Like all the prophets, the work of Zechariah was to turn the people away from wickedness to righteousness, and from idols to serve the living and the true God, when he would return to them. v.3.Zechariah 1:3XWaiting for response He then cites the example of their ancestors, who received the same exhortation but didn't turn to righteousness, and so they were punished, and God dealt with them according to their ways and according to their doings. vs.2,4-6.Zechariah 1:2,4-6XWaiting for response
But Zechariah, inspired by God, looked forward to the time when Christ would intervene in the affairs of the world and would bring blessings upon the people of Israel. And he sees a vision of a man riding upon a red horse with another three horses following and walking among myrtle trees which were used to build booths when the children of Israel were delivered in the Exodus. And he says, these are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk through the earth until all it is still and is at rest. And what we have represented here is the work of the saints who will be sent forth throughout the whole world, to overthrow the nations, to abolish all weapons of war and bring peace and restfulness to the earth and the celebration of the feast of tabernacles. And there are four horses to represent the saints, because the army of Israel was divided into four camps when they conquered the Land.
That it will be at this time when Jerusalem is saved from the desolation of many generations and is exalted as the capital of the Kingdom of God and the metropolis of the whole earth. All the saints have prayed for the peace of Jerusalem, and we have a similar prayer here v.12.Zechariah 1:12XWaiting for response “How long will thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah against which thou hast indignation these seventy years”, referring to the period of the Babylonian captivity, and this prayer was answered with good and comfortable words v.13.Zechariah 1:13XWaiting for response God then made known his attitude towards Jerusalem, and what he would do for her. And in a sense, some of these things were done in the days of Zechariah, when the Jews returned and rebuilt the city and the house of God, but his real intention is the great restoration at the return of Christ when Jerusalem shall receive mercies and prosper, for “the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem” v.17.Zechariah 1:17XWaiting for response
The other prophecies had foretold what would happen to Jerusalem and to the people of Israel – they were afflicted by four great powers, the Babylonians, Medo Persians, Greeks and Romans, represented as the four horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem v.19.Zechariah 1:19XWaiting for response But then he saw four carpenters which immediately makes us think of Jesus and the saints who will punish the oppressive nations and save Israel and Jerusalem vs.20-21.Zechariah 1:20-21XWaiting for response
Zechariah was one of the prophets of the Lord who spoke to Israel after the return from exile in Babylon, and among the last of the prophets before the long period of 400 years of silence from God up to the coming of John the Baptist. Jesus seemed to refer to Zechariah when he named him as the last of the prophets murdered by the people of Israel. Matthew 23:35.Matthew 23:35XWaiting for response The prophecy of Zechariah is very interesting because it tells us a great deal about the Lord Jesus Christ, even though much of it is in symbolic language, but from our reading of the rest of the Bible, we are able to understand what the symbols mean.