Prophetes Zechariah Capita I per IV

Amici, Americani, Compatriotae,

Over the past several days the Scripture readings in the Liturgy of the Hours have been extracted from the books of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, whose ministry along with Malachi occurred in the post-exilic period between release of the Jewish captives in Babylon and the rise of the empire of Alexander the Great. Haggai’s ministered from August to December 520 B.C. during the reign of Persian King Darius I. Zechariah ministered during the period of the Temple’s restoration starting in 520 B.C. Haggai’s book consists of the exhortation for the restoration of the Temple (1:1-15) and the oracles of encouragement (2:1-23). Zechariah is longer and composed of two parts, the first being from chapter 1 to chapter 8 and the second from chapter 9 to chapter 14. Zechariah has a somewhat apocalyptic theme to it, and as such certain things in its text correspond to sections in Daniel and Revelation. It also includes messianic prophecy fulfilled during Christ’s earthly ministry in the four Gospels. The discussion below is extracted from study notes in several Catholic and Protestant study Bibles in my collection (the thoughts are not original to me). I have found Zechariah to be a fascinating work that for too long I have neglected. I hope that the reader will find Zechariah as interesting as I have. That Sacred Scripture written by scores of different authors with varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds over millennia is united in the common theme of salvation history is endlessly intriguing.

DISCLAIMER: the notes presented below are just human opinion. If they help you think (whether you agree or not with the presented interpretation), then good – I have achieved my end-goal.

Zechariah 1:1-6

Call for Obedience

Zechariah 1:7-13

First Vision: Horses Patrolling the Earth

Four horsemen are among the myrtle trees. Myrtle may represent the people of Israel. In Hebrew it is the masculine equivalent of Hadassah, the Jewish name of Esther before she was made the Persian queen.

A red horse is standing in the shadows. Red, sorrel (speckled) and white horses are standing behind the red horse in the shadows and all four have been sent by the Lord to patrol the Earth.

Revelation 6:1-8

Four Horsemen

First Seal – rider on white horse wearing bow and crown rides to victory

Second Seal – rider on red horse takes peace away with the sword

Third Seal – rider on black horse holds a scale and raises food prices to starvation levels

Fourth Seal – rider on pale green horse named death and hades kills a quarter of Earth’s population

Zechariah 1:14-17

Oracular Response

The Lord’s anger towards complacent nations and generosity to Jerusalem

Zechariah 2:1-4

Second Vision: The Four Horns and the Four Workmen (Carpenters or Smiths)

The four horns scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, symbols of the total political and military might of Judah’s imperial adversaries, probably representing Assyria, Babylonia, Media and Persia which had all existed up to the time of Zechariah’s prophecy. The number four represents universality rather than any specific number of foes. The four could also represent a prophecy of the breakup of the Empire of Alexander the Great into areas controlled by his four successors: Lysimachus, Cassander, Ptolemy and Seleucus. This would make what Zechariah wrote a prophecy to be fulfilled. Alternatively the four could represent the four great empires of the ancient world: Babylonian, Median-Persian, Greek and Roman. This also would require Zechariah’s words to be a prophecy.

The four workmen cut down the horns of the nations that raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah. They are the four agents of God’s power. In Revelation chapters 4 and 5 these could correspond to the four living creatures before God’s throne: the lion, the ox, the man and the eagle symbolizing the four Gospel writers (Mark, Luke, Matthew and John respectively) whose Evangelium (or Good News) brought about the demise of the paganism of the four great earthly empires up to that time: Babylon, Median-Persian, Greek and Roman.

Zechariah 2:5-9

Third Vision: The Man with the Measuring Cord

A man measures Jerusalem to determine the encirclement of fire by which the Lord will protect it because it will be un-walled. This appears to be a future prophecy for modern time when today Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is un-walled “because of the abundance of people and beasts in its midst.” The man seen by Zechariah is interpreted by some to be the pre-incarnate Christ.

Zechariah 2:10-17

Expansion on the Themes of the First Three Visions

Zechariah 3:1-7

Prophetic Vision: Joshua the High Priest

Satan accuses Joshua the High Priest. The Lord’s angel rebukes Satan. The angel orders the removal of Joshua’s filthy garments and their replacement with clean vestments and turban. The angel charges Joshua that if he walks in God’s ways, watching over God’s house, he will be given access to those standing here.

Lesson: Satan is our accuser (see Job chapter 1:6-12). We cannot remove our own filthiness – Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1^st John 1:7). But for us to have access to the courts of the Temple (Jesus), we must walk in His ways (i.e., do good works). Faith without works is dead (James 5:14-26)

Zechariah 3:8-10

Supplementary Oracle

The Lord’s promise of His servant the Branch and the placement of the Stone with seven facets before Joshua are Messianic prophecies. The Branch is a tree metaphor for the expected future ruler as a descendant of the Davidic dynasty. This imagery also appears in Is 11:1, 10; Jer 23:5; 33:15; and Zec 6:12. The stone with seven facets represents both the precious stones that were part of the high priest’s apparel and the building stone (see 4:7, 10) that initiated a major construction project. The seven facets (or “eyes”) indicate the totality of its role as an instrument of God’s vigilance and action. The term inscription can refer both to words engraved on the high priest’s apparel (Ex 28:9, 11) and to words chiseled on a cornerstone.

Revelation 5:6

The Four Living Creatures (Lion, Ox, Man and Eagle) standing before God’s throne represent Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Lamb of God has seven horns and sevens eyes which are the seven spirts of God sent out into the whole world. The seven spirits could refer to the seven archangels in 1^st Enoch who are "watching" creation:

1) Uriel (God is light)

2) Raphael (God heals)

3) Raguel (Friend of God)

4) Michael (Who is like God)

5) Sarakiel (God’s Prince)

6) Gabriel (God is strength)

7) Ramiel (Thunder of God)

Alternatively the seven spirits could be the seven graces:

1) Insight (prophecy)

2) Helpfulness (service or ministry)

3) Instruction (teaching)

4) Encouragement

5) Generosity (giving)

6) Guidance (leadership)

7) Compassion.

Zechariah 4:1-5

Fourth Vision: The Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Lampstand: receptacle for lamps and one of the furnishings of the main room of the Temple. This visionary object does not correspond to the biblical descriptions of the menorah in either the tabernacle (Ex 25:31–40) or the Solomonic Temple (1 Kgs 7:49) but rather has properties of both. Seven lamps…seven spouts: seven lamps, each with seven pinched wick holes. Such objects were part of the repertoire of cultic vessels throughout the Old Testament period. Here they symbolize God’s eyes, i.e., divine omniscience. The golden lampstand may represent Christ, gold being the purest and noblest of the metals.

Olive trees: visionary image that picks up the botanical language describing the Israelite cultic lampstands, with the olive trees specifically connoting fertility, permanence, and righteousness.

Zechariah 4:6-10a

Oracle to Zerubbabel

“Not by might…but by my spirit” is one of the most quoted verses from the Old Testament, particularly in Jewish tradition, which connects it with the theme of Hanukkah, sometimes called the Festival of Lights.

The term great mountain is part of symbolic imagery for the Temple on Mount Zion, as embodiment of the cosmic mountain where heaven and earth connect. The term plain is leveled ground serving as the foundation area for the construction of the Temple, and symbolizing the foundation of the cosmos. The term first stone is the foundation stone of a major public building. Such stones were laid with great ceremony in foundation rituals when monumental buildings were newly built or rebuilt in the biblical world. St. Paul calls Christ our corner stone in Ephesians 2:19-22.

Capstone is the topmost stone of a structure, which finishes the construction. This translation is based on the context. Other translations read: “stone of distinction,” “plummet,” and “tin-stone.”

Zechariah 4:10b-14

Resumption of the Fourth Vision: Explanation of Lamps and Trees

Revelation 11:1-14

Two Witnesses

The two olive trees are the two anointed ones. At the time of Zechariah’s writing, they would be Joshua the High Priest (the religious authority) and Zerubbabel the governor (the political authority). Christ would later personify this as High Priest and King. These anointed ones could also refer to the two witnesses who prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth. We do not know from Zechariah and Revelation whether they represent:

1) Enoch and Elijah (who were assumed bodily into heaven prior to death)

2) Moses and Elijah (who were at the Transfiguration of our Blessed Lord)

3) The Law and the Prophets (which Jesus came to fulfill)

4) Saints Peter and Paul (the first Pope and the great New Testament expositor of the Faith).

5) High Priest Aaron and political leader Moses

6) The Davidic and Levitical Messiah