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The visions of chapters 5 and 6 regard the containment of sin and the distribution of God’s government throughout the earth. Joshua is crowned priest-king who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. If it helps, try to avoid the temptation to plumb the depths of meaning of each symbol, and instead attend to the broader implications that Zechariah is witnessing.

In chapters 7 and 8 the LORD answers a question of the people of Bethel: “Should we weep and abstain in the fifth month as [we] have done for so many years?” The LORD’s initial response is another question: “Was it for Me you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?” He reminds them of what He commanded Isaiah 200 years ago, that what He demands is that His people “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another…”

This goes deeper in the next chapter, when the LORD presents a picture of what Jerusalem could look like, an image that is more peace-filled than we have seen. Listen to the variety of details that denote tranquility – from the way people will sow and reap peace, to the varieties of security that will exist, to the calm and safety of the streets themselves. No longer will Jerusalem be a byword of cursing among the nations, for “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

Our verse for this week is Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

Zechariah 5 through 8. Now let’s read it!

Zechariah 5 - 8

Then again I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll. He said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits." Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land, for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side. I will cause it to go out," says Jehovah of Armies, "and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones." Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing." I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land-- and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up--and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket." He said, "This is Wickedness;" and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth. Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky. Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are these carrying the ephah basket?" He said to me, "To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place." Again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze. In the first chariot were red horses. In the second chariot were black horses. In the third chariot were white horses. In the fourth chariot were dappled horses, all of them powerful. Then I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" The angel answered me, "These are the four winds of the sky, which go out from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses goes out toward the north country; and the white went out after them; and the dappled went out toward the south country." The strong went out, and sought to go that they might walk back and forth through the earth. He said, "Go around and through the earth!" So they walked back and forth through the earth. Then he called to me, and spoke to me, saying, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country." Jehovah's word came to me, saying, "Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, 'Jehovah of Armies says, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch! He will grow up out of his place; and he will build Jehovah's temple. He will build Jehovah's temple. He will bear the glory, and will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. The counsel of peace will be between them both. The crowns shall be to Helem, to Tobijah, to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Jehovah's temple. Those who are far off shall come and build in Jehovah's temple; and you shall know that Jehovah of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Jehovah your God's voice."'" In the fourth year of King Darius, Jehovah's word came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev. The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech and their men to entreat Jehovah's favor, and to speak to the priests of the house of Jehovah of Armies and to the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?" Then the word of Jehovah of Armies came to me, saying, "Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me? When you eat and when you drink, don't you eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? Aren't these the words which Jehovah proclaimed by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?'" Jehovah's word came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus has Jehovah of Armies spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother. Don't oppress the widow, the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.' But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law and the words which Jehovah of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Jehovah of Armies. It has come to pass that, as he called and they refused to listen, so they will call and I will not listen," said Jehovah of Armies; "but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate." The word of Jehovah of Armies came to me. Jehovah of Armies says: "I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath." Jehovah says: "I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called 'The City of Truth;' and the mountain of Jehovah of Armies, 'The Holy Mountain.'" Jehovah of Armies says: "Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age. The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets." Jehovah of Armies says: "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?" says Jehovah of Armies. Jehovah of Armies says: "Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country. I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." Jehovah of Armies says: "Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor. But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days," says Jehovah of Armies. "For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don't be afraid. Let your hands be strong." For Jehovah of Armies says: "As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says Jehovah of Armies, "and I didn't repent, so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don't be afraid. These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate," says Jehovah. The word of Jehovah of Armies came to me. Jehovah of Armies says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace." Jehovah of Armies says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, 'Let's go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of Armies. I will go also.' Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Jehovah of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of Jehovah." Jehovah of Armies says: "In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

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