Lesson #03

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Zechariah

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Lesson #02

January 10, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ZECHARIAH 2
LESSON #03
A RETURN TO A LAND OF PEACE

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 122:6

GOD IS JEALOUS FOR ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM. HE IS ANGRY WITH THE NATIONS THAT AFFLICTED HIS PEOPLE. THEREFORE, HE WILL RECLAIM ISRAEL AND PROTECT HER.

GOD WILL JUDGE AND PUNISH THOSE NATIONS THAT AFFLICTED GOD’S PEOPLE, DESTROYED THEIR LAND, AND DESTROYED THEIR TEMPLE.

• READ ZEC 2:1-13 VISION #3 THE MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE

• THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISION:
• WHO IS THE MAN WITH A MEASURING LINE?
• THE BIBLE DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY TELL US, BUT MOST THEOLOGIANS IDENTIFY HIM AS THE PRE-INCARNATE JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE ONE WHO HAS COME TO RESTORE JERUSALEM.
• READ EZE 40:3 EZE 41:42
• WHAT DOES THE MEASURING LINE MEAN?
• THE MEASURING LINE MEANS THAT GOD HAS MARKED OUT A GEOGRAPHICAL TERRITORY FOR HIS USE AS HE SEES FIT.
• THE “YOUNG MAN” IN VERSE 4:
• THIS IS PROBABLY ZECHARIAH. THE ANGELS WERE TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE MEASURING OF THE CITY.
• THIS VISION IN ZEC 2 SHOULD REMIND US OF REV 11:
• READ REV 11:1-2
• IN REVELATION, JOHN, THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK IS TOLD TO MEASURE THE INNER TEMPLE AREA. HE IS TOLD NOT TO MEASURE THE OUTER COURT BECAUSE IT IS GIVEN TO THE GENTILES.
• THE VISION IN REVELATION REFERS ONLY TO PART OF THE TEMPLE AREA. THE VISION APPLIES TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN THERE WILL BE A NEW JEWISH TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. THE JEWS WILL WORSHIP GOD WITH ANIMAL SACRIFICE. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE A PERIOD WHEN THE JEWS WILL NOT BE IN FULL CONTROL. IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL CONTROL ISRAEL. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS PART OF THE “TIMES OF THE GENTILES”.
• “THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES” (LUK 21:24)
• THIS FRAMEWORK OF TIME BEGAN WITH THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (606 BC) AND ENDS AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THIS PHRASE MEANS THAT GENTILES WILL EITHER CONTROL OR HOLD DOMINANT INFLUENCE OVER THE LAND OF ISRAEL DURING MUCH OF MODERN HISTORY.

• THE IDENTIFICATION OF RELATED ACTIONS:

• WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ACT OF MEASURING JERUSALEM?
• IN ZECHARIAH 2 = THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MEASURING MEANS THAT THE CITY WILL BE LARGER THAN PREVIOUSLY IN HISTORY. THE INCREASED SIZE WILL BE BECAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE.
• AT THE TIME ZECHARIAH RECEIVED THE VISION, ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF JEWS HAD RETURN ED TO ISRAEL.
• ZECHARIAH WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT A CITY SO LARGE AND FILLED WITH INHABITANTS WOULD BE SAFE WITHOUT PROTECTIVE WALLS. BUT THE LORD WILL BE THEIR PROTECTION.
• IN REVELATION 11 = THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MEASURING MEANS THAT THE JEWS WILL BE GIVEN CONTROL OVER THE NEW TEMPLE FOR A PERIOD OF THREE AND A HALF YEARS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION.
• THEIR SAFETY WILL BE GUARANTEED BY A PEACE TREATY CONFIRMED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST UNTIL HE, HIMSELF, BREAKS HIS OWN TREATY TO PUT HIS IMAGE IN THE JEWISH TEMPLE FOR UNIVERSAL WORSHIP.

• THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH’S THIRD VISION:
• JESUS CHRIST WILL SECURE THE SAFETY OF JERUSALEM WITH HIS OWN PRESENCE. THEY WILL NOT NEED WALLS FOR PROTECTION BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE. THE POPULATION OF THE CITY WILL INCREASE GREATLY AND SO WILL THE SIZE OF THE CITY.
• SPECIFIC DETAILS OF ZECHARIAH’S MESSAGE:
• A CITY WITHOUT WALLS:
• IT WAS UNKNOWN IN BIBLICAL DAYS FOR A CITY TO EXIST WITHOUT WALLS FOR PROTECTION. THEREFORE, THE IDEA IS THAT THIS IS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THERE WILL BE PEACE AND SAFETY BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE. (EZE 38:11)
• THE GLORY OF THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY: (5)
• BEFORE THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, THE GLORY OF THE LORD LEFT THE TEMPLE AND THE CITY OF JERUSALEM BECAUSE OF THE IDOLATRY OF THE PEOPLE. EZEKIEL DESCRIBES THE DEPARTURE OF THE GLORY OF GOD LEAVING THE TEMPLE AREA OUT THE EASTERN GATE TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. (EZE 9, 10, 11) THEN THE BABYLONIANS CAME AND DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND THE CITY. THE GLORY OF THE LORD NEVER RETURN ED TO JERUSALEM OR THE TEMPLE EXCEPT WHEN JESUS CHRIST WALKED THERE FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. INCIDENTALLY, JESUS DEPARTED THIS EARTH AFTER THE RESURRECTION OUT THE EASTERN GATE AND FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.

• WHEN IN TIME IS THE FULFILLMENT OF ZEC 2:6-9?

• IT IS DURING THE “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” THAT JEWS WILL BE SCATTERED OVER MANY NATIONS IN THE WORLD.
• IN ZECHARIAH’S DAY JUST AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, SOME JEWS HAD SETTLED IN EGYPT, SOME IN EDOM, SOME IN AMMON, SOME IN PERSIA, AND SOME STILL IN BABYLON.
• “HO, HO” (6)
• THIS IS A WAY OF GETTING THE PEOPLE’S ATTENTION SO THAT THEY WOULD LISTEN TO THE PROPHET TELLING THEM TO RETURN TO ISRAEL.
• SEVERAL OF THE PROPHETS WARNED THE PEOPLE TO LEAVE BABYLON AND RETURN TO ISRAEL. (ISA 48:20 JER 51:6)
• EVEN THOUGH ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948, ALL JEWS HAVE NOT RETURN ED TO ISRAEL.
• THE MESSAGE IN ZECHARIAH’S VISION IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO JEWS TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM BECAUSE THE LORD WILL PROTECT THEM.

• “AFTER THE GLORY, HATH HE SENT ME UNTO THE NATIONS WHICH SPOILED YOU…” (8)
• A SENTENCE DIFFICULT TO TRANSLATE AND DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET.
• IT SEEMS TO REFER TO THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WHEN CHRIST, THE GLORY, APPEARS ON EARTH TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM HE WILL JUDGE THE NATIONS.
• THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS (ETHNIC GROUPINGS):
• READ MAT 25:31-46
• READ REV 11:15-19
• THE THREE CLASSES OF NATIONS:
• THE SHEEP NATIONS = BELIEVING GENTILE NATIONS.
• THE GOAT NATIONS = UNBELIEVING GENTILE NATIONS.
• THE BRETHREN = THE JEWS.
• THE CRITERIA FOR JUDGMENT:
• NATIONS WILL BE JUDGED AS TO HOW THEY HAVE TREATED THE JEWS IN ATTITUDE AND ACTIONS. THROUGH ALL HISTORY, WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR GENERAL TREATMENT OF JEWS? IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, HOW HAVE THEY TREATED THE JEWS FLEEING FROM THE PERSECUTION BY THE ANTI-CHRIST?
• THE RESULTS OF THE JUDGMENT:
• REWARDS FOR THE JEWS AS A MOST FAVORED NATION IN THE MILLENNIUM. (ISA 11:11-14)
• REWARDS FOR BELIEVING SHEEP NATIONS WHO HAVE A FAVORED NATION STATUS IN THE MILLENNIUM. (MAT 25:34)
• REWARDS FOR UNBELIEVING GOAT NATIONS WILL BE NATIONAL BANISHMENT DURING THE MILLENNIUM. (ZEC 14:16-19 JOE 3:19 EZE 29:9-16 EZE 30:23 ISA 2:1-5)
• “…THE APPLE OF HIS EYE.” (8)
• AN ENCOURAGING PHRASE USED MANY TIMES IN SCRIPTURE IN A PROTECTIVE WAY.
• “…THE HOLY LAND…” (12)
• THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE IN SCRIPTURE WHERE THE LAND OF ISRAEL IS CALLED “THE HOLY LAND”.
• IT REFERS TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST WHEN ISAIAH SAYS EVERYTHING WILL BE HOLY UNTO THE LORD.
• READ ZEC 14:20-21
• THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IN THE MILLENNIUM: (EZE 45:1-3)
• THE CITY WILL BE 8.3 MILES SQUARE OR ABOUT 55 SQUARE MILES OF HOLY LAND.

• THE PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT OF THE VISION:

• THE FULFILLMENT OF ZECHARIAH’S VISION IS IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
• NOTICE IN ZEC 2:5 THE LORD SAYS THAT HE WILL BE THE GLORY IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY.
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE GLORY OF GOD, THE FATHER. (JOH 1:14)
• IT IS IN THE MILLENNIUM THAT CHRIST WILL REIGN ON EARTH IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE FOR 1000 YEARS.
• THEREFORE, ZEC 2:10-13 SPECIFICALLY REFERS TO A TIME OF GREAT REJOICING FOR THE JEWS IN THE MILLENNIUM.
• ALL JEWS WILL RETURN TO ISRAEL.
• THIS 1000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST WILL COME AFTER THE SCATTERING OF THE JEWS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN “THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES” ACCORDING TO ZEC 2:6-9.

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• IF THE PEOPLE CONFRONTED THEIR PAST SINS AND DETERMINED NOT TO REPEAT THEM, ACCORDING TO THE MESSAGE IN ZEC 1, THEY COULD LOOK FORWARD TO ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
• ONE OF THOSE BLESSINGS IS PEACE IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.
• FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER THERE IS MUCH IN THIS CHAPTER THAT ENCOURAGES US AS IT DID FOR ZECHARIAH’S IMMEDIATE AUDIENCE.
• CHRIST IS ALWAYS IN OUR MIDST. HE IS OUR STRENGTH AND PROTECTION. HE IS OUR PEACE AND SAFETY FOR WE, TOO, ARE THE APPLE OF HIS EYE.
• WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD BEING BUILT UP AND MADE MATURE IN CHRIST. WE REFLECT THE GLORY OF THE LORD WHO LIVES WITHIN BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS.
• READ 2COR 3:18
• READ 2COR 4:6-7
• DISCUSSION

: WHAT DO THESE VERSES MEAN TO YOU?

HOMEWORK
ZECHARIAH 3
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ZEC 2
• IN WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS DOES YOUR LIFE REFLECT THE GLORY OF THE LORD TO A NON-BELIEVING WORLD?

• PREPARATION FOR ZEC 3
• READ ZEC 3:1-10 VISION #4 THE CLEANSING OF JOSHUA, THE HIGH PRIEST
• JOSHUA WAS THE HIGH PRIEST IN ZECHARIAH’S DAY.
• WHAT IS “THE BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE”? (2) AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
• WHAT DO THE FILTHY GARMENTS REPRESENT? (3)
• WHAT DOES “MY SERVANT, THE BRANCH” REFER TO? (7)
• EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF “THE STONE”. (9)
• WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH’S FOURTH VISION?

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 11:1 OR PSALMS 118:22