Zechariah 6:1-8

We now have come to the last of the eight visions of Zechariah.  You perhaps have already seen there is a connection between the first and eighth visions that indicates we should see if there is a progress through these visions.  Let’s review.

Ø 1:7-17: 4 horses: God will protect; the nations are at rest.

Ø 1:18-21: 4 smiths: God will judge the nations, in his time.

Ø 2: measuring line: God has a plan for Jerusalem.

Ø 3: clothing for Joshua: the Nation will be saved, righteous.

Ø 4: lampstand: by God’s grace Zerubbabel will finish the work.

Ø 5:1-4: flying scroll: sin will be judged.

Ø 5:5-11: woman in a basket: sin will be removed.

·        What he saw, 6:1-3.  Zechariah sees four chariots, pulled by pairs of different colored horses, riding out from between two bronze mountains.  Before we consider what the interpreting angel said we can consider how some have viewed these symbols. 

o   Many equate the chariots with the four kingdoms of Dan. 2 and 7 (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome).  However equating the colors with these kingdoms is a stretch in my view, not to mention that it seems the chariots are headed for those kingdoms.  Our thought is that they speak of God’s authority and power, sufficient to judge those and all nations.

o   The bronze mountains may refer to Mt. Zion and the Mt. of Olives, between which is the Kidron Valley, called in Joel 3:2,12 the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the site of the judgment of the nations.  Bronze in Scripture is often symbolic of judgment.

o   The colors of the horses may speak, as they do in Rev. 6, of war (red), death (black), victory (white) and pestilence (dappled). 

·        What he heard (from the interpreting angel), 6:4-8.

o   The chariots with the horses are spirits or winds (the same Hebrew term is used for both).  They likely represent angels who are described in Scripture as ministering spirits.  In Jer. 49:36 and Rev. 7:1 the four winds carry out God’s task of judgment.

o   These spirits are headed to the nations.  Two (the black and white, death and victory) are headed for Babylon which was already judged by God. Egypt (the nation to the south) was under judgment at this time though she would be restored later.  The strong horses go over all the earth.

o   These things can be debated.  What cannot be debated is the bottom line: the Spirit of God is at rest.  Remember the first vision?  Those horses went throughout the whole earth and found the nations at rest.  But that does not necessarily leave the Lord at rest.  By His judgment the time will come when He will be at rest, especially in terms of His people Israel.

What comfort there is here, both in Zechariah’s day and ours!  By God’s sovereign power the nations rested and the work was completed.  By that same power God’s judgment will put His Spirit at rest, the Spirit of holiness.  Let us trust God in this.  Let us work for the night is coming; let us redeem the time for the days are evil (Rom. 13:11-14; Eph. 5:16).