OUT OF THE CHAOS: A study in the book of Zechariah
Shalom and welcome to our class today. We are continuing in this prophetic book written by a young Jewish man living in Jerusalem about 500 BCE as he writes to his people, those living there in Judah and also to those living in Babylon. To each of those groups, he has some clear words and I trust that those words he spoke 2500 years ago will speak to you and to me as we will consider what God meant as he used that young man. And we will try to learn what God has to say to us as 21st Century people.
Our theme in this book is “out of the chaos” and there was plenty of chaos around young Zechariah in those days, and dare I say, around us in our days as well. How we find its opposite, whether you title it control or comfort or pleasure or ease… that’s the goal of my studies in this book with you.
20 days ago, Prince Charles of England became King Charles III and wore the proper clothing and donned the crown, as the 40th monarch since the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Great pomp and circumstance, ballrooms and balls, horse-drawn carriages, photography enough for generations and media coverage that still has not ended. In today’s reading from Zechariah, we will see another coronation at the end of the final night vision, the 8th of 8, and wonder who is wearing the crown, and what its role is in the life of the Jewish people around 500 BCE or so.
Let’s jump right in.
1. Chariots (.1-8)
Verse one: The 8th vision has a weird cast of characters and settings. Four chariots are seen coming from between two mountains. The mountains are made of bronze. They are driven by four different colours of horses. And then in the interpretation the angel tells Zechariah that they are four spirits or four winds. Are you confused yet? Just wait. While in chapter 1 we looked at horses and their riders, here in chapter 6 we only see the horses and chariots. No riders. Earlier the purpose was reporting on global events and conditions; here we have to ask what the purpose is?
As I give this talk today, we in Sydney are celebrating two things. One is Shavuot, that is, the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, the anniversary of a harvest festival and the giving of Torah 3,500 years ago. That two-day holiday began at sundown last night. The other celebration is the opening of Vivid, the annual reminder here that any building can become a canvas of light and art. In the midst of these two annual moments, we are studying chapter 6 of Zechariah with his commensurate weird imagery and night visions. OK, given our calendar, this chapter makes sense.
Jewish commentator Ibn Ezra (XII, Spain) said the symbolism is straightforward. The chariots are there to carry the decrees of heaven to the four corners of the earth. Remember, Zechariah has labelled God the Lord of all the earth, so Ibn Ezra may be onto something. The Targum indicates that the four chariots represent the four kingdoms which ruled what we call Israel after the destruction of Solomon’s temple. Those four were Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Of course, that makes sense in light of the timing of the writings. “There is clear evidence that Aramaic translations of at least parts of the Bible were known in the days of the Second Temple: the Qumran caves have yielded small fragments of an Aramaic translation of Leviticus, and more substantial portions of an Aramaic version of Job.” (The Cambridge history of the Bible. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/new-cambridge-history-of-the-bible/aramaic-targums/66005BF403AA0C9DDCA300E81EFA83D3)
I should tell you that the word Targum simply means ‘translation’ and was the Aramaic translation by rabbis from the time of the Maccabees and even Yeshua. So, it’s no surprise that no further kingdoms beyond Rome are listed here. But we have had 2,000 more years of Jewish history and there would have been further ruling kingdoms, but the Targums don’t address those.
But some of you will be fixated on the four chariots or winds or horses, and you might lose the bigger picture. Even as Daniel chapter 7 showcases similar four kingdoms (if you accept the Targum), the writing of these images is to help us have faith and comfort, not chaos. The number ‘four’ in the record of Scripture is not required to be a precise number but rather is a representation of ‘the lot’ or ‘the whole kit and kaboodle.’ In other words, ‘four winds’ means all the winds. Four chariots coming for judgment means all the dominant royalty that is ever going to assault the people. Four shouts universal representation. We saw that in chapter two with the craftsmen and the horns. (Chapter 1 in some versions)
For more information about chariots, see The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, one of my favourite reference books, published by InterVarsity Press in 1998 out of the US. Page 138-139 unpacks all the references including Ezekiel and Jehu’s furious ride, even Elijah’s flight to heaven (2 King 2.11-12) and the three uses of chariots in the NT. (Acts 8.28-38, Rev. 9.9, 18.13) The summary is that chariots are used in three categories: as royal vehicles, as battle vehicles and the Grand One as the Divine Chariot, which sounds to me like a combination of the first two uses. (Divine: Psalm 104.3, Ezekiel 1.5-15)
Back to our text. The four horses are colourful. Black, red, white and dappled. By the way, dappled is not a colour. Some versions use ‘strong’ and others ‘grey.’
Dappled simply means the horse is predisposed to a certain kind of marking, which can come and go based on nutrition, coat care, the seasons, if you clip them, etc. They're rounded spots of a lighter colour than the rest of the coat. Usually, they're a sign your horse is in great health.
We who have the NT have an advantage for the colour index: red stands for war, black for famine and white for death. (See Revelation 6.1-8) Dappled would then stand for plagues. Looking at judgments over time, like in Jeremiah’s days, there were four penalties: wars (which led to captivity), famine, plagues and death. (e.g., Jeremiah 18.21, 21.7, 24.10, 27.13)
But whatever each of these horse/ winds represent, it’s bad news for the recipients and, by extension, good news for the beneficiaries. Who would those be? Let’s see.
Verse 5, the winds are headed north and south. North is Babylon; South is Egypt. Both are enemies of the Jewish people, and both have mistreated the Jews. The winds are the judgments against the enemies of the Jews. Babylon will go down in defeat as will Egypt.
Verse 7, out go the surveillance teams of horses and chariots, and obviously God’s army of angelic hosts. They went to patrol and in verse 8 reported back that the victory was complete, the Babylonians were defeated, and God’s wrath was appeased. The Hebrew is from Nuach, meaning ‘settle down on’ or ‘satisfy.’ Most understand that this is both the judgment on the Babylonians and the resultant news about the rebuilding of the Temple.
Ibn Ezra said that all the Jews in the North were then safe.
2. Coronation (.9-15)
After the first part of our study today, about Chariots, we now turn to a Coronation. It includes a confrontation, then the coronation and finally a commemoration. First the confrontation.
Three visitors from Babylon rock up to Jerusalem. They were to stay at the home of Josiah, whose nickname was Chen (meaning ‘grace.’) and they were bearing financial aid from the Jews of the North to support the rebuild of the Temple. Only Verse 10 says that Zechariah is responsible to take the goods and to fashion a crown or two. That’s a dilemma, isn’t it? Can designated funds be reassigned by someone else? And Verse 11 says that the crown is to sit on the top of a priest, the high priest, Joshua. But nowhere in the Torah are we told about such action. Nowhere else in Jewish history had this been done. The three in the delegation probably wondered what the end game was for Zechariah in redeploying the financial package. How dare he! What’s he trying to do?
Radak said he wanted to make two crowns, not one. Others comment that this one crown was so glorious it appeared with diadems and could have appeared as two. I like that there is confusion. You see, the Hebrew word in verse 11 for crown is plural! עֲטָר֑וֹת
But the verb is singular. Hold on, I’ll explain why I like this. Verse 11, says ‘set it (singular) on the head of Joshua.’ Some of you will remember a term, a phrase we have used in Jewish prophecy specifically, and Christopher Wright has employed it over and over again in his studies of the Tanach. It’s about horizons. I’ll include the article from 2019 about this, that really helped me package it, but basically, it’s Horizon 1: The OT era, Horizon 2: The fulfillment in the person of Yeshua and Horizon 3: the eschaton, the way distant future. (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/march-web-only/three-horizons-of-old-testament-prophecy-christopher-wright.html)
So, when I read about the two crowns and one head, I know there is anticipation of another to wear the crown and it’s not Charles III. Who is it?
Look at verse 12. The coronation is happening and it’s on the Branch, for he will branch out. Many Jewish versions leave it “Flourish” for he will flourish. But the word Tsemach (see Zechariah 3.8) is a person. And a to-be-crowned person for sure. No wonder the Targum says this tsemach is Messiah and he will complete the rebuilding of the Temple.
You see, the rabbis get so close on this one. They say there are two crowns. One for Zerubbabel and one for Joshua. So close. I get how they get it. We’ve seen them in Zechariah previously as representatives of government and religion working together. In verse 13 here we see peace ‘between the two offices’ or literally between the two of them. And maybe they are right in the first horizon. But I’m looking beyond horizon 1 and the immediate fulfillment. I’m seeing horizon 2 and someone who is named Branch (Jeremiah 23.1-5) who be “Jehovah our Righteousness.” He will be the replacement for the wicked shepherds, and he will guide, even save the Jewish people. It’s not two crowns for two people; but it’s a royal diadem, a glorious crown of majesty, atop the head of the KING and PRIEST, Yeshua. He who fulfills two offices. The king who judges and the priest who intercedes.
And he will rebuild the Temple. John says, “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (John 2.19-20)
Jesus would rebuild the godly line, the godly life, his relationship with us, on the 3rd day, when he rose from the dead. Everything would be satisfied in Horizon 2 when Yeshua rose from the dead. And in the Revelation, we see Horizon 3, when they crown him with many crowns and we are gathered to him, once and forever, and the New Jerusalem comes down to be established on earth and we rule with him in purity and godliness.
Remember I said there was a confrontation, a coronation and a commemoration? The third is in verses 14-15. Weirsbe says, “Zechariah took the crown off Joshua’s head and gave him his priestly mitre (3.5) Why? Because the symbolic act was over, and the crown did not belong to Joshua. It belonged to the coming Messiah. Zechariah placed the crown somewhere in the Temple as a memorial (verse 14) (Zikaron) of the Lord’s promise of a KING-PRIEST who would bring peace and holiness to his people.” (Page 135)
Verse 15, friends, we will know the Lord and know that Zechariah is the voice of God, when we completely obey or listen to the voice of the Lord. That’s the key. If you don’t yet believe in Yeshua, the King-Priest who was to come, the Branch, the Messiah, then hear his voice calling to you, and say ‘yes’ and be born again. If you are already his, already a follower of Yeshua, please keep listening to him, do as he bid, and crown him with many crowns, even today, amen?
Chaos is subjugated. Life is available.
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Remember, you who are watching today, if you are not yet a follower of Yeshua, and see his love for you, his kindness extended, his offer of forgiveness available, right where you are, submit to him, to his lordship, to his care, and your life will take on new meaning, new substance, and you will have mates on this call, and in your neighbourhood and wherever you travel… the Kingdom is advancing under the King. Chaos is subjugated, life is available.
Would you like that? Pray with me just now. (Prayer Sample)
Shabbat shalom!
Resource on video
To see a fun video overview of the book of Zechariah see this from Bible Project:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/zechariah/
Bibliography:
Ryken, Leland (and others), Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1998.
Smith, Ralph, Micah to Malachi: Word Biblical Commentary (Volume 32), Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1984.
Stead, Michael, Zechariah: The Lord Returns, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2015.
Webb, Barry, The Message of Zechariah: Your Kingdom Come, Intervarsity Press, Nottingham, 2003.
Wiersbe, Warren, Be Heroic: Demonstrating Bravery by your Walk, David C. Cook Press, Colorado Springs, 1997.
ACTUAL TEXT
Zech. 6:1 Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses. 4 Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. 7 “When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So, they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
Zech. 6:9 The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. 11 “Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. 13 “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honour and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ 14 “Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD.” Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God.
Also, today’s other text:
Rev. 6:1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. 5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in the centre of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
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