Zechariah
The mission to rebuild the temple
Return to the Lord
11In the eighth month [Cheshvan – Oct/Nov] of the second year of King Darius' reign [520 BC, he was Persian king 522-486 BC], the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to the prophet Zechariah [Hebr. Zechariah – meaning: 'God remembers'], son of Berechiah [meaning: 'The Lord blesses'], son of Iddo [meaning: 'His witness']. [Zechariah's grandfather Iddo had returned from Babylon 16 years earlier (538 BC) under the leadership of Zerubbabel, see , . Zechariah was from a priestly family, see , . His ministry begins one month before Haggai receives his last vision, see , . The events in occur at the same time as the events in ] He [Zechariah] said: 2The Lord (Yahweh) has been very angry with your fathers (ancestors), very angry. [The sin of the Israelites had led to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon.] 3Therefore, say to them [the Israelite people in Jerusalem]: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Return (come back, repent) to me, proclaims (says, declares) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). 4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): "Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds."' But they did not listen or pay attention to me, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). 5Your fathers (ancestors),
where are they?
And the prophets,
do they live forever?
6But my word and my statutes (literally "things engraved"), which I commanded my servants the prophets,
have they not overtaken your fathers?
Then they repented and said:
As he has decided, the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has also dealt with us
according to our ways (which have strayed from the Lord) and our deeds (which have not been good). Eight visions (1:7-6:8)
Vision 1 – The four horses
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shvat [February 15, 519 BC], in the second year of the reign of King Darius [520-519 BC], the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo. [Three months after the prophetic address, see .] He [Zechariah] said: 8At night I saw, and behold (Hebr. vehinneh)! [Change of perspective, we see through Zechariah's eyes:] A man was riding a red horse and stood among the myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, brownish (the changing green-brown color of the vine) and white horses.
[In chapter 6, Zechariah sees four chariots drawn by red, black, white, and speckled horses. In Revelation, John sees a white, fiery red, black, and greenish horse, see . The word for vine is used here to describe the brownish color of the horse. The vine is first light green when it sprouts, then darkens, and finally turns brownish. This brownish horse corresponds to the speckled horse in and the greenish one in .] 9Then I asked, "What are these, my lord (Adon)?" The angel (messenger) who was talking to me said to me, "I will show you what these are." 10The man standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are the ones whom the Lord (Yahweh) has sent to walk about [patrol/inspect the whole] earth (world)." [If “Satan walks to and fro in the earth” (implying restless activity), se , the Lord sends other angels to "walk to and fro" to to defend His people, se ; ; ] 11They answered the angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) who stood among the myrtle trees and said, "We have walked around (back and forth on) the earth (world). And behold (Hebr. vehinneh) [change of perspective, we see from the angels' eyes]: The whole earth (world) is at rest and quiet." 12Then the angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) answered and said, "Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), how long will you delay showing mercy (compassionate grace) to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, upon which you have been angry for 70 years?" 13The Lord (Yahweh) answered the angel (messenger) who spoke to me with kind and comforting words. 14Then the angel (messenger) who spoke to me said, "Cry out and say, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): I am zealous for Jerusalem, yes, my zeal is great for Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem]. 15And I am furious with the arrogant (literally 'light') pagan nations. I was a little angry with them, but their arrogance has become their own misfortune. 16Therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh): I will return to Jerusalem with grace and mercy (Hebr. rachamim). My house shall be built in her (in Jerusalem), proclaims (says, declares) the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and a line (a measuring line drawn by a surveyor) shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17Cry aloud again and say: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord (Yahweh) shall again comfort Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem] and shall again choose Jerusalem.Vision 2 – Four horns
18I [Zechariah] lifted up my eyes and saw. And behold (Hebr. vehinneh) [change of perspective, we see through Zechariah's eyes]: There were four horns. 19Then I asked the angel (the messenger) who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He said to me, "These are the horns [mighty powers, superpowers] that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." 20The Lord (Yahweh) showed me four craftsmen. [This is a general term for craftsmen who work with materials such as wood and metal. Sculptors who shape works of art and engrave text are described by this word. Since in this context we are talking about horns, see , which were often cast, these craftsmen were skilled in working with metals. See also ; ; ; .] 21Then I said, "What have these come to do?" He [the angel] spoke and said, "These, the horns that scattered Judah so that no man could lift up his head, these [the four craftsmen whom God raised up] have come to terrify, to cast down the horns of the heathen nations, those who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it." [Horns symbolize power, and in this verse, the horns represent the military powers of various countries that have risen up against Judah and scattered it over the years.]Vision 3 – The man with the measuring line
21And I lifted up my eyes and saw. And behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. [; ] 2Then I asked, "Where are you going?"
And he answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see its width and its length." [] 3And behold, the angel (messenger) who spoke with me went forward, and another angel (messenger) went out to meet him, 4and said to him, "Run [it is an urgent matter] and speak to this young man and say: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because the multitudes of men and cattle within it (are so great that they cannot be contained within the walls), 5for I," declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), "will be to her like a wall of fire all around, and I will be the glory in her midst." [; ] 6Woe! Woe! Flee from the land of the north [Babylon, but also symbolic of all that it stands for], says the Lord (Yahweh), for I have scattered you beyond the borders like the four winds of heaven, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). 7Woe! Flee, Zion [Jerusalem], you who dwell with the daughters of Babylon. 8For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) who sent me, after his glory (weight), to the countries that plundered you: "Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye (literally "pokes my pupil," sticks his finger in the middle of my eye)." 9For behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become a prey to those who (formerly) served them, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts (Yahweh) has sent me. 10Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem], for I am coming and I will dwell in your midst, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). 11And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord (Yahweh), and shall be my people, and I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has sent me to you. 12And the Lord (Yahweh) will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and choose Jerusalem once again. 13Be silent (quiet) all flesh [] before the Lord (Yahweh), for He has risen from His holy dwelling [the heavens, see ; ; ].Vision 4 – The priesthood is purified and given new clothes
31He [the Lord] then showed me [Zechariah in a vision] the high priest Joshua standing before the angel (messenger) of the Lord. At his right hand stood the Accuser [Hebr. ha-Satan; transliterated as Satan], ready to accuse him. [The high priest Joshua represents the sinful people of Jerusalem.] 2But the Lord (Yahweh) said to the Accuser (Hebr. ha-Satan): "The Lord (Yahweh) will rebuke (convince and judge) you, O Accuser (Satan)! The Lord (Yahweh) who has chosen Jerusalem will rebuke you! Is not this man [the high priest Joshua] a brand plucked from the fire?" [An image of how God saved Israel from the fire of Babylonian captivity.] 3Joshua was dressed in dirty clothes [literally "smelly clothes soaked in dung"] as he stood before the angel (the messenger). 4The angel said to those [angels] standing around him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "I have freely forgiven your sin and will clothe you in festive garments." 5Then I [Zechariah] said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) stood beside him. [A turban, or mitre, symbolises that the priest could speak on behalf of the people before God in prayer. On the front of the turban was the text "Consecrated to the Lord", see .] 6The angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) assured Joshua, saying 7"Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): 'If you walk in my ways [are completely devoted to me] and keep my commandments [faithfully perform the priestly duties], then you shall rule my house and guard my temple courts. I will allow you to come and go freely among those [the angels] who serve me here. [This promise now gives the priest access to God's throne room. In the original covenant, the high priest was only allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year, but now the promise is free access and direct communication with God in the same way as the angels! This is a prophecy about what will happen when Jesus has risen from the dead and thus made it possible for those who receive him to have direct access to God. The veil was torn in the temple when Jesus gave up his spirit, and according to , we are a holy priesthood when we are saved.] 8Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, and your companions who are sitting before you, for they are men who are a sign, for behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Root (an image of the Messiah who is to come). 9For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua is a stone with seven facets. On it I will engrave an inscription, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), 'that I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10On that day, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), every man shall invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.'"Vision 5 – The Menorah
41Then the angel (messenger) who spoke to me returned and woke me as one wakes someone who is asleep. 2He asked me, "What do you see?"
I said, "I have seen, and behold (Hebr. vehinneh)! [Change of perspective, we see through Zechariah's eyes:] A menorah (seven-branched candelabra; candlestick) made entirely of gold with a bowl on top, and its seven lamps on it, there are seven pipes, seven for the lamps that are at the top, 3and two olive trees above the bowl, one on the right side and one on the left side." 4I answered and said to the angel (the messenger) who spoke to me, "What is this, my lord?" 5Then the angel (messenger) who spoke with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what this is?"
I answered, "No, my lord." 6Then he [the angel] answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord (Yahweh) to Zerubbabel (Hebr. Zerobavel) [meaning: 'one who is scattered/sown in Babylon', see also ; ]: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). 7Who are you, O great (mighty) mountains, before Zerubbabel? You shall become level ground. And he shall bring forth the headstone (the top stone, the keystone, the last stone that completes the building) with shouts of grace, grace to it." [Here the word chen appears twice, meaning mercy, undeserved love; the repetition of the word is an intensification of the meaning of true mercy.] 8Once again, the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to me, saying: 9"The hand of Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this house [the temple, see ]. His hand shall also finish it. [] Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has sent me to you. 10For who despises the day of small things? [The people shall not despise a small beginning.] These seven, who are the eyes of the Lord (Yahweh) that go to and fro throughout the whole earth, shall rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." 11Then I answered and asked him, "What are these two olive trees, on the right and on the left of the menorah (candelabra)?" 12Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two golden pipes that pour out the golden oil on them?" 13He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." 14Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of all the earth (Adon)." [This may refer to the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation, see .]Vision 6 – The Flying Scroll
51
Scroll with the Torah (the five books of Moses). When reading from a scroll, both scrolls are rolled at the same time so that two columns are visible. The ratio between height and width is that the height is twice the width.
I replied, "I see a flying scroll. It is 20 cubits [9 meters] long and 10 cubits [4.5 meters] wide." [The length measurement of a cubit was approximately 45 cm. The measurement originates from the length of a man's forearm (the distance between the elbow and the middle finger). The length of a scroll was normally 6-10 meters and it consisted of animal skins joined together. The width varies between 23 and 28 cm. The large Isaiah scroll (found in Qumran near the Dead Sea in 1947) is 7.3 meters long and 27 cm wide with 54 columns. The width of the scroll in this vision is unusual! The exact measurement of 20 x 10 cubits is found in the description of the portal on the front of Solomon's temple, see . Perhaps the scroll covered the entire entrance? It was unusual to unroll the entire text. When reading, both sides were rolled out at the same time, with only two columns visible at a time. Depending on whether the scroll in the vision is seen vertically or horizontally, it could be an open scroll for reading, or a rolled-out scroll that is very wide.] 3Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes forth over the whole face of the land (ground surface), for all who have stolen shall be swept away on one side in accordance with it (the word in the scroll), and all who swear shall be swept away on the other side in accordance with it (the word in the scroll). 4I will make it come to pass, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and I will enter the houses of thieves and the houses of those who swear falsely by my name, and it (the word in the scroll) shall be there in the midst of the house and shall consume (completely devour) it with its timber and its stones."Vision 7 – The woman in the ephah measure
5Then the angel (messenger) who spoke with me came forward and said to me, "Now lift up your eyes and see what is coming forth (appearing)." 6I asked, "What is this?" He replied, "This is the ephah [the largest measure for measuring grain, equivalent to 22-36 liters; a kind of basket with a curse, see ] that is coming forth." He went on to say, "This is their eyes throughout the land." 7And behold, a round piece of lead was lifted away, and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah. 8Then he said, "This is wickedness!" And he threw her into the middle of the ephah, and he threw the lead weight over its mouth (the opening of the measure). 9Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, two women came forth, and the wind was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10Then I said to the angel (the messenger) who was speaking to me, "Where are they taking the ephah?" 11He answered me, "To build her house in the land of Shinar [Babylon], and when it is finished, she will live there in her own place."Vision 8 – Four chariots with horses
Jehoshaphat's Valley, also known as the Kidron Valley, between Mount Moriah and the Mount of Olives. The picture shows the walled-up Golden Gate. According to Jewish and Christian tradition, it is through this gate that the Messiah will one day enter the temple. To prevent this from happening, the Ottoman Sultan Süleyman I walled up the gate in 1541.
Coronation of Joshua
9The word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to me. He said:
10Take from the exiles, from Cheldaj, from Tobia (Hebr. Tovijaho) and from Jedaja who have come from Babylon, and go on the same day [it was urgent], go to the house of Josiah (Hebr. Joshijahos), son of Zephaniah. [Cheldai's priestly family served in the temple during the twelfth month, see , his name means "robust." In , there is the similar name Chelem, which means "dream." Tobia (Hebr. Tovijaho) means "God's goodness," see Ezra 2:60; Neh. 7:62. Jedaja's family served in the temple during the second month, see ; . His name means "God knows." The Greek translation Septuagint explains the meaning of the names and emphasizes the symbolic meaning of their names: stability, God's goodness, and God knows.] 11Take silver and gold and make crowns, and set one on the head of Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. [The Messiah will wear many crowns, see .] 12Then speak to him and say, "Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Behold, a man whose name is the Root shall shoot forth from his place and build the temple of the Lord (Yahweh). [] 13He will build the temple of the Lord (Yahweh) and he will bear the glory and will sit and reign on his throne. [Refers to Zerubbabel and ultimately to the Messiah.] There will be a priest before his throne and an agreement of peace (shalom, all kinds of prosperity) will be between them both. 14The crowns shall be for Chelem [probably referring to Cheldaj in ] and for Tobia (Hebr. Tovijaho) and for Jedaja and for Chen, son of Sefanja, [and kept] as a memorial in the temple of the Lord (Yahweh). 15Those who are far away shall come and build the temple of the Lord (Yahweh), and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has sent me to you. And it shall come to pass that you shall truly hear and obey the voice of the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)." [The repetition of the phrase, see , emphasizes that it is the work of the Messiah.]Four messages (chapters 7-8)
71In the fourth year of King Dareyavesh's reign, the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev. [December 7, 518 BC] 2When [the city of] Bethel sent Sharetzer and Regem-Melech with their men to seek the Lord's (Yahweh's) face, 3and to speak with the priests in the house of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots) and with the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the 5th month [of July/August] and separate myself, as I have done all these years?" [Sharetser and Regem-Melech are the leaders of Babylon who send messengers to Jerusalem with this question concerning prayer and fasting in connection with the city's previous siege and the destruction of the temple.]Message 1 – Rebuke
4Then the word of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots) came to me, saying: 5"Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month [July/August] and in the seventh month [Tishri – September/October] during these seventy years [the years of Babylonian captivity], did you do it for me at all? 6And when you ate and drank, were you not eating and drinking for yourselves? 7Will you not listen to the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has proclaimed (proclaimed) through his former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and when the cities around her and the Negev and the Lowlands [Hebr.: Shefelah – the lowlands between the Mediterranean coast and the Judean mountains] were inhabited?Message 2 – Repentance
8And the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Zechariah, saying: 9"Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): 'Render true judgments, and show mercy (caring love) and compassion (infinite grace) to one another. 10Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, or the poor. Let none of you devise evil in your heart against your brother. [; ; ; ] 11But they refused to pay attention. They stubbornly turned their backs and closed their ears so that they would not hear. 12Yes, they made their hearts like hard stones, so that they would not hear the teaching and the word that the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) had sent out with his Spirit through the hands of the former prophets. Therefore, the great wrath of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) came upon them. 13And it came to pass that when he (God) called and they would not listen, they shall call and I will not hear (them), says the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). 14But I will scatter them with a whirlwind among the nations they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned, for the beautiful land was laid waste.Message 3 – Rebuilding
81The word of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) came to me. [A series of short addresses that give hope.] He said: 2Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): I am zealous (ardent, passionate) for Zion with great zeal [the same strong feeling of love and jealousy that a husband feels when someone tries to seduce his wife],
I am zealous for her with great wrath [towards her enemies].
3Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem,
and Jerusalem shall be called:
"The City of Truth," and
"The Mountain of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot)," and
"The Holy Mountain."
4
Young and old gather today in Jerusalem's Great Square in the Jewish Quarter.
Old men and women
shall again sit in the streets (streets) of Jerusalem,
each with his staff
because of his great age. 5The city's squares (streets) shall be full of boys and girls
playing in the squares (streets). 6Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Even if such a thing [that Israel should be restored again]
were too wonderful (difficult, completely impossible) [to understand]
for the remnant of this people,
would it then be too wonderful (difficult, completely impossible)
for me [to let it happen]?
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
7Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): I will save my people from the land of the east (where the sun rises),
and from the land of the west (where the sun sets).
8I will bring them home,
and they shall dwell in Jerusalem.
They shall be my people,
and I will be their God (Elohim),
in truth and righteousness. 9Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Let your hands be strong,
you who hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there on the day when the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) was laid so that the temple could be rebuilt. 10Before these days, there were no jobs (anything that paid wages) for either people or animals, there was no peace (shalom) from their enemies (quarrelsome brothers, those who wished them harm) for those who came and went, for I had made all people be against their neighbors. 11But now I will no longer be against the remnant of this people as I was in former days, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
12For as the seed of peace
the wine shall yield its fruit
and the ground shall yield its produce
and the heavens shall yield their dew
and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13It shall come to pass that just as you were a curse (something to be taken lightly, mocked, despised) among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so shall you be a blessing (something to be admired, looked up to). Fear not, let your hands be strong. 14Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Just as I had evil plans against you when your fathers provoked me, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and I did not change my mind, 15so I will plan again, but in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid. 16This is what you shall do:
Each one shall speak truth to his neighbor.
Execute true judgment and peace in your gates [streets].
17Let none of you devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor
and do not love false oaths,
for all such things are what I hate,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). [In a Greek text discovered in 2021 in one of the caves of Nahal Hever near the Dead Sea, the word "streets" is used instead of "gates" in .]Message 4 – Joy
18The word of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) came to me, saying: 19Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): The fast in the 4th month [17th of Tammuz – when the city wall of Jerusalem fell, see ]
and the fast in the 5th month [9th of Av – when the temple was destroyed, see ]
and the fast in the 7th month [9th of Tishri – the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur] and the fast in the 10th month [10th of Tevet – when the siege of Jerusalem began, see ]
shall be [turned] for the house of Judah into
joy, gladness, and a time of cheerfulness,
therefore love truth and peace (shalom).
20Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): It shall come to pass that people and inhabitants from many cities shall come, 21and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, "Let us go quickly and entreat the Lord (Yahweh) and seek the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sabaoth), I will also go." 22Many peoples and powerful nations shall come and seek the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) in Jerusalem and plead before the Lord (Yahweh). 23Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): In those days it shall come to pass that ten men from all languages and peoples (nations) shall take hold of the hem of a Jewish man and say, "We want to go (together) with you, for we have heard that God (Elohim) is with you."
The restoration of Israel (chapters 9-14)
Coming judgment on Lebanon and other nations
[This describes Alexander the Great's ravages in Syria.] 91A message (prophecy, this burden), the word of the Lord (Yahweh) [same expression as in ] concerning (literally: in) the land of Chadrach [Chadrach means "surrounded" (an ancient name for the area in western Syria) surrounded by mountains],
and [it concerns the city] Damascus its [the message/burden] resting place [as it concerns].
because the eyes of all [singular] – all the tribes of Israel –
[are directed toward, turned] to the Lord (Yahweh).
2And also Hamath [a Syrian kingdom with a capital of the same name, north of Damascus],
shall border her [shall share the same fate],
[also] Tyre and Sidon [coastal cities along a conqueror's route to Egypt, see ],
for she is [believed herself to be] very wise [see ].
3
Aerial photo of Tyre from 1934. You can still see the breakwaters from the ancient city's northern and southern harbors sticking out of the water.
it gathered silver like dust
and fine gold like the dirt on the streets. [The city became immeasurably rich – like dust (all loose material such as soil, sand, gravel) and the surface layer (dirt, sand) on the streets, see also . Isaiah and Ezekiel prophesied against the old city that was located on the mainland (). These prophecies were fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar. Zechariah's prophecy is against the new Tyre, built on an island off the coast with double walls.] 4Behold, the Lord (Adonai) will impoverish her
and he will cast her strength (power) into the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire. [The coastal cities tremble before the conqueror advancing south toward Egypt.]
5Ashkelon sees it and fears,
even Gaza will be sore with pain
and Ekron's hopes (expectations) [of escape] shall be put to shame,
Gaza shall lose its king
and Ashkelon shall no longer be inhabited.
6A bastard [ – a king born abroad; a mixed race] shall dwell in Ashkelon
and I will cut off (cut off) the pride of the Philistine.
7I will remove his blood from his mouth,
and his abominable things from between his teeth,
and he too shall become a remnant for our God (Elohim)
and he shall become like a leader in Judah
and Ekron like a Jebusite.
8And I will encamp at my house [temple] against the army (as a guard),
so that no one returns or passes [Alexander the Great marched back with his army from Egypt after founding Alexandria in 332 BC],
and no oppressor shall pass through them anymore,
for now I have seen it with my own eyes.The arrival of the king
[The following prophecy was written in 487 BC. Jesus fulfilled the first part when he rode into Jerusalem.] 9Rejoice with all your might (give yourself over),
you daughter of Zion [you who live in Jerusalem]!
Shout for joy (join in the victory cry),
daughter of Jerusalem! [The title "daughter" reinforces the image of God as a loving father to his people.]Behold, your King is coming to you!
He is righteous (just, lawful, living up to a high standard) [referring both to his character and to how he reigns],
he is salvation (a victorious liberator),
he comes humbly (in simple outward circumstances),
riding on a donkey, yes, a donkey's colt, on a donkey's foal. [According to the custom of the time, a king who came on a peaceful mission rode on a donkey, while a warrior king came on a horse. Now follows the second part of this prophecy, which will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to reign here on earth in the millennial kingdom.] 10I will remove (destroy) all war chariots from Ephraim [the largest of Israel's northern tribes, often referring to the whole land of Israel],
and war horses from Jerusalem,
and bows (weapons of war) shall be cut off (completely disappear).
Then he shall speak peace (blessing, wholeness in all areas – Hebr. shalom) to the nations.
His dominion shall extend from sea to sea [from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea],
and from the river [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. [He shall rule over the whole world.]
11For you, through the blood of the covenant, I will
free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12Return to the strong fortress, you prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will repay you double. 13I will bend Judah as my bow
and fill it with Ephraim [like an arrow—ready to be shot].
I will stir up your sons, Zion [Jerusalem],
against your sons, Greece (Javan),
I will swing you like a warrior's sword.The Lord shall be seen
14The Lord (Yahweh) will be seen over them
and his arrow will go forth like lightning,
and the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh) will blow the shofar (ram's horn)
and will go forth in the whirlwinds from the south.
15The Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaoth) will defend them
and they will devour and trample down the stones of the sling.
They will drink amid the battle cry (loud sounds),
as if drunk with wine.
They will be filled like sacrificial bowls,
like the horns of the altar.
16On that day the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim) will save them
as his people's small livestock (sheep and goats).
They will be like precious stones in a crown
that sparkles over his land. 17So great shall be their goodness and their beauty.
The harvest shall cause the young men to flourish
and the new wine the virgins.God builds up
101Ask the Lord (Yahweh) for rain in the season of the latter rain [the last spring rains before the harvest, which nourish the fruit],
yes, the Lord who creates the lightning.
He will give them showers of rain,
to each one grass in the field. 2The idols have spoken vainly
and the seers have seen a lie
and the dreamers speak falsely,
they comfort in vain.
Therefore they go their way like sheep,
they are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
3My anger is kindled against the shepherds
and I will punish the rams,
for the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has remembered his flock, the house of Judah,
and made them his majestic horses in battle.
4From them shall come the cornerstone,
from them the staff (scepter or tent peg),
from them the battle bow,
from them all the leaders together. 5They shall be mighty men
who trample the filth of the street in battle,
and they shall fight because the Lord (Yahweh) is with them,
and the horsemen (opponents) shall be confused.
6
The mountainous region of Jude. Image from Yad Hashmona, 10 km west of Jerusalem. The name means "in memory of the eight" and was given in memory of eight Jewish refugees who fled from Austria to Finland in 1938. They were handed over to the Gestapo in 1942. Seven of them were killed in Auschwitz.
©Tore Jungerstam
and I will save the house of Joseph,
and I will bring them back
because I have compassion on them
and they shall be as
if I had never cast them out,
for I am the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim)
and I will listen to them.
7And those in Ephraim will be like mighty men,
and their hearts will rejoice as with wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice,
their hearts will rejoice in the Lord (Yahweh).
8I will whistle for them
and gather them,
for I have redeemed them
and they shall multiply as they have multiplied. 9I will plant them among the nations,
and they shall remember me in distant lands,
and they shall live with their children
and return. 10I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt [in the south; from slavery]
and gather them from Assyria [in the northeast; from exile]
and I will bring them to the land of Gilead [Israel's eastern border, beyond the Jordan] and Lebanon [in the north; by the Mediterranean],
and there will not be enough [space] for them [; ; ].
11Over the sea, sorrow shall pass
and the waves shall be beaten into the sea
and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up.
The pride of Assyria shall be broken down
and the scepter of Egypt shall disappear.
12I will strengthen them in the Lord (Yahweh)
and they shall walk in my name, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Coming judgment on Lebanon and other nations
111Open your doors, Lebanon,
so that my fire may devour your cedars. 2Lam, you cypress trees, for the cedars have fallen,
because the glorious ones are destroyed.
Lam, you oaks of Bashan,
for the mighty forest has fallen.
3Listen! The lamentation of the shepherds,
for their glory is lost.
Listen! The roaring of young lions,
for the thickets of the Jordan [which are their shelter and hiding places] are destroyed.Two shepherds
4Thus says the Lord (Yahweh) my God (Elohim): "Feed the flock with the slaughter [condemned to slaughter], 5whose buyers beat them and held themselves without responsibility, and they sold them and said, 'Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh) for I am rich.' Neither did their own shepherds have compassion on them. 6I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land," declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), "but I will give the men, each one, into the hand of his neighbor and into the hand of his king, and they shall strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand." 7So I [Zechariah] fed the flock with the slaughtered [condemned to slaughter], the poorest of the flock [as the name suggests]. I took two staffs. One I called Grace (Beauty – Goodness) and the other I called Unity (Harmony), and I fed the flock. 8I cut off the three shepherds in one month, for my soul became impatient with them, and their souls detested me. 9Then I said, "I will not feed you. What dies, let it die, and what needs to be cut off, let it be cut off, and let those who remain eat each other's flesh." 10I took my staff, Grace (Beauty – Goodness), and broke it in two, so that I could break the covenant I had made with all peoples. 11It was broken that day, so that the unfortunate sheep who saw (protected) me understood that it was the word of the Lord (Yahweh). 12Then I said to them, "If you think it is appropriate, give me my wages, otherwise do not." They weighed out 30 pieces of silver. [The price of a slave, see . That was the amount Judas Iscariot was paid to betray Jesus, see .] 13And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "Throw it to the potter—the majestic sum [sarcastic expression] that they thought I was worth!" And I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury of the Lord's (Yahweh's) house. 14Then I broke my second staff, Unity (Harmony), so that the brotherhood between Judah and Israel was broken. 15The Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "Take the tools of a foolish shepherd, 16for I will raise up a shepherd in the land [; ] who will not care for the lost (cut off), nor seek out the young (scattered – Hebr. naar), nor heal what is broken. He will not feed those who remain, but will eat the flesh and the fat and break their hooves into pieces." 17Woe to the worthless shepherds
who abandon the flock!
The sword shall be upon his arm
and upon his right eye.
His arm shall be dried up (paralyzed)
and his right eye shall be completely darkened (dark dark – blinded). Jerusalem liberated
121A message (prophecy, this burden), the word of the Lord (Yahweh) concerning (literally: in) Israel. Thus says (declares, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), who stretches out (expands – Hebr. natah) the heavens (universe) and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him. [This suggests an expanding universe and multiple dimensions, see .] 2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling [The word "cup of trembling" is only found here in the entire Old Testament, and therefore its meaning is not entirely clear, but the root suggests that it has to do with terrible shaking.] for all the surrounding peoples, and it shall also fall upon Judah and become a siege against Jerusalem. 3It shall come to pass in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone (a burden, something impossible to move) for all peoples. All who try to move it (weigh themselves down with it) shall be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth shall gather together against it. [; ] 4On that day, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness, and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah and strike every horse of the people with blindness. 5The leaders of Judah shall say in their hearts, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength, because the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) is their God (Elohim)." 6On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a pot over a fire in the forest (which causes a forest fire) and like a burning torch among sheaves, and they shall devour all the peoples around them, on their right and on their left, and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in its own place, in Jerusalem. [Other cities such as Nineveh, Tyre, Babylon, and Rom. have been rebuilt in a new location next to the old city. That will not be the case with Jerusalem.] 7The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not outshine Judah. 8On that day the Lord (Yahweh) will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and those who stumble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like a godlike being, like the angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) before them. 9On that day I will utterly destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.Mourning for the one they have pierced
10But upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, I will pour out the Spirit of grace (unmerited favor – Hebr. chen) and supplication [to plead for mercy], so that they may look up to me [alef-tav —the first and the last, the alpha and the omega] whom they have pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly for him, as one weeps for a firstborn son. 11On that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning for Hadad-Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. [Hadad-Rimmon is a combination of the names of two Canaanite gods. Hadad was the god of storms (equivalent to Baal) and Rimmon was the god of thunder. It may be a place name, but more likely it refers to a mourning festival or ritual associated with the god Hadad-Rimmon. When the expected rains failed to come, a mourning ceremony was held to persuade the gods to send rain.] 12The land shall mourn, each family separately, and David's household separately, and their wives separately, Nathan's household separately, and their wives separately. 13The families of Levi's household by themselves and their wives by themselves, 14and all the other families by themselves, and their wives by themselves.Purification from sin
131On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for cleansing and for sprinkling. 2On that day, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), I will cut off (cut down) the names of the idols from the land, and they shall be remembered no more. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to leave the land. 3And it shall come to pass, that when any man shall prophesy, his father and his mother that bare him shall say unto him, "Thou shalt not live, for thou hast spoken a lie in the name of the Lord (Yahweh)." His father and his mother that bare him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. 4It shall come to pass in that day, that every [so-called] prophet shall be put to shame, every one of them, by his vision when he prophesies; neither shall he wear a hairy mantle to deceive, 5but he shall say, 'I am not a prophet, I am a cultivator of the land, for I have been made a farmer from my youth. 6And you shall say to him, "What are these wounds between your hands [on your body, on your chest between your outstretched hands]?" [Pagan prophets often mortified themselves, see ; ; ] Then he shall answer, "These are the wounds I received in my friend's house."The shepherd struck—the sheep scattered
7Awake, sword, against my shepherd
and against the man who is close to me,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot),
strike the shepherd
and the sheep shall be scattered
and I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8Then it shall come to pass in the land, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
that two parts thereof shall be cut off (be cut off) and perish,
but one third shall be left. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire
and refine them as silver is refined
and I will test them as gold is tested.
They shall call upon my name
and I will answer them.
I will say, "They are my people,"
and they will say, "The Lord (Yahweh) is my God (Elohim)."The day of the Lord is coming
141Behold, the day of the Lord (Yahweh) is coming, when the spoil (your prey) will be divided in your midst. 2For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city will be captured, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the city will go into captivity, but the rest of the people will not be cut off (cut off, separated) from the city. 3Then the Lord (Yahweh) will go forth and fight against these peoples (nations) as he fought on the day of battle. 4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two, forming a great valley to the east and west, half of the mountain will move north and half of the mountain will move south. 5You shall flee to the clefts of the rocks, for the clefts of the rocks shall reach as far as Azal [an unknown place east of Jerusalem; meaning "reserved"]. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah, king of Judah [who reigned 788-736 BC], and the Lord (Yahweh) my God (Elohim) shall come, and all his saints with him. [; ; ; ] 6On that day there will be no light (no clear light source, but rather a fog), the light sources in the sky will solidify (change from a liquid to a solid form, decrease in brightness). 7It will happen on one day (a special day without any equivalent ever), a day that [only] the Lord knows. It will not be full daylight, nor will it be completely dark as at night, for in the evening it will still be light. 8On that day, living water will flow out of Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea [the Dead Sea] and half to the western sea [the Mediterranean Sea]. This will happen both in summer and in winter. [A river of living water with its source in Jerusalem that never dries up is a divine promise of blessing for a city where water is scarce.] 9And the Lord (Yahweh) shall be (has become) King over all the earth [; ]. On that day, the Lord (Yahweh) shall be one [] and his name one. [The numeral one (Hebr. ) also has the meaning "united, joined together" and is used, for example, of a man and wife who become "one flesh," see .] 10The whole land shall be transformed (turned around) like the Arava from Geva [10 km northeast of Jerusalem] to Rimmon [just over 50 km] south of Jerusalem. She [Jerusalem] shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the Corner Gate, and from Chananel's tower ("God's favor tower" – Hebr. migdal chananel) [; ; ] to the king's winepress. 11People shall come and live there, and there shall never again be destruction, but Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. 12This shall be the plague with which the Lord (Yahweh) will strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall be consumed (disappear, melt away, rot) while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall be consumed (disappear, melt away, rot) in their sockets, and their tongues shall be consumed (disappear, melt away, rot) in their mouths. [This indicates that this will happen quickly, in an instant, when it happens. In modern times, we know that nuclear weapons have these consequences.] 13On that day, great turmoil (chaos, something that creates great fear and uncertainty) from the Lord (Yahweh) will arise among them, and they will all hold their neighbor's hand, and his hand will be raised against his neighbor's hand. [Because of the fear that afflicts them, no one will trust anyone anymore, but all will fight against each other.] 14Even Judah will fight against Jerusalem. The riches of the surrounding peoples will be gathered together, gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance. 15Such will be the plague on the horses, on the mules, on the camels, on the donkeys, and on all the animals in the camp during this plague. [Refers back to the animals being afflicted in the same way as the people in ] 16And it shall come to pass that all the people who remain in all the countries that went up against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year (every year) to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). 17And it shall come to pass that whoever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), upon them no rain shall fall. 18If the families in Egypt do not go up and do not come, they shall have no abundance (the drought caused by lack of rain creates famine), it shall be a plague that the Lord strikes the nations with, who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). [In the millennial kingdom described here, there is still free will to obey God or not. But now, disobedience has direct consequences. Compare with , where life is shortened for those who do not live as God intended. These are important promises. This means that there is still a possibility of being saved even during the millennium. In fact, as long as we live, there is the possibility of being saved until the day of judgment that comes after the millennium, see ; ; ; .] 19This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all peoples (nations) who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). 20On that day it shall be written on the bells of the horses: "Holy to the Lord (Yahweh)," and the vessels in the house of the Lord (Yahweh) shall be like the washing basins before the altar. 21Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), and those who wish to offer sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. On that day there shall be no merchants in the house of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) (the temple).
[Jesus cleansed the temple of merchants; now there shall be no more trading in the temple, see ; ; ; .]
