Zechariah 1: God spoke good, even comfortable words

In our previous day’s post' (please refer to: http://kzlam36.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/zechariah-1-return-to-me-and-i-will-return-to-you/ )

 

we read the Bible verse from the book of Zechariah in New Living Translation. Today we read Zechariah 1 American Standard Version (ASV). This prophecy is for the Americans too. God spoke about the past and the future of the children of Israel, the children of Abraham by faith, and the children of America today too. Let us review what God spoke yesterday. (quoting in excerpts)

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² Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers.

³ Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

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 overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

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Yesterday God told us how He felt about our fathers, those who turned away from God. He spoke further on this subject and what He intended to do. He is speaking to a new generation now.

Today we continue reading as follows: Zechariah listened and pondered. Three months later he received further messages accompanied by visions from the Lord.

a summary for pondering and meditation like Zechariah did.

1. Zechariah saw an angel riding upon a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees at the valley. He was not surprised at the supernatural. He spoke to the angel. What was Zechariah doing there? He was led in the spirit to go out in the middle of the night to the valley where the myrtle trees were. If he had stayed in his bed and slept on, he would have missed God’s messenger and the whole night of eight visions!
2. He asked the angel what each vision meant. An honest and humble prophet (watchman) of God.
3. The angel was not surprised that Zechariah saw him and he replied him. Hebrews 1:14 “Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?”
4. The angel was actually doing his work: watching the other angels who were sent out on assignments to patrol the earth, then came back and reported to the one who talked to Zechariah.
5. The angel who spoke to Zechariah interceded to God and asked about the timing of intervention from God for the happenings to God’s elect people on earth. (The angel knew God’s intention and he spoke to God about fulfillment of the timing).
6. God actually replied and told what He intended to do and why. (In verse 16, God used the present tense ‘I am returned’ to put a time to the physical application of his intention.)
7. God gave a positive message (good and comfortable words) to the prophet: “My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” Wow, what a merciful and awesome God to His people!

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⁸ I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

⁹ Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.

¹⁰ And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

¹¹ And they answered the angel of Jehovah 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.

¹² Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah 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 Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words.

¹⁴ So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

¹⁵ And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

¹⁸ And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns.

¹⁹ And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

²⁰ And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

²¹ Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.