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 LESSON SIX
THE MIRACULOUS OIL
In Zechariah 4, we find a wonderful vision of a Lampstand, and the circumstances call to mind the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, the festival of lights. This holiday is not mentioned in the Bible because it actually began during the period of time we refer to as the intertestamental period—the 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. During this time, the Greeks had persecuted the Jewish nation terribly and under their leader, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, they had desecrated the temple, erecting a statue of Zeus within it and slaughtering a pig on the altar. They forbade the Jews even to study the Torah or practice their religion in any way. Finally, the Maccabean Family was successful in leading a revolt and overthrowing the Greek rule. When they entered the Temple, however, they were able to discover only one jar of oil with the seal of the High Priest, making it ritually pure for use in the Temple’s Lampstand. Although this amount of oil would only last one day under normal circumstances, the Lamp continued to burn for eight days with this one jar of oil, enabling them to produce more for the continual flame in the Temple. Ever since that time, the Jews have celebrated those eight days with praise and thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from their enemies as well as His provision for the Temple’s light.
THE VISION OF THE LAMPSTAND
Zechariah is awakened to yet another vision and he describes it as follows:
“There is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl, and the other at its left.”
The Lampstand that Zechariah sees is not without its precedent. It calls to mind the Lampstand that was originally placed in the Temple according to God’s instruction. Exodus 37:17-24 gives a full description of the original Lampstand. It was a shaft with six branches, each having its own bowl affixed for holding oil and a wick, making a total of seven lamps. The Lampstand was hammered out of one piece of pure gold, and it was decorated with ornamental almond blossoms. Crafting this from a single piece would have been amazing workmanship. Everything in the Temple was highly symbolic, and some of the symbolism of the Lampstand is as follows:
Gold is symbolic of Deity
One piece is symbolic of one God
Seven is the number of Completion
The almond tree is a harbinger of spring; it blooms while other trees are still dormant, thereby “watching over” the coming of the season. Passover, the picture of our atonement in Christ, is in spring. Also, the Hebrew word for almond is “shaked” and it means “hasten.” In Jeremiah 1:11-12, Jeremiah sees a vision of an almond tree and the meaning of the vision is that God was “watching over” His word to perform it. Almond blossoms connected with light add to the imagery of God’s watchfulness.
The Lampstand that Zechariah sees in his vision has an added feature that the Lampstand in the Temple did not have. It has a reservoir on top with a series of pipes running an endless supply of oil to the lamps.
I believe that the Lampstand has three important symbolic meanings. The primary thing the lamp symbolizes is the Person of Jesus Christ. Everything in the Temple pointed to Him in various ways, and the Lampstand depicted Him as the Light of the World. In Psalm 27:1, David said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” Speaking of Jesus in Matthew 4:18, it says, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” Secondly, I believe the Lampstand was symbolic of the nation of Israel. Isaiah 42:6-7 says, “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people; as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” Likewise, Isaiah 60:1-3 says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Finally, Jesus said to the Church, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16. Also, in Revelation 1:12-20, the churches are symbolized by seven lampstands.
How can we apply this symbolism, that we are lampstands, in our personal lives? In order to work as intended, this light was a Lampstand, supplied with oil, wicks, and fire. The seven bowls held oil and into each bowl was placed a single wick. The wick absorbed the oil and then was able to carry the fire, thus supplying light. Since the Lampstand was golden, this symbolizes Jesus—God in the flesh. The oil and the fire are symbols of the Holy Spirit, Who was present in the Person of Jesus. In I Samuel 9:27 and continuing through chapter 10, we see that immediately after Saul was anointed with oil as king over Israel, he received the Holy Spirit from God, and so throughout the Scriptures, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:1-4, we also find that fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, when He descended on the early believers and rested on their heads, appearing as tongues of fire. So we see that Jesus is the Lampstand, the Holy Spirit is the oil and fire. What are we? Believers are the wicks! Here are some interesting points to ponder about wicks:
1. Wicks must be soaked in oil in order to work. We must receive the Holy Spirit before we can carry the Light of God in us.
2. Wicks must be trimmed, or they will smoke. Jesus said every branch in Him would be pruned to bear more fruit. Trimming the wick is sort of like pruning; it removes impediments and allows a clean-burning light.
3. Wicks eventually have to be replaced; in this present life, we don’t live forever. Our wick will eventually burn out and have to be replaced.
4. If the fire touches a dry wick, the wick will be destroyed; only those who receive the Holy Spirit in salvation will be able to withstand the holy fire of God.
5. In the tabernacle, the wicks were all angled so as to throw light on the Table of Shewbread and the Incense Altar (both symbols of Jesus); our wicks likewise need to throw light on the Lord, not ourselves.
In verses 4-6 of Zechariah 4, we see that Zechariah is “in the dark” about this vision. He doesn’t understand what it means. He knows by now that God is encouraging him and the leaders of the Jews to finish the Temple, and that this Lampstand is certainly connected with the Temple, but he doesn’t understand what God is trying to tell him by using it in this vision. However, this vision is meant specifically for Zerubbabel. Verses 6-7 are often quoted, but let’s see what they meant for Zerubbabel.
“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
Rebuilding the Temple has proven to be very trying for Zerubbabel. There has been a lot of interference and trouble from outsiders and the people themselves have lost heart. The word for “might” in verse 6 means “strength, army, or wealth,” and the word for “power” means “ability or force.” The first Temple was built by King Solomon. He had almost unlimited wealth, power, and intellect. There was no interference of any kind with his building projects. Zerubbabel simply doesn’t have Solomon’s resources, but God is telling Zerubbabel that the job will get done, even without great earthly resources. Philippians 3:3-14 is a great passage that teaches us not to put any confidence in the flesh or in our own abilities or in any of the things that the world values. It is the Spirit of God who is going to work through Zerubbabel to accomplish His good will. Verse 7 likens the rebuilding of the Temple to a mountain, but Jesus said in Matthew 17:19-20 that if we would have faith like the mustard seed, that would be sufficient to move mountains.
Zechariah 4:8-10 continues to exhort Zerubbabel by saying,
“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this Temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
Zerubbabel will finish the Temple. It won’t be that he works for years and somebody else finishes the work. It will not have the grandeur of the original Temple, but God is just as much in the small things as in the large—in fact, He may be even more concerned with the small things. The flesh looks for large and impressive things, but that is why the flesh does not see God.
QUESTION: Has God given you a job to do? Does it seem small in comparison to what others have done before you? Be faithful in that small job. Don’t despise the day of small jobs. Jesus fed five thousand men with five small loaves and two fish. He can do miracles when you are faithful to your small job. Oswald Chambers said numerous times, "It takes God Almighty Incarnate to properly peel potatoes." If Jesus glorified God by washing the dirty feet of His own disciples, will we be humble enough to roll up our own sleeves and let Him use our hands to wash dirty dishes? If we can't glorify God by peeling potatoes and washing dishes, we are kidding ourselves if we think we can glorify Him by doing something "big."
What are the seven eyes that He is talking about? I think they correspond to the seven lamps on the Lampstand, as well as the seven facets of the Stone that we studied last week in Isaiah 11:1-2. These seven characteristics remind us that it is not the outward look of things that God pays attention to, but the inner things. Jesus was one with the Father and left all the glory of heaven to inhabit a body of clay and He was pleased to do so. He is not impressed by pomp and splendor, but by faith and love. Moving from a big Temple to a little Temple didn’t bother God at all—He was only interested in the people’s hearts.
The final verses of Zechariah 4 talk about the two olive trees that stood beside the Lampstand and dripped oil continuously into the reservoir. Verse 14 says, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
These are interesting symbols to ponder because, like most prophecies, I think they have dual meanings and fulfillments. At the time that Zechariah received this vision, I think they represented Zerubabbel and Joshua the High Priest. These were the two leaders who were responsible for the nation of Israel. Each had his own place to fill and the Spirit of God was working through them to re-light the Lord’s Lampstand in the land of Israel. Revelation 11:4 identifies two witnesses who will appear in Israel during the days of the Tribulation as the two olive trees standing before the Lord. Once again, as God is re-lighting His Lampstand in the land of Israel, two leaders will arise who will be used by the Spirit of God. There is a lot of speculation as to who they might be. Some believe that they are Moses and Elijah because these two appeared at the Mount of Transfiguration. Others believe they are Enoch and Elijah because these two men were translated and did not die and that they are returned to earth to finish their ministry. Others believe that it is two different men. Whoever they are, they have an important ministry to fulfill in coming days.
This morning shortly before I began to write this lesson, I read a news article reporting that Russia is prepared to propose the formation of a single global currency in an upcoming meeting of world leaders. Other Middle Eastern countries, together with China, have announced their support of this move, and the reporter ended by quoting Revelation. When the mainstream media starts quoting Revelation, it is time to get ready to go home! Incidentally, the Jews have made the new Lampstand that will stand in the Temple when it is rebuilt and it can be seen at www.templeinstitute.org.
OBSERVATION: People light lamps when it is beginning to be dark. When it becomes dark, the light becomes the focal point. Soak in the Oil, and carry faithfully the Light you have been given.
Thanks for following along! The next lesson will post in about one week.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ZECHARIAH LESSON FIVE
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 LESSON FIVE
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
If we want something for ourselves, we must pay a price for it. If we want to give something to someone else, we must also pay a price. The gift of God is grace; how much did it cost Him?
JOSHUA BEFORE THE LORD
The next vision in Zechariah’s fantastic night is concerning the high priest of Israel whose name was Joshua. Let’s see what he says in Zechariah 3:1-3:
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD Who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.”
Joshua is standing before the Lord in his own person, but he is also standing as the representative of Israel. It was the chief duty of the high priest of Israel to stand before the Lord and minister on behalf of the people. No one could approach the Holy Place in the Temple except a priest, and no one could approach the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant reposed except the high priest, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The meaning of this was that, until the Perfect Offering was made, the people were separated from God by their sin. The sacrifices made in the Temple were merely symbolic of the coming Sacrifice, but could not actually take away their sins. Salvation could only be found by trusting in God’s promise of a coming Redeemer (Hebrews 10:5-7).
As we see Joshua standing before the Lord, the word “standing” refers to a court appearance, as in “standing trial.” Joshua is standing and awaiting judgment, not only for himself, but for all Israel. Who do we find standing at his right hand? Satan is there to accuse (incidentally, the name Satan actually means “accuser” or “adversary; he introduced sin into the human race, and now he stands around accusing us). Psalm 109:6 says, “Set a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.” This calls to mind a criminal trial I recently attended on behalf of the victim, and the prosecutor was seated to the defendant’s right.
Let’s examine Satan for a moment and see who he really is and what his interest is. He is first introduced in Genesis 3, as a serpent in the Garden of Eden. He begins speaking to Eve, and this gives us a big clue that he is not really a serpent, but has disguised himself in a form likely to deceive. Women by their nature tend to be sympathetic toward animals (of course there are exceptions; I am speaking of general tendencies that I have observed) and so this deceiver assumed the form of a creature that Eve would respond to. Apparently reptiles were more appealing before the fall! He intimates that God is not telling Eve everything and that if she will listen to the Serpent’s advice and eat the forbidden fruit, she will become something far greater than what she presently is. What is the Serpent’s real intention? Jesus said in John 8:44, “The Devil was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” So we see that Satan’s real agenda in the Garden of Eden was the murder of the human race. Cutting them off from God by introducing sin would result in death because God is the real source of their life. Once the race fell into sin, Satan became their accuser, not some sympathetic adviser. In Job chapters 1 and 2, we again see Satan standing before God accusing someone. He is accusing Job of serving God out of impure and selfish motives. God allows Satan to put this to a test and Satan robs Job of all his earthly possessions, family, and health. However, Job overcomes the Evil One, and his victorious cry of faith has echoed for thousands of years, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my flesh I shall see God.” Job 19:25-26. Revelation 12:10-11 echoes that same affirmation of faith against the accuser.
How does God respond to Satan? He simply rebukes him. In Jude 9, we find “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” God treats all of His creatures with respect, even Satan. How much more should we respect each other, even our enemies! And we ought to be careful how we speak of the adversary. He is not some red-suited creature with a pitchfork to be mocked and ridiculed. I think we would also do well not to teach our children to mock him by singing, “If the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack” either. He is not to be reverenced, but he is to be respected as a creature whom God has created for a purpose.
What is meant by the term “firebrand?” I actually looked up this word in the dictionary and it means “a stick of burning wood.” I think what God means here is that Babylonian captivity was the fire of God’s judgment against the sin of Israel. Israel has now been plucked out of that fiery judgment because God deemed that they had been punished enough. After God has executed His judgment, there should be no more room for accusation; therefore, Satan is rebuked. In the game of football, there is such an offense called “piling on” and this is what Satan is doing. God is saying, “Foul!”
Continuing on, in verse 3 we read, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.” Exodus 28 describes the garments made for the high priest of Israel, and they were garments of glory and beauty. They were made of finely twisted linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet with gold threads interwoven. He had a special breastplate, a turban, an ephod, and a sash. It was embroidered with pomegranates and had little gold bells attached to the hem that tinkled as he walked. The Jews have finished making the garments for the new high priest to wear when the Temple is constructed again and these are on display at http://www.templeinstitute.org/. So what is Joshua’s present situation? His priestly garments are filthy, and that word “filthy” actually carries with it the idea that Joshua is covered in excrement. This is not ordinary sweat and dirt! Joshua is supposed to smell like the incense he carries in the Holy Place, but he is standing before the Lord smelling like a feedlot.
OBSERVATION: Sin stinks, but if you work in a smelly place, you get used to it. Only the holiness of God can make us begin to realize our own filthiness.
This is a humiliating and despairing situation for Joshua. But the Lord has matters well in hand, because we read in verse 4, “Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’” Joshua had no power to clean up the mess. Jesus said that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must become like a little child (Matthew 18:2-4). A baby can’t clean himself up; he must rely on someone else. Joshua stands humbly before the Lord and allows himself to be cleaned up. Now, his sin is removed along with the sin of Israel.
OBSERVATION: So many people make the mistake of thinking that they have to clean themselves up before they can come to Christ for salvation. The point that God is making in this vision of Joshua is that no one, not even the high priest of Israel, can “clean himself up” well enough to be pleasing to God. That is why salvation is necessary. In coming to Christ and trusting Him to remove our sin, we acknowledge that we simply can’t do it ourselves.
In the next verse, we see that Zechariah expresses a particular concern for a clean turban for Joshua. What is the significance of the turban? The Amplified Version of Exodus 28:36-38 puts it like this: “And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO THE LORD. You shall fasten it on the front of the turban with a blue cord. It shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may take upon himself and bear any iniquity connected with the holy things which the Israelites shall give and dedicate; and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord in the priest’s person.” So we see from these verses that without a high priest, the offerings of Israel could not be accepted. Aaron symbolically bore away their sin. Only a holy person could perform this sacred office.
QUESTION: What did it cost God to be able to once again choose Jerusalem? What did it cost Him to take away iniquity and clothe us in garments of glory also? (John 3:16)
Verses 6-7 constitute a transition from despair to hope. “Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My commands, then you shall also judge My house; and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.”’”
Revelation 1:6 tells us that believers in Christ have been made priests to God, and as priests, we have been given a ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18). The Lord promises Joshua three things in these verses. What do they mean, both for Joshua and for us?
1. You shall judge My house
In his ministry before the Lord, Aaron symbolically bore away the sin of the people as they brought offerings and confessed their sin; he annually carried blood for atonement into the Holy of Holies where the Presence of God dwelled continually. Thus, the high priest had direct contact and intimacy with God. Romans 5:1-2 tells us “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple split in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), signifying that access, once denied because of sin, has been granted to any who will come. Let us remember that we do not come before God merely on our own behalf, but that we come to minister on behalf of others.
2. The second thing that Joshua is promised is charge of His Courts
Here, God is telling Joshua that he will be in charge of the Lord’s Temple. The spiritual life of Israel revolved around this Temple. Here the people came to worship, to confess, and to receive instruction from God. Having charge of the Temple was probably the most serious responsibility a person could hold. I Samuel 2-3 is a sobering passage that details the judgment of God against the house of Eli, the high priest, because he allowed his sons to desecrate the offerings of the people and abuse the House of the Lord. As priests to God, we do not serve in a literal physical temple, but the Bible tells us that our bodies are temples of the living God (I Corinthians 3:16-17). Do we do a good job policing our bodies? Do we lovingly help our brothers in this respect? Do we respect others as temples (or potential temples) of God? We are warned that the one who destroys God’s temple will himself be destroyed. We are also told that all believers are growing together into a temple for God (Ephesians 2:19-22). Do we respect this Body of believers and seek to unify and edify it?
3. The third thing that Joshua is promised as High Priest is a place to walk
Joshua will receive a place to walk, meaning as a course of life, among the saints and angels of the living God. He will have a position of honor among those who are honorable. He will have fellowship with God and with the people of God. As believers, where will we walk? “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) As believers we are to walk in the Light of the Lord, shunning every appearance of evil and fellowshipping with God and the saints.
Notice that this is a conditional promise. The Lord says to Joshua, “If you will walk in My way and keep My charge…” These are not unconditional, automatic promises. Joshua must walk in a worthy manner. Likewise, we are instructed to walk in the Light, to walk in the Spirit, and to keep our testimony. This does not mean that our salvation is conditioned upon our perfection (we would all be doomed from the start), but that our ministry as priests to God on behalf of others depends on walking in a worthy manner.
THE VISION OF THE COMING BRANCH
Zechariah 3:8 completes the transition from despair to hope, by introducing the real high priest. “Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you (the other priests) for they are a wondrous sign; for behold I am bringing forth My Servant, the BRANCH.” Joshua and the other priests are only a type – a shadow – of the real, true High Priest. The Old Testament repeatedly refers to this coming High Priest as the Branch (Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 6:12). The message for Zechariah here is, “Don’t get caught up in your own importance. Keep your eyes on the real High Priest who is coming.” Likewise, the message to us is to keep our eyes on Jesus and the work He has for us. Focusing on our own wishes and desires in life constitutes an abandoning of our service as priests.
Verse 9 employs another often-used metaphor for Jesus, “For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,” says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” Throughout the Scriptures, the coming Messiah is referred to as a rock or stone (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22-23; Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; Daniel 2).
This verse tells us that the Stone has seven eyes or facets. I believe these “eyes” or “facets” or “radiations” are detailed for us in Isaiah 11:1-2. They are listed as follows, and I have given the definitions of each:
1. The Spirit of the LORD – the Self-Existent One; the covenant name of God forever
2. The Spirit of Wisdom – the intelligent attitude toward experiences of life; it produces reverence for God
3. The Spirit of Understanding – the discernment allowing one to distinguish good from evil
4. The Spirit of Counsel – advice, plan, or consultation
5. The Spirit of Might – strength, valor, mastery, or power
6. The Spirit of Knowledge – knowledge gained through the senses
7. The Spirit of Reverential Fear of God – terror, awe, a reverential fear reflected in one’s daily attitude and life.
Notice that this stone has an inscription. An inscription is normally a name or a dedication, and it is determined by the one doing the inscribing. The one who names someone or something does so because he has the authority to do so. An example of this is the naming of children. Parents name their children because they have the authority to do so. In this instance, the inscription is done by God Himself. This is a picture of Jesus, the One Who is equal to God, submitting Himself to the authority of God. Revelation 2:17 tells us that believers will receive a stone inscribed with a new name. These are likewise people who have submitted themselves to the authority of God.
These two visions of the restoration of Joshua the High Priest, and the coming of the BRANCH are meant to encourage the people of Israel, as well as all who will trust in the Messiah. God’s plans in creating the world have never been thwarted. He did not have to “figure out” what to do about sin when Adam and Eve fell. His plans have been right on schedule all along. Jeremiah 50:20 says this, “In those days and in that time, says the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve.”
This week is spring break and I will be taking a week long "breather", so the next lesson will post in two weeks. Thanks for following along!
ZECHARIAH LESSON FIVE
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
If we want something for ourselves, we must pay a price for it. If we want to give something to someone else, we must also pay a price. The gift of God is grace; how much did it cost Him?
JOSHUA BEFORE THE LORD
The next vision in Zechariah’s fantastic night is concerning the high priest of Israel whose name was Joshua. Let’s see what he says in Zechariah 3:1-3:
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD Who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.”
Joshua is standing before the Lord in his own person, but he is also standing as the representative of Israel. It was the chief duty of the high priest of Israel to stand before the Lord and minister on behalf of the people. No one could approach the Holy Place in the Temple except a priest, and no one could approach the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant reposed except the high priest, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The meaning of this was that, until the Perfect Offering was made, the people were separated from God by their sin. The sacrifices made in the Temple were merely symbolic of the coming Sacrifice, but could not actually take away their sins. Salvation could only be found by trusting in God’s promise of a coming Redeemer (Hebrews 10:5-7).
As we see Joshua standing before the Lord, the word “standing” refers to a court appearance, as in “standing trial.” Joshua is standing and awaiting judgment, not only for himself, but for all Israel. Who do we find standing at his right hand? Satan is there to accuse (incidentally, the name Satan actually means “accuser” or “adversary; he introduced sin into the human race, and now he stands around accusing us). Psalm 109:6 says, “Set a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.” This calls to mind a criminal trial I recently attended on behalf of the victim, and the prosecutor was seated to the defendant’s right.
Let’s examine Satan for a moment and see who he really is and what his interest is. He is first introduced in Genesis 3, as a serpent in the Garden of Eden. He begins speaking to Eve, and this gives us a big clue that he is not really a serpent, but has disguised himself in a form likely to deceive. Women by their nature tend to be sympathetic toward animals (of course there are exceptions; I am speaking of general tendencies that I have observed) and so this deceiver assumed the form of a creature that Eve would respond to. Apparently reptiles were more appealing before the fall! He intimates that God is not telling Eve everything and that if she will listen to the Serpent’s advice and eat the forbidden fruit, she will become something far greater than what she presently is. What is the Serpent’s real intention? Jesus said in John 8:44, “The Devil was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” So we see that Satan’s real agenda in the Garden of Eden was the murder of the human race. Cutting them off from God by introducing sin would result in death because God is the real source of their life. Once the race fell into sin, Satan became their accuser, not some sympathetic adviser. In Job chapters 1 and 2, we again see Satan standing before God accusing someone. He is accusing Job of serving God out of impure and selfish motives. God allows Satan to put this to a test and Satan robs Job of all his earthly possessions, family, and health. However, Job overcomes the Evil One, and his victorious cry of faith has echoed for thousands of years, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my flesh I shall see God.” Job 19:25-26. Revelation 12:10-11 echoes that same affirmation of faith against the accuser.
How does God respond to Satan? He simply rebukes him. In Jude 9, we find “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” God treats all of His creatures with respect, even Satan. How much more should we respect each other, even our enemies! And we ought to be careful how we speak of the adversary. He is not some red-suited creature with a pitchfork to be mocked and ridiculed. I think we would also do well not to teach our children to mock him by singing, “If the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack” either. He is not to be reverenced, but he is to be respected as a creature whom God has created for a purpose.
What is meant by the term “firebrand?” I actually looked up this word in the dictionary and it means “a stick of burning wood.” I think what God means here is that Babylonian captivity was the fire of God’s judgment against the sin of Israel. Israel has now been plucked out of that fiery judgment because God deemed that they had been punished enough. After God has executed His judgment, there should be no more room for accusation; therefore, Satan is rebuked. In the game of football, there is such an offense called “piling on” and this is what Satan is doing. God is saying, “Foul!”
Continuing on, in verse 3 we read, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.” Exodus 28 describes the garments made for the high priest of Israel, and they were garments of glory and beauty. They were made of finely twisted linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet with gold threads interwoven. He had a special breastplate, a turban, an ephod, and a sash. It was embroidered with pomegranates and had little gold bells attached to the hem that tinkled as he walked. The Jews have finished making the garments for the new high priest to wear when the Temple is constructed again and these are on display at http://www.templeinstitute.org/. So what is Joshua’s present situation? His priestly garments are filthy, and that word “filthy” actually carries with it the idea that Joshua is covered in excrement. This is not ordinary sweat and dirt! Joshua is supposed to smell like the incense he carries in the Holy Place, but he is standing before the Lord smelling like a feedlot.
OBSERVATION: Sin stinks, but if you work in a smelly place, you get used to it. Only the holiness of God can make us begin to realize our own filthiness.
This is a humiliating and despairing situation for Joshua. But the Lord has matters well in hand, because we read in verse 4, “Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’” Joshua had no power to clean up the mess. Jesus said that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must become like a little child (Matthew 18:2-4). A baby can’t clean himself up; he must rely on someone else. Joshua stands humbly before the Lord and allows himself to be cleaned up. Now, his sin is removed along with the sin of Israel.
OBSERVATION: So many people make the mistake of thinking that they have to clean themselves up before they can come to Christ for salvation. The point that God is making in this vision of Joshua is that no one, not even the high priest of Israel, can “clean himself up” well enough to be pleasing to God. That is why salvation is necessary. In coming to Christ and trusting Him to remove our sin, we acknowledge that we simply can’t do it ourselves.
In the next verse, we see that Zechariah expresses a particular concern for a clean turban for Joshua. What is the significance of the turban? The Amplified Version of Exodus 28:36-38 puts it like this: “And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO THE LORD. You shall fasten it on the front of the turban with a blue cord. It shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may take upon himself and bear any iniquity connected with the holy things which the Israelites shall give and dedicate; and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord in the priest’s person.” So we see from these verses that without a high priest, the offerings of Israel could not be accepted. Aaron symbolically bore away their sin. Only a holy person could perform this sacred office.
QUESTION: What did it cost God to be able to once again choose Jerusalem? What did it cost Him to take away iniquity and clothe us in garments of glory also? (John 3:16)
Verses 6-7 constitute a transition from despair to hope. “Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My commands, then you shall also judge My house; and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.”’”
Revelation 1:6 tells us that believers in Christ have been made priests to God, and as priests, we have been given a ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18). The Lord promises Joshua three things in these verses. What do they mean, both for Joshua and for us?
1. You shall judge My house
In his ministry before the Lord, Aaron symbolically bore away the sin of the people as they brought offerings and confessed their sin; he annually carried blood for atonement into the Holy of Holies where the Presence of God dwelled continually. Thus, the high priest had direct contact and intimacy with God. Romans 5:1-2 tells us “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple split in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), signifying that access, once denied because of sin, has been granted to any who will come. Let us remember that we do not come before God merely on our own behalf, but that we come to minister on behalf of others.
2. The second thing that Joshua is promised is charge of His Courts
Here, God is telling Joshua that he will be in charge of the Lord’s Temple. The spiritual life of Israel revolved around this Temple. Here the people came to worship, to confess, and to receive instruction from God. Having charge of the Temple was probably the most serious responsibility a person could hold. I Samuel 2-3 is a sobering passage that details the judgment of God against the house of Eli, the high priest, because he allowed his sons to desecrate the offerings of the people and abuse the House of the Lord. As priests to God, we do not serve in a literal physical temple, but the Bible tells us that our bodies are temples of the living God (I Corinthians 3:16-17). Do we do a good job policing our bodies? Do we lovingly help our brothers in this respect? Do we respect others as temples (or potential temples) of God? We are warned that the one who destroys God’s temple will himself be destroyed. We are also told that all believers are growing together into a temple for God (Ephesians 2:19-22). Do we respect this Body of believers and seek to unify and edify it?
3. The third thing that Joshua is promised as High Priest is a place to walk
Joshua will receive a place to walk, meaning as a course of life, among the saints and angels of the living God. He will have a position of honor among those who are honorable. He will have fellowship with God and with the people of God. As believers, where will we walk? “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) As believers we are to walk in the Light of the Lord, shunning every appearance of evil and fellowshipping with God and the saints.
Notice that this is a conditional promise. The Lord says to Joshua, “If you will walk in My way and keep My charge…” These are not unconditional, automatic promises. Joshua must walk in a worthy manner. Likewise, we are instructed to walk in the Light, to walk in the Spirit, and to keep our testimony. This does not mean that our salvation is conditioned upon our perfection (we would all be doomed from the start), but that our ministry as priests to God on behalf of others depends on walking in a worthy manner.
THE VISION OF THE COMING BRANCH
Zechariah 3:8 completes the transition from despair to hope, by introducing the real high priest. “Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you (the other priests) for they are a wondrous sign; for behold I am bringing forth My Servant, the BRANCH.” Joshua and the other priests are only a type – a shadow – of the real, true High Priest. The Old Testament repeatedly refers to this coming High Priest as the Branch (Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 6:12). The message for Zechariah here is, “Don’t get caught up in your own importance. Keep your eyes on the real High Priest who is coming.” Likewise, the message to us is to keep our eyes on Jesus and the work He has for us. Focusing on our own wishes and desires in life constitutes an abandoning of our service as priests.
Verse 9 employs another often-used metaphor for Jesus, “For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,” says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” Throughout the Scriptures, the coming Messiah is referred to as a rock or stone (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22-23; Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; Daniel 2).
This verse tells us that the Stone has seven eyes or facets. I believe these “eyes” or “facets” or “radiations” are detailed for us in Isaiah 11:1-2. They are listed as follows, and I have given the definitions of each:
1. The Spirit of the LORD – the Self-Existent One; the covenant name of God forever
2. The Spirit of Wisdom – the intelligent attitude toward experiences of life; it produces reverence for God
3. The Spirit of Understanding – the discernment allowing one to distinguish good from evil
4. The Spirit of Counsel – advice, plan, or consultation
5. The Spirit of Might – strength, valor, mastery, or power
6. The Spirit of Knowledge – knowledge gained through the senses
7. The Spirit of Reverential Fear of God – terror, awe, a reverential fear reflected in one’s daily attitude and life.
Notice that this stone has an inscription. An inscription is normally a name or a dedication, and it is determined by the one doing the inscribing. The one who names someone or something does so because he has the authority to do so. An example of this is the naming of children. Parents name their children because they have the authority to do so. In this instance, the inscription is done by God Himself. This is a picture of Jesus, the One Who is equal to God, submitting Himself to the authority of God. Revelation 2:17 tells us that believers will receive a stone inscribed with a new name. These are likewise people who have submitted themselves to the authority of God.
These two visions of the restoration of Joshua the High Priest, and the coming of the BRANCH are meant to encourage the people of Israel, as well as all who will trust in the Messiah. God’s plans in creating the world have never been thwarted. He did not have to “figure out” what to do about sin when Adam and Eve fell. His plans have been right on schedule all along. Jeremiah 50:20 says this, “In those days and in that time, says the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve.”
This week is spring break and I will be taking a week long "breather", so the next lesson will post in two weeks. Thanks for following along!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
ZECHARIAH LESSON FOUR
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 VISION OF A MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE
When the prophets of old saw visions of future events, they saw them as one might see mountains in the distance. From far away, the mountains appear to be very close together, one rising on top of another; however, when we actually arrive at the mountain range, we see that the mountains have a good bit of distance in between them, and there are large valleys and meadows. The visions of the prophets are like that and in one single verse, history may show us that there were two mountains with a large valley of time in between. Also, many of the visions have more than one fulfillment, or may have a foreshadowing of the future fulfillment. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is an example of the foreshadowing of the final Antichrist. The vision we are about to study is just such an example of something that will have more than one fulfillment.
In Zechariah chapter 2, the prophet sees a man with a measuring line in his hand—a surveyor, as it were. He is told that the man is going to take a survey of the city of Jerusalem. In the Bible, when God measures something, He is getting ready to build. Let’s take a look at four different things that the Scriptures tell us God measures with a view toward building.
In demonstrating His sovereignty, God asks Job in Job 38:5, “Who determined its (the earth’s) measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” Proverbs 8:29 tells us that God marked out the foundations of the earth. Jeremiah 5:22 says that God has placed the sand as a perpetual boundary to hold back the sea. Psalm 74:17 says, “You have set all the borders of the earth.” So we see that before God built the earth, He measured and laid it all out.
When God gave Moses instructions regarding the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings in Exodus 25-30 there were specific measurements involved throughout. I Kings 6-8 gives us the measurements of the Temple that Solomon built. Ezekiel 40-42 gives precise measurements for the Millennial Temple that will be constructed during the reign of Jesus. Revelation 11:1-2 instructs John in his vision to measure the Tribulation Temple, but to leave out the outer courts because the Gentiles will trample this area for 3 ½ years. (Incidentally, the Jews have constructed most of the furnishings necessary for this Temple. They are stunning and can be viewed at http://www.templeinstitute.org/.) So we see from these Scriptures, that God and His craftsmen carefully measure before they build the Temple.
The third thing that we find God measuring carefully is Jerusalem and Israel. Jeremiah 31:38-39 says, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.” Here God is laying out the exact dimensions for the city of Jerusalem when it is rebuilt. Ezekiel 47 gives the layout and survey for the nation of Israel during the Millennial Kingdom, with the portion allotted to each tribe and the placement of the Millennial Temple in relation to the city of Jerusalem, along with the Prince’s Portion surrounding these two. Can you imagine walking in the streets of Jerusalem during the days of the King?
What else does God measure in the Scriptures? Job 14:16 says, “For now You number my steps, but do not watch over my sin.” “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” Psalm 90:12. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” So we see that God numbers us as well. He numbers our steps, our days, and even the hairs on our heads. We are under His construction, so to speak.
So what does it mean to me that God measures all these things? Why is this significant when everything we see is dissolving into chaos these days?
POINT: God doesn’t do anything willy-nilly. He plans it out carefully, takes measurements, and builds according to plan. This is true of the universe, the solar system, the earth, the nations, and especially of man. You are not an accident as far as God is concerned. When life seems chaotic, run to the One Who has got it all together.
THE FIRE AND THE GLORY
Zechariah 2:5 says, “For I, says the LORD, will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
The fire of God is an interesting study, and I would like to devote some time to it here. In Exodus, God appeared to Moses in a Burning Bush. We can observe from this incident that the fire of God burned and was hot, but it did not consume the bush. Exodus 13:21-22 and 14:19-20 tells us that when Pharoah’s army chased the Israelites, God interposed Himself between the two in the form of a Pillar of Fire. This pillar supplied light to the Israelites, but darkness to the Egyptians. Zechariah 13:9 says this, “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” We see from this verse that the fire of God is refining and purifying; it removes the dross of sin. Finally, we note that Jesus described the fire of hell as an everlasting fire; a place where the worm (the body of the person) does not die and the fire is never quenched; and a place of outer darkness. Hebrews 12:29 tells us that “Our God is a consuming fire.” These things ought to really claim our attention. If we are on the Light side of God’s holy fire, walking in His light, His fire is comforting and there is no dross in us screaming and melting in the fire. However, if we will not walk in His light and allow the works of sin to be destroyed, we will find ourselves in the dark heat of His fire. Ultimately, we each must come to the fire of a Holy God—will it be on the side of His light, or our darkness?
QUESTION: God says, “I will be the glory in her midst?” What has been the glory in our midst lately?
Zechariah 2:6-7 is a command to Israel to flee from Babylon. Babylon was considered the land of the north, not because it was located north of Israel, but because this was Babylon’s invasion route when they attacked Israel. Babylon is an interesting study in the Bible and is a recurring theme. Revelation teaches us that Babylon is both a literal earthly city and a political/religious system. Babylon had its beginning with the Tower of Babel as recorded in Genesis 11. A study of this chapter reveals that the real sin at work in man was pride and rebellion against God. Man wanted renown and power, so they tried to stay together and build a city rather than moving out over the earth as God had commanded. As I have studied some of the history of this city, it seems to me that many of the ancient pagan deities worshiped throughout Canaan had their origin in Babylon. One that became especially prominent was Ishtar who became known as Asherah, the infamous fertility goddess. During the days of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was a city devoted to luxury, greed, lust, and pagan idol worship. Its influence reached out to all the nations that it traded with as well as the ones that it conquered. Revelation 18 tells us that in the End Times, Babylon will again be a powerful city at the pinnacle of commercial influence. Revelation 17 explains that Mystery Babylon will be a religious harlot, propped up by the Antichrist until he no longer has a use for her.
OBSERVATION: The command to flee Babylon was literal for the Jews of that day, but it is still symbolically true for us today. James 1:27 says, ”Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” From where I stand, Western culture is very much rooted in the love of the world. The reason why the Church has become appallingly weak and ineffective in our culture is that we love our stuff more than we love God and we want the things of the world—sports, entertainment, shopping, amusement, money, security, comfort, pleasure, etc.—more than we want God. All of our present economic woes are symptomatic of greed and lust. The time for wariness has come and we need to heed the call to flee Babylon right now. No time can be lost.
Zechariah 2:8-9 warns God’s people that they must flee Babylon because God is getting ready to punish the people who have oppressed His people. Just as Israel dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza warning the people to get out because they were about to attack Hamas, God is warning the innocent to get out before retribution falls against the guilty.
I believe that something similar is going on in the Middle East today. A study of Ezekiel 38-39 expounds a battle that scholars call “the war of Gog and Magog.” While many believe it refers to the battle of Armageddon, detailed further in Revelation, I believe it is a different battle of the End Times because the chief aggressors are different. The battle of Armageddon is headed by the armies of Antichrist, who comes from the resurrected Roman Empire—present day European Union, I believe. Let’s take a look at the combatants who appear in Ezekiel 38-39.
Ancient Name – Modern Name
Gog – literally means “Prince”, so this word refers to a leader
Magog – was an area located in Russia and Islamic Central Asia
Rosh – refers to Russia
Meshech – founder of the Moschi – Moscow
Tubal – Tobolsk, located in Siberia
Persia – Iran
Cush – Sudan
Put – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria
Gomer – part of Turkey; some of these people migrated to
Germany
Beth-togarmah – part of Turkey and Armenia
Sheba and Dedan – Saudia Arabia and the Persian Gulf area
A study of Ezekiel 38-39 shows that all of the above-named nations ally themselves in an attack against Israel except for Sheba and Dedan. These countries are aware of the attack, but do not get involved. This attack comes at the time of the End when Israel is once against dwelling in their own land peacefully and are prosperous (incidentally, a major natural gas discovery in Israel a few weeks ago has made that nation wealthy and energy independent). If you have kept up with international news, this alliance should be sounding like a klaxon in your ears right now. If you have not kept up with international news, let me say that all of these nations are forming what appears to be this very alliance. Russia has practically handed Iran its nuclear technology, knowing they will use it against Israel. Russia is building military bases in Syria and has long been known to be supplying arms to Hezbollah and Hamas. Vladimir Putin has all but named himself the new Czar of Russia. Even Turkey, a country that has been pro-Western and a vacation spot for Israelis, has stepped up it anti-Semitic rhetoric. Conspicuously absent in this roll call of adversaries is—Iraq, the home of Babylon. I believe the new leadership of Iraq is more interested in repairing its infrastructure and building a wealthy nation than in pursuing fanatical religious persecution of Israel. Babylon is destined to rise to great commercial and political prominence, and I believe this “battle of Gog and Magog” will lend itself to that very thing. As we see from the Scriptures, God will intervene and “wipe the floor” with all these attacking armies. They will be supernaturally destroyed and the rest of the world will know that God has done it. I think that this may clear the way for the European Union to extend its influence all across the Middle East and it may well be that the Antichrist will locate his eastern fortress in the rebuilt city of Babylon.
QUESTION: How does this relate to the warning to “get out of Babylon?” There are reports coming in from the Islamic nations of people showing up at the house churches having seen a vision of Jesus. They are already converted because of their visions, and want to know what to do next! I think that the Lord is calling His elect out of the nations of Islam so that they can be saved before this battle comes that will largely wipe out Islam.
The way I see it, there are two forces vying for control of the world. These two forces have two cities, and these cities are the two that keep popping up over and over again in the Bible. The force of Good is obviously God; His emissary is Jesus Christ and His city is Jerusalem. The force of Evil is Satan; his emissary will be the Antichrist and his city is Babylon. Is it really any coincidence that within forty years of the return of the nation of Israel, Babylon was being rebuilt and that the new leadership of Iraq has set this as an economic and cultural priority for their nation? These two forces are getting ready to “duke it out.” They are rebuilding their cities and gathering their forces for a final showdown.
So how does it all end? Zechariah 2:10-13 tells us that the LORD will come to Israel. The nations will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths during the reign of the King. Yes, God will win in the end; in fact, He already won at the Cross; He has just been waiting until all His people were born into the world and reborn into His kingdom. He has promised to come, and He has told us the signs of His coming. Are you ready? Will you flee Babylon?
NOTE: I would like to reference the source of my information regarding the ancient names of Ezekiel 38-39. Joel Rosenberg’s book, Epicenter is terrific and an exciting read for this time in history.
Thanks for joining us for Bible study! The next lesson is scheduled to post in one week.
THE VISION OF A MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE
When the prophets of old saw visions of future events, they saw them as one might see mountains in the distance. From far away, the mountains appear to be very close together, one rising on top of another; however, when we actually arrive at the mountain range, we see that the mountains have a good bit of distance in between them, and there are large valleys and meadows. The visions of the prophets are like that and in one single verse, history may show us that there were two mountains with a large valley of time in between. Also, many of the visions have more than one fulfillment, or may have a foreshadowing of the future fulfillment. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is an example of the foreshadowing of the final Antichrist. The vision we are about to study is just such an example of something that will have more than one fulfillment.
In Zechariah chapter 2, the prophet sees a man with a measuring line in his hand—a surveyor, as it were. He is told that the man is going to take a survey of the city of Jerusalem. In the Bible, when God measures something, He is getting ready to build. Let’s take a look at four different things that the Scriptures tell us God measures with a view toward building.
In demonstrating His sovereignty, God asks Job in Job 38:5, “Who determined its (the earth’s) measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” Proverbs 8:29 tells us that God marked out the foundations of the earth. Jeremiah 5:22 says that God has placed the sand as a perpetual boundary to hold back the sea. Psalm 74:17 says, “You have set all the borders of the earth.” So we see that before God built the earth, He measured and laid it all out.
When God gave Moses instructions regarding the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings in Exodus 25-30 there were specific measurements involved throughout. I Kings 6-8 gives us the measurements of the Temple that Solomon built. Ezekiel 40-42 gives precise measurements for the Millennial Temple that will be constructed during the reign of Jesus. Revelation 11:1-2 instructs John in his vision to measure the Tribulation Temple, but to leave out the outer courts because the Gentiles will trample this area for 3 ½ years. (Incidentally, the Jews have constructed most of the furnishings necessary for this Temple. They are stunning and can be viewed at http://www.templeinstitute.org/.) So we see from these Scriptures, that God and His craftsmen carefully measure before they build the Temple.
The third thing that we find God measuring carefully is Jerusalem and Israel. Jeremiah 31:38-39 says, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.” Here God is laying out the exact dimensions for the city of Jerusalem when it is rebuilt. Ezekiel 47 gives the layout and survey for the nation of Israel during the Millennial Kingdom, with the portion allotted to each tribe and the placement of the Millennial Temple in relation to the city of Jerusalem, along with the Prince’s Portion surrounding these two. Can you imagine walking in the streets of Jerusalem during the days of the King?
What else does God measure in the Scriptures? Job 14:16 says, “For now You number my steps, but do not watch over my sin.” “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” Psalm 90:12. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” So we see that God numbers us as well. He numbers our steps, our days, and even the hairs on our heads. We are under His construction, so to speak.
So what does it mean to me that God measures all these things? Why is this significant when everything we see is dissolving into chaos these days?
POINT: God doesn’t do anything willy-nilly. He plans it out carefully, takes measurements, and builds according to plan. This is true of the universe, the solar system, the earth, the nations, and especially of man. You are not an accident as far as God is concerned. When life seems chaotic, run to the One Who has got it all together.
THE FIRE AND THE GLORY
Zechariah 2:5 says, “For I, says the LORD, will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
The fire of God is an interesting study, and I would like to devote some time to it here. In Exodus, God appeared to Moses in a Burning Bush. We can observe from this incident that the fire of God burned and was hot, but it did not consume the bush. Exodus 13:21-22 and 14:19-20 tells us that when Pharoah’s army chased the Israelites, God interposed Himself between the two in the form of a Pillar of Fire. This pillar supplied light to the Israelites, but darkness to the Egyptians. Zechariah 13:9 says this, “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” We see from this verse that the fire of God is refining and purifying; it removes the dross of sin. Finally, we note that Jesus described the fire of hell as an everlasting fire; a place where the worm (the body of the person) does not die and the fire is never quenched; and a place of outer darkness. Hebrews 12:29 tells us that “Our God is a consuming fire.” These things ought to really claim our attention. If we are on the Light side of God’s holy fire, walking in His light, His fire is comforting and there is no dross in us screaming and melting in the fire. However, if we will not walk in His light and allow the works of sin to be destroyed, we will find ourselves in the dark heat of His fire. Ultimately, we each must come to the fire of a Holy God—will it be on the side of His light, or our darkness?
QUESTION: God says, “I will be the glory in her midst?” What has been the glory in our midst lately?
Zechariah 2:6-7 is a command to Israel to flee from Babylon. Babylon was considered the land of the north, not because it was located north of Israel, but because this was Babylon’s invasion route when they attacked Israel. Babylon is an interesting study in the Bible and is a recurring theme. Revelation teaches us that Babylon is both a literal earthly city and a political/religious system. Babylon had its beginning with the Tower of Babel as recorded in Genesis 11. A study of this chapter reveals that the real sin at work in man was pride and rebellion against God. Man wanted renown and power, so they tried to stay together and build a city rather than moving out over the earth as God had commanded. As I have studied some of the history of this city, it seems to me that many of the ancient pagan deities worshiped throughout Canaan had their origin in Babylon. One that became especially prominent was Ishtar who became known as Asherah, the infamous fertility goddess. During the days of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was a city devoted to luxury, greed, lust, and pagan idol worship. Its influence reached out to all the nations that it traded with as well as the ones that it conquered. Revelation 18 tells us that in the End Times, Babylon will again be a powerful city at the pinnacle of commercial influence. Revelation 17 explains that Mystery Babylon will be a religious harlot, propped up by the Antichrist until he no longer has a use for her.
OBSERVATION: The command to flee Babylon was literal for the Jews of that day, but it is still symbolically true for us today. James 1:27 says, ”Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” From where I stand, Western culture is very much rooted in the love of the world. The reason why the Church has become appallingly weak and ineffective in our culture is that we love our stuff more than we love God and we want the things of the world—sports, entertainment, shopping, amusement, money, security, comfort, pleasure, etc.—more than we want God. All of our present economic woes are symptomatic of greed and lust. The time for wariness has come and we need to heed the call to flee Babylon right now. No time can be lost.
Zechariah 2:8-9 warns God’s people that they must flee Babylon because God is getting ready to punish the people who have oppressed His people. Just as Israel dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza warning the people to get out because they were about to attack Hamas, God is warning the innocent to get out before retribution falls against the guilty.
I believe that something similar is going on in the Middle East today. A study of Ezekiel 38-39 expounds a battle that scholars call “the war of Gog and Magog.” While many believe it refers to the battle of Armageddon, detailed further in Revelation, I believe it is a different battle of the End Times because the chief aggressors are different. The battle of Armageddon is headed by the armies of Antichrist, who comes from the resurrected Roman Empire—present day European Union, I believe. Let’s take a look at the combatants who appear in Ezekiel 38-39.
Ancient Name – Modern Name
Gog – literally means “Prince”, so this word refers to a leader
Magog – was an area located in Russia and Islamic Central Asia
Rosh – refers to Russia
Meshech – founder of the Moschi – Moscow
Tubal – Tobolsk, located in Siberia
Persia – Iran
Cush – Sudan
Put – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria
Gomer – part of Turkey; some of these people migrated to
Germany
Beth-togarmah – part of Turkey and Armenia
Sheba and Dedan – Saudia Arabia and the Persian Gulf area
A study of Ezekiel 38-39 shows that all of the above-named nations ally themselves in an attack against Israel except for Sheba and Dedan. These countries are aware of the attack, but do not get involved. This attack comes at the time of the End when Israel is once against dwelling in their own land peacefully and are prosperous (incidentally, a major natural gas discovery in Israel a few weeks ago has made that nation wealthy and energy independent). If you have kept up with international news, this alliance should be sounding like a klaxon in your ears right now. If you have not kept up with international news, let me say that all of these nations are forming what appears to be this very alliance. Russia has practically handed Iran its nuclear technology, knowing they will use it against Israel. Russia is building military bases in Syria and has long been known to be supplying arms to Hezbollah and Hamas. Vladimir Putin has all but named himself the new Czar of Russia. Even Turkey, a country that has been pro-Western and a vacation spot for Israelis, has stepped up it anti-Semitic rhetoric. Conspicuously absent in this roll call of adversaries is—Iraq, the home of Babylon. I believe the new leadership of Iraq is more interested in repairing its infrastructure and building a wealthy nation than in pursuing fanatical religious persecution of Israel. Babylon is destined to rise to great commercial and political prominence, and I believe this “battle of Gog and Magog” will lend itself to that very thing. As we see from the Scriptures, God will intervene and “wipe the floor” with all these attacking armies. They will be supernaturally destroyed and the rest of the world will know that God has done it. I think that this may clear the way for the European Union to extend its influence all across the Middle East and it may well be that the Antichrist will locate his eastern fortress in the rebuilt city of Babylon.
QUESTION: How does this relate to the warning to “get out of Babylon?” There are reports coming in from the Islamic nations of people showing up at the house churches having seen a vision of Jesus. They are already converted because of their visions, and want to know what to do next! I think that the Lord is calling His elect out of the nations of Islam so that they can be saved before this battle comes that will largely wipe out Islam.
The way I see it, there are two forces vying for control of the world. These two forces have two cities, and these cities are the two that keep popping up over and over again in the Bible. The force of Good is obviously God; His emissary is Jesus Christ and His city is Jerusalem. The force of Evil is Satan; his emissary will be the Antichrist and his city is Babylon. Is it really any coincidence that within forty years of the return of the nation of Israel, Babylon was being rebuilt and that the new leadership of Iraq has set this as an economic and cultural priority for their nation? These two forces are getting ready to “duke it out.” They are rebuilding their cities and gathering their forces for a final showdown.
So how does it all end? Zechariah 2:10-13 tells us that the LORD will come to Israel. The nations will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths during the reign of the King. Yes, God will win in the end; in fact, He already won at the Cross; He has just been waiting until all His people were born into the world and reborn into His kingdom. He has promised to come, and He has told us the signs of His coming. Are you ready? Will you flee Babylon?
NOTE: I would like to reference the source of my information regarding the ancient names of Ezekiel 38-39. Joel Rosenberg’s book, Epicenter is terrific and an exciting read for this time in history.
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