the temple. The nation had endured 70 years of judgment for their unfaithfulness to God. This small remnant had begun their task with great zeal as recorded in the book of Ezra. But the opposition they encountered was much worse than anticipated. After laying the foundation for the temple, they lost heart and discontinued the work for 16 years. Zechariah’s assignment was to reignite their faith for the task at hand.
The eight visions bring assurance that God’s plans for the nation have not been abandoned. Their sin had to be dealt with. But in the end, God’s election of the nation would remain firm. Correction does not mean rejection. In fact, Hebrews 12 tells us that correction is evidence of belonging to God. The people in Zechariah’s day needed the assurance of God’s faithfulness, in spite of their failures. And don’t we need to be encouraged in the same way as Christians. Being in God’s will does not necessarily mean the path will be easy. Look at Christ’s journey on earth. Read 2 Corinthians 4-5 and see how that played out in Paul’s life. Read the history of all the apostles and church history. God does not promise an easy life. He promises a meaningful life. He promises a journey that prepares you for eternity. He promises to be with you every step of the way.
In my devotions this week I was encouraged by this verse from Deuteronomy 31:8. Perhaps it will encourage you as well. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” We used to sing the old hymn,
“If Jesus Goes with Me.” The chorus says:
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go – Anywhere!
‘Tis heaven to me, Where’re I may be, If He is there!
I count it a privilege here—His cross to bear
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go – Anywhere!iii
What we need more than anything else is an assurance of His presence. The Psalmist wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. . .” (Ps 23:4).
What is God doing through these 8 visions? He is assuring His people of His faithfulness. The correction of Israel was severe, but it was not rejection. As Paul wrote in Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” What Paul teaches in Romans 9-11 about the nation of Israel is affirmed in these eight visions. Speaking of the nation, Paul asks the question in Romans 11:1: “Has God cast away His people?” His immediate answer is: “Certainly not!” Correction does not mean rejection.
Let’s look at this vision under three headings.
I. Judgment Initiated
II. Judgment Executed
III. Judgment Completed
I. Judgment Initiated
The text begins with Zechariah looking up and seeing “four chariots were coming from between two mountains.” Chariots were the war machine of the day. Although occasionally used by kings and dignitaries, Chariots were primarily used in battle.iv
This symbolism is used in 2 Kings 6 when the Syrian army came to capture Elisha. The Syrian efforts to defeat Israel kept failing because God would give Elisha a word of knowledge telling him the Syrian strategy. Elisha would tell the King of Israel, and Israel would avoid the Syrian trap. When the king of Syria learned what was happening, he sent a whole army to capture Elisha. 2 Kings 6:14-17 says, “Therefore he [king of Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots [notice the military use of chariots]. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" 16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” God’s angelic forces defending Elisha are described as “horses and chariots of fire,” symbolic of military might.
In verse 5, the interpreting angel tells us, "These are four spirits of heaven.” The RSV incorrectly translates it, “These are going forth to the four winds of heaven.” The Hebrew word translated spirits could be translated winds in some contexts. But these are further described as “are four spirits of heaven who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.” The NIV puts it even better: “These are the four spirits] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.” The language is similar to what the angel said to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, in Luke 1:19, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.”
So the four chariots represent the four angelic beings sent out from the throne of God. Verse 1 says they “were coming from between two mountains.” Some commentators think the two mountains are Mt. Zion and Mt. Olivet.v However, the interpreting angel specifically tells us these chariots are coming “out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world” (NIV), and verse 1 tells us, “the mountains were mountains of bronze.” That lets us know they are not natural mountains.
These bronze or brass mountains represent the two pillars at the entrance of God’s heavenly temple. This was depicted at the entrance of the Holy Place in Solomon’s temple. First Kings 7:13-21 describes these pillars at the temple. Bronze is symbolic of judgment. Remember the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 that represented the judgment of sin at the cross. The brazen or bronze altar where the sacrifices were slain also represented the judgment of sin. Mountains are representative of something massive and strong. So these bronze mountains alert us to the fact that this vision is about judgment.
Since these four spirits are coming from the presence of God, we know that God is initiating this judgment.
II. Judgment Executed
This judgment is executed in God’s timing. Zechariah observes in verse 7 that the horses were chomping at the bits, desiring to go forth and execute God’s judgment on the nations. Verse 7 says, “Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go.” But they are under the restraint of the Almighty. They only go in His timing. The timing here will be at the end of the age during the Tribulation period. That is the day of God’s wrath on the nations. Of course, nations experience God’s judgments throughout history. Babylon experienced a degree of judgment in Zechariah’s day. But this vision is about the last day’s judgment—a judgment that prepares the way for Israel’s exaltation during the Millennium.
We know this judgment is executed world-wide because of several clues in the vision. In verse 5, God is referred to as “the Lord of all the earth.” Secondly, the number four is symbolic of the four directions of the earth—which is all encompassing. Third, verse 7 adds, “that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth.” The assignment is world-wid. Fourth, God tells them in verse 7 to, "Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth." Finally, verse 7 concludes by saying, “So they walked to and fro throughout the earth.” Unlike partial judgments that have occurred in history, this will be a world-wide judgment during the Tribulation period.
The color of the horses is given in verses 2-3: “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.” The last phrase probably refers to all the horses as being strong stallions. There is some debate about that, but the overall meaning of the vision is not altered by the interpretation.vi
Efforts are made to equate these four chariots to Daniel’s four kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2) and Belshazzar’s dream in Daniel 7. That doesn’t work for a number of reasons. More commonly people try to equate this vision with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6. Both visions involve the number four; both are indicative of judgment on the nations; both occur during the tribulation period. But each vision stands on its own. Neither should be bent to fit the other. We may find some common symbolism in the two visions. For example, Revelation 6:3 indicates the red horse symbolizes war. In Revelation 6:5-6 reveals the black horse as famine and scarcity. That symbolism probably is the same in this vision. A white horse is symbolic of conquest, but not necessarily in the same way for the two visions. The fourth horse is described differently in the two visions. The fourth horse in Revelation 6 is a “pale green like a corpse” (NLT). The horses drawing the fourth chariot are dappled, “as if sprinkled with hail.”vii The appaloosa breed comes to my mind. It still may be symbolic of death by various means.
The color of the horses no doubt carries some symbolic meaning. But unlike the Revelation 6 text, we’re not told what the colors represent in this text. Therefore, we have to make tentative conclusions based on the symbolism elsewhere in Scripture. Although the color of the horses is given, the meaning is not crucial to interpreting the vision. Otherwise, we would be told how to interpret the colors.
The vision is a revelation of God’s judgment on the gentile nations, especially Israel’s enemies to the north and to the south. To the south was the age-old enemy, Egypt. To the north were Babylon and Assyria. Assyria had conquered and led away northern Israel. Babylon had conquered and taken southern Israel into captivity. In both cases, the Jewish people had suffered under horrible atrocities.
Psalm 137 reveals the sentiment felt by the Jewish people, especially toward Babylon. “By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. 2 We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! 6 If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth — If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. 7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!" 8 O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! 9 Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!” There was a cry for justice in the hearts of the Jewish people. “God, your judgment on us was fierce. Are you going to let them get way with what they did to us?” This eighth vision is assurance that they will not get away with. Justice delayed is not necessarily justice denied.
Zechariah 6:6 says, “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.” What about the east and west? We have seen that this judgment is about the whole earth. Therefore, we would expect one team to go north, another south, another west, and another east. Instead, the black and the white go north, and the dappled team goes south. And the red team is not mentioned.
Here are four explanations offered. One explanation is to ascribe a textual error to the words translated “after them” in verses 6 where it says, “The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them.” With the suggested change to the Masoretic Text, “after them” would read, “west.” With that change accepted, one could then conclude the red horses went east. That covers all four directions. The big problem with all that is simply this: That is not what the original text says.
A second explanation that seems more credible is based on a Hebrew idiom that used the preposition “behind” to indicate west as one faced east. This idiom “reveals the Semitic mindset about establishing direction as one faces east.”viii Therefore, the NIV translates verse 6, “The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” That is a possible explanation without violating the original text.
An alternative explanation is that the vision is given from the perspective of Jerusalem where Zechariah received it. Roads going out of Jerusalem went either north or south. On the west side was the sea, and on the east side was the dessert. So, travel had to go north or south even if it eventually turned east or westward.ix This also explains the four directions without changing the text.
This detail is directed at the major concern of enemies to the north and south since the sea is to the west and the dessert is to the east. It is not necessary that we send the chariots in four directions in verses 6. Perhaps the white does follow the black to bring judgment on Babylon and Assyria and other nations in that direction. The rest of the passage lets us know that this judgment is worldwide. So, sorting that out is not crucial to understanding the general trust of the vision.
III. Judgment Completed
This series of visions began with a revelation of four horsemen in the first vision who acted as a reconnaissance team reporting to the Lord. They are described in Zechariah 1:10 as “the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” We find the same terminology in Zechariah 6:7 as these chariots “walk to and fro throughout the earth.” The difference is this: In vision one we are seeing a reconnaissance team gathering information, but not executing judgment at that time. In this last vision, the chariots go forth to execute judgment throughout the earth. The two visions serve as bookends for the eight visions. First, we have the reconnaissance team simply reporting on the status of things. Then we have visions about God’s plans to bless Israel and the cleansing necessary for that to happen. Then we have this final vision of God executing judgment on the nations in preparation for the Millennium. The first vision reveals the omniscience of God, and this last vision reveals the omnipotence of God.
The report given in the first vision was that “all the earth is resting quietly" (Zech. 1:11). Israel had gone through all kinds of suffering, yet these wicked, oppressive nation are “resting quietly." That was neither just nor acceptable. In the second vision, God expressed His anger for what the gentile nations had done to Israel. Zechariah 1:14-15 He said, “I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. 15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped — but with evil intent.”
The result of this last vision is that His anger is appeased by the judgment executed on the nations by the four chariots. In Zechariah 6:8 God says, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” This series of visions began with the wicked nations being a peace after all the atrocities they had committed. The series ends with them being justly punished, and God’s Spirit being at peace. Unresolved injustice is disturbing to God. His wheels of justice may grind slowly, but justice will ultimately be done.
The word to Christians in Romans Rom 12:19 is: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Whether it is on the macro scale as in this vision, or the micro scale as may occur in your life, God will ultimately prove to be thoroughly and righteously just. It may not happen immediately because in His mercy God gives people opportunity to repent. But mercy comes when we repent. Justice comes when we refuse to repent. There is something in our nature that cries out for justice when oppression occurs. That something is a result of being made in the image of God. In our modern times, much is said about the mercy of God, and rightly so. But little is said about the justice of God, and this is just as much in His character as mercy. He will defend the weak. He will intervene and cut off the oppressor. Therefore, do justly toward all. And trust Him as the God of justice.
ENDNOTES:
i Zech. 1:7, NLT reads, “Then on February 15 of the second year of King Darius's reign. . . .” see the third message in this series entitled, “Zechariah’s First Vision.”
ii All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
iii C. Austin Miles, “If Jesus Goes with Me” in Hymns of Glorious Praise (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1969) 279.
ivMerrill, 168.
v See Keil and Delitzsch Commentary for the reasoning behind this conclusion.
vi For example, Leupold’s interpretation finds an addition chariot so that he sees five chariots in the vision. Leupold, 113-114.
vii Unger, 103.
viii Cf. Petersen, 263-264; Meyers and Meyers, 325-326. Some scholars “have seen here a reference to the direction west, drawing on one of two Hebrew idioms.” In a footnote explaining this statement, Boda writes, “West is sometimes represented by the preposition ‘behind.’ It reveals the Semitic mindset about establishing direction as one faces east.” Boda, NIV Application Commentary, 322.
ix Merrill, 173.
