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« Then I said to them: “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.” And they paid my wages, 30 pieces of silver »

(Zechariah 11:12)

This prophecy of Zechariah alludes to the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, who delivered his master, Jesus Christ, into the hands of his adversaries, ultimately murdering him:

 » Then I said to them: “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.” And they paid my wages, 30 pieces of silver.

¹³ Then Jehovah said to me: “Throw it into the treasury—the magnificent value with which they valued me.” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the treasury at the house of Jehovah » (Zechariah 11:12, 13).

The Gospel accounts of this event:

“Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said: “What will you give me to betray him to you?” They stipulated to him 30 silver pieces. ¹⁶ So from then on, he kept looking for a good opportunity to betray him” (Matthew 26:14-16).

“And Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ When they heard it, they were delighted and promised to give him silver money. So he began seeking an opportunity to betray him” (Mark 14:10,11).

Judas Iscariot regretted his action, but too late, and here is what is written later in the story in connection with Zechariah’s prophecy:

“Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, felt remorse and brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying: “I sinned when I betrayed innocent blood.” They said: “What is that to us? You must see to it!” ⁵ So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and departed. Then he went off and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said: “It is not lawful to put them into the sacred treasury, because they are the price of blood.” ⁷ After consulting together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ Therefore, that field has been called Field of Blood to this very day. ⁹ Then what was spoken through *Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “And they took the 30 silver pieces, the price that was set on the man, the one on whom a price was set by some of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, according to what Jehovah had commanded me”” (Matthew 27:3-10). * This name is corrected in the margin: : Sy^h(marge): “Zechariah”.

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Reading chapter 11 of the book of Zechariah is disconcerting because the overall context presents God as the one who appoints useless shepherds who feed themselves. It is important to understand why God allows wickedness and suffering in order to grasp the meaning of the statement (there is a very detailed study of this question on one page; please click on the link to access to the study: Why God Allowed Suffering and Wickedness ?).

While in chapter 10, God promises to appoint fine shepherds, in chapter 11, it is written that He appoints useless shepherds:

“Against the shepherds my anger has grown hot, and against the goatlike leaders I shall hold an accounting; for Jehovah of armies has turned his attention to his drove, the house of Judah, and has made them like his horse of dignity in the battle. ⁴ Out of him is the keyman, out of him is the supporting ruler, out of him is the battle bow; out of him goes forth every taskmaster, all together” (Zechariah 10:3,4).

“And Jehovah went on to say to me: “Take yet for yourself the implements of a useless shepherd. ¹⁶ For here I am letting a shepherd rise up in the land. To the [sheep] being effaced he will give no attention. The young one he will not seek, and the broken [sheep] he will not heal. The one stationing herself he will not supply [with food], and the flesh of the fat one he will eat, and the hoofs of the [sheep] he will tear off. ¹⁷ Woe to my valueless shepherd, who is leaving the flock! A sword will be upon his arm and upon his right eye. His own arm will without fail dry up, and his own right eye will without fail grow dim” (Zechariah 11:15-17).

When the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem, God did indeed establish fine shepherds, such as Zerubbabel and Joshua (the two anointed ones), Nehemiah, Ezra, and the prophets Zechariah and Haggai, to encourage the people in the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the temple.

From the period of these historical events until the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ, a little over five hundred years passed. During this time, the Jewish people did not fall back into idolatry as it existed before the Babylonian deportation and the seventy years of exile (as described in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). Nevertheless, a situation developed that gave rise to a class of useless shepherds who neglected and despised the people. Chapter 11 seems to allude to this situation, in which Jesus Christ, the fine shepherd, found himself five hundred years later, among bad shepherds. Here is what is written in the Gospels to illustrate this situation:

“And Jesus set out on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity. ³⁶ On seeing the crowds, he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples: “Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest”” (Matthew 9:35-38).

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all the things they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them: “Come, you yourselves, privately into an isolated place and rest up a little.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure time even to eat a meal. ³² So they set off in the boat for an isolated place to be by themselves. ³³ But people saw them going and many got to know it, and from all the cities they ran together on foot and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ Well, on getting out, he saw a large crowd, and he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd. And he started to teach them many things” (Mark 6:30-34).

However, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, chapter 11, God allowed this situation to develop, allowing useless leaders to appear among the nations, not only within his own people, but also at the direct instigation of Satan the devil (Zechariah chapter 3, Satan at the right hand of Joshua). Why? Because God set a time for the nations to govern themselves, without his direct intervention. This period is referred to by Jesus Christ as the appointed time of the nations: « Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled » (Luke 21:24).

The incapable shepherds of the nations and those of God’s people would each have a staff: “And I proceeded to shepherd the flock [meant] for the killing, in your behalf, O afflicted ones of the flock. So I took for myself two staffs. The one I called Pleasantness, and the other I called Union, and I went shepherding the flock” (Zechariah 11:7).

God will decree that the staff called Pleasantness be broken, which will mean that, at the end of a set period, he will make the useless shepherds of the nations disappear:

“At length I said: “I shall not keep shepherding you. The one that is dying, let her die. And the one that is being effaced, let her be effaced. And as for the ones left remaining, let them devour, each one the flesh of her companion.” ¹⁰ So I took my staff Pleasantness and cut it to pieces, in order to break my covenant that I had concluded with all the peoples. ¹¹ And it came to be broken in that day, and the afflicted ones of the flock who were watching me got to know in this way that it was the word of Jehovah” (Zechariah 11:9-11).

The disappearance of the useless shepherds who oppress the people will take place during the day of Jehovah, mentioned in the prophecy of Zechariah:

“And it must occur in that day [that] there will prove to be no precious light—things will be congealed. ⁷ And it must become one day that is known as belonging to Jehovah. It will not be day, neither will it be night; and it must occur [that] at evening time it will become light. ⁸ And it must occur in that day [that] living waters will go forth from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. In summer and in winter it will occur. ⁹ And Jehovah must become king over all the earth. In that day Jehovah will prove to be one, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:6-9).

This special day is the great tribulation mentioned in the prophecies of Daniel, Jesus Christ, and the Book of Apocalypse (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22; Apocalypse 7:9, 14; chapters 14 and 19).

Regarding the staff called Union, belonging to the useless shepherds who had infiltrated God’s people, it has been broken, following the mention of the price of betrayal in Zechariah chapter 11:

“Then I said to them: “If it is good in YOUR eyes, give [me] my wages; but if not, refrain.” And they proceeded to pay my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

¹³ At that, Jehovah said to me: “Throw it to the treasury—the majestic value with which I have been valued from their standpoint.” Accordingly I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the treasury at the house of Jehovah.

¹⁴ Then I cut in pieces my second staff, the Union, in order to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” (Zechariah 11:12-14).

The fine shepherd has been struck down and killed by the useless shepherds, and his sheep have been temporarily scattered:

« O sword, awake against my shepherd, even against the able-bodied man who is my associate,” is the utterance of Jehovah of armies. “Strike the shepherd, and let those of the flock be scattered; and I shall certainly turn my hand back upon those who are insignificant » (Zechariah 13:7).

It is written regarding the fulfillment of this prophecy:

« And Jesus said to them: “YOU will all be stumbled, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered about’ » (Mark 14:27).

Because of the serious sins of the useless shepherds who plotted the assassination of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, God broke the staff of Union, that special relationship He had with Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. This divine decision has been proclaimed by Jesus Christ shortly before His death:

 » Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it. ³⁸ Look! youe house is abandoned to you. ³⁹ For I say to you, you will by no means see me from henceforth until you say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name!’ » (Matthew chapter 23).

From this time, Israel is replaced by the spiritual Israel of God:

« Upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God » (Galatians 6:16).

Jerusalem will be replaced by the Heavenly New Jerusalem:

« And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. ² I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. ⁴ And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away” » (Apocalypse 21:1-4).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

Bible Articles Language Menu

Table of languages ​​of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…

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By means this question that God asks to his people, if their spirituality is truly centered on love for Him. In the introduction to the chapter, the people ask how to better serve God. However, the question betrays a formalism in their spiritual relationship with God, that is, the validity of their actions is only based on the observance of religious formalities:

“And in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev. ² The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and his men to beg for the favor of Jehovah, ³ saying to the priests of the house of Jehovah of armies and to the prophets: “Should I weep in the fifth month and abstain from food, as I have done for so many years?”” (Zechariah 7:1-3).

Should I weep in the fifth month and abstain from food, as I have done for so many years? This question reveals much about the way of serving God. When he said, « as I have done for so many years », shows that it was for him a burden. He was not truly doing it for God or as a sacrifice to Him, also mentioning the time involved… Thus, we better understand God’s response, through the prophet Zechariah:

“The word of Jehovah of armies again came to me, saying: ⁵ “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and wailed in the fifth month and in the seventh month for 70 years, did you really fast for me? ⁶ And when you would eat and drink, were you not eating for yourselves and drinking for yourselves? ⁷ Should you not obey the words that Jehovah proclaimed through the former prophets, while Jerusalem and her surrounding cities were inhabited and at peace, and while the Negeb and the Shephelah were inhabited?’”” (Zechariah 7:4-7).

God answers with simple rhetorical questions, which can be summarized as follows: “Did you really fast for me?” (Zechariah 7:5). By reminding them of the past attitude of their ancestors (before and during the seventy years of exile in Babylon), God shows that He is not fooled and that He knows what there is in their hearts, revealed by the formality of their first question.

Then, with a second statement, He tells them that they must serve Him with their hearts, not only by loving Him, but also by loving their neighbor by doing good to them, helping them when they are in distress:

“The word of Jehovah again came to Zech·a·riʹah, saying: ⁹ “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘Judge with true justice, and deal with one another in loyal love and mercy. ¹⁰ Do not defraud the widow or the fatherless child, the foreigner or the poor; and do not scheme evil against one another in your hearts.’ ¹¹ But they kept refusing to pay attention, and they stubbornly turned their backs, and they stopped up their ears so as not to hear. ¹² They made their heart like a diamond and would not obey the law and the words that Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit through the former prophets. So there came great indignation from Jehovah of armies.”

¹³ “‘Just as they did not listen when I called, so I would not listen when they called,’ says Jehovah of armies. ¹⁴ ‘And I scattered them with a storm wind throughout all the nations that they had not known, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one passing through or returning; for they turned the desirable land into an object of horror’”” (Zechariah 7:8-14).

And in the last part of his answer, God reminds them that he sent their ancestors into exile in Babylon (and also in Assyria) for their rebellion: “They kept refusing to pay attention, and they stubbornly turned their backs, and they stopped up their ears so as not to hear. ¹² They made their heart like a diamond and would not obey the law and the words that Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit through the former prophets” (Zechariah 7:11, 12). As a result, God “scattered them with a storm wind throughout all the nations that they had not known”? particularly Assyria and Babylon.

God’s simple answer is also summarized in the words of his Son, Jesus Christ, centuries later:

“After the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together in one group. ³⁵ And one of them, versed in the Law, tested him by asking: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ He said to him: “‘You must love *Jehovah (YHWH) your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets”” (Matthew 22:34-40).

Furthermore, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ warned against the practice of spiritual or religious formalism, with the main goal of being seen by others (and not out of love for God and their neighbor):

“Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. ² So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³ But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you.

⁵ “Also, when you pray, do not act like the hypocrites, for they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:1-6).

The formalistic practice of Christian spirituality, devoid of love, has no value in the eyes of God and his Son Jesus Christ. We must serve God, and his Son Jesus Christ, with sincere love, without self-interest, and love our neighbor with genuine brotherhood:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. ² And if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give all my belongings to feed others, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I do not benefit at all.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, ⁵ does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. ⁶ It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

Bible Articles Language Menu

Table of languages ​​of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…

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“Here is the man whose name is Sprout. He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah”

(Zechariah 6:12)

Before directly answering this question, it is important to understand the context of this divine declaration. It concerns the enthronement of Yeshua as king and high priest during Zerubbabel’s rule over Jerusalem:

“The word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: ¹⁰ “Take from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah what they brought from the people in exile; and on that day, you must go to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah along with these who have come from Babylon. ¹¹ You should take silver and gold and make a crown and put it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² And say to him,

“‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “Here is the man whose name is Sprout. He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah. ¹³ He is the one who will build the temple of Jehovah, and he is the one who will assume the majesty. He will sit down on his throne and rule, and he will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be a peaceable agreement between the two. ¹⁴ And the crown will serve as a memorial for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah, in the temple of Jehovah. ¹⁵ And those who are far away will come and take part in building the temple of Jehovah.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. And it will occur—if you do not fail to listen to the voice of *Jehovah (YHWH) your God’”” (Zechariah 6:9-15).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

In the Bible, the first mention of a priest-king is that of Melchizedek, when he came to meet Abraham:

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of the Most High God.

19 Then he blessed him and said:

“Blessed be Abram by the Most High God,

Maker of heaven and earth;

20 And praised be the Most High God,

Who has handed your oppressors over to you!”” (Genesis 14:18-20).

The apostle Paul, under inspiration, designated Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophetic figure of the priest-king, Melchizedek, king of Salem:

“A man does not take this honor of his own accord, but he receives it only when he is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So, too, the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by the One who said to him: “You are my son; today I have become your father.” 6 As he also says in another place, “You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek.”

7 During his life on earth, Christ offered up supplications and also petitions, with strong outcries and tears, to the One who was able to save him out of death, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, 10 because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:4-10; Psalms 110:4).

Therefore, Zechariah’s prophecy of Joshua’s enthronement as king and high priest refers to Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. In a prophetic vision in the book of Apocalypse chapter 19, King Jesus Christ is also described as King and a High Priest:

“I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. ¹² His eyes are a fiery flame, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself, ¹³ and he is clothed with an outer garment stained with blood, and he is called by the name The Word of God. ¹⁴ Also, the armies in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth protrudes a sharp, long sword with which to strike the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. Moreover, he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶ On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Apocalypse 19:11-16).

Although this passage does not explicitly state that the « King of kings and Lord of lords » is also a High Priest, he is described as wearing an outer garment sprinkled with blood. This symbolism signifies his installation as High Priest of God:

“Then take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and spatter it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and his sons’ garments, so that he and his garments and his sons and their garments may be holy” (Exodus 29:21).

In chapter 29 of the book of Exodus it is written the installation procedure as high priest and priest, showing that part of the anointing oil and animal blood was sprinkled on the priestly garments of Aaron, the high priest, and his sons the priests.

Therefore, the Sprout mentioned in Zechariah’s prophecy is the current King and High Priest, Jesus Christ (Yehoshuah: transliteration in Greek Iêsous and in Latin Jesus. Hebrew name Mashiah, translated into Greek Kristos (Christ in English)). Which temple is it?

The temple rebuilt by the « Sprout » is not an architectural work, but a spiritual work. The new spiritual temple would be made up of several people, including the « Sprout », Yehoshuah Mashiah, the « cornerstone », both king and high priest (Matthew 21:42). When Jehovah God transferred the « Sprout » into the womb of Mary, the Jewish virgin, the angel Gabriel told her this: « And look! you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.  This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom” » (Luke 1:31-33). By comparing the words of the angel Gabriel with the prophecy of Zechariah 6:12-14, there is no doubt that the Sprout is Yehoshuah Mashiah (Jesus Christ).

eshua Mashiah (Jesus Christ) is the builder of this spiritual temple made of living stones (human stones). This is the Christian congregation built by Jesus Christ:

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen, precious to God, ⁵ you yourselves as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it says in Scripture: “Look! I am laying in Zion a chosen stone, a precious foundation cornerstone, and no one exercising faith in it will ever be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:4-6).

This temple is the Christian congregation, whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ:

“So you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God, ²⁰ and you have been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. ²¹ In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. ²² In union with him you too are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).

“And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).

In the Book of Apocalypse, it is written that Jesus Christ is the builder of this spiritual temple:

“The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name” (Apocalypse 3:12).

This means that the Heavenly Father has granted him the right to choose who will be part of this construction because he has full authority over this construction: « All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth » (Matthew 28:18).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

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“Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were of copper. The first chariot had red horses, and the second chariot, black horses. The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot, speckled and dappled horses”

(Zechariah 6:1-3)

The vision of the four chariots emerging from between the two mountains of copper seems to conclude the series of visions that began in chapter 1. To understand this last vision, while remaining within the immediate context of Zechariah’s prophecy, it is important to consider that they reiterate a simple message, which should be recalled: God will help his people, returned from Babylon, to Jerusalem, in the tribe of Judah, to rebuild the city and its temple, through Zerubbabel, the royal prince, and Joshua, the high priest. The parallel historical accounts in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah show that God also used faithful servants and prophets to encourage his people in this rebuilding, such as Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The second aspect of the message, is that God will hold accountable the nations that caused the ruin of Israel, the tribe of Judah, and Jerusalem. These hostile nations that destroyed Jerusalem, the tribe of Judah, and Israel are represented by the four horns in the vision at the end of chapter 1. This brief summary is to indicate that the last vision (in this series) of the four chariots must be connected to the vision of the red rider in the myrtle field in the other three visions, as well as to the vision of the four horns and God’s subsequent message concerning them. Without this connection, it is not possible to find coherence in the vision of the four chariots emerging from between the two mountains within the immediate context of the beginning of chapter 6 (it is necessary to read the preceding accounts to understand this):

“Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were of copper. ² The first chariot had red horses, and the second chariot, black horses. ³ The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot, speckled and dappled horses.

⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ The angel answered me: “These are the four spirits of the heavens that are going out after having taken their station before the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶ The one with the black horses is going out to the land of the north; the white ones are going out beyond the sea; and the speckled ones are going out to the land of the south. ⁷ And the dappled ones were eager to go out to walk about through the earth.” Then he said: “Go, walk about through the earth.” And they began walking about through the earth.

⁸ He then called out to me and said: “See, those going out to the land of the north have caused the spirit of Jehovah to rest in the land of the north”” (Zechariah 6:1-8).

What do the two copper mountains represent? The visions are particularly focused on the city of Jerusalem. The city is built on two hills or mountains. The more well-known one is Mount Zion, and the lesser-known one is Mount Moriah. Always taking into account the same historical context and biblical geography, the angel’s explanations help to solve this riddle. The solution seems to be found a little further on in the prophecy: “Jehovah will go out and war against those nations as when he fights in the day of a battle. In that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half, from east to west, forming a very great valley; and half of the mountain will move to the north, and half of it to the south” (Zechariah 14:3,4).

This prophecy foretells that these two mountains will be separated by a large valley: to the north, is Mount Moriah, where the temple of Jerusalem was built, and to the south, Mount Zion, where there was the royal residence of King David. Thus, Jerusalem, through these two mountains, symbolizes the sovereignty of Jehovah God through kingship (The Davidic dynasty being in the tribe of Judah), Mount Zion, and sovereignty through the priesthood, Mount Moriah (Jerusalem). The copper symbolizes the metal with which the utensils were made in the courtyard of the sanctuary temple, particularly the copper altar with the four horns (Exodus 27:2; 2 Kings 16:14).

The four chariots could correspond to the four horsemen of the first vision (chapter 1), in a different context: that of battle and divine vengeance against the four horns mentioned at the end of that first vision. The four chariots represent the four spirits of God.

The « four » chariots seem to evoke the expression of God’s sovereignty through war (the chariots) (against the four horns of the nations), positioned at three cardinal points with specific symbolism (north, west (the sea), and south), with the third circulating both in the south and throughout the earth (Zechariah 6:5-7). The fact that no explanation is given for the presence of the first chariot with the red horses suggests that it is the same horseman who is at the head of the chariot in the riddle of the myrtles (Zechariah 1:7-8). The two riddles are similar.

The three cardinal directions seem to indicate the source of misfortune upon Israel, Jerusalem, and the tribe of Judah: Assyria and Babylon came from the north to destroy the city of Jerusalem (the Babylonians), as this was the easiest way. Syria is also mentioned from the north in connection with a message of condemnation from God, in the prophecy of Zechariah (9:1) (Jeremiah 25:9 (Babylon); Ezekiel 26:7 (Babylon); Zechariah 10:10, 11 (Assyria)). The west and south could represent the cardinal directions where the nations that contributed to the destruction of Jerusalem by helping the Babylonians were located: Philistia, Sidon, and Tyre to the west (Ezekiel 26:1-6; Joel 3:4-8; Zechariah 9:2-8), and Egypt and Edom to the south (Joel 3:19-21; Zechariah 10:8-10). The east is not mentioned; at the same latitude as Jerusalem were tribes belonging to Israel (Reuben and Gad, further north). This region is now part of Jordan.

Of course, if this prophecy concerned only the past, it would no longer be a prophecy for our time; it would have only cultural value and nothing more. It is evident that it has an allegorical value that concerns our time, when God will hold accountable all the nations (the four horns) that are currently attacking and devastating God’s people, the spiritual Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

This will be, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, the Day of *Jehovah (YHWH), which will correspond to the great tribulation mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel (12:1) and that of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:21, 22):

“And it will become one day that is known as belonging to Jehovah. It will not be day, nor will it be night; and at evening time there will be light. In that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea. It will happen in summer and in winter. And Jehovah will be King over all the earth. In that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:7-9).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

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“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him” 

(Zechariah 3:1)

God is a slow to anger and merciful, He will have mercy to whom He will have mercy (Exodus 33:19; 34:6). It is evident that after 70 years of exile in Babylon, the true worship has undergone a true permeation of Babylonian customs or teachings (Zechariah 1:12). Jehovah showed understanding and mercy towards the high priest Joshuah.  This is what it is written in the vision of the prophet Zechariah:

“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of *Jehovah (YHWH), and Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him. ² Then the angel of Jehovah said to Satan: “May Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan, yes, may Jehovah, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this one a burning log snatched out of the fire?”

³ Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and standing before the angel. ⁴ The angel said to those standing before him, “Remove his filthy garments.” Then he said to him, “See, I have caused your error to pass away from you, and you will be clothed with fine garments.”

⁵ So I said: “Let a clean turban be put on his head.” And they put the clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing nearby. ⁶ The angel of Jehovah then declared to Joshua: ⁷ “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘If you will walk in my ways and carry out your responsibilities before me, then you will serve as a judge in my house and take care of my courtyards; and I will give you free access among these who are standing here.’

⁸ “‘Hear, please, O High Priest Joshua, you and your companions who sit before you, for these men serve as a sign; look! I am bringing in my servant Sprout! ⁹ See the stone that I have set before Joshua! On the one stone are seven eyes; and I am engraving an inscription on it,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the guilt of that land in one day.’

¹⁰ “‘In that day,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘Each of you will invite your neighbor to come under your vine and under your fig tree’” (Zechariah chapter 3).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

This vision of Joshua the high priest, who initially has filthy garments, shows that God does not punish unintentional error (sin). He forgives unintentional sin and enables the people, through their own spiritual journey, to understand how to conduct themselves in accordance with His will, symbolically giving them clean garments, as He did for Joshua the high priest. In one of His statements, Jesus Christ implied that unintentional sin (error) will be forgiven by God: “Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him: “We are not blind also, are we?” Jesus said to them: “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ Your sin remains”” (John 9:40,41).

Nevertheless, he made sure that the situation did not last indefinitely because He is a Holy God (Zechariah 3:3-7). This purification of the priesthood and of the people of God is also symbolized by the measuring of Jerusalem, that is to say, with the purpose to enter into the divine criteria of holiness to reach everlasting life: “So I asked: “Where are you going?” He replied: “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is her width and what is her length”” (Zechariah 2:2; 3:5-7).

Measuring a city like Jerusalem or the temple sanctuary, according to Apocalypse 11:2, means the obedience to God’s standards for holiness, both inside and outside the Christian congregation. The fact that the angel, in Apocalypse 11:2, asks the apostle John to « measure », means that Jesus Christ instructed the elders, the stewards of the Christian congregation to maintain the holiness in the Christian congregation (Read Apocalypse chapters 2 and 3, the angels are the messengers or administrators of the 7 congregations).

Jesus Christ foretold that there would be several centuries of apostasy that would permeate Christianity (Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43). The consequence is that the Christian priesthood, and its teaching has been imbued with Babylonian practices and teachings, such as pagan holidays like Christmas, Easter (different from the Jewish Passover), All Saints’ Day, or even pagan teachings such as the Marian worship, the idolatrous worship of saints, the trinity, the immortality of the soul, fiery hell, the worship of the cross which thrones in many Christian congregations… All these pagan teachings of Babylonian or Greco-Roman origin, have no place in true worship (John 4:23,24).

While sincere Christians have been ignorant of such a situation for centuries, it is important to purify the way of worship God and to serve Jesus Christ, gradually removing all forms of unwanted spiritual practices in the eyes of God. This purification of the true worship was illustrated by the enigma of the woman and the ephah (Zechariah 5:7,8).

Nevertheless, in the book of Zechariah, it is written that a part of humanity that fought against Jerusalem, by mistake, will be the object of God’s mercy, and will be able to obtain everlasting life: « Everyone who is left remaining out of all the nations that come against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to bow down to the King, Jehovah of armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths » (Zechariah 14:16).

This understanding is also confirmed by Ezekiel’s prophecy. In chapter 44, it is written that the non-priestly Levites, who seem to allude to a part of the great crowd that will survive the great tribulation, will not have the same privileges of service as the priests (Apocalypse 7:9-17): « But the Levites who strayed far from me when Israel strayed from me to follow their disgusting idols will bear the consequences of their error. 11 And they will become ministers in my sanctuary to oversee the gates of the temple and to minister at the temple. They will slaughter the whole burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before the people to minister to them » (Ezekiel 44:10, 11). These non-priestly Levites appear to be part of the humanity that will survive, and which was, unintentionally, very far from God, practicing idolatry.

While the priests of the earthly paradise, the sons of Zadok, seem to allude to the part of humanity today that strives to serve God and his Son Jesus Christ: “As for the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who took care of the responsibilities of my sanctuary when the Israelites strayed from me, they will approach me to minister to me, and they will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. 16 ‘They are the ones who will enter my sanctuary, and they will approach my table to minister to me, and they will take care of their responsibilities to me” (Ezekiel 44:15, 16).

***

Who is Satan?

It is important to know the biblical information about the devil to fully understand the reasons for God’s permission of evil and the current sad condition of humanity.

Jesus Christ described the devil very concisely: “That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie » (John 8:44). Satan the devil is not the abstraction of evil, but a real spiritual person (Matthew 4:1-11). Likewise, the demons are also angels who have become rebels who have followed the example of the devil (Genesis 6:1-3, to compare with the letter of Jude verse 6: « And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day »).

When it is written, « he did not stand fast in the truth », it shows that God created this angel without sin and without any trace of wickedness in his heart. This angel, at the beginning of his life had a « beautiful name » (Ecclesiastes 7:1a). However, « he did not stand fast » in his integrity, he cultivated pride in his heart, and over time he became « devil », which means slanderer, and Satan, opponent; his old beautiful name, his good reputation, has been replaced by one of the everlasting disgraces. In the prophecy of Ezekiel (chapter 28), against the proud king of Tyre, it is clearly alluded to the pride of the angel who became « devil » and « Satan »: « This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “You were the model of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eʹden, the garden of God. You were adorned with every precious stone —Ruby, topaz, and jasper; chrysʹo·lite, onyx, and jade; sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; And their settings and mountings were made of gold. They were prepared on the day you were created. I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub. You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones. You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you » (Ezekiel 28:12-15). Through his act of unrighteousness in Eden, he became a « liar » who caused the death of all of Adam’s offspring (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). Currently, it is Satan the devil who rules the world: « Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out » (John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19) .

Satan the devil will be permanently destroyed: « For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly » (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

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« And I will become to her,” declares Jehovah, “a wall of fire all around, and I will become the glory in her midst »

(Zechariah 2:5)

This New Jerusalem is the one that was rebuilt after the return from exile in Babylon, following Cyrus’s edict in 537 BCE (see the page on the historical context of Zechariah’s prophecy).

“And I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² So I asked: “Where are you going?”

He replied: “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is her width and what is her length.”

³ And look! the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came to meet him. ⁴ Then he said to him: “Run over there and tell that young man, ‘“Jerusalem will be inhabited as open rural country, because of all the men and livestock within her. ⁵ And I will become to her,” declares Jehovah, “a wall of fire all around, and I will become the glory in her midst” (Zechariah 2:1-5).

It is written that this earthly new Jerusalem would be measured; the meaning of this statement is explained in Zechariah 1:16: « And a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem » (Zechariah 1:16). The earthly new Jerusalem would be rebuilt, with its walls and its temple, and on the foundations of divine justice imbued with mercy.

It is written: « Jerusalem will be inhabited as open rural country, because of all the men and livestock within her » (Zechariah 2:4). Indeed, historically, when the Jews arrived in Jerusalem, the city was unwalled and had been abandoned for 70 years. During the time of the city’s reconstruction, the new inhabitants would need divine protection. That is why God made this promise: « And I will become to her,” declares Jehovah, “a wall of fire all around, and I will become the glory in her midst » (Zechariah 2:5).

This prophecy has been fulfilled in the time of Nehemiah, according to the historical account in the book that bears his name. Nehemiah was a Jew, a cupbearer at the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes. With his permission, Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to organize the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1, 2, 11; 2:1; 5:14, 16). (The beginning of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is linked to the prophecy in Daniel chapter 9 concerning the coming of Christ to earth). This book recounts how this rebuilding has been accomplished, thanks to God’s protection and despite the hostility of the enemies (Nehemiah 6).

The prophet Zechariah was a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah; reading the two biblical books provides a good biblical understanding of the historical context of the prophecy and thus helps to better understand the riddles (Ezra 5:1; 6:14).

Through the encouragement of the prophet Zechariah, God addressed his words of comfort to the new inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were in a situation of discomfort and insecurity, facing the surrounding hostility of their enemies:

« Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion; for I am coming, and I will reside in your midst,” declares Jehovah. ¹¹ “Many nations will join themselves to Jehovah in that day, and they will become my people; and I will reside in your midst.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. ¹² Jehovah will take possession of Judah as his portion on the holy ground, and he will again choose Jerusalem. ¹³ Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah, for he is taking action from his holy dwelling » (Zechariah 2:10-13).

Why did this earthly new Jerusalem absolutely have to be rebuilt? Because, according to Zechariah’s prophecy, it would welcome the king from the line of David, chosen by God:

“Be very joyful, O daughter of Zion. Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem. Look! Your king himself comes to you. He is righteous, yes, saved; humble, and riding upon an ass, even upon a full-grown animal the son of a she-ass. ¹⁰ And I shall certainly cut off [the] war chariot from Ephraim and [the] horse from Jerusalem. And the battle bow must be cut off. And he will actually speak peace to the nations; and his rulership will be from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of [the] earth” (Zechariah 9:9,10).

This prophecy has been fulfilled approximately five hundred years later, in the person of King Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who entered this rebuilt Jerusalem, according to the Gospel accounts:

“So the disciples got on their way and did just as Jesus ordered them. ⁷ And they brought the ass and its colt, and they put upon these their outer garments, and he seated himself upon them. ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their outer garments on the road, while others began cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. ⁹ As for the crowds, those going ahead of him and those following kept crying out: “Save, we pray, the Son of David! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name! Save him, we pray, in the heights above!”” (Matthew 21:6-9).

Unfortunately, this earthly Jerusalem, five hundred years later, fell into a serious spiritual deviation, which led to the assassination of Jesus Christ by the Jewish religious leaders, using the Roman army (Matthew 27).

While King Jesus Christ inspected the city and its temple for three and a half years, this is the divine judgment he pronounced at the end of his earthly ministry against the religious leaders of his time and against this city, shortly before his death:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for you yourselves do not go in, neither do you permit those on their way in to go in. ¹⁴ ——

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one you make him a subject for Ge·henʹna twice as much so as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is under obligation.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind ones! Which, in fact, is greater, the gold or the temple that has sanctified the gold? ¹⁸ Also, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is under obligation.’ ¹⁹ Blind ones! Which, in fact, is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he that swears by the altar is swearing by it and by all the things on it; ²¹ and he that swears by the temple is swearing by it and by him that is inhabiting it; ²² and he that swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by him that is sitting on it.

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and immoderateness. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of it also may become clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of every sort of uncleanness. ²⁸ In that way you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the graves of the prophets and decorate the memorial tombs of the righteous ones, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we were in the days of our forefathers, we would not be sharers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ Therefore you are bearing witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Well, then, fill up the measure of your forefathers.

³³ “Serpents, offspring of vipers, how are you to flee from the judgment of Gehenna? ³⁴ For this reason, here I am sending forth to you prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some of them you will kill and impale, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city; ³⁵ that there may come upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, All these things will come upon this generation.

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it. ³⁸ Look! your house is abandoned to you. ³⁹ For I say to you, you will by no means see me from henceforth until you say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in *Jehovah’s (YHWH) name!’” (Matthew 23:13-38).

« Look! your house is abandoned to you » (Matthew 23:38). King Jesus Christ announced the divine condemnation of this earthly Jerusalem and its future disappearance (Matthew 24), and it would be replaced this time by the heavenly New Jerusalem, mentioned in Apocalypse chapter 21:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. ² I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. ⁴ And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away »” (Apocalypse 21:1-4).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

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“Then I looked up and saw four horns. So I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What are these?” He replied: “These are the horns that dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem””

(Zechariah 1:18,19)

The horns are the expression of sovereignty, whether of God or exercised by men. The « four horns » seem to allude to the symbolism of those found on the four corners of the temple altar in Jerusalem, representing Jehovah’s sovereignty through the power of the bull’s horns (Exodus 27:2).

The horns are the symbols of the powerful sovereignty of Jehovah. The facts that two cherubim were on the ark of the covenant show that the cherubim are the guardians of Jehovah’s holiness, through battle or war (if any) (Exodus 25: 17-22). The fact that the Jehovah’s altar, from which the animals were sacrificed, had four horns, one for each angle, demonstrates that the bull’s horns also symbolize the maintenance of the holiness of Jehovah’s creatures by force or war (where applicable) (Leviticus 4: 7,18). 

Obviously, the “four horns”, in the context of the prophecy of Zechariah, which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, represent the rival sovereignty of the nations which worked as artisans who wrought the calamity of the people of God (Zechariah 1:20; Psalms 94:20):

“Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What are these?” He replied: “These are the horns that dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

20 Jehovah then showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked: “What are these coming to do?”

He said: “These are the horns that dispersed Judah to such an extent that no one was able to raise his head. These others will come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horns against the land of Judah, in order to disperse her”” (Zechariah 1:18-21).

According to the historical context of the exile of Israel (in Assyria) and the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem, to Babylon (see the page on the historical context of Zechariah’s prophecy), these four horns represent all the nations that contributed to the dispersion of Israel (in Assyria) and the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem. These four horns are primarily Assyria and Babylon, Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia, as well as the neighboring nations directly related to Israel, the tribe of Judah, and Jerusalem, namely Edom, Ammon, and Moab.

As an example, the prophecy of Obadiah (written at the time of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonians) describes the malicious behavior of the nation of Edom toward Israel (its brother), Judah, and Jerusalem: “The vision of Obadiah: This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said regarding Edom: “There is a report that we have heard from Jehovah, and there is an envoy that has been sent among the nations, ‘Rise up, you people, and let us rise up against her in battle’” (Obadiah verse 1). This introduction shows that Edom’s treachery toward its brother Israel did not go unnoticed by God.

« Look! Small is what I have made you among the nations. You are despised very much. ³ The presumptuousness of your heart is what has deceived you, you who are residing in the retreats of the crag, the height where he dwells, saying in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to [the] earth?’ ⁴ If you should make your position high like the eagle, or if among the stars there were a placing of your nest, down from there I would bring you,” is the utterance of Jehovah » (Obadiah verses 2-4).

The nation of Edom was located at the southernmost tip of the Dead Sea, in a mountainous and very rugged region, which provided a natural defense against any invader. According to the prophecy of Obadiah, this nation became very proud and wicked. Through his prophet, God announces that no nation is beyond his reach; to execute his judgment against it, even if it is perched on the mountaintops (like Edom), or even among the stars (a metaphor for absolute inaccessibility to humankind), He will bring it down to earth… Here is the divine declaration of judgment against Edom:

“And I shall certainly destroy the wise ones out of Edom, and discernment out of the mountainous region of Esau. ⁹ And your mighty men must become terrified, O Teman, for the reason that each one will be cut off from the mountainous region of Esau, because of a killing. ¹⁰ Because of the violence to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will have to be cut off to time indefinite. ¹¹ In the day when you stood off on the side, in the day when strangers took his military force into captivity and [when] outright foreigners entered his gate and over Jerusalem they cast lots, you also were like one of them.

¹² “And you ought not to watch the sight in the day of your brother, in the day of his misfortune; and you ought not to rejoice at the sons of Judah in the day of their perishing; and you ought not to maintain a big mouth in the day of [their] distress. ¹³ You ought not to come into the gate of my people in the day of their disaster. You, even you, ought not to peer at his calamity in the day of his disaster; and you ought not to thrust out a hand upon his wealth in the day of his disaster. ¹⁴ And you ought not to stand at the parting of the ways, in order to cut off his escapees; and you ought not to hand over his survivors in the day of distress. ¹⁵ For the day of Jehovah against all the nations is near. In the way that you have done, it will be done to you. Your sort of treatment will return upon your own head. ¹⁶ For in the way that YOU people have drunk upon my holy mountain, all the nations will keep drinking constantly. And they will certainly drink and gulp down and become as though they had never happened to be” (Obadiah verses 8-16).

Subsequently, the nation of Edom ceased to exist; it no longer exists today. The conclusion of Obadiah’s prophecy shows that it is God who allows or prevents a nation from existing or ceasing to exist. In this case, the mention of the nation of Israel has continued to exist to this day, while that of Edom has definitively disappeared:  » And saviors will certainly come up onto Mount Zion, in order to judge the mountainous region of Esau; and the kingship must become Jehovah’s » (Obadiah verse 21).

The book of Zechariah shows, in different ways, how these « four horns » would be held accountable in his time (see historical context of Zechariah’s prophecy):

“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares Jehovah.

“For I have scattered you to the four winds of the heavens,” declares Jehovah.

⁷ “Come, Zion! Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon. ⁸ For this is what Jehovah of armies says, who after being glorified has sent me to the nations that were plundering you: ‘Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye. ⁹ For now I will wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own slaves.’ And you will certainly know that Jehovah of armies has sent me” (Zechariah 2:6-9).

For having attacked his people, God was going to scatter these four horns—that is, the nations that contributed to the ruin of the tribe of Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel (these messages of divine condemnation are in the prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). As a result, Babylon, Nineveh (the capital of Assyria), Ammon, Moab, Edom, Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia, have now completely disappeared.

It seems that Zechariah 1:19, reveals what correspond to the three different colors of the horses, which act to avenge the myrtles, the people of God. The color red, represents Judah. The color reddish-brown, Israel. The white color Jerusalem. The avenging horsemen of the myrtles, are evidently angels who cause a plague on all the earth, because according to the prophecy, horses symbolize the plague (Zechariah 14:15).

The one who commands this cavalry is red, an archangel (leader of the angels), who watches over the myrtles (Exodus 23:20). This means that the color red (Judah), symbolizes the sovereignty of God through kingship. The color white (Jerusalem) symbolizes the sovereignty of God through the priesthood. The reddish-brown color, represents Israel as a whole.

Zechariah’s prophecy explains how God will manifest his mercy on his present people, before, during and after the Day of *Jehovah (YHWH), which corresponds to the great tribulation, also mentioned in the prophecies of Daniel and Jesus Christ (Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21,22):

“In that day there will be no precious light—things will be congealed. ⁷ And it will become one day that is known as belonging to Jehovah. It will not be day, nor will it be night; and at evening time there will be light. ⁸ In that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea. It will happen in summer and in winter. ⁹ And Jehovah will be King over all the earth. In that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one” (Zachariah 14:6-9).

God, through his Son, the King, Jesus Christ, will scatter the four horns that are currently persecuting the servants of God and his Son (Matthew 25:31-46, see the study page on the prophecy of Ezekiel and Gog of Magog). God, through his Son, the King, will avenge the innocent blood that has been shed:

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness they had given. They shouted with a loud voice, saying: “Until when, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”” (Apocalypse 6:6,9).

Nations and individuals who attack the servants of God and his Christ are attacking them directly:

“Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye” (Zachariah 2:8).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

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Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

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“So the angel of *Jehovah (YHWH) said: ‘O Jehovah of armies, how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with whom you have been indignant these 70 years?’’

(Zechariah 1:12)

It is important to remember that understanding the historical context allows for a better grasp of the prophetic enigmas in the Book of Zechariah (you can consult the page dedicated to the study of this context by clicking on the following link: The Historical Context of Zechariah’s Prophecy). 

In 1513 BCE, God made a covenant with Israel, through Moses, the mediator (Deuteronomy 4:23). From reading the historical biblical books of the Judges, up to 2 Chronicles, it is evident that the 10 tribes of Israel (after the split), and the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, represented by Jerusalem, did not keep this covenant (Zechariah 1:2-6):

“So the angel of Jehovah said: “O Jehovah of armies, how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with whom you have been indignant these 70 years?”

¹³ Jehovah answered the angel who was speaking with me, with kind and comforting words. ¹⁴ Then the angel who was speaking with me told me: “Call out, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal. ¹⁵ With great indignation I am indignant with the nations that are at ease, because I felt indignant to a small extent, but they added to the calamity.”’

¹⁶ “Therefore this is what Jehovah says: ‘“I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and my own house will be built in her,” declares Jehovah of armies, “and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

¹⁷ “Call out once more and say, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “My cities will again overflow with goodness; and Jehovah will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem’”” (Zechariah 1:12-17).

To the point, that God, in the prophecy of Ezekiel 23, compared them with two prostitutes: Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) (The entire biblical book of Hosea (Oshea), is a similar description of the Israel’s marital infidelity towards its owner and husband, God). In this chapter, He vividly describes the infidelities of these two nations.

Therefore, God would use their respective « lovers » to punish them severely: Assyria would destroy Samaria and deport its inhabitants (Oholah). Babylon would do the same with Judah and Jerusalem (Oholibah): they would be destroyed and its inhabitants deported to Babylon for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11,12). Although coming from the Levant (east), the Babylonian armies are described as coming from the north, which is the easiest route to attack Israel (for Assyria) and Judah (Jerusalem) (Zechariah 2:6; 6: 6.8 (Babylon); 10:8-12 (Assyria)).

God endured the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel (the 10 tribes of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem) for several centuries. This patience is illustrated in the prophecy of the Book of Hosea. The prophet Hosea played the role of God by marrying his wife Gomer, who represented the nation of Israel:

“The word of Jehovah that came to Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, the king of Israel. 2 When Jehovah started to speak his word through Hosea, Jehovah said to Hosea: “Go, marry a woman of prostitution and have children of prostitution, because by prostitution the land has turned completely away from following Jehovah.” So he went and married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hosea 1:1-3).

In chapter 3 of the same book, God asks Hosea to take back his wife who is returning home (it seems), after having committed an act of infidelity:

“Then Jehovah said to me: “Go once again, love the woman who is loved by another man and is committing adultery, just as Jehovah loves the people of Israel while they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I purchased her for myself for 15 silver pieces and a homer measure and a half of barley. Then I said to her: “You will remain mine for many days. You must not commit prostitution, and you must not have relations with another man, and I will behave the same way toward you”” (Hosea 3:1-3).

The aim was to illustrate God’s patience with the 10 tribes of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem, over several centuries…

The enigma of the myrtles illustrates the desperate situation in which Judah and Jerusalem find themselves: in an abyss comparable to final death. The prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 37 regarding the valley-plain covered with human bones, is another description of the plight of Judah and Jerusalem. However, this prophecy announces the general resurrection of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem, as a nation (Zechariah 9:11-17; 10:8-12).

So, given this information, we better understand the meaning of Jehovah’s response in Zechariah 1:13-17: “Jehovah answered the angel who was speaking with me, with kind and comforting words. Then the angel who was speaking with me told me: “Call out, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal.  With great indignation I am indignant with the nations that are at ease, because I felt indignant to a small extent, but they added to the calamity.”’  “Therefore this is what Jehovah says: ‘“I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and my own house will be built in her,” declares Jehovah of armies, “and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’ “Call out once more and say, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “My cities will again overflow with goodness; and Jehovah will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem ».

While Jehovah applied an extremely painful discipline, the rest of the prophetic account will show how Jehovah God will exercise mercy on His people. Jehovah God announces that He will ask the nations which have caused devastation to his people Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, to render an account for themselves before Him.

The lesson of this study is that we must honor our commitment to God and his Son Jesus Christ, made at our Christian baptism, a commitment comparable to that of betrothal and marriage (Matthew 28:19). The entire Christian congregation represents the (spiritual) Israel of God: « Peace and mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God » (Galatians 6:16).

Today, infidelity to God and his Son is love for the world. It is love for money, riches, and pleasures, rather than love for God and his Son Jesus Christ:

“No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches” (Matthew 6:24).

“Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; ¹⁶ because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. ¹⁷ Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

“Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

Bible Articles Language Menu

Table of languages ​​of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…

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“At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to young children””

(Matthew 11:25)

According to Jesus Christ, it is God who decides to whom He reveals the meaning of his Word. In the prophecy of Daniel, it is written that God gives meaning of His Word to “those having insight”: “And those having insight will shine as brightly as the expanse of heaven, and those bringing the many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever. (…) Many will cleanse themselves and whiten themselves and will be refined. And the wicked ones will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand; but those having insight will understand” (Daniel 12:3,10).

To understand the prophecy of Zechariah, we must ask it to God, through his Son Jesus Christ. If we have good motives, He will give us to understand his mind through His Son Jesus Christ: “For “who has come to know the mind of Jehovah, so that he may instruct him?” But we do have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). The understanding of this prophecy is very important because it will allow us to know how to be prepared before, during, and after the Great Tribulation. The great tribulation is mentioned in the book of Daniel and in Christ’s prophecy regarding the end of this system of things:

“During that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people. And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time” (Daniel 12:1). “for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:21,22).

This great tribulation is also mentioned in the book of Zechariah, as being the « Day of Jehovah (YHWH*) »: “In that day there will be no precious light—things will be congealed. And it will become one day that is known as belonging to Jehovah. It will not be day, nor will it be night; and at evening time there will be light. In that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea. It will happen in summer and in winter. And Jehovah will be King over all the earth. In that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:6-9).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

The framework of the prophecy of Zechariah is the preservation of the People of God during the Day of Jehovah, and how God will refine them for everlasting life: “And I will bring the third part through the fire; And I will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ And they will say, ‘Jehovah is our God’ » (Zechariah 13:9).

As the apostle Paul pointed out, it is not easy to understand the mind of Jehovah, we need the loving help of His Son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). To use the expression of the prophecy of Daniel, this search is made of thorough examination: « As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant » (Daniel 12:4).

But as Jesus Christ said, with perseverance motivated by good intentions, we can arrive at this understanding, thanks to the help of our Heavenly Father: « Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; for everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened. Indeed, which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not hand him a serpent, will he? Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him! » (Matthew 7:7-11).

Although the biblical explanations are presented in the most objective method as possible. The reader will sometimes read the verbs « it seems that » or « it would seem », to express a strong probability tinged with prudence and devoid of any dogmatism or desire to impose a single way of thinking (Micah 6:8). These expressions also express, that at any time, the understanding of the mind of Jehovah requires adjustments, and rectifications to be made, if necessary, as quickly as possible, while keeping the course towards the research of the truth of God (Proverbs 4:18; John 17:17).

A prophecy is only useful if we understand it in advance. Therefore, it seems obvious that if God has put prophecies in His Word the Bible, even in a cryptic way, they are written with the purpose of being understood and to prepare His People for his “One Day”, to survive in view of everlasting life (Zechariah 14: 7). This is the purpose of the current presentation of the biblical explanations of the Prophecy of Zachariah. The explanations will be classified by themes, centered on the prophetic enigmas of Zechariah:

• The Historical Context of Zechariah’s Prophecy
• The rider on the red horse among the myrtles (Zechariah 1: 8,10,11)
• Jehovah’s « Seventy Years » of Invective Against His People (Zechariah 1:12)
• The four horns of the nations will render an account before God (Zechariah 1:18,19)
• The two anointed ones (Zechariah 4:14)
• God Purifies the Priesthood and His People (Zechariah 3:1,2)
• The flying scroll (Zechariah 5:1,2)
• The woman and the ephah (Zechariah 5:7,8)
• The four chariots coming from between two copper mountains (Zechariah 6:1-3)
• The Sprout is Yehoshuah Mashiah (Zechariah 6:12-15)
• We want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you people (Zechariah 8:23)
• The False Prophets are ashamed of their vision (Zechariah 13:4)
• The third part of humanity will survive the great tribulation (Zechariah 13:8,9)
• The Day Of Jehovah (Zechariah 14:7)
• will go up from year to year to bow down to the King, Jehovah of armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths (Zechariah 14:16)
• I will favor the one whom I favor, and I will show mercy to the one to whom I show mercy (Exodus 33:19)

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The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

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Knowing the historical context, allows a better understanding of the prophetic enigmas in the Book of Zechariah. Its introduction reveals that this prophet lived under the domination of the Medo-Persian power, during the reign of Darius:

“In the eighth month in the second year of Darius, the word of *Jehovah (YHWH) came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Idʹdo, saying: ² “Jehovah grew greatly indignant at your fathers.

³ “Say to them, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “‘Return to me,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Jehovah of armies.”’

⁴ “‘Do not become like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘Turn away, please, from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’”’

“‘But they did not listen, and they paid no attention to me,’ declares Jehovah.

⁵ “‘Where are your fathers now? And did the prophets live forever? ⁶ However, my words and my decrees that I commanded my servants, the prophets, caught up with your fathers, did they not?’ So they returned to me and said: ‘Jehovah of armies has dealt with us according to our ways and our deeds, just as he had determined to do” (Zechariah 1:1-6).

* YHWH is the tetragrammaton, or four-letter for the Divine Name. In the New World Translation of the Bible, it appears with the vocalization commonly used for centuries as « Jehovah ». This vocalization is doubly inaccurate because it inserts the pronunciation J instead of I (i) or Y, and the V corresponding to W, which is pronounced « U » or « ou » (not V). The correct vocalization of the Tetragrammaton is YeHou(W)aH, Yehouah. The inaccurate vocalization « Jehovah » is retained in the Bible translation used, just as the inaccurate vocalization of « Jesus, » pronounced Yeshua or Yeshoua, because they are the most known to readers (click on the link to examine the study on the Divine Name in more detail: The Divine Name YHWH is pronounced as it is written).

Zechariah was a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah. Reading these two books, which bear their names, allows us to understand how the return of the Jews from exile, from Babylon to Jerusalem, was organized after 70 years of captivity in a foreign land.

Before this exile in Babylon, the people of Israel (the 10 tribes), as well as the tribe of Judah, associated with that of Benjamin, fell into serious spiritual deviation by worshipping other gods and goddesses and practicing religious rites that offended the Heavenly Father. The historical books of Kings, Chronicles, as well as the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, provide the narrative of this infidelity of the ten tribes of Israel and the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

As a result of this situation, God allowed the ten tribes of Israel to be permanently sent into exile in Assyria in 758 BCE (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:4-6, 26 (the tribes of Naphtali, Reuben, and Gad)), and then the inhabitants of Samaria in 740 BCE (2 Kings 17:5, 6, 24).

Regarding the tribe of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, there was a first exile to Babylon of some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in 617 BCE, ending the reign of the king of Judah, Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24). The prophet Daniel and his three companions were among those taken to Babylon by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:11-16). The prophet Ezekiel was also part of this first exile (Ezekiel 1:1-3).

Then came a second exile to Babylon, this time of the inhabitants of the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem, in 607 BCE (2 Kings chapter 25) (Historians place this event in 587 BCE). This exile included the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple built by Solomon. It lasted 70 years. It was the edict of Cyrus, the Persian king, that authorized the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah to return from this exile, in 537 BC (Ezra chapter 1) (Cyrus’s edict has been issued in 537 BC (date recognized by all historians), going back in time 70 years (the period of the duration of the exile, according to the Bible), the beginning of this exile has been at the date of 607 BC (according this calculation based on the 70 years of exile). It is this latter date, the biblical option, that has been retained).

The historical context of Zechariah, is the return from this 70-year exile. There are words of encouragement particularly for Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David, the current governor, and Joshua, the high priest (Zechariah chapter 3 (Joshua) and 4 (Zerubbabel)).

This historical context, summarized very succinctly, is an illustration, or prophetic allegory, in the book of Zechariah for our time. Indeed, humanity as a whole is spiritually very distant from the Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. In this situation, humanity is represented by the symbolism of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and those who fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 1:18 and chapter 14). Still within the context of this prophecy, Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem seem to allude, allegorically, to the part of humanity that strives to do God’s will (Zechariah 1:12; 2:12). It will be the object of God’s and His Son’s favor; however, it will need to be refined in order to obtain everlasting life (Zechariah 13:9).

The segment of humanity that will definitively renounce doing God’s will is represented by those fighting against Jerusalem. Of course, it is important to understand that this is an allegory, a symbol. In this illustration, those in this situation will disappear (Zechariah 2:9). It even seems that those who will never do God’s will are referred to as Canaanites. The very last verse of this book mentions their disappearance:  » In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Jehovah of armies » (Zechariah 14:21).

According to the context of this prophecy, it is a behavioral (and not ethnic) designation; the « Canaanites » are the murderers, thieves, liars, and cowards, as they are designated in the book of Revelation: « But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and the sexually immoral and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death » (Apocalypse 21:8).

Nevertheless, in the book of Zechariah, it is written that a part of humanity that fought against Jerusalem, by mistake, will be the object of God’s mercy, and will be able to obtain everlasting life: « Everyone who is left remaining out of all the nations that come against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to bow down to the King, Jehovah of armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths » (Zechariah 14:16).

This understanding is also confirmed by Ezekiel’s prophecy. In chapter 44, it is written that the non-priestly Levites, who seem to allude to a part of the great crowd that will survive the great tribulation, will not have the same privileges of service as the priests (Apocalypse 7:9-17): « But the Levites who strayed far from me when Israel strayed from me to follow their disgusting idols will bear the consequences of their error. 11 And they will become ministers in my sanctuary to oversee the gates of the temple and to minister at the temple. They will slaughter the whole burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before the people to minister to them » (Ezekiel 44:10, 11). These non-priestly Levites appear to be part of the humanity that will survive, and which was, unintentionally, very far from God, practicing idolatry.

While the priests of the earthly paradise, the sons of Zadok, seem to allude to the part of humanity today that strives to serve God and his Son Jesus Christ: “As for the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who took care of the responsibilities of my sanctuary when the Israelites strayed from me, they will approach me to minister to me, and they will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. 16 ‘They are the ones who will enter my sanctuary, and they will approach my table to minister to me, and they will take care of their responsibilities to me” (Ezekiel 44:15, 16).

This introduction to the study of the enigmas of Zechariah’s prophecy demonstrates the importance of knowing biblical history in order to understand the allusions to these past events and thus grasp the meaning of this symbolism for our time and the future.

***

The Prophecy of the Book of Zechariah

The prophecy of Zechariah and its prophetic riddles, explanations to know the future…

The Prophecy of Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39)

Gog of Magog is a coalition of nations that are currently persecuting God’s people…

The Synopsis of the Study of the Prophecy of Daniel

The study of the Prophecy of Daniel is the analysis of current prophetic events in the Middle East and in the World…

• The sign of the end described by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:23-22)

In the question of Matthew 24:3, there are three important words that allow us to understand its meaning and the answer of Christ…

• The Presence of Christ (Matthew 24:3-28)

The Greek word translated as « presence, » mentioned in Matthew (24:3), is “πάρειμι”, “parousia” (Strong’s Concordance (G3952))…

• When did Jesus Christ become King?

The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages…

• The sign of the Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44)

The verse 29, describes the signs before the « coming, » not the « presence, » of the Son of Man…

***

Table of contents of the http://yomelyah.fr/ website

Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…

Bible Articles Language Menu

Table of languages ​​of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…

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