Chapters 7–8
The events in chapters 7-8 took place about two years after the eight visions in chapters 1-6, but they are morally connected, for they address the state of soul that must be found in the people in order to partake of the kingdom blessings described in the visions. This is given to us in the historical backdrop of the fasts the Jews imposed upon themselves when they were in captivity.
The Four Fasts
For seventy years (the duration of the Babylonian captivity) the people had been fasting in the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 10th months, mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (chap. 8:19). Each of the fasts marked a different thing that had occurred at the fall of Jerusalem. Given in the order in which they happened historically, they are:
The fast of the 10th month memorialized the commencement of the siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1).
The fast of the 4th month commemorated the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by which the Babylonians entered the city (2 Kings 25:3-4; Jer. 39:2; Zeph. 1:10-11).
The fast of the 5th month marked the destruction of the temple (2 Kings 25:8-9).
The fast of the 7th month marked the anniversary of the murder of Gedaliah (2 Kings 25:22-26).
These were self-imposed fasts which the Jews elected to observe on their own volition during their captivity in Babylon. Even though they were not instituted by God, they were, nevertheless, real fasts to God.
With the rebuilding going on as it was, and also given the fact that the people were soon to have a temple again, the question arose as to whether these fasts should be continued. Those of the city of “Bethel” sent a delegation to Jerusalem to make inquiry as to this (vss. 1-2). (The KJV says, “the house of God”—the literal meaning of the word “Bethel.” This could mislead the reader to think that the text is referring to the temple, but all critical translations render it “Bethel.”) The men from Bethel came to “the house of the LORD” (the temple at Jerusalem) and asked the priests: “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?” (vs. 3) The expression “these so many years” reveals the people’s weariness of those ritualistic ceremonies and their raising of the question implied a desire to discontinue them.
Four Prophetic Messages
In answer to their inquiry, Zechariah received four short messages he was to deliver to the people. These are marked in the passage by his stating that “the Word of the LORD” came unto him (chaps. 7:4, 7:8; 8:1; 8:18).
An Exposure of the State of the People
(chap. 7:4-7)
The first message was one of rebuke, exposing the empty formalism in their fasts. The people had probably commenced genuinely years earlier, but sadly, as time went on, their fasts had deteriorated into mere rituals. To search the people’s hearts as to this, Zechariah questioned them in the Word of the LORD: “When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month (the two major fasts) even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” (vss. 5-6) Thus, it was put to them frankly: Was there any spirituality to those fasts, or were they just being carried out as a dead formality? Zechariah then advised them to heed the words of “the former prophets” who had addressed this issue with the people long ago (vs. 7a). Their general message from the Lord was that God wanted reality from His people, not mere ritual. Hence, the word that Zechariah had for them was really just a repeat of “the words” of those earlier prophets; his message was nothing new. He reminded them that when there was right motivation and proper spiritual attitude among the people in those earlier days, blessing flowed over the nation abundantly. Jerusalem and the surrounding cities of Judah prospered and were peacefully inhabited (vs. 7b).
A Call to Repentance
(chap. 7:8-14)
The second message addressed the need for bringing forth fruits that proved their sincerity. As mentioned, God wanted inner reality rather than external formalism. If the mourning in their fasts was real, it would evidence itself in their conduct. There would be a change in their walk and ways that showed that they feared God; but this was sadly missing. Accordingly, Zechariah exhorted the people: “Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart” (vss. 9-10).
Zechariah then warned them that they were in danger of making the same mistake the nation had made years earlier, which led to their exile—failure to obey the Word of God. He pointed to the former generation, that they might learn a lesson from them. They had “refused to hearken” to the Lord and had incurred His wrath. Three figures are used by the prophet to emphasize this: Firstly, they “pulled away the shoulder” (vs. 11a). This is taken from the conduct of an ox refusing the yoke. Secondly, they “stopped their ears” (vs. 11b). This refers to putting their fingers in their ears so they that they wouldn’t hear what was being said to them. Thirdly, they “made their hearts as an adamant stone” (vs. 12a). This is a stone that has been specially hardened so that it can cut other stones. As mentioned, this outright rebellion drew forth “great wrath from the LORD of Hosts” (vs. 12b) and resulted in His refusing to hear them when they cried for His help when attacked by the Chaldeans (vs. 13). He allowed them to be delivered into their hand, and “scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations” and desolated their “pleasant land” (vs. 14). The point here was that the very same thing could well happen to them if they disregarded the Word of the Lord as the former generation had.
A Promise of Full Restoration
(chap. 8:1-17)
Chapter 8 is a continuation of the Lord’s reply to the inquiry regarding the fasts (see verse 19). The prophetic messages in chapter 7 were negative in content; nonetheless, they were important and necessary. In contrast to that, the prophetic messages in chapter 8 are positive and encouraging. Viewed together, there is a progressive moral order in the four messages. Simply put, if what is addressed in chapter 7 were heeded, the people could expect to have the blessedness described in chapter 8.
The salient point in this third prophetic message is that the people’s present partial restoration was the harbinger of their eventual full restoration. All the people needed was the faith to believe the Word of the LORD given through the prophet concerning its certainty. This is emphasized in the expression: “Saith the LORD of Hosts”—used no less than 14 times in this chapter!
Zechariah began by affirming the Lord’s zeal regarding the restoration and ultimate blessing of Zion. He declared: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury” (vs. 2). He greatly desired Zion’s blessing, even more than the people did, and He assured them that a full restoration would result in the fact that He had already “returned unto Zion” and was dwelling there in “the midst of Jerusalem” (vs. 3a). This was not in the sense of having the Messiah present with them bodily, but in Spirit (Hag. 2:5). The outward sign of the Lord’s presence in the Shekinah glory cloud was not there, but He was. The Shekinah glory as seen visibly over the temple was something that awaited the nation’s full restoration when the Messiah would be there (Ezek. 43:4-5). The Lord’s presence with the people in Spirit, in those times of partial restoration, was something that both Zechariah and Haggai emphasized (Hag. 1:13; 2:4).
To further encourage the people, the Lord gave a series of promises (through the prophet) which guaranteed that there would be a full and final restoration forthcoming. It was something they could look forward to with confidence. In that day, the city of Jerusalem would have three new epitaphs denoting her millennial kingdom significance (vs. 3b):
“A city of truth”—the place to go to learn about the Lord (Isa. 2:2-3).
“The mountain of the LORD”—the place to go to worship the Lord (Psa. 122:1-4; Zech. 14:16).
“The holy mountain”—the place from which the Lord will judge the world in righteousness (Isa. 32:1).
The Spirit of God then led the prophet to describe the social conditions of Jerusalem in the future day. The city would be secure and safe from all enemy attacks and populated abundantly. Senior citizens and children alike will feel free to roam the streets without fear. “There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (vss. 4-5). That old people will use canes in the Millennium shows that the process of aging will still be felt, but it will be greatly slowed. Death will not overtake the righteous, for a man’s life will be “as the days of a tree” (Isa. 65:22). People will live on earth for the duration of the Millennium, due to “the bondage of corruption” being lifted from the creation (Rom. 8:20-22).
To the little remnant of Jews who were there in Jerusalem building at that time, this was hard to believe. Thus, the Lord reasoned with them: “If it be marvellous (difficult to believe) in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in Mine eyes? Saith the LORD of Hosts” (vs. 6). Not so! It wasn’t difficult for the Lord to think of, or to bring to pass, for He had been looking for that day of blessing all along. The Lord went on to explain how He would do it: “Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (vss. 7-8). The Lord promised to effect a worldwide in-gathering of Israelites whereby the rest of the nation (who are righteous) would be gathered back into the land. This will be done by the Lord sending out His angels (Matt. 24:31) who will stir up the Gentile nations to assist them in their return to their homeland (Isa. 14:1-2; 49:22-23; 60:9-10).
Encouragements Amid the Hardships Connected With the Present Partial Restoration
Since this was a sure thing vouchsafed by the Word of the Lord, the prophet turned to give a practical exhortation to the people from the Lord. They were to “let” their “hands be strong” and put their energy into completing the rebuilding of the temple (vs. 9). Before they started working on the temple, there had been much “affliction [distress]” which the people had to endure. There was widespread unemployment and violence in the streets, and the Lord had allowed it to arrest their attention (vs. 10). But now the Lord promised to give them good days wherein they could turn their energies toward building without fear of being molested. There would be a time of peace and prosperity in the land (vss. 11-12) and they would no longer be a “curse” among the heathen, but rather, a “blessing” (vs. 13). Just as surely as the Lord had promised calamity upon them when they were disobedient in their pre-exilic days, so now He promised to “do good” to them in these days of restoration (vss. 14-15). This they could be assured of if they showed that they truly feared God by ridding themselves of all falsehood, dishonesty, and evil from their dealings with one another (vss. 16-17).
The Prospect of Feasting & Rejoicing
(chap. 8:18-23)
In the fourth prophetic message, the Lord (through the prophet) addressed the inquiry that the delegates from Bethel had regarding the fasts. He said: “The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace” (vs. 19). The Lord’s response might seem vague and evasive, but His answer was simply that the “fasts” should continue until they turn into “feasts.” This would not be until the Messiah had come and the nation was fully restored. Since at that time their restoration was very incomplete, it was no time for them to quit fasting. The people should, therefore, continue them with all sincerity until the Messiah established His kingdom. By giving an indirect answer, as the Lord did, He avoided making it a legal command, leaving it a matter for the hearts and consciences of the people, for those fasts were not part of the Mosaic Law.
Not only will Israel partake in the blessedness of the Messianic kingdom, but the Gentile nations will have a place in it too (Psa. 47:9; Isa. 55:1-5; 56:6-7; Zech. 2:11). Gentiles from every point on earth will come to Jerusalem to “pray” before the Lord. “Yet again shall there come peoples (Gentiles), and the inhabitants of many (Gentile cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to supplicate Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also. And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to supplicate Jehovah” (vss. 20-22). In that day, the Jews will be God’s channel of blessing to the world (Isa. 60:1-5). They will be famous among men on earth (Isa. 61:9), which is an incredible contrast to how they are viewed today (Psa. 44:13-14). People will know that God is with the Jews and that they are His people. As a result, the Gentiles will court the favour of the Jews and will gladly worship their God—Jehovah. “In those days shall ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you” (vs. 23). “Ten men” from all the “nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9) going to Jerusalem with the Jews, refers to a representation of the various Gentile nations sending an ambassage to the holy city to show their allegiance to Israel’s God. Likewise, “incense shall be offered” to the Lord in every country on earth to show the respect they will have for Jehovah (Mal. 1:11).