ZECHARIAH LESSON 8
We will begin this lesson in Zechariah 8:1 "Again the word of the
LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,"
This is a fresh message coming from the LORD.
Zechariah 8:2 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for
Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury."
"Thus saith the LORD" occurs 10 times in this chapter of
Zechariah. This is to stress the promises God made to His people. God
loved Zion, as a husband would a wife. He was jealous of her, and did
not want anyone attacking her. Anyone who harmed Zion would feel the
wrath of God. "Zion" is sometimes speaking of the physical house of
Israel, and sometimes is speaking of the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Whichever this is speaking of, it is all the same. God is
jealous for His church, the same as He is for physical Zion. Ephesians
5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these
things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."
Notice, those who are faithful to God are saved from wrath. Romans 5:9
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him."
Zechariah 8:3 "Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and
will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a
city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy
mountain."
We remember in another prophetic book, that God left the temple
just before the Babylonians came and destroyed it. He left through the
eastern gate, and He will return the same way. To some extent, this
was fulfilled when this temple was built in Jerusalem. It had a
further fulfillment, when Jesus came as Saviour. The true fulfillment
is when Jesus walks through that eastern gate, and sets up His kingdom
of Truth. II Corinthians 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people." Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is]
with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God."
Zechariah 8:4 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old
men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man
with his staff in his hand for very age."
Isaiah 65:20 "There shall be no more thence an infant of days,
nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die
an hundred years old; but the sinner [being] an hundred years old
shall be accursed." Isaiah 65:21 "And they shall build houses, and
inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of
them." Isaiah 65:22 "They shall not build, and another inhabit; they
shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the
days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their
hands."
Zechariah 8:5 "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys
and girls playing in the streets thereof."
This shows a time of great peace and joy. Children were thought
to be a blessing from God. The children playing in the streets, show
they have nothing to fear.
Zechariah 8:6 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous
in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it
also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts."
The things that make God's people happy, also, make Him happy.
The people had been in such destitute condition, they could do nothing
but marvel at the wonders God performed for them.
Zechariah 8:7 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save
my people from the east country, and from the west country;"
This really has two meanings. The "east and the west" covers the
entire world. In the physical, God's people had been scattered and
would be brought back to Israel. Deuteronomy 30:3 "That then the LORD
thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and
will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy
God hath scattered thee." In the spiritual sense, this is speaking of
God offering salvation to whosoever will of the whole earth. I Timothy
4:10 "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we
trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of
those that believe."
Zechariah 8:8 "And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the
midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their
God, in truth and in righteousness."
Notice, first in this, they must be His people, and then, He will
be their God. This is the act of the free will of man. They must want
to be His people, and then, He will want to be their God. Hebrews 8:10
"For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people:"
Zechariah 8:9 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be
strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the
prophets, which [were] in the day [that] the foundation of the house
of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built."
This suddenly jumps back to the physical building of the temple
in the days of Zechariah. Those who heard the Words of God from the
prophet and believed, should be strengthened in the knowledge of the
promises God had made. They should work hard on the temple to get it
built, knowing of these blessings of God. Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
Zechariah 8:10 "For before these days there was no hire for man,
nor any hire for beast; neither [was there any] peace to him that went
out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one
against his neighbour."
He is reminding them of the terrible situation He has just
brought them out of. Their crops would not even produce enough for
their own labor, much less enough to hire someone to work for them.
They have only begun to be blessed, since they began the construction
of the temple.
Zechariah 8:11 "But now I [will] not [be] unto the residue of
this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts."
God will bless them mightily. God removed the curse the minute
they began to build the temple. There was just enough to barely get by
on before. Now, there is an abundance.
Zechariah 8:12 "For the seed [shall be] prosperous; the vine
shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the
heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this
people to possess all these [things]."
Every seed that is planted will produce, now, that the blessings
of God are upon them. It will rain at just the right time, and they
will have just the right amount of sunshine, too. It is God that
causes all of these things to happen. He makes the crop produce
abundantly.
Zechariah 8:13 "And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a
curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so
will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but] let your
hands be strong."
As long as they are obedient to God, they will be tremendously
blessed, and will be a blessing to others. When the curse was upon
them, the heathen doubted that they even had a God. They must remain
strong in the Lord for these things to take place. Genesis 12:2 "And I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" Galatians 3:28 "There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise."
Zechariah 8:14 "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to
punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of
hosts, and I repented not:"
God punished them for their unfaithfulness to Him. He did not
completely cut them off, because they were His family. They provoked
Him to wrath with their idols and false gods. He did not repent of His
anger toward them for this serious sin, but punished them.
Zechariah 8:15 "So again have I thought in these days to do well
unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not."
He finished with their chastisement, He forgave them, and started
all over with them again. His blessings are upon them. They must not
fear, but have faith.
Zechariah 8:16 "These [are] the things that ye shall do; Speak
ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth
and peace in your gates:"
If they are to stay in the good graces of God, they are to deal
fairly with their neighbor. In everything they do, they must deal
truthfully. If they expect blessings from God, they must bless their
neighbor. Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and
the prophets." Ephesians 4:25 "Wherefore putting away lying, speak
every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of
another."
Zechariah 8:17 "And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts
against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these [are
things] that I hate, saith the LORD."
We are what is in our heart. Matthew 12:35 "A good man out of the
good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man
out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." II Corinthians
10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ;" We discovered in an earlier
lesson, that false oaths are perjury. They damage the name of God.
Zechariah 8:18 "And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me,
saying,"
The LORD brings something else up, that He wants to remind them
of. Zechariah keeps reminding them, that these are not his Words, but
the Words of the LORD.
Zechariah 8:19 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the
fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the
seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy
and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and
peace."
Their fasts in the past had been for others. They had not been
happy times with the LORD. The feasts were a time of fellowship with
God. It should be a time of joy, not mourning. II John 1:3 "Grace be
with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."
Zechariah 8:20 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; [It shall] yet
[come to pass], that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of
many cities:"
These are people from many countries coming to Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:21 "And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to
another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to
seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also."
This is a time, when the Gentiles will seek the LORD. This could
be the time, when salvation through Jesus Christ is offered to the
whole world. The Gentiles actually received His message more easily,
than did the Jews. Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
Zechariah 8:22 "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to
seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD."
Galatians 3:8 "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto
Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed." Revelation
15:4 "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for
[thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before
thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."
Zechariah 8:23 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it
shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages
of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a
Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is]
with you."
Even Jesus came to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. "Ten"
symbolizes world government. The world will seek God in the land of
the Jew. Jesus started Christianity in the land of the Jew. Jesus was
of the tribe of Judah in the flesh. The apostles, also, were Jews. The
following Scriptures let us know that God has saved people from all
nations of the world. Revelation 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a
great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"
Revelation 7:10 "And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Revelation
21:24 "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light
of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into
it."
Zechariah 8 Questions
1. "Thus saith the LORD" occurs _______ times in this chapter.
2. What does that stress?
3. God loved Zion, as a __________ would a ________.
4. Anyone who harmed Zion would feel the _________ of God.
5. Who is "Zion"?
6. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6.
7. Who are saved from wrath?
8. Quote Romans chapter 5 verse 9.
9. When God dwells in Jerusalem, Jerusalem will be called a city of
_________.
10. When had God left the temple in Jerusalem?
11. When is the true fulfillment of The LORD coming back into
Jerusalem?
12. Quote 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 16.
13. The tabernacle of God is with ________.
14. Quote Isaiah chapter 65 verses 20, 21, and 22.
15. The streets of the city shall be full of ________ and ________.
16. What does this show us?
17. What does from the east country to the west country, mean?
18. Quote Dueteronomy chapter 30 verse 3.
19. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10.
20. What must man do, before God will be his God?
21. Quote Hebrews chapter 8 verse 10.
22. What should these people, who were brought back from captivity,
do?
23. Quote Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10.
24. Why had their crops failed to produce?
25. When did God remove the curse from their crops?
26. What natural things will God do to help their crops grow?
27. Quote Genesis chapter 12 verse 2.
28. If ye be __________, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise.
29. Why had God punished them?
30. What did God tell them to do in verse 16?
31. Quote Matthew chapter 7 verse 12.
32. Why were they to speak truth to their neighbor?
33. What does the heart determine?
34. How did the fasts and feasts differ?
35. Quote 2 John chapter 1 verse 3.
36. Who seeks the LORD in verse 21?
37. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 8.
38. Jesus came to the _______ first.
39. Jesus was of the tribe of ________ in the flesh.
40. Quote Revelation chapter 21 verse 24.
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