Zechariah 1:7-11
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:
8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him.
9 Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”
10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”
11 So they responded to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is still and quiet.”
The First Vision (1)
The eight consecutive visions
Zechariah was shown eight consecutive visions by God. This took place “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius” (520 BC), that is, three months after Zechariah received his call as a prophet (ref. 1:1). In a single night, he was shown eight consecutive visions. These visions revealed God’s plan for the future of Israel, especially Jerusalem. Today, we will look at the first vision.
A man riding on a red horse
In order to understand this vision, let us first state the conclusion. (1) The “man riding on a red horse,” the “angel who was speaking with Zechariah,” and “the angel of the Lord” who appear in this vision are all the same person. In the Old Testament, “the angel of the Lord” refers to the pre-incarnate second Person of God. (2) The teaching conveyed by this vision is that although the Gentile nations are afflicting Israel, the covenant people, God loves Jerusalem with a jealous love, and therefore He will surely restore His people. Now, let us look at today’s passage. (1) It says, “I saw at night” (v 8). Visions are usually given to prophets during the night. This is not a dream. (2) The word “ravine” (v 8) is translated as “bottom” in the ASV translation. Its original meaning is “a low place” or “a hollow,” and symbolically it represents the Gentile world. (3) The “red, sorrel, and white horses” symbolize heavenly beings (angels) who govern the Gentile world. It says, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth” (v 10). “To patrol the earth” is an expression that describes the activity of angels (ref. Job 1:7; 2:2). (4) The angels answer as follows: “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is still and quiet” (v 11). They had completed their mission of observing the Gentile world, and all the people on the earth were living in peace and tranquility. This may sound like good news, but for Israel it is tragic information. For it means that nothing of God’s plan for Israel is making progress. Israel remains trampled down and oppressed by the Gentile nations. How long will God leave it as it is? There is no need to be discouraged. When the appointed time comes, God will surely deliver and bless His people. Next time, we will learn about that promise of blessing.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, You are the One who never forsakes Your people. Please intervene in my life also and lead me in the path of righteousness. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.