The First and Second Visions of Zechariah

Click here to read Zechariah 1.

The first 6 verses of Chapter 1 establish:

  1. The Author of the book and how he was inspired to write it.
  2. Who the Author was, Zechariah, son of Berechiah, grandson of Iddo, the prophet.
  3. The date of the visions, in early November in the second year of the reign of Darus, King of Persia, 520 B.C.
  4. The reason for the visions, God was very angry with the people of Judah.

VISION #1

Chapter 1, verses 7 thru 17, record the vision of the "Horseman". The Prophet saw a man mounted upon a red horse that was standing in a grove of myrtle trees beside a river surrounded by hills. Behind him were other horses, some red, some bay, some white each with its rider. Zechariah asked the purpose of the horseman and the rider on the red horse, who was the "Angel of the Lord" replied, "They have patrolled the whole earth." Then the "Angel of the Lord" cried out to the Lord of Hosts, "For 70 years your anger has raged against Jerusalem and Judah, how long will it until you again show mercy toward them?" And the "Lord of Hosts" replied, "I care about what happens to Jerusalem and Judah." "I am very displeased with the nations that afflicted them, therefore I will return to My people, the Temple and Jerusalem will be rebuilt." "The cities of Israel will again overflow with prosperity and I will comfort Jerusalem and bless her." The man on the red horse was Jesus Christ and His purpose was to bring judgment on all nations who had abused the people of Israel.

VISION #2

Chapter 1, verses 18 thru 21, record the vision of the "Four Horns". Then the Prophet looked and he saw four animal horns. "What are these" he asked the Angel? "They represent the four world powers that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." Then Zechariah saw four "blacksmiths" and he inquired of them and the Angel told him that they had come to take hold of the four horns that had scattered Judah and pound them on an anvil and throw them away. The four horns were symbolic of Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece and Rome.


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