Zechariah

Chapter One

-Israel is in captivity in Babylon because of their disobedience

-The Lord gave them many chances to repent

-Zechariah – means the Lord remembers
-born and educated in Babylon
-young when he returned to Israel
– God raised up 2 prophets – Zechariah and Haggai

-Zechariah tells them to learn from the choices they made
v7 – THE VISION OF THE MAN AND THE HORSES AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES

***Zechariah is given 8 visions – all in one night – in the next few chapters
1. visions come from the Lord
2. visions must line up with the Word of God
3. visions confirm what the Lord is saying
4. visions can be for the present and future
v7 – the 24th day of the 11th month – this is February in 519 BC on the 24th day

Darius – a Persian ruler
-Isaiah receives a Word from the Lord – it is a VISION from Jesus Christ…
v8 – I Saw – to see when someone is awake and conscious

myrtle trees – short evergreen shrubs and represents Israel
ravine or hollow – this is a very low area and represents them being in a state of despair and not having much hope
the man riding on a red horse – this is Jesus Christ
-this man is among Israel. Jesus stands with Israel…….

-red stands for redemption

redeemed from Babylon – represents the world
redeemed from Nebuchadnezzar which represents the devil
redeemed from the ravine – this represents hell
redeemed from slavery and bondage – this represents sin

v8 – behind Jesus Christ – Jesus is over and in front of everything

red horses – bloodshed

speckled horses – a mission of mercy and spanking mixed together

whiite horse – mens victory and triumph

v9 – is a title of respect, but the angel is not being called Lord
v10 these are angels dispersed through the earth
v1 – an Angel of the Lord — this speaks of Jesus
-Jesus is not an angel

-the angel reports back to Jesus that the earth is safe – RESTING
vs12-17 ——– the angel tells Zechariah to proclaim some good news to Israel
v12 – Lord of Hosts – it means Jehovah of armies
-it speaks of an organized army
-it speaks of a military campaign
How Long? What a question that all of us ask in life……

*How long is Israel going to have to go through this captivity and difficult times?

v13 – the Lord say “It is Time”……..to receive His blessings…
-the Lord is going to give good and comforting words

-it means valuable and gracious words
PROCLAIM – means to call out with energy and spirit/to make something publicly known
Let;s List Some Of The Lords’ Blessings
v14 – The Protection of the Lord

zeal – speaks of having a fiery passion and deep emotion for someone

-the Lord will protect Jerusalem

-Zion – are believers in Jerusalem
-the Lord protects unbelievers because of believers

-believers today are the resisting force – 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12

v15 – The Lord will defeat all of Israels’ enemies
-God uses the nations of the world to spank Israel, but they go to o far and He will take care of them

v16 – I Will Build My Church

-the temple and body of Christ (the church) will be built…….

v16 – I Will Restore Everything You Have Lost

Israel lost about everything, but the lord says that He will bring it all back

a surveyors line – this was a tool to measure where houses, businesses and the temple go
-you cannot see it yet, but the Lord will restore everything back to you – all you have lost
v17 – I Will Prosper You

spread out – means to be super abundant
*like water going everywhere

-prosperity is for everyone – chosen

-prosperity is from the Lord

-prosperity is the result of obedience