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Zechariah chapter 1, verses 1
and 2. In the eighth month, in the second
year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the
son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, The
Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. In these first six verses, we
see God's call to the returning remnant who came back from Babylonian
captivity to turn to Him. And His promise was to turn to them. He reminded them of the like
command He had given to their fathers. and to the prophets
before their captivity. Then he asked them, they knew their fathers, they
knew about the prophets. He asked them, your fathers,
where are they? And the prophets, do they live
forever? Showed them the folly of hardening
their heart against God. In verses 7 through 11 of this
first chapter, we see the first of 10 visions that are in the
book of Zechariah. This first vision is a rider
of a red horse. These horses that are described
were sent by the Lord and brought back a report that the whole
earth is at peace and at rest. They gave no reports of war or
any other great happenings. And we note that the heathen
powers that had moved against Israel and Judah were at this
point in time at peace. Then verses 12 through 17 tell
us of God's displeasure with the heathen that were at ease.
It shows that they had moved against Israel and now they seemed
self-satisfied. Of course, that indignation towards
Judah and Jerusalem came as a consequence of God's pronouncement, the time
of the Babylonian captivity, which lasted 70 long years. It was a token of God's divine
displeasure with them. And it began from the taking
of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple under Zedekiah
to the rebuilding of the temple under Darius, in whose second
year Zachariah now prophesied of all which had taken place
and should. Connected to this, the Lord had
said, I'm returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house shall
be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a lion shall be
stretched forth upon Jerusalem. The Lord said he would yet comfort
Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Which state must look forward? not at this time, but forward
to the second coming of Christ when he would fulfill those promises. In verses 18 and 19 of the first
chapter is the second vision of the 10, and it speaks about
the four horns or powers which scattered Judah, Israel, and
Jerusalem. These horns, notice the past
tense, have scattered, means it was a completed action at
that point. And then the message that we
preach from chapter one, we showed that this was undoubtedly Shalmaneser,
who was king of Assyria, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, and Necho, the king of Egypt. Now some of these
men were dead, but the successors still live, and the Lord brings
this up again to his people. In verses 20 and 21 is the third
vision, and it talks about four carpenters. And it said in verse
21, that these carpenters are come to fray the horns that have
scattered Judah and cast out the horns of the Gentile. which
lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. So the Lord brought forth these
horns or powers that had scattered his people, and now some men
that he calls carpenters are come to fray them, and they will
be judged. Chapter two. In verses one through
three, we see the fourth vision. Zechariah looked and he saw a
man with a measuring line in his hand. And the question is
asked him, whether goest thou? And he replied to Zechariah,
to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof and
the length thereof. And this is a fulfillment, of
course, of the Lord's words in chapter one, verse 16. In both verses four through 13
of chapter two, describes Jerusalem as it shall be in the kingdom
age. That is the millennial age. These verses seem to summarize
the tenor of the whole passage. Let's read verses four and five
of chapter two. And said unto him, Run, speak
to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without
walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein. For I saith
the Lord, will be under her a wall of fire round about, and will
be the glory in the midst of her. The Lord is talking about
dwelling in the midst as the glory of that land, being a wall
of fire around his people, and that they would be dwelling safely
And this, as you know, is exactly what we saw when we studied Ezekiel
and we came to the 38th and 39th chapter, when Gog, the chief
prince of Meshech and Tubal, was drawn down upon the mountains
of Israel. As he saw, they dwelt without
walls and they dwelt safely. So this looks ahead to the millennium. Then look at verses 10 through
12. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion. For lo, I come and will
dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall
be joined to the Lord in that day. and shall be my people,
and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shall know
that the Lord of hosts has sent me unto thee, and the Lord shall
inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose
Jerusalem again." The old preacher said, I don't know whether there's
gonna be a New York, I don't know if Moscow is going to last
another 100 years, but there will always be a Jerusalem. And this looks forward to it
in this book of Zachariah. I think I said this when we began
to study the book. It starts with the remnants return
to their land and it ends with Israel in their land, and Jerusalem
as the chief nation, and the Lord Jesus Christ as a king over
all the earth in the 14th chapter. In chapter 3, verses 1 through
7, we see the fifth of the 10 visions. The subject is Joshua,
the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan
standing as a right hand to resist him. The Lord said unto Satan,
the Lord rebuketh thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen
Jerusalem rebuketh thee. Is not this a bran plucked out
of the fire? The Lord had returned with great
mercy over Jerusalem, and this is a rebuke against Satan and
all his attacks against God's people. What God has chosen,
no created being can oppose. Jerusalem is described in this
verse as a bran plucked out of the fire. We see Joshua clothed
in filthy garments. stood before the angel. He doesn't
have his clean priestly robes, but he wears filthy garments. He's seen as filthy before the
Lord, which in a manner of speaking is what our own personal righteousnesses
are compared to. The very best that we have to
offer is a stitch in the nostrils of God. It's the way we all appear
in our natural state. The very best that we have is
this filthy rag in his sight. Now the angel of the Lord before
whom he stood in the filthy garments, began to those that stood before
him saying, take away the filthy garments from him. Two things then happen, and it
kind of speaks of a double work of divine grace that's wrought
in you and I as believers. First, his filthy garments are
taken from him, verse four. And second, he's clothed anew. Not only has the shame of his
filthiness been removed, and the shame of his nakedness covered. He's covered with clean linen,
not his own, but that which is given to him that represents
the Lord, our righteousness. That's where you and I stand. And we read, I said, let them
set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon
his head and clothed him with garments. He not only has his
filthiness taken away, he's furnished with grace sufficient for himself. and is restored to the honor
of the priesthood. The crown of the priesthood,
the miter, is put upon him. Now that he looks clean, he doesn't
need more than that. He looks great. Let him be dressed
up in all the garments of the high priest. We consider this,
we understand. that Joshua stands for the priesthood
of Israel that has been in the muck and mire, so to speak. Then
in verse six and seven of the third chapter, the angel of the
Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thou saith the Lord of hosts,
if thou will walk in my ways and will keep my charge, Then
thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts,
and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by."
The priesthood of Israel. Israel, as a nation, had been
disobedient and did not keep the first charge given them to
walk in God's ways. It's now repeated and it speaks
of Israel's future calling after their cleansing. When the Lord Jesus came to the
nation of Israel during his personal ministry, Those that were supposed
to be the religious leaders of that day had turned far away
from what God had commanded them and were walking according to
the traditions of men. So what we're gonna read here
is not talking about that day, but it's still talking about
the future. Look at Zechariah 8, verse 20
through 23. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
it shall yet come to pass that there shall come people and the
inhabitants of many cities and the inhabitants of one city shall
go to another saying, let us go speedily to pray before the
Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations
shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray
before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
in those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take
hold out of all languages of the nation, even shall take hold
of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you.
We've heard that God is with you. Many nations will come and
be joined to them in that day. And they will be a faithful house
because why? The great high priest is there. He's not only the high priest,
but he is the king as well. Now verses eight through 10 of
this chapter, record the sixth vision, and it speaks of Jehovah's
branch or Jehovah's servant, the branch. When we preach through
this, I use several passages to show that the branch refers
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now for this summation, it will
be good we read three verses in verses eight through 10. It's
not difficult to see this points to Christ and the time when Israel's
iniquity is purged and they dwell safely. Look at chapter three,
verses eight through 10. Hear now, O Joshua, the high
priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they
are men wondered at. For behold, I will bring my servant
the branch. For behold, the stone that I
have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the graving
thereof, saith the Lord of hosts. and I will remove the iniquity
of that land in one day." It's a reference to the conversion
of Israel later as a nation. In that day, saith the Lord of
hosts, shall you call every man his neighbor under the vine and
under the fig tree. They'll be converted and they
will dwell safely in their land under the Lord's servant, the
branch, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter four starts with the
seventh of the ten visions. In this chapter, we read of the
golden candlestick and the two olive trees. As you read that,
the first part of that, it is very, very difficult to try and
understand what's being said. But the difficulty is removed
because the vision is explained in verses 11 through 14. Let's read those verses, 11 through
14, chapter four. Then answered I and said unto
him, what are these two olive trees upon the right side of
the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered
again and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which,
through the two golden pipes, emptied the golden oil out of
themselves? And he answered me and said,
knowest thou not what these be? And I said, no, my Lord. Then said he, these are the two
anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. I mentioned to you when we preached
this message that there are many commentators. Be careful when
you read comments about people and don't search and see what
the scriptures really say. They say these two things that
they're talking about is the church and the scriptures. Notice the phrase, these are
the two anointed ones. The word ones in Hebrew speaks
of human beings. Hundreds of times it talks about
person, child, father, mother, always about a human being. Anointed, smeared with oil, prepared
for the work. Two persons. Do we find language
like this anywhere else in the scriptures? We do. Exactly like
that. And we saw that in Revelation
chapter 11 verses 1 through 14. Please turn there and let's read
that. Because this summarizes what's
said in chapter 4 of Zechariah. And there was given me a reed
like unto a rod, and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure
the temple of God, and the altar, and then the worship therein.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure
it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city
shall they tread underfoot forty-two months. And I will give power
unto my two witnesses, And they shall prophesy a thousand, two
hundred, and threescore days, that's forty-two months, three
and a half years, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two
olive trees, recognize the language, and the two candlesticks standing
before the God of the earth. exactly what Zechariah said. And if any man will hurt them,
fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies. And if any man will hurt them,
he must be in this manner be killed. These have power to shut
heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have
power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth
with all plagues as often as they will. And when they shall
have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out
of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome
them and kill them. and their dead bodies shall lie
in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom
and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified, that's Jerusalem,
and they, the people in kindreds and tongues and nations, shall
see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer
their dead bodies be put in graves. They that dwell upon the earth
shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts
one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that
dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half,
the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon
their feet, And great fear fell upon them which saw them. And
they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, come
up hither. And they ascended up to heaven
in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. In the same hour
was there a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city
fell. And in the earthquake were slain a men 7,000, and the remnant
were frightened. It gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe is past, and behold, the third woe cometh quickly. How men can say, after they read
this passage of scripture, that this is a church and this is
a scripture, I don't know. Bodies that die. that can cause
fire. Bodies that lie in the street
and the whole world sees them and rejoices over them and suddenly
they stand on their feet and are caught up into heaven. The two witnesses that witness
for the Lord of the whole earth at this point in the great tribulation
period Most of the saints in the churches will have been killed
or subdued. Israel has been taken to a place
in the wilderness where they're protected and fed for three and
a half years. These witnesses will stand as
God's prophets of the whole earth, as Zechariah said. In chapter
five, verses one through four, we find
the eighth of the ten visions. These verses speak of a flying
roll, which is said to be the curse that goeth forth over the
face of the whole earth. This flying roll had flattened
out, one side and the other. This curse would cut off those
who oppose either side of this row, the first or the second. The curse would enter into the
house of the thief and those who swear falsely by the Lord's
name and would consume their houses with the stones and timbers
thereof. The roll is a scroll, and we
concluded, I concluded, that it is the Ten Commandments. There's
the first part, that's God word, and the second part, that's man
word. This commandment of the Lord
was given to the Jews. They had it in writing. But the
Gentiles all over the earth do by nature the things written
in that law, and so they're a law unto themselves. In other words,
God has put it in their heart and in their conscience, and
they know it's wrong to dishonor God. They know it's wrong to
dishonor father and mother. They know it's wrong to commit
murder, to commit adultery. All men know that. So they're
a law unto themselves. That's why all men are guilty
before God. Those that are under the curse,
all men are because they're under that law. You and I have been
delivered from the curse of that law by the body of Christ. No
longer has any relevance to it. In verses 5 through 11, we see
the ninth of the ten visions. These verses told us of an effa, which had a woman in the midst.
It was sealed with lead and then taken by two women who had the
wings of a stork, an unclean bird. to the land of Shinar,
where a house is built and established upon her own base. And Ephah speaks of commercialism. There was a house established
on the land of Shinar, which in profane history is called
Sunar in Mesopotamia, at the place where the Tower of Babel
was built. And commercialism had its beginning
tied to religion. It's clear from scripture that
this house became a great whore who is associated with commerce. The reason is that all the merchants
of the earth are made rich by her, this religious system. And we see that when it's finally
destroyed, that they will weep and cry when she's destroyed
in a single hour. Sumer or Shinar is the place
of the beginning of Catholicism. Roman Catholic system is the
great whore that sits upon many waters, many people, one of the
most prolific religions on earth. She's called Mystery Babylon
the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.
She's drunken with the blood of the saints. And with the blood
of the martyrs of Jesus, she has seven heads, which are seven
mountains upon which the woman sits. The woman is that great
city that reigns over the kings of the earth, namely Rome. You watch it. Every leader that
comes to power any place on the earth, Within a very short time
after he becomes a leader, he must make a trip. I don't know
why they do it, but he goes to Rome to see the Pope. You don't think that she's tied
to commercialism? I want you to read this with
me and we'll bring our summer to a close. Please turn to Revelation
18. I want you to get the sense of
this. I'm gonna read verses one through four, and I skipped this
only because of time, and go down to verse nine and following. And after these things, I saw
another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and
the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily
with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen,
is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils and the
hold of every foul spirit. and the cage of every unclean
and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of
the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of
the earth are wax rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from
heaven saying, come out of her my people that you be not partaker
of her sin and that you receive not of her plague. Now look please
at verse nine. And the kings of the earth who
have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall
bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke
of her burning. standing afar off for the fear
of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon,
that mighty city, for in one hour is thy judgment come. and the merchants of the earth
shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth her merchandise
any more. The merchandise of gold and silver
and precious stones and of pearl and of fine linen and purple
and silk and scarlet and all fine wood and all mannered vessels
of ivory and all mannered vessels of most precious wood and of
brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments,
and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat,
and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and
the souls of men. You talk about merchandising
in a way that we don't even understand except by the word of God. The
Catholic system runs the merchandise of the world. She controls it. She's the richest thing on earth,
the great whore. And when she's destroyed, you
talk about all these merchants that are flying so high in their
jets and their great places to live and their finest fineries,
sudden, have nothing because it's taken away. It all started. Got Babylon. And Zachariah tells
us about it in chapter five. Plain as it can be plain. You
talk about a religion, that's a horror. That one is. It sells out. Anything that had
to do with godly, it never was part of it at all. It just took
it to itself. And it's all tied to the effa,
commercialism. It's a brief summary of chapters
one through five. Next time, as the Lord enabled
us, we'll preach through the sixth chapter of Zechariah. That chapter speaks of four chariots,
which is a tenth vision, and the crowning of Joshua in the
last few verses. May the Lord bless as we I speak
that message. As you can see, this book presses
on from the return of the remnant from Babylon to Jerusalem and
the rebuilding of the second temple to the very end when Christ
returned with his saints and his king over all the earth. I ask you, I ask you God's people,
Brother Rick doesn't know this, reading some scripture this morning
and really got a hold of my heart. That's a wonderful thing about
God's word. It brought me to my knees. It
made me want to weep for me, for my God. God help us. to live honorably, justly, honest
in this present world, looking for the appearing of our Savior,
soon appear. You know Him, Jesus Christ, God's
Son, crucified, buried, and rose again. You know Him as your Savior. Is He your Lord and Master? Serve
Him. Serve Him. Serve Him in the church. You can't serve Him out the church.
Serve Him in the church. You don't know Him. You've heard
enough gospel preached. I hope you've heard it. I hope
you see it, and I hope you'll be saved. We pray for you that
have not made a profession of faith. I pray that you'll come
to know your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your
attention.
Summary of Zechariah chs 1-5
Series Zechariah Series-LKing 2019
| Sermon ID | 102119184305154 |
| Duration | 39:19 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday Service |
| Bible Text | Zechariah 1 |
| Language | English |
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