FOR THE THEN
Bible Commentaries
Clarke's Commentary
Verse 1
CHAPTER VI
The vision of the four chariots drawn by several sorts of
horses, 1-8.
The other vision in thus chapter may refer in its primary
sense to the establishment of the civil and religious polity of
the Jews under Joshua and Zerubbabel; but relates in a fuller
sense, to the Messiah, and to that spiritual kingdom of which
he was to be both king and high priest. In him all these types
and figures were verified; on him all the promises are yea and
amen, 9-15.
NOTES ON CHAP. VI
Verse Zechariah 6:1. There came four chariots — Four monarchies or empires. This is supposed to mean the same with the vision of the four horns, in Zechariah 1:18-21.
Mountains of brass. — The strong barriers of God's purposes, which restrained those powers within the times and limits appointed by Jehovah.
Verse 2
Verse Zechariah 6:2. In the first chariot were red horses] The empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians.
The second chariot black horses — The empire of the Persians founded by Cyrus, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans.
Verse 3
Verse Zechariah 6:3. The third chariot white horses — The empire of the Greeks, founded by Alexander the Great, which destroyed the empire of the Persians.
The fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. — That is party-coloured horses; or with horses, some grisled and some bay. The empire of the Romans or of the Greeks. The Greeks divided after the death of Alexander; one part pointing out the Lagidae, who attacked and subdued Egypt; and the other, the Seleucidae, who subdued Syria under Seleucus.
Verse 5
Verse Zechariah 6:5. The four spirits of the heavens — Ministers of God's wrath against the sinful nations of the world.
Verse 6
Verse Zechariah 6:6. The black horses — This refers to the second chariot; of the first the angel makes no mention, because the empire designed by it had ceased to exist. This had red horses, to show the cruelty of the Chaldeans towards the Jews, and the carnage they committed in the land of Judea.
The black — Cyrus, at the head of the Persians and Medes, bringing devastation and death among the Chaldeans, called the north in many parts of Scripture.
The white — Alexander, who was splendid in his victories, and mild towards all that he conquered.
The grisled — The Lagidae or Ptolemies, who founded an empire in Egypt; of these some were good, some bad, some despotic, some moderate, some cruel, and some mild; represented by the party-coloured horses.
Verse 7
Verse Zechariah 6:7. And the bay went forth — The Seleucidae, who conquered Syria and the upper provinces, and who wished to extend their conquests, and "sought to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth," were of unbounded ambition, and sought universal empire; such as Antiochus the Great. "So they walked to and fro," did extend their conquests; and harassed many countries by their vexatious and almost continual wars. Some think the Romans are meant, who carried their conquests hither and thither, just as the Divine providence permitted them.
Verse 8
Verse Zechariah 6:8. Have quieted my spirit in the north country. — They have fulfilled my judgments on Assyria and Chaldea. Nabopolassar and Cyrus first, against the Assyrians and Chaldeans; and Alexander next, against the Persians. On this vision Abp. Newcome remarks:-
The black horses seem to denote the Persian empire; which, by subduing the Chaldeans, and being about to inflict a second heavy chastisement on Babylon, quieted God's spiritwith respect to Chaldea; a country always spoken of as lying to the north of the Jews.
The white horses seem to be the Macedonian empire; which, like the Persian, overcame Chaldea.
The spotted bay horses seem to be the Roman empire. This description suits it because it was governed by kings, consuls, dictators, and emperors. It penetrated southward to Egypt and Africa. The Roman empire is mentioned twice, Zechariah 6:6-7, under each epithet given it, Zechariah 6:3.
Verse 10
Verse Zechariah 6:10. Take of them of the captivity — The names that follow were probably those to whom the silver and golden vessels of the temple were intrusted; and who might have had bullion of silver and gold, for particular purposes, about the ornaments of the temple.
The house of Josiah — Probably an artificer in silver, gold, &c.
Verse 11
Verse Zechariah 6:11. Make crowns — עטרות ataroth; but seven MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, and one ancient of my own, with the Syriac and Chaldee, have עטרת atereth, a crown, or tiara. And as Joshua the high priest is alone concerned here, I think one crown only is intended.
Verse 12
Verse Zechariah 6:12. Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH! — I cannot think that Zerubbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in Zechariah 3:8. Joshua and his companions are called אנשי מופת anshey mopheth, figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the BRANCH, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he was the type or figure. The Chaldee has, "whose name is my MESSIAH," or CHRIST.
And he shall grow up out of his place — That is, out of David's root, tribe, and family.
And he shall build the temple of the Lord. — This cannot refer to the building of the temple then in hand, for Zerubbabel was its builder: but to that temple, the Christian Church, that was typified by it; for Zerubbabel is not named here, and only Joshua or Jesus (the name is the same) is the person who is to be crowned and to build this spiritual temple.
Verse 13
Verse Zechariah 6:13. Even he shall build the temple — Joshua, not Zerubbabel.
He shall bear the glory — Have all the honour of it; for none can do this but himself. The Messiah is still intended.
And shall sit and rule upon his throne — For the government of the Church shall be upon his shoulder.
And he shall be a priest upon his throne — He shall, as the great high priest, offer the only available offering and atonement; and so he shall be both king and priest, a royal king and a royal priest; for even the priest is here stated to sit upon his throne.
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both. — Whom? Zerubbabel and Joshua? Certainly not Zerubbabel, for he is not mentioned in all this prediction; but, as the Messiah is intended, the counsel of peace-the purpose to establish peace between heaven and earth, must be between the Father and the Son.
Verse 14
Verse Zechariah 6:14. And the crowns shall be — One of my MSS. has אטרות ataroth, crowns, corrected into עטרת atereth, crown; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic. The Chaldee has, "And praise shall be," &c. The meaning appears to be this, that the crown made for Joshua should be delivered to the persons mentioned here and in Zechariah 6:10, to be laid up in the temple of the Lord, as a memorial of this typical transaction.
Verse 15
Verse 15. And they that are far off shall come — The Gentiles shall come to the Saviour of the world; and build-become a part of this new temple; for they, as living stones, shall become a holy temple, a habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me — These predictions, relative to the regal and sacerdotal offices of the Messiah, shall be so circumstantially fulfilled, that ye, Jews, shall be obliged to acknowledge that the Lord of hosts hath sent me with this message.
And this shall come to pass — Your own temple shall be rebuilt, and God shall dwell among you now, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God.
……………………………
ZECHARIAH FOR THE FUTURE—KEITH HUNT'S COMMENTARY
CHAPTER 6
Zech now sees FOUR chariots - a red one - a black one - a
white one - a bay one. Immediately Revelation 6 comes to mind.
The red chariot horses = war. The black chariot horses = famine.
The white chariot horses = religious deception. The bay or pale
or grisled chariot horses = pestilence.
They, the chariots represent the spirits of God, spirit
beings that will go forth from the Lord of heaven. The spirit
world is much more fluent and busy and complicated than we can
ever imagine. You get a glimpse of its workings in the book of
Daniel. Take care to notice it all as you read the book of
Daniel.
Again let me say that in prophecy there is often a first
fulfilment, often during the time frame that the prophet taught
and preached, and another fulfilment at the end time, at the
close of this age. It does not hold true for every passage of
prophecy but many times it does as certain verses within a
context make clear.
For the first fulfilment of these verses I recommend you
study some of the popular Bible Commentaries like Adam Clarke,
Albert Barnes etc.
For today and beyond these FOUR horses here have their equal
in the book of Revelation chapter 6. I refer you to my study on
the book of Revelation in the series of "The New Testament Bible
Story" (verses 1-8).
Coronation of Joshua
As some like Adam Clarke (in his Bible Commentary) have
seen, this Joshua here REPRESENTS the Messiah Christ - the
BRANCH, as we have seen in other prophecies. The BRANCH is the root and offspring of David, the man called the Son of man, the Son of God, as He came to earth from the line of the seed ofDavid. Christ the Messiah is THE BRANCH!
Notice verse 12. It is the BRANCH - the MESSIAH, who is toBUILD THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD! One of the first works
Jesus will do when He comes again to establish the Kingdom of God on earth is to over-see the building of the Ezekiel Temple,
as we have see when we went through the book of Ezekiel. This is the verse as to why many of the orthodox Jews do not believe a new Temple in Jerusalem can be built BUT BY THE
MESSIAH BRANCH of David.
This Branch Messiah Christ will BEAR THE GLORY of building the Ezekiel Temple. He shall sit and rule on His throne - The throne of David as other prophetic passages also show. He will be THE priest, THE LORD OF LORDS, KING OF KINGS, PRIEST OF PRIESTS!He will be the COUNSEL OF PEACE for the whole world in that new age to come (verses 12-13).
Jesus the Branch Messiah, as we have seen will RESTORE
Israel and Judah, bring them back from captivity, from far away
lands, when He returns to earth. And when they are in the Holy
Land, they will help Christ build that Temple; and indeed they
will know that the prophet Zechariah was sent to proclaim all
this good news; they will surely obey God in that day (verse 15).……………………………
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