ZACHARIAS began to prophesy in the same year as Aggeus, and upon the same occasion. His prophecy is full of mysterious figures and promises of blessings, partly relating to the synagogue, and partly to the church of Christ.

 

 

 

 

[8] A man: An angel in the shape of a man. It was probably Michael, the guardian angel of the church of God.

[10] These are they: The guardian angels of provinces and nations.

 

[12] The seventieth year: Viz., from the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, in the ninth year of king Sedecias, to the second year of king Darius. These seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem and the cities of Juda, are different from the seventy years of captivity foretold by Jeremias; which began in the fourth year of Joakim, and ended in the first year of king Cyrus. 

 

[18] Four horns: The four horns represent the empires, or kingdoms, that persecute and oppress the kingdom of God.

[20] Four smiths: The four smiths, or carpenters (for faber may signify either) represent those whom God makes his instruments in bringing to nothing the power of persecutors. 

 

 

 

 

[4] Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls: This must be understood of the spiritual Jerusalem, the church of Christ.  

 

 

 

 

[1] Jesus: Alias, Josue, the son of Josedec, the high priest of that time.

[3] With filthy garments: Negligences and sins.

 

[7] I will give thee: Angels to attend and assist thee.

[8] Portending men: That is, men, who by words and actions are to foreshew wonders that are to come.-- Ibid.

[8] My servant the Orient: Christ, who according to his humanity is the servant of God, is called the Orient from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world.

[9] The stone: Another emblem of Christ, the rock, foundation, and corner stone of his church.-- Ibid.

[9] Seven eyes: The manifold providence of Christ over his church, or the seven gifts of the spirit of God.-- Ibid.

[9] One day: Viz., the day of the passion of Christ, the source of all our good: when this precious stone shall be graved, that is, cut and pierced, with whips, thorns, nails, and spear.

 

Chapter 4

[2] A candlestick: The temple of God that was then in building; and in a more sublime sense, the church of Christ.

[6] To Zorobabel: This vision was in favour of Zorobabel: to assure him of success in the building of the temple, which he had begun, signified by the candlestick; the lamp of which, without any other industry, was supplied with oil, dropping from the two olive trees, and distributed by the seven funnels or pipes, to maintain the seven lights.

[7] Great mountain: So he calls the opposition made by the enemies of God's people; which nevertheless, without an army or might on their side, was quashed by divine providence.-- Ibid.

[7] Shall give equal grace: Shall add grace to grace, or beauty to beauty.

[10] Little days: That is, these small and feeble beginnings of the temple of God.-- Ibid.

[10] The tin plummet: Literally, the stone of tin. He means the builder's plummet, which Zorobabel shall hold in his hand for the finishing the building.-- Ibid.

[10] The seven eyes: The providence of God, that oversees and orders all things.

[14] Two sons of oil: That is, the two anointed ones of the Lord; viz., Jesus the high priest, and Zorobabel the prince.

 

Chapter 5

[1] A volume: That is, a parchment, according to the form of the ancient books, which, from being rolled up, were called volumes.

[6] This is their eye: This is what they fix their eye upon: or this is a resemblance and figure of them, viz., of sinners.

[11] The land of Sennaar: Where Babel or Babylon was built, Gen. 11., where note, that Babylon in holy writ is often taken for the city of the devil: that is, for the whole congregation of the wicked: as Jerusalem is taken for the city and people of God.

 

Chapter 6

[1] Four chariots: The four great empires of the Chaldeans, Persians, Grecians, and Romans. Or perhaps by the fourth chariot are represented the kings of Egypt and of Asia, the descendants of Ptolemeus and Seleucus.

[6] The land of the north: So Babylon is called; because it lay to the north in respect of Jerusalem. The black horses, that is, the Medes and Persians: and after them Alexander and his Greeks, signified by the white horses, went thither because they conquered Babylon, executed upon it the judgments of God, which is signified, ver. 8, by the expression of quieting his spirit.-- Ibid.

[6] The land of the south: Egypt, which lay to the south of Jerusalem, and was occupied first by Ptolemeus, and then by the Romans.

[13] Between them both: That is, he shall unite in himself the two offices or dignities of king and priest.

 

Chapter 7

[3] The fifth month: They fasted on the tenth day of the fifth month; because on that day the temple was burnt. Therefore they inquire whether they are to continue the fast, after the temple is rebuilt. See this query answered in the 19 th verse of the following chapter.

 

Chapter 8

[19] The fast of the fourth month: They fasted, on the ninth day of the fourth month, because on that day Nabuchodonosor took Jerusalem, Jer. 52. 6. On the tenth day of the fifth month, because on that day the temple was burnt, Jer. 52. 12. On the third day of the seventh month, for the murder of Godolias, Jer. 41. 2. And on the tenth day of the tenth month, because on that day the Chaldeans began to besiege Jerusalem, 4 Kings 25. 1. All these fasts, if they will be obedient for the future, shall be changed, as is here promised, into joyful solemnities.

[23] Ten men: Many of the Gentiles became proselytes to the Jewish religion before Christ: but many more were converted to Christ by the apostles and other preachers of the Jewish nation.

 

Chapter 9

[1] Hadrach: Syria.

[7] His blood: It is spoken of the Philistines, and particularly of Azotus, (where the temple of Dagon was,) and contains a prophecy of the conversion of that people from their bloody sacrifices and abominations to the worship of the true God.

[8] That serve me in war: Viz., the Machabees.

[13] Thy sons, O Sion: Viz., the apostles, who, in the spiritual way, conquered the Greeks, and subdued them to Christ.

[16] Holy stones: The apostles, who shall be as pillars and monuments in the church.

[17] The corn: His most excellent gift is the blessed Eucharist, called here The corn, that is, the bread of the elect, and the wine springing forth virgins; that is, maketh virgins to bud, or spring forth, as it were, like flowers among thorns; because it has a wonderful efficacy to give and preserve purity.

 

Chapter 11

[1] O Libanus: So Jerusalem, and more particularly the temple, is called by the prophets, from its height, and from its being built of the cedars of Libanus.-- Ibid.

[1] Thy cedars: Thy princes and chief men.

[6] Every one into his neighbour's hand: This alludes to the last siege of Jerusalem, in which the different factions of the Jews destroyed one another; and they that remained fell into the hands of their king, that is, of the Roman emperor, of whom they had said, John 19. 15, we have no king but Caesar.

[7] Two rods: Or shepherd's staves, meaning the different ways of God's dealing with his people; the one, by sweet means, called the rod of Beauty: the other, by bands and punishments, called the Cord. And where both these rods are made of no use or effect by the obstinacy of sinners, the rods are broken, and such sinners are given up to a reprobate sense, as the Jews were.

[8] Three shepherds in one month: That is, in a very short time. By these three shepherds probably are meant the latter princes and high priests of the Jews, whose reign was short.

[13] The statuary: The Hebrew word signifies also a potter.

[15] A foolish shepherd: This was to represent the foolish, that is, the wicked princes and priests that should rule the people, before their utter desolation.

 

Chapter 12

[2] A lintel of surfeiting: That is, a door into which they shall seek to enter, to glut themselves with blood; but they shall stumble, and fall like men stupefied with wine. It seems to allude to the times of Antiochus, and to the victories of the Machabees.

[11] Adadremmon: A place near Mageddon, where the good king Josias was slain, and much lamented by his people.

 

Chapter 14

[2] I will gather: This seems to be a prophecy of what was done by Antiochus.

[6] No light: Viz., in that dismal time of persecution of Antiochus, when it was neither day nor night: (ver. 7) because they neither had the comfortable light of the day, nor the repose of the night.

[7] In the time of the evening there shall be light: An unexpected light shall arise by the means of the Machabees, when things shall seem to be at the worst.

[8] Living waters: Viz., the gospel of Christ.

[10] All the land shall return: This, in some measure, was verified by the means of the Machabees: but is rather to be taken in a spiritual sense, as relating to the propagation of the church, and kingdom of Christ, the true Jerusalem, which alone shall never fall under the anathema of destruction, or God's curse.

[12] The flesh of every one shall consume: Such judgments as these have often fallen upon the persecutors of God's church, as appears by many instances in history.

[14] Even Juda: The carnal Jews, and other false brothers, shall join in persecuting the church.

[15] Shall be like this destruction: That is, the beasts shall be destroyed as well as the men: the common soldiers as well as their leaders.

[16] They that shall be left: That is, many of them that persecuted the church shall be converted to its faith and communion.-- Ibid.

[16] To keep the feast of tabernacles: This feast was kept by the Jews in memory of their sojourning forty years in the desert, in their way to the land of promise. And in the spiritual sense is duly kept by all such Christians as in their earthly pilgrimage are continually advancing toward their true home, the heavenly Jerusalem; by the help of the sacraments and sacrifice of the church. And they that neglect this must not look for the kind showers of divine grace, to give fruitfulness to their souls.

[20] That which is upon the bridle: The golden ornaments of the bridles, etc., shall be turned into offerings in the house of God. And there shall be an abundance of caldrons and phials for the sacrifices of the temple; by which is meant, under a figure, the great resort there shall be to the temple, that is, to the church of Christ, and her sacrifice.

[21] The merchant shall be no more: Or, as some render it, The Chanaanite shall be no more, that is, the profane and unbelievers shall have no title to be in the house of the Lord. Or there shall be no occasion for buyers or sellers of oxen, or sheep, or doves, in the house of God, such as Jesus Christ cast out of the temple.