Zechariah is one of those books of the Bible (like Leviticus) many people have heard of but have never actually studied. It is so unfortunate that so many books of the Bible (such as Zechariah and Leviticus) are over-looked and cast aside as holding no relevance, because there is SO much to be learned from EVERY book of God's Word.
But let me offer some of my insight into
Zechariah Chapter 6:
The eight visions of Zechariah serve to give insight on both the immediate circumstances facing the returning exiles, and a look at the future unfolding of God's designs. It was difficult to even imagine success in their present undertakings much less to believe that the future held promise. But the visions seek to affirm the present and assure the future of God's people.
Israel in exile needed to see that God's purposes were not thwarted with their bondage in Babylon. God's purposes were much bigger than one nation. The whole compass of their worship and covenantal structure served to lay the groundwork - a foreshadowing - or a global and eternal work of God. The centerpiece of this vision is the Branch that arose out of the obscurity of Israel to be the Redeemer of all who believe in Him.
We can clearly see that judgment is certain (
see vs 1-8) because the Lord accomplishes His purposes.
Four chariots emerge from an impregnable fortress (bronze mountains). This is repetitious of the two previous vision themes. Bronze and iron were used for defenses,
(ref.
Jeremiah 1:18-19),
18:
For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land—Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.19:
They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”The picture/vision being presented is that He who sends the chariots on their mission cannot be stopped or conquered. Stop and imagine for a moment how important is this picture for us today. The picture/vision stresses that the Lord will accomplish whatever He purposes to do,
(ref.
Job 42:2),
I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.It stresses accomplishment of His Word,
(ref.
Isaiah 55:11),
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.It stresses accomplishment of saving His elect,
(ref.
John 17:6-8, 12),
6:
I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7:
Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8:
For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.John 17:12,
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.And it stresses His accomplishment of securing the redeemed,
(ref.
John 6:37-39 and
John 10:27-30).
John 6:37-39,
37:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38:
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39:
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.John 10:27-30,
27:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28:
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29:
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30:
I and My Father are One.The Lord has the resources for judgment, and the visions of Chariots in
Zechariah 6 are vehicles of war and triumph. They are sent out to conquer, and they return to celebrate the victory. The color of the horses pulling them have been assigned various meaning by virtue of apocalyptic language.
Black - Famine, grief and death.
Red - Martyrdom, bloodshed, warfare and carnage (I've even heard it said that it can include the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross).
White - Victory.
Dappled - mixtures of white and dark - pestilence, "
points to overall death".
The four, along with the four spirits (
v. 8) refer to the four points of the compass. It implies God's universal rule and reign. They symbolize therefore God's initiative in international affairs. The "four" points to the universality of the Lord's reign. No nation or power operates outside His authority and rule,
(ref.
Psalm 139:7-12).
7:
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?8:
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.9:
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10:
Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.11:
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;12:
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.It is also important to note that Israel's enemies historically came from the south - Egypt and the north - Assyria and Babylon, thus the direction of judgment in the text. The indication is that judgment will be complete, because God's justice must be satisfied.
God's righteous rule will be vindicated by judgment on the wickedness of the world even as it was vindicated in the death and resurrection of Christ on behalf of His people. Scripture echoes this theme of divine justice being satisfied.
(
1) Adam and Eve expelled from Garden; death occurs,
(
2) Cain judged,
(
3) World destroyed by God, remnant left,
(
4) Israel and Judah judged,
(
5) Nations that assaulted God's people destroyed (Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptian Empire, etc., lesser powers such as Moab and Philistia),
(
6) All the nations - and individuals face judgment (ref.
John 3:36;
Revelation 19:11-16,
20:11-15).
John 3:36,
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.Revelation 19:11-16,
11:
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12:
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13:
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14:
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.15:
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16:
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 20:11-15,
11:
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12:
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13:
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14:
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15:
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.The Biblical theme of judgment begins with the warning in
Genesis 2:17 (where we are told),
"but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” and continues with the consequences of the Fall in
Genesis 3 >> http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203;&version=50;<< and ultimately in its finality in
Revelation 20 >> http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2020;&version=50; <<. In light of this certainty of judgment, the certainty of God's curse upon sinners, the certainty of man's helplessness before the wrath of God, which should serve purpose for us to ask ourselves
"What is our hope?"Zechariah's confirmation is found in the work of Christ in the Church. So he can exhort -
"completely obey the Lord your God." Obedience is always the right response to seeing Christ. It is the proper response to all that believe the Lord will fulfill His purposes!
In conclusion, let me leave you with this; The hope for those who feel the condemnation by the law is found in Him who perfectly unites offices of Priest and King. The continuity of Old Testament prophesies and New Testament revelation (1500 years apart) is evidences remarkably in this passage. Is not the same exhortation due for us? Since we are a dwelling of God in the Spirit,
"completely obey the Lord your God," and
"not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."There is more I could say (and would like to) but I pray that in some way this helps in trying to shed some light into
Zechariah 6.
May you be enriched, enlightened, and encouraged by and through the Word of God, thus we pray for complete understanding and knowledge throughout. And may we always seek the Wisdom of God as we read and study ~ contimplate, examine and apply His Word to our everyday lives!
(Unless otherwise noted: All Scripture references were taken from the NKJV and can be accessed and researched through Biblegateway.com by clicking here
>> http://www.biblegateway.com/ << ).
God Bless,
~Dwight~
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