November 2nd 2025 Zechariah ch 1 v 1 - 13
Zechariah Calls for repentance. V 1-6.
V 1. In the second year of Darius. The dating of a prophecy according to the reign of a Gentile monarch evidences that the times of the Gentiles, begun in Nebuchadnezzar's day, were in progress
V 2. The Lord hath been sore displeased The prophet declares God's displeasure with the fathers of his countrymen. It was more than their neglect of the building of the Temple that distressed Him; it was their general spiritual outlook. Return from exile alone was not enough to please the Lord; they needed a heart return to the Lord.
V 3. I will turn unto you. Their repentance would find God ready and willing to receive and bless.
V 4. Be ye not as your fathers. A bad example is so infectious that Zechariah had to warn the true believers not to imitate the ways of their fathers They had failed to heed the true messages of the prophets of God, and consequently they had reaped a harvest of misery and woe in the Babylonian captivity.
V 5. Your fathers, where are they? Fathers and prophets alike were now gone.
Man is as grass that withers, but there is an abiding force in the universe (Isa 40 v 6-8).
V 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers? Man is mortal, but God's words and statutes are undying. Though the former generation was gone, successive events revealed the truth of the message of God in the judgments that befell Israel for disobedience. So hath he dealt with us. God fulfilled every prediction to the letter. Zechariah's equalsmust learn the lessons of history, and decide to obey God implicitly.
Vision 1. .. Vision of the Horses and Riders. V 7-17.
V 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month. All eight night visions were given to the prophet in one night, three months after the first message. They form a unit which finds its key in the first vision.
V 8. A man riding upon a red horse. In verses 11,12 the man on the red horse is said to be the "angel of the Lord." The Angel of the Lordthroughout the OT is designated as God
The Babylonian Talmud interprets: "This man is no other than the Holy One, blessed be He; for it is said, 'The Lord is a man of war.' "
Red horses, speckled and white. It has been suggested that the colours of the horses represent the distinctive missions of the horses with their riders. According to usage, red signifies war, in this instance judgment on Israel' foes (Rev 6 v 4). The fact that the Angel of the Lord is riding on this horse, reveals what the purpose of God was for that hour. Sorrel is a mixture of the other colours.
White indicates victory (Rev 6 v 2). The myrtles represent Israel.
V 9. The angel that talked with me. This angel is the mediating or interpreting angel, commissioned to explain the visions to the prophet (cf. Rev l v l; ch 22 v 16).
He does not introduce the visions, but he clarifies their meaning to Zechariah.
V 10. The Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. The horses which symbolize divine activity among the nations of the earth, were sent on a mission of investigating.
God is always interested in the affairs of earth, especially as they touch the fortunes of his earthly people, Israel.
V 11. All the earth sitteth still. The report of the riders was an unusual one; they brought word that the earth was in a state of peace. Actually, the early years of Darius' reign had been stormy, marked by repeated rebellions throughout his domain; but in this year all was calm again. But God had foretold that the nations would be shaken (Hag 2 v 21,22). Why the difference, and how was it to be explained?
V 12. How long wilt thou not have mercy. The contrast between the tranquil nations and the downtrodden people of God was painful; so the Angel of the Lord interceded for them.
He prayed that mercy might be extended to them after their long period of chastisement under the disciplinary hand of God.
These threescore and ten years. The period has been variously reckoned. One calculation sets the terminal dates as 606 B.C. (2 Kings 24 v 1) and 538 B.C., the year of Cyrus' decree to rebuild
(Jer 25 v 11; 29:10).
In this case seventy years would be obtained either by counting both terminal years, an ancient practice, or by considering seventy to be a round number.
Here the seventy years seems to refer to the period from 586 to 516, when the Temple ("my house," v. 16) lay in ruins.
V 13. Good words and comfortable words.
In accordance with their need God answered them with words that foretold good and bore comfort.
The remainder of the first vision shows what the consoling words were.
The comfort consisted of the Lord's assurance of
(l) His continued jealousy for Israel;
(2) His great displeasure with the nations;
(3) His return to Jerusalem with mercy;
(4) the rebuilding of the Temple;
(5) the restoration of the ruined city;
(6) the prosperity of the cities in the land;
(7) the comfort of Zion; and
(8) the choice of Jerusalem.
News from the Church New dates
5th November..…..Friendship Group, (this covers all ages and the lonely people)
19th November…. Knit and natter is a time to finish old projects or learn new skills
if you just want to talk well that’s OK too
ANSWERS TO 26th October QUESTIONS
1) Forty 2) One 3) 350 years 4) Six 5) Two 6) 1,000 7) 150 8) Four 9) As many as the stars in the sky, or dust on the earth 10) Eight 11) One 12) Four 13) Ten 14) One 15) Six 16) Six
Bible Quiz this week’s Quiz is Who am I
1 I stole a garment and some gold and hid them in my tent, but God knew all about it?
2 I tricked my nephew Jacob into marrying both my daughters?
3 I wrote the last book of the minor prophets ?
4 I lived longer than everybody?
5 I wanted to change my name to Mara which means bitter?
6 I was called to be a missionary to the gentiles?
7 Jesus healed my Mother-in-Law ?
8 My fathers name was Laban and my sister was Leah?
9 I hid the men who came to spy out Jericho?
10 I saved Joseph from being killed by the other brothers by suggesting we put him in a pit?
11 When I was very young my mother took me to help Eli in the temple?
12 I visited a witch before as asking the Lord for help?
13 I am known as the doubting disciple ?
14 Paul called me his son in the faith?
15 I was the first Christian martyr?
16 Paul wrote to my master, Philemon, to forgive me for what I did?
God Bless