Zechariah 1                                                                                                     

 

Zechariah's first prophecy dated (Zechariah 1:1) "in the eight month in the second year of Darius" (Hystaspis) (410 B.C.); sixteen years after the Decree of Cyrus. It thus comes midway between Haggai's second and third messages.

His last date is in the fourth year of Darius (Zechariah 7:1).

The Temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius, and was dedicated in Adar (Ap. 51), 405 B.C.

 

The first Passover, and the last Feast of Tabernacles were in 404 B.C. (Ap. 58, and Nehemiah 9).

 

This marks the close of Zechariah's dated Prophecies; but, as Zechariah really closes the O.T. (see Ap. 77 9), his prophecies would extend to and cover the latest date in the O.T., which is the eighth year of Darius Hystaspis in the year 403 B.C. (see Ezra 10:17 and Ap. 58). The whole period therefore covered by the book of Zechariah is seven years, 410-403 B.C

 

Zechariah 1:1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

• Zechariah means remember of God

2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

• God was with them, and they keep going against God's ways

3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

• Study My Word and keep My commandments
• You have to turn to God first and keep His Commandments
• John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

 

5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

• You want to learn from other generations
• These are gone = He trying to tell you, man will die in the flesh
• But God's Word will always be with you

6 But My words and My statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

• Don't do as the world

7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

• 1st seal, don't be deceived =  the rider of the first white horse is Satan saying he is God (Revelation 6)
• I saw = In this first of the eight visions (Zech 1:8-6:15)
• Israel is in dispersion; the Gentiles are in possession at the time of the end.
• God is about to interfere on behalf of Jerusalem
• Man = Hebrew word 'ish. This man is the "Adonai "of Zech 1:9, and "the angel of God" of verses: Zech 1:11,12, as the prophet discovers from the "man's" answer.
• The riders of Zech 1:8 report to the angel (Zech 1:11).
• Among = between
• Bottom = the shade = between the two mountains of Zech 6:1.
• Horses = Representing all earthly dynasties.
• Speckled = bay

9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

• The angel that talked with me
• O my lord, what are these?
• I will shew thee what these be

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

• These are angels God sent to see what's going on into the earth

11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

 

12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

• This is the time of Daniel = Seventy years

13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

• When Satan comes to earth saying he is God

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

• God said, I use the heathen to correct My children
• The heathen enjoy doing wrong to My children

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

• I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My house shall be built in it
• Line = straight Line
• The Lord house = the many member body of Christ = Those that love the Lord

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

• The Lord has chosen Jerusalem

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

• Four horns,  Four hidden political dynasties that control the World
• The leaders use Education, Religion, Financial and Political Government
• Horns = power
• Four = the end and earth
• They come from four direction = all around you

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

• Four horns are the four hidden political dynasties control the World
• These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and the city Jerusalem
• By Education, Religion, Financial and Political Government
• Judah the Nation Israel
• Israel = the Christians Nations, 13 tribes

20 And the Lord shewed me four carpenters.

• Four carpenters, (iron) smiths
• 1 Kings 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
• 1 Kings 22:12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.
•  Ramoth-gilead = (heights of Gilead), one of the great fastnesses on the east of jordan, and the key to an important district. It was the city of refuge for the tribe of Gad, and the residence of one of Solomon's commissariat officers. 1Kings 4:13
• Shewed me, This is part of the second vision
 

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

• Horns which have scattered Judah, four hidden political dynasties that control the World = Education, Religion, Financial and Government
• He the angel
• These are four smiths (or it may denote the supernatural princes over the kingdoms).
• They represent sent the Divine agencies raised up, by which God will overthrow them.
• Them, the kingdoms represented by the horns.
• Gentiles means nations
• Fray, Short for affray-to terrify; hence English, afraid and affright.
• In other words, any power that comes up to scatter. Now what are these horns? What are these powers? The four methods of operation which Satan utilizes are POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, the ECONONY, and last but certainly not least, RELIGION.

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.

He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them among the heathens (like lost sheep)

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25