Biola University B.A. Biblical Studies – OTS410: Advanced Studies: Minor Prophets – Fall 1980

In 1980 I submitted the following paper for OTS410: Advanced Studies: Minor Prophets, one of my upper division undergraduate courses at Biola University for my Biblical Studies degree, continuing to develop my analytical skills writing and researching the bible. All these years later I have wonderful memories of my time with my Old Testament professors Pierce and Curtis, but when i look through my notes and the comments made on submissions, they definitely saw that I could do better than what I was turning in (and my problem with deadlines… ugh). At the bottom of this post are comments from my professor and the grade for this paper. Enjoy. 2024-05-13.

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Zechariah Chapters 1 & 2

By Joseph B. Bustillos

OTS410: Advanced Studies: Minor Prophets
Professor Ron Pierce
November 3, 1980

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Thus says Cyrus King of Persia,” The Lord, the God of Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah, Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the House of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:2-3)

“…Return to me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3)

Almost two generations after being taken from the land of their fathers an unexpected door was opened for them to return. An unheard of policy was commissioned to all exiled peoples within the realm allowing them to return to the lands of their heritage and worship the gods of their fathers.

Sixteen years pass, for the Jewish remnant back in the land, sixteen years of directionlessness. Sheshbazzar and the boys from Babylon resettled in the broken city of of Jerusalem, built their homes and laid the foundation for the Temple (or at least cleared away the debris of the first Temple).¹

Peter Ackroyd points out that there seems to be three basic themes running throughout the Biblical literature of this period, that is: The Temple, The New Community/New Age, and finally the Response of the People.² John D. Watts on the other hand, feels that there is one unifying theme (which he feels runs all the way through the book, uniting chapters 1-8 with 9-14); that is the proclamation of salvation. This proclamation of salvation is seen as follows: The Lord comes to Jerusalem, He makes His dwelling place there and will exercise His universal role from that spot; The nations will come there to worship.³

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them,’Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” thus says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying,’ Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”‘ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.'” (Zechariah 1:1-6)

The year is estimated to be around 520 B.C. Any difficulty with Zechariah’s genealogy is not really worth noting other than indicating that this is the same Zechariah in Ezra 5:1 (Zechariah is the son of Iddo through his son (Iddo’s) Berechiah).⁴

Joyce Baldwin points out that the admonition in verse three,”Return to Me,” is issued in a personal form.⁵ That is to say, the admonition is not,”Return to the Law,”but, “Return to me.” It is interesting that I had previously been taught at another Christian institution (Loyola Marymount University) that following the Exile experience, which resulted in the codification or compilation of the Mosaic Law, that an offense against the Law became a personal offense against Yahweh.

The ICC points out,

The return to Yahweh must be interpreted not merely as the restoration of the national worship at Jerusalem, but as the resumption of the practice of social virtues, justice, mercy and the like, on which the main stress was laid by earlier prophets. The promise by which the people ,are encouraged to return to Yahweh must be interpreted to correspond to the exhortation; not, therefore as a means of exciting visions of material splendor, but of awakening an expectation of universal well-being in a divinely ordered community.⁶

The Exile with its temporary destruction of the Cultic worship system helped bring about the needed internalization of the Law (“…I shall write on their hearts…” Jeremiah 31:33). They had returned to the land and instead of finding the immediate restoration of the glorious Davidic Kingdom they found opposition. God exhorts them to bear this trial as they had during the Exile. He is with them.

God’s warning in verse four seems reminicent of Joshua’s warning in Joshua 24:14-15:

Now therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for your selves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorities in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Baldwin mentions that the phrase, “Then they repented, in verse six should read, “Then they came to themselves.”⁷ The meaning is self-evident. While in Exile they could no longer delude themselves into thinking that they had been right. The words of the prophets had come true. The drama of the mountain of blessing and the mountain of cursing all the way to the warnings of Jeremiah and Ezekiel had been validated. Other longer prayers of repentance or confessions are found in Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9 and Daniel 9.

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Sexhariah the / prophet, the son of berechiah, the son <hf Iddo, as follows: 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. Then
I said,” My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me,”I will show you what these are.” And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have patrolled the whole earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet. Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which Thou hast been indignant these seventy years? And the Lord answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words. So the angel who was speaking with me said to roe,”Proclaim, saying,’Thus ays the Lord of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they further ed the disaster.” Therefore, thus says the Lord, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”‘ “Again, proclaim, saying,’Thus says the Lord of hosts,”My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”‘” (Zechariah 1:7-17)

The writers of the ICC seem to feel the “art” of receiving visions underwent an evolution prior to the writing of the book of Zechariah. Beginning with the books of Moses these visions were usually some sort of Theophany in a one-to-one form of direct communication. As time moves along the visions become more symbolic (of. Jer. 1:11, Eze. 1:28), Then finally by the time of Zechariah the meaning of any particular vision cannot be ascertained without the aid of an “interpreter.”⁸ Is this really an evolution of visions or just an expanding of subject matter? That is to say that the revelations experienced early on by the children of Israel were somewhat more in line with the immediate situations: whereas by the time of the books such as Zechariah and Daniel the scope is so expanded that its little wonder that these visions are more difficult to nail down.

Some writers place a great deal of importance upon the date given in verse seven for their understanding of the book’s purpose. Watts seems to feel that the above noted oracle is tied in with the feast of Booths.

The occasion was the celebration in Jerusalem, after the Exile, of the festival which celebrated these themes… ( Salvation, Advent, and the Kingdom of God)…, namely, the Feast of Booths, This was a very old Israelite festival, taken over by David in Jerusalem. It proclaimed God’s rule over the earth, His election of Zion as His dwelling and the Son of David as His earthly vice-regent. It celebrated God’s entrance into the Temple, His testing of His people, and His authority over the nations.⁹

Having read over commentaries on the following visions I can understand the writer’s longing for an “interpreter.” I must note one abuse that I have detected in certain commentaries pertaining to a “literal hermeneutic.” I am a bit tired of reading writers boast of their interpretation and “its clear confirmation in other portions of Scripture” while at the same time they disregard the first rule of interpretation (authors original intent/original audience’s understanding). They wield around terms and systems of logic that are completely foreign to the text and were certainly unknown until the late nineteenth century. It would seem that a literal ‘hermeneutic would be a bit more concerned with the historical understanding of the passages addressed.¹⁰

When dealing with the identity of the Rider of Red Horse the consensus seems to be that he is the pre-incarnate Christ. The support for this view is the Rider’s identification with the Angel of the Lord in verse eleven. Now pertaining to the reason for the horse’s red color those that bother to address the question feel the color symbolizes Christ’s blood shed for our redemption. This time there is not really any “Scriptural” support for such a view.

Regarding the Angel of the Lord’s response to the report of peace throughout the world, “O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah….?” (1:12) the explanation simply is that the people were anxious for some sign that God was intervening on their behalf (which usually constituted some sort of bloody conflict.¹¹ Joyce Baldwin tends to favor a figurative view of the reference to “seventy years.” After much deliberation (the use of the “seventy years” construction in non-Biblical circles) it is given its place beside the term “forty years” to mean an extended period of divine judgement.¹²

God’s zeal for Israel, both in compassion and judgement (verse 14-15), can be cross-referenced to the first two chapters of Habakkuk. God’s love for Israel drew Him to punish His rebellious son, but not nearly to the extent that the “tools of God” were sure to carry it.

For a brief moment I forsook you. But with great compassion I will gather you. (Isaiah 54:7)

Then I lifted up ray eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man lifts up his head; but these crafts men have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it. (Zechariah 1:18-21)

There seems to be two basic views regarding this passage. One is that the four horns represent the four successive empires mentioned in the book of Daniel and that the four craftsmen are the four powers that conquered the four empires. The other view is that the four horns represent trouble on all four sides and consequently the four craftsmen (being more symbolic) represent the workers constructing the Temple. This second view goes back to Ackroyd’s belief that the Temple plays a central role in the understanding of the book.¹³ Watts adds that he feels there is a significance behind verse nlne’s “Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” His theory is as follows:

1. Judah is mentioned because that is the geographic location of the people,
2. Israel because the Jews in Palestine are now representative of the whole nation of Israel,
3. and Jerusalem is mentioned so as to bring remembrance of the Davidic Covenant.¹⁴

The editors of the Jerome Biblical Commentary on the other hand mention this passage only to assert that they feel that the name of “Israel” was added later.¹⁵

Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said,” Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. ‘For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'” “Ho, there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. “Ho Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory he has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. For behold I will wave My hand over them, so that they will plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. And many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is aroused from His holy habitation. (Zechariah 2)

As I got farther along in these visions the commentaries began to contribute less and less. In verses 1 through 5 they unanimously gave the title, “young man” to Zechariah and wove a confusing pattern of who was talking to whom. The second half forms a capstone on the two previous visions. Watts writes, “the import of the prophecy is that the Day of the Lord has come.”¹⁶

The first two chapters of Zechariah have one object in mind: when will the Lord of hosts again work in the lives of His people?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Achroyd, Peter R. Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1968.
• Baldwin, Joyce. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1972.
• Baron, David. The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah. Fincastle, Virginia: Scripture Truth Book Co., 1918.
• Cashdan, Eli, M.A. “Zechariah.” The Twelve Prophets.
• Higginson, R.E. “Zechariah.” The New Bible Commentary: Revised. Grand Rapids; Michigan: WM. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1970.
• McGee, John Vernon, Th.D., Zechariah. Pasadena, California: Thru the Bible Books, 1979.
• Missler, Chuck. “Zechariah 1:1-17” (Bible Study Tape). Costa Mesa, California:: The Word For Today. #3241.
• Mitchell, Hinkley G., D.D., John M.P.Smith, Ph.D., and Julius Brewer. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah.” The International Critical Commentary. Edinburch: T. & T Clarck, 1912.
• Stuhlmueller, Carrol, C.P. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” The Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood,Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
• Watts, John D.W. “Zechariah.” Broadman Bibie Commentary. vol. 7. Nashville, Tennesse: Broadman Press. 1972.

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FOOTNOTES:

1. Ron Pierce. Class Notes. 10/29/1980[↩]
2. Peter Ackroyd. Exile and Restoration. (Philadelphia:: The Westminster Press, 1968) p. 171[↩]
3. John Watts. “Zechariah.” Broadman Bible Commentary, vol. 7. (Nashville, Tennessee Broadman Press, 1972) p.308.[↩]
4. J. Vernon McGee. Zechariah. (Pasadena, Ca.:( Thru the Bible Books, 1979). pp. 9-10.[↩]
5. Joyce Baldwin. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, 111: InterVarsity Press, 1972). p.90[↩]
6. Hinkley Mitchell, D.D., et al. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah.” International Critical Commentary. (Edinburch: T&T Clarck, 1972) p. 111.[↩]
7. Baldwin, p. 91.[↩]
8. Mitchell, pp. 102-103.[↩]
9. Chuck Missler. “Zechariah 1:1-17” (Costa Mesa, CA: Word For Today) and Watts, p.308.[↩]
10. McGee, p. 32.[↩]
11. Mitchell, p.123.[↩]
12. Baldwin, p.98.[↩]
13. McGee, pp.28-30 and R.E. Higginson. “Zechariah. New Bible Commentary: Revised. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: W.M. Eerdmans Pub., 1970) p. 790.[↩]
14. Watts, p. 318.[↩]
15. Carrol Stuhlmueller, C.P. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” The Jerome Biblical Commentary. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968) p. 392.[↩]
16. Watts, p. 319.[↩]