Messianic Prophecy Study of Book of Zechariah - Chapters 1 thru 3 (Messianic Literary Corner) - Messianic Literary Corner

 a. 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 (The fall of Jerusalem)

 b . 2 Kings 24 & 25 (Kings Jehoiakim, Jehoiakin & Zedekiah)

  c. Jeremiah 39 (Jeremiah's account of Judah's fall)

a. Nehemiah 9:33-36

a. The 24^th day of the 11^th month (Shebat), in the second year of Darius (536 B.C.),   Zechariah received the first of the seven visions.

b.  The vision of a man riding a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees  in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

c.  The angel who was talking with me answered, They are the ones (angels)  the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth and report to the angel of  the Lord who is standing by the myrtle trees; We have gone throughout  the earth and found the whole earth at rest and peace.

   i.  Significance of the myrtle trees: Isaiah 55:1-3 (Hadassah) The myrtle  tree is to be a sign of the Messianic Age and the Lords blessing of a  cursed land. (Also Is. 44:19)

   ii.  Smiths Bible Dictionary comment on the myrtle tree: Myrtle is still  used to adorn the sukkah during the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth).  Myrtle used to grow about the hills of Jerusalem millennia ago. It emits  a perfume more exquisite than the rose.

  iii.  The myrtle tree is a probable sign that the vision of the angel among  the myrtle trees is far into the future. (The Messianic Age).

d. The significance of these angels going through the entire earth is that of the Lord's total control of events throughout time.

e.  Zech.l:14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, "Proclaim this  word, This is what the Lord Almighty said, "I am very jealous for  Jerusalem, but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was  only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.

  i. Jer.48:11 God's judgment of Judah's .enemies

 ii. Amos 1:11 judgment of Israel's? enemies.

 f.  Zech.1:16 I will return to Jerusalem with mercy and then my house will  be rebuilt. (Two-fold fulfillment. Both the rebuilding of the temple in  535 B.C. and temple to be built in the Messianic Age (Ezekiel. 40 &  Zech, 8)

g. My  towns will again overflow with prosperity and the Lord will again  comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem. (Same two fold fulfillment as above.)

a. Zech.1:19 These are the horns (governments or empires), that scattered Judah, Israel & Jerusalem.

   i.  Note that these horns are not only responsible for Judah's captivity,  but also for Israel, refer to Daniel. 7 , where four beast are  representing four empires., (Babylon, which is present at that time and  three others to arise consecutively; Persia, Greece and Rome,)

b. Zech 1:21 The craftsmen (angels) have come to terrify them and to throw down these horns of the nations.

   i.  This vision is probably in the same interpretive sense That Daniel 7  is. That is, The Lord is speaking out of time, 3.5 if all the satanic  worldly governments throughout history have already been destroyed and  His kingdom established.

a.  Zech.2:1-13 Zechariah, in a vision, meets a man who is measuring the  new parameters for the city of Jerusalem. The angel from the second  vision leaves and another angel approaches. The new angel meets the man  measuring and says:

   i.  Zech.2:4-5 "Jerusalem will be a city without walls, because of the  great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of  fire around it, declares the Lord, and I will be its glory within.

    (a)  Nehemiah 2 to 6 As we read in the book of Nehemiah, Jerusalem after the  Babylonian captivity was surrounded by a wall, so this rebuilding must  occur much later.

    (b)  Looking at this passage from a prophetic viewpoint, we are reading of  the Jerusalem that will exist in the Messianic Age. (References:  Zech.14:5-6, Is:60:19, Rev.22:5)

   ii.  We see then, how God is leapfrogging in historical events, from the  rebuilding of Jerusalem (536 to 460 EC), to the Messianic Age.  (references: Zech.14:5-6, Is.60:19, Rev.22:5)

    (a) Why then are we leapfrogging through time?

         1.) For Israel to put its hope in God's universal redemptive work.

        2.) To instruct future generations of believers in God's plan of redemption of Israel and the world.

        3.) What else? .....

 b. Zech. 2:6-9 Back to Zechariah's time, but with a lesson for future generations.

   i. God promises to punish those nations that plundered Israel . (Zech. 2:7-9)

   ii. We refer back to the first vision of the man among the myrtle trees (Zech . 1 : 14) and its references,

c. Zech, 2; 10-13 God again leapfrogs into the Messianic Age

   i.  Zech. 2:10 "For I am coming, and I will live among you, declares the  Lord. (References: Zech. 14:4,9, Is. 11:10-12, Is.17;7-13, Is. 33:17-24,  Is, 52:8)

   ii.  Zech. 2:1.1 "Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and  will become my people: (References: Micah 4:1-5, 11:10-12, Is. 49:21-30,  Is. 60:8-12)

   iii.  Zech. 3:12-13 "The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy  land and will again choose Jerusalem, references: Is . 40 : 2 ., Is .  32:1-3, Is. 60:10, Is .61 : 7-11)

a.  Zech.3:1-2 "Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest standing before  the angel of the Lord and Satan at his right side to accuse him .

   i.  Who is Joshua? is it the Joshua from Moses time, or the high priest  chosen at Israel's return from captivity by Babylon? (references: Haggai  1:1, Ezra 2:2) (note that in Zechariah, Joshua & Jeshua are used  interchangeably.)

b.  Zech.3:3-5 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before  the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take  off those filthy clothes". Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken  away your sin, and I have put rich garments on you".

   i.  Let us refer to the one saying "I have taken away your sin". It appears  to be the angel attending Joshua. No angel the authority to forgive  sin, except "The angel of the Lord who is Messiah. (reference; Zech.3:5,  Mk.2:05, Luke 5)

c.  Zech. 3:6-7 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua, "If you  walk in my ways and keep my requirements then you will govern my house  and have charge of the courts and I will give you a place among these  standing here."

   i. It appears that Joshua is a "type" of Messiah.

d.  Zech. 3:7-8 Listen Oh high priest Joshua and your associates seated  before you , who are symbolic of things to come, I am going to bring my  servant the Branch.

   i.  Joshua is therefore a symbol of the Branch) a descriptive title for the  Messiah. (references; Jer. 23:.5 , Jer.33:15, Zech,6:12 , Is .4:02)

 e.  Zech.3:9 See the stone I have set before you in front of Joshua. There  are seven eyes (facets) on that one stone and I will engrave an  inscription on it says the Lord almighty and I will remove the sin of  this land in a single day.

   i. The number of facets on the stone is seven. Seven signifies God's perfection.

   ii. We see Joshua.. represents the Messiah in the future.

   iii. Here are some references for God removing the sin from Israel; Jer. 50:20, Is. 10:20, Ez. 36:27, 15,43:25

 f.  Zech. 3:10 In. that day each one of you will invite his neighbor to sit  under his vine and fig tree declares the Lord Almighty.

   i. I Kings 4:25 uses this quote as an expression of peace and prosperity .

   ii. Isaiah 36:16 Sennacherib, king of Assyria uses this quote as an expression of peace and prosperity.

   iii. Micah 4:3-4 The same quote is used to describe the tranquility existing during the Messianic Age.