I HAVE WOUNDED, AND IT IS I WHO HEAL, AND THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN DELIVER FROM MY HAND. Deuteronomy 32:39
When we left Zechariah at the end of lesson two, he had just begun a long night of amazing visions that will prove to be difficult for him to understand, but are ultimately very encouraging to the people of Israel as they begin to return to the unfinished work of rebuilding their Temple. Zechariah’s first vision of a Man under a myrtle tree with various horses showed him that God was well aware of the sad situation of the Temple, of Jerusalem, and of the people of Israel. Despite the discouraging conditions, God is ready to begin moving through His people again, and more visions are coming to illustrate His concern and His plans. Jeremiah 30:12-17 gives an excellent overview of what God is doing with His people at this time.
THE VISION OF THE FOUR HORNS
Zechariah 1:18-19 says, “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these?’ So he answered me, ‘These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.’”
When the Bible speaks of horns, it is generally referring symbolically to strength, power, or authority. It can refer to ordinary individuals, leaders of nations, or nations themselves. Let’s look at the following examples:
1 Samuel 2:1 – “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.” This is the grateful prayer of Hannah, responding to God’s graciousness in allowing her to conceive a son.
Job 16:15 – “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and laid my head (literally “horn”) in the dust.” Here, Job is mourning the loss of family, position, and all wealth.
Psalm 89:24 – speaking of King David, God declares, “My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, and in My name his horn shall be exalted.”
Ezekiel 29:21—“In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth. . .”
Daniel 7:19 – 27 – This is a lengthier passage but it refers to the final kingdom before the Kingdom of Christ comes. It is described as a beast with ten horns and having a pompous little horn that wages war against the saints and speaks against the Most High God.
Returning to Zechariah’s vision of four horns, we now see that these horns are actually rulers of nations that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. Many commentators and teachers identify these four nations with the four kingdoms of Daniel’s revelation: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. I differ slightly in my understanding of them, because Zechariah’s vision specifically includes the scattering of Israel as well as Judah and Jerusalem. History tells us that the following four kingdoms persecuted or scattered Israel, Judah and Jerusalem:
1. Assyria took the northern ten tribes of Israel into captivity in 722 BC under the leadership of King Shalmaneser V.
2. Babylon besieged Jerusalem three times, ultimately destroying the city and the Temple and carrying most of the people captive in 586 BC under the direction of King Nebuchadnezzar.
3. From 204 – 165 BC, the Greek Seleucid Kings ruled over Israel and in 175 BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled and instigated terrible persecution of the Jewish people. This culminated in the desecration of the Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar and erecting a statue of Zeus in the Holy Place.
4. The Roman Empire was the fourth kingdom to rule over Israel and in 70 AD, the Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and deported the Jewish people all over the Roman Empire. They remained scattered until the twentieth century
We see that at the time of Zechariah’s vision, two of these horns had come, but two were future events. I have not included the Medo-Persian Empire as one of the horns that scattered the people of Israel. When Medo-Persia conquered Babylon, the Israelites were already in captivity. It was the Medo-Persian King Cyrus who released the captives and sent them back to Israel with instructions to rebuild the Temple.
The Bible is a most wondrously interconnected Book in which a single message is told over and over through every type of literature by many different people over centuries. As I pondered God’s use of these four horns, I remembered that the Bible speaks of four horns in another place and I want to take a look at these horns because they have application to the situation in Israel in Zechariah’s day as well as to our own situation today. The horns of which I speak are the four horns of the altar in the Temple.
Exodus 38:1-2 tells us that, “He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits. He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze.”
Leviticus 4 gives a more complete description of the Altar of Burnt Offering and how it was used. There were three types of offerings made at the altar. In the Bible, bronze is used as a symbol of judgment, so we see that the Altar was meant to be a place where judgment and atonement of sin occurred. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, and so a sacrificial animal was offered to serve as a type and shadow of the true Offering yet to come. Some of the blood from the sacrificial animal was applied to each of the four horns. In this type of offering, we see the need for death to self in regard to sin. Our existence is all about God—not about ourselves.
The second type of offering at the Altar was the Whole Burnt Offering. The purpose of this offering was that of total consecration to God. The symbolic offering of the sacrificial animal was to express the worshiper’s total giving of himself unreservedly to God. This is the offering Paul had in mind when he penned Romans 12:1-2.
The third type of offering at the Altar was the Fellowship or Meal Offering. This was meant as a time of fellowship between the worshiper and God together with family and friends who partook of the meat of the sacrifice together. In this we see death to self both in regard to God and to others. There is no “me first” in this offering. The New Testament teaches us that we are one Body with one Spirit, but we cannot achieve this kind of unity except by dying to self in the spirit of fellowship with God and other believers.
How do the horns fit into all of this? Psalm 118:27 says, “God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” It seems that the sacrifice had a tendency to slip off the altar, so the horns were used to tie it in place. We see then, that it will always be our natural tendency to abandon the altar rather than abandon ourselves to God. The cords that held Jesus to His place of sacrifice were nails, but God holds us with something easier. Hosea 11: 4 says, “I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love.” The temptation to flee the altar is based on fear but we know that “perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18
OBSERVATION: Holiness is not attained apart from suffering.
There was another piece of furniture in the Temple that had four horns, and this was the Altar of Incense. The Altar of Burnt Offering was located in the courtyard area as one entered the Temple, but the Altar of Incense was inside the Holy Place directly in front of the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This altar also had four horns, but rather than bronze, it was made of gold—the symbol of deity. The blood from sacrificial animals was also smeared on the four horns of this altar and Exodus 30 describes how incense was offered perpetually, night and day, at this altar. Revelation 5:8 tells us that incense is symbolic of prayer. Thus we see the precious picture here of Jesus, God and Man, as the One who ever lives to make intercession for us. And not only this, but He has given us a ministry of intercession. For whom are we to pray most earnestly? Jesus said we are to love and pray for our enemies. The very horns which have gored us and drawn our blood are there as reminders of our duty to intercede. God has allowed those horns to cause us injury because they are the ones for whom we are to pray. Only a righteous man will pray earnestly for an enemy, but his prayer will be heard.
OBSERVATION: The four horns in Zechariah’s vision were used by God to bind Israel to the altar so that they could become the whole burnt offering of consecration to God, and so that they as a nation could bring forth the Atoning Sin Offering to God, and so that through them there could be a peace/fellowship offering that could bless the whole earth in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham.
OBSERVATION: All this suffering and death is necessary because sin is so horrible. Do we ever really understand this?
FOUR CRAFTSMEN Zechariah 1:20-21
The next vision Zechariah sees is that of four craftsmen. He is told that the four craftsmen are coming to terrify the nations that have scattered God’s people. Verse 21 identifies the horns definitely as nations. In Hebrew, the word for craftsman is “charash” and it means “an artisan, engraver, carpenter, or blacksmith.” This gives us the picture of someone who builds or makes things, and would also include the architect and designer of such things.
Many commentators identify the four craftsmen as the nations which, in succession, overthrew the four nations that had scattered Israel. They would include the four nations in Daniel’s vision that succeeded each other in world domination. I agree with most of those connections in principle, but instead of connecting the craftsmen with nations, I connect them with individual rulers of these nations.
I connect the first craftsman with Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king. The Babylonian Empire destroyed Assyria, which had carried Israel captive. Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder, not in a spiritual sense, but very much in the physical realm. Reading the first few chapters of Daniel will confirm his genius and strength as a builder, as well as his pride. It is also apparent in the early chapters of Daniel that God was at work in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.
The second craftsman I believe to have been Cyrus the Great. It was his Medo-Persian kingdom that overthrew Babylon, the second horn that scattered Judah. Cyrus was the one who freed the Israelite captives and sent them back to their own land with instructions to rebuild the Temple of God. Zerubbabel rebuilt the Temple, and it was a later Persian ruler who sent Nehemiah back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
As mentioned before, the third horn of oppression was the Greek Empire in the person of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Judas Maccabeus was the craftsman who worked to overthrow this oppression. He led his family and others in a successful fight to overthrow the Greeks and for a comparatively short time Israelites were allowed to rule themselves. The Temple was cleansed and worship began again (incidentally, it was from this time that Hanukkah began with the purification of the Temple). Interestingly, the name Maccabeus means “hammerer”—thus we see that he was a craftsman.
The final kingdom of oppression against the Jews was the Roman Empire. After their oppression, the Jews were scattered all over the world during the age of the church. Daniel’s visions indicate that the Roman Empire will reunite at the end of the age and will again oppress the Jewish people. This is happening with the rise of the European Union. The nations comprising this entity are increasingly anti-Semitic, and I do not believe it will be many more years before the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed. Babylon is being rebuilt, according to End Time prophecy; the Jews are being regathered in Israel, according to End Time prophecy; and the Roman Empire is rising, again, according to End Time prophecy. The final craftsman who will overthrow the final horn—the reunited Roman Empire—will be Jesus Christ, Who, when He was on earth, was…a carpenter, what else? Isn’t God amazing? All man’s attempts to control our world seem destined to end in chaos, but God has declared the end from the beginning and sees to everything, even the remotest details!
Maranatha –He is Coming!
Lesson Four is scheduled to post in one week. Thanks for reading along!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Zechariah Lesson Two
WELCOME!
Welcome to Bible study online! Zechariah is a terrific book to study, especially as we see the Day of the LORD approaching. I like to think of it as the “Apocalypse of the Old Testament”, because it contains so many parallels with the New Testament book of Revelation. There are plenty of Scriptures to look up, so grab your Bible, and thanks for joining us!
Welcome to Bible study online! Zechariah is a terrific book to study, especially as we see the Day of the LORD approaching. I like to think of it as the “Apocalypse of the Old Testament”, because it contains so many parallels with the New Testament book of Revelation. There are plenty of Scriptures to look up, so grab your Bible, and thanks for joining us!
ZECHARIAH'S LONG, LONG NIGHT
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Without a vision, the people perish.”
The Hebrew word for "Perish” in this verse is “Para,” and it means “to let something slip through the fingers by ignoring an opportunity; to be undisciplined.”
The historical context of the book of Zechariah is the return and resettlement of 50,000 Jews to the Land of Promise—Israel. This in itself is a great lesson to us, particularly those who live in places of comparative wealth and comfort. At that time, Babylon was the most magnificent city the world had ever seen. Herodotus described the city as being a square 15 miles on each side surrounded by a wall 100 feet high upon which 6 chariots could drive abreast and boasting 250 towers. The city had 25 avenues 150 feet wide running north/south and another 25 avenues running east/west. The Euphrates River ran diagonally through the city dividing it in half. At the ends of the river were two magnificent palaces connected by underground passageways containing sumptuous banquet halls made entirely of brass. The Tower of Bel was a series of 8 towers, each 75 feet high with a chapel on top containing the most expensive furniture of any worship place in the world. In addition, Babylon contained the famous hanging gardens, a fabulous series of raised terraces on which were planted exotic trees and plants for the enjoyment of Nebuchadnezzar’s wife. The Jews who had been carried captive to Babylon 70 years earlier had flourished in the city and some had risen to power. To leave such a place was to leave the crown jewel of the world. And for what had they left Babylon? The city they returned to was a heap of rubble. The temple was destroyed and the land had largely run wild in their absence.
But in leaving Babylon, we see that the people have done exactly as their father Abraham did so many generations before (Genesis 12:1-5). God called Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldeas—in the region of Babylon—to go to a land that He would show him. Abram left his position of leadership for his family and the security of home to travel to an unknown place, which was ultimately the Promised Land of Israel. Now, his descendants have done the same thing. They are to be commended for following the call of God. Those of us who claim to follow and love the God of Abraham Who has revealed Himself to us in Christ would do well to do the same. Indeed, John writing from Patmos in Revelation 18:4 says, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her (Babylon), my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” Babylon, though a literal city, is the picture of “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” which are our sworn enemies. (Incidentally, Saddam Hussein began rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon for his own glory, and the new government of Iraq is moving to continue this effort. They envision a great cultural and tourist center, and feel secure enough to begin the work. President Obama has pledged $700,000 from the US government toward this effort.)
Why then does Zechariah 1:1-6 issue a call to repentance to the people? It seems that, although they obeyed initially in returning to the land and in building an altar for worship and in beginning to rebuild the temple, they became discouraged by opposition and their hearts abandoned God as they got busy with “life.” They had returned physically to the land, but their hearts had not returned fully to God.
QUESTION: Do we ever have “emotional” experiences where for a relatively short time we begin to obey the Lord, but then when it is difficult or inconvenient or life gets hectic, we slip back into self-absorbed ways? Yesterday has passed--what is our testimony Today?
We also see from this passage that God is eager to return to His people. He wants a relationship with His people more than anything. How true this is still today, but are we willing to “get out of Babylon” and wait on God until He returns to us in power? Life is meant to be a pursuit of God, not a series of pursuits that distract us from finding Life in Him. “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
He asks, “where are your fathers?” What a question! Where are their fathers? Buried in Babylon—definitely not where a Jew would ever want to be buried. Genesis 49:29-30 records that Jacob instructed his sons not bury him in Egypt, but to carry him back to Canaan for burial, and this they did. They also carried the bones of Joseph back to Canaan when they left slavery in Egypt.
OBSERVATION: We will die and be buried in the place (or condition) in which we have lived. Revelation 14:13 says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” Have we lived in the Lord? Then we will be blessed when we die in the Lord. Pursue holiness as a lifestyle.
The people started out wonderfully, but they have lost their zeal. Without a vision, they are perishing and something precious is about to slip away. Then…the Word of the LORD came to Zechariah. In one amazing night, he is given a series of fantastic and encouraging visions to deliver to Israel laying out the future plans of redemption through them.
FIRST VISION: MAN UNDER A MYRTLE TREE WITH HORSES
ZECHARIAH 1:7-17
The myrtle tree is an evergreen common to Israel and symbolizes Israel in this vision. Incidentally, the Hebrew name for myrtle is Hadassah—Esther. Many believe the Man on the red horse to be a preincarnate figure of Jesus. Underneath the myrtle tree are horses, red, sorrel, and white, which have been patrolling the earth. Horses of the same description can be seen in Revelation and I believe they correlate with this vision. In Revelation 6:3-4, the red horse symbolizes war and bloodshed. In Revelation 6:7-8, the sorrel horse is death by war, famine, and wild animals. In Revelation 6:1-2, the white horse is ridden by a conqueror. These horses, which I consider to be spiritual forces, have been given the job of patrolling the earth. Job 1:6-7 tells us, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’” In other words, he has been patrolling the earth, not for any godly purpose, but for his own. (Side Note: God does not ask this question for His own information; rather, He makes us say for ourselves what we have been doing.) We see another example of spiritual forces, both good and evil, patrolling and controlling the earth in Daniel 10:10-14.
Zechariah is told in his vision that these forces have been sent out by God. Now many people have difficulty imagining that God sends out forces of war, bloodshed, famine, etc. but there are numerous passages in the Bible that plainly say that He does. (Genesis 7:23; Exodus 4:11; Exodus 12:29-30; Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Judges; II Samuel 12:16-18; II Samuel 21:1; II Samuel 24:15-16; Isaiah 45:7; I Corinthians 11:28-32) We are so fallen that we have a hard time seeing that the things we consider good tend to lead us away from God and the things we consider bad tend to bring us back to Him. Once sin entered the world, pleasant things could not be counted on to lead us to God. The nation of Israel proved this point over and over because whenever things went well and they had plenty of good things and rest from their enemies, they inevitably fell away from God. When God sent their enemies against them bringing war, death, famine, and general misery, they would repent—after a fashion. Do not think that God loves us too much to punish us. The love of God is a beautiful and terrifying thing because it compels Him to purify us until we are as holy as He is—and He won’t stop until it happens.
These forces have gone throughout the world—a world that has habitually hated the people of God and destroyed His temple, His city, and carried His people away as captives. What have the patrolling forces discovered? The earth is at rest. There is no war and it appears that the nations are going to get away with hating God through His people. This distressing state of affairs causes the Angel of the LORD to ask, “How long?” This same question is echoed in Revelation 6:9-11 when the martyrs ask, “How long before You avenge our blood?”
The LORD responds that He is very jealous (zealous) for Israel. These are reassuring and comforting words. The Hebrew word for jealous (zealous) is "Qanah" and it means an emotion so strong it makes the face red. Psalm 69:9 says “Zeal for your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” God is watching over Israel with the same zeal that Jesus had when He cleared the Temple. God has used the nations to discipline Israel, but the problem is that the nations enjoyed their role. They took pleasure in destroying Israel.
QUESTION: Do we ever take pleasure in the misfortunes of others because it occasions a feeling of superiority in ourselves?
God declares that He has returned to Jerusalem. He left years ago and His departure is recorded in Ezekiel chapters 9 – 11 and what a woeful passage this is as we realize the sorrow of God that drove Him from His Temple and the city of Jerusalem. He left in judgment but He has returned in mercy. A surveyor’s line is the proof of His intentions. A survey is done when one prepares to buy or build on real estate. He is ready to rebuild the city. Verse 17 tells us that He will again choose Jerusalem. The Hebrew word for “choose” is “bachar” and it means “to prove, try, to be especially chosen; something acceptable or judged to be excellent after it has been tested.” The people have been tested in the fire of Babylon and they have chosen to return to the LORD—but only a remnant. Not everyone who is called is chosen.
For those who want to be chosen, this vision is encouraging. The real question is this: Knowing that the love of God will compel Him to perfect us by whatever means is necessary, do we want to be chosen? Do we want to be tried and proven? Are we willing to leave Babylon? Will we trade the “good things” of life to be tested, tried, proven, and finally chosen?
The next lesson is scheduled to post in one week. Thanks for following along!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
About My Faith
Thank you for visiting this site. This blog is being offered as a Bible study for anyone interested in following along. In light of this, I felt it appropriate to explain my doctrinal beliefs so that the reader might be informed before beginning the study.
Concerning the Scriptures, I believe that the Bible, both Old Testament and New, is the inspired Word of God. It is truth without any mixture of error. (II Timothy 3:16)
Concerning the Person of Jesus Christ, I believe He is the Son of God, born both fully human and fully divine through the virgin birth. (Colossians 1:15-18; John 1:1-5, 14; Luke 1:26-38)
Concerning His first advent upon earth, I believe His life served two primary purposes. The first purpose was to demonstrate God’s expectations of a perfect human life lived in complete dependence upon the Father (John 5:19; John 12:49-50), perfectly obedient (Romans 5:18-19; Philippians 2:8), and sacrificing the natural desires for the spiritual (Matthew 4:1-11). In this, He was completely successful and the proof is found in His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6). Having succeeded in living a perfect and sinless life (Isaiah 53:9), He was then qualified to fulfill the second purpose of His coming by bearing away the sin of the world (Hebrews 9:26-28) through His atoning death on the cross (I Peter 2:24-25). His Resurrection from death is the proof that He succeeded in this.
Concerning personal salvation, I believe that two things are required: repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:46-47) Repentance involves renouncing sin (defined as an attitude of self rule) and submitting to the authority of God. Faith is actively trusting in the death of Christ to provide forgiveness and freedom from sin (Ephesians 1:7) as well as power to live under the rule of God (Colossians 1:13; Romans 6:18). Salvation is freedom from sin and must not be viewed as a “Get Out of Hell Free” card. One cannot be delivered from hell without being delivered from sin (Romans 8:1-2). There is grace to cover every sin, but it is available only by repentance and faith. Although repentance and faith are free gifts from God, they require a positive response from each individual on a personal level (John 1:12; Romans 6:22-23; Ephesians 2:4-8; Psalm 95:6-11). The proof that a person has genuinely received salvation is found in a life that is no longer characterized by sin (I John 3:7-8), but in which sin is only an occasional slip for which there is immediate regret. I am, at this point, speaking of those sins to which the Apostle Paul refers as “obvious” (Galatians 5: 19-21), not areas that one becomes aware of on the journey toward spiritual maturity of which one may currently be unaware.
There are, of course, many further doctrinal points that could be discussed, but for my purpose, this should suffice in explaining my outlook. Since Zechariah is an eschatological book, I will add that my view of the Bible and the End Times tends to be dispensational.
Thanks for reading and I hope the lessons are helpful and encouraging in your faith. Please feel free to comment if you like. All comments are subject to review before they are posted. The purpose of this blog is edification for the church and comments will be evaluated for posting according to that criterion.
Concerning the Scriptures, I believe that the Bible, both Old Testament and New, is the inspired Word of God. It is truth without any mixture of error. (II Timothy 3:16)
Concerning the Person of Jesus Christ, I believe He is the Son of God, born both fully human and fully divine through the virgin birth. (Colossians 1:15-18; John 1:1-5, 14; Luke 1:26-38)
Concerning His first advent upon earth, I believe His life served two primary purposes. The first purpose was to demonstrate God’s expectations of a perfect human life lived in complete dependence upon the Father (John 5:19; John 12:49-50), perfectly obedient (Romans 5:18-19; Philippians 2:8), and sacrificing the natural desires for the spiritual (Matthew 4:1-11). In this, He was completely successful and the proof is found in His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6). Having succeeded in living a perfect and sinless life (Isaiah 53:9), He was then qualified to fulfill the second purpose of His coming by bearing away the sin of the world (Hebrews 9:26-28) through His atoning death on the cross (I Peter 2:24-25). His Resurrection from death is the proof that He succeeded in this.
Concerning personal salvation, I believe that two things are required: repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:46-47) Repentance involves renouncing sin (defined as an attitude of self rule) and submitting to the authority of God. Faith is actively trusting in the death of Christ to provide forgiveness and freedom from sin (Ephesians 1:7) as well as power to live under the rule of God (Colossians 1:13; Romans 6:18). Salvation is freedom from sin and must not be viewed as a “Get Out of Hell Free” card. One cannot be delivered from hell without being delivered from sin (Romans 8:1-2). There is grace to cover every sin, but it is available only by repentance and faith. Although repentance and faith are free gifts from God, they require a positive response from each individual on a personal level (John 1:12; Romans 6:22-23; Ephesians 2:4-8; Psalm 95:6-11). The proof that a person has genuinely received salvation is found in a life that is no longer characterized by sin (I John 3:7-8), but in which sin is only an occasional slip for which there is immediate regret. I am, at this point, speaking of those sins to which the Apostle Paul refers as “obvious” (Galatians 5: 19-21), not areas that one becomes aware of on the journey toward spiritual maturity of which one may currently be unaware.
There are, of course, many further doctrinal points that could be discussed, but for my purpose, this should suffice in explaining my outlook. Since Zechariah is an eschatological book, I will add that my view of the Bible and the End Times tends to be dispensational.
Thanks for reading and I hope the lessons are helpful and encouraging in your faith. Please feel free to comment if you like. All comments are subject to review before they are posted. The purpose of this blog is edification for the church and comments will be evaluated for posting according to that criterion.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Zechariah Lesson One
Welcome to Bible study online! Zechariah is a terrific book to study, especially as we see the Day of the LORD approaching. I like to think of it as the “Apocalypse of the Old Testament”, because it contains so many parallels with the New Testament book of Revelation. There are plenty of Scriptures to look up, so grab your Bible, and thanks for joining us!
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME…
TO ZECHARIAH
The awful day of reckoning had finally come. For years, literally centuries, the grace of God had been extended over and over like an olive branch as He sent prophet after prophet to beg the people of Israel to return to Him and repent of wickedness and idolatry. But the appeal of the flesh seemed so much more satisfying than the appeal of grace, and so, the Day of Reckoning had come. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, had ravaged the countryside and destroyed the capital city, Jerusalem. The glorious temple of Solomon had been desecrated, pillaged of its treasures, and razed to the ground. In the first invasion, the nobles had been carried away captive to serve Nebuchadnezzar. In the second attack, 10,000 of the best artisans, engineers, and leaders had been carried away. After the third and final assault, only the poorest of the poor were left to carry on in the Promised Land as best they could.
Sin has such allure…it feels sooooo good…for a time. But then, the enjoyment fades and one awakes to disaster, destruction, and bondage. The Day of Grace seems to be over. Or is it? The Book of Zechariah is a message of New Hope…the Day of Grace for the people of Israel had not ended, but actually was about to begin. When we have reached the end of our rope and come to the place where sin holds us captive to the misery of pride, when satisfaction of our longings is unsatisfying, could it be that we are ready for grace? Zechariah says resoundingly, “Yes and Amen!”
The beginning point for Zechariah is really with the book of Ezra. This is an historical book that tells exactly where the people of Israel were at the time God spoke to Zechariah. In any good story, there are several characters who have different roles to play. Unfolding in this book of Ezra, we find the following people:
Zerubbabel – he is the prince of Israel. This is the man in the royal line of David who would have been King of Israel, had not Nebuchadnezzar carried his people away captive seventy years before. He has just led 50,000 captives from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the Lord’s temple and he is the acting governor of Judah.
Joshua – he is the high priest over Israel. Seventy years of captivity have not blotted out their knowledge of the Law of God nor their desire to carry out the duties of sacrifice and service at the temple. Joshua is the acknowledged high priest, a descendant of Aaron, and as such, he is working closely with Zerubbabel to get the temple rebuilt.
Zechariah – he is also a priest, and descendant of Aaron. In his role as priest, he receives a ministry of prophecy and is given ten (I have treated them as ten) fantastic visions in a single night. The prophetic visions serve to encourage the people of Israel in their rebuilding efforts.
Haggai – he is a man without a pedigree. The previous three characters all have lineages which make them “important” in the national life, but Haggai has no such personal distinction. Yet God is pleased to use people who lack pedigrees, for all God requires is a willing heart following after Him. And so, Haggai is chosen to receive prophetic words which also encourage the people to repent and rebuild the temple.
The story begins in Ezra 1:1 with another character, who is actually a minor character with a major title! Cyrus, the King of Persia, is the man who sets the whole ball rolling. Now during the seventy years of Israel’s captivity in Babylon, the Babylonian kingdom was overthrown by the Medo-Persian empire, so that now they are actually part of another empire. Cyrus is the emperor and he has an interesting philosophy in dealing with captive peoples within his empire. His idea is to keep them happy by allowing them to return to their lands and rebuild their temples. And so, it comes to pass that in dealing with the Jews, we read the following in Ezra 1:1-4:
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Now, one really fascinating note about all this is that 140 years before all this takes place, the prophet Isaiah had foretold this event, calling Cyrus by name. Isaiah 44:28 says,
“Who says of Cyrus, ‘he is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”
The message of Isaiah regarding Cyrus continues in Isaiah 45:1-7 and is a fascinating study regarding the sovereignty of God.
An important archaeological artifact called the Cyrus Cylinder has been found and in this cylinder we see that Cyrus had indeed granted similar commands to other people regarding the rebuilding of pagan temples and in it he credits his own god, Marduk, with accomplishing this. It is interesting to note that the people of Israel had tried for centuries to mix the worship of the true God of heaven with pagan idolatry. They would often claim to be worshiping God, but would use idols to do so, or would try to worship God along with other pagan deities. The Cyrus Cylinder, read alongside the Scriptures in Ezra, shows that Cyrus did the same sort of thing. He acknowledged the God of heaven in the book of Ezra, but credited Marduk on the Cyrus Cylinder.
QUESTION: In what ways might we try to use worldly things or worldly ideas to worship God? Do we ever bring the world into our churches in an attempt to worship? Do we try to entice people into church with worldly things and then try to squeeze the message of Jesus in somewhere?
In Ezra 3:1-7 we find that the first thing the people did when they reached Jerusalem was to restore the worship of God. Now, this is an amazing thing to me because they are standing in a desolate land, ravaged by war. The city is still in ruins and the temple is just a great lot of broken down rubble. This is enough to depress anybody, and yet, they clear a place, build an altar, and begin to offer the sacrifices required by the Law and to worship God. They also begin to acquire the building materials necessary for the temple and to lay the foundation.
Things go along swimmingly for awhile until a group of Samaritans offers to help in rebuilding the temple as we see in Ezra 4. (Samaritans were a mixed race that resulted after Assyria invaded Israel. Many of the Israelites in the northern regions of Israel intermarried with non-Israelites after this invasion, and the result was the Samaritan race.) The Jews refuse this offer of help, and on the surface we might ask why. However, a study of the history and circumstances shows that these Samaritans were engaged in syncretism—the worship of God along with pagan idols. This was the sin that landed Israel in Babylon to begin with, so the leaders of the Jews wisely and righteously refuse their offer. The result is that the Samaritans show their true colors and begin to trouble the Jews in the rebuilding of their temple. There is enough trouble with local leaders that the rebuilding effort is finally halted.
QUESTION: How often does our desire to remain holy put us at odds with others? Do we ever compromise our holiness in order to “have a better chance to relate to others and be a witness?”
QUESTION: Have you ever had a mountaintop experience followed by opposition that set you back?
Years pass, and finally in Ezra 5:1-2, we read:
“Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.”
It is interesting to notice how these four characters are used as individual persons to serve the one purpose of God. I find a short study of three Biblical plants shows an interesting correspondence.
The Vine – the vine seems to be intended as a symbol of the spiritual privileges of Israel. Isaiah 5:1-7 describes the spiritual relationship of Israel with God and His disappointment with them; Jeremiah 2:21 and Hosea 10:1 also bear this out. Jesus builds on this idea of an intended spiritual relationship in Matthew 21:33-44 with His Parable of the Vinedressers. This spiritual relationship is extended to the Church in John 15:1-6 as He declares Himself to be the Vine and His followers the branches. I see Haggai the prophet as corresponding to the imagery of the vine. He addresses the need for repentance and obedience to restore and maintain the spiritual life of Israel.
The Fig Tree – the fig tree is a national symbol for Israel and their status as the chosen nation of God. In Luke 13:1-9 Jesus addresses their national need for repentance and then relates the Parable of the Fig Tree. Notice that the fig tree (the nation) was planted within the vineyard (the spiritual relationship). But the nation bore no fruit. What kind of fruit was Jesus looking for? Over and over He seemed to be looking for faith as well as righteous deeds. But the faith that He marveled at was found in a Roman centurion and a Gentile woman who humbled herself and begged for His help on her hands and knees. It would seem that Zerubbabel, the Prince of Judah, corresponds to the fig tree.
The Olive Tree – the olive tree symbolizes the religious privilege of Israel. They were given the great privilege of ministering to, for, and before the LORD. Jeremiah 11:16-17 tells us that Israel is a Green Olive Tree, but they were doomed because they offered incense to Baal (offering incense was a spiritual service). Romans 11:17-27 tells us that the Jews were broken off of the olive tree because of their unbelief and that Gentiles were grafted in contrary to nature. In the end, however, (and I personally believe that this will happen after the rapture of the Church) the Jews will once again be grafted into the Olive Tree. Another little nifty note about olive trees is found in 1 Kings 6:23 where it tells us that the two Cherubim which stood over the Mercy Seat, situated in the Holy of Holies, were carved of olive wood. I see Joshua and Zechariah as corresponding to olive trees because they are priests serving in the religious life of the people.
OBSERVATION: We learn from the Scripture that God is Tri-Une—three operating as One; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-23, we learn that He intends us to operate together as one. These four characters operated in three different capacities to achieve one goal—the rebuilding of the Temple. It was the Spirit of God who brought this about. He longs to get past the elbows of our individuality and energize the personality underneath to work together as one body for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Lesson Two is scheduled to post in 1 week. Thanks for reading!
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME…
TO ZECHARIAH
The awful day of reckoning had finally come. For years, literally centuries, the grace of God had been extended over and over like an olive branch as He sent prophet after prophet to beg the people of Israel to return to Him and repent of wickedness and idolatry. But the appeal of the flesh seemed so much more satisfying than the appeal of grace, and so, the Day of Reckoning had come. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, had ravaged the countryside and destroyed the capital city, Jerusalem. The glorious temple of Solomon had been desecrated, pillaged of its treasures, and razed to the ground. In the first invasion, the nobles had been carried away captive to serve Nebuchadnezzar. In the second attack, 10,000 of the best artisans, engineers, and leaders had been carried away. After the third and final assault, only the poorest of the poor were left to carry on in the Promised Land as best they could.
Sin has such allure…it feels sooooo good…for a time. But then, the enjoyment fades and one awakes to disaster, destruction, and bondage. The Day of Grace seems to be over. Or is it? The Book of Zechariah is a message of New Hope…the Day of Grace for the people of Israel had not ended, but actually was about to begin. When we have reached the end of our rope and come to the place where sin holds us captive to the misery of pride, when satisfaction of our longings is unsatisfying, could it be that we are ready for grace? Zechariah says resoundingly, “Yes and Amen!”
The beginning point for Zechariah is really with the book of Ezra. This is an historical book that tells exactly where the people of Israel were at the time God spoke to Zechariah. In any good story, there are several characters who have different roles to play. Unfolding in this book of Ezra, we find the following people:
Zerubbabel – he is the prince of Israel. This is the man in the royal line of David who would have been King of Israel, had not Nebuchadnezzar carried his people away captive seventy years before. He has just led 50,000 captives from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the Lord’s temple and he is the acting governor of Judah.
Joshua – he is the high priest over Israel. Seventy years of captivity have not blotted out their knowledge of the Law of God nor their desire to carry out the duties of sacrifice and service at the temple. Joshua is the acknowledged high priest, a descendant of Aaron, and as such, he is working closely with Zerubbabel to get the temple rebuilt.
Zechariah – he is also a priest, and descendant of Aaron. In his role as priest, he receives a ministry of prophecy and is given ten (I have treated them as ten) fantastic visions in a single night. The prophetic visions serve to encourage the people of Israel in their rebuilding efforts.
Haggai – he is a man without a pedigree. The previous three characters all have lineages which make them “important” in the national life, but Haggai has no such personal distinction. Yet God is pleased to use people who lack pedigrees, for all God requires is a willing heart following after Him. And so, Haggai is chosen to receive prophetic words which also encourage the people to repent and rebuild the temple.
The story begins in Ezra 1:1 with another character, who is actually a minor character with a major title! Cyrus, the King of Persia, is the man who sets the whole ball rolling. Now during the seventy years of Israel’s captivity in Babylon, the Babylonian kingdom was overthrown by the Medo-Persian empire, so that now they are actually part of another empire. Cyrus is the emperor and he has an interesting philosophy in dealing with captive peoples within his empire. His idea is to keep them happy by allowing them to return to their lands and rebuild their temples. And so, it comes to pass that in dealing with the Jews, we read the following in Ezra 1:1-4:
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Now, one really fascinating note about all this is that 140 years before all this takes place, the prophet Isaiah had foretold this event, calling Cyrus by name. Isaiah 44:28 says,
“Who says of Cyrus, ‘he is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”
The message of Isaiah regarding Cyrus continues in Isaiah 45:1-7 and is a fascinating study regarding the sovereignty of God.
An important archaeological artifact called the Cyrus Cylinder has been found and in this cylinder we see that Cyrus had indeed granted similar commands to other people regarding the rebuilding of pagan temples and in it he credits his own god, Marduk, with accomplishing this. It is interesting to note that the people of Israel had tried for centuries to mix the worship of the true God of heaven with pagan idolatry. They would often claim to be worshiping God, but would use idols to do so, or would try to worship God along with other pagan deities. The Cyrus Cylinder, read alongside the Scriptures in Ezra, shows that Cyrus did the same sort of thing. He acknowledged the God of heaven in the book of Ezra, but credited Marduk on the Cyrus Cylinder.
QUESTION: In what ways might we try to use worldly things or worldly ideas to worship God? Do we ever bring the world into our churches in an attempt to worship? Do we try to entice people into church with worldly things and then try to squeeze the message of Jesus in somewhere?
In Ezra 3:1-7 we find that the first thing the people did when they reached Jerusalem was to restore the worship of God. Now, this is an amazing thing to me because they are standing in a desolate land, ravaged by war. The city is still in ruins and the temple is just a great lot of broken down rubble. This is enough to depress anybody, and yet, they clear a place, build an altar, and begin to offer the sacrifices required by the Law and to worship God. They also begin to acquire the building materials necessary for the temple and to lay the foundation.
Things go along swimmingly for awhile until a group of Samaritans offers to help in rebuilding the temple as we see in Ezra 4. (Samaritans were a mixed race that resulted after Assyria invaded Israel. Many of the Israelites in the northern regions of Israel intermarried with non-Israelites after this invasion, and the result was the Samaritan race.) The Jews refuse this offer of help, and on the surface we might ask why. However, a study of the history and circumstances shows that these Samaritans were engaged in syncretism—the worship of God along with pagan idols. This was the sin that landed Israel in Babylon to begin with, so the leaders of the Jews wisely and righteously refuse their offer. The result is that the Samaritans show their true colors and begin to trouble the Jews in the rebuilding of their temple. There is enough trouble with local leaders that the rebuilding effort is finally halted.
QUESTION: How often does our desire to remain holy put us at odds with others? Do we ever compromise our holiness in order to “have a better chance to relate to others and be a witness?”
QUESTION: Have you ever had a mountaintop experience followed by opposition that set you back?
Years pass, and finally in Ezra 5:1-2, we read:
“Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.”
It is interesting to notice how these four characters are used as individual persons to serve the one purpose of God. I find a short study of three Biblical plants shows an interesting correspondence.
The Vine – the vine seems to be intended as a symbol of the spiritual privileges of Israel. Isaiah 5:1-7 describes the spiritual relationship of Israel with God and His disappointment with them; Jeremiah 2:21 and Hosea 10:1 also bear this out. Jesus builds on this idea of an intended spiritual relationship in Matthew 21:33-44 with His Parable of the Vinedressers. This spiritual relationship is extended to the Church in John 15:1-6 as He declares Himself to be the Vine and His followers the branches. I see Haggai the prophet as corresponding to the imagery of the vine. He addresses the need for repentance and obedience to restore and maintain the spiritual life of Israel.
The Fig Tree – the fig tree is a national symbol for Israel and their status as the chosen nation of God. In Luke 13:1-9 Jesus addresses their national need for repentance and then relates the Parable of the Fig Tree. Notice that the fig tree (the nation) was planted within the vineyard (the spiritual relationship). But the nation bore no fruit. What kind of fruit was Jesus looking for? Over and over He seemed to be looking for faith as well as righteous deeds. But the faith that He marveled at was found in a Roman centurion and a Gentile woman who humbled herself and begged for His help on her hands and knees. It would seem that Zerubbabel, the Prince of Judah, corresponds to the fig tree.
The Olive Tree – the olive tree symbolizes the religious privilege of Israel. They were given the great privilege of ministering to, for, and before the LORD. Jeremiah 11:16-17 tells us that Israel is a Green Olive Tree, but they were doomed because they offered incense to Baal (offering incense was a spiritual service). Romans 11:17-27 tells us that the Jews were broken off of the olive tree because of their unbelief and that Gentiles were grafted in contrary to nature. In the end, however, (and I personally believe that this will happen after the rapture of the Church) the Jews will once again be grafted into the Olive Tree. Another little nifty note about olive trees is found in 1 Kings 6:23 where it tells us that the two Cherubim which stood over the Mercy Seat, situated in the Holy of Holies, were carved of olive wood. I see Joshua and Zechariah as corresponding to olive trees because they are priests serving in the religious life of the people.
OBSERVATION: We learn from the Scripture that God is Tri-Une—three operating as One; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-23, we learn that He intends us to operate together as one. These four characters operated in three different capacities to achieve one goal—the rebuilding of the Temple. It was the Spirit of God who brought this about. He longs to get past the elbows of our individuality and energize the personality underneath to work together as one body for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Lesson Two is scheduled to post in 1 week. Thanks for reading!
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