Zechariah 6 – Justin Houtz

Date	Version	Reading Plan
@December 18, 2023	ESV (2016)	ESV Prophets Plan 2023

Pericopes

A Vision of Four Chariots
The Crown and the Temple

Notes/Application

Zechariah’s eighth and final vision is of four chariots with four sets of different colored horses “going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.” (Zech. 6:5). The chariots with black and white horses went toward the north county, the dappled to the south and red to an unspecified direction. They were to patrol the whole earth and anxious to carry out the judgments. The word of the LORD then came again to Zechariah and was told to take three men (likely prominent, wealthy leaders) to the “house of Josiah” (Zech. 6:10). From them was to be taken gold and silver to make a crown for Joshua, the high priest. The man whose name is “the Branch” shall build the temple of the LORD, sit on his throne and rule. The crown was to be in the temple as a reminder to the three men and Joshua. However, Zechariah makes clear that his oracle was conditional based on the community maintaining covenantal obedience to Yahweh.

The last sentence of the chapter is the capstone of everything previously spoken: “And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” (Zech. 6:15). The rebuilding of the temple, the bearing of royal honor, the priest to sit on his throne and rule…all of it was contingent on whether they remained faithful to the covenant. Their obeying His voice would not be the cause for His favor but a gesture of acknowledgement of His ultimate reign and rule. We see here how God is willing to extend His grace in blessing, but that they should be received well, in recognition of Him. Our motivation of obedience is not to be driven by preferred outcome but to seek to magnify His glory.

Scripture Journal Notes

Commentaries & Resources Used