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Zechariah 6

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The Eighth Vision: The Four Chariots 1–8

1
And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. ​
2
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; ​
3
and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses.
4
Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5
And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. ​
6
The chariot wherein are the black horses goeth forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country. ​
7
And the strong went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
8
Then cried he to me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, they that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. ​

The Symbolic Crowning of Joshua 9–15

9
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
10
Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon; ​
11
yea, take of them silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; ​
12
and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah; ​
13
even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. ​
14
And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. ​
15
And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Zechariah 6

Verse 1

four chariots — Merkabah, a war chariot. This last vision answers the first, where a man on a red horse stood among the myrtle trees with 'red horses, speckled, and white' behind him (1:8). The horses sent out there 'to walk to and fro through the earth' (1:10) come here out of chariots. The mountains are 'of brass' (nechosheth, copper or bronze).

Verse 2

red horses… black horses — Adom and shachor. Red and white recur from 1:8; black and the grisled and bay are new. Revelation also has horses of several colours going out, white, red, black and pale (Rev 6:2–8), each with its own charge.

Verse 5

the four spirits of the heavens — Ruach means both spirit and wind, and 'the four winds of the heaven' is the phrase of 2:6. They 'go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth' (yatsab, to take a station), as the two anointed ones 'stand by the Lord of the whole earth' (4:14).

Verse 6

the north country — Tsaphon, the north. It is the land the exiles were told to 'flee from' (2:6), and Zion is called 'that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon' (2:7). The black horses go there and the white follow, while the grisled go to the south country (teman, literally the right hand of one facing east).

Verse 8

have quieted my spirit — Nuach, to rest, the verb for anger that comes to rest, as in 'I will cause my fury to rest upon them' (Ezek 5:13). Ruach here can carry the sense of anger. He had been 'very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease' (1:15), and the horses sent north settle that anger there.

Verse 10

of them of the captivity — Golah, the exiles. Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah had 'come from Babylon', and the silver and gold of v.11 is taken from them. They are to be met at the house of 'Josiah the son of Zephaniah', who appears as 'Hen the son of Zephaniah' in v.14, where Helem stands in the place of Heldai.

Verse 11

make crowns — Atarah, a crown, here plural though the crowns are set 'upon the head of Joshua'; it is the word for the king's crown of gold set on David's head in 2 Sam 12:30. 'Joshua' is Yehoshua, the LORD is salvation, the name the KJV renders 'Jesus' in Acts 7:45 and Heb 4:8.

Verse 12

The BRANCH — Tsemach, a sprout, and 'grow up' is tsamach, the same root: he shall sprout up from his place. The title is the LORD's own: 'a righteous Branch' raised to David (Jer 23:5), 'my servant the BRANCH' announced to this same Joshua (3:8). The man named here is spoken of beside Joshua, not as him; he 'shall build the temple of the LORD'.

Verse 13

a priest upon his throne — One person 'shall sit and rule upon his throne' and 'be a priest upon his throne'. 'Glory' is hod, the 'honour and majesty' laid on the king in Ps 21:5. The priesthood is the one the LORD swore, 'Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek' (Ps 110:4); Heb 8:1 sets the high priest 'on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty'.

Verse 14

for a memorial — Zikkaron, a reminder, the word for the stones on the ephod's shoulders, 'for a memorial' before the LORD (Ex 28:12). The crowns are laid up in the temple (heykal) and named for the men who brought the metal. 'Hen' (chen) is the Hebrew word for grace or favour.

Verse 15

they that are far off — Rachoq, the word of 'Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near' (Isa 57:19). Paul says the Gentiles 'sometimes were far off' and 'are made nigh' (Eph 2:13, 17), and Peter says the promise is 'to all that are afar off' (Acts 2:39). 'Diligently obey' doubles the verb shama, as in Deut 28:1.