30 Amazing Bible Stories You May Not Know

#25 | Zechariah's Visions

Who is Zechariah?

• In 586 BC, after almost 25 years of struggle, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took the last of its inhabitants' captive. They were in captivity for 70 years. See 2 Chronicles 36:1-21.

  • “times of the Gentiles."

  • The book of Lamentations was written about the fall of Jerusalem.

    
    

• After 70 years (and a regime change), King Cyrus the Persian allowed the people to return to Jerusalem. See 2 Chronicles 36:22-23.

  • During this time, Ezra and Nehemiah worked to rebuild the Temple, along with the Prophet Haggai.

  • The Temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt, but restored Israel was always under the thumb of another empire, except for a little over 100 years under the rule of the Hasmonaeans (Maccabees).

    
    

• After the Temple was rebuilt, several prophets served the Lord in restored Israel, before the close of 39 books of the Old Testament.

  • Malachi spoke of the sad state of religious affairs during this time.

  • Zechariah announced the Lord's prophecies about the future during this time.

    • While some will say that Zechariah's prophecies refer to Babylon and the exile, all that was history by the time Zechariah prophesied of the future.

    • “apocalyptic" literature, unveiling the future for Israel.

      
      

• We should note that Israel's prophecies do not pertain to the Body of Christ, the church. They are future, post-rapture events.

  
  

  Zechariah's Prophecies of Chapter

• The Prophecy of the Flying Roll -- Zechariah 5:1-4

  • Verse 1 - The flying roll was a scroll. Our English word volume comes from the Latin (by way of the French) volumen“a roll."

  • Verse 2 -- The roll was 20 x 10 cubits. The cubit is a sacred unit of measurement. The specific size was the size of the doorways of the rebuilt Temple (as per the Mishnah, Midot“This is a message from the Lord."

  • Verse 3 -- the scroll, written on both sides, contained a curse for those who steal and those who swear (use the Lord's name in vain).

  • Verse 4 -- The curse of the scroll would enter into the house of these and the curse would literally use the house to destroy the inhabitants.

    
    

• The Prophecy of the Flying Women -- Zechariah 5:5-11

  • Verse 5 -- Another vision, also likely coming from the Temple.

  • Verse 6 -- An ephah was a measurement of grain. The word is Hebrew. The Ephah was their resemblance. This is a figure of speech, “this vision" is meant for those of vv. 1-4.

  • Verse 7 -- A lead lid was lifted from the ephah, and a woman sat in the basket. This is simply part of the vision, with no explanation, yet.

  • Verse 8 -- Now the explanation: the woman is wickedness. That is, the personification of evil. Wickedness is possibly a representative of the Antichrist, as seen in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10.

  • Verse 9 -- Now two women come and, with wings like a stork, carry the ephah away.

  • Verses 10-11 -- whomever the women are or represent, they carry wickedness personified to the land of Shinar (that is, the place where Babylon stood). When this happens, it shall be established (i.e.: the land of Shinar).

    
    

    What we can learn

    
    

• Biblical history and prophecy can be very interesting!

• Prophecy should be studied with the following principles:

  • Get out of it what you can get out of it, and don't worry about understanding that which isn't revealed.

  • When there is no interpretation, any we give would only be speculation.

  • It is always dangerous to create speculative interpretations without recognizing them as pure conjecture.

    
    

• Prophecy can give insight into the human condition.

  • “gets away with murder."

  • There is a coming judgment, and God will have the last word.

    
    

• Prophecy is essential to the development of our worldview.

• Babylon doesn't exist today, but it will!