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THE LIFE
AND PROPHECIES OF
ZECHARIAH
Rev.
>
HT Pinckney, D. D.
PUBLISHED BY H. T. KEALING.
A. M. E. BOOK CONCERN
631 PINE STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
PREFACE.
This little book is written for the specific pur¬
pose of setting before busy men, in the simplest
and shortest way, the character, works, times and
mission of the Minor Prophet whose name it
bears. It is not exhaustive nor excursive, but
essays to give in outline and essence what has
been said in many large, volumes. Still, one will
be greatly mistaken who takes it for a mere com¬
pilation. It is an independent and original pre¬
sentation of the author's views and reflections
based upon standard history as given by the best
authorities.
It is written, first of all, for studious men who
are denied the advantages of school training and
who are unable to purchase the large and expen¬
sive books treating upon these subjects. The
young minister in a small charge or country cir¬
cuit, even if his education be limited, can easily
read and understand, and feel that he has the
essential things often so much more stiltedly and
technically set down in volumes of portentous
size. He can, because of its convenient size and
small weight, carry this book in his pocket to
use in filling out a long wait for breakfast, or the
time taken on a street car ride; and having read
it, he may test his mastery of the contents by
quizzing himself from the questions in the back
of the book, which have been carefully framed to
cover the whole subject.
This volume is one of a series uniform in
treatment, and any person who finishes the series
(to be issued by installments) will be excellently
equipped in the books of the Minor Prophets.
He will no longer regard them as "Minor" in im¬
portance, but will understand that this rather
unfortunate designation refers entirely to their
brevity.
In the hope that it will stimulate interest in
one of the most unique characters of Sacred Writ,
and that it will lead to powerful sermons from
this Prophet's suggestive texts, this little volume
is presented to laymen and clergymen alike.
H. T. KEALING.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF
ZECHARIAH.
By Rev. H. H. Pinckney, D.D.
Are we interested in the
The Prophets' Bible? Then we are in-
Interesting terested in the charac-
Characters. ers portrayed in that
blessed volume. Apart
from the "Son of Man" himself, perhaps no
set of men mentioned in the Bible gather
around them so much of veneration and
kindly interest as do the "prophets of the
Lord."
They commanded the respect of the peo¬
ple because of their holy mission and great
power.
This power was heaven's gift to its chosen
servants, and those servants constantly re¬
minded the people of this authority by their
oft-repeated "Thus saith the Lord."
Every prophet of the Lord mentioned in
the Bible fills some important place in the
history of God's people and performs some
6 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
special work which distinguishes him from
the others of his class.
The prophets are divid-
The Two ed into two general class-
Classes of es called Greater and
Prophets. Lesser, or Major and
Minor.
Zechariah is classed among the Minor
Prophets.
In the book which bears his name, he is
called, "Zechariah, the son of Berechiah,
the son of Iddo." In the Book of Ezra he
is called "the son of Iddo."
The place of Zechariah's birth is said to
have been Babylonia; and the time, during
the Captivity.
Though born away
Zechariah's from the home of his
Birth. fathers, he early im¬
bibed and cultivated
those thoughts of freedom and a return to
their beloved Jerusalem, which lessened the
burdens of captivity for those who suffered
it.
It is not too much to say that he was born
with a thirst for freedom. Hearing from
earliest infancy, as he must have heard, the
plaintive cries and earnest prayers for de¬
liverance ; noticing, as he must have noticed,
litfi and prophecies of zechariah. 7
that Jerusalem was the burden of prayer
and song; and learning, as he doubtless did,
that all windows of his people were "opened
toward Jerusalem," it is not strange that
early in life he should become enthusiastic
over the subject of his people returning to
Jerusalem. When permission was given by
Cyrus to Zerubbabel and others to return
and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, one of
the most enthusiastic of that band which set
out toward the sacred city was the young
and energetic Zechariah.
Already were the signs
His Place and of his prophetic calling
Influence. manifest. In word, in
deed, in bearing, he dis¬
played that acumen, discretion and judg¬
ment which made him a superior among
his companions and commended him to the
confidence of his elders. He was the friend
of Zerubbabel and Joshua, the leading spir¬
its in the movement to return and rebuild
the Temple; and, with them, was recognized
and acknowledged as a leader among his
people. Besides being a full-fledged proph¬
et of the Lord, he filled the high and exalted
position of priest.
Knowing, as we do, the deep veneration
which the Jews had for their priests, we can
8 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
readily see that Zechariah's double position
of prophet and priest gave him great influ¬
ence among them. From the little which we
know of his personal history, we are assured
that he used this influence for the advance¬
ment of God's cause by cheering and helping
his people in this critical period in their
history. We find him among the first band
of exiles on their return to Palestine. No
sooner was permission to return given by
Cyrus than this young hero bounded to the
front and, by his superior knowledge and
insight, assisted in giving direction to the
expedition.
When that heroic band
The Return arrived in Palestine,
Under Cyrus. what a sight met their
Desolation. gaze! The country was
truly desolate. "Strang¬
ers'' inhabited their cities. The magnificent
kingdom which David had handed down to
Solomon, and which, with varying fortunes,
had been enjoyed by each succeeding ad¬
ministration down to the time of the captiv¬
ity, had apparently passed out of existence.
The land of golden harvests, purple vine¬
yards and fruit-laden trees had disap¬
peared. That God-blessed land which once
literally "flowed with milk and honey," and
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAfi. 9
which had been the envy of many nations
in former years, had completely vanished,
and in its place these returned exiles found
a "waste howling wilderness." Men that
"knew not the God of Israel" ruled over the
land and a heathen people desecrated the
places once made sacred by the presence of
David, Hezekiah, and the old prophets of
the Lord.
Was it not enough to discourage the
stoutest hearts ? But this was not all. If the
general appearance of the country was dis¬
heartening, what must have been their emo¬
tions when they came in sight of the Holy
City? It was here that their interests cen¬
tred; it was in behalf of this holy spot that
prayers and petitions had ascended to Je¬
hovah for lo! these seventy years or more.
It was toward Jerusalem that the intrepid
Daniel had opened his window three times
a day to pray. Not all
Jerusalem. the threats and abuses;
not even the promised
favor of the reigning monarch in the land
of captivity, nor the actual incarceration in
a den of hungry lions, could close that win¬
dow; for Daniel's heart and the people's
mind wert centred upon Jerusalem. It was
then that the sweet singer of Israel had for-
lo LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
mulated those plans which had made Israel
a great name among the nations of the earth.
It was there that the great Solomon had
startled the world by his great and astound¬
ing wisdom. There the good King Heze-
kiah had done that which was "right in tbe
sight of the Lord/' and had "walked in the
footsteps of his fathers."
It was true that the great prophet Isaiah
had said of this Holy City: "Woe to Ariel,
to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add
ye year to year: let them kill sacrifices. Yet
I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heavi-
iess and sorrow; and it shall be unio me as
unto Ariel. And I will camp against thee
round about, and zvill lay si>g? against thee
with a mount, and I will raise forts against
thee" (Isaiah xxix:i, 2, 3).
It was true that every word of this dismal
prophecy was literally fulfilled; but it was
also true that the same prophet had encour¬
aged Israel to look forward to the passing
away of these dreadful times in words full
of comfort and encouragement: "Comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry
unto her, that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath
received of the Lord's hand double for all
her sins" (Isaiah xl:i, 2).
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. II
Both of these prophecies were uttered be¬
fore the shadow of the great Captivity had
fallen upon the people.
The great man who uttered them never
lived to see their fulfillment, but subsequent
generations did.
It was reserved for another to speak "com-
fortably to Jerusalem" at a time when words
of comfort were sadly needed, indeed.
As before stated, the returned exiles
looked upon a country desolate in the ex¬
treme. At Jerusalem the sight was truly
appalling. The city was in the hands of
strangers, and its holy places shamefully
desecrated.
The Temple was a heap
The Temple. of ruins. This was
worse than broken walls,
ruined highways, or dismantled homes.
In their captivity, the older men had con¬
stantly spoken of that magnificent pile built
by the great Solomon.
They never tired of depicting its trans¬
cendent beauty as, standing upon the crest
of the hill, it gave back in prismatic colors
the white saluting rays of the morning sun.
They told their children over and over again
how "Solomon overlaid the house within
with pure gold; and he made a partition by
12 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
the chains of gold before the oracle; and
overlaid it with gold. And the whole house
was overlaid with gold, until he had finished
the house: also the whole altar that was by
the oracle he overlaid with gold" (I Kings
vi -.21-22).
It was the memory of this magnificent edi¬
fice which they had in mind as they gazed
sorrowfully upon the ruins which confronted
them.
It was at this point that
Zechariah's the work of Zechariah
Work Begun. really began. It was his
to encourage and
strengthen sorrowful and failing hearts.
Ezra gives to him and the prophet Haggai
the credit for stirring up, by their prophetic
utterances, the patriotic enthusiasm of the
Jews to complete the rebuilding of the Tem¬
ple.
Says Ezra: "Then the prophets, Haggai,
the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo,
prophesied unto the Jews that were in Jndah
and Jerusalem in the name of the God of
Israel, even unto them" (Ezra v:i).
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 13
We find an answer in
Was Zechariah the very beginning of
Called to his prophecies. "In the
The Work? eighth month, in the sec¬
ond year of Darius, came
the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Bere-
chiah, the son of Iddo the prophet!' Here,
then, is his call. Hij authority is "the word
of the Lord." What higher authority could
he have?
It must be borne in mind that this "word
of the Lord" came to him in addition to his
priestly functions.
Thus, doubly armed, he went among the
nearly discouraged people and spoke "com¬
forting words" to them.
A careful perusal of his
His Prophecies, prophecies will disclose
Three Divisions, that they may be divided
into three parts: the
first (chapters i to viii) consists mainly of
a series of visions relat-
Chaps. i to viii, ing to the building of the
First Division. Temple, the glory of the
city, the removal of all
abominations out of the land, etc.; arid
winds up with a prediction that Jerusalem
will become a centre of religious worship to
all the world. Here we find those beautiful
14 life and prophecies of zechariah.
visions which did so much to encourage the
hearts of the people. God revealed His
purposes in His own way, and His servant
simply makes known to the people what has
been revealed to him.
The second division
Chaps ix to xi, (chap, ix to xi) speaks
Second Division, of Damascus and Phoe¬
nicia and the cities of the
Philistines, threatening them with dire ca¬
lamities and final destruction. It also makes
mention of Javan (Greece), and predicts
that Judah shall become greater than that
country, renowned for its literature and art.
It hints strongly at the probable reunion
of Israel and Judah; but somewhat mars
this prediction by showing symbolically
the impossibility of such a thing.
In this second division Zechariah makes
it plain to Israel that the great empire of
Assyria and Egypt would be humbled in
the dust and that God's people would again
occupy a commanding position among the
nations of the earth.
In the third division of
Chaps, xii to xiv, his prophecies we find
Third Division, predictions showing that
dark times would come
to Judah. It would be a severe ordeal and
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECBARIAH. IS
crucial test of the loyalty and faithfulness
of the people; but, after sore trial, the na¬
tion would come forth thoroughly purged
from iniquity and the Lord would appear in
His glory in Mount Olivet.
16 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
CHAPTER II.
First Division of the Prophecies.
The visions are most
The Visions beautiful to contemplate.
Considered and Take for instance the
Interpreted. first of them—the vision
The Horses. of the horses:
"I saw by night, and
behold a man riding upon a red horse, and
he stood among the myrtle trees that were
in the bottom; and behind him were there
red horses, speckled and white. Then said
I, O my Lord, what are these? And the
angel that talked with me said unto me,
I will shew thee what these be. * * * *
Then the angel of the Lord answered and
said, 0 Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou
not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the
cities of Judah, against which thou hast had
indignation these three-score and ten years?
* * * * So the angel that communed
with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying,
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous
for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 17
jealousy. * * * * Therefore thus saith
the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with
mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith
the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be
stretched forth upon Jerusalem" (Zechariah
i :8-9-i2-i4-i6).
Here was a prediction so plain that no
one need err in interpreting it. The in¬
dignation of the Lord against Jerusalem—
seen in the dire calamities which had fallen
upon it—was to be removed: mercy was
to be shown the city, and some, if not all,
of its former glory would return. The great
comforting feature of the vision or prophe¬
cy, was the fact that the Lord had "re¬
turned to Jerusalem with mercies" and His
house would be built in it.
It was just such comforting words as
those that the returned exiles needed to en¬
courage them in their great undertaking.
At the close of the same
The Four Horns, chapter—in the last five
verses—we find a sim¬
ilar prediction in just as clear and unmis¬
takable language: "Then lifted I up mine
eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And
I said unto the angel that talked with me,
What be these? And he answered me,
These are the horns which have scattered
18 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, And the Lord
showed me four carpenters. Then said I,
What came these to dof And he spake, say¬
ing, These are the horns which have scat¬
tered Judah, so that no man did lift up his
head: but these are come to fray them, to
cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which
lifted up their horn over the land of Judah
to scatter it."
Had not Judah been scattered when the
great armies of the Persians marched over
its hills and valleys, laying waste its cities
and towns?
Had not "horns" pierced the heart of the
nation when the rude hands of the Gentile
invaders were directed against that one ob¬
ject, dearest to the heart of the Jewish peo¬
ple,—the Temple?
Surely no other people of which history
gives any account had been so effectually
scattered.
But the same power that permitted the
scattering will bring the remnants together
again, and make of them one harmonious
whole for the glory of His name.
If the people needed encouragement,
Zechariah supplied that need.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 19
In the third chapter of
The Vision of this remarkable series of
Joshua in Filthy visions, the hopes of the
Garments. people are raised to the
highest point possible.
Christ, the Messiah, is promised.
The attention of the people is, for a time
takern from the things which concern the peo¬
ple immediately, and is carried forward
into the great future. In the vision
he sees Joshua, the great High Priest, stand¬
ing before the angel of the Lord, clothed in
filthy garments—a sign of the nation's de¬
gradation. Joshua is about to make inter¬
cession for the people, and Satan, the arch
enemy, is ready to resist him.
Notwithstanding Satan's opposition,
Joshua's filthy garments are taken from him
and he receives this comforting assurance
and promise: "I have caused thine iniquity
to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with
a change of raimentThus is shown that
the prayers of the afflicted people had been
heard and mercy extended toward them.
Certain rules of conduct are laid down for
the guidance of the people, and then this
magnificent promise is made: "Hear now, O,
Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows
20 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
that sit before thee: for they are men won¬
dered at; for, behold, I will bring forth my
servant, the Branch"—a distinct and direct
reference to the coming of Christ.
If there was one event more than another
to which the nation looked forward with
joyful anticipations, it was the coming of
the "Child, the Wonderful, Counsellor,"
He it was who should restore Israel to her
pristine glory and give her the proud place
she occupied when the first Temple was
built. During those seventy years of slav¬
ery, when there was literally nothing to
cheer and encourage the hearts of the peo¬
ple, the glowing and comforting promises
of His coming made by the Isaiahs and
Jeremiahs preceding the captivity may have
lost some of their hold upon the people.
But at the first lifting of the clouds, the
promise is renewed with emphasis; and
Zechariah is the instrument chosen to bear
the glad tidings to the nation. First, the
people are assured that God's house shall
be built, notwithstanding seeming difficul¬
ties ; and secondly, they are cheered by the
renewal of the promises of a Saviour. How
is the first of these great promises to be re¬
deemed ?
. So many unexpected difficulties are crop¬
ping out that the task seems almost impos-
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
sible. The opposition of the Gentiles was
to be expected, but others besides Gentiles
are opposing the rebuilding of God's house.
Just across the line lived
The Samaritans' a people who ought to
Opposition. be friendly to these re-
Zerubbabel turned exiles. They
Encouraged. are connected with them
by ties of blood; in fact,
they are first cousins, being the lineal de¬
scendants of Esau, Jacob's own brother.
But these Samaritans are really the bitterest
opponents of the work being attempted by
Zerubbabel and his friends.
This good man's heart might have failed
him had not the cheerful Zechariah brought
him the message of the Lord: "This is the
word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying,
Not by might, nor by power} but by my
spirit, saith the Lord" (Zechariah iv:6).
From cheering the
The Flying Roll, hearts of the workmen,
the prophet passes on- to
another phase of the new conditions of the
practically new kingdom. In the vision of
the Flying Roll, chapter v, he shows that,
in time, vice and immorality shall be ban¬
ished from the land and the rule of the
Lord of hosts shall be absolute. All of this
2 2 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
is intended to arouse the enthusiasm of the
people and to strengthen their faith in the
cheering promises God is making them
through His servant.
Chapters vi, vii and viii close the first
division of Zechariah's remarkable visions
or prophecies.
In them he shows the great extent of
the kingdom of the "Branch" and the final
restoration of Jerusalem. With the re¬
building of the Holy City will come the
completion of the Temple, and Haggai, his
associate, assures the people that "The glory
of this latter house shall be greater them of
the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in
this place will I give peace, saith the Lord
of hosts" (Haggai ii:9).
In this first division are some of the
most remarkable and far-reaching prophe¬
cies to be found in the whole Bible. That
they served their purpose and really and
actually had a good effect upon the nation,
subsequent events fully prove.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
III.
Second Division of His Prophecies.
The second division be-
Chaps. ix to xi. gins with chapter ix and
extends to chapter xi.
It opens by assuring the people of God's
defence of His church.
It is here that Damascus, Phoenicia and
the cities of the Philistines are threatened
with destruction and ruin.
Here the predictions are not general, but
specific, so that no mistake can be made as
to the places or people referred to> by the
prophet.
Tyrus and Zidon (Tyre and Sidon), two
great and flourishing cities of Phoenicia,
are mentioned by name as destined to feel
the force of God's wrath and suffer for their
wickedness and opposition to the people of
God.
He speaks of Tyre in very plain language:
"And Tyrus did build herself a strong¬
hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and
Hue gold as the mire of the streets. Behold,
24 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite
her power in the sea; and she shall be de¬
voured with fire" (Chapter ix:3-4).
This prophecy alone is sufficient to es¬
tablish the accuracy of Zechariah's predic¬
tions.
We all know the his-
Tyre and Its tory of Tyre, and can
Rival Sidon. appieciate the faithful¬
ness of the prediction.
In Solomon's day, this was one of the great
cities of the world. At that time the cele¬
brated King Hiram reigned in that city.
An alliance existed between the two king¬
doms, and Solomon is said to have married
Hiram's daughter. Tyre was then prob¬
ably at the height of its power.
It had varying fortunes, and in 538 B. C.
Cyrus conquered the country.
Before this, the city of Tyre had made
itself famous by holding out against Nebu¬
chadnezzar, who conquered Jerusalem in
587 B. C., for thirteen long years.
Its naturally strong defensive position
and the acknowledged valor of its fighting
men made such a long-drawn-out struggle
possible.
Much could be said about this great city
and its fortunes in connection with the his-
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 25
tory of the time of Zechariah; but it will
suffice our purpose to touch but lightly upon
the salient points in its history as they have
been affected by the prophecies of Zecha¬
riah.
It was Zechariah's prediction that "the
Lord will cast her out, and will smite her
power in the sea; and she shall be devoured
with fire."
Has this prophecy been fulfilled? Tyre
had an exceptionally fine naval position, and
on this account it was the objective point of
attack by invaders. Xerxes, in his noted
Greek wars, completely destroyed the Phoe¬
nician fleet and subjugated Sidon, the rival
of Tyre. The inhabitants of Sidon revolted,
but were finally crushed, and, exasperated
and humiliated by re-
Sidon Burned. peated defeats, they
fired the city with their
own hands—an act which was a partial ful¬
fillment of Zechariah's prophecy.
This again gave Tyre the supremacy, and
for a time it flourished.
In-the year 332 B. C.,
Tyre's Varying Alexander the Great
Fortunes and attacked the city be-
Ultimate ^ cause the inhabitants
Degradation. refused to pay him al¬
legiance; and, after a
26 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
seven months' siege, completely subdued it.
He scattered the inhabitants and replaced
them with colonists, mostly Carians. The
place again rose to prominence, and, later,
fell into the hands of Cleopatra as a present
from Aintony, the great Rbman general. For
a time it was practically independent, but
the last trace of its independence was taken
from it by the Roman Emperor Augustus.
Under Roman rule, it again flourished.
A Christian colony was even founded there,
and in the time of St. Jerome it was again
the noblest, most beautiful and most pros¬
perous city of Phoenicia.
But its prosperity was of short duration.
The Saracens conquered it and then the
Crusaders subdued it, and finally, in 1516
A. D., it passed into the hands of Selim I,
and its glories ceased. From that time on
it gradually lost prestige and power, and
to-day the desolation and wretchedness of
that once magnificent city are painfully evi¬
dent.
Only between 3,000 and 4,000 people now
dwell amid the ruins of its ancient glory,
eking out a scanty living in insignificant ex¬
ports of cotton, wool and wood.
It is said that such renowned characters
as Frederick Barbarossa and Origen are
buried within the limits of this doomed city.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 27
Thus is Zechariah's prophecy against the
city literally fulfilled. She did "build her¬
self a stronghold, and heaped up silver as
the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the
streets," but the Lord did "smite her pozver
in the sea" and she was actually devoured.
By the destruction' of
The Restoration Tyre and its neighbor-
of Jerusalem ing country the glory
Promised. and renown of the new
Jerusalem would be¬
come more pronounced and, as if to further
encourage the people, the prophet goes on
to tell them that other empires and king¬
doms which had in the near past done them
harm, would be brought low and humbled.
In chapter x, we have an encouraging pic¬
ture of the gathering of Israel and Judah
from among the various nations among
which they had been scattered:
"I zvill bring them again also out of the
land of Egypt, cmd gather them out of As¬
syria 1 and I zvill bring them into the land
of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not
be found for them. * * * and the
pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and
the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
And I zvill strengthen them in the Lord;
Kind they shall walk up and dozvn in his
28 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
name, saith the Lord" (Verse? 10, II, 12.).
We see in these words a distinct refer¬
ence to the restoration of Israel's glory and
the destruction of two of the greatest em¬
pires the world has ever seen. But by read¬
ing the first verses of the chapter, we find
that these great blessings are promised con¬
ditionally. Israel must
The Conditions seek after God and not
Imposed. after idols. He, in
times past, had visited
punishment upon them because of sin. The
great Captivity from which they were re¬
turning was one such visitation, and this
very return was evidence of the fact that
God would save and restore them. But they
must seek after Him.
The idolatry of the countries in which
they had been living must in no way be
introduced into the Holy Land by the re¬
turning Jews.
It was a sad truth that many of those
who had remained at home during the great
scattering had joined with the invaders in
many things. Some were mixing with them
in the matter of trade and commerce; others
had taken unto themselves wives from
among the heathen, and still others had
boldly forsaken the religion of their fathers
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 29
and gone over completely to the idols of
their conquerors.
These violations of God's law must be
atoned for in some way. If "the glory of
the latter house" is to be "greater than of
the former," then the Lord, and He alone,
is to be the object of their affections.
These things are made plain to the people
by this great prophet, and their hopes for
the future are wonderfully brightened. The
very fact that simple obedience to God will
make their country greater than the great¬
est empires of the world, was of itself suf¬
ficient to inspire them.
We cannot suppose
The Nation's that the prophet meant
Greatness to be to convey the idea that
Largely Spiritual. Israel and Judah, as
kingdoms, would be
greater in extent of territory and in actual
possessions than the great empires named,
but they would be greater in spiritual bless¬
ings; the "Branch"; the Son of God Him¬
self, would be identified with this new king¬
dom which the returned exiles were build¬
ing. He would give to this kingdom a dis¬
tinction and renown never before enjoyed
by any previous kingdom or government.
These things would surely happen; and
30 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
under the inspiration of the glorious pros¬
pects presented, the prophet hints at the
probable union of Israel and Judah:
"And I will strengthen the house of Ju¬
dah, and I will save the house of Joseph,
and I will bring them again to place them;
for I have mercy upon them: and they shall
be as though I had not cast them off; for 1
am the Lord their God, and will hear them"
(Chapter x:6).
It would have been well for God's peo¬
ple if the good prophet could have stopped
right here.
Here was a prediction showing great pos¬
sibilities for the future. The people were
to be gathered from the various countries
into which they had been dispersed, and so
great would they be that in Gilead and Leb¬
anon, in Palestine, their old home, and, in
fact, in the whole country itself, "place shall
not be found for them." They were again
to be independent: all old alliances with
sinful nations were to be broken off, and in
the reign of "the Branch" the greatest bless¬
ings possible would fall upon them as a peo¬
ple.
At this glorious time indicated, they
would receive marvelous protection and as¬
sistance against those enemies who would
oppose their return and settlement, just as
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 31
their fathers had been protected when they
passed through the Red Sea from their af¬
fliction in Egypt, and through the Jordan
into the Promised Land.
All the power of their opposers would
be destroyed as were Pharoah and Sen¬
nacherib.
Thus being protected and "strengthened
by the Lord," they would "walk up and
down in his name."
One great and encouraging feature of
this remarkable prophecy was, "the pride
of Assyria shall be brought down, and the
sceptre of Egypt shall depart (may."
We have said that it would have been well
for these people if the prophet had stopped
here.
But there were other
Breakers Ahead, things which he saw,
and which, as a faith¬
ful servant of God, he was compelled to
make known to the people. He saw that,
notwithstanding the great incentive to
righteousness which his prophecies fur¬
nished ; in spite of the fact that the most
glorious era in their history awaited them,
viz: the coming of "the Branch"; still these
people would "fall from grace." Their
treatment of the promised Messiah would
32 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
deprive them of the proud distinction they
had hitherto enjoyed of being "the people
of God."
On account of these things God would
once more visit His displeasure upon them.
It is true that the reference to Assyria
and Egypt meant not only those countries,
but all the enemies of God and His truth,
who shall be broken in pieces by the coming
kingdom of Christ; but in the general break¬
ing up, Israel and Judah would also suffer,
and this fact is clearly shown in the suc¬
ceeding predictions.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 33
IV.
The Third Division of Prophecies.
The third and last division of Zechariah's
prophecies begins with chapter xi of his
book.
In the preceding prophecies the people
are encouraged by the prospect of a restored
and possibly reunited nation. Their country
would once more be theirs; their beloved
Jerusalem would be rehabilitated, and that
grandest of all considerations, the Temple,
would be rebuilt. It was true that "many
of the priests and Levites and chief of the
fathers, who were ancient men, that had
seen the -first house, when the foundation
of this house was laid before their eyes, wept
with a loud voice" (Ezraiii:i2) ; but "The
glory of this latter house shall be greater
than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts;
and in this place will I give peace, saith the
Lord of hosts" (Haggai ii:9).
The reason why the glory of this latter
house shall be greater than of the former,
Is found in the fact that Jesus Christ, "the
34 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAfX.
Branch," would sanctify this latter house
by His presence.
It is indeed a sad
A Sad Change, change which presents
itself in the very be¬
ginning of chapter xi: "Open thy doors,
0 Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy
cedars. Howl, fir trees, for the cedar is
fallen; because the mighty is spoiled: howl,
O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the
vintage is come down. There is a voice of
the holding of the shepherds; for their glory
is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young
lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled."
Josephus, the great
Josephus Recites Jewish historian, tells,
A Strange that at a certain time
Incident. after this prophecy was
uttered, and just be¬
fore the destruction of the Temple by the
Romans, the doors of that great building
opened of their own accord, and that a cer¬
tain pious man who witnessed the unusual'
spectacle, said of the Temple, "I know thy
destruction is at hand, according to the
prophecy of Zechariah."
This shows to what even the ancient Jews
supposed this prophecy referred. "Leb¬
anon may either signify the Temple built of
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 35
cedars from that mountain, or the city filled
with haughty and prosperous inhabitants,
and with stately mansions like the cedars
of Lebanon" (Scott).
Certain it is that this doleful prediction
points to the destruction of Jerusalem, and
that the whole context leads our thoughts
to the days of Christ. See Matthew xxiv:
1-2, and Luke xix 41-44.
In the preceding chap-
The Rosy and the ters, the future conver-
Gloomy Predic- sion of the Jews was
tions Reconciled, predicted in this, the
manner by which they
would be brought to this condition is de¬
scribed. Jerusalem and the nation had been
planted and tended as a vineyard from which
much fruit was expected, but it had become
an unfruitful forest and would be burned
to the ground.
"A voice of the roaring of young lions;
for the pride of Jordan is spoiledin verse
three, has reference to the chagrin, madness
and despair of the princes, priests and
scribes at seeing all their authority and
wealth torn from them by the Roman power.
They would howl like enraged lions driven
from their coverts by the inundations of the
Jordan, when it overflowed and desolated
36 LIFE AN® PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIA2.
the neighboring fields, which were the pride
of that river.
This state of affairs was also foretold by
Jeremiah xlix: 19-20, and also Jesus speaks
of it in Matt. xxiii:34-37.
There can be no possible doubt as to the
meaning of the prophecy, for subsequent
events have long since confirmed what is
here indicated.
It is to be noticed that even while utter¬
ing these doleful predictions, the prophet
points to a bow of hope. The flock is to
be slaughtered, but the Lord "will feed the
flock of slaughter." The Father appointed
Jesus as the "good Shepherd" to feed the
flock. "He came to seek and to save the
lost," and His personal ministry was among
"the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
He did attempt to feed the flock, but they
refused the food He offered them, and th;s
refusal was their undoing. It eventually
brought about the fulfillment of the proph¬
ecy concerning their destruction.
The prophet speaks of
The Two taking "two staves; the
Staves, Beauty one I called Beauty,
and Bands. and the other I called
Bands; and I fed the
flock. Three shepherds also I cut off in
one month; and my soul loathed them, and
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 37
their soul also abhorred me" (Verses 7-8).
By the "two staves" is shown the symbolical
character of the prediction. The one called
Beauty represented the honor and privilege
which the Jews possessed in the oracles,
instituted worship and Temple of God; and
especially by the ministry of Christ, and His
apostles, who preached the gospel to them
before all others.
"Bands" denoted the connection of the
nation under one government and the har¬
mony that had in some measure united
them as the flock of God. But as they
would not generally profit by the ministry
of Christ, he would "cut off three shepherds
in one month." This
Three Shei herds probably refers to the
Cut Off in three leading sects
One Month. among thje Je(WS, the
Pharisees, Sadducees
and Herodians who pretended to be shep¬
herds and were all degraded and cut off
suddenly. "One month" is an expression
commonly used at that time to denote a
short time. How fully this prediction was
verified can be seen in the fact that Christ
ignored these sects when He commissioned
His apostles to preach His gospel. His
righteous soul "loathed'' their pride, hypoc-
38 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
risy and wickedness, and they, in turn, ab¬
horred His holy character and doctrine.
They were ultimately destroyed by the
Romans.
It is only necessary to read carefully to
the end of this eleventh chapter to see the
fearful destruction which it foretells. We
have only to read history to see complete
verification!.
One writer sums up the whole by saying:
"The principal calamities of the race of
Jacob began when they divided into two
kingdoms: on their return from captivity
they all formed one people; but after their
rejection of Christ, internal discords, far
more fierce and more speedily destructive
than the wars between Judah and Israel,
hastened the fatal catastrophe of the na¬
tion."
The "bands'' were broken and Israel was
made the victim of rulers, priests and others
who oppressed, deceived and devoured them.
A judgment was pronounced against these
evil shepherds, but it in no way averted the
curse upon the nation. As the prophet said,
so it happened.
In chapter xii, the direful character of the
prophecies is slightly changed. Jerusalem
is still the subject, but her condition is great¬
ly improved. She is now to become "a cup
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 3'J
of trembling unto all the people round about
when they shall be in siege both against
Judah and against JerusalemThis is a
most gracious prediction, if a strictly spirit¬
ual interpretation is put upon it. In that
sense, it would indicate the wonderful suc¬
cess of the first preacners of the gospel.
We know that in spite of all opposition,
the immediate successors of our Lord ac¬
complished a most wonderful work. It was
at Jerusalem that they tarried for the com¬
ing of the Holy Spirit, and it was in that
city that they received the great power
which made them invincible in their attacks
upon sin and unrighteousness.
Jerusalem should become "a burdensome
stone to all that should burden themselves
-with it."
Perhaps we may gather from this that
the grand accomplishment of this prophecy
is yet in the future, and that it relates to
times when Israel shall be converted and
festored to their own land.
In whatever light we may view it, it is
pregnant with hope and cheer for that sa¬
cred city. We may well believe that "In that
day there shall be a fountain opened to the
house of David, and to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." Has
not that foundation been opened for lo! these
life and prophecies of zechariah.
many years ? It began to flow, when from
"his pierced side came forth blood and wa¬
ter" (St. John xix 131-37).
It has been flowing ever since and will
continue to flow until the last guilty wretch
shall plunge in and wash away his stains.
But before that long-prayed-for time shall
arrive, what tremendous changes shall take
place at Jerusalem!
In the closing chapter of his prophecies,
the prophet declares that "the city shall be
taken, and the houses rifled, and the women
rams he d; and half of the city shall go forth
into captivity, and the residue of the people
shall not be cut off from the city." Part of
this prophecy has already been fulfilled.
When the Romans marched their armies
against Jerusalem was "the day of the
Lord" on which He came to destroy those
who would not submit to His rule.
That the Mount of
The Mount of Olives is mentioned
Olives Cleft. here, is significant.
Jesus, when upon
earth, often stood upon that mountain; it
was from there that He ascended to heaven;
and in consequence of His ascension and the
commission given His disciples, the gospel
was sent to the different parts of the earth.
The cleaving in two of the mountain was
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OP ZECHARIAH. 41
symbolical of the tearing and rending of
the nation by the Roman power when thou¬
sands fled from Jerusalem to escape i.he
great disaster. It is to be observed that the
Romans, after spoiling Israel, never pros¬
pered as they had done before. Evidently
the Lord fought against them until their
magnificent empire was torn asunder ani
partitioned off by contending forces.
God made them the medium of His ven¬
geance upon His erring people, but re¬
venged Himself and His people upon thorn
afterward.
Afterward shall come
The Time Neither the day "that the light
Clear Nor Dark, shall not be clear nor
dark" This evidently
refers to that time in the Christian era when,
for a long period, the gospel was greatly
obscured by ignorance, heresy, superstition
and idolatry. But even in those dark days,
there was some holiness left in the Church.
This period could not be called a bright
day, neither could it be called a dark day.
It contained a mixture of truth and error,
of holiness and sin, of happiness and misery.
History records the fact that at one time
a bigoted and worldly Church kept the true
light from the people.
With its multiplicity of rites and ceremo-
42 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
nies, some of them sinful in the extreme,
it fed the nations upon the husks until spir¬
ituality had almost entirely died out and the
light was neither "clear nor dark"
For that particular period, the light came
at "evening time," when a Luther thundered
against the evil practices of the Church and
shook it to its very foundations.
The "living waters" that went out from
Jerusalem bore upon their bosom the first
messengers of the gospel, and they and their
successors have been carried by those wa¬
ters into nearly every habitable part of the
globe.
The millennium predicted by this prophet
has not yet arrived.
The time when "the Lord shall be King
over all the earth; in that day there shall be
one Lord, and his name one," has not ar¬
rived. But who doubts its coming?
Is not the gospel of
The Millennium Christ making al-
Coming. vance daily? Was
there ever a time in the
history of the world when such tremendous
strides were made by truth and righteous¬
ness as now?
It is true that the "King of kings" does
not, as yet, hold such universal sway over
the earth that "upon the bells of the horses,
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 43
Holiness Unto The Lord" is inscribed; but
His followers have every reason for believ¬
ing that Zechariah's prophecy will come
true.
It is promised that this blissful state shall
continue to the end of the world.
The contest between truth and error,
righteousness and sin, piety and impiety,
will be a long and severe one; but right
shall ultimately win.
The followers of the Nazarene will be
sorely beset, and their sun will be almost
set; but just as the shades of night are gath¬
ering, "it shall be light."
Such is the happy end of the struggle
of the church of God as predicted by Zech-
ariah.
In this struggle against sin, and victory
over it, Jew and Gentile alike shall partici¬
pate, but only those of each class who fight
under the banner of Calvary's Lamb.
There has been quite a
The Authorship diversity of opinion as
of Zechariah to the authorship of the
Disputed. Book of Zechariah.
Some very learned Bib¬
lical critics have contended that only the fir.;t
part of the work can be ascribed to Zecha¬
riah, and it cannot be denied that the inter¬
nal evidences favor this supposition. In the
44 LITE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAJt.
visionary predictions there is a unity and
consistency which unmistakably belong to
Zechariah.
The imagery bears very distinctly the im¬
press of those two master-spirits of the ex¬
ile, Ezekiel and Daniel. We have but to
compare the work of these two Greater
Prophets with parts of Zechariah to see the
similarity of both style and matter.
In some of the latter prophecies, the style
is changed and becomes softer, richer and
more poetical. From this fact, many argue
that the hands of Ezekiel and Daniel did the
work attributed to Zechariah. If we are to
judge from the style alone, we cannot avoid
the conclusion that some other hand than
Zechariah's chronicled the events recorded
in the latter prophecies of that book. But
this is immaterial to
A Composite the general purpose of
Authorship the prophet's work and
Immaterial. object. He came upon
the stage at a time
when God's people needed the services of
just such a man'. In the chaotic condition
in which they found their old home, and
against the great oppositions with which
they were confronted in the rebuilding there¬
of, they needed just such encouragement as
God, through Zechariah, furnished them.
life And prophecies op zechariah. 45
There is one note ringing through, all the
prophecies of this great man which we must
ever keep in mind, viz: the final restoration
of Jerusalem. As it was the source of "the
living waters" which have refreshed the
earth, watered the thirsty land and turned
the parched desert into a pool, so it shall
again become the centre of Christian activ¬
ity. In the very place where the "Branch"
had been maligned, traduced and murdered,
His standard shall be lifted high above all
others, and upon that banner shall be In¬
scribed "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."
And, if we are to believe prophecy, the
descendants of the very people who once de¬
spised His name shall join in the general re¬
joicing attendant upon His ultimate triumph
over all his foes.
Out of the little that is
The Fate known of Zechariah's
of Zechariah. life, we learn that his
prophecies of evil
brought down upon him the anger of the
Jewish people, and that he was foully mur¬
dered by them. Be that as it may, he lives
to-day through his wonderful predictions,
and everywhere men are acknowledging him
as a true servant of God whose words have
been fulfilled in part and are still being veri¬
fied by succeeding ages.
46 LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH.
QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION
IN THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH.
1.—Into what two general classes are the
Prophets divided?
2.— (a) What can you say of Zechariah's birth?
(b) Of his place and influence?
3.— (a) What was the condition of Palestine at
the time of the Jews' return from cap¬
tivity in the time of Cyrus? (b) The con¬
dition of the temple?
4.—State and define the division in Zechariah's
prophecies.
5.—Relate and interpret the following visions:
(a) the horses; (b) the four horns; (c)
the filthy garments; (d) the flying roll.
6.—What can you say regarding Tyre and Sidon
and the prophecy concerning them?
7.—In promising the restoration of Israel's
greatness, what conditions were imposed?
8.—Was this greatness to be material or spir¬
itual ?
9.—What was "the Branch?"
10.—What is the burden of the third division of
Zechariah's prophecy?
ix.—What strange incident does Josephus narrate?
12.—Reconcile the rosy and the gloomy predic¬
tions.
LIFE AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH. 47
13.— (a) What is the significance of the two
staves, Beauty and Bands? (b) The three
shepherds cut off in one month? (c) The
cleaving of the Mount of Olives? (d)
The time neither clear nor dark?
14.—What reasons have we for expecting the
promised Millennium?
*5-—(a) What dispute concerning the authorship
of Zechariah has arisen? (b) What is
your own view? (c) Why?
16.—What is supposed to have been the fate of
Zechariah ?
17.—Write an essay on the Book of Zechariah,
or a sermon on some text therefrom.
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