Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Zechariah 1

What should I learn from this chapter?

• Cyrus has taken Babylon. It is the second year of Darius.
• The 70 years prophecy is now on the precipice of it’s completion for releasing the captives, the city, and the temple.
• Prophecies: The Affliction: The Return: The Restoration

A Call to Repentance

Zechariah 1:¹ In the eighth month (of the Jewish Calendar: Heshvan) of the second year of Darius (536 BC), the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

• 536 BC was exile year 69 for Daniel, which was one year after Daniel had been put in the lion’s den. It is one more year until Daniel is released from captivity. In one more year, in 535 BC Cyrus will make a proclamation to free the Jews.
• See Timeline BC: Notable Events and scroll to 536 BC

Zechariah 1:² “The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has been very angry with your fathers. (Thus Affliction)

Zechariah 1:³ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’): “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’), “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’). (His Return)

• The word “Return” shows up in interesting places in scripture: The Jews are encouraged to “return” to God. Then God “returns” to them. The most interesting place is in the Jewish Feast of “Yom Kippur” known as the Day of Atonement.

• Yom Kippur is also known as “The Day of Return”. It is understood by the Jews as the day they return to the Lord in repentance and atonement. Yom Kippur in Hebrew means “Day-(of)-Atonement”.

• Whether literally or after a pattern: The High Holy Days follow the pattern of prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

THE DAYS OF AWE: THE DAYS OF AFFLICTION: THE HIGH HOLY DAYS ALSO CALLED THE YOMIM NORAIM: at the end YOM KIPPER is called THE RETURN.

• See Topic: High Holy Days

• Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 1:⁴ “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’): “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).

Zechariah 1:⁵ “Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?

Zechariah 1:⁶ Yet surely My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said:

‘Just as the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’) determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

• Jesus will literally return to Jerusalem to set up His Kingdom on earth. Every single Jew will know Jesus as their Messiah when He appears in the clouds. It took seven years of tribulation (affliction) to winnow them. At the end, they cry out to Him whom they (their ancestors) pierced.

Vision of the Horses

THE RESTORATION: A TIME OF REST: THE MILLENNIUM

Zechariah 1:⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:

 Zechariah 1:⁸ I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red (‘āḏōm) horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red (‘āḏōm), sorrel/speckled/pale green (śārōq/šāraq to hiss, whistle, pipe to hiss as a signal), and white (lāḇān).

• See Revelation 6:2-8 The four horses of the Apocalypse are White, Red, Black, and Green.
  Horses are symbolic of “forces”, the spirit of the Antichrist, the spirit of War, the spirit of Famine and Suffering, and the spirit of life upon which death and hell ride.

 Zechariah 1:⁹ Then I said, “My Lord/lord (‘āḏôn), what are these?” So the angel (messenger) who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”

Zechariah 1:¹⁰ And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”

• Satan also walked to and fro throughout the earth. Since Satan is in the Bottomless Pit during the millennium, these horses are resting without their riders.

Zechariah 1:¹¹ So they answered the Angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), who stood among the myrtle trees-, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold (miraculous!), all the earth is resting quietly (Lit. sitting and quiet).

• Jesus has returned and all is well. He rules as the nations rest in peace.
• If these are the same horses of Revelation, it appears their duties are over and they are now at rest: The Antichrist has been killed and the white horse is grazing. There is no war so the red horse stands quietly. The land yields her crops such that the plowman overtakes the reaper, And the treader of grapes overtakes him who sows seed; The mountains also drip with sweet wine. The black horse of famine is not mentioned. Lastly, the pale horse of death and hell has nothing to do: the world is without death (men live for a thousand years once again), therefore, since there is no death there is no place of the dead.
• The word “behold” is used for amazing, miraculous events. In this case: There is no war on earth!
  
  • The Hebrew letter “Hey” or “H” means “BEHOLD!”
    It is the letter God added to Abram and Sarai’s name when He called them Abraham and Sarah.
    It indicates becoming fruitful.
  • It’s the letter in God’s name “YHWH” where the Y and W stand for “nail” and “hand”. The four letters together literally read “Behold! My Nail. Behold! My Hand”. (Reading right to left).

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

SEVENTY YEARS OF CAPTIVITY
SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION (Daniel’s 70th Week).

Zechariah 1:¹² Then the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) answered and said, “O Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’), how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”

Zechariah 1:¹³ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. ¹⁴ So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim (Lit. Cry out), saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ):

“I am zealous (Or jealous) for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great zeal (Or jealousy).

Zechariah 1:¹⁵ I am exceedingly angry with the (these) nations (which will be) at ease;
For I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”

• The nations of Zechariah’s time will be the same nations attacking Jerusalem during the tribulation.
• God used them for His purposes, but they are responsible for their own evil intent and they will suffer the consequences.

Zechariah 1:¹⁶ ‘Therefore thus says the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ):

“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy (at the end of the seven-year tribulation);
My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’), (During the millennium)
“And a surveyor’s line (a straight line) shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’

• There are parallels between the 70 years and the 7 years of tribulation. Both will have a new temple. Both will return to righteousness.

Zechariah 1:¹⁷ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’):

“My cities shall again spread (or overflow with good) out through prosperity;
The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) will again comfort Zion,
And will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

Zechariah 1:¹⁸ Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns.

Zechariah 1:¹⁹ And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”

So he answered me, “These are the horns (Kingdoms or powers) that have scattered Judah (two tribes), Israel (ten tribes), and Jerusalem (the representatives of the entire Jewish Nation.”)

• Note: “Horns” represent a Kingdom / Power.

Zechariah 1:²⁰ Then the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) showed me four craftsmen (who devise).

Zechariah 1:²¹ And I said, “What are these coming to do?”

So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen (who devise in opposition) are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

• Four Powerful Kingdoms which scattered the Jews: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron on Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue (Daniel Chapter 2).
  Babylon, Medes & Persians, Greece and Rome.
• These kingdoms will be smashed to chaff by the four powerful roles of Jesus: Son of God, Son of Man, King of kings, and High Priest.

---