MY SHORT REPORT OBADIAH - ZECHARIAH
The link that brought you to this page and the page title are a bit of a misnomer, because this short report is not long enough to cover so many chapters of the Bible. What the link and the title do, however, is track where we are in our plan to read through the entire Bible in 1 year. May each report pique your interest and help you to draw near to God. The Bible, James 4:8, tells us if we do so God will draw near to us. Works cited are at the end of the report, followed by abbreviations used. Internal links provide additional information.
BIBLE READING—WEEK 39—OBADIAH - ZECHARIAH: Last week’s report considered God’s judgment on the nations, Israel’s idolatry, and the Lord’s call for Israel to return to Him, but the main focus was the social injustice described by Amos. In this past week’s readings we finished reading the short books of Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah. This week’s Short Report looks at Zechariah, especially the term Angel of the Lord and the prophecy that speaks of the coming Messiah.
According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible there are 4 books of the Bible that hold both branches, Suffering Messiah and Kingly Messiah, in the stream of Messianic Prophecy. Isaiah holds the most from both branches, Zechariah and the Psalms tie for second place, and they are followed by Daniel (p. 1703).
Not just looking from this two-fold perspective, but at the book overall, Halley, in Halley’s Bible Handbook, says the book of Zechariah “teems with Messianic flashes” (p. 378). Eric S. Hartzell, in the People’s Bible Commentary, agrees, telling his readers, “Zechariah was also a prophet who spoke words directly describing the coming Savior. … [He] knew the Savior by inspiration and prophecy” (p. 34).
One way we can see this is with the term “Angel of the Lord” (NKJV), as opposed to “angel of the Lord” (ESV) in Zechariah 1:11-12. Lessing, in Prepare the Way of the Lord, tells his readers, “Early Christian commentators like Justin Martyr and Eusebius recognized this to be the second person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ” (547). The ESV Study Bible notes help to clarify its text by saying, “These horsemen, whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth (v. 10), are his “special operations” forces,” and “The angel of the Lord, God's personal representative, therefore intercedes with the Lord to bring to an end the seventy years of judgment” (v. 11, Olive Tree).
Not just the ESV, but the KJV, LEX, NIV (1984 and 2011), and the NRSV all use “angel of the Lord,” which causes confusion with other places in the Bible where angel of the Lord refers to a created being. The NKJV, however, is not alone in its clarity. The HCSB and the Amplified Bible also use “Angel of the Lord” when the verse is clearly the preincarnate Jesus—God’s Messenger. The NOG Bible is perhaps the most accurate, because it uses the term “Messenger of Yahweh.”
This is also true in chapter 3 where Satan accuses the high priest, Joshua, before a heavenly Judge, who is referred to as the “angel of the Lord” in the ESV and others, but as the “Angel of the Lord” by the NKJV, HCSB and the Amplified Bible. Again, the NOG Bible uses “Messenger of Yahweh.” There is no doubt about this Messenger, because He removed the high priest’s guilt (v. 4), and only God can do that.
The Angel of the Lord also appears in 12:8. Again, different versions of the Bible appear to be conflicted over the term. With this verse the NIV and the People’s Bible Commentary are especially conflicted. Back in chapter 1, for instance, Hartzell writes, “The angels in Zechariah’s vision reported that there was universal peace and rest. But there was one flaw. The angel of the Lord himself pointed it out…” (p. 42, my emphasis). Here, Hartzell is referring to the Angel of the Lord—Himself—and he follows the pattern of the NIV (1984), which the copyright page states is the version of the Bible used unless otherwise noted. On page 108, however, the verse in question, 12:8, reads, “8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the Lord going before them” (my emphasis). I had to double check with my own NIV’s to confirm the NIV (1984) uses the uppercase “A” in this verse—it does, but the NIV 2011 does not! Again Hartzell follows the pattern of the NIV (1984) when he explains this verse writing, “The final picture is the picture of the Angel of the Lord going on before the people” (p. 111, my emphasis).
Although Hartzell further explains that “the Angel of the Lord is elsewhere equated with Jesus himself. God made flesh” (p. 111, my emphasis). I am left to wonder what the author and teacher believes because he only follows the pattern of the NIV, which is conflicted, and at best is ambiguous, while at its worst is saying the preincarnate Jesus was not the “angel of the Lord” spoken of in previous Zechariah verses but is in the particular case.
I am convinced that Jesus, The Angel of the Lord, is present in each chapter (1, 3, and 12). I am also perplexed that some modern theologians and theological teams have not moved into the 21st century with the term “angel of the Lord” and personal pronouns that name any member of the Holy Trinity “him, he, etc.,” and other words that, when applicable, obviously refer to God, such as Creator, or Good Shepherd. Furthermore, I am sad to say Hartzell did little to support my position and he did nothing to provide meaningful correction, if I was wrong (which I’m not).
Moving forward, Lessing also points out that “Zechariah’s oracles are not only the most obscure in the Book of the Twelve [minor prophets], they are also the longest.” He adds, “Zechariah was a prophet (Ezra 5:1; 6:14) and he returned from Babylon in 533, along with Joshua the high priest (Neh 12:4). Because the postexilic community had failed to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:8-13), the prophets first order of business was to encourage the people to complete it” (p. 541).
No doubt this is why Zechariah’s first words from the Lord to the people that had returned from Babylon before him were, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. … Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 1:2-3). As if to say worshiping in the Temple is an important part of returning to the Lord. After his call for the people to return to the Lord, Zechariah presents 8 visions (chapters 1-6).
Hartzell makes two good points here. First, when he clarifies that God was not calling the people to return as if they were capable of doing so of their own ability, or that God would only move toward them after a definite amount of effort on their part. Rather, he explains, “The Word makes it clear that it is God who works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure” (pp. 37-38). Secondly he says, “God’s law and gospel bound out after straying sinners: ‘Repent! Return!’”(p. 39).
Hartzell also agrees with Lessing, that Zechariah’s oracles can be obscure. He calls them “surrealistic,” “kaleidoscopic,” and “stark and strange.” However he also makes it clear that Zechariah’s representations touched the heart of God’s people (p. 33).
Turning to the prophecies that speak about the coming Messiah, chapter 6 includes a section labeled the Crown and the Temple. Verses 12 and 13 speak of the Kingly Messiah: ”12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’
Halley says, “The ‘Branch’ (12) was the name of the Coming Messiah in David’s family … (Isaiah 4:2 … Revelation 22:16).” He also speaks of David and Solomon’s part in building the first Temple, and Zerubbabel’s (a descendant of David’s) part in building the second Temple. He concludes by explaining that “Joshua, the priest, is crowned and is represented as the ‘Branch,’ sitting on the throne of David (6:12-13); a symbolic merging of the two offices of King and Priest in the coming Messiah” (p. 381).
Halley is not saying that Jesus only holds two offices. He holds Three—Prophet (Luke 13:33), Priest (Hebrews 6:20), and King (Matthew 27:11). What Halley does is to observe that two of the offices attributed to Christ are symbolically brought together here.
More prophecies that look at the coming Messiah are found in Zechariah 9:9-10; 11:12; 12:10; and 13:7. As with chapter 6, Chapter 9 presents a view of the Kingly Messiah; chapters 11, 12, and 13 show the Suffering Servant. Zechariah 13:7 reads, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
This verse reaches back to the original promise of a Savior that God made to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 reads, “15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Jesus is the offspring of the woman, Mary. The sword that strikes the Shepherd (in Zechariah) and the bruise to His heel (in Genesis) are both references to Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, so that Adam and Eve and all of God’s children would be redeemed and come to everlasting life through Jesus’ Resurrection.
After His arrest, during His “trial,” and His time on the cross, most of Jesus’ flock scattered while our Redeemer was struck and bruised for our sins (cf. Mark 14:27). Peter stands out for thrice denying the Master (Mark 14:29-31, 72), while, contrastingly, John stood with Mary, the mother of Jesus, before the cross. The Bible does not name John, but uses the phrase “the disciple whom he loved” (John 19:26). Church tradition and (more importantly) careful consideration of verses like John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20 lead us to understand this disciple is John.
Speaking about Zechariah 13:7, Lessing says, “Zechariah’s Shepherd is none other than Christ our Lord whose mission was singular. He came to rescue, bind up, and bring home lost sheep (Matt. 9:36; 10:6; 15:24; 18:10-14)” (p. 548).
Hartzell agrees, saying, “The shepherd mentioned is none other than Jesus himself, the Good Shepherd.” And he adds that Jesus knew “the sheep would be scattered to the night wind of Gethsemane as it wafted its chill throughout Jerusalem and even down the road to Emmaus, ‘We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel’ (Luke 24:21)” (p. 116).
In closing, this week’s Short Report looked at the book of Zechariah, especially, to quote Halley one last time, the way it “teems with Messianic flashes.” To that end we studied the term Angel of the Lord and considered some of the prophecies that speak of the coming Messiah.
According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible there are 4 books of the Bible that hold both branches, Suffering Messiah and Kingly Messiah, in the stream of Messianic Prophecy. Isaiah holds the most from both branches, Zechariah and the Psalms tie for second place, and they are followed by Daniel (p. 1703).
Not just looking from this two-fold perspective, but at the book overall, Halley, in Halley’s Bible Handbook, says the book of Zechariah “teems with Messianic flashes” (p. 378). Eric S. Hartzell, in the People’s Bible Commentary, agrees, telling his readers, “Zechariah was also a prophet who spoke words directly describing the coming Savior. … [He] knew the Savior by inspiration and prophecy” (p. 34).
One way we can see this is with the term “Angel of the Lord” (NKJV), as opposed to “angel of the Lord” (ESV) in Zechariah 1:11-12. Lessing, in Prepare the Way of the Lord, tells his readers, “Early Christian commentators like Justin Martyr and Eusebius recognized this to be the second person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ” (547). The ESV Study Bible notes help to clarify its text by saying, “These horsemen, whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth (v. 10), are his “special operations” forces,” and “The angel of the Lord, God's personal representative, therefore intercedes with the Lord to bring to an end the seventy years of judgment” (v. 11, Olive Tree).
Not just the ESV, but the KJV, LEX, NIV (1984 and 2011), and the NRSV all use “angel of the Lord,” which causes confusion with other places in the Bible where angel of the Lord refers to a created being. The NKJV, however, is not alone in its clarity. The HCSB and the Amplified Bible also use “Angel of the Lord” when the verse is clearly the preincarnate Jesus—God’s Messenger. The NOG Bible is perhaps the most accurate, because it uses the term “Messenger of Yahweh.”
This is also true in chapter 3 where Satan accuses the high priest, Joshua, before a heavenly Judge, who is referred to as the “angel of the Lord” in the ESV and others, but as the “Angel of the Lord” by the NKJV, HCSB and the Amplified Bible. Again, the NOG Bible uses “Messenger of Yahweh.” There is no doubt about this Messenger, because He removed the high priest’s guilt (v. 4), and only God can do that.
The Angel of the Lord also appears in 12:8. Again, different versions of the Bible appear to be conflicted over the term. With this verse the NIV and the People’s Bible Commentary are especially conflicted. Back in chapter 1, for instance, Hartzell writes, “The angels in Zechariah’s vision reported that there was universal peace and rest. But there was one flaw. The angel of the Lord himself pointed it out…” (p. 42, my emphasis). Here, Hartzell is referring to the Angel of the Lord—Himself—and he follows the pattern of the NIV (1984), which the copyright page states is the version of the Bible used unless otherwise noted. On page 108, however, the verse in question, 12:8, reads, “8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the Lord going before them” (my emphasis). I had to double check with my own NIV’s to confirm the NIV (1984) uses the uppercase “A” in this verse—it does, but the NIV 2011 does not! Again Hartzell follows the pattern of the NIV (1984) when he explains this verse writing, “The final picture is the picture of the Angel of the Lord going on before the people” (p. 111, my emphasis).
Although Hartzell further explains that “the Angel of the Lord is elsewhere equated with Jesus himself. God made flesh” (p. 111, my emphasis). I am left to wonder what the author and teacher believes because he only follows the pattern of the NIV, which is conflicted, and at best is ambiguous, while at its worst is saying the preincarnate Jesus was not the “angel of the Lord” spoken of in previous Zechariah verses but is in the particular case.
I am convinced that Jesus, The Angel of the Lord, is present in each chapter (1, 3, and 12). I am also perplexed that some modern theologians and theological teams have not moved into the 21st century with the term “angel of the Lord” and personal pronouns that name any member of the Holy Trinity “him, he, etc.,” and other words that, when applicable, obviously refer to God, such as Creator, or Good Shepherd. Furthermore, I am sad to say Hartzell did little to support my position and he did nothing to provide meaningful correction, if I was wrong (which I’m not).
Moving forward, Lessing also points out that “Zechariah’s oracles are not only the most obscure in the Book of the Twelve [minor prophets], they are also the longest.” He adds, “Zechariah was a prophet (Ezra 5:1; 6:14) and he returned from Babylon in 533, along with Joshua the high priest (Neh 12:4). Because the postexilic community had failed to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:8-13), the prophets first order of business was to encourage the people to complete it” (p. 541).
No doubt this is why Zechariah’s first words from the Lord to the people that had returned from Babylon before him were, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. … Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 1:2-3). As if to say worshiping in the Temple is an important part of returning to the Lord. After his call for the people to return to the Lord, Zechariah presents 8 visions (chapters 1-6).
Hartzell makes two good points here. First, when he clarifies that God was not calling the people to return as if they were capable of doing so of their own ability, or that God would only move toward them after a definite amount of effort on their part. Rather, he explains, “The Word makes it clear that it is God who works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure” (pp. 37-38). Secondly he says, “God’s law and gospel bound out after straying sinners: ‘Repent! Return!’”(p. 39).
Hartzell also agrees with Lessing, that Zechariah’s oracles can be obscure. He calls them “surrealistic,” “kaleidoscopic,” and “stark and strange.” However he also makes it clear that Zechariah’s representations touched the heart of God’s people (p. 33).
Turning to the prophecies that speak about the coming Messiah, chapter 6 includes a section labeled the Crown and the Temple. Verses 12 and 13 speak of the Kingly Messiah: ”12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’
Halley says, “The ‘Branch’ (12) was the name of the Coming Messiah in David’s family … (Isaiah 4:2 … Revelation 22:16).” He also speaks of David and Solomon’s part in building the first Temple, and Zerubbabel’s (a descendant of David’s) part in building the second Temple. He concludes by explaining that “Joshua, the priest, is crowned and is represented as the ‘Branch,’ sitting on the throne of David (6:12-13); a symbolic merging of the two offices of King and Priest in the coming Messiah” (p. 381).
Halley is not saying that Jesus only holds two offices. He holds Three—Prophet (Luke 13:33), Priest (Hebrews 6:20), and King (Matthew 27:11). What Halley does is to observe that two of the offices attributed to Christ are symbolically brought together here.
More prophecies that look at the coming Messiah are found in Zechariah 9:9-10; 11:12; 12:10; and 13:7. As with chapter 6, Chapter 9 presents a view of the Kingly Messiah; chapters 11, 12, and 13 show the Suffering Servant. Zechariah 13:7 reads, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
This verse reaches back to the original promise of a Savior that God made to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 reads, “15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Jesus is the offspring of the woman, Mary. The sword that strikes the Shepherd (in Zechariah) and the bruise to His heel (in Genesis) are both references to Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, so that Adam and Eve and all of God’s children would be redeemed and come to everlasting life through Jesus’ Resurrection.
After His arrest, during His “trial,” and His time on the cross, most of Jesus’ flock scattered while our Redeemer was struck and bruised for our sins (cf. Mark 14:27). Peter stands out for thrice denying the Master (Mark 14:29-31, 72), while, contrastingly, John stood with Mary, the mother of Jesus, before the cross. The Bible does not name John, but uses the phrase “the disciple whom he loved” (John 19:26). Church tradition and (more importantly) careful consideration of verses like John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20 lead us to understand this disciple is John.
Speaking about Zechariah 13:7, Lessing says, “Zechariah’s Shepherd is none other than Christ our Lord whose mission was singular. He came to rescue, bind up, and bring home lost sheep (Matt. 9:36; 10:6; 15:24; 18:10-14)” (p. 548).
Hartzell agrees, saying, “The shepherd mentioned is none other than Jesus himself, the Good Shepherd.” And he adds that Jesus knew “the sheep would be scattered to the night wind of Gethsemane as it wafted its chill throughout Jerusalem and even down the road to Emmaus, ‘We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel’ (Luke 24:21)” (p. 116).
In closing, this week’s Short Report looked at the book of Zechariah, especially, to quote Halley one last time, the way it “teems with Messianic flashes.” To that end we studied the term Angel of the Lord and considered some of the prophecies that speak of the coming Messiah.