Lesson #06

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Zechariah

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ZECHARIAH 5
LESSON #06
JUDGMENT BEGINS AT THE HOUSE OF GOD AND COVERS THE EARTH

• MEMORY VERSE: 1PETER 4:17

• THE FIRST FIVE VISIONS IN ZECHARIAH ARE VISIONS OF THE WONDERFUL PEACE AND BLESSINGS THAT WILL COME UPON ISRAEL WHEN HER MESSIAH RETURN S TO EARTH TO BRING THEM TO GLORY. HOWEVER, BEFORE THAT CAN HAPPEN, VISION #6 AND VISION #7 MUST TAKE PLACE.

• READ ZEC 5:1-4 VISION #6 THE FLYING SCROLL
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE SIXTH VISION:
• THE FLYING SCROLL:
• SCRIPTURE HAS A WAY OF INTERPRETING ITSELF. OTHER SCRIPTURES MENTION A SCROLL WRITTEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THEREFORE, IT WILL HELP TO REFER TO THESE OTHER SCROLLS:
• READ EZE 2:9-10
• READ REV 5:1-5
• WHENEVER A LEGAL DOCUMENT WAS MADE, ITS DESCRIPTIVE PROVISIONS WERE WRITTEN ON ONE SIDE. THE BACK SIDE CONTAINED THE WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF THE PRICE TO BE PAID TO FULFILL OR REDEEM THE CONTRACT.
• THE SCROLL IN EZEKIEL REPRESENTS A CURSE OVER THIS EARTH FOR BREAKING GOD’S LAWS. IN DEU 28:15-68 GOD LISTS THE CURSES THAT WILL COME UPON MAN FOR BREAKING HIS LAWS.
• THE SCROLL IN REVELATION IS THE TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH THAT WAS LOST TO SATAN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. IT IS A PLANET UNDER A CURSE. THE BACK SIDE CONTAINS THE PRICE TO BE PAID TO BUY BACK THE TITLE DEED TO THIS EARTH. CHRIST PAID THE PRICE WITH HIS LIFE AND THEREFORE IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE EARTH. WITH THE OPENING OF THE SCROLL, JUDGMENT IS RELEASED ON THOSE LIVING UNDER THE CURSE WITHOUT CHRIST.
• THE SCROLL IN ZECHARIAH REPRESENTS A CURSE RAPIDLY COVERING THE WHOLE EARTH. (3) WE KNOW THAT THIS SCROLL REPRESENTS THE BREAKING OF THE MOSAIC LAW BECAUSE 2 OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ARE MENTIONED AS REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES:
• “EVERYONE THAT STEALETH” (THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT), AND REPRESENTS MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO HIS FELLOW MAN.
• THEREFORE, THE WRITING ON ONE SIDE OF THE SCROLL REPRESENTS THE CURSES THAT RESULT FROM THE BROKEN COMMANDMENTS IN MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO MAN.
• A MAJOR SIN OF ZECHARIAH’S DAY WAS MATERIALISM THAT CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO BUILD FANCY HOUSES FOR THEMSELVES AND FAIL TO GIVE TITHES TO GOD FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE TEMPLE. (AMO 8:5 MAL 3:8)
• “EVERYONE THAT SWEARETH…FALSELY BY THE NAME OF JEHOVAH” (THE THIRD COMMANDMENT), AND REPRESENTS MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
• THE WRITING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCROLL REPRESENTS THE CURSES THAT RESULT FROM THE BROKEN COMMANDMENTS IN MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
• THE SIZE OF THE SCROLL IN ZECHARIAH’S VISION IS 20 CUBITS IN LENGTH AND 10 CUBITS IN BREADTH (30 FEET LONG AND 15 FEET WIDE).
• BECAUSE ZECHARIAH CAN DETERMINE ITS SIZE, THE SCROLL MUST BE OPEN.
• THESE DIMENSIONS ARE THE SAME DIMENSIONS OF THE HOLY PLACE IN THE TABERNACLE AND THE PORCH OF SOLOMON’S TEMPLE. (1KIN 6:3)
• THEREFORE, THE SIGNIFICANCE IS THAT JUDGMENT BEGINS AT THE HOUSE OF GOD. GOD WILL FIRST JUDGE THE JEWS FOR NOT KEEPING THE LAWS HE GAVE THEM THROUGH MOSES. THEIR JUDGMENT WILL BE IN PROPORTION TO GOD’S HOLY DIMENSIONS NOT ACCORDING TO MAN’S STANDARDS.
• THE NUMBER 10 BIBLICALLY REPRESENTS GOD’S STANDARD BY WHICH MAN IS JUDGED. TWICE TEN (OR 20) IS FOR EMPHASIS.
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF RELATED ACTIONS IN THE VISION:
• NOTICE THAT THE CURSE WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE WICKED UNTIL IT COMPLETES ITS WORK OF JUDGMENT AND FINALLY DESTRUCTION. (4)
• THOSE WHO DO NOT SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR SIN WILL BE DESTROYED BY IT AND REMOVED WITH IT.
• IN CONTRAST, THOSE WHO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR SIN THROUGH THE ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST, WILL BE SPARED THIS JUDGMENT.
• READ GAL 3:13
• THE MESSAGE OF VISION #6:
• THOSE WHO DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MESSIAH’S FORGIVENESS AFTER REPENTANCE, MUST SUFFER THE CURSE OF THE LAW.
• IT IS MAN WHO CHOOSES HOW HE WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD.
• SOME MEN CHOOSE TO BE JUDGED BY THEIR OWN GOOD WORKS THAT IN REALITY ARE SADLY LACKING GOD’S STANDARD OF HOLINESS.
• SOME MEN CHOOSE TO BE JUDGED BY WHAT THEY THINK IS A GOOD, MORAL LIFE WHEN IN REALITY MAN DOES NOT’T COME CLOSE TO GOD’S MORALITY.
• SOME MEN CHOOSE TO BE JUDGED BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST WHO LIVED A SINLESS LIFE, AND MEETS GOD’S STANDARDS IN EVERY WAY.
• ACCORDING TO GAL 3:13, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ESCAPE THE CURSE OF JUDGMENT.
• THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT:
• IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL THESE VISIONS THAT REFER TO ISRAEL’S GLORY IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST, THIS CURSE ON THE JEWS FOR BREAKING GOD’S LAWS AND NOT ACCEPTING THE FORGIVENESS OF CHRIST WILL OCCUR IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. GOD WILL USE THE JUDGMENTS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE JEWS TO ACCEPT CHRIST.
• IT IS TRUE THAT MANY JEWS WILL COME TO KNOW CHRIST IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. (THE 144,000 FROM THE 12 TRIBES – REV 7:4 REV 14::1), HOWEVER, MANY WILL REJECT CHRIST.
• IT IS ON THOSE WHO REJECT CHRIST THAT THE CURSE OF JUDGMENT WILL FALL. IN THE TRIBULATION.
• NOTICE THAT ZECHARIAH SPECIFICALLY TELLS US THAT THE SCROLL COVERS THE WHOLE EARTH. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS WORLD WIDE. JUDGMENT BEGINS WITH THE JEWS AND EXTENDS TO ALL MANKIND.
• AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, ALL NON-BELIEVERS ARE KILLED. ZECHARIAH SAYS THEY ARE “CUT OFF”. (3) GOD WILL CLEANSE THE WORLD OF ALL EVIL AND ALL EVIL DOERS BEFORE CHRIST SETS UP HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
• THE HEBREW WORDS “CUT OFF” HAS THE MEANING = PURGED OR CLEANSED OUT.

• READ ZEC 5:5-11 VISION #7 THE WOMAN IN THE EPHAH
• THIS VISION IS RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS VISION. IN FACT MANY VIEW IT AS ONE SINGLE VISION.
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF ELEMENTS IN THE SEVENTH VISION AND THEIR PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT:
• BECAUSE THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS IS SIGNIFICANTLY TIED TO THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT, WE WILL DISCUSS THEM TOGETHER.
• AN EPHAH
• THIS IS THE LARGEST DRY MEASURE FOR QUANTITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, SOMEWHAT LIKE A BUSHEL BASKET. IT HELD ABOUT 1.05 BUSHELS OF GRAIN.
• THE EPHAH BECAME THE OFFICIAL SYMBOL FOR COMMERCE.
• THE FACT THAT THE LARGEST AVAILABLE MEASURE IS USED IN THE VISION INDICATES GOD’S LONG-SUFFERING MERCY. EVIL AND WICKEDNESS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE OVER TIME TO FILL THE LARGEST POSSIBLE CONTAINER.
• THIS IS A MEASURE FOR ECONOMIC TRADING BUSINESS. THEREFORE, THE VISION HAS SOME RELATIONSHIP TO THE ECONOMICS OF BUYING AND SELLING IN THE WORLD.
• THE JEWS OF ZECHARIAH’S DAY HAD EXCHANGED THEIR RELIGIOUS IDOLATRY FOR MATERIALISTIC IDOLATRY DURING THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. THE RESULT WAS AN INVOLVEMENT IN DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES. (HAG 2:16)
• THE TALENT OF LEAD (USED HERE AS A LID):
• THE TALENT WAS THE LARGEST MEASURE OF QUANTITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IT WAS MADE OF LEAD AND USED FOR THE WEIGHING OF GOLD, SILVER, AND OTHER METALS. THE TALENT WAS USED IN ALL COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS FOR WEIGHING OUT MONEY.
• THE TALENT WEIGHED OVER 120 POUNDS
• THE HEAVY LID RESTRAINS WICKEDNESS AND KEEPS IT INSIDE THE CONTAINER.
• IN OTHER WORDS, EVIL RELIGION PREVIOUSLY DIFFUSED AND SPREAD OVER THE WORLD THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WILL EVENTUALLY BE CONCENTRATED, CONTAINED, AND CENTRALIZED TO OPERATE FROM ONE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
• THE WOMAN IN THE EPHAH:
• SHE IS CALLED “THE WICKEDNESS” (OR LAWLESSNESS) IN VERSE 8. SHE IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF SIN AND EVIL.
• A FEMALE IS OFTEN SYMBOLICALLY USED TO INDICATE AN EVIL RELIGIOUS SYSTEM.
• READ REV 17:3-6 REV 18:2
• THE WOMAN RIDING THE BEAST IS A WORLD-WIDE FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM THAT WILL EXIST DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. THIS FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM WILL CONTROL WORLD ECONOMICS. OF BUYING AND SELLING. (REV 13:16-17)
• THE WOMAN IN REV 17 IS, THEREFORE, THE SAME WOMAN WHO SITS IN THE EPHAH IN ZECHARIAH, THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• THE TWO WOMEN WITH WINGS OF A STORK =
• THESE TWO ARE NOT ANGELS. ANGELS IN THE BIBLE ARE NEVER SPOKEN OF AS FEMALE.
• A STORK IS A FILTHY MIGRATORY BIRD, A SCAVENGER. IN THE BIBLE THE STORK IS AN UNCLEAN ANIMAL.
• BECAUSE THESE WOMEN HAVE THE WINGS OF A STORK, THEY MUST REPRESENT EVIL POWERS.
• WIND IS A SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT THE WIND IN THE WINGS OF THESE TWO WOMEN REPRESENT EVIL SPIRITS.
• IN THE END TIMES, THESE TWO EVIL POWERS ARE THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO CONTROLS SECULAR, CIVIL GOVERNMENT, AND THE FALSE PROPHET WHO PROMOTES A FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE WORLD ECONOMY.
• THE HOUSE IN THE LAND OF SHINAR (BABYLON):
• THE WICKED RELIGIOUS SYSTEM WILL RETURN TO BABYLON AND ESTABLISH ITS BASE OF OPERATIONS THERE.
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF RELATED ACTIONS IN THE VISION:
• THE WOMAN IS TAKEN BACK HOME TO SHINAR (BABYLON) WHERE A HOUSE IS BUILT FOR HER.
• ALL FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD STEM FROM THE FALSE SYSTEM ESTABLISHED BY NIMROD AND HIS WIFE SEMIRAMIS IN GEN 10:8-10 AND GEN 11 AT THE TOWER OF BABEL.
• GOD WILL EVENTUALLY JUDGE “WICKED” RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING AT THE TOWER OF BABEL (BABYLON).
• IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE FALSE PROPHET AND THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL MOVE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION FROM ROME BACK TO BABYLON WHERE IT BEGAN.
• THE MESSAGE OF VISION #7:
• IN VISION #6 ALL EVIL AND EVIL DOERS WILL BE JUDGED AND WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• IN VISION #7 GOD WILL PERMIT A CONCENTRATION AND CENTRALIZATION OF ALL EVIL RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS INTO ONE SYSTEM DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. THE FALSE PROPHET AND THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BUILD A HEADQUARTERS FOR THIS SYSTEM IN BABYLON WHERE THEY CONTROL ALL BUYING AND SELLING IN THE WORLD.
• ZECHARIAH’S VISION DOES NOT TELL US THAT JESUS CHRIST WILL DESTROY THIS FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING, BUT REVELATION TELLS US OF HER DESTRUCTION.
• READ REV 18:6-10
• APPLICATION:
• BOTH VISIONS IN THIS CHAPTER REFER TO JUDGMENT ON SIN, EVIL, AND WICKEDNESS IN INDIVIDUALS AND IN RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS. BOTH VISIONS ARE PRIMARILY FULFILLED AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• FOR THE JEW, WE SEE GOD’S ULTIMATE FAITHFULNESS TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES OF A KINGDOM WITHOUT SIN AND ENEMIES THAT WILL ALLOW THE JEWISH PEOPLE TO FULFILL THEIR ULTIMATE DESTINY OF A NATION OF PRIESTS WHO ARE LIGHT TO THE GENTILES.
• FOR THE CHRISTIAN, WE SEE GOD’S CHARACTER OF HOLINESS THAT DOES NOT TOLERATE SIN AND EVIL IN HIS KINGDOM. THEREFORE, WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO GROW AND MATURE TO BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST SO WE WILL BE READY TO SHARE IN HIS KINGDOM.

• HOMEWORK
  ZECHARIAH 6:1-8
  THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ZEC 5
• IN REV 18:4 GOD TELLS HIS PEOPLE TO “COME OUT” OF ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORLD ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF THE LAST DAYS.
• EXAMINE YOUR OWN LIFE AND DETERMINE HOW TIED YOU ARE TO MATERIALISM, COMMERCIALISM, FINANCIAL DEBT, AND RELIANCE ON CREDIT CARDS, AND THE THINGS THE WORLD VALUES. WRITE YOUR EVALUATION HERE.

• HOW CAN YOU MAKE CHANGES TO BE MORE FREE OF THESE THINGS?

• PREPARATION FOR ZEC 6:1-8
• READ ZEC 6:1-8 VISION #8 THE FOUR CHARIOTS
• IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS OF THE VISION AS BEST YOU CAN AFTER REVIEWING YOUR NOTES FROM VISION #1 AND VISION #2 (LESSON #2):
• FOUR CHARIOTS =
• TWO BRASS MOUNTAINS (BRASS IN THE BIBLE IS A SYMBOL OF JUDGMENT) =
• RED HORSES =
• BLACK HORSES =
• WHITE HORSES =
• GRISLED STRONG HORSES =
• THE FOUR SPIRITS OR WINDS OF HEAVEN =
• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MESSAGE OF VISION #8?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 25:32