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 THEY ANSWERED THE ANGEL OF THE LORD THAT STOOD AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES ... WE HAVE WALKED TO AND FRO THROUGH THE EARTH, AND, BEHOLD, ALL THE EARTH SITTETH STILL, AND IS AT REST. The attendant angels report to the Lord of angels, "the earth ... is at rest." The flourishing state of the pagan "earth," while Judah was desolate and its temple not yet restored, is the powerful plea in the Divine Angels intercession with God the Father in . When Judah was depressed to the lowest point, and the pagan elated to the highest, it was time for Yahweh to work for His people. SITTETH STILL - dwells surely. It is when all shall seem secure, in the God-i...

They said that _the whole earth was then quiet_, (19) that is, the countries bordering on Judea, or the oriental regions. Hence a greater confidence might be entertained by the Jews, for with the prayer of the angel is connected a complaint — “God of hosts, what is thy purpose?” that is, “Is it thy will that all others should enjoy quietness and peace, while enemies are continually hostile and troublesome to thy people? Is it right that thy Church should be ever miserably distressed, while heathens, who have no care for religion, should be so bountifully favored by thee? Is it not better that the memory of thy name should be extinguished, and that all worship should fall to the ground, than that so unjust a reward should be returned to thy servants?” We now see the design of the vision, even that the Jews might be assured that the distresses which they endured would not be perpetual. How...

7-17 The prophet saw a dark, shady grove, hidden by hills. This represented the low, melancholy condition of the Jewish church. A man like a warrior sat on a red horse, in the midst of this shady myrtle-grove. Though the church was in a low condition, Christ was present in the midst, ready to appear for the relief of his people. Behind him were angels ready to be employed by him, some in acts of judgment, others of mercy, others in mixed events. Would we know something of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must apply, not to angels, for they are themselves learners, but to Christ himself. He is ready to teach those humbly desirous to learn the things of God. The nations near Judea enjoyed peace at that time, but the state of the Jews was unsettled, which gave rise to the pleading that followed; but mercy must only be hoped for through Christ. His intercession for his church prev...

Verse Zechariah 1:11. _ALL THE EARTH SITTETH STILL, AND IS AT REST._] There is general _peace_ through the Persian empire, and other states connected with Judea; but the Jews are still in _affliction_; their city is not yet restored, nor their temple built....

SITTETH STILL AND IS AT REST - At rest, as the word seems to express, from its accustomed state of tumult and war. Wars, although soon to break out again, were in the second year of Darius for the time suspended. The rest, in which the world was, suggests the contrast of the yet continuing unrest allotted to the people of God. Such rest had been promised to Israel, on its return from the captivity, but had not yet been fulfilled. Through the hostility of the Samaritans the building of the temple had been hindered and was just recommenced; the wall of Jerusalem was yet broken down Nehemiah 1:3; its fire-burned gates not restored; itself was a waste Nehemiah 2:3; its houses unbuilt Nehemiah 7:4. This

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-6:15 Part I. A SERIES OF EIGHT VISIONS, AND A SYMBOLICAL ACTION. ZECHARIAH 1:1 § 1. _Title of the book, and author. _THE EIGHTH MONTH. This was called Bul before the Captivity (1 Kings 6:38), and afterwards Marchesvan (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 1.3 3); it answered to parts of October and November, and was a time of rain. Haggai had first prophesied two months earlier. THE SECOND YEAR OF DARIUS. Being now under foreign rule, the prophet uses the regnal years of the king to whom his people were subject (see note on...

AND THEY ANSWERED THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, THAT STOOD AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES, AND SAID,.... That is, the ministering angels, signified by the red horses, speckled, and white, replied to what the Angel of the Lord had said concerning them; or rather agreed to and confirmed his account of them; or else gave up the account of their tour through the earth, with their observations upon the state of it: WE HAVE WALKED TO AND FRO THROUGH THE EARTH; according to their mission and commission: AND, BEHOLD, ALL THE EARTH SITTETH STILL, AND IS AT REST; was free from wars, as it was in the reign of Darius; though the people of the Jews were infested with enemies, who gave them trouble, and hindered all they could the rebuilding of the temple; wherefore it follows:...

ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS 1. THE NIGHT VISIONS CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Zechariah 1:1) _ 2. The first night vision (Zechariah 1:7) 3. The second night vision (Zechariah 1:18) Zechariah 1:1. The first utterance of Zechariah concerns the past. “The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.” They were a disobedient, stiff-necked people. The pre-exilic prophets had called them to repentance, but they did not hearken. Then he gives the message to turn to the Lord, with the promise that He will turn to them; they should not be like their fathers. And their fathers, where w

This section, to which Zechariah 1:7 is an editorial introduction, either is not the beginning of Zechariah's allegories, or has not come down to us in its original form, for the interpreting angel is mentioned in Zechariah 1:9 as already known to the reader. A verse introducing him may, however, have been omitted between Zechariah 1:8 and Zechariah 1:9, since the opening words of Zechariah 1:8 imply that we have here the beginning of the allegorical prophecies. There are many corruptions in the text, several of which can, however, be easily corrected from the