Reflections on Zechariah 6

Zechariah 06 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Finally, I looked up and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains.
   
2. The first chariot was pulled by red horses, and the second by black horses;
   
3. the third chariot was pulled by white horses, and the fourth by spotted gray horses.
   
4. "Sir," I asked the angel. "What do these stand for?"
   
5. Then he explained, "These are the four winds of heaven, and now they are going out, after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth.
   
6. The chariot with black horses goes toward the north, the chariot with white horses goes toward the west, and the one with spotted horses goes toward the south."
   
7. The horses came out eager to patrol the earth, and the angel told them, "Start patrolling the earth." When they had gone on their way,
   
8. he shouted to me, "Those that have gone to the country in the north will do what the LORD's Spirit wants them to do there."
   
9. The LORD said to me:
   
10. Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah have returned from Babylonia. Collect enough silver and gold from them to make a crown. Then go with them to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah and put the crown on the head of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak.
    
11. (SEE 6:10)
    
12. Tell him that I, the LORD All-Powerful, say, "Someone will reach out from here like a branch and build a temple for me. I will name him 'Branch,' and he will rule with royal honors. A priest will stand beside his throne, and the two of them will be good friends.
    
13. (SEE 6:12)
    
14. This crown will be kept in my temple as a reminder and will be taken care of by Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah."
    
15. When people from distant lands come and help build the temple of the LORD All-Powerful, you will know that the LORD is the one who sent me. And this will happen, if you truly obey the LORD your God.
    

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We have in this chapter the eighth and last vision. All eight visions came to Zechariah in a single night providing the returned exiles a glimpse of the future. The message given through this glimpse could be interpreted as saying, "you may be defeated now, but those who are on the Lord's side will win in the end."

This eighth vision portrays four chariots that come toward Zechariah from between two mountains of bronze. One team of horses is red, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled. If there is significance regarding the mountains and the color of the horses, it is obscure and any attempt to give them meaning would be extremely speculative. The angel describes the horses as "the four spirits of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth." The black and the white horses go to the land of the north which is understood as Babylon, and the dappled horses go to the land of the south which is understood as Egypt. The red team of horses apparently go to patrol the earth. As a conclusion to the vision, the Lord says to Zechariah, "See, those going to the land of the north have pacified My Spirit in the northern land." No report is given of those going to the south or those patrolling the earth. Our understanding of this vision is that the Lord destroyed the nations - Babylon and Egypt - that presented so much persecution to His people, the Israelites. Once these enemies of Israel were defeated the Lord's Spirit was pacified.

Following this last vision a symbolic act of crowning the high priest took place. An offering of silver and gold was taken from three returned and unknown exiles and from this offering crowns were made to place on the head of Joshua, the high priest. This event is thought to be symbolical of the crowning of the Messiah for His millennial reign. A high priest would never be crowned, but the Messiah will be both priest and king. Following this crowning, it is said that "People who are far off will come and build the LORD's temple." This, too, is thought to be a millennial reference. With the Messiah as priest and king, people from far off, representing both Jews and Gentiles, will come to rebuild the temple.

To return to our opening comments in this reflection, the message here for those exiles who had just returned to Jerusalem in defeat was that those who are on the Lord's side will win in the end. I believe they were being encouraged to not give up but to be faithful to the Lord. Those who are faithful followers of the Lord will not escape defeat and persecution at the hands of wicked people, but they will be victorious in the end. There is reason to remain faithful and to not give up.