As we have had occasion to note before—and will again--apocalyptic literature is often intentionally obscure, designed to reveal its meaning to the chosen few but to withhold it from others. It is crisis literature—written in times of stress and persecution, it reflects the fears and uncertainties of the community to which it is addressed. In such times God feels remote and distant. Whereas classic prophetic literature is a dialogue between God and the prophet, the messages of apocalyptic writers like Zechariah is often mediated through angels.
Zechariah is a contemporary and partner of Haggai; both prophets are involved in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, one taking up where the other leaves off. Zechariah's first oracle is dated a month after the delivery of Haggai's last—November, 520 B.C.—and his chief concern, like Haggai's, is the rebuilding of the temple and restoration of Israel's worship.
He begins—quite appropriately—with a few words on prophecy and the many prophets that had been sent to Israel with the same message from the LORD—"Return to me. . .and I will return to you" (1:3). When the people did not heed the prophetic call to repentance, they perished. The prophets also did not live forever. But in time the truth of their message "overtook" the descendents of their original hearers, and they repented and surrendered to the LORD's will (1:6). Now again Israel is being called upon to repent and change the direction of their communal life, so that God can use them to fulfill his ultimate purposes in history.
In the first six chapters of the Book of Zechariah we find eight visions--the first is dated February 15, 519 B.C. This vision richly deserves to be called "surreal"—dream-like. It even takes place in the night and everything about it suggests a dream. Ancient people took dreams very seriously as divine messages and warnings. In this dream-vision the prophet sees a man on a red horse resting in a grove of myrtle trees. There are other riders there as well—more dimly seen through the gloom--on red, sorrel and white horses. This glen is apparently a peaceful place where these heavenly riders habitually pause to rest from their real task—"they are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth" (1:10)—angelic secret agents. The four riders report that presently "the whole earth remains at peace" (1:11). Under the authority of the powerful Persian kings, peace reigns; there is no war. But tranquility does not rule the hearts of the people of God. They are uneasy. God also is dissatisfied with the situation. He has been angry with his people and withheld his mercy from them for "seventy years" (1:12)—in the Bible the symbolic span of punishment and exile. But now God has forgiven their sins and become "jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion," his own chosen possession (1:14). The suffering of God's people is disproportionate to their crimes, and the LORD's anger has shifted from Israel and to "the nations," because when the LORD was "only a little angry," they "made the disaster worse" (1:15). They were vicious and tyrannical. But now God has "returned to Jerusalem with compassion," and he is determined his "house shall be built in it" (1:16). The finished temple will be not only a visible symbol of God's presence among his people, but also a sign that he has not forgotten his eternal covenant with them.
In his second dream-vision Zechariah sees "four horns"; these are symbolic of four dominant world powers (1:18). These are the nations that have in the past "scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem" (1:19). Then the prophet is shown four blacksmiths, and told that they "have come to terrify [these enemy nations], to strike down the horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people" (1:20). The people of God should be encouraged because their enemies will imminently be clobbered.
In his third dream-vision the prophet is shown a young man with a measuring line—a surveyors cord used to measure off distance. And in answer to the prophet's question, he says he is assigned "to measure Jerusalem" (2:2). But the young man is immediately informed by angels that the restored and glorified Jerusalem shall be of immeasurable size, like a village without walls "because of the multitude of people and animals in it." It cannot be enclosed (2:4). And as for fortifications, the LORD himself will be both "a wall of fire all around it" and "the glory within it" (2:5).
Now there is a pause in the flow of the book. The exiles who remain "with daughter Babylon" are called to "flee from the land of the north" and "escape to Zion" (2:6). Their safety is in peril. God is about to "raise [his] hand" against those who have plundered his people—whoever has touches them "touches the apple of [his] eye" (2:8). So the people of God are urged to depart from those nations—notably Babylon—because they are about to be attacked and to "become plunder for their own slaves" (2:9). But God will dwell in the midst of a restored Jerusalem, and "many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day." These foreigners shall also be God's chosen people (2:11). After the exile in Babylon among some Jews there was a new emphasis upon the conversion of the Gentiles and the role of a restored Israel as a center to which other nations would be drawn.
In the fourth vision Satan appears as he does in the Book of Job, as the "the accuser" in the divine law court. Here he stands up to accuse the high priest Joshua. He had suffered in exile, and that is the source of the LORD's description of the priest as "a brand plucked from the fire" (3:2). His degradation is also underlined by his "filthy clothes" (3:3). But Satan is prevented from accusing Joshua by the LORD's vindication. Instead the angel orders those standing by to take off the high priest's filthy clothes and cloth him in festal apparel as a sign that his guilt—and the guilt of the people--is taken away. The clean turban and apparel (3:5) are signs that the guilt and punishment associated with exile are over, and a new life has begun.
After the Babylonian exile the high priests of the Jerusalem temple assumed more than ritual importance; through his prophet God assures Joshua that he "shall rule my house and have charge of my courts" (3:7). The prophet, however, also suggests that the LORD intends to "bring my servant the Branch" (3:8). Who this Branch is intended to be is not altogether clear, but here it seems to be Zerubbabel, who is governor of the Persian province of Judea and a descendent of the house of David. The language is very obscure and guarded here, however—and for good reason. This talk of setting up a rival king would be considered treasonous by the Persian king, if he should get wind of it.
Zechariah's prophecy steps back from dangerous ground and returns to the high priest Joshua, upon whose headpiece the LORD proposes to place a stone with seven facets engraved with the seven Hebrew letters spelling the phrase—"Holy to the LORD" (3:9). The restored people will shepherded by a holy priesthood who be able to offer a sacrifice that will remove "the guilt of this land" and its people. And in the future they will live together in peace each "under [his] own vine and fig tree" (3:10).
Again the fifth vision takes place at night. The prophet is awakened from sleep by an angel and sees a golden lamp stand with seven oil lamps like the one which was part of the furniture of the temple. The seven lamps in the golden lamp stand represent the "eyes of the LORD" (4:10) that range over the whole world. The golden lamp stand is surmounted with a golden bowl. On either side of it the prophet sees is an olive tree which pours oil into the bowl through golden pipes. The two olive trees seem to symbolize the two powers in the community—the "anointed ones" (4:14)--the Davidic governor Zerubbabel and the Zadokite high priest Joshua, who "stand by the LORD of the whole earth."
The LORD directly addresses Zerubbabel—one of his "anointed ones"--giving him encouragement and a mandate for the task before him—the rebuilding of the temple; it will be accomplished "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit" (4:6). The message to Zerubbabel is a very personal one. Some obstacle that stands before him—a "great mountain" –will be leveled and become "a plain" (4:7). "The top stone," perhaps the capstone of the old temple, will be used in laying the foundation of the new one, giving it legitimacy. The works will be surrounded by rejoicing and by acclamations of "Grace, grace to it."
And Zerubbabel , who laid the foundation of the temple, is further assured that he shall complete it. Therefore, he is not to lose heart in the face of obstacles on the "day of small things"--this probably refers to the humble beginnings of the temple. The "plummet" is a leaden plumb bob used by masons to keep a wall straight. Those who were once uncertain and disillusioned will rejoice to see the governor, the LORD's chosen, will keep the project in plumb and on course to the end.
In his sixth dream-vision the prophet sees an enormous flying scroll—33 feet by 15 feet—with writing on both sides. It is a command to live righteously and contains curses directed at anyone who steals or swears falsely. The LORD demands honesty and integrity of the reconstructed community, and he himself will enter the house of anyone who disobeys his commands to and "consume it, both timber and stones" (5:4).
In the seventh dream-vision the prophet sees a basket brought in. When the leaden cover is lifted it reveals a woman crouched inside. An angel informs the prophet-- "This is Wickedness" (5:8)--and thrusts her back into the basket and puts a leaden weight on the top to keep her inside. The woman is probably representative of the female fertility goddesses so common in the ancient Middle East—Astarte, Asherah, Ishtar, and "the queen of heaven" (Jeremiah 44:11-19)—their sensual worship presented a constant temptation to the people of God. But in the reconstructed Israel idolatry has no place, and we are told that the prophet sees "two women" with "wings like a stork" (5:9) who lift basket containing incarnate Wickedness up "between earth and sky." In response to the prophet's question, the angel tells him that the basket is being carried to "the land of Shinar"—another name for Babylon—where a "house"—a temple—is to be built for it. (The goddess Ishtar was indeed one of the patrons of that city.) But Wickedness has no place in the renewed Jerusalem.
In the last of dream-visions Zechariah sees four chariots bursting forth from between two "mountains of bronze" (6:1). In answer to the prophet's question he is told by the angel that "these are four winds of heaven going out, after presenting themselves before the LORD of all the earth" (6:5). Winds from the four points of the compass are represented as the LORD's agents traversing to report what goes on there. For some reason no chariot is sent east—perhaps nothing significant is happening there.
The "north country" (6:8) refers to Babylonia—there is peace in that quarter. The LORD commands that an offering of silver and gold be collected "from the exiles" who have just returned from there to make a crown for the high priest Joshua. He is hailed here as the "Branch" (6:11) because he will "build the temple of the LORD" (6:12). Earlier in Zechariah's prophecy the Branch had been identified with the Davidic governor Zerubbabel (3:8) and for the same reason. But here the high priest is given "royal honor" and placed "upon his throne" to rule (3:13). It seems clear that in Zechariah's vision of the reconstituted Israel the secular and the religious princes will share the title of "Branch" and together rule a theocratic state as equal representatives of the LORD.
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