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Expository - Zechariah

Zechariah chapter 1 vv 7-17
by Graham Jones - The Church at Gun Hill

Zechariah - The First Vision

The Vision

Three months later, Zechariah was given a series of eight visions of which the vision among the myrtle trees was the first. By now, the people were well advanced in building the temple, probably in the expectation of an immediate restoration of the nation. Jeremiah had prophesied that the Jewish exiles in Babylon would return after seventy years (Jeremiah 25 vv 11,12). Daniel, himself one of the exiles, had become excited about the prospect when, some years before Zechariah, he had read Jeremiah's words:

"...I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem."

Then Haggai, only a few months previously, had promised that God would shake the nations (i.e. the Gentile powers - Haggai 2 vv 6,7). Naturally, the people were anxious to know when this would be. The answer came to Zechariah in a vision.

The vision was of a man on a red horse standing by night among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were horses, red, speckled and white. (v8) However, the man is also called the angel of the Lord (vv 10 & 11). Now appearances of God in human form (theophanies) do occur in the Old Testament. When three men visited Abraham, one lingered to reveal to Abraham what was about to happen. This 'man' is suddenly called 'the Lord'. The one who appeared and spoke to Zechariah was acting as a mediator to intercede on behalf of the people, to cry out their deepest inner groaning, "O Lord of hosts, how long...?" but also to bring revelation from God to His people. We know, of course, that there is only One mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2 v 5) This is none other than the eternal Son of God. In fact, the whole Trinity is represented here: The Father, the Lord of hosts; the Son, the man or angel who intercedes; and the Holy Spirit, who moves to and fro through the earth.

The Symbolism of the Vision

The symbolism of the vision is instructive.

Night symbolises the darkness and oppression of God's people. It stands for adversity and affliction. When Jesus was approaching the deepest point of His suffering for us, despised and rejected, at that moment when HJudas left to betray His master, John makes the observation, "and it was night." (John 13 v 30). This certainly had been the continuing state of the Jews, but, praise God, "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30 v 5)
As for the myrtle trees, they are an appropriate symbol of God's people in the circumstances they were experiencing, for the myrtle is an evergreen, a picture of eternal life. Its white flowers gleamed out in purity, its berries provided nourishment but, most significantly, its leaves, when crushed, released a fragrant perfume. Truly, that is the character of God's people. In times of hardship and trial, the inner, fragrant beauty is revealed.
Of further interest is the fact that the branches of the myrtle were used for the booths made for the Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 8 v 15), the only festival to be retained in the future, restored Israel (Zechariah 14 v 16). Then, the Feast of Passover will be fulfilled in Christ, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, in the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His people. But the Feast of Tabernacles, the third of the three great 'Pilgrim Festivals' will declare the pilgrim character of the people, utterly dependent on God.
In Isaiah 55 vv 12,13, the myrtle tree is part of the symbolism of joy, rest and peace - God's fruit instead of the thorns and briers of the works of the flesh - when "all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Altogether, the myrtle trees are an apt symbol for God's people.
However, for the time being, they are in the valley (or, the bottom), down in the depths of affliction and darkness. Nevertheless, just as He had promised (Haggai), the Lord was and is there, in the valley, with His people. Never forget that! In the deepest depths, in the sorest trials, the Lord has promised to be with His people always. What does the Psalmist say? "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me

Divine Explanation of the Vision

Now the interpreting angel stood with Zechariah to explain the vision of the horses: "I will shew thee what these be." (v 9) They were, in fact, sent by God to walk to and fro through the earth. Certainly this gives us, and would have given Zechariah, the necessary clue for a Scriptural understanding. In II Chronicles 16 v 9, God revealed that He was aware of the state of the nations: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." Further understanding is provided by Revelation 5 vv 6,7, where it is the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ slain for us, whose seven eyes represent "the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." To be sure, Zechariah is in mind here, for in Revelation 4 v 10, the prophet speaks of the seven eyes - "They are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth." (Consider also Proverbs 5 v 21, Jeremiah 16 v 17, Zechariah 6 v 5) If the idea of God's having seven spirits sounds strange, let it be said that this is a figurative way of showing the perfect work and operation of God's Holy Spirit, for seven, in Scripture, is the number of perfection or completeness (Isaiah 11 v 2 has an interesting comment on the sevenfold Spirit resting on the Messiah).

Thus, what Zechariah saw was the perfect watchfulness of the Holy Spirit of God, observing the state of the nations with the welfare of His own people in mind. There was, however, no sign of the foretold shaking of the nations for the report that these horses brought to the Lord was that the earth was still and at rest.(v.11).

The meaning of the colours of the horses, if one compares this with Zechariah 6 vv 2-8 and Revelation 6 vv 1-8, might be understood in terms of their being executors of God's judgments as war and bloodshed (red), disease and pestilence (speckled, grisled or bay) and crushing, overwhelming, bloodless victory (white). These things are yet reserved for the nations, those who will be the enemies of God's earthly people Israel.

And so...

For the people of God, beginning to find hope, that might have been a depressing vision, but the Lord, in the midst of His people, cried out in sympathy with their heart and in intercession. The Lord knew and in all their suffering, He was suffering too (Isaiah 63 v 9). The 'angel of His presence' called for mercy. Surely seventy years of bearing God's wrath were enough (v.12). You see, that is the ministry of the Son of God; He is our great High Priest, the One who intercedes before the Father on behalf of His people. God communicated His concern to Zechariah through the interpreting angel who then commissioned Zechariah to proclaim the Lord's concern for His people and His displeasure with the oppressing nations (vv 13-15). So although nothing seemd to be happening, the people would be encouraged because they now had the word of God. Always cling to the promises of God, not on what your eyes tell you!

Even more powerful is the indication in v. 16 that God had already answered the prayer. Isaiah gave us God's mind on this: "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65 v 24) God assured that He had returned to Jerusalem in mercy, for the good of His people. The temple would be rebuilt (v.16) and a line stretched out upon Jerusalem, not this time for destruction (cf. II Kings 21 v 13), but for measurement with a view to rebuilding (cf.Ezekiel 40 v 42). The return to prosperity (prophesied also in Isaiah 2 vv 2,3) is yet to come upon God's people; it has never yet been fulfilled in the terms of Zechariah 1 vv 16 & 17. When Zechariah spoke of God's dealings with His people, the promise of restoration, and the judgment of the nations, he seemed to have little awareness of the long, intervening period of the 'Times of the Gentiles' following the Jewish rejection of the Messiah. That seems to be like a hidden valley between the high mountain peaks of God's dealings with Israel. Make no mistake, however, though it tarry, wait for it; the promises will be fulfilled.

Expository - OT