Lesson #02

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Zechariah

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ZECHARIAH 1
LESSON #02
CONFRONTING THE PAST FOR FUTURE BLESSINGS

• MEMORY VERSE: ZECHARIAH 1:3

• ZECHARIAH BEGINS HIS MESSAGE TO A DISCOURAGED PEOPLE WITH A GLANCE AT THE PAST.
• BEFORE YOU CAN LOOK TO THE FUTURE, YOU MUST ALWAYS LOOK TO THE PAST.
• A VIEW OF THE PAST GIVES YOU A PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE FACED BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE ON.
• AN INABILITY TO FACE CURRENT PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ROOTS IN THE PAST MEANS GOD WILL HAVE TO TEACH YOU THE SAME LESSON OVER AGAIN.
• READ ZEC 1:1-6 CONFRONTING THE PAST
• GOD’S DISPLEASURE WITH PRECEDING GENERATIONS
• GOD PERMITTED THE PRECEDING GENERATIONS TO BECOME SLAVES IN BABYLON FOR 70 YEARS. IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE ENTIRE POPULATION WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE TO BABYLON. GOD’S PURPOSE WAS TO TEACH THEM A LESSON.
• THEIR PRIMARY SIN WAS IDOLATRY. THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY CLEANSED ISRAEL OF THIS SIN.
• THE PEOPLE FAILED TO LISTEN TO THEIR PROPHETS. BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY FAILED TO HEAR GOD.
• ZECHARIAH WARNS THE PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO THEIR PROPHETS AND NOT REPEAT THE PAST SINS.
• IF THE GENERATIONS OF THE PAST HAD LISTENED TO THEIR PROPHETS AND REPENTED, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO SUFFER CAPTIVITY. GOD WOULD HAVE FORGIVEN THEM AND PROTECTED THEM.
• THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS WERE NOT JUST EMPTY WORDS MADE BY MAN. THEY WERE GOD’S WORDS THAT COME WITH POWER. (5-6)
• GOD’S WORDS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY.
• READ ISA 55:11
• DISCUSSION

: IS THIS VERSE TRUE TODAY? HOW?

• THE PROMISE IN ZECHARIAH’S WARNING: (3)
• TURN TO GOD AND HE WILL TURN TO YOU.
• A WARNING WAS EVIDENTLY NEEDED BECAUSE ZECHARIAH’S GENERATION WAS BEGINNING TO FALL INTO THE SAME SIN PATTERNS AS THEIR FOREFATHERS. THEY WERE NOT LISTENING TO THEIR PROPHETS.
• BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT COMPLETING THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE AS THE PROPHETS TOLD THEM, GOD WAS NOT THEIR TOP PRIORITY.
• THEY HAD STOPPED BUILDING THE TEMPLE AND HAD BUILT LOVELY HOUSES FOR THEMSELVES.

• READ ZEC 1:7-17 VISION #1 THE HORSEMAN AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES
• ZECHARIAH’S EIGHT VISIONS OCCUR IN ONE NIGHT. THEY ARE IN THE FORM OF SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE MUCH LIKE A PARABLE, SO WE WILL TREAT THEM LIKE A PARABLE.
• THESE ARE NOT DREAMS. THEY ARE VISIONS MUCH LIKE JOHN’S VISIONS IN REVELATION. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PROPHET ACTUALLY EXPERIENCES THEM AS THOUGH HE WERE LIVING IT.
• THE DATE (7):
• THE DATE THAT IS GIVEN IS AN ANNIVERSARY DATE. FIVE MONTHS TO THE DAY PRIOR TO THIS DATE, THE JEWS HAD BEGUN TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE. (HAG 1:14-15)
• THEREFORE, THE VISIONS SERVE AS A FURTHER ENCOURAGEMENT SO THE PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD.
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISION:
• THE HORSES:
• READ REV 6:2-8
• RED HORSES = JUDGMENT, WAR, BLOOD, VENGEANCE
• SPECKLED HORSES = THE IDENTITY OF THE INTERPRETATION VARIES.
• SOME SAY IT IS FAMINE THAT FOLLOWS WARFARE AS IN REV 6.
• OTHERS SAY IT IS A MIXTURE OF PEACE AND WAR.
• WHITE HORSES = PEACE, VICTORY
• NOTICE THAT ONLY ONE RIDER IS MENTIONED IN ZECHARIAH, WHILE IN REVELATION EACH HORSE HAD ITS OWN RIDER.
• IN REVELATION THE RIDER OF THE FOUR HORSES IS THE SAME PERSON, THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• THE RIDER ON A RED HORSE:
• ZECHARIAH IDENTIFIES HIM IN VERSES 8, 10, 11, 13.
• HE IS “THE MAN”, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD”, “THE LORD”.
• THIS PHRASE “ANGEL OF THE LORD” AS USED PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT ACTUALLY REFERS TO JESUS CHRIST.
• THE MYRTLE TREES = THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM
• MYRTLE TREES ARE NOT A TALL TREE. THEY GROW IN WELL-WATERED VALLEYS ALONG RIVER BANKS. THEY HAVE SHINY LEAVES AND WHITE, STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS. THE LEAVES ARE CRUSHED TO PRODUCE A HEAVY, SWEET FRAGRANCE THAT LINGERS IN THE AIR.
• THE SMALLNESS OF THIS TREE SYMBOLIZES THE SMALL, HUMBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE JEWS.
• THIS ASPECT OF CRUSHING IS TO REMIND US THAT GOD CONSIDERS HIS PERSECUTED PEOPLE A SWEET AND PRECIOUS SMELL TO HIM THAT LINGERS IN THE AIR FOR A LONG TIME.
• IN OTHER WORDS, GOD DOES NOT FORGET THEIR SUFFERINGS.
• THE MYRTLE WAS OFTEN A SYMBOL FOR JERUSALEM THAT GREW IN THE 3 VALLEYS SURROUNDING THE CITY.
• THE GEOGRAPHICAL POINT AT WHICH TWO OF JERUSALEM’S VALLEYS MET WAS CALLED “THE BOTTOM”, “THE HOLLOW”, OR THE KING’S GARDEN IN ANCIENT TIMES. (2KIN 25:4).
• YOU WILL NOTICE THE PHRASE, “IN THE BOTTOM”, IN VERSE 8.
• IDENTIFICATION OF RELATED ACTIONS:
• THE LORD, ON THE RED HORSE OF WAR, IS STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MYRTLE TREES = CHRIST IS IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.
• THE HORSES WALK TO AND FRO THROUGH THE EARTH (10) = GOD SENDS WAR AND PEACE ON THE EARTH.
• AT THE TIME OF THIS VISION, THERE WAS RELATIVE PEACE IN JERUSALEM AND ALL OF THE MIDDLE EAST. (11) AND YET ISRAEL HAS NOT BUILT THE TEMPLE, NOR HAVE THEY BUILT WALLS OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM FOR PROTECTION.
• NOTICE THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE ANGEL PRESENT IN THE VISION.
• THE HORSES PROBABLY HAVE ANGELS RIDING ON THEM TO AND FRO OVER THE LAND.
• “THE ANGEL OF THE LORD” IS CHRIST.
• THEN THERE IS AN ANGEL THAT TALKS TO ZECHARIAH AND ANSWERS HIS QUESTIONS. (9) HE IS CALLED “ADONAI” = LORD IN VERSE 9.
• THE TERM “ADONAI” CAN REFER EITHER TO GOD OR TO A HUMAN BEING. IT IS USED IN THE BIBLE TO REFER TO ANYONE WHO HAS AUTHORITY.
• THE MESSAGE OF THE FIRST VISION:
• WE KNOW THIS IS A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT BECAUSE THE PROPHET SAYS THEY ARE COMFORTING WORDS IN VERSE 13.
• GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN HIS COVENANT PEOPLE. HE STANDS PROTECTIVELY IN THEIR MIDST IN THE FORM OF THE MESSIAH, READY TO DO BATTLE ON THEIR BEHALF. HE WILL BRING JUDGMENT AND TAKE VENGEANCE ON THE ASSYRIANS AND THE BABYLONIANS THAT TOOK THE JEWS CAPTIVE FOR 70 YEARS. HE WILL PREVENT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES FROM STOPPING THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE AND THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.
• SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE MESSAGE:
• GOD IS JEALOUS FOR JERUSALEM. (14)
• GOD IS NOT PLEASED WITH THE NATIONS THAT AFFLICTED ISRAEL. (15)
• GOD HAS MERCY FOR ISRAEL. (16)
• THE TEMPLE WILL BE COMPLETED. (16)
• “A LINE WILL BE STRETCHED FORTH UPON JERUSALEM” = GOD WILL PUT A LINE OF PROTECTION AROUND JERUSALEM.
• THERE WILL BE A TIME OF PROSPERITY. (17)
• THE LORD SHALL COMFORT ZION AND YET CHOOSE ISRAEL. (17)
• THIS PROMISE IS REPEATED BY ZECHARIAH TWO MORE TIMES IN THE BOOK. (2:12 AND 3:2)
• THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT OF THE VISION:
• THE FIRST AND PARTIAL FULFILLMENT WAS THE COMPLETION OF THE TEMPLE BUILDING FOUR YEARS LATER.
• THE SECOND AND COMPLETE FULFILLMENT WILL BE IN THE MILLENNIUM AFTER THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• CHRIST WILL BE IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE PHYSICALLY.
• CHRIST WILL REBUILD A NEW MILLENNIAL TEMPLE.
• THEN, THERE WILL BE A WONDERFUL PROSPERITY, PEACE, AND COMFORT SUCH AS THE JEWS HAVE NEVER KNOWN.
• THEN THE JEWS WILL BE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE IN REALITY AND NOT JUST IN NAME. THEY WILL HAVE PRESTIGE AND BLESSING, POSITION AND POWER. THEY WILL BE THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL.

• READ ZEC 1:18-21 VISION #2 THE FOUR HORNS AND THE FOUR CRAFTSMEN
• THIS SECOND VISION IS RELATED TO THE FIRST ONE. THEREFORE, WE WILL DISCUSS THEM TOGETHER.
• THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISION:
• THE FOUR HORNS WHICH HAVE SCATTERED ISRAEL =
• HORNS IN THE BIBLE REPRESENT GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY, POWER AND PRIDE. IT IS LIKE A BULL WITH HORNS. HIS POWER IS IN HIS HEAD.
• DANIEL USED THIS SYMBOLISM TO REFER TO GOVERNMENTAL POWERS IN DAN 8.
• THE NUMBER “FOUR” IN THE BIBLE REFERS TO THE FOUR DIRECTIONS OF THE COMPASS, EITHER ON EARTH OR IN HEAVEN. THEREFORE, WE HAVE THE IDEA OF UNIVERSALITY IN MIND.
• THE FOUR GREAT GENTILE NATIONS IN HISTORY THAT SCATTERED ISRAEL ARE PROBABLY THOSE DANIEL REFERRED TO IN DAN 2 AND DAN 7.
• THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
• THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE
• THE GREEK EMPIRE
• THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• THE FOUR CRAFTSMEN =
• THE ANGEL EXPLAINS TO ZECHARIAH THAT THESE CRAFTSMEN ARE ALSO HORNS. (21)
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE CRAFTSMEN COME TO BREAK THE FIRST FOUR HORNS. THEY ARE, THEREFORE, NATIONS WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY.
• THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE IS THE FIRST CRAFTSMAN THAT CAME TO BREAK THE POWER OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE.
• THE GREEK EMPIRE IS THE SECOND CRAFTSMAN THAT BROKE THE POWER OF THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE.
• THE ROMAN EMPIRE IS THE THIRD CRAFTSMAN THAT BROKE THE POWER OF THE GREEK EMPIRE.
• THE FOURTH CRAFTSMAN IS CHRIST WHO WILL BREAK THE POWER OF THE ANTICHRIST (THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE) AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING. (DAN 7:13-14 DAN 2:44-45)
• THE MESSAGE OF THE SECOND VISION:
• GOD HAD NOT FORGOTTEN ISRAEL’S ENEMIES. WHILE THEY MAY SEEM TO TEMPORARILY BE AT PEACE, THEY WILL ALL FALL EVENTUALLY. GOD WILL BRING JUDGMENT ON EACH ONE. HE WILL USE OTHER NATIONS TO BRING THIS JUDGMENT.
• CHRIST, HIMSELF, WILL END THE TIMES OF GENTILE RULE OVER THE JEWS AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THE “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” BEGAN WITH KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE BABYLONIAN KINGDOM. (LUK 21:24) IT IS A TIME PERIOD WHEN GENTILE NATIONS HAVE RULE OVER ISRAEL. THIS PERIOD ENDS AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE MESSAGE:
• GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE ARE CALLED BY SEVERAL NAMES IN VERSE 19:
• JUDAH = THIS WAS THE NAME FOR THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM AFTER KING SOLOMON WHEN THE NATION SPLIT INTO TWO.
• ISRAEL = THIS WAS THE NAME FOR THE NORTHERN KINGDOM AFTER THE NATION SPLIT INTO TWO.
• JERUSALEM = THIS WAS THE LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE THAT SERVED TO IDENTIFY AND UNIFY THE PEOPLE AS GOD’S PEOPLE.
• THE USE OF THESE THREE NAMES SERVES TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE VISION RELATES TO ALL JEWS EVERYWHERE THROUGH HISTORY.
• APPLICATION:
• THE MESSAGE FOR GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT PEOPLE IS THE SAME AS FOR GOD’S OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE:
• REPENT OF SINS AND DON’T REPEAT THE SINS OF THE PAST.
• GOD IS PRESENT WITH YOU.
• TRUST GOD TO GIVE YOU THE ULTIMATE VICTORY.

HOMEWORK
ZECHARIAH 2
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ZEC 1
• AS YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, ARE THERE ANY SINS OF THE PAST THAT YOU CONTINUE TO REPEAT, FOR WHICH YOU HAVE NOT REQUESTED FORGIVENESS?

• THESE SINS FOR WHICH YOU HAVE NOT REPENTED CAN CAUSE YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH TO STAGNATE AND CAUSE YOU DISCOURAGEMENT. THEREFORE, THE ANSWER FOR THIS PROBLEM IS REPENTANCE OF SIN. GOD IS FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS. (1JOH 1:9)

• PREPARATION FOR ZEC 2
• READ ZEC 2:1-13 VISION #3 THE MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE
• READ REV 11:1-2
• WHO IS THE MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE IN ZEC 2?

• WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ACT OF MEASURING JERUSALEM?
• IN ZECHARIAH 2 =

• IN REVELATION 11 =

• WHEN IN TIME IS THE FULFILLMENT OF VERSES 6-9? 

• WHEN IN TIME IS THE FULFILLMENT OF VERSES 10-13? 

• WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE VISION? 

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 122:6