Dr. Baruch Korman: Zechariah Chapter 1

Shalom and welcome to via hafte Israel a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr. Baruch shares his expose Ettore teaching from the Bible dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zahra Avraham Institute based in Israel although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English to find out more about our work in Israel please visit us on the web at love Israel o RG that's one word love Israel o RG now here's Baruch with today's lesson how interested are you in prophecy sadly today most believers do not spend a great deal of time learning prophecy in fact most believers simply think well it'll all be okay in the end I have my faith I know the promises of God concerning this kingdom therefore why do I need to learn prophecy the answer is so that you can be found faithful prophecy prepares us in fact we look in the book of Revelation and we see that there's a connection between prophecy and the testimony of Messiah so the more that you know about prophecy the more that you're going to live in a way that reflects the testimony the character the ways of Messiah Yeshua take out your Bible and look with me to the prophecy of Zechariah and chapter 1 now that name Zechariah is very important it comes from two Hebrew words the first liske or which means to remember and that word is important because well one of the places that it appears is in the book of Exodus and when God remembers he responds and primarily do you know what he remembers the covenant that he made with his people and because of that covenant God responds he remembers and he does so the term is a hurry or Zecharia means the Lord remembers he wants to move in this situation that we're going to learn about in the prophecy of Zechariah to do one thing we can summarize this book this prophecy with one thought and that is the establishment of the kingdom of God if you want to know what must take place what is going to happen in the last days prior to the establishment of the kingdom of God then this prophecy Zechariah is for you so look with me if you would to chapter 1 and verse 1 our goal is to each week look at a chapter as we make our way all through these 14 chapters of the prophecy of Zechariah we read in verse 1 in the eighth month now here again most people come to that and they say so what just information it's much more than information there's some spiritual truth the number eight in Hebrew numerology has to do with the kingdom it's also related to Redemption or that which is new so it's very significant nothing in the scripture is written just for the sake of it being there it is to give to us information so that we can respond correctly and have a greater perception and understanding of what God wants to convey to us so this prophecy opens up in the eighth month we see that we also have the second year of a man Darvish which is darius now it's important the second year we've talked about before that the number to one of its interpretations is two opinions two divergent views and what we're going to see here is that it is there's man's view and there's God's view and it's only when we understand prophecy that we'll be able to perceive God's Way and respond in faithfulness and be part of his kingdom part of this movement of what he's going to bring about rather than standing in opposition to it we read and that's first verse that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah look at verse 2 now it tells us that that we need to remember something never forget history especially biblical history we look at verse 2 and we see that the Lord was angry on the forefathers that is a very important word the word casts off which is anger or wrath but in Hebrew today that same word is used for for whipped cream now that sounds silly but if you've ever seen an angry dog or an animal that becomes very agitated sometimes they begin to froth at the mouth and that's what this word is about it is about an anger that is so great the picture here is God is frothing at the mouth because of this anger for who the forefathers and what was outcome of that one word galoot or exile and we're talking about the Babylonian exile those 70 years that the children of Israel were no longer in the promised land now what we see here in the days of Zechariah is that God has returned the people back to Judea and Jerusalem with a hope with a future with a plan but once again the question is are the people going to respond to that plan correctly or are they going to make that same air of their forefathers so we begin here by saying in verse 2 that God was angry with the forefathers with a great anger verse 3 and he said to them thus says the Lord of hosts return to me declares the Lord now that expression may Hashem in Hebrew has to do with the promise God is extending something to us if we return to him that is if we respond to his call there's a promise and what is that that he will respond to us look at again verse three he says and I will return unto you says the Lord of Hosts now in this first chapter we see continually that Hashem that is the God of Israel is relating himself as the Lord God of hosts the word host has to do with armies so it is a prophetic expression that has to do with the power of God the power to bring about his will and that's what he's offering us that his will might become a reality in our lives as in the visuals and in his people's life that is the children of Israel the question is how are they going to respond verse 4 he tells them here in verse 4 do not be like your forefathers which called unto them the prophets now the first thing I want you to see is this that the forefathers pay little attention to the prophets and that brought about great pain hardship and another word disaster and let me share with you today if you are someone that does not study the prophets do not know their message then you are heading for spiritual disaster I'm not talking about where you're going to be spending eternity but your life especially if you should be alive at the end times you are not going to be found faithful you're not going to be doing the things that the Word of God would have you to do reading prophecy understanding prophecy in fact vividly speaking there's an inherent relationship between prophecy and repentance and repentance so says John the Baptist is all about bearing good fruit so let me ask you are you living a repentant life you won't be unless you're understanding the testimony of the prophets look again at verse 4 he warns don't be like your forefathers which called unto them the prophets the former prophets that is Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel they but what was a problem it says that they called and told you to return that is to to remove yourself from your improper ways that is the evil ways and the evil deeds now it's important that order first of all the word their meaning way we need to be on the right pathway so we can do the right deeds if you get on the wrong pathway the outcome is naturally going to be improper deeds that is sin so it's all being on that right course and what leads us the Word of God who guides us the holy spirit and it's only when we are looking at Scripture and saying in a prayerful manner why do I say that well look on to the next thing we see in this passage in verse 4 he says return from your evil deeds and your evil ways actually the opposite from your ways and from your deeds he says don't walk don't be like the forefathers who did not listen and who did not hear now two words are used here and it's very important their first word for hearing or listening it has to do with listening but with a purpose sometimes I hear something and I wish I hadn't I hear something I don't pay attention but this first word the word Shema here has to do with listening with the purpose of a faithful response that is I want to hear so I can respond now he says two things it's only when we listen with that desire to respond to obey to be faithful then what we're going to hear you see the word hearing two different words appears here why to say that there's first genuine genuine message the first general message is to get our attention to learn us to do something and once we do that what happens there's a second message there's a deeper here and there's a spiritual guidance that moves us on the pathway further down so he says those two were verse 5 now we have a history lesson Zechariah is speaking to the people and he says I want you to consider something your fathers where are they well they went into exile and the first generation the second generation and the third generation died out there in Babylon so he says where are your father's well the prophecy says afterward could continue forever that is there's a limit there is a ending to the prophecy that is the prophets just don't call repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly they come to an end and when we fail to respond listen what happens just what happens here disaster look on to diverse 6 but my words and my judgments which I command my servants the prophets surely they have overtaken your father's now what he's talking about here is just a very simple truth and that is the words of the prophets were true they set before the people to pass away God's pathway and their pathway and he said if you go on your pathway ignoring prophetic truth ignoring the words of the prophets then these things are going to overcome you and that's exactly what happened look at the second half of verse 6 now he speaks about the present situation because of God's faithfulness and the prophecy was for 70 years be DEQ's exile and God completed those 7 years and he began to bring the people back and therefore it says middle of verse 6 they returned and they said just as the Lord deemed and this word deand like a plan has a negative connotation to it in Hebrew meaning just as God said he would do to us bad things he did now learn two important words in in Hebrew there is God's plan lauhala that is from the beginning and that is a good plan to bless to to assists to help only good things but if we reject that pathway if we say no and we go the other way Bedi Avadh that is after the fact there's going to be judgement there's not going to be blessings but there's going to be a curse so this is what the people experience but God who's forever mercy he brings the people back with another opportunity he says to them don't do according to to those wills that is your ways in a - of your deeds but rather he talks to them about repentance and change move on to verse 7 says here and on the 24th day of the eleventh month the month of but now here again most people they come to that and they just press on but that 11th month is an important month why because if you look at Deuteronomy chapter 1 now what's important about Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is the second giving of the law it is all taking place in the last year of the children of Israel's time in the wilderness that 40th year we've talked about how the number 40 has to do with the transition so God once more renews his covenant with his people when in the eleventh month in the month of Shabbat in Hebrew so here were told in this passage that it's the 11th month to cause us to understand that God is giving another chance to the people he's giving them another opportunity to be faithful look again and the 24th day of the eleventh month the month of shut in the second year of King Darius what happens again the word of the Lord came to Zechariah verse 8 and he sees in the night so here we see a very important vision a night vision and what is this vision of well we read and in verse 8 behold a man riding upon a red horse now vividly speaking the color red is synonymous with blood but in this case bloodshed or war so we're talking about and remember that this whole prophecy is about a transition from this age to the age to come from this world to the kingdom of God and what we see here is that that transition is going to be a very bloody one now not only is that emphasized by the rider the first horse but notice something else there's other riders there's other horses look again at verse eight behold a man riding upon a red horse and he stands what he stands between the the hata scene now the word hadass is the English word myrtle it's a type of a tree we might say and by and large when this tree or this type of material is mentioned in the scripture it goes from a bad situation to a good situation let me give an example that turn if you would to the book of Isaiah and chapter chapter 55 the book of Isaiah and chapter 55 now in my Bible it tells us before each chapter what this chapter is generally about and here it says raha may Hashem like pull Doris that is the mercy of God for every one who seeks it and what do we have here what the very end of this chapter talks about a change look if you would to verse 13 it says a change is going to be given it uses a word na ox and the word nuts has to do and in modern Hebrew it's like a thumbtack so it's speaking about a type a tree that is very prickly one that that you wouldn't want to be close to and it says there's going to be a change from this type of tree to what's known as a brush which is a a fear tree which is a good tree and it goes on and says there's going to be another type of change from a sere pod which is a prickly type of plant to what Myrtle or hadass so all of this is talking about a change from the bad to the good and he says here it shall come about that the name of the Lord will be an eternal sign and that he will cut meaning he will make a covenant so this idea of Myrtle in Hebrew speaks about a change when what the covenant purposes and plans of God are going to be fulfilled so look again back in Zechariah and chapter 1 look if you would to verse 8 once more it says that that this man who is on the horse he's coming and there's going to be an emphasis on where he is he's standing before the myrtle tree and not only are we told that one time but we see that in verse 8 we see that in verse 10 and we see it again in verse 11 to emphasize this change a change where God's going to fulfill his promises to us look again at verse 8 it says and after this first one were other horses read horses and that many of your Bibles may say spotted but if we look carefully the word is civil King which is like hissing it makes a sound a shrieking so what's the two things well blood red and this hissing is a word according to the oldest rabbinical commentaries they say it's a word that speaks fear so there's going to be death and there's going to be fear and what is that going to bring about what's the last type of horse white and white in this context has to do with conquests so there's going to be a change there's going to be bloodshed there's going to be fear and it's going to give rise to a new leadership a new one is going to conquer and rule and who is that well we'll see later on in the weeks to come that it's the Antichrist let's move on to verse 2 verse 9 and he said what are these my lord and he said unto me that is the angel who spoken to me he says I looked and What did he say what these are verse 10 and he answered that is the one who's standing in the midst of the myrtle tree and he said these are the ones which the Lord has sent to go all over that is to walk here and fro now this prophecy that we're studying about in Zechariah chapter one and these these horses are spoken of alluded to in the book of Revelation in chapter six and what we see here is that these horses represent something that's bad that is we're going to see according to the book of Revelation they have to do with conquering like we saw has to do with bloodshed it has to do with famine and has to do with death and all of these things God is sending into the world for one reason why to bring about repentance what God knows is that oftentimes we will not focus we will not respond we will not listen with the purpose of doing something in regard to what we hear until God gets our attention and sadly the way that most often God gets our attention because we're stubborn people is that it's through hardships and trials and that's what he's saying here there's going to be a whole lot of hardship going on and when this comes about look if you would at the verse in the verse 11 it says and and they answered the the angel of the Lord who is standing once again between the myrtle trees and they said that these are the ones who go back and forth to and from in the world behold all the world is what is sitting at rest now what is that a message of well the image here is that there is an evil one ruling that's what these horses represent a change a conquering that ultimately will be the empire of the Antichrist and the world even though this Antichrist stands for injustice those things which are unholy those things which are apart from God's will the world is at rest the world is at peace now this is being used to parallel the fact that during the time of Zechariah officially there was no temple the people were back in Jerusalem they weren't worshipping they weren't serving God the things weren't as God wanted them to be and everyone was what at peace with that and God wants a change and what initiates that change will look if you would to verse 12 and the angel Lord answered and he said the Lord of hosts here's a key he's speaking this angel Lord and he asked how long O Lord until you have mercy upon Jerusalem and upon the cities of Judah until you pour out your wrath what these seven years now what he wants to know is this Israel has gone through a very harsh time those seven years and the Prophet is looking at Jerusalem and Judah and it sees that the seven years have ended it's come to a completion but there's been no change not a physical change and not a spiritual change in the people of Israel Judah is in ruins Jerusalem is as well and there's no temple so I say God when are you to be merciful and bring about a change now here's a very important truth as we come to completion of this first chapter and by the way there's a difference in the number of verses in chapter 1 in Hebrew and chapter 1 in English so we're going to quit with chapter 1 in the Hebrew rendering and we'll pick up the second half of chapter 1 next week when we look in the Hebrew at chapter 2 but notice what he says verse 13 and the Lord answered the the angel who was speaking with me he answers good things and comfortable things now the word comfortable are those things which are going to bring about the kingdom the will of God good things the will of God comfortable things those things that are going to establish the kingdom of God and that word here for comfortable is a word that is inherently related to Messiah you say how well when Messiah began his earthly ministry and I'm speaking of Messiah sure that is Jesus he left Nazareth and he went to what place Capernaum but in Hebrew is called Kafar village - home of comfort and that's that same word here and what does he do well drop down if you would to verse verse 14 he speaks about God being zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal and he says you know I was angry during that time before the exile but I was angry what a little but the enemies that is the enemies of Israel they took advantage of that in order to make the punishment of Israel much worse and God here what we're leading to is a restoration why do I say that we'll look if you would to verse 16 therefore thus says the Lord I will return to Jerusalem with mercy and that's not just what took place 2500 years ago but it's what's going to take place in the future and we see here that he sends forth a one to go out and measure Jerusalem and Judea and we see something everyone is an agreement this prophecy in verse 16 and 17 is not about the days of Zechariah but rather it's about the time of the in where it says that he goes out and measures and look what it says in verse 17 continue to cry out and say thus says the Lord of Hosts I will continue what it literally says and the cities my cities will spread out because of goodness and what niha why do i say 'no calm it's that same word we've refers to comfort which is inherently related to messiah it says here the the cities of God that is those in Judea and Samaria those issue-- they're going to get larger they're going to spread out and that's going to be a sign that the end is very near and that's what the Prophet Zechariah is telling us here notice how in in the Hebrew Bible the first chapter ends verse verse 17 it says and I will again choose what Jerusalem so those who think that God is finished with Jerusalem that there's no more significance left there's no difference to Jerusalem or London or Paris or New York it's just a capital city of a nation those people are sadly mistaken the Bible expressly says God will choose again Jerusalem and there is where Messiah is going to rule from and how is that going to come about well that's what we're going to see in the next few months as we continue to study through this prophecy of Zechariah well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love Israel org again to find out more about us please visit our website love Israel dot o-r-g there you'll find articles and numerous other lectures by Beru these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua that is Jesus as you walk with it Shalom from Israel

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Keywords: Zechariah Chapter 1 loveisrael.org Dr. Baruch

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Length: 28min 32sec (1712 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 31 2016