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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 1
Zechariah call upon Judah to repent—He is shown by visions that the
cities of Judah and the temple will be rebuilt.
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The Lord calls the Prophet Zechariah to call upon Israel [Judah] to
repent—Various visions are give which have dualistic application and
show forth in part the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the
temple.
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1 IN the eighth month, in
the second year of Darius, came
the word of the LORD unto aZechariah, the son of Berechiah,
the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your
fathersa.
3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; aTurn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I
will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
The Lord's Blessings
The blessings of the Lord are give based upon righteousness. So how does
the Lord bless those who have been long in the grips of sin. When one turns
unto the Lord, the Lord's atonement is able to go into effect and the Lord
turns unto them, blessing them with the Lord's blessings. It is not the past
righteousness of the repentant soul which brings forth the blessings, the
Lord takes away the sins imputing unto them his righteousness by which he is
then able to bless them.
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2a LORD hath been sore displeased with
your fathers This statement applies to all of Israel though through
Zechariah it is directed toward those of the kingdom of Judah who were in
bondage in Babylon. In the dualistic nature of scripture where what is said
to one may well apply to many and at different time and in various respect,
what is said here to 'Judah' and her companions in Israel, also applies
equally as well to all of Israel. The 'fathers' of the northern ten tribes
of the Kingdom of Israel bore no less guilt and the call to all of Israel
to return from the ways of their wicked fathers should be applied and noted.
Remember the Lord
One of the key concepts of the scripture is for Israel to remember and
return unto the Lord. The reason for Israel being scattered was that they
did 'forget' their God and they did forget His ways. Thus throughout the
scriptures 'key' ideas of importance are often set out as that which should
be 'remembered'. That Israel remember and return unto God is a key element
fo the latter-day restoration, and the calling of the Lord to His people to
remember and return and be gathered again to the Lord, to His holy congregation
of Zion, the pople of the Lord.
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1a
Ezra 5:1
3a
D&C 88:63;
TG
Repentance
3 Ne.
10:6
I Will Turn Unto You
The Lord has promised that those who do sincerely repent and come unto him,
he will turn unto them. He will bless their lives and remember their sins no
more. Many in the grips of sin feel rejected and consider that there is no
hope. These feelings of despire need to be over come as one comes to
understand the power of the atonement and Christ's forgiveness. It may not
be easy, but the relief of the pains and burdens of sin which are promised
to be removed and replaced by the spirit and comfort of the Lord makes it
the only path for man to follow to rid themselves of such pain and sorrow.
The exercise of 'faith' in the Lord that he will and can do this is the
critical point. Christ can do it as those who do repent exercise their faith
on his name.
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4 Be ye not as your afathers, unto
whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they
did bnot hear, nor chearken unto me,
saith the LORD.
5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my
servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they
returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts athought to do
unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt
with us.
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4a
Ps. 78:8
b
2 Ne. 27:5;
Jacob 4:14;
D&C 136:36
c
TG
Heartheartedness
6a
Lam. 2:17
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First
Vision
The Horsemen |
7 ¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red
horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the
abottom; and behind him were there red horses,
speckled, and white.
9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And
the aangel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew
thee what these be.
10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
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8a
IE of the valley
9a
TG
Angels
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12 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me,
Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am
ajealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to
Jerusalem with mercies: my ahouse shall be built in it,
saith the LORD of hosts, and a bline shall be stretched
forth upon Jerusalem.
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14a
HEB zealous.;
Joel 2:186;
Zech. 8:2
16a
TG
Last Days;
TG
Temple
b
Jer. 31:39
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17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My
cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet
acomfort Zion, and shall yet bchoose
Jerusalem.
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17a
Isa. 51:3
b
Isa. 14:1
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Second
Vision
The Horns and The Smiths |
18 ¶ Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 And the LORD shewed me four
acarpenters.
21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake,
saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man
did lift up his head: but these are come to afray them, to
cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
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20a
HEB craftsmen or artisans
21a
HEB terrify
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