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Zechariah Chapters 1-6: 8 Visions in Inverted Chiasmus Short Outline of the Visions A. 4 horses, 3 exiles B. 4 horns scattering, 4 craftsmen rebuilding C. Measured height and width of Jerusalem-- construction of city/blessings D. High Priest Joshua anointed and crowned D. Temple completed by an anointed Zerubbabel C. 20 L x 10 W of scroll with Curses/destruction of houses B. Wind (which scatters) in the wings of two women, house building A. 4 horses, 3 returns As: Three Exiles of Zion ~to~ Three Returns of Zion Bs: Scattering Zion and Rebuilding Zion ~to~ Scattering the Wicked and Building a House for them Cs: Construction of Jerusalem and blessings ~to~ Destruction of the house of the wicked and curses Ds: Joshua the High Priest crowned, Christ's first coming symbolically (Christ is a high priest forever due to his own perfect sacrifice) ~to~ Zerubbabel completing the work of the temple and defeating a great mountain kingdom, Christ's second coming. A. Jeremiah (52:28-30): Three exiles Rider on Red horse, the Angel of Yahweh. Called a man as well. More to come on this. Myrtle trees as a symbol of prosperity (Isaiah 55:13). Very important to note that this goes into the thematic structure of the 8 visions, which is also something most of the prophets emphasized...From something bad like briers to something good like myrtle trees, From exile to return, From sin/punishment/curses to obedience/blessings, etc. A. Red. 2nd exile. Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple. B. Sorrel. 3rd exile. Governor Gedeliah overthrown by some rebels. Jeremiah 41:2. C. White. 1st exile. Best citizens, cream of the crop, taken to integrate with their foreign captors (Babylonians). 2 Kings 24:14. B. 4 Horns: Horn is a symbol of a specific king/kingdom strength/authority, see Daniel 8:5-9, Psalm 89:24/132:17 (David), carried on in Revelation 17:12. 4 kings that cause the most scattering, are likely the following Northern Israel: 1a Tiglath-Pileser III 2b Shalmaneser V (Sargon II possibly finished the siege). 2 Kings 17:4-8. Judah: 3a Sennacherib. Isaiah 36:1. Takes all of Judah, except Jerusalem. Or Esarhaddon? 4b Nebuchadnezzar. Takes Jerusalem. As begin, Bs complete. 4 Craftsmen: 4 Kings that decree rebuilding: 1a God Himself decrees first, see Jeremiah 33:7 and Ezra 6:14. 2b Cyrus the Great. Decrees work to begin on the temple. 3a Darius the Great. Allows work to restart on the temple from the decree of Cyrus Temple completed. 4b Artaxerxes I. Walls rebuilt against enemies. Focus is more on Judah because Northern Israel is basically lost… though not forever. There are many Bible prophecies about the return of Israel, see Jeremiah, see Micah. Also see Zechariah 14 concerning end times. C. Man with a measuring line (a pre-incarnate Christ, I believe, see also Ezekiel 40:3, Daniel 10:5-6, Rev 1:15) for rebuilding Jerusalem, to see what its width and length are. The altar and many temple furnishings were brass, see 2 Kings 25:13-17. Christ is compared to the temple. Future blessings: multitudes, and no wall but God's protection. Something more Messianic, as opposed to physical walls being built by Nehemiah. Eye is mentioned again: apple of my eye. Zechariah 2:8 D. The high priest Joshua is forgiven by the Angel of Yahweh (pre-incarnate Christ… Consider also Judges 13:20, Exodus 3:2-4). Notice: there is a forgiveness of sins pictured here, and then a messianic symbol is up next in Joshua. Then Joshua is crowned, which foreshadows Christ the Branch/Stone coming as high priest for all through His perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 4:14. Then a future messianic kingdom is mentioned in Zech 3:10; see Micah 4:3-7, particularly v 4. Pause in the cycle; the prophet falls asleep after the first four visions and is wakened again for the next four. Zechariah 4:1 D. Lampstand and Olive trees: The Temple, Joshua and Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel foundation and completion. Zechariah 4:8-9. Zerubbabel as a messianic figure-- Christ's return, specifically. Christ is Corner stone in Ephesians 2:20-21 (this verse appears to be referring to a capstone) and Capstone, “head of the corner”, in 1 Peter 2:7. Christ is the stumbling stone (foundation stone) and the stone that falls to crush in judgment (capstone). See Matthew 21:44. C. Flying scroll, measured 20 L x10 W, which is the size of the Holy Place of the tabernacle and of the Porch of Solomon in the temple. And the Brazen (brass) Altar. Curse against the households those who:
B. Woman in the Ephah. Hearkens back to Micah 6:10-11 which mentions the same words for wickedness, ephah and weight. These Jews will have a house in Babylon, and continue to do business there as an established community, unlike the scattering of the lost tribes. The eye symbol is likely a greedy one. Samuel 2:29, Proverbs 23:6, Ecclesiastes 4:7. Wings and wind and scattering: Zechariah 2:6 The talent of lead over the basket may also recall Jeremiah 6:29; the crude lead (Judah) is melted, but the impurities remain. Notice how this parallels with the 4 horns and craftsmen: Scattering is happening (wind in the stork (unclean/foreign) wings) and building is happening here. A house is to be built for this part of Israel being moved to Shinar). A. Two bronze mountains: Mt. Moriah (palace) and Mt. Zion (temple). Again, priest and king theme. Red Chariot: Possibly denoting Cyrus the Great (though Darius currently reigns). Messianic connections. See Isaiah 44:28 through Isaiah 45:1-5. (FYI, this is often why people assume there are two different Isaiah’s. There are not). A. Black: North (Babylon). 2nd wave of return: Ezra. Separation from foreigners (Ezra 9 and 10). B. White: also North (Babylon), and follows Black. 3rd wave of return: Nehemiah, following close behind Ezra. Governor Nehemiah instated. C. Dappled: South. 1st wave of return: Zerubbabel and Joshua, moving further south from Jerusalem into all Judea, or the south country is south of the North Country (Babylon). Rebuilding of Jerusalem and Temple. Note: The horses make up their own chiasm, too. Exile: 1. Angel of Yahweh (Red Horse) A. Red. 2nd exile. Red denoting greater bloodshed, war. Destruction of Temple. B. Sorrel. 3rd exile. Governor deposed. C. White. 1st exile. Took the best Israelites to integrate. Return: 1. Cyrus the Great (Red Horse) (directions not mentioned, but in consideration of the 4 winds of direction in verse 5, North and South have been taken, leaving East and West, which makes sense considering Cyrus is from the East, and moves westward to conquer the ancient near east). C. Black: North (Babylon). 2nd wave of return: Ezra. Message to not integrate with foreign women. B. White: 3rd wave of return: Nehemiah, following close behind Ezra. Governor instated. A. Dappled: South country, Judah. 1st wave of return. Rebuilding of Temple. 4 Categories of Horses in Zechariah: A. Exile B. Return A. War B. Peace (Holiness unto the Lord, see Exodus 28:36). More simplified: A1. A man, the Angel of the Lord, sitting on a red horse, which is standing among the myrtle trees 2. A. Red 3. B. Bay/Speckled/Brown. Governor deposed. 1. C. White A2. Cyrus chariot of red horses 2. C. Black. North. 3. B. White. Follows Black. Governor instated. 1. A. Grisled. South. Reversal Pattern: A1A2 is Judgment of exile to Mercy of return. It could be seen as a completion pattern, too. As: Destruction of city and temple to rebuilding city and temple Bs: Governor deposed to Governor Nehemiah instated Cs: Integration with Babylon to Separation from Canaanites Completion: 1s: First exile to First return (Zerubbabel and Joshua). The majority exiled and returned. 2s: Second exile to Second return (Ezra). Second largest numbers. 3s: Third exile to Third return (Nehemiah). Smallest numbers
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