Visions In Zechariah

First Vision—Man Among the Myrtle Trees [Zec 1:8-17]

1. Angels and Spirit Beings in the Vision
   1. The Angel of Yahweh
      1. The Angel among the myrtle trees and
      2. The Angel speaking with Zechariah
   2. The horses sent throughout the earth—red, brown and white horses [Zec 1:8 cf., Zec 6:1-8]
2. The Angel Among Myrtle Trees
   1. The horses sent by Yahweh reported to him concerning the state of things in the earth [Zec 1:11 cf., Zec 1:8-9]
   2. He explained what the horses were to Zechariah [Zec 1:10 cf., Zec 1:8-9]
3. The Angel Speaking with Zechariah
   1. Zechariah asks him what the horses are [Zec 1:9]
   2. Yahweh speaks kind and comforting words to him [Zec 1:13]
   3. He commands Zechariah to proclaim the word of Yahweh given to him [Zec 1:14-17]
4. Two or One Angel?
   1. What is the relationship between the two angels—are they different angels or really the same angel?
      1. (If they were two angels) Who is “the Angel of Yahweh” that prays to Yahweh concerning Jerusalem [Zec 1:11]
         1. Apparently, it is the Angel speaking with Zechariah since it is he that Yahweh spoke the kind and comforting words to.
         2. The reasoning is this: if God is answering this Angel, then it must have been he who prayed.
   2. Since the horses reported to the Angel riding the horses, why is it that it is the Angel speaking with Zechariah that is concerned for Jerusalem and is comforted concerning her by Yahweh?
   3. They seem to be the same
      1. The angel speaking to Zechariah said he would show Zechariah what the horses were [Zec 1:9], but it is the Angel among the myrtle trees who answers Zechariah [Zec 1:10]
      2. Since his words to Zechariah were evidently the kind and comforting words of Yahweh,
         1. The angel speaking with Zechariah [Zec 1:14] must have been
         2. The one to whom Yahweh spoke kind and comforting words [Zec 1:13] who must have been
         3. The one who prayed concerning Jerusalem to Yahweh [Zec 1:12] who must have been
         4. The angel among the myrtle trees to whom the horses reported since it is to him that the horses sent by Yahweh into all the earth reported [Zec 1:11]

Deductions

1. His Relationship with Yahweh
   1. Since it was Yahweh who had sent the horses to go throughout the earth [Zec 1:10], yet they reported to the Angel of Yahweh among the myrtle trees [Zec 1:11], it is either
      1. The Angel of Yahweh among the myrtle trees is called Yahweh and was the one who sent the horses into all the earth (which is why they reported to him) or
      2. He has such a relationship with Yahweh that reporting to him is the same as reporting Yahweh
   2. He is loved of Yahweh. That Yahweh spoke kind and comforting words to him shows that Yahweh loves this angel
2. His Relationship with God’s people
   1. The Angel speaking with Zechariah intercedes for Jerusalem and Judah (and Israel).
   2. This Angel has a personal interest and concern for Jerusalem and Judah. We can see this from his prayer.
   3. This Angel is looking forward to the restoration of Jerusalem and punishment of her enemies—the fact that the world is at peace is what troubles this Angel.

Second Vision—Four Horns and Four Crafts Men [Zec 1:18-21]

1. Angels in the Vision
   1. Just the one speaking with Zechariah
2. The Angel Speaking with Zechariah
   1. The Angel speaking with Zechariah explained what the four horns and four craftsmen were to Zechariah [Zec 1:18-19,20-21]

Third Vision—Man With a Measuring Line [Zec 2:1-7]

1. Angels in the Vision
   1. The angel with a measuring line [Zec 2:1]
   2. The Angel who spoke to the angel with the measuring line with instructions to give Zechariah a word concerning Jerusalem [Zec 2:3]
2. Angel With the Measuring Line
   1. He had a measuring line to measure Jerusalem [Zec 2:1]
   2. He was asked where he was going by Zechariah [Zec 2:2] and
   3. He answered that he was going to measure Jerusalem to find out its length and breadth [Zec 2:2]
3. Another Angel
   1. He had a word from Yahweh concerning Jerusalem [Zec 2:5,4-5ff]
   2. He gave the word to the angel with the measuring line with instruction to run and deliver it to Zechariah [Zec 2:3]
   3. There is an honour that Yahweh will give this Angel—the time is coming when Yahweh will honour this Angel [Zec 2:8].
   4. At that time Yahweh honors this Angel,
      1. Yahweh will rouse himself from his dwelling [Zec 2:12]
      2. Yahweh will send this Angel against the nations that have plundered Jerusalem (and Israel) [Zec 2:8]
      3. The slaves of those nations will plunder them [Zec 2:9]
      4. Yahweh will come and live among his people [Zec 2:10]
      5. The Angel will live among the Israelites and they will know that Yahweh sent him to them [Zec 2:11]
      6. Many nations will be joined to Yahweh and will be the people of Yahweh/the Angel [Zec 2:11]
      7. Judah and Jerusalem will be holy [Zec 2:12]

Deductions

1. Relationship with Jerusalem and Judah
   1. The word he sent to Zechariah through the angel with the measuring line was about Jersualem [Zec 2:4]
   2. He said he would be sent against the nations who have plundered Jerusalem [Zec 2:8]
   3. He will come and dwell in Jerusalem [Zec 2:11]

Fourth Vision—Concerning Joshua the High Priest [Zec 3:1-10]

1. Angels and Spirit Beings in the vision
   1. The Angel of Yahweh [Zec 3:1]
   2. Unnamed angels who speak carry out the instruction of the Angel of Yahweh and of Zechariah clothing Joshua the High Priest [Zec 3:4]
   3. Satan [Zec 3:1-2]
2. The Angel of Yahweh
   1. Joshua the High Priest was standing before him [Zec 3:1]
   2. Satan was also standing before the Angel. Since Satan was standing beside Joshua the High Priest who was standing before the Angel [Zec 3:1], then he must have been before him.
   3. He delivered a word to Joshua from Yahweh [Zec 3:7]
   4. He took away Joshua’s filthy clothes and put rich garments on him [Zec 3:4]
   5. He personally took away Joshua’s sins [Zec 3:4]
3. Deductions
   1. His relationship to Yahweh:
      1. He is also called Yahweh [Zec 3:2 , Zec 3:1]
   2. On Satan:
      1. Satan is not under him—if he was, he wouldn’t have been rebuking him by Yahweh who chose Jerusalem [Zec 3:2].
      2. Nevertheless, since he could rebuke Satan, it means that he is higher in rank to Satan
   3. Relationship with God’s people
      1. Glorification of the Saints: Sin is embodied in the flesh which is scripturally a garment [Job 10:11; 2Co 5:1-4; 2Pe 1:13-14], then this Angel will change the saints flesh to Spirit, he will glorify the saints [2Co 5:1-4; 1Co 15:53-54]
      2. Atonement and forgiveness of sins: He delivers from sin and provides atonement—he is responsible removing Joshua’s sins [Zec 3:4].

Fifth Vision—the Golden Lampstand with Seven Lamps [Zec 4:1]

1. Angels in the Vision
   1. There is just one angel in this vision and he is the one who explains to Zechariah what vision of the Lampstand with seven lamps
2. The Angel of the Vision of the Golden Lampstand
   1. He had talked with Zechariah before; Zechariah said that he “returned” or  “came again” [Zec 4:1]
   2. He gave Yahweh’s words to Zerubbabel to Zechariah [Zec 4:6]
      1. Although Zechariah says that “the word of Yahweh came to me” [Zec 4:8], which may suggest that it was not the Angel speaking any longer, we can see that it is still the angel talking because part of the word from Yahweh was the answer to Zechariah’s question [Zec 4:4].
      2. After the word of Yahweh [Zec 4:9-10], that Zechariah still asks what the two olive trees (and branches) are [Zec 4:11,12], shows that the question he had originally asked [Zec 4:4] was about the seven lamps of the Golden Lampstand.
      3. The angel came forward in the next vision [Zec 5:5]
      4. He spoke of Zechariah’s people knowing that he was sent by Yahweh [Zec 4:9]

Deductions

1. Relationship with God’s people
   1. There is a desire that Jerusalem would know that Yahweh had sent the Angel to them [Zec 4:9]
2. This vision is connected to the preceding one
   1. The seven eyes of the stone and the seven lamps on the Golden lampstand indicating that the Stone is the Lampstand
   2. The Stone with the Seven Eyes of the preceding vision and the Capstone that would be brought forth to shouts of God bless it [Zec 4:7] and
      1. The Stone with Seven Eyes is also “the Servant of Yahweh, the Branch” [Zec 3:8-9] and also
      2. Is also symbolized by Joshua the High Priest [Zec 6:11-12]

So that the Capstone of Zerubbabel, the Stone with Seven Eyes before Joshua and the Lampstand with Seven Lamps are all one and the same.

Sixth Vision—the Woman in a Basket [Zec 5]

1. Angels and Spirit Beings in the vision
   1. The angel in the vision
   2. The two women with wings like those of a stork [Zec 5:9]
2. The Angel who Spoke with Zechariah
   1. He called Zechariah’s attention to the vision of the “measuring basket” or “ephah”, showed him what was inside the “basket”—the woman called “wickedness”—and covered it back with its lead cover [Zec 5:5-6,7-9]
   2. He told Zechariah where they were taking the basket [Zec 5:10-11]

Seventh Vision—the Four Chariots [Zec 6:1-8]

1. Angels and Spirit Beings in the vision
   1. The angel in the vision
   2. The powerful horses drawing each chariot—red horses, black horses, whites horses and dappled horses [Zec 6:2-3]
      1. These chariots most likely had riders.
      2. Though each chariot had more than one horse drawing it, they are all called four spirits, according to the number of the chariots.
2. The Angel who Spoke with Zechariah
   1. He explained to Zechariah what the chariots were [Zec 6:4-5ff]
   2. His words energized the horses who were straining to go throughout the earth [Zec 6:7]
   3. He spoke of the Spirit of Yahweh as “my Spirit” [Zec 6:8]

Deductions

1. His Relationship with Yahweh
   1. If he is not simply speaking for Yahweh, then calling Yahweh’s Spirit “my Spirit” [Zec 6:8] means that Yahweh has given him the fullness of His Spirit.
      1. If has such a claim on the Spirit of Yahweh, then, again, he is loved of Yahweh
   2. He is apparently quite powerful for his words gave power to the four chariots who were straining to go throughout the earth

Eight Vision— [Zec 6:9-15]

1. The Angel of the Vision
   1. Although he not seen in this vision, it is apparent that it is still an Angel giving Zechariah the vision [Zec 6:15,4 cf., Zec 2:8-9,11; 4:9,1]. If not then Yahweh God is saying that he was sent by himself.

Deductions

1. His Relationship with the Saints
   1. He wants the people of God to know that Yahweh sent him [Zec 6:15]

The Day of Yahweh

1. The Angel of Yahweh is “God” [Zec 12:8]

The Rest of Zechariah

The Angel of Yahweh, Zion’s King, the Stone and the Temple

1. Zion’s King was symbolized as
   1. Joshua the High Priest [Zec 6:12-13]
   2. The Branch [Zec 3:8; 6:12]
   3. The Stone with Seven Eyes before Joshua [Zec 3:9]
   4. The Capstone [Zec 4:7]
   5. The Lampstand with Seven Lamps, the Lord of All the Earth [Zec 4:14]
   6. As Zerubbabel who laid the foundation of the temple [Zec 4:9 cf., Zec 6:12-13; Zec 4:6-10]
2. Now observe that spiritually
   1. {Joshua the High Priest} is the King upon his throne, crowned and clothed in majesty—[Zec 6:12-13]
   2. {Zerubbabel} is {Joshua the High Priest}—[Zec 4:9 cf., Zec 6:12-13]—they both build the temple
   3. {Joshua the High Priest} is {the Branch}—[Zec 6:11,12]
   4. {The Branch} is {the Stone with Seven Eyes}—[Zec 3:8-9]
   5. {The Stone with Seven Eyes} is {the Capstone}—[Zec 3:9 cf., Zec 4:7]—they are both Stones and both concern the building of the temple
3. These all point to the Angel of Yahweh as Israel’s King
   1. Since he was in front of Joshua [Zec 3:1], the Angel of Yahweh is {the Stone with Seven Eyes} was before Joshua the High Priest [Zec 3:9].
   2. Zion’s King is the One who laid the foundation of the Temple. However, the Temple is Zion and the One who laid the foundation was the Angel of Yahweh. Therefore, Zion’s King is the Angel of Yahweh.
      1. The building of the Temple was to be by
         1. Joshua the High Priest, the Branch and
         2. Was to be after he had become King on his throne
         3. However, Joshua the High Priest never became and could never have been King since he was not of the tribe of Judah and of the house of David.
      2. Therefore, Joshua’s building of the Temple is not literal but spiritual.
      3. This means that the temple and its foundation in relation to Zerubbabel are not just literal but spiritual—it is the nation of Israel, the people of God [1Pe 2:5,9].
      4. Therefore, what God has in mind is the One who laid foundation of Israel and which is the Angel of Yahweh. (Consider his relationship to Jacob, to the exodus of Israel and the conquest of Canaan which is evident even in Zechariah’s prophecy.)

The Angel of Yahweh, Zion’s King and Judah’s Shepherd in Zechariah

1. Shepherds are rulers of the people and kings are shepherds [Num 27:16-17; 2Sa 7:8; Eze 37:24; 1Ki 22:17]
2. Jacob declared the Angel of Yahweh to be his Shepherd [Gen 48:15-16 cf., Gen 31:11-13; Gen 49:22-25]—he is their Shepherd, then the people of Israel are his flock.
3. The King who is coming
   1. Is himself “Yahweh” [Zec 14:9,16-17] and also
   2. Is at the same time someone close to Yahweh whom Yahweh calls “My Shepherd” [Zec 13:7]
   3. He will be attacked with the sword and pierced [Zec 13:7 cf., Zec 12:10]
4. Now, according to the record of Scriptures, the Angel of Yahweh is the only One who can fulfill this prophecy
   1. He is called Yahweh, is close to Yahweh and his words and actions are presented as Yahweh’s very own.
   2. The One they pierced is “Yahweh” yet Yahweh speaks of him as someone else [Zec 12:10] and so again points back to the Angel of Yahweh
5. His Reign
   1. The King of Zion (Judah and Israel) is prophesied as coming on a donkey [Zec 9:9-10]
   2. He will rule over the whole world and the nations that fought against his people will come yearly to worship him at Jerusalem [Zec 9:9-10; 14:16-17]
   3. Under his reign, there will be peace in all the world [Zec 9:9-10]
6. He will personally be their Shepherd
   1. Yahweh is angry with the shepherds, i.e., the leaders of Israel and will punish them [Zec 10:3]
   2. Yahweh will care for his flock, the people of Judah [Zec 10:3]
   3. Yahweh will get rid of their shepherds and will personally be their Shepherd [Zec 11:7-8].
      1. This is symbolized with Zechariah getting rid of the former shepherds and replacing them with himself as the shepherd of the flock [Zec 11:7-8].
      2. We often only see the future this prophecy speaks of—the betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver [Zec 11:12-13 cf., Mat 26:15; 27:9-10], however,
      3. It also speaks of the past,
         1. Since the breaking of the bond between Ephraim and Judah happened in the past, and
         2. Since this resulted from their rejection of Yahweh their Shepherd [Zec 11:14], and
         3. Since the Angel of Yahweh is their Shepherd
         4. This prophecy also indicates that the Israelites had rejected the Angel of Yahweh

The Angel of Yahweh on the Day of Yahweh

1. As Israel’s shepherd, he will save them as his flock—“the flock of his people” [Zec 9:16]
   1. He will appear over them [Zec 9:14]—“Yahweh”
   2. He will sound the trumpet [Zec 9:14]—“Adonai Yahweh”
   3. He will shield his people [Zec 9:15]—“Yahweh Sabaoth”
2. We know that this is the Angel of Yahweh for he will go ahead of Judah on that day [Zec 12:8]
   1. The expression “like the Angel of Yahweh going before them” certainly point back to the Angel of Yahweh who led Israel out of Egypt [Exo 14:19; 23:20-23]
3. He declared earlier that Yahweh would send him against those who plundered his people [Zec 2:8 cf., Zec 12:9]

Deductions

His Relationship to Yahweh and Israel

1. Though he is called Yahweh and God, the Angel of Yahweh prays to Yahweh.
2. Although this Angel loves the people of Israel, they, however, belong first to Yahweh and He determines what this Angel can do, when and how.
3. Therefore, though very great, the Angel of Yahweh is under Yahweh.
4. The Angel of Yahweh has a personal relationship with Judah and Israel and seeks their wellbeing by all means
   1. He intercedes for them,
   2. Atones for them, and
   3. Will fight for them against their enemies.

The Future of the Angel of Yahweh

1. Apparently, the prophecy of Zechariah is not just about the future of Israel but also about the Angel of Yahweh. This is especially clear from the first part
2. The Angel of Yahweh looked forward to an honor from Yahweh,
3. After this honor, he will be sent by Yahweh against the enemies of Israel and he will raise his hand against them [Zec 2:8-9] and
4. He will usher in the Day of Yahweh when many nations will be joined to Yahweh and Yahweh will live among His people [Zec 2:10-11; 14:16]
5. After receiving the honor, the Angel of Yahweh will live among them [Zec 2:11]
6. The Angel of Yahweh is going to be King of Israel

It is quite hard to see the implication of some of the Scriptures because they are unexpected and because, as far as the Scriptures are concerned, no such thing has ever happened before.