BEHOLD, FOUR CHARIOTS GOING FORTH - Alb.: “By the secret disposal of God into the theater of the world,” “from between two mountains of brass.” Both Jews and Christians have seen that the four chariots relate to the same four empires, as the visions in Daniel. “The two mountains.” It may be that the... [ Continue Reading ]
The symbol is different from that in the first vision. There Zechariah 1:8, they were horses only, with their riders, to go to and fro to enquire; here they are war-chariots with their horses, to execute God’s judgments, each in their turn. In the first vision also, there is not the characteristic f... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE FOUR SPIRITS OF THE HEAVENS - They cannot be literal winds: for spirits, not winds, stand before God, as His servants, as in Job, “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord” (Job 1:6; Job 2:1. This they did, (Jerome), “for these four kingdoms did nothing without the wi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLACK HORSES WHICH ARE THEREIN GO FORTH - Literally, “That chariot wherein the black horses are, these go forth.” Jerome: “Most suitably is the first chariot, wherein the red homes were, passed over, and what the second, third, fourth did is described. For when the prophet related this, the Baby... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE STRONG WENT FORTH AND SOUGHT TO GO, THAT THEY MIGHT WALK TO AND FRO THROUGH THE EARTH - The mention of their strength corresponds to the extent of the power and commission, for which they asked, to go to and fro, up and down, at their will, unhindered, through the whole earth. The Babylonian... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN GOD, OR THE ANGEL OF THE LORD - who speaks of what belonged to God alone, “called me” (probably “loudly” Judges 4:10, Judges 4:13; 2 Samuel 20:4), so as to command his attention to this which most immediately concerned his people. THESE HAVE QUIETED MY SPIRIT IN THE NORTH COUNTRY - Or rather, “... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME - The visions being closed, Zechariah marks the change by adopting the usual formula, with which the prophets authenticated, that they spake not of themselves, but by the Spirit of God. The act enjoined is a symbolic act, pointing and summing up and interpreting t... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE OF THE CAPTIVITY - Of that which they had brought with them. “The captivity” was, in Jeremiah ), and Ezekiel Ezekiel 1:2; Ezekiel 3:11, Ezekiel 3:15; Ezekiel 11:24, the title of those who had been actually carried captive and were at that moment in captivity. Ezra continues it of those who had... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MAKE CROWNS - Or a “crown” , as in Job, “I would bind it as a crown unto me,” and our Lord is seen in the Revelation, “on His Head were many crowns” . The singular is used of “a royal crown” , apparently of a festive crown ; and figuratively; (Job 19:9, (plur. Job 31:36) Proverbs 4:9; Proverbs 1... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet is taught to explain his own symbolic act. “Behold the Man whose name is the Branch” . “Not for himself, but for Christ, whose name Joshua bare, and whose Priesthood and Princedom he represented,” was the crown given him. The prophet had already foretold the Messiah, under the name of th... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN HE - Literally, “He Himself.” The repetition shows that it is a great thing, which he affirms; “and He,” again emphatic, “He,” the same who shall build the temple of the Lord, “He shall bear the glory.” Great must be the glory, since it is affirmed of Him as of none beside, “He shall bear glory... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CROWNS SHALL BE TO HELEM - There is no ground apparent to us, why the name “Helem” appears instead of “Holdai” , or “Hen” for “Josiah:” yet the same person must have been called both Hen and Josiah, since the father’s name is the same in both places. They cannot both be intended as explanati... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WHO ARE FAR OFF SHALL COME - They who came from Babylon with offerings to God, became types of the Gentiles, of whom the Apostle says, “Now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off have become nigh through the blood of Christ” Ephesians 2:13; and, “He came and preached peace to you whi... [ Continue Reading ]