Snatched from the Fire
Zechariah Chapters 1-3
Zechariah (1:1)
The name “Zechariah” means “the Lord remembers” and it was a popular name in Biblical times. To mention only a few who were given that name, there was a prophet in the time of Joash, king of Judah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22) a King of Israel (2 Kings 14:29) and a priest, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-3– “Zacharias” is the English form of the Greek form of the same Hebrew name).
Although “Iddo” was also a common name, it seems that Zechariah was probably the grandson of a priest (Nehemiah 12:1-7) and was therefore a priest himself.
Zechariah’s prophetic ministry was roughly contemporary with Haggai (Haggai 1:1; Ezra 6:14) which means that he served in the early post-exilic period as the people were rebuilding the temple and rethinking their standing as the children of god.
Return (1:2-6)
This opening passage is perhaps the most easily understood section in the book. As the meager remnant of the people of the Lord returned to their fallen city, they must have had many questions about their future and their relationship with the Lord. The word of the Lord through Zechariah begins by addressing this issue.
The sin of the people had been great, as had been the judgment they brought upon themselves. The judgment of God will never fail; his word will never pass away (Mark 13:31-33). But as sure as his judgment is his love, and through Zechariah the Lord calls to us in the sweetest of terms: “Return to me, that I may return to you.”
God calls us to repentance (“return” and “repent” are translated from the same Hebrew word) but his redemption does not depend on our repentance. In the midst of our transgressions he has redeemed us (Jeremiah 24:7; Joel 2:12-13; Isaiah 44:22). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
At Rest and in Peace (1:7-21)
With this passage we enter a section of prophetic visions. These have a very dreamlike quality, in which time and place are not bound by the momentum of the “real” world. It is important in understanding these visions that we pay careful attention to the identity of the speaker. There are three main speakers: the Lord, the angel who serves as Zechariah’s interpreter, and the angel who is is sent forth at the Lord’s command.
The report brought back from the angels is that the world is “at rest and in peace”. On the surface of it, this seems a very positive report. But the word translated “in peace” also means “settled” (compare Genesis 4:16). When the Persian empire was eventually succeeded by the Romans, this type of peace would be called the Pax Romana, a peace that was imposed by force.
That this peace is not the will of the Lord is first evidenced by the reaction of the overseeing angel, who asks the Lord how much longer the people must suffer. By way of comfort, the Lord replies that he is very jealous of Jerusalem and Zion. Our experience with jealousy among humans leaves us uncomfortable with the idea of a jealous God. But we must remember that when we use human characteristics to describe God, they always fall short of their mark. That does not mean that God’s jealousy is simply more than ours, any more than God’s love is simply more than ours; it is much better than ours. When the Lord speaks of jealousy, he speaks of exclusivity. The Lord will allow us to claim no other god, just as he will allow no other god to have claim over us (Deuteronomy 4:23-24).
A City without Walls (2:1-13)
As the words of comfort continue, Zechariah is asked to imagine a new Jerusalem that is a city without walls. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem, of which the earthly city is only a copy (Hebrews 12:22). Similarly, the Lord speaks of a city that is not defined by geographic boundaries, ethnicity, or any other earthly measure, but whose walls are established and protected by God.
Just as nothing will separate us from each other, in this new city, nothing will separate us from God. The Persians had enforced order and quiet, but God alone can give us peace – the peace we will have in that day when we shall be in the very presence of God (Revelation 21:1-4).
Snatched from the Fire (3:1-10)
The scene as this vision opens is reminiscent of the opening scenes of the book of Job (Job 1:6-11). In the Old Testament, the figure of Satan is not quite the personification of evil that we begin to see in the New Testament, and which has been further developed in centuries of Christian theology. The name means “accuser” and here, as in Job, Satan stands as a type of heavenly prosecutor who argues our guilt.
In this scene, Joshua represents the priests, who in turn represent the people. Though his guilt is manifest in his filthy garments, Satan is silenced before he can even begin to make his case. With Satan removed, the Lord does not accuse us, but has already forgiven our sins and stands ready to clothe us in righteousness (John 8:10-11; Isaiah 61:10).
These associates that are suddenly seated before Joshua may represent us more directly than any previous character. We are a symbol, a sign, a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14). Joshua was snatched from the fire that is reserved for us if we refuse our calling (John 15:5-6).
