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ZEC H A RI A H 1
page 844
saw all of this as a dimly lit future event 500 years away, but we see it as a clear chapter
of history, an event that leaves no doubt that God keeps his promises.
Zechariah also penned another great promise of God. At the end of the age, the Messiah will come again and set up his eternal Kingdom where believers will live in peace
and security forever with him. The same Jesus who brought eternal hope and encouragement “in the fullness of time” will bring climactic hope and encouragement as he comes
to consummate the end times. As we look at the promises he has kept in the past, we can
be assured he will keep his greatest of promises in the future.
Key verses in Zechariah
1:3 “‘Return to me, and I will
return to you, says the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies.’”
4:6 “It is not by force nor by
strength, but by my Spirit, says
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
1:6 “But everything I said
through my servants the
prophets happened to your
ancestors, just as I said. As
a result, they repented and
said, ‘We have received what
we deserved from the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies. He has done
what he said he would do.’”
4:10 “Do not despise these small
beginnings, for the Lord rejoices
to see the work begin.”
7:9 -10 “Judge fairly, and show
mercy and kindness to one another.
Do not oppress widows, orphans,
foreigners, and the poor. And do
not scheme against each other.”
A Call to Return to the LORD
In November* of the second year of King
Darius’s reign, the Lord gave this message
to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and
grandson of Iddo:
2 “I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is
what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return
to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies.’ 4 Don’t be like your ancestors
who would not listen or pay attention when the
earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the
Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your
evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’
5 “Where are your ancestors now? They and
the prophets are long dead. 6 But everything I
said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received
what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’”
1
A Man among the Myrtle Trees
7 Three months later, on February 15,* the Lord
sent another message to the prophet Zechariah
son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.
8 In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among
some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him
were riders on red, brown, and white horses.
9 I asked the angel who was talking with me,
“My lord, what do these horses mean?”
8:9 “Be strong and finish the task!”
13:1 “On that day a fountain
will be opened for the dynasty
of David and for the people of
Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse
them from all their sins and
impurity.”
13:9 “They will call on my name,
and I will answer them. I will say,
‘These are my people,’ and they
will say, ‘The Lord is our God.””
“I will show you,” the angel replied.
rider standing among the myrtle trees
then explained, “They are the ones the Lord
has sent out to patrol the earth.”
11 Then the other riders reported to the
angel of the Lord, who was standing among
the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the
earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”
12 Upon hearing this, the angel of the Lord
prayed this prayer: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
for seventy years now you have been angry with
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long
until you again show mercy to them?” 13 And
the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to
the angel who talked with me.
14 Then the angel said to me, “Shout this message for all to hear: ‘This is what the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem
and Mount Zion is passionate and strong. 15 But
I am very angry with the other nations that are
now enjoying peace and security. I was only
a little angry with my people, but the nations
inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.
16 “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My
10 The
1:1 Hebrew In the eighth month. A number of dates in
Zechariah can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Persian
records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This
month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within
the months of October and November 520 b.c. 1:7 Hebrew
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of
Shebat, in the second year of Darius. This event occurred on
February 15, 519 b.c.; also see note on 1:1.