Zechariah 6

Zec 6:1-8.

EIGHTH

VISION.

THE

FOUR

CHARIOTS.

1. four chariots--symbolizing the various dispensations of Providence

towards the Gentile nations which had been more or less brought into

contact with Judea; especially in punishing Babylon. Compare

Zec 6:8

("the north country," that is, Babylon);

Zec 1:15; 2:6.

The number "four" is specified not merely in reference to the four

quarters of the horizon (implying universal judgments), but in

allusion to the four world kingdoms of Daniel.

from between two mountains--the valley of Jehoshaphat, between Moriah

and Mount Olivet [MOORE]; or the valley between Zion and Moriah, where

the Lord is

(Zec 2:10),

and whence He sends forth His ministers of judgment on the heathen

[MAURER]. The temple on Mount Moriah is the symbol

of the theocracy; hence the nearest spot accessible to chariots in the

valley below is the most suitable for a vision affecting Judah in

relation to the Gentile world powers. The chariot is the symbol of war,

and so of judgments.

of brass--the metal among the ancients representing hard solidity; so

the immovable and resistless firmness of God's people (compare

Jer 1:18).

CALVIN explains the "two mountains" thus: The

secret purpose of God from eternity does not come forth to view before

the execution, but is hidden and kept back irresistibly till the fit

time, as it were between lofty mountains; the

chariots are the various changes wrought in nations, which, as

swift heralds, announce to us what before we knew not. The "two" may

thus correspond to the number of the "olive trees"

(Zec 4:3);

the allusion to the "two mountains" near the temple is not

necessarily excluded in this view. HENDERSON

explains them to be the Medo-Persian kingdom, represented by the "two

horns"

(Da 8:3, 4),

now employed to execute God's purpose in punishing the nations; but the

prophecy reaches far beyond those times.

2. red--implying carnage.

black--representing sorrow; also famine

(Re 6:5, 6;

compare

Zec 1:8).

3. white--implying joy and victory

[CALVIN].

grizzled--piebald. Implying a mixed dispensation, partly

prosperity, partly adversity. All four dispensations, though various in

character to the Gentile nation, portended alike good to God's people.

bay--rather, "strong" or "fleet"; so Vulgate

[GESENIUS]. The horses

have this epithet, whose part it was to "walk to and fro through the

earth"

(Zec 6:7).

However, the Septuagint and Chaldee agree with English

Version in referring the Hebrew to color, not

strength.

4. The prophet humbly and teachably seeks instruction from God, and

therefore seeks not in vain.

5. four spirits of the heavens--heavenly spirits who "stand before

Jehovah" to receive God's commands

(Zec 4:14;

1Ki 22:19;

Job 2:1;

Lu 1:19)

in heaven (of which Zion is the counterpart on earth, see on

Zec 6:1),

and proceed with chariot speed

(2Ki 6:17;

Ps 68:17)

to execute them on earth in its four various quarters

(Ps 104:4;

Heb 1:7, 14)

[PEMBELLUS].

Or, the secret impulses of God which emanate from His counsel and

providence; the prophet implies that all the revolutions in the world

are from the Spirit of God and are as it were, His messengers or

spirits

[CALVIN].

6. north country--Babylon (see on

Jer 1:14).

The north is the quarter specified in particular whence Judah and

Israel are hereafter to return to their own land

(Zec 2:6;

Jer 3:18).

"The black horses" go to Babylon, primarily to represent the awful

desolation with which Darius visited it in the fifth year of his reign

(two years after this prophecy) for revolting

[HENDERSON].

The "white" go after the "black" horses to the same country; two

sets being sent to it because of its greater cruelty and guilt in

respect to Judea. The white represent Darius triumphant subjugation of

it

[MOORE].

Rather, I think, the white are sent to victoriously subdue Medo-Persia,

the second world kingdom, lying in the same quarter as Babylon, namely,

north.

grizzled . . . toward the south--that is, to Egypt, the other great

foe of God's people. It, being a part of the Græco-Macedonian kingdom,

stands for the whole of it, the third world kingdom.

7. bay--rather, the "fleet" (or "strong"). As the "red" are not

otherwise mentioned, the epithet "fleet" (as the Hebrew for "bay"

ought to be translated) in

Zec 6:3

seems to apply to all four, and here especially to the "red." Their

office is to complete hereafter the work already in part executed by

the previous three who have stilled Babylon, Medo-Persia, and

Græco-Macedonia; namely, to punish finally the last great foe of

Israel, the final form assumed by the fourth world kingdom, Rome, which

is to continue down to the second advent of Christ. Hence they "walk

to and fro through the earth," counterworking Satan's "going to and fro

in the earth"

(Job 1:7;

2Th 2:8, 9;

1Ti 4:1),

in connection with the last awful development of the fourth world

kingdom. Their "fleetness" is needed to counteract his restless

activity; their red color implies the final great carnage

(Eze 39:1-29;

Re 19:17, 18, 21).

8. north . . . quieted . . . my spirit--that is, caused My anger to rest

(Jud 8:3,

Margin;

Ec 10:4;

Eze 5:13; 16:42).

Babylon alone of the four great world kingdoms had in Zechariah's time

been finally punished; therefore, in its case alone does God now say

His anger is satisfied; the others had as yet to expiate their sin; the

fourth has still to do so.

Zec 6:9-15.

NINTH

VISION.

THE

CROWNING OF

JOSHUA.

The double crown is placed on Joshua's head, symbolizing that the true

priesthood and the kingdom shall be conferred on the one Messiah.

Compare

Heb 6:20; 7:1-21,

on Melchisedek, who similarly combined the kingdom and priesthood as

type of Messiah.

10. Take of them of the captivity--Take silver and gold

(Zec 6:11)

from them. The three named came from Babylon (where some of the

exiled Jews still were left) to present gifts of silver and gold

towards the building of the temple. But in

Zec 6:11, 14,

"crowns" are directed to be made of them, then to be set on Joshua's

head, and to be deposited in the temple as a memorial of the donors,

until Messiah shall appear.

Heldai--meaning "robust." Called Helem

below.

Tobijah--that is, "the goodness of God."

Jedaiah--that is, "God knows."

which are come from Babylon--This clause in the Hebrew comes after

"Josiah son of Zephaniah." Therefore,

MOORE thinks Josiah as well as the

three "came from Babylon." But as he has a "house" at Jerusalem, he is

plainly a resident, not a visitor. Therefore English Version is right;

or MAURER, "Josiah son of Zephaniah, to whom they are come (as guests)

from Babylon."

the same day--No time was to be lost to mark the significancy of their

coming from afar to offer gifts to the temple, typifying, in the double

crown made of their gifts and set on Joshua's head, the gathering in of

Israel's outcasts to Messiah hereafter, who shall then be recognized as

the true king and priest.

11. The high priest wore a crown above the miter

(Zec 3:5;

Le 8:9).

Messiah shall wear many crowns, one surmounting the other

(Re 19:12).

It was a thing before unknown in the Levitical priesthood that the same

person should wear at once the crown of a king and that of a high

priest

(Ps 110:4;

Heb 5:10).

Messiah shall be revealed fully in this twofold dignity when He shall

"restore the kingdom to Israel"

(Ac 1:6).

12. Behold, the man--namely, shall arise. Pilate unconsciously spake

God's will concerning Him, "Behold the man"

(Joh 19:5).

The sense here is, "Behold in Joshua a remarkable shadowing forth of

Messiah." It is not for his own sake that the crown is placed on him,

but as type of Messiah about to be at once king and priest. Joshua

could not individually be crowned king, not being of the royal line of

David, but only in his representative character.

Branch--(See on

Zec 3:8;

Isa 4:2;

Jer 23:5; 33:15).

he shall grow up out of his place--retaining the image of a "Branch";

"He shall sprout up from His place," that is, the place peculiar to Him:

not merely from Beth-lehem or Nazareth, but by His own power, without

man's aid, in His miraculous conception

[HENDERSON];

a sense brought out in the original, "from under Himself," or "from

(of) Himself"

[CALVIN].

MOORE

makes it refer to His growing lowly in His place of obscurity,

"as a tender plant and a root out of a dry ground"

(Isa 53:2),

for thirty years unknown except as the son of a carpenter.

MAURER

translates, "Under Him there shall be growth (in the Church)."

English Version accords better with the Hebrew (compare

Ex 10:23).

The idea in a Branch is that Christ's glory is growing, not yet fully

manifested as a full-grown tree. Therefore men reject Him now.

build the temple--The promise of the future true building of the

spiritual temple by Messiah

(Mt 16:18;

1Co 3:17;

2Co 6:16;

Eph 2:20-22;

Heb 3:3)

is an earnest to assure the Jews, that the material temple will be

built by Joshua and Zerubbabel, in spite of all seeming obstacles. It

also raises their thoughts beyond the material to the spiritual temple,

and also to the future glorious temple, to be reared in Israel under

Messiah's superintendence

(Eze 40:1-43:27).

The repetition of the same clause

(Zec 6:13)

gives emphasis to the statement as to Messiah's work.

13. bear the glory--that is, wear the insignia of the kingly glory,

"the crowns"

(Ps 21:5; 102:16;

Isa 52:13).

He himself shall bear the glory, not thou, Joshua, though thou

dost bear the crowns. The Church's dignity is in her head alone,

Christ. So Eliakim, type of Messiah, was to have "all the glory of his

father's house hung upon him"

(Isa 22:24).

sit--implying security and permanence.

priest . . . throne--

(Ge 14:18;

Ps 110:4;

Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-28).

counsel of peace . . . between . . . both--Joshua and Zerubbabel, the

religious and civil authorities co-operating in the temple, typify the

peace, or harmonious union, between both the kingly and priestly

offices. The kingly majesty shall not depress the priestly dignity, nor

the priestly dignity the kingly majesty

[JEROME]. The peace of the

Church, formerly sought for in the mutual "counsels" of the kings and

the priests, who had been always distinct, shall be perfectly ensured by

the concurrence of the two offices in the one Messiah, who by His

mediatorial priesthood purchases it, and by His kingly rule maintains

it. VITRINGA takes "His throne" to be Jehovah the Father's. Thus it

will be, "there shall be . . . peace between the Branch and Jehovah"

[LUDOVICUS

DE

DIEU]. The other view is better, namely, "Messiah's throne." As Priest He expiates sin; as King, extirpates it. "Counsel

of peace," implies that it is the plan of infinite "wisdom," whence

Messiah is called "Counsellor"

(Isa 9:6;

Eph 1:8, 11;

Heb 6:17).

Peace between the kingly and priestly attributes of Messiah implies the

harmonizing of the conflicting claims of God's justice as a King, and

His love as a Father and Priest. Hence is produced peace to man

(Lu 2:14;

Ac 10:36;

Eph 2:13-17).

It is only by being pardoned through His atonement and ruled by His

laws, that we can find "peace." The royal "throne" was always connected

with the "temple," as is the case in the Apocalypse

(Re 7:15),

because Christ is to be a king on His throne and a priest, and because

the people, whose "king" the Lord is, cannot approach Him except by a

priestly mediation [ROOS]. Jesus shall come to

effect, by His presence

(Isa 11:4;

Da 7:17),

that which in vain is looked for, in His absence, by other means. He

shall exercise His power mediatorially as priest on His throne

(Zec 6:13);

therefore His reign is for a limited period, which it could not be if

it were the final and everlasting state of glory. But being for a

special purpose, to reconcile all things in this world, now disordered

first time since the fall come into direct connection with His

creatures; therefore it is limited, forming the dispensation in the

fulness of times

(Eph 1:10),

when God shall gather in one all things in Christ, the final end of

which shall be, "God all in all"

(1Co 15:24-28).

14. the crowns shall be to Helem . . . a memorial--deposited in the

temple, to the honor of the donors; a memorial, too, of the coronation

of Joshua, to remind all of Messiah, the promised antitypical

king-priest, soon to come. Helem, the same as Heldai

above.

So Hen (that is, "favor") is another name for Josiah (that is, "God

founds") above. The same person often had two names.

15. they . . . far off shall . . .

build--The reason why the crowns were made of gold received from

afar, namely, from the Jews of Babylon, was to typify the conversion of

the Gentiles to Messiah, King of Israel. This, too, was included in

the "peace" spoken of in

Zec 6:13

(Ac 2:39;

Eph 2:12-17).

Primarily, however, the return of the dispersed Israelites "from afar"

(Isa 60:9)

to the king of the Jews at Jerusalem is intended, to be followed,

secondly, by the conversion of the Gentiles from "far off"

(Zec 2:11; 8:2-2, 23;

Isa 60:10; 57:19).

build in the temple--Christ "builds the temple"

(Zec 6:12, 13;

Heb 3:3, 4):

His people "build in the temple." Compare

Heb 3:2,

"Moses in His house."

ye shall know, &c.--when the event corresponds to the prediction

(Zec 2:9; 4:9).

this shall come to pass, if ye . . . obey, &c.--To the Jews of

Zechariah's day a stimulus is given to diligent prosecution of the

temple building, the work which it was meanwhile their duty to fulfil,

relying on the hope of the Messiah afterwards to glorify it. The

completion of the temple shall "come to pass," if ye diligently on your

part "obey the Lord." It is not meant that their unbelief could set

aside God's gracious purpose as to Messiah's coming. But there is,

secondarily, meant, that Messiah's glory as priest-king of Israel shall

not be manifested to the Jews till they turn to Him with obedient

penitence. They meanwhile are cast away "branches" until they be grafted

in again on the Branch and their own olive tree

(Zec 3:8; 12:10-12;

Mt 23:39;

Ro 11:16-24).