Remarks Upon the Book of Zechariah

IN this chapter the prophet announces the great things which God desired to do for Jerusalem. We shall find, however, that the condition of obedience on the part of the people was insisted upon by the Lord. God says (Zech. 8:1, 2) that he was zealous for Zion with great fury. According to Zech. 1:14, 15, he gave his people into the hands of the heathen to be punished for their sins. But the heathen had not only humbled the people of God by carrying them into captivity, but had continued to afflict them cruelly. For this cause God had signally punished the king of Babylon (Dan. 5) who had dared to continue to live in every kind of sin, though he had seen how God punished the Jews. God was zealous for his people because they had repented of their sins, and because those who afflicted them were not afraid to persist in wickedness.

The Lord declares that he has returned to Jerusalem (verse 3), and that he will dwell in the midst of that city, and that it shall be called a city of truth, and the holy mountain of the Lord. But all this implies that the people were not to return to the sins which caused the Lord to depart from them and to destroy their city by Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Chron. 36:16-20. Jerusalem was to be a mountain of holiness and a city of truth if the people would not commit iniquity.

To show the protection which God would extend to the city in case of the continued obedience of the people, God says that there should yet be seen in the streets of Jerusalem some very aged persons, and that the streets should be full of young persons. Verses 4, 5. The troubles which the Jews at this time suffered made this declaration seem to be marvelous in the eyes of the Jews (verse 6), yet God said that he was able to accomplish it. See Zech. 8:10; Haggai 1; Ezra 4 and 5; Neh. 4 and 6.

And now God adds to this promise of tranquility the promise that he would continue to bring back his people who were still scattered toward the four winds of heaven. Verses 7, 8; chap. 2:6, 7. The news that the temple was restored, and that the remnant which had returned to Jerusalem was favored with the protection of God as a wall of fire about them (Zech. 2:4, 5) would cause the pious Jews from every quarter to return to the holy city.

To strengthen the hands of the people of Jerusalem God calls to their remembrance the deplorable condition in which they were situated soon after the foundation of the temple was laid, and how that the words of encouragement spoken by the prophets, on condition of obedience, had been fulfilled. Verses 9, 10, compared with Haggai 1:1-15; 2:15-19. God assures them that they should no more see such afflictions, provided that they would be faithful to him. Zech. 8:11-15. The earth was to yield her increase, and no one was to molest this remnant of the people of God, if they would not sin against him. The names of Judah and Israel had been used as a curse among the heathen, but God would make their names to be used as a blessing, so that men who wished others prosperity would say: May you be as prosperous as the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Verse 13. The Lord solemnly assures them that as he had fulfilled his word in punishing them, so he would fulfill this promise in blessing them, but always on condition that they should not return to the sins which caused their punishment formerly, and which would, if committed again, produce the same results once more. Verses 14, 15.

And now we come to the key of the whole chapter, which is a declaration of the conditions on which all these blessings are promised. Regard well these verses, for in truth they enter into all the promises of the Bible. God has made some exceedingly precious promises in this chapter, but he tells those to whom he has spoken these gracious words what he expects on their part: "These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord." Zech. 8:16, 17. These were the just conditions on which the promises of this chapter were based. They could not fulfill these conditions without being truly converted to God, and if they did not fulfill them they could not receive the promised blessings God made the same conditions in the previous chapter. Zech. 7:9, 10.

The Lord next takes notice of the fasts which the Jews had observed in consequence of their calamities. Zech. 8:18, 19. It is evident that they had profited by the severe reproof given them— in Zech. 7:1-7. The prophet now enumerates four fasts, and says that they shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness. But he reminds them again of the condition in this promise, which is that they should love the truth and peace. If they loved wickedness they would again receive the judgments of God. The fast of the fourth month was because the city of Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar in that month. Jer. 52:6, 7; 39:2; 2 Kings 25:3. The fast of the fifth month was because the temple was burned in that month. 2 Kings 25:8, 9; Jer. 52:12, 13. The fast of the seventh month was because Gedaliah, the governor over the remnant of the Jews left by Nebuchadnezzar, was assassinated in that mouth. 2 Kings 25:25; Jer. 41:1, 2. The fast of the tenth month was because the siege of Jerusalem began in that month. 2 Kings 25:1; Jer. 52:4; Eze. 24:1, 2.

The Lord encourages his people to be faithful to him by assuring them that the inhabitants of many cities of Israel would go up to pray before him in Jerusalem. Zech. 8:20-22. We have an example of two of these persons in Luke 2:25-38, Simeon and Anna, who served God day and night in his temple. God willed that his house should be a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:7), and he here promises that many people and strong nations should come to Jerusalem to pray before him. Zech. 8:22. We have a notable instance of this in the case of the eunuch of Ethiopia, the treasurer of Candace the queen. Acts. 8:27. There were doubtless many pious Gentiles, like the centurion mentioned in Matt. 8:5-13; Acts 10:1-4, and like the woman in the coast of Tyre (Matt. 15:21-28) who did this.

God willed to do great things for his people at Jerusalem. Alas that they should fail to fulfill the conditions! He willed that Jerusalem should stand forever (Jer. 17:25); that his house should be a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:7); and that the Jews should be the most honorable of all nations (Deut. 28:13), and that all nations should go up to Jerusalem to worship. Zech. 8: 22; 14:16. He willed that the Gentiles should eagerly seek the presence of a pious Jew and say that they would go with him because God was with him. We see something of this fulfilled in the fact that God sent the gospel to the Gentiles by apostles chosen from the Jews. But we have the sad fact that when the apostles thus preached, the Jews in general mocked and blasphemed. Acts 13:45; 14:2, 4, 19; 17:5; 18:5, 6.

Jeremiah tells us that when God makes great promises to a nation, if that nation dares to sin against him, he will not confer on it the blessings promised. Jer. 18: 7-10. Zechariah plainly told the Jews that the good things announced by him came on condition of obedience. Zech. 6:15. And in this chapter which we have examined the prophet states directly what were the conditions required of the Jews. Zech. 8:16, 17. Alas that they soon forgot all this! Alas that they soon rebelled against God! Alas that covetousness, dishonesty, and the false oath became common! Alas that they committed the fatal error of supposing that they were the children of God, because they were the posterity of Abraham! Alas that they supposed they should inherit the promises without fulfilling the conditions! Alas that they rejected and crucified Christ! Alas that their city and their temple was destroyed, and that they became a curse among the nations, when they should have been a heavenly blessing!