Teacher: Pastor Chet Lowe
Main Scriptures: Zechariah 1, Isaiah 63, Hosea 5, Revelation 8
- Zechariah came in as an encourager to return the nation to return to God
- Things to remember
- The visions are a word from the Lord
- Compare spiritual things to spiritual things to understand
- The spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets
- God has a plan for the nation of Israel
- The eight visions are received in one night
- These visions are given after Haggai preaches (Haggai 2:6-9)
- These visions are meant to encourage and exhort the nation of Israel (and applicable to encourage the church today)
- 1 Corinthians 14:3
- These prophecies speak of Jesus
- Luke 24:44 – Jesus explained Himself through the law, psalms and prophets
- Vision #1: Zechariah 1:7-11
- An Angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah
- The Angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ
- The myrtle tree is the symbol of Israel
- Isaiah 57:15 – God dwells with the humble
- Jeremiah 30:11 – God would restore Israel
- Isaiah 41:10 – God would help His people
- The horses
- Red – Jesus is riding on a red horse coming as a conquering king
- This is not the red horse of Revelation; this is a horse of redemption
- Sorrel (speckled)
- White – represents Jesus’ final victory
- Red – Jesus is riding on a red horse coming as a conquering king
- Zechariah 1:12-13
- God is interceding for the people; get busy doing what He wants you to do
- v. 13 – God comforts the people
- God has my best interests at heart even when I don’t think so
- v. 15 – the times of the Gentiles
- God used a heathen king to discipline the children of Israel
- Satan hates the nation of Israel; but God says that Israel will last forever
- Isaiah 47:6 – God was angry with His people, but the heathen nations went too far
- Hosea 5:15-6:3 – the Lord will heal His people
- Isaiah 51:3 – the Lord will comfort and restore Zion
- Application – God will comfort His people today
- The Word of God will inspire and motivate believers (that’s what Zechariah was hearing)
- An Angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah
- Vision #2 (Zechariah 1:18-21)
- The Four Horns
- Horns are representations of governmental power
- Israel was dominated by four Gentile nations: the time of the Gentiles (Luke 24)
- Babylonians
- Persians
- Greeks
- Romans
- There will be a fifth kingdom: Rome will resurrect
- The nations that defeated Israel will be broken
- The Four Horns
- Application: When we’re feeling discouraged, we need to remember that God is encouraging us