Zechariah 1

Zechariah 1:5

Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?

Your fathers are dead: It is true, you say; and so are the prophets too: both of them were men; it was not for them to live here, for ever.

Zechariah 1:6

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

But though my prophets died, yet the words, both of counsels and menaces, which they delivered to your fathers, live still; and were acknowledged by those your fathers, to be justly verified in and upon them; while they freely confessed to God’s glory, and to their own shame: Right so as God threatened to deal with us according to our doings, even so hath he done; we are sinful and miserable, and he is just.

Zechariah 1:7

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, &c.

In the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which was the month of our January, &c.

Zechariah 1:8

I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled and white.

I had a vision by night: Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, represented himself to me as a man riding upon a red horse; by that fiery colour implying his readiness to be revenged on the enemies of his Church: and he stood among the myrtle trees, that were in the valley; to signify the low and depressed condition of the Jews, in their Babylonish captivity; and behind him were several angels, that were ready to attend his commands, furnished with great power for that purpose.

Zechariah 1:9

Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

Then said I to the angel, which shewed me this vision; O my lord, what are these? And the same angel answered me, I will shew thee what these be.

Zechariah 1:10

And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

And the great angel of the Covenant, Christ Jesus, who stood among the myrtle trees, as taking the answer out of the mouth of that angel who spake to me, answered, and said; These are ministering spirits, whom the Lord hath sent to take view of all the parts of the world, and to give an account of the estate of earthly affairs.

Zechariah 1:11

And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

And those ministering spirits accordingly gave answer unto Christ, the Son of God; We have, according to our charge and commission, passed to and fro, through the world: and, behold, all the earth is now free from wars and open hostilities; for the Babylonian, having tyrannically spoiled thy people and his neighbours, is now at rest, and finds no opposition.

Zechariah 1:12

Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

Then Christ, the Mediator of his Church, answered, and said; O Lord of hosts, how long will it be, ere thou shew mercy to thy chosen people, to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; whom thou hast now, these seventy years, afflicted with a miserable captivity?

Zechariah 1:14

I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

I am much affected with the miseries of Jerusalem and of Zion; and conceive great and just indignation against the enemies thereof.

Zechariah 1:15

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

I am highly offended with these Chaldees, which are now at ease, and take their pleasure: for, I was indeed displeased with the sins of my people, and intended to chastise them for their offences; but these Chaldees prosecuted their own malice and ambition, and aggravated their afflictions to their utmost.

Zechariah 1:16

And a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem shall be built again, after so long ruin and desolation. I. 18, 19. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And, behold, four horns of iron were represented unto me. Then said I to the angel, who shewed me this vision, What be these, or what do they signify? And he answered me, These are the enemies of my Church, which, from all the four coasts of heaven, have set upon and spoiled Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. I. 20, 21. And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What came these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. As those horns represented the enemies of the Church, which should push down all the cities of Judah and Israel; so