God willing, I plan cover the book of Zechariah whenever I am scheduled to preach.
In our midst, we have brothers by the name Isaiah, Micaiah, Jeremiah – all these wonderful names of prophets, but we do not have any who is called Zechariah.
Actually, this is a very common name in the bible.
I did a count in the King James Bible Dictionary and found that there are at least 21 different Zechariahs in the Bible.
So I should be precise that the Zachariah I plan to cover is the prophet who wrote the 2nd last book of the old testament.
Is this a good name for yourself, your son or grandson?
I’m afraid that is not within the scope of this sermon.
You’ll have to answer that question yourself.
But what I can tell you is that Zachariah means ‘The LORD remembers’.
Who does LORD remember?
The LORD remembers His people.
And I hope you will remember that.
Because you will see this theme coming up very often in the entire book.
And God willing, we will draw great encouragements as we study the book of Zechariah.
Let me provide you with an introduction to Zechariah.
In verse 1, we are told that Zechariah’s father was called Berechiah.
Unfortunately, Berechiah died when Zechariah was a small boy.
And he was raised by his grandfather whose name was Iddo, which you also find in verse 1.
We know this because Iddo was referred to as Zechariah’s father in Ezra 5 & 6.
Zechariah lived during the time when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem.
Many Jews were killed, while others were taken away as slaves in foreign lands, including Zechariah.
That period lasted about 70 years.
It was a very discouraging time to be a Jew & alive.
Think about this – How many amongst us are above 70 years old? Not many.
That means – If we were Jews & alive at that time, we would have seen war & tribulation our entire life.
Obviously that would be very discouraging.
And so it would be wonderful when you hear that “the LORD remembers”.
Now, Zachariah returned to Jerusalem in around 538BC.
He witnessed the reconstruction of the temple of God.
Why was the re-construction of the temple so important?
Because the temple represented God’s presence with His people.
And the re-construction shows the desire for the Levitical worship.
And this was a sign of spiritual restoration.
So it is a good thing.
But as they progressed with the reconstruction, they faced a lot of opposition.
The Samaritans persecuted them.
And the returning Jews became discouraged & selfish.
…They started building their own homes instead of building the temple.
Instead of giving to the work of God, they kept their possessions to themselves.
Zechariah saw how a people full of promise, gave in to the issues encountered in their day & age.
Do we see the same happening to us today?
As Christians, we face all kinds of pressures and issues in our life here on earth, isn’t it?
And I’ve seen many Christians, unfortunately, give in to these pressures.
They don’t want to spend their time on spiritual things.
Seeking & serving the Lord is not their priority.
They prefer to focus and settle their own affairs only.
Is this happening to you now, my brothers & sisters, regardless of which generation you belong to?
Are you concerned about your life & whether you have to enough to retire, perhaps for the younger ones – costs of living, your career & future family unit, your life partner… so much such that the things pertaining to God are no longer your priority?
I want us to know that it was when such types of pressures were mounting, that the word of the LORD came to Zachariah.
And this is what this book is all about.
God remembered His people when they were under the intensity of their stress.
And God’s message came in the form of encouragement.
It also came in the form of rebuke.
It was not just about the construction of the temple.
More importantly, it was about the correct way to construct the temple.
And it was not just about the physical building;
It was about the real temple of God.
So may God use His word from Zechariah to encourage us this even morning.
This morning, our meditation will consist of 2 parts:
1）First part – I want to provide you with an important KEY to understanding Old Testament Prophesy
This is necessary & important because I need you to know how I interpret Zechariah, who was an OT prophet.
2）Second part – God willing, we will survey Zechariah chapter 1.
And I will do that quickly by asking 3 questions.
So let’s start with the first part – An Important KEY to Old Testament Prophesy.
First of all, I want you to know that Prophets in the old testament understood the language of the visions & prophesies given to them.
This was true for Zechariah & he recorded what he heard & what he saw.
Now, I have some friends from other Churches who tell me that their “modern day prophets” do not understand the language that they are prophesying in.
They tell me that they are speaking in some angelic tongues (citing 1 Cor 13), which man cannot understand.
Concerning this, there are 2 points I need to clarify about visions & prophesy:
- #1 – In all the incidents that I read in the Bible when God sent an angel to convey a message to a man or woman, the angel spoke in a language that they could understand.
Let me give you some prominent examples:
Hagar (the maid servant of Abraham)…
When she was so discouraged, God sent an angel to speak to her in Gen 21:17-18 & she understood what the angel said……;
And she wasn’t even in the chosen line.
Secondly, in the incident of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 –an angel ministered to him when he was so tired…he understood the instructions of the angel.
Thirdly, in the new testament, when the angel announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds in Luk 2:8, the shepherds understood his message.
They all went to Bethlehem to look for baby Jesus.
And then in Acts 5:20, the Apostle were imprisoned & the angel of the Lord was sent to rescue them.
The angel gave them instructions on what to do – and the Apostles understood the instructions.
There are many more such incidents, but I will stop there in the interest of time.
Interestingly, there was only one incident that I could find in the bible where a man did not understand the language of a revelation conveyed to him.
And that was the incident of Belshazzar (in Dan 5).
Belshazzar saw the finger of a man writing on a wall, ….
And he could not understand those words.
It was Daniel who interpreted that for him.
And guess what? It was a message of judgement upon Belshazzar.
On the same token, in Gen 11 when God confused the languages of the nations, it was a judgement from God.
So I am convinced that it is not good & something is not right if you cannot understand the language of a so-called prophesy.
- #2 – Here’s point #2: The last surviving Apostle on earth was the Apostle John.
When he wrote the book of Revelation, he was fully aware that he was the last Apostle alive.
And it is with this knowledge that he wrote in Rev 22:18 “…If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues written in this book.”
This means that the canon of scripture has been completed.
Canon of scripture means all the 66 books that were to be part of God’s word – our Bible.
All that was to be revealed had already been revealed.
There are no more new revelations.
There are therefore no more prophets today – the way the bible defines prophets & revelation.
Why? Because the scriptures are sufficient to instruct all men for every good work, without the need for any new revelations. (2 Tim 3:16).
Now, what I have just said regarding the sufficiency of God’s word will mean nothing to you….
…until you personally study the scriptures & discover for yourself the wonders & depths of truths in there.
So, have we been reading & studying our bibles?
If we have not, how do expect God the Holy Spirit to speak to us?….since He speaks to us by His word today? – Heb 1
All of us are gifted with the ability to read & write.
Let us be good stewards of these privileges & use them to study God’s word.
So that’s the first thing I need you to know – the prophets in the old testament understood the language of the visions & prophesies given to them.
Now secondly, while Prophets in the old testament may understand the language of the visions & prophesies they received, they may not fully comprehend the extent of their message.
And one of the reasons for this is because revelation was progressive.
More and more was revealed since the days of Genesis.
But the important thing to note is that there was a main theme to all their prophesies.
And this main theme is also found in the book of Zechariah.
So what was this main theme that the prophets were mainly prophesying about?
To answer this question, I need you to refer you to 3 passages in the new testament.
These 3 passages will tell us how the Apostles interpreted old testament prophesy.
….and how they used terms like Zion, Jerusalem & Israel and how we should therefore understand these terms.
Because you will find these terms throughout the book of Zechariah, even in chapter 1 which we have just read.
Passage #1 – 1 Pet 1:10-11 –
“Of this salvation the Prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”
Let’s break up this long sentence we have just read – pay attention to the phrases underlined in your sermon outline.
Firstly, we note that the Apostle Peter tells us that the Prophets were writing about salvation – ‘Of this salvation the Prophets have inquired & searched carefully….”
Secondly, they were writing about God’s “…grace that would come to you….”
Who is this “you” he was referring to?
It is the Christian…because Peter was writing to believers.
Thirdly, the prophets were writing about “…the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow”.
They were talking about salvation and the Christ who would come.
That’s the main theme of what they were prophesying about.
That’s the main theme that we should find in Zechariah.
Who was their message meant for?
1 Pet 1:12 “To them it was revealed, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.”
Who was their prophesy for?
The Apostle Peter says it was NOT meant for the prophets, “not to themselves, but to us..” – The prophets were preaching to us.
That’s exactly what v12 says…
That’s what the Apostle Peter is telling us.
And he says that these were things that even angels wanted to know about at that time…
See how privileged we are to live in the NT?
We can now understand these mysteries which even angels desired to know about, which have already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
So what’s the main theme of old testament prophesies?
It was about salvation in Jesus Christ.
Passage #2 – Gal 4:24-25 – “….. For these are the 2 covenants: the one from Mt Sinai which gives birth to Hagar – for this Hagar is Mt Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children – but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
Once again, who was the Apostle Paul writing to?
He was writing to the Christians at Galatia – so it is meant for you & me as well.
And he tells us that there are 2 different Jerusalems:
One is a physical city, which still exists today.
Some of us had the opportunity to visit that city in 2018.
But that physical Jerusalem is associated with Hagar.
And Hagar represents people who are under the bondage of the law – it says specifically – Hagar is Mt Sinai.
What does that mean?
Remember, there are 2 ways to get to heaven:
- either you keep God’s law 100% (in other words, salvation by the merit of your works – which is impossible, or
- You depend on God’s grace alone
And Hagar represented the physical Jerusalem where people think they can get to heaven by keeping the law.
“Hagar is Mt Sinai”!
You don’t want to be part of that.
But, the verse also tells us that there is another Jerusalem which is spiritual.
And we are all part of this spiritual Jerusalem when we depend on God’s grace alone for salvation.
The Apostle Paul says that this is the Jerusalem – which is above and which is free,..that’s what the verse says.
And all Christians belong to this Jerusalem by the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ.
In other words, the spiritual Jerusalem is the Christian Church – the universal body of believers all over the world and in every age who depend on God’s grace alone for salvation.
That’s the spiritual Jerusalem & that’s what the prophets were prophesying about.
Passage #3 – Heb 12:22 – “But you have come to Mt Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels….”
Once again, who was the Hebrews writer writing to?
He was writing to believers or Christians.
So this verse is meant for you, if you are a Christian.
And he was telling Christians that “you have come to Mt Zion”.
What is Mt Zion?
When I was young, I used live at Blk 89 Zion Road.
I was quite elated because wow my home address is found in the bible.
But I don’t live there anymore & the estate has been demolished.
Although, the famous Zion Road Hawker Centre is still there.
But that Zion Road has nothing to do with Mt Zion in the Bible.
So what is Mt Zion?
We need the wisdom of the old testament to help us.
Psa 132:13 tells us that God has chosen Zion as His dwelling place – in other words, God dwells in Zion.
God’s house, His Temple is in Zion.
But where is Mt Zion?
2 Sam 5:7 tells us that the stronghold of Zion is the City of David –
Where is the city of David? It is in Jerusalem.
But which part of Jerusalem does God’s Temple or House reside?
In other words, where is God’s dwelling place, Zion, in Jerusalem?
2 Chro 3:1 – “Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah,..”
So, now we know – The house of the LORD, the dwelling place of God, Zion, is at Jerusalem & it is on Mount Moriah.
But is there any significance of Mount Moriah?
Gen 22:2 – “Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering ……”
This verse was about Abraham offering his only son as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.
And before He could do it, God intervened and provided a ram that was offered instead.
And that was a picture of God providing Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice to redeem His people.
And all these happened at His dwelling place (Zion on Mt Moriah) where His people were redeemed to Himself.
OK. Let’s put all these pieces of information together:
If Zion is the dwelling place of God & Zion is on Mt Moriah which is in Jerusalem and Jerusalem is a picture of the Christian Church, then it means that God dwells in the Church through the redemptive work of Christ pictured on Mt Moriah.
What an amazing picture it is, isn’t it?
The spiritual reality is that God dwells in the Church!
And this has already been fulfilled with the work of Christ on the Cross to save His people.
Can we confirm this? Listen to the Apostle Paul:
Eph 2:21-22
“in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” This verse makes it very clear isn’t it?
1 Cor 6:19
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, ….” – you were bought by the blood of Jesus Christ pictured in Mt Moriah.
Remember how Jesus prayed in John 17:21 – “..that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, …”
God dwells in the Christian Church.
This is one of the amazing accomplishments of the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross.
It is hard for us to imagine or fully comprehend what this means because we are thinking with our physical & sinful minds.
This is not the metaverse. This is the pentaverse & beyond – you see, our sinful minds will never be able to fully appreciate these spiritual things.
It will take us eternity & beyond to appreciate it.
This is the heavenly Jerusalem….a picture of the Christian Church.
The city of the living God.
A city without borders.
..where Christians all over the world & in every period of history, submit themselves to His rule as King.
What is the implication of all these to you if you are a Christian?
Remember this: God will not forget & God will not forsake His dwelling place.
So no matter how discouraged you are currently are, remember this – Zechariah means: The LORD remembers!
And the LORD remembers His people.
You Christians are citizens of the true Jerusalem – people who have come to Mt Zion where God dwells.
So when you read about Jerusalem in the books of the prophets, think about the Christian Church.
When you read about Zion – think about the dwelling place of God.
And God dwells in the Christian Church.
Once you have grasped that, you will appreciate how other prophets should be interpreted & why the Apostles have interpreted them that way in the new testament
….and I want to tell you that that will shape your view of eschatology as well.
…especially how you should understand Jerusalem when it is mentioned in the book of Revelation.
So when John Newton wrote the hymn – Glorious Things of thee are spoken, Zion City of our God…..he was NOT referring to the physical Jerusalem.
He was referring to the Christian Church.
And the Christian Church has a glorious future.
So, the Prophets in the old testament were writing about us and our salvation.
They were writing about Jerusalem which is a picture of the Christian Church.
Why am I am labouring on this?
Because like I said earlier, I need you to understand how I interpret Zechariah, which mentions Zion, Jerusalem & Israel again and again.
I know that’s a load of information.
But what a glorious picture it is, isn’t it?
If there is anything that you need to clarify, please talk to me later.
Now, with that key to old testament prophesy, we come to part 2 where we shall survey Zachariah 1.
And we will do it quickly by asking the following 3 questions:
- What has the LORD done? (verses 1-6) – The LORD has done what He said he would do
- Where is the LORD now? (verses 7-17) – The LORD is with His people
- How will the LORD protect His people? (verses 18-21) – The LORD will limit what unbelievers can do to His people.
Question 1 – What has the LORD done?
The LORD has done what He said He would do.
Verses 1-6 is a stern warning from God and a reminder to His people that He requires them to be holy.
Verse 2: “The LORD has been very angry with your fathers”.
Look around this Jerusalem that you are trying to re-construct.
Once it was a bustling city, full of joy & activities in the streets.
Now, it is a barren land.
Where are your fathers?
Some have been taken away as slaves.
Some have died in this very land when the enemies came.
Why has all these happened?
Verse 4 – …because they did not hear nor heed Me, says the LORD.
Verse 6 – because…just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.
God has warned that there will be consequences when we sin and when we persist in sin.
And everything He said He will do when we sin, He has done.
As a result, Jerusalem now lies in ruins.
Therefore, do not disobey anymore.
Return to God and He will return to you – verse 3.
Now, is there anyone in our midst who is consciously disobeying God?
I urge you to stop that right now because whatever God said He will do, it will certainly come to pass.
Do not look at the person on your left or on your right.
Look into your own heart right now.
Is there a sin you have been nursing?
Are there things you are refusing to give up even though you know they are not helpful to your spiritual life?
Is there pride in your heart that is causing you not to profess faith?
I want to remind you that the people in Noah’s days (in Gen 6) ignored the warnings of an impending flood.
They continued in their sin because they saw no rain.
But when the rain finally came, the door to the ark was already shut.
It was too late to repent.
The priest Eli warned his adult sons [who are way beyond the age of discernment] in (1 Sam 2) that their sinful actions were an abomination to the LORD.
But they ignored him because life was good; there appeared to be no need for any change.
Those of you who have grown up in Christian families, do you think your parents like to be like Eli to have to warn his adult children about sin?
Sadly, when disaster struck so suddenly, they had no chance to repent.
Let’s be reminded that the consequences of sin are real.
Zachariah saw it before his own eyes in the devastated land.
And you will see it in your own life if you continue to disobey the LORD.
All that you need to do is to “return to the LORD” – verse 3.
And the LORD will “return to you.”
That is a simple call for repentance from a merciful God.
What has the LORD done?
The LORD has done what He said He would do.
So, turn; turn back to Him before disaster strikes you.
We are asking 3 questions for Zech 1 & here is Question 2: Where is the LORD now?
You will find the answer to this question from v7-17
And the answer is encouraging – “The LORD is with His people”.
There are several things that Zachariah saw in this vision.
And he had an angel who guided him & helped him interpret what he saw.
And this angel spoke in a language that he could understand.
And we have the benefit of reading what he recorded.
So what did Zechariah see?
First, he saw myrtle trees.
What are myrtle trees?
I consulted our sister Suat Tian who has great botanic knowledge.
I’ve also done some research and this is what I got to understand.
Myrtle trees are ordinary trees that you will find along the roads in the middle east during those days.
They have white flowers and glossy leaves.
But there is nothing extraordinary about these trees that will draw your attention to them.
But, when their leaves are crushed, they give out a fragrance.
And so, these trees were used to produce fragrant oils.
And in the feast of tabernacles (remember there was a series on this for our RTBT reading?) – the feasts are not buffet meals – they are celebrations/events…,
During the feast of the Tabernacles, the leaves of myrtle trees are used for waving as part of the celebration.
And myrtle trees here are a representation of God’s people.
God’s people are ordinary.
There’s nothing particularly attractive about them.
I don’t know about you, I am very ordinary.
They are often despised and no one really pays attention to them.
But when they are crushed, tested by fire, sweet aroma comes forth from them.
And this demonstrates the genuineness of their faith.
1 Pet 1:6 – “…… the testing of your faith …. though it is tested by fire, may be found to the praise honour & glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ …”
So the first thing that Zechariah saw were myrtle trees.
Secondly, Zachariah saw (standing amongst the myrtle trees) the Angel of the LORD.
And notice, this “Angel” is angel spelt with a capital “A”.
When you see this in the bible, you know it refers to our Lord Jesus Christ before His incarnation.
And we are told in verse 11 that Jesus stood amongst the myrtle trees – verse 11.
Isn’t this a wonderful encouragement?
The ordinary, despised and unattractive people of God has Jesus in their midst.
So when you are feeling most miserable & you are facing the worst temptation or trial, remember this –
Jesus Christ, the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity stands amongst His people.
He knows exactly what is happening to you.
It’s just that we, in all our sinfulness, are not aware of His presence.
So I encourage you to cultivate an awareness that God is right there with you….
Whatever you are facing.
And may that be a reminder to us too that we should avoid sin, lest we grief Him.
Remember, God dwells in His Church.
Let us be comforted.
Thirdly, we are told in verse 8 & 10 that there were men riding on horses of 3 different colours walking to & fro throughout the earth.
And they reported to Jesus what they see & hear.
What we have here is a picture of how Jesus governs His world.
His angelic beings (the men on the horses) move to and fro the entire earth.
And they report to him everything that is happening in His creation.
And this is an activity that is taking place constantly.
Some angels will report good things – these are the ones on the white horse, …
Others will report bad things – these are the ones on the red horse,….
Yet others will report good & bad things – these are the ones on the sorrel horse (reddish brown).
So God knows exactly what is happening everywhere in His creation in real time.
Jesus has “eyes on the ground” – as it were.
Now, what did these angels report to Jesus?
Verse 11 – they reported that “…the earth is resting quietly”.
What does that mean?
While the people of God were trying to reconstruct Jerusalem and the temple….
While they were working very hard…..
While they were facing great sorrow and discouragement….
And in the midst of all these, the rest of the earth is resting quietly.
The countries that were around them Ammon & Moab …. Egypt, the Philistines, the Assyrians & Babylonians…
These were the countries which crushed Israel.
What was happening to them?
They were having a good life; enjoying peace & serenity.
Isn’t this true for many believers who seek to honour God with their lives?
They are under the most pressure in their work place because they want to glorify God.
They use their time outside of work to serve God and His people.
They try to lead their families into a different lifestyle in line with their calling.
There always seems to be so much to do and so few people to do the work of God.
And in the mean time, the rest of the world is enjoying peace and serenity.
And in seeing this situation, the Angel of God (with a capital “A”) cries out to God the Father in verse 12:
“O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”
O what a wonderful intercessor and advocate we have in Jesus Christ.
You see, God has chastened Israel for their sins.
Israel has been crushed by their enemies because God withdrew His mercy from them.
But while they are suffering in distress, Jesus – the Angel with the capital “A” – intercedes for them & He cries out to God the Father.
What a great high priest we have!
May you be comforted as we read how Jesus our advocate intercedes for us!
He has prayed for you even when you don’t realise it!
But more than that, please see the response of God to this intercession of Jesus:
“I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. – v14
Remember that Jerusalem is a picture of the Christian Church. Zion – dwelling place of God & God dwells in the Church.
V15 – I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease.”
The nations who were enjoying peace and quiet were used as instruments to chastise Israel.
But they did it with cruel intent. (verse 15)
Now God is responding to the intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And God says in verse 16 that “…He is returning to Jerusalem with mercy”.
“My house shall be built in it” says the LORD of hosts.
So God will dwell in Jerusalem.
God will deal with the nations that are currently at ease.
The temple shall be rebuilt.
Jerusalem will be revived again.
The Church will be preserved.
Sometimes, we may feel that the world is out of control.
We may be discouraged with recent events that took centre stage in our national discussions.
Perhaps you may be facing persecution or a “cancel culture” in your school, family or work place because of your faith.
And you may be experiencing great stress as a result of all that.
But remember – Christ rules on the throne in heaven.
The Church will be preserved.
God will deal with the nations who are enjoying peace and serenity.
He is angry with these nations.
He says in verse 17 “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.
This is a promise for revival in our souls & in the Church, if you are currently down casted.
So Where is the LORD now?
The LORD is with His people.
It’s good to know that the LORD is with His people.
But how will His people be protected against all these nations who are at ease?
And so, we come to the 3rd and final question – of chapter 1
How will the LORD protect His people?
The LORD will limit what the world can do to His people (verses 18-21)
In many of our modern translations, this section is often labelled as “The Vision of the Horns”.
What are “horns”?
“Horns” are symbols of power.
Animals who are strong usually have horns – think about the elephant, the bull & the rhinoceros.
And we learn in verse 19 that “..these horns are the nations that have scattered Judah, Israel & Jerusalem.”
Now, at that time, Israel was surrounded by hostile nations.
In the north & north-east, there were the Assyrians & Babylonians.
In the east, there were Ammon & Moab.
In the south, there Egypt.
In the west, there were the Philistines.
And they threatened to crush the people of God.
Horns that exist today can come in many different forms…..
Military threats, powerful influences, deceitful doctrines or even downright sin dressed in the name of human rights.
But for every horn, God has prepared a craftsman to terrify them. (v20-21)
What is the meaning of this “craftsman”?
What is a craftsman?
A craftsman is someone who is very skilful in an art or ability.
When you use a product created by a craftsman, you are confident that the product will do what it is designed to do.
Why? Because, by design the craftsman has intended that the product will work that way.
In other words, there is control over whatever outcome you experience for that product because it was designed to be like that.
So here’s the picture we have:
The LORD has limited what the unbelieving nations can do to Israel.
How? Whatever they are trying to do is limited by design under each craftsman.
For example, if there is a dictator who is terrifying the lives of believers, at the right time by design, this dictator will be taken down.
If there is a false teaching that is leading everyone astray, potentially even the elect, at the right moment the winds will turn in another direction so that the elect is preserved.
So, whatever these “horns” of the nations think they can do to terrify Israel at that time, nothing could stop the reconstruction of the temple.
Jerusalem will be rebuilt and will prosper again because God in His good time has prepared a craftsmen who will take down the terror of the nations.
Now what do all these mean to us?
Remember, Israel and Jerusalem is a symbol and forerunner of the Christian church.
The lesson here that the LORD is in absolute control of everything.
And He has a special care for His Church.
He is orchestrating everything for its sake.
And because of this, the Church is perfectly secured.
The Church has always been surrounded by its enemies.
There was never a time when there was absolute peace for the Church.
Whether it is some false doctrine,….
Whether it is backsliding, God in his wisdom will raise a craftsman to crush it at the right time.
If there is a military might that threatens to wipe out the Christian church, God has already prepared a craftsman who will take it into pieces at the right time.
Perhaps we may be discouraged by the recent events in our country that has implications on morality in this land.
But we trust our God that at the right time, by His design, a craftsman will terrify those who are propagating immorality in attempt to destroy the Church.
God has done what He said He would do.
And He will do it again because He is faithfuly .
Nothing could stop the 1st coming of Christ to redeem His people.
All the works of Satan trying to stop our redemption were crushed by design.
In the same way, nothing will stop the 2nd coming of Christ to bring us to Himself in heaven.
I hope you are looking forward to that.
And we have assurance of this security because Zachariah means “The LORD remembers”.
And who does the LORD remember?
The LORD remembers His people.
Make sure you are one of them!
The Gospel of Grace 