Burunche’s Blog

The Destroyers of Jerusalem Destroyed

“Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.

On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light. And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea (The Dead Sea) and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.

All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.

And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

In that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels, and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

All Nations Will Worship the King (Leviticus 23:33-44; Nehemiah 8:13-18)

Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, the rain will not fall on them. And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar. Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.

One of the challenges of dealing with prophecy is trying to decide when the prophecy might be fulfilled. A second challenge is dealing with the differences in cultures between the time the prophecy is first uttered and the present day. The first part of this chapter is readily understandable. Nothing is more likely than that Jerusalem will be attacked and conquered with looting and rape, and that half its people may be wiped out. The idea of a cataclysmic earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives and level hills into plains is also quite possible; the Jordan Valley is an earthquake – prone area that continues all the way down into the African continent as the Rift Valley.

A natural question is why? Why is God going to allow Jerusalem to be conquered and looted before Messiah finally comes in to defeat the foes? Is it because this is the only way in which people will come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah? Only God knows. But Messiah WILL come and there will be no more night or darkness. “Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” Are these “holy ones” angels or saints? We do not know, but we can trust that these are those who have proven faithful and true.

“And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea (The Dead Sea) and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.” The living water of God is going to flow into the Dead Sea, making it alive again. That valley that was blighted when God struck Sodom and Gomorrah will team with life.  

“And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” Will nuclear weapons be involved? We do not know, but certainly these descriptions fit with victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In that day the Lord God will be King over the entire earth, and people from all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship Him. Those who refuse to worship the Lord will find their lands consumed by drought.

APPLICATION: What can we gain from this last chapter of Zachariah? Parts of it are difficult to understand. Will people really be using so many camels and horses or is this another example of God communicating truths in the only fashion that the people of Zachariah’s day would understand?

The main message for all of us is that Jesus the Messiah WILL come and set all things right. Those who refuse to worship may suffer and die outside the love of God, a love that they themselves have rejected. When Jesus’ disciples asked him when God would bring the end of things, Jesus told them that he did not even know, that only God the Father knew. But Jesus did promise his disciples that the end would come like a thief in the night. Today is the only day we are promised; let us worship and serve God today while we still have time!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we do not understand everything in Your Word, but we do not have to. Help us to love You and to serve You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

An End to Idolatry

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.

And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth. ’ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest ?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31)

Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

Idols, false prophets, stains on the land – If only the Israelites had followed God’s instructions in the first place, things could have been wonderful. Instead of worshiping the One True Living God, the One who had already delivered them from the most powerful army in the entire world and who had fed and watered them for forty years, the Israelites plunged into full-bore idolatry. God wanted the Promised Land to be cleansed; instead, they have made things even worse. What can possibly cleanse this land and these people?

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.” 

Only God can do the cleanup job necessary. God promises to ERASE the names of the idols from the land so that they will no longer be remembered. God is also promising to remove false prophets and the unclean spirits inspiring them from the land.

Why is such an act necessary? Demons are territorial and they refuse to give up their territory unless a stronger Force comes against them. Even if it appears that things are all right, the demons may still be lurking. Several years ago, a series of tragedies took place in a particular part of the town in which we were then living. When local Christians began praying over the situation, one of them suddenly got a vision of a large fetish tree swarming with little demons. In fact, such a fetish tree had stood at an intersection for several years until a local church bought the property and took down the tree. The tree may have been gone, but the demons were not. 

“And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.” Study the Mosaic Law and you will realize that parents are allowed to kill offspring who blaspheme or commit other unspeakable acts. Parents will fear God so much that if their son persists in false prophesy, they will kill him, lest they be struck down for failure to do so.  

“And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth. ’ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest ?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’”

Those false prophets fortunate enough to be spared by their parents will repent and cease donning strange outfits to make themselves appear more important or more frightening. To avoid death, the former false prophets will claim to be peasant farmers. The wounds mentioned are probably self-inflicted ones incurred during idol worship. When Elijah was confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the Baal worshipers cut themselves in desperation, hoping to summon Baal in the process. Now these men will have to lie about these wounds to save themselves. Here God is mocking the idol worshipers, since He has never demanded ritual wounding as a form of worship.   

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

This is a strange passage. The part about “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” came true when Jesus was taken captive and his disciples fled. But what of the threat to cut off two-thirds of the people from the land? It may be that two-thirds of the people will refuse to follow God and there will be a time of reckoning. Is God unjust or unmerciful? NO! The entire universe tilts on the axis off free will. God has not created people to be puppets. These people will make their own choices, choosing oblivion in the process. But God also promises to leave one-third and to purify them and call them His people. These people are the ones who have not rejected God.

APPLICATION: The Bible tells us that when Satan fell from heaven, one-third of the angels fell with him. These angels became territorial demons, taking up residence throughout the earth. If we refuse to acknowledge the presence or influence of the demonic, we are merely fooling ourselves. Dean Sherman from YWAM teaches that “There is more power in one drop of the Blood of Jesus than in all the forces of hell.” While that statement is absolutely true, nonetheless, demonic influences abound and we must take care that we do not allow evil to creep into our lives unnoticed. We do not have to live in fear because God has promised to lead us and guide us if we only ask Him. Let’s do that now.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our eyes to see anything in our lives that is not of You and to reject it. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jerusalem Will Be Attacked
”This is the burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem.
On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured. On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts: ‘The people of Jerusalem are my strength, for the LORD of Hosts is their God.’
On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the residents of Jerusalem remain secure in Jerusalem. The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the residents of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them. So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning the One They Pierced (John 19:31-37)
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns an only child, and weep bitterly for Him as one grieves a firstborn son. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives.”

One of the challenges of considering prophecy is the question of “When?” When will these prophecies be fulfilled? At first, it is tempting to remember the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.; however, this passage speaks of an attack by “all the nations of the earth.” This phrase implies a more internationally mixed host.

“I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations.” God is promising to make Jerusalem and Judah a heavy stone that will literally crush all those who attack. God is also promising to strike horses of attacking armies with panic. Armies don’t use horses very much anymore; however, computer failures could wreak havoc with attacking weapons. God is speaking to people who have never imagined computers; He must use language that will convey His fundamental meaning to His people.

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the residents of Jerusalem remain secure in Jerusalem. The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the residents of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

As I write these words, huge forest fires have been consuming millions of acres in Canada, spreading smoke across much of the United States. A lack of rain, coupled with lightning strikes has resulted in a conflagration of enormous proportions. For the ancient Israelites, one of the worst catastrophes imaginable would be someone setting fire to the dry sheaves of grain. There would be one loud “WHOOF!” and everything would go up in flames. Now God is promising that the clans of Judah and the city of Jerusalem will be so mighty that they will consume all the nations around them. God promises to revive the house of David, transforming David’s descendants into an unstoppable force.

“Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns an only child, and weep bitterly for Him as one grieves a firstborn son.” This is Messiah speaking! At a certain point, God will send the conviction of the Holy Spirit on His people and those who have hitherto refused to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah will do so, grieving deeply that they have waited so long.

APPLICATION: It’s easy to understand the verses about God protecting Jerusalem and Judah, but why will people who have refused to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah grieve so deeply? People of all ages need love above all else and will do nearly anything to get it. But Jesus Christ can offer something nobody else can: pure and unadulterated love, the love that has sent him to the cross to die for the sins of all the people of the world. When people encounter love of that purity, they suddenly realize that they have been fighting the One who loves them better than anybody else. Looking at lost time and opportunities, no wonder that people will grieve! All that loneliness, all that suffering, and all the time, Jesus has been waiting for them to turn to Him.

Do we really have to wait for a catastrophe to happen before we turn to Jesus? Why can’t we lay down our foolish pride and allow Jesus’ love to transform us? Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we don’t understand how or why You can love us, but we are thankful that You do. Help us to lay down our foolish pride and allow You to change us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Desolation of Israel

“Open your doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars. Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has come down. There is the sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins.

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

What’s going on here? Why all this talk about trees and worthless shepherds? And what’s the significance of the thirty pieces of silver?

Here Zechariah is foretelling that Lebanon and the entire area around the Jordan will be conquered and devastated. Until now, there have been dense forests close to the Jordan River; however, invaders are about to strip that area  of its trees. The lions that once roamed these forests will be roaring in anguish. These lions represent the nations surrounding the Jordan River.

Then Zechariah begins describing worthless shepherds that were herding the flocks, possibly the flocks intended for sacrifice in the temple. The two staffs are symbols of God’s covenant with His people. But those who were to lead God’s people have proven worthless, refusing to keep covenant with God. Now God is about to break off that covenant and allow His people to be killed and carried into exile. First, God breaks the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Next, God orders Zechariah to behave like a foolish shepherd, a leader who has no concern for his people, as a sign of the woefully inadequate leadership in the two nations. But why the story of the payment of thirty pieces of silver?

Thirty pieces of silver is the accepted price of a slave  in the time of Jesus. The Jewish leaders will pay Judas Iscariot thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus-an indication of how little they think of Judas and how little he also thinks of Jesus. Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus because Jesus will not fulfill Judas’ expectations of an earthly kingship and Judas will be revolted as a result. When Zechariah requests his wages as a shepherd and is paid thirty pieces of silver, it is a prophetic act foretelling what will happen to Jesus. It is ironic that the true Shepherd of Israel will be sold to those who wish his death for the price of a slave. On the way to Calvary, Jesus will endure countless humiliations, and this price will be among them.

APPLICATION: Today, there are many worthless shepherds and very few true ones. Many leaders are bowing to what is politically expedient, rather than maintaining Biblical standards. Recently, one avowedly Christian university has refused to allow a national Christian men’s movement to use their campus as a meeting place because that movement has boldly stated that they continue to honor Biblical standards of sexuality.

Zechariah is an honest man; for God to order Zechariah to behave as a worthless shepherd is a severe test of Zechariah’s ability to obey. As Zechariah is symbolically breaking those staffs, he must feel horrible. Those broken staffs indicate that God’s people have broken their covenant with Him and must now suffer the consequences. As a prophet, Zechariah can already see the bloodshed that is coming and hear the wails of the dying.

What does God want of each of us? God desires us to honor Him, to worship Him, and to follow His tenets. Micah 6:8 tells us, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” God has not changed, and neither have His precepts.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, raise up shepherds who will lead faithfully, no matter what. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Restoration of Judah and Israel

“Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.

For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wend their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd.

“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the goatherds. For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased.

 “I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return. I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them. He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea:
all the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. “So I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name,” says the Lord.”

RAIN! Right now, farmers in much of the world are crying for rain. Crops that should be flourishing are withering for lack of rain. Here in our little village, we had heavy rain two days ago, and the farmers immediately went to their farms to take advantage of the softened earth. Our area is dry for much of the year, so rain is a precious commodity. It was the same thing in Zechariah’s time. Unfortunately, some of the pagan deities the Israelites were worshiping were rain gods or fertility gods, ignoring the One True Living God who truly did control the weather. The god Baal was frequently portrayed as a man standing on the back of a bull and holding a lightning bolt in his hand. Here God is proclaiming that He and not Baal controls even the lightning.

The priests and prophets for those false gods must have been masters of special effects that would impress their followers. Caught up in idolatry, the Israelites refused to realize that all the prophecies from these people were convenient lies. Who are the shepherds and goatherds referred to in this passage? These are the spiritual and political leaders who should have led people in straight paths but who have abandoned the people to wander willy nilly without protection. Now God promises to do what these leaders failed to do.

“For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.”

Not only does God promise to protect His people, but He also promises to bring them back from exile “until no more room is found for them.” God promises to make ways through the oceans, to dry up the River (most likely the Euphrates), and to strike down the Assyrians and Egyptians so that they are no longer world powers.  Although these events might seem impossible, the truth is that the Euphrates River IS drying up! “The Euphrates River is at risk of drying up due to climate change. Temperatures in northeastern Syria have risen by one degree Celsius compared to 100 years ago, and average rainfall has decreased by 18 millimeters per month per century. The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources warns that the river could be dry by 2040.” (The Center for Strategic International Studies – https://features.csis.org/the-future-of-the-Euphrates-River/)

Finally, God promises to strengthen His people. “So I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name,” says the Lord.”

APPLICATION: Years ago, I had an elderly friend who told me that she came to faith in Jesus Christ when she saw Biblical prophecies coming true as Jews fled from war-torn Europe and other parts of the world to found the State of Israel. Now we are watching this Biblical prophecy about the Euphrates River come true in our time. “But,” you say, “this is all due to climate change and the number of dams on the rivers feeding into the Euphrates.” My answer: So what? God is sovereign; if He chooses to use climate change for His purposes, is He not allowed to do so? Our problem is that our concept of God is far too small; we are in danger of reducing the Ruler of the Universe to the level of one of the teraphim, a small household deity that is only good for little petitions but not for big ones.

How many of us need help? How many of us are feeling broken and in need of restoration? God is promising to send healing rains, rains of mercy and grace, and He will do this for us if we will only ask.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, each of us needs Your healing touch, Your mercy, Your grace. Come into our hearts and heal the wounds. Send the rain of Your love to water our lives, so that our lives will become beautiful proofs of Your power. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 Israel Defended Against Enemies

“The burden of the word of the Lord against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus its resting place (For the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord); also against Hamath, which borders on it, and against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. For Tyre built herself a tower, heaped up silver like the dust, and gold like the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will cast her out; He will destroy her power in the sea, and she will be devoured by fire.

Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful; and Ekron, for He dried up her expectation. The king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

“A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. I will take away the blood from his mouth, and the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he shall be for our God, and shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite. I will camp around My house because of the army, because of him who passes by and him who returns. No more shall an oppressor pass through them, for now I have seen with My eyes.

The Coming King

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’

God Will Save His People

“As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. For I have bent Judah, My bow, fitted the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man.”

Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south. The Lord of hosts will defend them; they shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; they shall be filled with blood like basins, like the corners of the altar. The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land—For how great is its goodness and how great its beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.”

God is promising more wonderful things to the people of Jerusalem.

1. God promises to defeat Judah’s enemies – Hadrach, Damascus, Hamath, Tyre, Sidon, and the cities of the Philistines Ashkelon, Gaza, Ashdod, Ekron. “A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod…” Such a development would shame the Philistines who prided themselves on their pure blood. God promises to protect the Jews. “No more shall an oppressor pass through them, for now I have seen with My eyes.”
2. Messiah is coming! “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’  When describing Palm Sunday, John quoted these verses to prove that Jesus was fulfilling this prophecy. (John 12:15)
3. Finally, God promises to save His people. “The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land—For how great is its goodness and how great its beauty!”

For centuries, Jews around the world have contemplated these verses and have begged God for their fulfillment. Christians believe that Jesus the Messiah has already come, but these verses are yet to be completely fulfilled. On the other hand, considering the large number of missiles striking Israel daily, it appears that God really IS protecting Israel.

APPLICATION: There are many people who wonder if the prophecies in the Bible have ever come true. Part of this chapter describes the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The unusual details are completely fulfilled. Other parts of this chapter may be in the process of fulfillment even as we are reading this. God fulfills His promises every time. What does this mean for us?

There are many promises throughout the Bible. At any given time, one or more of these promises may apply to our situation. How can we know if we can safely apply a promise? First of all, pray and ask God to give you His peace about that promise. Then look at your situation. Can you apply the promise without twisting either your situation or the wording of the Bible? If the promise still stands, then claim it and thank God for giving it to you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for Your precious promises. Lead us to the promises that we need and help us to apply them honestly and faithfully. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

“Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.’ “Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ says the Lord of hosts.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days
these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord of hosts, that the temple might be built. For before these days there were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; there was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; for I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase,
And the heavens shall give their dew—I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these.
And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong.’

 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.’ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”

WOW! Remember that Zechariah is sharing these prophecies with people who are under threat of attack. The citizens of Judah and Jerusalem have already watched the conquest of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians. Zechariah’s previous prophecies have been anything but encouraging as he has decried the corruption and hypocrisy of the Judeans. But now God is promising incredible things.

1. God promises to live in the middle of Jerusalem. “‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’
2. God promises that both the elderly and the young, the two most vulnerable people groups, will safely live in Jerusalem. “Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’
3. God promises to return Jewish exiles from all over the world. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’
4. God promises incredible prosperity to the future citizens of Jerusalem. “But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew—I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these. And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong.’
5. God promises to do good to Judah if its citizens will follow His commandments. “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear.”
6. The prescribed feasts will be days of great joy and celebration.

People from all over the world will flock to Jerusalem. In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”

APPLICATION: We read these promises and think, “Great! But I don’t live in Jerusalem.” But God does not play favorites. God will live with anybody anywhere at any time who will honor Him and who will follow His commands. “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

Another thing to notice is the peace that will overtake Jerusalem when God lives in the midst of her. These days, parents fear to allow their children to walk to school or to play outside their homes in case of kidnapping, drive – by shooting, and the like. But in the new Jerusalem children will play safely in the streets while the elderly watch them.

Violent video games, violent war games on the internet, even violent cartoons are now the norm. Internet pornography sites have proliferated and beautiful kidnapped children are sold to the highest bidder on the dark web; yet, there are those who are certain that disarming the population will automatically eliminate violence in public places. The only Person who can turn our society around is the Creator of the Universe, the One True Living God.

As long as we refuse to play by His rules and ignore Him, rebelling against Him, society will continue to disintegrate. Our situation is very similar to that of the citizens of Jerusalem in Zechariah’s time. But God’s promises apply to us as much as to Zechariah’s listeners.  When we speak truth, support just judges, justice, and peace, and when we refuse to think evil against our neighbors or loving false oaths, God will be with us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help everyone who reads these words to follow Your tenets. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Obedience Better than Fasting

“Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

Disobedience Resulted in Captivity

Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

There is a word in Yiddish, “Chutzpah.” Anyone having chutzpah has incredible amounts of nerve. It is said that someone possessing chutzpah might shoot both his parents and then throw himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan. Based on that definition, these men who are coming to inquire from the priests and the people backing them have huge amounts of chutzpah! Look at the question these men are asking: “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” There’s an implied complaint here. These men are furious because God has refused to bless them even though they have been going through ALL these religious motions! “God, what’s wrong with you?!”

Too bad for these guys that God isn’t putting up with this rubbish. “‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

God knows the hearts of these people and they are complete fakes! While observing religious rites, these people have absolutely refused to follow God’s commands. “Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’” God is far more concerned about His people following His commands and being just and merciful; however, they have completely blown off everything God has commanded them to do.

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

God’s people have not gone into exile because they have been so virtuous but because they have “refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they cannot hear.” These people have hearts of stone and they have shoved their fingers in their ears, bringing God’s judgement on themselves as a result.

APPLICATION: Reading much of the Old Testament might give you the same feeling as watching a horror movie; you know something terrible is going to happen and it’s only a question of when. Read the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and you realize that God has given the Israelites a complete outline of how to conduct themselves righteously so that they can be blessed. One of the main laws of God’s kingdom is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. Give out justice, mercy, righteousness, honesty, etc., and God will bless you. But rebel and violate God’s principles and you are on your own. No blessings from God. Repeatedly, God warns His people the consequences of disobedience, and repeatedly they run off to fertility cults, child sacrifices, etc.

“So what?” you might ask. “What does this have to do with me?” God’s principles have not changed; He still wants us to follow these tenets: “Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’” Times may have changed and cultures may have changed, but God’s principles remain the same.

How do we interact with our families? Our neighbors? Our fellow workers? Our fellow church members? The other families involved with our kids’ athletic teams? The list is endless. The question is simple: Are we merciful or not? Are we just and compassionate? If we know families headed by single moms, how are we coming along side to help nurture those kids? If there are immigrant families in our school district, do we reach out to them or shun them?

Remember, sooner or later, you or your children may find yourselves in need of assistance. When a Jewish religious leader asked Jesus which of the commandments was the greatest, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

What do we gain by obeying God? Obedience brings blessings of all kinds. Sure, you can rebel against God; however, you are cutting off your own nose to spite your own face. You and your family members are the ones who will suffer from your disobedience.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, speak to the hearts of all who read these words, so that they will understand the manifold blessings You have in store for them if they will only obey You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Vision of the Four Chariots

“Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:

“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, aand He shall build the temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’

“Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the Lord for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

At first, this vision is confusing. Many people think that the two mountains referred to here are the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion. Referring to these mountains as mountains of bronze indicates that they are robust and unlikely to crumble. What is the significance of the colors of the horses? Red generally indicates war, black, famine and death, white, victory, and dappled, famine and pestilence.

Both the black and white horses are sent to the North, the location of Babylon and Magog. These angelic monitors are to bring peace to that area. ““See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” The dappled, representing pestilence, are headed to the south. There is no assignment for the red horses but they too are roaming the earth.

The second part of the vision concerns the creation of an elaborate crown that will be created as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. The crown is to be placed on the head of Joshua, the high priest as a sign of the eventual sovereignty of the Messiah. ““Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’

Traditionally, the roles of prophet, priest, and king have been separated, except for one man: King David. David wrote psalms, many of which were prophetic. David fulfilled some priestly roles, although he was careful to avoid infringing on the duties of the priests. And of course, David was King over Israel. Here the current high priest Joshua is to be crowned as a prophetic gesture of the triple roles the Messiah will play: the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. Why is Joshua so crowned rather than Zerubbabel? Perhaps Joshua’s family is more closely descended from the Davidic line than Zerubbabel’s. And Zerubbabel is only the political leader whereas Joshua is a spiritual one who might fulfill two roles, prophet and priest. The most important statement is the final one: “the counsel of peace will be between them both.”

Finally, the crown is to remain in the rebuilt temple as a memorial to the four men who donate the silver and gold to create it. But it will also serve as a sign that God’s promises will be fulfilled if only His people will remain faithful.

APPLICATION: Reading these visions, your response might be, “O.K., great, but so what? What does this have to do with me?” Think about the actual situation the returnees from Babylon are facing. Jerusalem is in ruins; her gates have been burned with fire. Nature abhors a vacuum, and while the exiles have been in Babylon, other people have moved in to occupy the land, many of whom are furious that these Jews have returned. The Jewish leaders are realizing that many of their people have no interest in building the temple but only in accumulating the wealth that may have escaped them in Babylon. It’s tough leading a bunch of people who are dragging their feet.

Anybody who has ever headed an institution, whether it be a mission hospital, a church, a school, or a business can sympathize with Zerubbabel, the political leader and Joshua, the high priest. These two men are doing their best in the midst of trying circumstances; however, it’s a discouraging business. Part of the reason behind this vision is to encourage Joshua as the spiritual leader of this motley group.

Perhaps you find yourself in a position not unlike Joshua’s. You have set out to do something great, but now the very people on whom you have hoped to rely are failing you, wandering off to pursue their own interests. You feel downhearted and frustrated. Are all your efforts and sacrifices going to result in failure? God wants you to know that He is the One who can give success and victory and He will bless the efforts of those who serve Him.

In the late 1980’s a book came out detailing the story of a Swedish missionary couple who went to the Belgian Congo. These people met satanic opposition and the only person they led to the Lord was the little boy who sold them chickens and eggs. Shortly after leading this boy to Christ, the wife died and was buried near their small hut. The husband gave up his baby daughter to missionary friends and returned to Sweden, a broken man. The baby girl passed to a second missionary couple when the first people died from some tropical disease. These missionaries returned to the United States, where they raised the little girl as their own. But when the little girl grew up and began looking for her roots, she discovered something magnificent: that little boy who was the only convert had led his tribe to the Lord and had eventually become the head of the national Assemblies of God Church in Zaire. (Now Democratic Republic of Congo) The spiritual seeds planted by that little Swedish missionary lady have yielded fruit far above her expectations.

Have you been working for the Lord in some lonely place and now feel like quitting? Remember Joshua, the high priest. Joshua did not ask for that crown, nor did he order anybody to create it. God moved Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah to donate silver and gold to create that crown. Hang on! Keep the faith! Your crown is coming! Revelation 2:10 tells us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, touch the hearts of all who are discouraged and help them to realize that You are watching and that You applaud their efforts. Thank You for taking our puny attempts and multiplying them into something magnificent. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Vision of the Flying Scroll

“Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts; “It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.” So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.”

He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?” And he said to me, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar(Babylon); when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

Just in case you thought everybody who is returning from Babylon is coming to build the temple, think again! While some individuals truly want to be part of this marvelous work, there are others who are hoping to make out better in Judea than they have in Babylon. These people are faking their faith, and as soon as they reach Judea, they are grabbing land, building houses with cedar panels, and enslaving their fellow returnees. The ridiculous aspect of this is that God knows exactly who those people are who want to worship Him and who are the opportunists. And God is taking names and is about to seriously kick butt!

In Zechariah’s first vision, he sees an enormous flying scroll 30 feet by 15 feet. Why is the scroll flying? God is watching everything that goes on and He is sending His curses to those who are only pursuing their own evil ends. “Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts; “It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.”

It’s mind-boggling that the evil ones among the returnees are failing to appreciate God’s ability to perceive their spiritual state. After all, it was the sins of their ancestors that resulted in their being carried off to Babylon in the first place. These people are blessed that their families even survived at all when many others were killed. But logic appears to have little place in these people’s thinking. All these people can think of is grabbing as much as possible as quickly as possible. Notice there are two sides to the scroll. The one side bears curses against thieves. The other side bears curses against perjurers, those who are denying the presence of the One True Living God. Thieves and perjurers will both be expelled.

Continuing to sin steals the praise that should go to God and denies God’s presence, rendering one both a thief and a perjurer. But in addition, these curses will enter the houses of these evil people and will remain in the midst of those houses until the houses are consumed along with their timber and stones. How is this likely to happen? Israel has several earthquake faults running through it. The same fault that runs through the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea continues down through the continent of Africa, where it expresses itself as the Rift Valley. Given this seismic instability, it’s quite possible that houses of stone might crumble.

What about the woman representing wickedness? God is promising to rid the land of wickedness and to send the evil spirits far away into the land of Babylon, a land that has never truly worshiped Him.  

APPLICATION: “OK, “you say, “but what does this scroll and this evil woman in a basket have to do with us?”

A holy God cannot tolerate wickedness, thievery, or injustice. God ordered Moses to warn the Children of Israel not to take His Name in vain, “for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.” Swearing by God when one does not mean it demonstrates a total lack of respect for God. Such an act is taking God’s name in vain.

God is in the clean – up business and will help anyone who turns to Him for assistance. But for those who persist in evil and delight in it, these curses still apply. God has promised to live with anyone who will honor Him. Jesus told his disciples in John 15:4-5, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without aiding in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much feuit. However, apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Do you want a life that will be satisfying, a life that God can approve? Commit yourself to following Jesus Christ; ask Him to forgive your sins and to clean you and give you new life.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that we cannot deliver ourselves from the evil we do. Lord, save us from ourselves. Give us Your new life and help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.