For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Zech 8:1-8
1 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
3 This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”
4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?” declares the Lord Almighty.
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”
A. Find Out
- What did the Lord say He felt about Israel? v.1,2
- What was He intending to do? v.3a
- What names will change? v.3b
- What will change in Jerusalem? v.4,5
- How will there be different perceptions about this? v.6
- What will He do? v.7
- For what purpose? v.8
B. Think:
- How is the Lord painting a different picture about the future?
- What suggests that the people might doubt this?
- How does He reinforce it?
C. Comment:
As a continuation, this chapter continues to give reassurances to those who had come asking whether they needed to continue fasting for Jerusalem. In the previous chapter the Lord focused on His desire for a morally and spiritually transformed land, but now He simply brings further reassurance to them to declaring very openly His intentions for the future of the Land.
His starting point is to declare His jealousy for Jerusalem (Zion), His great concern for her (v.1,2). The prophecies of Ezekiel had shown again and again the glory of the Lord departing from the temple in Jerusalem but now He declares He will return to it (v.3a) so it will be called the city of Faith (v.3b), and the central mountain will be known as a holy place (v.3c) so there will be an amazing transformation of the city (v.4,5).
Whereas it had been a place of dead bodies (see Lam 2:21) and then silence after its destruction (see Lam 1:1, 5:18), soon it will again become a place where old people sit around (v.4) and the streets will be filled with children playing again (v.5).
Now although they may struggle to believe this (v.6a) it is no hard thing for the Lord to achieve (v.6b). How will He do it? He will reach into the countries where His people had been sent into exile (v.7) and bring them back to this land (v.8). In these ways He brings reassurance to those people who wondered if the future of Jerusalem was assured.
D. Application:
- God works on long-term strategies.
- Never get locked into the present but seek to see the big picture.
Zech 8:9-15
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the Lord Almighty.
12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” 14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.
A. Find Out
- What is the Lord’s purpose in what He now says? v.9a
- How is it simply a confirmation? v.9b
- How had life been back then? v.10
- So what does He say now? v.11
- How will life change? v.12
- What transformation was taking place? v.13
- How is that reiterated? v.14,15
B. Think:
- How would you sum up what this passage is about?
- How does the Lord do that with reference to the past?
- How do you think all this should encourage the present people?
C. Comment:
So the Lord continues in this chapter to bring encouragement to the people back in Jerusalem who had intended to rebuild the Temple ten years ago. From the big overall sweeps of His intention to bless the city, seen in the first eight verses, His goal now is to reiterate what Haggai and Zechariah himself had said those years back, that the temple WILL be rebuilt (v.9).
He now reminds them of the changes that have already taken place since they first arrived back (v.10), how life had been difficult in those early days of return, but He is not dealing with the returning remnant as He had done with the disobedient inhabitants of the Land before the exile. (v.11).
Now, by comparison, they will know His ongoing blessing on them so they will be fruitful in every way with their crops (v.12) and whereas they were once seen as under a curse, now they will be seen as under His blessing (v.13), so this should encourage them in their rebuilding work and in all their endeavors in resettling the Land.
He reiterates, before the fall of Jerusalem, He had determined to bring destruction because of the people’s disobedience (v.14); now He purposes blessing on then, to do good to them, so they no longer need to feel afraid for their future (implied) (v.15)
In all of this the Lord is seeking to reassure the people that, indeed, they no longer need to fast for Jerusalem for her day of blessing has come.
D. Application:
- After disciplinary correction, always comes restoration.
- The Lord may discipline us but it will always be followed by blessing.
Zech 8:16-23
16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.
18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.
19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”
20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”
A. Find Out
- What does the Lord challenge them to do? v.16,17
- What does he say about their days of fasting? v.18,19
- How will things change in Jerusalem? v.20
- What further things will happen? v.21
- And even more how will that be seen? v.22,23
B. Think:
- How does this link up with the previous chapter?
- How is this part an extension of the earlier part of the chapter?
- How is it supposed to encourage the returned remnant?
C. Comment:
There is, with these closing verses of this chapter, a drawing together of the previous chapter and the earlier part of this one. The two chapters pivot on the coming of men asking if they should stop their fasting for Jerusalem (7:2,3). Bethel (7:2) was known to be a spiritual ‘hot spot’ in the land and clearly some of the returned remnant had settled there and had continued their practice of fasting four times in the year (7:3,5, 8:19), each fast commemorating one of the catastrophic parts of the downfall of the city, Jerusalem,
Now they had returned – and perhaps caused by the delays that had occurred in rebuilding the temple (remember, restarting in Sept 520BC but not being completed until March 516BC – see Ezra 3:8, 6:15) they wondered how secure the rebuilding was and should they keep on praying and fasting on those four months. Verse 1-8 had been a general proclamation, and 9-15 had explained the change, now this possibly expounds on the future.
In line with what the Lord had said about expelling unrighteousness in Chapter 5, He simply reminds them that He expects them to live righteous lives (v.16-17); speaking truth, maintaining justice, plotting no evil against one another, or speaking untruths.
Then comes the culmination in verses 18 & 19 – the fasts you have spoken of are now turned into times of joy, of feasting and festivals.
The transformation that will take place (? In the end days?) will have worldwide effect: people from all over the world will come (v.20), all coming to seek the Lord (v.21), again from all over the world (v.22) pleading from help from the people of God (v.23).
D. Application:
- When God blesses and transforms His people, the world WILL see.
- May this be true of Israel & the Church. (? Revelation 11)