Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Thursday,
May 28, 2020
Pastor Rick Kabrick
The book of Zechariah part 2. More on the Fascinating Prophet. Pastor Rick Kabrick.
Spurgeon said: “The pupil of the eye is the tenderest part of the tenderest organ, and very fitly sets forth the inexpressible tenderness of GOD’s love.”
Satan had a lot to accuse Joshua of, just like he does with regard to us. But like Joshua did, we too have an even greater advocate in the LORD Jesus Christ.
Notice that the accusation is made, the LORD responds and Joshua kept his mouth shut. A lesson there for us indeed.
GOD wanted Zerubbabel to know that the Holy Spirit would continually supply his need, just as the olive trees supplied oil to the lamps on the lampstand. Oil is a good representation of the Holy Spirit. GOD wants HIS supply and our reliance on the Holy Spirit to be continual.
Zechariah prophesied to those who returned from the Babylonian exile. Many of GOD’s people came back from Babylon with a materialism problem, and this vision spoke to this problem. It is a problem that remains to this day in GOD’s people, beware of it.
Patriarchs = Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Joseph
Prophets = Moses to Samuel
Kings =
Priests =
Every type of leader failed in some way. Jesus would combine them all.
The Day of Atonement was the only annual fast required by GOD’s law (LEV 23:27). The fall of Jerusalem was remembered by 4 fasts, the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months.
They had kept this wailing and fasting for “many years,” in captivity.
It seemed, they had set aside the 5th month to mourn their captivity and fast.
Though a thing may be difficult to us, there are no difficulties with GOD and we know that: with God all things are possible. And those times when we look at GOD’s answers to our problems and we see them as miracles, do you think GOD looks at it as a miracle? Remember what the LORD said through the Prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
When GOD greatly blesses a Christian church, there are sure to be many older persons in it as well as younger persons. Each group should be a blessing to one another.
Many see this as Jerusalem being measured to make sure that it is large enough for the multitudes GOD will bring to it. In the time of Zechariah, it seemed strange to worry about Jerusalem being big enough, because there seemed to be too few people for the city.
Even Jesus came to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. The number 10 indicates perfect completion meaning here the whole world will come to want to know the true GOD.
The city of Tyre was built as a strong fortress (a rock). And, besides its natural defense, it had a wall one hundred and fifty feet high.
But, as it could not defend itself against Alexander the Great, who took it.
Tyre was such a great city; it was hard for other nations to believe it had been destroyed. They knew that if Tyre had been destroyed well then they had no chance, and they were destroyed. And they would be.
The Jews should have been looking for someone from the line of David. Four elements in this verse describe Messiah’s character:
HE is king;
HE is just;
HE brings salvation;
HE is humble.
Armageddon where the armies of the GOD-hating world gather against Israel and are destroyed by the Messiah (REV 16:12-16; 19:11-16).
The bloodshed of the godless will be visible in that day, from one end of the land of Palestine to the other.
The “spring rain” of spiritual grace and goodness from GOD will bring a sort of refreshment to HIS people. But it has a double meaning. In the physical, they should pray and ask GOD for the rain that comes just before the crops mature. It is this rain would provide an abundant crop.
The Hebrew word for whistle (shah-rack) means to hiss. Can be a negative or positive, here it is positive as in a sound that bees make to call the other bees back to the hive.
The land GOD promised them is actually as huge amount of land. Even with all that land, it will not hold all of Israel in the Millennium due to the increase of believers.
Zechariah was a shepherd over a flock. Now he asked for his wages, and they weighed out thirty pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver was not an insignificant amount, but it was the price of a slave.
It was the lowest they could pay, and it said that they regarded Zechariah as a slave.
King David was renowned for his fighting ability, courage, and success. GOD promises a day when the weakest in Jerusalem will be as mighty as David – and the leaders second only to GOD!
The Jews will realize that they did it, and that they bear responsibility – not sole responsibility, but responsibility nonetheless – for the crucifixion of their Savior. The Jewish people will turn to Jesus in repentance, mourning their past rejection of HIM.
The Jews will be restored to their own land, and that they shall inherit all which the LORD has given them. But, better still they will believe in the LORD Jesus Christ, and they will see HIM in the house of David on the throne of Israel.
Zechariah prophesies a coming day when public opinion will not tolerate false prophets. There will be such a commitment to the LORD and His truth that even the family of a false prophet will condemn the false prophet.
All over the world people want to know what will happen to Jerusalem. Zechariah knows the answer – GOD will gloriously save and restore Jerusalem, making it the capital city of the millennial earth.
Since the mountains around Jerusalem are no longer needed as a defense, many believe that they can be flattened into a plain. This could be done by modern weapons or by GOD HIMself.