Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Its easy to feel overwhelmed in this life.

We live in a fallen world and things are not for certain and with all the uncertainty we can get discouraged and begin to wonder where God is.

Especially if we had recently failed, or been corrected or under the discipline of the LORD.

During these times we look for comfort and assurance anything to know God is still with us - especially when facing the opposition against us - from the fallen world, the fallen people and the spiritual warfare going on around us.

This is the place Israel found themselves in.

Back in the land, rebuilding the temple but still feeling small and insignificant and under the rule of a foreign empire.

No longer under the reign of their own.

Last week we started Zechariah and we know that his message focuses around his name - the LORD remembers.

This week we begin looking at the 8 visions God gave Zechariah to encourage the people.

This morning we will be looking at the first two.

The language we will encounter is apocalyptic - found in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and in Zechariah.

Apocalyptic addresses the minority/remnant under foreign domination.

It exhorts the faithful to persevere against oppression.

Apocalyptic warns of world-wide cataclysmic events and prophesies of new heavens and new earth.

Apocalyptic uses visions and symbols that are mysterious and exciting.

As we venture in Zechariah visions we need to recognize what these visions are, probably more importantly what they are are not.

They are symbolic representations of truths and events designed to highlight their meaning.

They are not video surveillance footage.

Usually the visions depict something from the future, but sometimes they depict the present and even past.

These first two visions of Zechariah are a message of God’s comfort and assurance to His people.

First Vision - Horsemen

The Vision

This word from Zechariah came 5 months to the day from the time they started rebuilding the temple.

Three months after Zechariah’s first prophecy and two months after Haggai’s last prophecy.

On the twenty fourth day of the eleventh month - Shebat 5 months after the rebuilding began.

The letter to Darius still out in the open unanswered.

It took Ezra 5 months to journey from Babylon to Jerusalem - with the hand of the LORD helping him

At any moment the word from Darius could put an end to the rebuilding.

Israel was vulnerable and uncertainty surrounded their work.

We know what the response from Darius was but at this time they didnt know.

During this uncertain time the visions of Zechariah come and they bring some of the most encouraging messages from the LORD ever preached to the nation of Israel.

These are visions given to Zechariah and not dreams, as Zechariah is very much awake as noted by his constant interruptions and questions.

The fact that it speaks of Zechariah speaking into the night possibly speaks towards the mercy of God.

God often speaks His love to His people in the dark night of their sorrow and distress.

This vision is seen in the night and there is a man riding a chestnut or red horse.

This horseman was standing among myrtle trees in the valley.

Behind him there were chestnut, brown, and white horses.

The Interpretation

There are keys to proper interpretation of symbols in prophetic scripture

Look for the text itself to provide the interpretation.

Make sure your interpretation of the symbols fits the immediate context.

Consider the greater context of the whole book

Ground your interpretation of a symbol in other revelation in scripture using the same imagery

We must be cautious when doing this.

One writer may use a symbol in a different way than another writer.

He may even use one symbol to represent different things in different contexts.

However, it does give us something to work with beyond our own imagination.

Understand the imagery in the historical context in which the vision was given.

Consider two principles - revelation is progressive and second the law of double fulfillment - a near and far fulfillment an immediate partial fulfillment and a fuller fulfillment much later.

This is called the Mountain Peaks view of prophecy.

Clarence Larkin (1850-1924) created this picture to explain the unrolling of prophecy throughout the ages.

When you’re climbing a mountain range and you think you’ve gotten to the top, you realize there is a valley and the peak you thought was nearby is actually several mountains away with several valleys between.

7. Four points of prophecy

Prophets own time

Captivity and restoration

Christ

Millennium - New Heaven and New Earth

Verse 9 Zechariah quite plainly asks what these things are and there is an angel who says I will show you what they are.

They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth.

The man riding (other translations say mounted) on a chestnut red horse - this is the Angel of the LORD - which is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

A Christophony.

The LORD has horses behind Him and while there isnt explicitly riders described on them - the context and the narrative requires it because they report back their findings.

These horses are the angelic hosts of heaven.

This vision the color of the horses is not that important.

How do I know that?

Much of the vision is interpreted, but the horse colors are not given any particular significance.

Therefore, it best to not get too focused on that.

More of a detailed description than an important meaningful detail.

The scene is the LORD and His hosts standing in the midst of a myrtle forest (this is mentioned three times so its an important detail) in a valley or in a hollow or depths.

The night or the darkness in the depths and the forest of myrtle trees.

The myrtle trees have been used elsewhere to describe the people of God or the nation of Israel.

Unlike the mighty cedars of Lebanon, myrtle trees only grow to a height of eight feet.

This pictures Israel’s seeming insignificance or smallness.

Just as the myrtle tree is an evergreen, Israel has a remarkable tendency to continue on even though men like Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, and Hitler throughout her history have tried to destroy her completely.

The blossom of the myrtle tree when crushed releases a wonderful fragrance.

The same is true of Israel.

Whenever nations have sought to crush her the fragrance of God comes from her.

The people of God are not in the depths and the darkness alone, the rider on the horse - the LORD Himself with His hosts is among His people.

So the LORD is with His people in their troubles and griefs.

The Situation

The report given from the reconnaissance patrol is that they have patrolled the earth and right now the WHOLE earth is calm and quiet.

To stop here and see this alone we might think - excellent isnt this a good thing?

All the earth is calm and quiet - a peaceful serenity a peaceful rest from war and conflict.

If this is in reference to the peace in Darius’s rule then it is peace at the result of Persian oppression and injustice.

This is peace and calm that does not extend to Israel who is now under Gentile dominion.

Then the angel of the LORD responded “How long, LORD of Armies will you withhold mercy from Jersualem and cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years.

Here then we see the true situation: the people of God were afflicted and suffering while the rest of the earth was at peace.

In other words the world had no concern for the people of God and their current state.

No one is losing sleep over the oppression of God’s people.

This reality shouldn’t shock you,

For it has been true throughout the ages and is true even today.

The world is not concerned about the affliction of God’s people, no matter if that is Israel, or the church.

The world doesn’t care how God’s people are afflicted, but Jesus does

Proclamations

The LORD replied with kind and comforting to the angel.

The angel proclaimed for the LORD:

He is extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.

He is fiercely angry with the nations at ease.

The LORD says yes I was angry but only a little but the nations made it worse - they went beyond what the LORD called them to do.