Zechariah

… Would you turn, please, to the book of the Prophet Zechariah, chapter 1 and verse 1. From that. The burden of the exercise is to spend the week, if the Lord will, in developing some of the major features and trends that come through in the book of the Prophet Zechariah. Speaking for myself, I suppose there are half a dozen verses which would come to my mind when I think of the book of Zechariah. But generally speaking, I must say that other than general reading, I've devoted little time in the past to the study of the book as a whole. But having given some attention, as we all have, to prophetic matters and the teaching of Scripture as a whole, what we can hope to do is to examine the text as we come to it, and to do the scriptural thing, and examine it first of all in its own context, and then examine it in the context of Scripture as a whole, which is the only way to rightly study any Scripture. We shall find, as we do that, that many of the things that are detailed are well known to us, if not from Zechariah, from other prophets and other texts in the New Testament. And we shouldn't be surprised at that. Now, because the exercise is to examine the book in its own setting, and to get the primary interpretation of it, it means we'll have to be very economical indeed with time, and avoid largely the temptation to apply morally to us everything that is said. There are some writers, serious quotes and others, who tend to fly immediately to the moral application, and that's always worthwhile. But a moral application for us, in this dispensation, can't have its proper meaning and full bearing unless, first of all, we've examined the book in its own context. So rather than confuse each other, that's what I hope to do. Now, there are those, perhaps some of you among them, who are a bit uneasy about examining Old Testament prophetic matters in case it becomes merely academic, because it doesn't concern the Church directly, because it doesn't concern the Christian dispensation directly. The hymns that we've sung are a pointer to the fact that if matters dealt with in the word of God are for the glory of Christ and for the fulfilment of the will of God, they must necessarily be of interest to the believer in every dispensation. Valid to which, in any day and dispensation, there are universal truths which are stated, which are applicable in any day. Now, it is for that reason that the suggestion has been made that we fasten, to gauge our thinking by, in each session that we think about certain words which stand out from the text. Now, twice over in these first seven verses, we read that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah. Now, we are not going to go right through the prophecy tonight and examine every time those words come. It is a profitable line of study, but like much more detail, we'll have to leave that for our individual exercise. But there will be certain phrases crop up regularly, which we would do well to score, to colour in with a different colour, to write down, and to see the lessons we can learn by grouping these regular phrases together. And, as a start, we are thinking, first of all, that all that the prophet Zechariah had to say was the outcome of him receiving a revelation from his God. The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, aroused his interest, engaged his attention, and as a result of that, he was conducted through various exercises which were for his blessing, his service, and has been preserved in the canon of Scripture. So, in thinking of that phrase, the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, and because this is the introductory address, we will be thinking a little while, for a few moments, of the man and his message. Very often, especially in the Old Testament, prophets or servants were very carefully selected that their names, their lives, their service, are characteristic of all that they had to do, and we can learn something from that. We are told, of course, in the opening verse, who Zechariah was. He was the son of Berechiah, the son of Edo, the prophet. Whether this means that Zechariah was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Edo, whether this means comparing it with other scriptures, and again, we cannot study Zechariah without giving some time in our private study to Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah, we will find that perhaps Zechariah was born of a man who may have well had an early death, and Edo, his grandfather, helped in his upbringing. That is a detail which need not concern us. Here we have three generations, and perhaps we'll have something to learn from that in a few moments. If we compare this with the Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai, we will probably come to the conclusion that Zechariah was contemporary with the later phase of Haggai's prophecy and service. A younger man, taking account of all that Haggai had said, being colored to some extent by what Haggai had done and said, and then somewhat after the same mold, but with a different message to carry, here we have Zechariah coming on the scene. And if we are thinking of him personally, it's worth comparing all the scriptures, there aren't many that speak about him personally, and we learn that Zechariah was not only a prophet, he was also of the priestly line. Here we have, then, some characteristics. He was following a servant of the Lord, who'd been used to declare the moral condition of the people. He, in the sense of that, and colored by that ministry, he was going to take the nation, and the remnant of the nation in particular, right on to the last days, and we'll have something to see and learn from that. But the one who was competent to deal with that which was from God and for God, and looking ahead to how the ways of God would emerge as history proceeded, was also one who knew what it was to draw near to God as priest, as well as prophet. Now, that's the man himself, and we'll come back to him, but if we look, again, down the text, if we look at verses 3 to 6, we get an important trend which the prophet draws the attention of the remnant to in the early stages. And in substance, in language we would use, he says, now look. He said, you examine the history of the nation, even the history of the godly element of the nation, and he says you'll find that there's a certain cyclical succession. You get a cycle of attitudes and things that happen, and he says, wherever you start on the cycle, you can keep going in a continuous way. And if, for instance, we start with the fact that God chooses to bless his people, and he does so, before very long, you find that the nation are disobedient, in spite of the blessing. They are disobedient to the God who has blessed them in a wonderful way, and as a result of this, God raises up a prophet who warns the nation. Generally speaking, the mass of the nation disregard the warning, they ignore the warning, and as a result, the promised punishment comes. God disciplines the nation, not only for going astray, but because being warned of the error of their ways, to abandon the disobedience, to abandon the idolatry, to abandon their waywardness, they completely disregard that, they go on their way, and God must needs discipline them for it. God sends other prophets. They cry from the heart, and there is a measure of repentance in those who are seeking to be true to God. And as a result of that turning in repentance towards their God, God is pleased to lift the discipline for the moment, and to grant them a further blessing. Now, in line with what we've learned in Christianity, we find that if something is taken away, because the people of God, for the moment, don't deserve it, after they've repented and been restored, the blessing that God in his wonderful grace grants to them, is better than what they had before. A marvelous tribute to the grace of their God and ours. So there is this cyclical succession that takes place. The blessing, the disobedience, the warning, the disregarding of the warning, discipline, the punishment, there is repentance in measure, and then God blesses those who are restored in a more wonderful way than they had had before. In each case, what was given up in responsibility was good. But what God, in his goodness, provides is even better. And, of course, we would be able to say, always it's true that the best is yet to be. Now, in many cases, and Zechariah is typical of this, the repentance is induced in the Lord's people by giving, through the word of the prophet, a long-term view of what God has had in mind from the outset. I suppose in modern terms, we would say it's like looking through a zoom lens. We are here, we are looking at something fairly close to hand in time, and then suddenly the lens seems to zoom right into the distance and say what's not visible by the naked eye at the moment, but to whom it is revealed, God is going to do wonderful things in accordance with his will. And when that is done, a repentance in measure occurs. The verse I like to put to that kind of thinking is that lovely verse in Proverbs 4, Let thine eyes look right on. There's blessing in every day, in getting things at the present time in proper perspective, by letting our eyes look right on and seeing what God has in mind. Well, Zechariah does that, and we'll see that very shortly. And in doing that, in telling them what's going to happen in the future as a result of the grace of God, repentance at that time, which is another phrase that comes here and there, at that time, now as far as they were concerned, and repentance was produced, and a measure of restoration is given. Now that covers the first six verses, I suppose, of chapter one. The occasion of the prophecy was the return from Babylon of a remnant, a small proportion, who responded to the permissive instruction that was given, the decree was given, that those who wished could return to Jerusalem and, as the case may be, be involved in either the reconstruction of the temple or the reconstruction of the city. But the return from Babylon, here again you see, as a matter of judgment, they've been disciplined, because of their disobedience, in being captured by Babylon, taken into a far country, made to serve foreign kings there. It was a defined time of 70 years, as Jeremiah tells us. And then, with the word of the Lord coming to some, produced repentance in them, which made them willing to respond to the invitation to go back to Jerusalem. Now, the return from Jerusalem, to Jerusalem in itself, is a preview of a greater opportunity and a greater return and a greater prosperity and peace than the remnant ever knew. And, if the Lord will, we'll come to that. And, of course, God dealing with Babylon, as we shall see, is a picture of God finally dealing with all their enemies and coming into the promised land. Now, in many scriptures like this, we can see an immediate or present fulfillment and, at the same time, we can see how what is happening at the present time is, in itself, an illustration of something greater and more universal that's going to happen. It's almost like looking through a window pane. I don't know if you've ever thought about it. If we look through a clear window pane, we can either focus our eyes on the pane itself and something that's on the pane, or we can let our eyes focus on something well into the distance and we don't quite see what's on the pane. We can see in proper focus something which is more distant. Now, it's difficult to focus on both at the same time. But, often in the prophets, we find that something in the near or immediate future is spoken of as a symbol, as a picture of an eventual fulfillment that will surely come. And, of course, as far as the recovery and return of the remnant from Babylon was concerned, it is a wonderful picture how, when the Lord Jesus Christ appears in power and great glory, then, and only then, will true peace and prosperity be enjoyed by the nation. Now, we must hasten on, and there is a phrase in chapter 2 which confirms that. Now, if we look then, just briefly, at chapter 1, verse 1, this succession of generations, if we accept that, very often, these names are characteristic as well as personal, we get a message even in the succession of the names. If we put them together, we learn this, which certainly, whether it's the right interpretation or not, it's certainly true of the 14 chapters as a whole. We learn that, as far as the names are concerned, at the appointed time, which is the meaning of Edo, Jehovah will remember, that's Zechariah's name, and when God remembers his people, God will bless them. At the appointed time, God will remember and God will surely bless. Now, we learn that from the first, the opening verses, that God has something in mind which will not be frustrated even by the disobedience of his people in responsibility. Now, that again is a universal truth. We first learn, in coming to the Lord, that we are in a situation where our blessing is entirely dependent upon what God has done on our behalf. What horrifies us, at first, is there's absolutely nothing we can do to earn salvation. There's nothing that we can do in ourselves which will merit favour with God. But the thing which is absolutely shattering at first becomes our anchor. Because we had no contribution to make, there's no weak link in the chain. It's all of God. Now, the nation, as a nation, has to learn the same thing. When God defines the time, when God says this is the time, this is the occasion, God will bring in the full and final blessing, and this is the message that is given. Now, some of the things that Zechariah has to say to us, and in our opening session we must take account of this, and we'll see it in some of the detail, some of the things that he said had already happened when he gave his prophecy. Other things have happened since the days of the prophecy and our day. And some of the things remain unfulfilled until the present. And we will perhaps have to distinguish between some of them. We have the advantage of hindsight. We can look back. We can compare what's happened in history with the word of God, and we can say, yes, we see it now. One of the great advantages to us of having the whole canon of Scripture, that seeing how the word of God, delivered in the past, has been so wonderfully fulfilled in such a detailed and accurate way, gives us renewed confidence in that which is unfulfilled. But as the past came into being because God said it would, this gives us renewed confidence in that which is going to take place. Now, one last word on this opening message of verses 2 to 6. It's a call to repentance. Now, this, as ever, is the way the prophet delivers his message. He doesn't start with the good news. First of all, he reminds the people why they are in their present state as a nation. Now, that's a universal truth. No good prescribing the cure, or to say what the final condition is going to be, unless, first of all, he says, this is the condition, this is the cause, this is the reason, this is why you are where you are. So, he makes this call to repentance. He says, your fathers have been subject to the Gentile powers because of their disobedience. And Zechariah says to the people, learn the lesson of history. If prophecy teaches us anything, it's that history repeats itself. If I make a mistake in a certain direction, if I had the opportunity to start again, almost certainly I'd make the same mistake in the same direction, but twice as badly and twice as quickly. The flesh in us is like that. Well, the people had had that repeatedly in their history. But if you look at these verses, summing them up, you return to him. And so we turn to verse 7 to the end of chapter 2. We come here then to a comprehensive second message that the apostle has to give, which takes us right through to the end of chapter 6. And we shan't have time for all of that tonight, but I hope that we'll have time at least to deal with the first and second chapters and some of the visions that come to light there. Now, you choose for yourselves how many visions you decide there are, whether you take them as individual visions or whether you take them as groups of visions with subsections. Certainly there is a trend, and this is what we want to look at tonight. I would suggest that from verse 7 of chapter 1 right through to the end of chapter 2, we have three categories, if you like, three visions. He had several visions. Very busy night, we learn that he had all these visions in one night. And when we see the substance of them, we can see what a busy night he had. The first vision, as I will term it, is the vision of the man among the myrtle trees. The second vision I will take in a comprehensive way to include the horns and the carpenters at the end of chapter 1. And then in chapter 2, the man with the measuring line. Now, again, we'll have time for overall remarks, and some of the detail will come out further in the prophecy, some necessarily we'll have to leave in private study. Now, the man among the myrtle trees. Now, the general lesson is plain. We've learned it from Daniel. We've learned it from Ezekiel. We've learned it from Revelation. But we can learn it from Zechariah. Now, and the lesson is this. Nothing new about it. When his earthly people go astray, God uses the Gentile nations to discipline his people. This is part of the disgrace, that they who should be at the head of the nations are subjugated to one nation after another, and they feel it as a disgrace to them. What they don't feel is that it's dishonoring to Jehovah, their God. That's the real probe, the real nub of the issue. But they certainly resent, they have a burning resentment that they've been subjected to these Gentile powers. Now, God's principle is this. He says, you, my earthly people, have been disobedient to me so that you may understand my judgment about it. I'm going to remove the protective umbrella away from you that Isaiah 5 speaks about. And he says, I'm going to allow a Gentile nation to conquer you and you'll have to do what they say. Instead of you being the head of the nations, you'll be kicked about from pillar to post. And he says, now that is a direct result of your disobedience. But then he also adds that he who allows the Gentile nation to conquer his people and discipline, he will hold the Gentile nations responsible to himself for how they've dared to treat the nation he calls the apple of his eye, which comes into the text. We've become acquainted with the figurative use of the term something which is precious and dear, the apple of the eye. I understand it refers to the most sensitive, tenderest part of the eye. And no doubt that is how God, looking down on his fair creation, having brought this nation into being, for his pleasure that he might dwell upon amongst them, how keenly he feels what anyone dares to do to them. So Israel then, lowly, downtrodden, because of their failing in responsibility, they are carefully watched over by God, they are prayed for by the faithful remnant that there is among the nation at any time, and God is going to take account of the way that the Gentile nations have treated them. Now, if you look at verse 15, I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease. Take that first of all. By the time Zechariah comes along at this stage, Babylon has fallen, the empire of the Medes and ultimately the Persians is underway. After the conquering of Babylon, things had become fairly stable, and Israel weren't giving their captors too much trouble, and the conquerors were just settling back and having an easy time and enjoying themselves. And Jehovah God says, I cannot tolerate this. It's out of order. The only time that proper peace and proper stability will be upon earth, when Messiah is in control, and through my earthly people, Israel, they will distribute the blessing, they will dispense all the good things that are to be enjoyed, they will maintain the peace. And he says, it was offensive to God that the leading nation, Gentile nation of the day, should have settled down and accepted a kind of peace, which involved Israel being in subjugation. It was out of order with God's plans. But he says another thing in the same verse. I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease. He says, I was a little displeased with my own nation, Israel. I allowed this nation to afflict them a little bit, and see what they've done. They've heaped it on. This helped forward. They'd aggravated the nation of Israel. They'd gone far greater in this disciplinary matter than God had originally envisaged. And he says, I will take you to account for that. So there we get, in verse 15, something of the substance of prophecy as a whole. Israel subjugated because of their disobedience. Gentiles permissively allowed to be on top for the moment, but responsible to God for what they do. The second vision, as I would call it, you may call it two and three, the horns and the carpenters. I would suggest they are linked in this way. Throughout scripture, in the Pentateuch, in Daniel, horns are very often symbolic of powers, defined as such in the prophetic part of Daniel. And the fact that there are four horns that are mentioned, and again, verses 18 and 19 of chapter 1, he says, behold, four horns. What be these? These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. Here we have it. Fitting it into the context of scripture as a whole, God says, this is not the first time. And it won't be the last time. He says, taking a panoramic view of history of the nation, he said, one and another and another and another, there will eventually be four Gentile nations who are brought in in a disciplinary way to subjugate my earthly people. And about this verb, to fray, it seems to involve concern, getting upset, a measure of fear. And certainly God is saying, now look, these four Gentile nations, we know in advance that when the prophecy emerges, and linking it up with Daniel, we know that it's Babylon which had come and gone, the Medes and Persians, which were extant at the time, ultimately followed by the Greeks and then the Romans, and then eventually the revived Roman Empire. We know the succession of four. We have the testimony of scripture for that. But he surveys the whole thing. His eyes look right on. And he's holding this, first of all, as a warning, and then ultimately, as we shall see, as a promise of future blessing. What are these then, these carpenters, to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles? It's evidently powers that are brought in, which successively will deal with the four horns. Now, we may or may not choose to identify the carpenters. He says, first of all, a horn, then a carpenter, then a horn, then a carpenter, and so on. Now, it certainly seems to bear the interpretation that the second horn was the first carpenter, because certainly it was Darius the Mede who conquered Babylon. Certainly it was Alexander the Great who conquered Persia. And it was certainly the Romans who brought about the downfall of the Grecian Empire. This takes us on, by way of encouragement, the final form of the Roman Empire will be brought about by the personal intervention of God in the person of his son, the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, when he appears in power and great glory. So, I wouldn't quibble with you if you conclude that the horns are those four Gentile empires, and the four carpenters are the last three, and the Lord Jesus himself. If you want to leave it in a general sense, that's fair enough. There's something else involved in this verb to fray. I suppose it's what I would call wittle. When I spent my formative years in the back lanes of Baica, the sophisticated kind of thing we used to do was get a bit of wood and a knife, and we used to spend long hours whittling away, turning it round in our hand, taking a bit off here, taking it off there, forming it, shaping it, so that we could eventually use it in some way, perhaps, as a tool, or just something we liked the look of. Now, I think this verb fray is used something in the sense that the power of the Gentile nation, who think they're oh-so-mighty and oh-so-clever, God brings in another power to limit the previous power, to shape it, to control it, so that ultimately, by way of discipline, he only allows them to go so far and no farther. And I think, perhaps, we can learn that lesson from there. And now, in chapter two, the man with the measuring line. What a comfort in any dispensation that when man fails in responsibility and is necessarily disciplined and appears to be missing the blessing and it seems to have gone forever, it's always consoling to know that God himself is in ultimate control. It's God who has the measuring line. He's the one who has the measure. As we would see in many other connections, he's the God of measure. He sets the limit as to how far God will allow people to go, families to go, nations to go, local assemblies to go. He sets the limit. Persecution, slander, or anywhere else, God sets the limit. Ten days. And no force of man or demon can go farther than God has decreed. And so, when we look in chapter two and verse one, we find that a man has a measure and he sets the limit. Now, that's all I propose to say about the measuring line. God reserves to himself ultimate overall control. To any suffering saint in any dispensation, it's one of the messages of prophecy that God has his overall plan, which he is working to, and that man cannot say nay to. What God has decreed will ultimately be brought to pass. Now then, where is it going to happen? If we look, I'll read now from verses eight to thirteen of chapter two. We've covered the substance of the other verses. Verse eight of chapter two. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoil you, for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and there shall be a spoil to their servants, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee, and the Lord shall inherit Judah, his portion, in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent to all flesh before the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. God gives the prophet, and the prophet passes on to the nation, this final view. He said God's plans will not be thwarted. The day will come when the nation, and the city of Jerusalem, will be in right place, and have the right blessing, and the right relationship with their Jehovah God. And then, and only then, will everything on the earth be in its proper place. But he says, I must say, that there's a time given here, which is looking right on. Here again he says, let thine eyes look right on. There are two phrases here, verse 8, after the glory. And another phrase, which is characteristic of the prophecy, verse 11, in that day. After the glory in that day, thinking even of ourselves, we learn, we know, that when he shall appear, so shall we also appear in glory. We know that at his appearing, that grand public climax on earth, when God personally intervenes in the person of his son, exercises due retribution upon the enemies of God, and the enemies of the people of God. Having put down the enemies, he introduces his kingdom, and the time then comes in that day, which God has looked forward to for so long. As he says, God has appointed a day, in which he will rule the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he has given assurance unto all, in that he has raised him from the dead. Feel free, if you will, to use that in the gospel, to bring a challenge to an individual soul, but I'm assured that that looks on to the glory, that day, that day when the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, ushers in his kingdom. That is the only day, when the world will be ruled, administered in righteousness, by God's appointed man. After the glory, after his appearing, there will be a day of peace, prosperity, and glory, that the world has never yet seen. The culmination of the ways of God on earth, when all these long-term prophecies, at the time of Zechariah, are fulfilled literally. These partial recoveries, partial restorations, partial repentances, look on to the time, when there'll be national repentance, national deliverance, national elevation. And for some of those details, we must wait till another time, if the Lord will. But for the moment, let us sing hymn number 430. To wait for that appointed day, when Christ, his glories will display, be this our one great care. God gives us information about the future, to regulate our lives at the present time. In the light of what we are beginning to learn, about God's dealings with his earthly people, it should make us more sensitive to what it means to be true to him, as we wait for the Lord to come. 430. To wait for that appointed day, when Christ, his glories will display, be this our one great care, to regulate our lives at the present time. For what is good of coming down here, we know the whole truth. Land of Israel, Lord of Israel, land of our fathers, land of our fathers, now and forevermore, earth, wave, water, fields, lakes, and swamps, in your eternal years, your nations and their elders, thy children, all the time is theirs, how long is the good day? We wait till that appointed day. …

… You weren't here on Saturday. Don't worry too much. We attempted to cover the scope of the first two chapters, but because one of the main lessons in chapter one was that history repeats itself, and that the nation of Israel in particular refused to learn the lesson of history, and in a cycle which repeated itself again and again in the history of their nation, they emphasized the fact that every now and again they came to the point that they started at. And we considered the cycle that because of their disobedience, the prophets warned them, the warnings were disregarded, God disciplined them by way of punishment. This led to a call for repentance by the prophets again, and where there was a measure of repentance, there was blessing again on the line of grace. And then after enjoying that, the second cycle repeated itself when the people fell into disobedience and idolatry. We considered how that God used and uses the Gentile nations to punish his earthly people, Israel, but that he calls the Gentile nations to account. We are accountable to him as his instruments, and whenever they overstep the mark, as they did every time, that he has to deal with them in a disciplinary way. And this succession of disciplinary governmental punishment upon the nation, the use of the Gentile nations, his restraint upon the nation, restoration after repentance of the nation, was symbolized in the horns on the carpenters. And we finished in looking at the man with the measuring line, and noticed there again that everything is under the ultimate control of Jehovah God himself. What a consolation it is to suffering saints on earth to know in any present distress that God himself has the ultimate control, the man with the measuring line indicating that. God sets his limit. I was encouraged on Saturday night in the exercise in this way. There isn't time for all the detail. I'm not afraid of the detail, but time doesn't permit the detail. Hopefully, having set guidelines, we can all be exercised in our private study to follow up the detail. I was therefore delighted after the meeting on Saturday when one came to me after the meeting and said that while he was listening, while he was looking at the text, he noticed that the man with the measuring line measured the length and the breadth. And he noticed that there was no reference to measuring the height. It was two-dimensional and not three. And it just occurred to him, he said, that perhaps this is confirmation that this is an earthly consideration and the heavens weren't taken account of. Now, I thought that was a good reading of the verse. It was an excellent assumption and certainly confirms what will come out sometime during the week and it may as well come out now, if not again later. And that is, almost exclusively, prophecy in the scripture relates to matters on earth. Fleetingly, here and there, there may be a reference to the heavenly company. Fleetingly, there are references to the rapture, there are references to the judgment seat of Christ, the marriage supper of the Lamb, events in heaven, but again, taking account of things on earth and then very, very brief mentions are made of the eternal state. But the vast majority of prophetic outline is related to God's dealings on earth. And so it was an excellent notice to remark that the man with the measuring line measured the length and the breadth but didn't take account of eternal, heavenly, spiritual things. It was two-dimensional rather than three. Now, that's the kind of detail I hope that we'll all start looking for once we've got the guidelines and the general scope. The other thing, of course, is, if not before Saturday or tonight, I hope that one of the results of this week's activities is that we'll all do what we should have done years ago and may or may not have done. And that is, scan our bookshelves and get down off the shelves those excellent books that we got with the best of intentions many moons ago and have been gathering dust ever since. I think it was Dr. Oliver of the border country, wasn't it, who said we should not shelve the truth. And that's what we tend to do. So, have a look at your shelves. Take off the Mr. Darby, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Dennett, Mr. Coates, David Barron, the synopsis, Mr. Hull, and all those other excellent books on Zechariah. And I don't think that, in the main, you'll find that what you hear this week is very much in disagreement with what they say between them. Perhaps in one respect tonight, I noticed in reading through this morning something I hadn't noticed before, and I'll pass it on for your meditation. But let us use the excellent ministry that we have available on our shelves. After all, at this stage in the dispensation, it's most unlikely that by any original thinking of ours that we will come to any new conclusions that haven't been considered by the reliable expositors over the last 150 years or so. What we can do is make it our own and get into the enjoyment and the joy of the truth of these things. Now, that having been said, we must keep pressing on if we are going to get some of the main trends in chapters three to six. We considered the first three visions, or groups of visions. We grouped those together because they consider the outward, material side of the blessing and the exercises. The rest of the visions, which we are looking at tonight, in chapters three, four, five, six, look at the deeper, inner, spiritual implications of the prophecies of Isaiah and the visions that he was permitted to have. And with that, we look straight away at chapter three. Going straight to it, it tells us that before the long-term view of the blessing that was considered at the end of chapter two, and taking account of the time scale in chapter two, verse eight, that none of it could arise until after the glory, after the appearing in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, he personally will usher in the blessing. And again, we need to blend this in with the whole context of scripture as a whole. Chapter three tells us, first of all, that the nation of Israel cannot be brought into that purposed blessing for them, here upon earth, unless, nationally speaking, the pollution that's caused by sin has been dealt with once and for all. It's one thing to say that their sins, nationally, will have been forgiven. It is another matter altogether to say that the state of pollution and defilement in which they are because of sin has also been dealt with. Now, I would like to pass on something for your consideration, which I hadn't noticed before. I would suggest maybe there's a slight parallel in this chapter with what we know from New Testament truth in the New Testament epistles relative to ourselves as individuals. Now, I will use three words, not used literally in these senses in scripture, but terms which, over the years, we've settled down to using. Hopefully, we know what we mean. First is standing. The second is state. And the third is condition. Now, there tends to be a little difference of judgment, confusion even, between state and condition. For instance, in common English usage, we might say of ourselves or someone else, I was in a terrible state this afternoon. In theological terms, when we talk like that about our fluctuating condition, let us, for this evening and other times, use the word condition. But apart from that, we are in a settled state of things which can be defined, which continues. And as to our standing, there is something irrevocable about that. Now, that's a general remark. Now to the New Testament. We know that we have a standing before God which is irrevocable. Nothing can change it. Nothing can revoke it. Because of the work of Christ, because of the shedding of his blood, we have a standing before God which is eternal. We are right for God. We are ready for heaven. Our standing is secure. That is because God has dealt with what we've done, our sins. But we learn from John's epistle that it's not just a question of what we've done that needs to be dealt with, it's what we are that needs to be dealt with. John 3, John's epistle, tell us that not only are we guilty because of the sins that we've committed, but we are riddled through as by a cancer. Our whole state is one of corruption and pollution before God. And we need to have a new nature imparted to us. What we are is not good enough for God because of the effect of sin. So we've not only been given a new standing before God, we've been given a new state. And so in John's epistle we learn, again using the theological terms we will recognize, we not only need judicial cleansing by blood, we need moral cleansing by water. And so we learn that Jesus Christ is he who came not only by water but by blood. He dealt with what we are as such and he's dealt with what we did. Now certainly in those respects we have a close parallel here. Not only because we find in verse 1 that Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, yes he had that standing before the Lord, but verse 2, is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now the adversary, the devil, is contending with God. But God is saying to him, I've plucked him out of the fire. He's not going back and you can't have him. The matter is settled once and for all. Joshua, we come to him, has a standing that neither man nor Satan can change. Now Joshua here, standing before the Lord, is not standing as an individual representing himself. First of all, he said in verse 1 to be a high priest. He's standing there ex officio, in virtue of his office, as the high priest representing the people, the nation. Verse 2, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem. It doesn't say the Lord that hath chosen Joshua. He's there representing the city, representing the nation. He's there representatively as a picture, a symbol, a type of how God looks upon the angel. And then in verse 4, take away the filthy garments from him. But when we get a further comment in verse 9, I will remove the iniquity of that land. Joshua is there representatively as a picture of the nation before God. Now, as a result of what God has done, the nation will have a standing before God. But he's not only dealt with what they've done, their iniquities, I will remember no more, and so on, many scriptures on that line. But he says here, take away the filthy garments and clothe him with change of raiment. Now, I would suggest that the confirmation is here, that the attack of the devil seems to be, alright, Joshua's plucked from the burning, he's escaped, he's right, he's escaped, but surely you can't have anyone like that officiating in the holy priesthood on his own account or on behalf of the nation. God says, I've not only dealt with everything that he's done, I've dealt with all his state. I've given him a new state, I've given him this righteous state, this righteous robe, and he's not only ready and capable of officiating as high priest, he's in a fit state to do it. God had cleaned him up. Yes? Looks forward to the time when the nation of Israel as such will be a holy priesthood unto God, a holy nation, acting Godward on behalf of the nations of the world, and as we shall see later, dispensing the blessing from God outwards to the nation. Now, in verse 7, there is the inevitable challenge. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and so on. The if only comes in at this stage. There are plenty ifs about our enjoyment of eternal life. There's plenty ifs about entering into the whole counsel of God intelligently. There are plenty ifs about the measure of our response in practical godly living. They are matters related to our condition at any moment. But as to standing, as to state, these are settled matters once and for all. And it seems to be a parallel here in the case of the nation of Israel, as to application, as to enjoyment, perhaps that may fluctuate from time to time. But standing and state are settled because of the judicial cleansing and the moral cleansing that have taken place on their behalf. Now, if that's going to be brought in, necessarily there must be these words at the end of chapter 3, verses 8 and 9 and 10. If the cleansing is to occur, if Satan is to be defeated, the only sure foundation for the blessing coming to the nation of Israel can only be by the intervention of Messiah on their behalf. And in this sweet way, Messiah is introduced here as my servant, the branch. Subject in itself needs the whole of the four gospels and many prophecies to go into this. Look them up, references to the branch, perhaps summing them all up, we can see in this particular context that here is one in whom is life. Here is one who can bear the burden. Here is the one who can produce fruit for God. Here is one who won't break down when the fruit is so prolific as to fill the earth through the nation of them that are saved. And so, here we have this introduction of the branch, the one with supreme intelligence, the seven eyes. Again, if you want to develop that, search the scriptures. If you want a shortcut, see what is said in the synopsis about the number of occasions where seven eyes are referred to. On the basis of the intervention of Jehovah in the person of the branch, in verse 9, we read, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, I will remove the iniquity of that land in what day. And again, this characteristic phrase in verse 10, in that day, this dramatic climax, that day which will be brought in by the appearing in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, there will be a period of peace, plenty in prosperity brought in, symbolized by every man and his neighbor being under the vine and under the fig tree. And necessarily, we must move on to chapter 4. Again, perhaps, we can group together the candlestick in verses 1 to 7, and the olive trees in verses 11 to 4. Both cases here, there is that which indicates power for light, power for illumination, the bearing of light to the world, testimony given to the greatness of their God, and the blessing that he makes available. But we notice, passing quickly through, that in verse 6, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord, not by any act of power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord, as a result of the work of the Spirit of God, verse 7 tells us, in this rather peculiar language, that what God brings in, ultimately, will not be on the line of meeting any legal requirements in the law, but will be entirely on the ground of grace. And again, we return to that. Another thing to notice in verse 10 is that it certainly seems that in this much-quoted verse, these words are put into the mouth of the godly remnant, who seem to have a moral appreciation of things as they really are. Now, this is always an exercise, isn't it, to be in sympathy with God, that whether outwardly there seems to be a great tree grown out of the mustard seed, so large that all sorts of evil are contained within its branches, or whether in felt weakness at the apparent smallness of things, outwardly speaking, there needs to be in those who are real and true and faithful a moral appreciation of the spiritual situation before God, as it really is. Now, here, the remnant are a picture of what the nation must ultimately come to, if they are to be brought into the blessing. Again, you see, we sweep through again and again the prophetess' constraint to go back and comb through again, repeating these principles, necessarily, no, because the nation as a whole have refused to learn them. And so we have in verse 10 this expression of the remnant entering morally into that which is so obvious to the eyes of the Lord. Everything will be subjected to the scrutiny of Messiah, everything will be noticed, and iniquity will be removed, God's government set up in Jerusalem, peace brought in under the Prince of Peace, all in line with the all-searching scrutiny of the eyes of the Lord. The remnant enter morally into the truth of that in advance of the nation, and a measure of restoration is granted in that respect. Now, if you look at verse 3, two olive trees, verse 14, two anointed ones, there may just be the suggestion there in the two branches, the two major resources that are drawn upon, the things that will come out again in other verses, there are these twin features which come to light in Messiah. He is not only the king who is going to reign, he is the priest who is enabled to draw near to God. It may well be that the testimony that the nation is ultimately privileged to carry, the remnant being in early sympathy with the truth of God, are enabled to enter into some appreciation that the one who will settle matters right for God and for the blessing of the nation is he who is both king and priest. And we must move on with that to chapter 5, remembering, I suppose, that Zerubbabel, the governor, was perhaps on the line, in the royal line, and Joshua was a high priest. Whether there was an historical reference to the fact that the two who were there as leaders of the people at the time needed two of them to combine and set forth things which can only be seen fully in the Messiah is a matter of judgment. We have New Testament authority for that kind of consideration. The people of Israel, they needed Moses. They needed Aaron. But when we come to Hebrews, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ is the apostle and high priest of our confession. As the apostle, he comes out from God, representing God with the people. As the high priest, he represents the people in approach to God. And here, so with Aaron, so with Moses, and maybe, in type and symbol, it's pictured in Zerubbabel and Joshua pointing on to the day when Messiah will come, both king and priest. And verses 1 to 4, the flying roll. The remnant, again, later Israel, when the remnant at the time of the return from Babylon had this effect in a small way, after the church has gone, when things get increasingly difficult for the nation of Israel, there will be those who are true, there will be those who bear testimony, there will be those who carry the light of God and minister the word of God and apply the truth of God, and perhaps this is symbolized in the flying roll. Now, this is borne out, I suppose, in verse 3 by the kind of sin that is drawn attention to. Again, we need to think back to the earlier chapters. The blessing cannot be brought in unless the sin is purged, unless the state is dealt with, proper standing, proper state, as before God, on a proper, righteous basis, otherwise there'd be no peace before God. And this can only be on the grounds of the word of God. Now, notice in verse 3, there are two kinds of sin which are referred to. Every one that stealeth. Now, that's a sin against the neighbor, and that's bad. I suppose that's half the law, isn't it? Sinning against one's neighbor. And that's bad. But in the later part of the verse, every one that sweareth, that's much worse. That's a sin against God, taking the name of the deity in vain. The Lord Jesus summed up the law in that respect, didn't he? Giving God his due, and giving man, the neighbor, his due. And again, you have an application to the nation of Israel here, they need to be right with God, right with their neighbor, being dealt with on a righteous basis, before the nation can be brought finally into blessing. And this will be the testimony that is carried as a flying roll, taken wherever it is needed, and will be given and carried by those who are morally in line with the message that they carry. Verses 5 to 11. The Ifa. Another measure. A measure of capacity. What is carried? Well, we read the verses, and we get a talent of lead. Now, we may well wonder what this symbolizes, but there are two things which make it plain in the light of Scripture as a whole. First of all, in verse 8, there's a plain statement, this is wickedness. The second thing that is said, end of verse 10, whither do these bear the Ifa? And he said unto me, to build it a house in the land of Shina, and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. Shinar, not China. Consistently, sadly, wherever Shinar is mentioned in Scripture, it's used in a bad sense, always involving idolatry and rebellion against God. Look up the Scriptures. Genesis, Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, about five or six cases in all, Shinar indicates it's the root, it's the source of evil expressed in idolatry. Things need to be traced back to their source, and recognized for what they are. If we have difficulties individually, in the family, in the assembly, there's no hope of blessing, unless we recognize the wickedness that's at the root cause, and trace it back to its source. No good papering over the cracks needs to be traced to the source. Now again, as a nation, Israel will be brought to this. The evil in falling into idolatry must be traced back to what it is. The land of Babylon, that plain between the Tigris and the Euphrates, which was the location of the original Tower of Babel, where man abandoned the revelation of God, sought to reach God in his own way, trying to make for himself a name, a city, and a tower, raised idolatrously in their own construction, and in every case, it's a symbol of the evil of idolatry. Now here, it has to be stated plainly, that the nation that was beginning to rejoice in being released from captivity in Babylon, and the remnant had come back and started, but not quite finished, to build the Temple in Jerusalem again, it has to be confessed by them, and by the whole nation ultimately, that instead of thinking they are superior ecclesiastically and nationally to the nation of Babylon, they're just as bad. The idolatry into which they constantly fell has its root in Shinar, the origin and source of the evil of idolatry. No hope for blessing, unless it's recognized, confessed, owned as to its source. I'm sure that's why this particular vision is given. Yes, the promises are there. They will be fulfilled, but the nation, as a nation, must be brought to this national repentance because of the sins they have committed. Chapter 6. Again, we have about five or seven minutes in which to look at that, and we can see what the scripture says. Again, he comes almost to a summary of what's been going on. The four chariots, again symbolizing the activities of the nations under the hand of God, but again, like the man with the measuring line, God is active through these agencies which he has permitted as an act of discipline, not as an act of destruction, in order that the people might be brought into that spiritual and moral condition where they will ultimately enjoy the blessing that he has in mind for them. And so we have here the government of God through the vehicle, the vessels, of these four nations. And again, we notice in the things that are said something that is not easy to understand. I don't like to use the phrase the end justifies the means. I don't like that phrase, but I would say this. God's will and its accomplishment is seen not in the activities of these four nations. The will of God and its accomplishment is seen in the results of their activities. God's hand of control is upon the end result of what they do. But as to specific detail, they are certainly responsible to God when they go over the traces, go over the bounds which he has set. Again, this is the same lesson which came through in the earlier chapters. And so, when he has allowed them a relatively free reign under his overall control, they accomplish his will as to end. Their detailed activities are their own responsibility. Now, let us finish on a happy note, verses 9 to 15. They tell us, we've read the words, in substance, that the will of God will be established. They will be brought to fruition. So again, the man whose name is the branch filled out, I suppose, in the gospel by Luke. As my servant the branch is an epitome, I suppose, or is epitomized in the gospel of Mark and the perfect servant. Here we have it then, that the man whose name is the branch is the only one who can bring in such a system of national and then universal blessing on behalf of Jehovah God. Notice the emphasis, verse 12. He shall grow up out of his place. He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory. How often in private meditation, in ministry, we've enjoyed together the wonderful things. He, bearing his cross, went forth. The one who bears the names on his shoulder and on his breast and who ultimately shall bear the glory. The same glorious person. He's fit to bear the glory because he bore their sins. He shall bear the glory. He shall sit. He shall rule upon his throne. He shall be a priest. The answer to the earlier chapter, he shall rule as king. He shall be a priest. The priest upon his throne. The council of peace shall be between them both. Marvelous statement. Jehovah and Messiah are peers. They are fellows. They are equals as to person. Something we shall be looking at, if the Lord will, in later chapters. And 13, tell us that as king and priest, he shall bear the glory and regulate things rightly on God's behalf in verse 14. Perhaps we have a little picture of the 12 tribes in the world to come. Filling out all the promises that have been made to them as being fulfilled when Messiah comes in power and great glory. And then again in verse 15, we see them that are far off. A reference perhaps to the fact that when the Messiah is given his right place, when the nation of Israel are in their right setting, standing in state, both set right before God, that then and only then in this topsy-turvy world will the Gentile nations themselves be blessed in a proper way. Supply and demand are in imbalance in the world at the moment. Constant cry. Why doesn't the supply and demand match? It does. It's man's sin affecting the balance in creation which disturbs not only the produce but the administration of the bounty. But when Messiah is in control and via the nation of Israel supply and demand will be in balance, in measure, and the blessing will be seen not only in the pleasant land but throughout the length and breadth of the earth because everything will be in proper perspective because the king and the priest will be upon his throne. Further details will emerge in the later sessions. Let us now sing our closing hymn which is number 308. Easy always to see lessons that other people, other companies need to learn. We need to apply the lessons to ourselves. Hymn number 308. Hast thou heard him? Seen him? Known him? Is not thine a captured heart? Chief among ten thousand, own him. Joyful choose the better part. Idols once, they won thee, charm thee. Lovely things of time and sense. Gilded thus does sin disarm thee. Honeyed, lest thou turn thee thence. 308. Hast thou heard him? Seen him? Known him? Is not thine a captured heart? Chief among ten thousand, own him. Joyful choose the better part. Idols once, they won thee, charm thee. Lovely things of time and sense. Gilded thus does sin disarm thee. Honeyed, lest thou turn thee thence. What has stripped the seeming beauty from the idols of the earth? Not a sense of right or duty, but the sight of careless worth. Nor the crouching of those idols with its bitter void and smart, but the veiling of its beauty. The unveiling of his heart. …

… Chapters 7 and 8, and I propose to read chapter 7 and then chapter 8, verses 20 to 23. Visions have now ceased, end of chapter 6, and prophecy begins. So it's a suitable break point in our studies. Sometimes takes a fair time for exercise to develop. We shouldn't expect progress at the drop of a hat. Something puzzles us, we pray about it, we study the word. We may well wait a long time until eventually the answer becomes clear. It's worth bearing in mind as a principle, worthwhile exercises often take time to develop. Now, I say that in passing because it's not quite the case here, of course, that the one who got the vision had the exercise extended. But certainly it is true that it was almost two years after Zechariah was granted the visions that there was this deputation which came with the query. Now, as to the text here, it's worth noticing that in verse 2, where the authorize says, when they had sent unto the house of God, most of the reliable Hebrew scholars seem to agree that that's an over-translation. As we know, the place name Bethel means house of God. And it seems that this deputation involved those who were at Bethel as a place, and not necessarily that they came from or came to as such the house of God as such. But certainly there's this deputation with this query, and I suppose it was a valid one from their point of view. There'd been the call to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. There were those who had responded to that invitation and call, and in repentance before their God, at least in measure, in faithfulness to him, there was that relatively small proportion of the nation that had gone back. The temple was approaching completion, and there were those who had been celebrating certain events each year during the captivity in Babylon who raised the query. Well, now that there are those back in the land, now that the temple is almost completed, what about these fasts that we are keeping? And in particular, they mentioned the fast in the fifth month. And they said, is it right, is it necessary to continue this fast now that the temple is almost rebuilt, at Jerusalem, where true worship should be offered anyway? As always, as we notice in the Gospels, the Lord Jesus frequently didn't so much as answer the question as he answered the questioner. He went right through the detail to what was in the heart of those who raised the question. And so it was here. To this deputation, who raised the matter of one fast in the fifth month of their ecclesiastical calendar, the answer wasn't just to the deputation. Notice in verse 5, Speak unto all the people of the land, those on behalf of whom the deputation, the query, had been raised. And the answer that is given doesn't only refer to the fifth month and the fast and the mourning there. It also refers to the seventh month. Now, we need to dig a little bit into the historical books to see what these fasts commemorated. Two major events in Jewish history. And if we look back into the scriptures, we can certainly find the answer. Now, obviously, with this meeting in mind, I've checked it out. I've looked at the chapters. And when you get home, if you haven't looked at it lately, look back. First of all, the second Kings 25 also comes out in Jeremiah 52, the last chapter, where we are told that the destruction of Solomon's temple and its desecration and carrying away of the holy vessels into captivity was something that caused not only great consternation, but great mourning amongst those who were true to God. Now, that happened, we are told in the text of the historical books, that this happened in the fifth month. And faithfully up to their light, there were those who fasted and mourned on the fifth month in every year when they were in captivity at the fact that Solomon's temple and all that it stood for in the display of the glory of God had been besmirched, desecrated, and razed to the ground. Well, that would seem to be a valid cause for mourning each year. The first and the seventh month was not quite of the same order. But again, we learn, Jeremiah 41 or thereabouts, we learn that in the seventh month, Gedaliah, who was appointed to be governor in the land and over those who hadn't been taken away into captivity, that he was assassinated in the seventh month of a particular ecclesiastical year. And because of that, they arranged a fast to commemorate that sad occasion. Now, that was the detail, and they brought, the deputation brought the query, is it right that we should continue this, particularly when the temple is almost rebuilt? Now, the rest of these two chapters, verses 4 of chapter 7, right through to the end of chapter 8 almost, gives a composite answer to that, to those fundamental questions. And as said, the prophet is given the word of the Lord communicated to him. In order, with the authority of thus saith the Lord, he can give Jehovah's verdict upon the Queen. The first answer, then, is given in verses 4 to 7 of chapter 7. How topical that this always is. The prophet has to say, you're asking about an activity. It's not the activity that's important, it's the heart. Separation of activity is good, but only where it's prompted by separation of heart. And so he poses the question, when you did it all these 70 years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, when ye did drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Now, it's a question that the Lord took up in the Gospels. Something that's always topical as a challenge to us, but of particular import to the people of the day. Outward adherence to ceremony, in itself, is of no avail before God. Mine looketh on the outward appearance, the Lord looketh upon the heart. With our experience and knowledge of the Scriptures, the words come through loud and clear, quoted in an abbreviated form by the Lord in the Gospels, calling it from Isaiah 29, or thereabouts. These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. The distinction between separation and sincerity of heart, and mere outward ceremonial. Now that is the first of the answers, or the first part of the answer, that Zechariah is led to give. And he closes that section in verse 7 by saying, what you should be doing is not conducting these ceremonials when the calendar says the day has arrived. What you should be doing is taking account of what the previous prophets have said all down the history of the nation. Now, we come again to that which was mentioned on Saturday night in the first session. History of the nation is a repeated cycle of certain attitudes and conditions. God brings the people into blessing as an act of grace. He lays down certain rules and guidelines that they have to conform to if they are to continue to enjoy the blessing. They fall into disobedience and idolatry. The prophets speak out whether thus saith the Lord. They give a warning to the people. The warning is disregarded. Discipline is applied. There are a remnant who respond to a call to repentance, and then there is a blessing in measure that flows. Now, the prophet uses that knowledge that should have been stored in their minds, and he said you should have listened to the former prophets. It's happened before, and it's happening now. Verse 7, should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity? There you are. They were enjoying the blessing. They should have known, but instead of hearkening to what the prophet said, he says you ignored it. Now, he says it again. In verse 8, the second part of the answer starts, the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah saying, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts. Sixteen times or thereabouts in these two chapters, we get a thus saith the Lord. There are those, I understand, who in 1988 stand up in a congregation and say thus saith the Lord, and expect obedience from the congregation. And if a query is raised that the word of God says something else, there are these who call themselves present day apostles who say this is a revelation from the Lord, up to date, for the moment, this must take precedence over the word of God. Let us beware of such folly. Any attempt at speaking the word of the Lord prophetically at the present time must necessarily be judged against the plumb line of the word of God. And if it doesn't fit, it's the word of God which must take precedence. Well, time and again in these two chapters, Zechariah says thus saith the Lord of hosts. He appeals to previous prophecies, previous record in the word of God, and he demonstrates how repeatedly in history that this comes out. And so he reminds them in verse 9, a summary of the message of the former prophets. Now, if I can take you back just for a moment to last night, if you look again at chapter 5 and verse 3, there were two major categories of sin that the prophet had to refer to. Everyone that stealeth, which is bad, sinning against your neighbor. Everyone that sweareth, even worse, sinning against their God. A composite statement of how they fell far short of the Lord. Wrong Godward, wrong manward, wrong in every category and facet of their experience. Now, in the first part of the answer of the prophet, in verses 4 to 7, he says the first thing that you have to do is get right Godward in your heart. And then in verses 9 and 10, he says what you really have to do now is get right manward as well. And in that order, the evidence of being right Godward is that we are right manward. As we learn in that perfect balance, the grace of God has educated us that we need to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world in every department of our life. Well, here he says, the prophet says, he says it's taking the normal trend, beware. He says you're wrong Godward, because of that you're wrong manward. Bad doctrine leads to bad deportment. Wrong belief leads to wrong behavior. And he said you're wrong Godward, you're wrong manward. And he says because of that, I'm giving you this warning. It follows the normal cycle. And he said if you refuse, well, he goes over their history, doesn't he? 9 and 10, he says, this is a summary of the message of the prophets at every stage in the history of the nation. Verse 11, however, when the warning was given, they refused to hearken, pulled away the shoulder, stopped their ears, they wouldn't hear, made their hearts as adamant and so on. Not an impression was able to be made upon their hard hearts. And so, end of verse 12, 13 and 14, I suppose to use modern terminology, God had to apply sanctions. He applied disciplinary judgments. He blessed them. They were disobedient. He warned them of the consequences. They paid no heed and he disciplined them. We've learned from earlier chapters, he used the Gentile nations to do it, holding them responsible for the way they touched the apple of his eye. But here again, we have at the end of chapter 7 here, we have I scuttered them with a whirlwind among all the nations. Notice from these points onward how repeatedly we get reference to the nations, the Gentile nations, which were used in this disciplinary process. But how sad at the end of verse 14 of chapter 7, thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned, for they laid the pleasant land desolate. We know from prophecy, it has always been God's intention that the land of Palestine, the promised land, Canaan, the state of Israel, should be the focal point of activities on earth. This is why, and we'll come to it, God's center is Jerusalem. When directions are given in scripture, they're always relative to Jerusalem as such. It's God's center. If he says the north, he means north of Jerusalem. If he says south, he means south. If he says east of the land, he means east of the promised land. It is his intention that it should be the focal point of things on the earth for blessing. What a travesty at the present time. Since the days of Solomon, which gives us a picture, a preview of the display of the glory of God starting in Jerusalem, going out to the uttermost parts of the earth. Since that terrible event that they commemorated in the fifth month of every year during the captivity, since that time over 3,000 years ago, Jerusalem has been the focal point, not for peace, prosperity, but rather the focal point of turmoil and unrest. And it's getting worse every day. What a travesty because of the disobedience and rebellion of the people. And so this cycle continues even until this present time. Now, we haven't read the words, but we must look in to the sections in chapter eight, which continue the answer. First of all, verses one and two. In our first session, we considered the statement that Jehovah, God of Israel, said, now look, I was a little displeased with my people, my nation of Israel. And I used as my instruments of justice and discipline Gentile nations and will continue to do so. But he said, the Jehovah stepped the mark. They've gone too far. I was only upset with them a little, but they've really enjoyed themselves. They've got their teeth into it and they've really run riot with my people and they are responsible to me for that. Now he returns to that here. And he said, using from the other chapters, he said, my indignation, again, a technical word in the prophets, my indignation has been made known against my nation. He said, but my intense fury will be unleashed against the Gentile nations who've dared to touch the apple of my eye. He says, they've touched me on the tenderest point. They've taken my beloved people and they have had the audacity to treat them like dirt and to tread them underfoot. And he says, my fury will be seen against them. And so we have that word in verse two. He said, they're mine. I'm jealous with a godly jealousy over them. And he says, there'll be great fury against these Gentile nations when the time comes. Verse 14 of the previous chapter, I scattered them among the nations. Verse two, he says, those same nations will know and feel the weight of my fury against them. But now he turns to positive matters, negative up to now, but there's the next two categories of answer are most positive. And in verse three, he begins this positive promise. I am returned unto Zion. I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth. Refresh your memory. Isaiah 14 and 46, words like, I have purposed it. I will do it. I have said it. I will surely bring it to pass. The purpose of God will not be thwarted either by the disobedience of his earthly people or the overstepping of the mark of the Gentile nations. Here then is a positive promise. He said, my purpose will be brought to pass. My plan will be fully executed. And then he goes into wonderful detail to demonstrate that that should be so. Now, the only way I can sum this up from verses four right down, I suppose, to about verse 19 is to say it's a list of conditions which will only fully apply in the world to come, the millennium. Now, I'll demonstrate what I mean from the text. But bear in mind that the things that are said have been on offer. They have been promised to the nation of Israel since the first giving of the law. That if they were faithful, if they were obedient, they would eat of the good of the land, nothing would be too good for them, and certain marks of material prosperity and blessing would mark them as individuals, as families, and as a nation. Now, let's look and see what some of them are. Verse four, there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for the very age. It's not a question of saying there'll be a lot of feeble people. For it is saying a fundamental promise to the nation of Israel is that faithfulness will be rewarded by longevity. Long life, length of days, long life upon earth, enjoying material blessing is a promise held out to the faithful in Israel and will be realized in the world to come. That's what I mean when I say that some of the things that were promised, that were previewed in the glory of the kingdom of Solomon in all his glory, will be seen, worked out fully in the world to come. And the first one that is given is longevity. Verse five, the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls. Not just that there will happen to be children, full of boys and girls. Again, the faithful in Israel were promised that a sign of their faithfulness would be that they'd be given large families and that they would be able to see many generations. Children, children's children, children's children's children. They would live to a ripe old age and they'd have the joy of seeing successive generations, progeny going into the future, the honor and dignity and blessing of the family assured for generations to come. A mark of the blessing of Jehovah upon his earthly people. Now these are things which God has committed himself to. I have purposed it, I will bring it to pass. Prolific progeny then, boys and girls, successive generations. Now notice again, verse six, this people. Verse seven, my people. Verse eight, my people. Verse eleven, this people. Verse twelve, this people. Half a dozen times, God is delighted to speak of them as my people. We know from the prophets that the condemnation, the judgment upon God's earthly people Israel at the present time is that he says you are not my people for the moment. I cannot own you as such. They should be in the land, dwelling in the land. God dwell among his people. They've forfeited that privilege and blessing because of their disobedience. God here commits himself. He says it will happen. They will dwell in the land. I will own them as my people. They will know me as their God. I will dwell among them and be their God. And they will enjoy my presence in the midst, seen in its fullness in the world to come. God commits himself here from himself on the lines of grace that this will surely come to pass. Verse twelve then. The seed shall be prosperous. The vine shall give her fruit. The ground shall give her increase. The heavens shall give their due. The land will be fruitful. The land will be prosperous. The harvest will be plenteous. They'll be able to distribute the bounty far and wide because the productivity of the land will be better than it's ever been before. The desert will blossom as a rose. I suppose after this kind of study, I'm committing myself to reading scriptures like the book of Isaiah, which goes into immense detail of the blessings that the land will enjoy, that the people of the land will enjoy when all this is brought to pass, when Christ rules in righteousness. Oh, I must enthrall my soul again. And I would suggest that we all do by reading such scriptures that we can see the detail filled out. But here in the compass of a dozen verses or so, these things are indicated. Verse thirteen. It shall come to pass as he were a curse among the heathen. What a travesty. God's people, the vehicle of blessing from God out to the nations, that they've been the means of nations being cursed. Think over the last few years in our personal experience of all the lives that have been lost, all the heartache that's been caused, all the money that's been wasted, because the Jews are out of tune with their God, and that they are a curse to themselves and all the nations because of their disobedience over the years. But God has committed himself. He says you've been a curse for so long. You're going to be a blessing to the nations. Try telling that to the Arabs at the present time. But God says it's going to happen, that they'll be the center of all the prosperity and all the blessing. So will I save you. Salvation will mark them. Ye shall be a blessing to all the nations. And in view of these positive things, he says, fear not. Let your hearts be strong. But there's something else. Verses 16 and 17. Scan through these chapters. See how often he returns to these matters of practical godly living. Universal truths applicable in any dispensation. Speak every man the truth to his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. Let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbor. Love no false oath for all these things that I hate. Very difficult at times in these chapters, and I think with good cause, to discern whether or not the prophet is reminding the people of this present time what has been said to previous generations, or whether he's saying, as I think he is here, now look, I've told you the past history. I've told you what's going to happen in the future. And in the light of what I've told you about the future, this is how you've got to act now. It's always true of prophecy that God gives us information about the future to regulate the hearer's conduct at the present time. It will come out again in later chapters. We'll see how the text confirms that. But in every day, and it will certainly come out in the millennium, the thousand years reign, that practical godly living, righteousness, and truth will mark in a practical way the people of God upon earth. Now again, this will come out in other scriptures, and we'll return to it again. Verse 19, almost at the end of what he has to say on this particular occasion, certainly will be true in the millennium, the world to come. He says, fasting will be turned into feasting. The time for mourning will be over. How many times the prophets say that mourning is past. The time of the singing of birds has come. The time for celebration, because everything's in proper balance, supply and demand, command and obedience. The king ruling in righteousness, as we shall see if the Lord spares us to another occasion. When he whose right it is, is in full control, all these wonderful features will be seen, including in the most practical way, these features of practical righteousness. One last section then, verses 20 to 23. The travesty will be over. One of the reasons that fasting will be turned to feasting is that Jerusalem will be the true center of God's activities on earth. Here again we get something of the measure of the blessing that there will be on earth. The nations will be delighted to come to the city of Jerusalem, which will then be the capital city of the world, the center of world government, teaching and training, and will also be the center of worship to the God who has blessed them in such a wonderful way. Look the scriptures up. The prophets make it also clear that Jerusalem will be the true center, and the nations will be pleased to have it so. They'll take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew. We will go with you. We have heard that God is with you. Now, if this has any voice for us at all tonight, and it must, it is this. God has been pleased to reveal his will in a wonderful way. He's preserved these scriptures in the canon of Holy Writ. He's given us this information of what God has committed himself to do in the future. For the glory of Christ, for the honor and majesty and the greatness of God, and the blessing of his earthly people, and through them the Gentile nations. Everything is going to be put right. And time and again, the prophet says, now I've told you what's going to happen. You get on with the practical righteous living now, to demonstrate what it means to be in right relationship with your God. Time and again, we learn from the Lord's own words. Ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. And again, from the words of the Apostle John, he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure. We need the whole counsel of God. We need the full scope of the prophetic outline. Not only to furnish our minds, we need our minds instructed, so that our hearts will be affected, so that our wills will be submitted, so that our feet are turned in the right direction. Always the order in which the word of God comes to us. On a future occasion, if the Lord will, we'll be looking at the further chapters. Because history repeats itself, we can see further underlining of the principles that we've already seen. But in between now and then, we have the opportunity of demonstrating, right Godward, right manward, the way that we live in this world, that what we've heard so far has affected us for the glory of God and the blessing of those that we meet. Now let us sing hymn number 256. 256. Hail to the Lord's Anointed, Great David's greater Son. When for the time appointed The rolling earth followed, He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free, To lay awake oppression, And rule every year. The dead which have conceived Him He comes to free and wise, His glory shall reveal Him To all rejoicing eyes. He who with man shall live there, And with woman shall die, His glory shall reveal Him To all rejoicing eyes. He shall come down like shepherds Upon the hill of God, And over the cold white clouds Spring of heavenly love. He who in wondrous wonders Shall see the paradise, And for ages at His countenance Proclaim to the world, King of glory of the Lord, And Lord of wisdom free, All nations shall adore Him, His praise all ye will hear. Out there in my dominion All liberty I show, God, the King of Kings, Lord of light, rain, and snow. …

… With Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 1. Our survey of the book of Prophet Zechariah we turn, as read, to chapters 9, 10 and 11. In these chapters there are many prophecies. Some haven't been fulfilled at all. They await the final climax of God's dealings on earth. Some have been fulfilled in measure, in part, but they await a final complete fulfillment, a greater and a fuller answer than has been given thus far in the history of men. Now we shouldn't be surprised, and we often find it in scripture, that there are things which bear the stamp of the prophecy, and seem to be an answer in part, and yet there are certain things which aren't yet fulfilled. It's not that the prophecy is inaccurate, but rather that God has allowed to occur in history events which give us a preview of the character of the ultimate fulfillment, but not as wide, not as deep, not as great, not as extensive as the final fulfillment. In demonstration of that well-known principle which is always worth bearing in mind, that coming events cast their shadows before them. It's a principle which is clearly demonstrated in many scriptures, and it's demonstrated in chapters 9, 10, and 11 of Zechariah. Well, that having been said, we can look at some of the details. If we want a heading for chapter 9, we can have in mind this mental note that God is going to wreak his vengeance upon the nations who have terrorized, enslaved, captivated his own beloved people Israel, the apple of his eye. No need to repeat what we've had in other chapters, but God's discipline necessarily applied to his own nation as a result of their rebellion, the Gentiles' nation being used as God's instruments of discipline, overstepping the mark, enjoying the task that they'd been delegated to do, although unwittingly to them. And God says, ultimately, for their overstepping of the mark and their audacity in dealing in such a treacherous way with my beloved earthly people, I will wreak my vengeance upon them. And in so doing, he will deliver his own people. Now, chapter 9 largely tells us the manner in which that will be done, and it tells us the result of its accomplishment. Now, as with the other studies, I can only hope to give you guidelines that we might all take away and study. For instance, there are certain cities which are mentioned in the opening verses of chapter 9. Now, these were cities which, again, establish a principle, in one way or another, geographically, commercially, strategically, these were cities who rivaled Jerusalem in one way or another. And God makes it plain. He will brook no rival. Jerusalem, as a city, is going to be preeminent. He will see to that. And for that, and other governmental reasons, we find that there are certain cities which are mentioned, which had to be dealt with in history, which are a little picture in themselves of the steps that God will ultimately take in order to establish the preeminence, as a city, of the city of Jerusalem. Now, if you have the time, and you want to do the research, you can check that from secular history. If you are a good steward of your time, and you want to take a shortcut, you consult John Nelson Darby, William Kelly, Edward Dennett, in their books of Zechariah, and they will tell you the dates, the battles, the nations, the cities, and demonstrate that these things were an accomplished fact in secular history. More important to us, when we get down to verse 8, is that God gives a reason why he makes this reaffirmation at this particular time in history that he's going to step in, he's going to deliver his people, that the point has arrived at. Verse 8, after summing up the statement, I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth, no oppressor shall pass through them any more. He said Jerusalem will have no rival, they will be delivered, they will stand, and then he gives the reason for. Now have I seen with mine eyes. Now, what had he seen? The prophets, Haggai and others, had spoken to those of the captivity, there had been repentance in measure, there had been a remnant who had returned to Jerusalem, and they were well on with the rebuilding of the temple, as we speak of Ed Zerubbabel's temple. It was approaching completion, although it took another couple of years to finish. God takes account of the movement of heart, and the partial at least restoration of the people to the land, and restoration in heart, he sees their repentance, and he says I can see it now, there's sufficient confirmation of their change of heart, that I can now look right on. Remember the verse that we started with last Saturday night, let thine eyes look right on. God now takes the eye right on, to the end time, when all his plans will be accomplished. Now that sums up, I suppose, the first eight verses of that, but once the statement has been made, I'm going to act now, I'm going to move, my plans are finalized, the question then arises, how will he do it? How will the plan be brought into full effect? And so we get at this crisis point in the prophecy, we get the introduction of verse nine. Now in simplicity, I suppose, reading the text, we can say this, the coming king will resolve everything to the glory of God, and the blessing of the nation, and ultimately all the nations of the world. And so we have here the introduction of the only one, the only person, who can bring this about. Now whenever we have well-known verses in the Old Testament, which are quoted in part or in full in the New Testament, we do well to look at the detail, and to see how much, and in which order, things are taken up in their fulfillment. And when we read this, we get a grand statement about the coming king, something about his character, something about his message, something about his purpose in being introduced. An object for contemplation, behold thy king cometh unto thee, addressed to the nation. And then, he is just having salvation. Now it certainly seems, in line with him being introduced as a king, ex officio, in virtue of his office, there are certain characteristics drawn attention to, which are in line with his fitness, his competence, to take up that official role as king. And the first two qualities that are referred to are official virtues, official qualities. He is just. He will bring in justice. Everything that he does will be marked by utter righteousness and justice, and bringing in, having salvation in his train. Salvation in the most comprehensive of senses. As you know, salvation is one of the most comprehensive aspects of blessing that we find in scripture. There's a past aspect to it, there's a present aspect, and there's a future aspect. And in certain senses, it includes all the details of the wonderful blessing of the Lord that comes to those who are the blessed of the Lord. So here we are, that when the king, when he comes, he will be competent to wield the reins of government on behalf of the mighty God, because he is just, and because he brings in salvation. But that is not all that is said of him. What follows is that which is personal and moral. Lowly, riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. I like the kind of comparison that says, in being lowly, he's lowly in character. In riding upon an ass, he's lowly in his approach. His demeanor, the way he acts, the things that he does, the way that he does them, are all very much in line with his personal quality of lowliness. I am meek and lowly in heart. No accident that that particular phrase, emphasizing his lowliness and meekness, is in the gospel which presents him as the coming king, the gospel of Matthew. Noteworthy too, in Matthew 21, when this particular verse is quoted, because the time has not yet arrived when the kingdom will come into outward manifestation, not yet to come in outward show, because the king was rejected, as we shall see tonight, what is quoted in Matthew 21 is that which demonstrates his personal and moral fitness to be the king, but leaves it there, doesn't refer to those official qualities which he will only take up when the time finally arrives. And so we get the expression in Matthew 21, behold thy king cometh lowly riding upon an ass, and so on. How careful we need to be in noting how selective the Holy Spirit is in taking up valid Old Testament scriptures and applying them with utter precision in the New Testament, and this one in particular is a good case in point. So that which is official is not referred to in Matthew, that which is personal and moral is. Now that deals in summary form with the first nine verses of chapter nine. When we look at verses 10 to 16, we get the result of the deliverance that the coming king will accomplish. And the first thing we notice in, when the king has come, when he has taken command, there will be no more war. Matthew again tells us that until the personal intervention of God in the person of the Messiah, there will continue to be wars and rumors of wars. But this tells us that when the king has come, and set up his government, and even before the kingdom proper is set up, when he has put down the enemies, there will be no more need for the instruments of war. Look at what verse 10 says, I will cut off the chariot, the horse, the battle bow. In topical terms in their day, these were the instruments of war and will not be needed after the personal intervention of Messiah the king on behalf of the nation. Well verse 10 tells us that. And verse 11 tells us something even more wonderful. As for thee also by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. It almost seems out of context, out of sympathy with the other things that are said. But if you go back to the deliverance of the nation out of the land of Egypt, there is a certain sequence that is well known to all of us. First the Passover, then the Red Sea. First redemption by blood, then deliverance by power. And here there's just this oblique reference to the fact that the work of deliverance is a mighty one, a spectacular one, a dramatic one. But it flows out of, it finds its basis in, it has its foundation resting upon a deeper, a more mighty work for which the blood must needs be shed. Wonderful thing that here there is this oblique reference that it is the blood of the covenant which necessarily leads to the deliverance by power. Now we've had verses earlier in the book, we'll come to further ones, which remind us that by the time is arrived when this deliverance is brought in personally by Messiah, all hope of self-deliverance is gone, the nation are on their knees, all attempt at appeal to man has gone forever, they realize that they're completely without hope. No amount of law-keeping, no amount of obedience to ceremonial procedures will avail for anything. They are shut up to the grace of God. This is new, and so why this blood of the covenant takes us back to Jeremiah 31. It's a new covenant now, based not upon thou shalt, but based upon I will. And again and again in these chapters, even here in verse 10, I will cut off, I will cut off, I have sent forth and so on, I declare, I will encamp and so on. And so we find that this mighty work of deliverance will depend in the ultimate upon this deeper work, which we know to be the work of the cross. Foundation of the blessing for Israel and the nations in the world to come is the same as the foundation and the basis of the individual salvation and the establishment and maintenance of the assembly now, the work of Christ, the shedding of his precious blood at Calvary. And so we find here that there will be this personal, mighty deliverance, and verse 12 says that until it happens, until the fulfillment thereof, they are shut up, they are prisoners to hope. They have this hope implanted within their hearts, but as we noticed last night, was it from Isaiah 14 and 46, because it is the purpose of God, because he has declared it, he says, because I have said it, I will surely bring it to pass. No doubt, merely because it yet remains in the future. Verse 16 reminds us of this characteristic phrase, which we'll come to again in that day, that the blessing is centered upon his land. It's not their land. And then verse 17, two nice little touches. How great is his goodness? How great is his beauty? Young men should be made cheerful with corn, new wine the maids. Well, we find here, whether we take it in the overall sense, there should be celebration and there will be young adults. We've spoken in other chapters about the fertility, the prolific population explosion, because there will be longevity as one of the material blessings of being delivered, that there will be many successive generations coming to light. But apart from the old men that are referred to, apart from the streets being full of boys and girls, here we have young adult men and women with all their energy and virility joining in the celebration. Now, those of you who've studied the offerings, if you want to read into this, that in the young men there's a certain element of objective truth in the eating and in the young maids and the new wine, that there's a certain element of subjective joy in entering into the subject, the objective truth of what God has provided, well, you feel perfectly free to read that into it. Certainly, we can see a Christian counterpart individually, which may well have a national counterpart in the world to come. In other words, John 6, those who have eaten once and for all, have entered into and appropriated the truth of the death of Christ in a once and for all way, have the privilege of constant characteristic sustenance day by day in eating of his flesh in a figurative way, John 6. In the same way, those who've entered into the full appreciation of the significance and the value of the blood of Christ, it is open to them as the Lord said, he that drinketh me and so on. There is continual refreshment, there is continual joy available characteristic to the Christian now and nationally to the nation of Israel then. Very like as a comparison, the fact that in Matthew 19, we get a reference to national regeneration and there's an individual Christian counterpart suggested in Titus 3, where we learn of the washing of regeneration. That which will be true and necessary in Israel as a nation to fit them for the world to come, fits us for individual enjoyment then. Well, whether it's regeneration, whether it's entering into the celebratory joy, there is a similar parallel to be drawn. And now we move into chapter 10 and must keep moving. Verse one, the latter ray. Sorry George Brodie isn't here tonight. When George and I were at Leamside, we had some very nice readings together and we had a brother, not from these shores, from the Middle East who was local then. And I remember once we were discussing the early and the latter rain. And we were having some little difficulty in arriving at what the scripture meant in speaking of the early and the latter rain. And this Maltese brother eventually jumped in and he said, well of course it's very difficult for you British brethren to understand the early rain and the latter rain because here it rains all the time. And it was certainly true at the time that he was speaking. But he says where I come from there's need for the early rain to germinate the seed. Then there's need for reasonably stable conditions so that the general growth takes place. And he said then before the time of year comes when it needs to ripen and be harvested, it needs a latter rain to bring to maturity, to bring to full growth, that the full year might come in the corn, the full corn in the ear. And he said it needs the latter rain for that purpose. Now I've always remembered that. Those of you who know about growing things can confirm that afterwards. But certainly it fits in here. No reference to the early rain, just the latter rain. Why is that? God's plans are coming to maturity. It's almost the harvest time. It's getting towards the point when the final shower will just bring things to that point where the reaping and the harvest has to take place. So I think we can see that in the reference to the time of the latter rain. Now when that comes to maturity there will be then the revelation of the one who can alone bring it to pass. And with that we must move on to verse 4, this lovely verse giving us the character and mission of Messiah. There isn't time for much detail in these surveys but we must look at verse 4. Out of him came forth really the corner stone, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together, which is another difficult translation. As to the corner stone and the many things that might be said about that, I think as on other occasions, Zechariah is drawing from the prophet Isaiah. In this case probably chapter 28. I have laid in Zion a corner stone, among other things a sure foundation. All the promises of God are ye and all men in him. Messiah when he comes will demonstrate himself to be the foundation on which the promises of God and the blessing of the nation rest entirely. Or read Isaiah 28 and verse 16 again when you get home. There may also in this corner stone, in this particular connection, be a reference to that other facet of a corner stone when a building is being erected. That as well as being specially in the mind of the one whose plan it is, it is usually in such a point as where two major walls come together. Now there may again be an oblique reference here to the fact that in him ultimately the middle wall of partition will be broken down and all will become one in him. We know that in the world to come there will be this sharp distinction between God's earthly nation, his own people, Israel, and the other nations. But here we have it, a little foretaste, perhaps just a suggestion, that certainly the only way that Israel and the nations will be in proper perspective one in relation to the other is when Messiah comes forth. Out of him the nail, used variously in the Old Testament either to mean a tent peg, not in this case I doubt, and in the more likely reference here there was a kind of nail inside the structure securely anchored to which the articles of most value of the household were attached partly as a matter of security and partly so that they could be there on display. Now there are two excellent scriptures which we can think of in this connection and because they aren't so well known as Isaiah 28 perhaps we'd better turn to them. First of all Isaiah 22. Isaiah 22 and verse 23, I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place. He shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring, the issue, all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons. Well all the burdens, the great weight, there is nothing that needs to be borne for God or for the blessing of man that Messiah cannot take the burden off. There is nothing of value that God is going to establish that won't be effected in him and this I'm sure is some of the sense in which we find that the Messiah is referred to not only as the cornerstone but also as the nail. The third one, battle bow. There will be no need for the nation to have the battle bow chapter 9 verse 10 because he himself will bear this character. Any fighting that has to be done he will do it on their behalf. Any battle that has to be fought he will effect it for them. He will be the personal mighty deliverer. Isaiah 63, coming forth in garments dyed red, fresh from the battle. Second Thessalonians 1, Revelation 19, coming the mighty deliverer, coming in person, all suggested by coming as the battle bow. The last one, a little more difficult, if we consult the Septuagint or any reliable Hebrew expositor, I'm sure we'll find there something which directs us to this. The exacto, the despotic dictator, one man in command, reminding us of God's idea of theocratic government, on behalf of God, one man on earth in charge of things, exercising, wielding power on behalf of God, as had to be said to Nebuchadnezzar, thou art that head of gold. Read chapter 5, refresh your memory what is said about him and the style of government, not his personal performance in it, but as a style of government, it was said of him, whom he would he slew, whom he would he left alive, whom he would he set up, whom he would he put down. Sole command, didn't have a committee, didn't have a cabinet, he decided what would happen and that took place. In the ultimate, God has appointed a day in which he will rule, administer the world in righteousness, by that man whom he has ordained, whereof he's given assurance unto all, in that he has raised him from the dead. The ultimate in God's government, one man, his man, in absolute control, and this is suggested in this last phrase, the one who will exact on God's behalf whatever is necessary by way of government. Last little touch in chapter 10, and we must say just a little bit about chapter 11. Verse 12, I will strengthen them in the Lord. Well, first of all, verse 8, he calls them out of the nations, out of their hiding places, I will hiss for them, I will pipe for them, I will gather them, I have redeemed them, underlining the deliverance by power is in virtue of an accomplished redemption by blood. But in verse 12, I will strengthen them in the Lord, they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord. Here then, when redemption, when deliverance has been accomplished, his representatives in the administration of blessing to the nations, the peoples of the world, as his appointed representatives, and as the text says, in his name. It's perhaps an unusual reference that, but here it is, his representatives administering his bounty, his blessing, doing it in his name. And so we must turn to chapter 11. Necessary precursor to chapter 12, our hearts long to get into chapters 12, 13, and 14, but the Holy Spirit says, not yet, there's another lesson that we need to be reminded of. The consequences of the rejection of such a messiah as the one who is the cornerstone, the nail, the battle bow, the battle bow, and the soul governing king. Chapter 11 then tells us that the people themselves had their own shepherds, they got no pity from them, and because of their lack of proper guidance and the descent into disobedience and idolatry, the people had been subjected and subjugated to gentile rule and would continue so to be till all the gentile kingdoms expired, until he come who's right it is, as Ezekiel 21 says. Well, in part, in a large measure, the shepherds of Israel so appointed to care for God's people had failed miserably. Not only did they not care for the people, they didn't even pity them in their present woeful condition. And so we find that because there was no shepherd in the land, verse 5, their own shepherds pitied them not. We find that Jehovah introduces the true shepherd, but the true shepherd is rejected. Can we imagine a nation in need, in subjugation to hostile gentile powers, being offered deliverance in the person of the long-promised messiah, and he presents himself and he's utterly rejected. We know from the gospels, it's true. We know from the prophets that it was going to happen. Oh, how sad to read hundreds of years in advance of the event that the true shepherd of Israel, when provided and presented to them, was rejected in such a cruel way. Well, this has its immediate effects. In this mystical reference to two staves, which we must refer to, one called beauty, one called bounds, both prepared, both ready for utilization, and then both necessarily broken. What's the answer? Well, the text tells us. Verse 10, I took my stuff, even beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples, plural. Very often in these scriptures, peoples, nations, talking about the gentile nations, who takes us back, doesn't it, to Genesis 49, to him shall the gathering of the peoples, the nations, be. Because in his life and ministry, messiah was refused, it wasn't possible for the gentiles to be brought into blessing at that time through God's chosen earthly vessel, Israel. So this stave beauty, which would show the beauty of nations in right relationship through Israel to the mighty God, wasn't possible because of the refusal of the ministry of the promised messiah, the stave called beauty was broken. It leaves one, the one called bounds. There again, verse 14, I cut asunder mine other stuff, even bounds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Judah, the two tribes, Israel, the ten. Comes up again and again in these and other chapters. The clue here is given in verses 12 and 13. If the refusal of the ministry of the messiah meant that the nations couldn't be brought into blessing at the time, the rejection, betrayal, and crucifixion of the messiah meant that Israel as a nation couldn't be joined together. Judah, with their greater immediate responsibility in betraying and crucifying the messiah offered to them, have a graver and greater responsibility in the judicial ways of God. And that will take its course, as later chapters will tell us. But in the immediate future, there was no hope at all of Judah and Israel being joined together. Nations missed the blessing because of the rejection by Judah of the ministry of messiah. Judah and Israel could not be joined together because of the rejection and crucifixion of the same messiah. Now, as we come to the end, we will want to hasten on to chapter 12, but turn please to John and chapter 5, where we get something which puts in proper light the end of chapter 11 of Zechariah. John 5 and 43. I am come, the true shepherd, I am come in my father's name and he received me not. If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How tragic. Not only had their own shepherds neglected them, not only did they reject the true shepherd, but they opened their arms, they shall open their arms, in their time of greatest need, they'll open their arms and receive in his own name the idle shepherd, the false shepherd, the antichrist, whose character and characteristics are exactly the opposite to the true shepherd. Verse 16, a shepherd who will not visit those that are cut off, who shall not seek the young one, who shall not heal that which is broken, who shall not feed that that standeth still, he'll feed himself, he'll tear the flock and will meet his due reward. He will be dealt with and summary at that. Examine John 10 where the Lord Jesus gives us the features of himself as the true shepherd. Compare with them and contrast with that the things that are said about the false shepherd, the antichrist, and see also the things that are said about the thieves and the robbers in John chapter 10. Put them all together and what a contrast, what a comment upon the spiritual and moral state of the nation, that they would rather accept in his own name a false shepherd of that order, rather than the true shepherd who would gently feed them as a flock. Difficult lessons to learn, we would much rather be employed with happier things as we hope to in chapters 12, 13, and 14. But these considerations are the necessary precursor to those later chapters to see the mighty deliverance that Messiah will bring in, the blessing of God to both the nation and the nations of the world, when everything is put in perspective after the latter reign has come. And if the Lord will, we look at some of that tomorrow evening. Now let us sing. …

… It's at this stage, I trust, that the hard work put in by those of you who've been able to come on the other occasions will begin to bear fruit. With the limited number of times available, it was necessary to crowd a little the earlier sessions with a few chapters at a time to get the framework as guidelines to leave as much time as possible for the detail of these last three chapters. And so, if the Lord will, we look at chapter 12 tonight. In chapter 12, all the prophetic matter is future, remains to be fulfilled. We've looked at previous chapters where some of the matter has already been fulfilled, at least in part, some perhaps in total. But here, we are thinking of matters which have yet to occur, and perhaps that simplifies things to some extent. The parameters are set by a phrase which recurs throughout the chapter, and indeed throughout Scripture in Old and New Testament, the words, In that day, verse 3, In that day, verse 4, verse 6, verse 8, verse 9, verse 11, maybe others, In that day. Now, we'll be returning to that as to the significance of the phrase later this evening, but if we can just use that as a guideline that things are relative to a certain day, whatever we are to understand by that phrase, and we'll come back to that. But I would like to commence, first of all, by commenting on the opening three verses, which tell us about a confrontation which is a climax of God's ways upon earth. Now, I say a climax rather than the climax, because if there's one thing we've learned over the last few evenings, it is that what perhaps we first read in Scripture as one event, the coming of the Lord, we hadn't been reading Scripture and listening to Orthodox ministry for long before we realized it wasn't quite as simple as that, and at the very least we could split things up into the rapture and the appearing. And as time went on, we would come to the conclusion it wasn't even as easy as that. And again, we'll come to something of the distinction in the terms that are used. And I think we'll find tonight and in Zechariah that even when it says, In that day, it may not necessarily or always be referring to one 24-hour period or necessarily the same part of a period, whether it's 24 hours or longer. So I think before we start thinking of timescales, we would do well to think of the character of the confrontation which is detailed in the opening three verses. Now, the first thing, now tonight, we should have the time to look at some of the phrases and the words that are used in more detail than we've been able to in the past, and I intend to start straight away with this word burden, the burden of the word of the Lord. A burden in simple terms, something which is a weighty matter, something which presses you down, something which takes great stamina to endure, and something you feel the increasing weight of the longer that you have to bear it. Now that's a burden as we understand it, and the term often comes in to the major prophets. Now I would merely ask myself and you this question as a gauge of our spiritual discernment and our spiritual state. This is the burden of the word of the Lord for Israel. Now the question is this, do I feel, do I feel for Israel at the present time? Does it bear upon my spirit that God's anointed nation is kicked around from pillar to post and is at the tail of the nations instead of the top? Do I feel the weight of that, or am I rather secretly pleased that this clever, crafty nation are having a difficult time of it? Now before we answer that question, let us bear this in mind. Scripture tells us most expressly that when the Lord Jesus Christ was here in the days of his flesh, he felt their position very keenly indeed. He bore their iniquities and he carried their sicknesses. It was a burden, a sorrow, a matter of great weight to him that his own anointed nation on earth was plagued individually and nationally because of the effects of sin, their own sin and disobedience. I think we have scriptural warrant for saying the Lord Jesus still feels keenly the burden of Israel, that they are not where they should be, and it is in order that they might be given their right place, as the text will tell us later on, that the prophet is given this particular burden. I'm getting a bit weary of those who come to me from time to time, and it's rare indeed that I venture into the realm of prophecy, but time and time again, not excluding time aside, time and again we are told that prophecy is academic, prophecy is intellectual, prophecy is for the mind. Tell me, they say, not of doctrine but of Christ. Don't tell me about prophecy, tell me about the love of Jesus. It sounds good, it sounds plausible, it sounds right, but I need to ask myself the question, if it's for the glory of Christ, if it's for the outworking of his plans on heaven and on earth, it must of necessity be of interest to me. It must affect my heart that God's earthly nation are where they are and how they are at the present time. Let the burden of the nation of Israel press upon my spirit. You remember that good phrase expounding what the Lord Jesus did in that comment on Isaiah 53 verse 4, first he bore in his spirit what he then dismissed in his power. He did that in the days of his flesh, in the miracles that he performed. He will do it as the grand deliverer, the battle bow that we read about in chapter 10 last night, the burden then of the word of the Lord for Israel. Now who is it that has this burden, not only for Judah, not only for Jerusalem, but as verse 1 says, for the whole of the nation, the nation of Israel. We are going to have to go through a terrible time, the time of Jacob's trouble, Jeremiah 30, and in view of that, which still lies in the future, there is this burden upon the spirit of those who are true to God. Well, what sort of deliverer can they be led to expect? What kind of deliverer will be able to see them through such difficulties? And we are immediately directed that the only one who will have the power and the mind to do it is he who stretches forth the heavens, lays the foundations of the earth, forms the spirit of man within him. Now we are hoping to get some detailed exposition here, but we must keep our eye on the clock at the same time. He's the creator. In the beginning, he created the heavens and the earth. The highest point of that creation was the creation of man, and the highest point of man is his spirit. But sad to say, implicit in this, it is in his spirit, the highest part of his tripartite being, that man has set himself most deliberately against the God who brought him into being. It is the spirit of man in particular which has been set in disobedience and willfulness against the God who created him. Well, that's man as a whole. And we turn now, and again, another regular phrase that's introduced, not always discernible in the authorized version, but necessary to take account of in the plural. Verse two, all the peoples. Verse three, all peoples. Again, all the peoples of the earth. And verse four, peoples. Verse six, they shall devour all the peoples. Verse nine, all the nations, and so on. Coming to this great confrontation in and around Jerusalem, you have the nation of Israel represented, certainly you have Judah, the remnant in particular, you have the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you have round about them, on every hand, all the nations of the earth available at that time. Now, here perhaps we have to put our thinking cap on. I'm very pleased that in matters like prophecy and in the specification of the tabernacle and the temple, I'm delighted that there's sufficient given for our spiritual and moral guidance, but it always seems to me there's not quite enough for us to make an exact catalogue and timetable of events, and there's not sufficient detail given for us to make a detailed working specification. I think it's good in the wisdom of God that there's always something left beyond the comprehension of our finite minds. We are finite minds, we have limited understanding. That's no excuse to me, I have to work hard at it to learn all that's available with the understanding that I will never plumb the depths of all the detail. That's why I think it's so difficult to reach agreement with each other on where the pillars of the tabernacle there are, how many posts round about the gates, how many pillars there are at the corners, and that kind of thing. It varies, that's not a bad thing, but we are brought to a full stop and say, so far and no farther. Well, likewise, in trying to prepare a catalogue of events between the rapture and the appearing, apart from the fact with our limited minds and finite understanding, we find it difficult to remember all the detail, all the verses of all the prophets, all at the same time. I'm sure, even if we had clever minds, we wouldn't be able to get an exact catalogue of events. But certainly it seems to me that there are verses, like Revelation 19, about verse 20, where we seem to get telescoped together, groups of events which may not necessarily take place on the same day. Now, my suggestion, and pardon me if I differ from your Schofield reference Bible for once, it certainly seems to me that when we look at the things that are said at the beginning of chapter 12 of Zechariah, we may well find ourselves at a time when the Western nations under the beast, associated with Antichrist, have already been summarily dealt with by the Lord Jesus Christ, destroying them by the brightness of his coming. And when we get references to all the peoples being against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, you have the sea to the west, you have the king of the south, you have the kings of the east, you have the king of the north. Things all round about, but perhaps, I only suggest, maybe, because the beast and the false prophet and the Western group of nations have had a special part in persecuting God's earthly people, perhaps they are distinguished by having a separate, individual judgment unleashed upon them, and then we find all the rest get to this point where they can say this, we've had enough. There's this difficult, obstinate, infuriating nation of Israel, protected first of all under the umbrella of the Western nations, and they've had this despot for the last few years, who first of all was in league with them, then he turned against them, and now he's gone, and now they're at our mercy, we can all move in. Now it seems to me that that's the point we've arrived at, at the beginning of chapter 12, when all the nations are round about, gathering ready to pounce, and they think we've got them where we want them. Now verse 2 says, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling, verse 3, I will make them a burdensome stone. Now you fit in to your scheme of prophecy as to whether what happens here happens after the 1260 days, the 1290 days, or the 1335 days, I don't think that's of vital importance in this stage. What is important is this, that when the nations think that the city, what is going to be the city of the great king, when they think it's at their mercy, the tables are turned. They think that they are going to be burdensome to the nation, to the city, they're going to put it down, deal with it once and for all. There are many nations now, aren't there, who say, if only we could get rid of the trouble spot of the earth, Jerusalem, Palestine, if only we could swamp them once and for all, how pleased everybody would be. But we get to the point here where we find that the roles of the nations and Israel are completely reversed. We've been looking throughout the book of Zechariah at the fact that the nation of Israel must needs be disciplined because of their disobedience, and the Gentile nations are used as God's disciplinary tools, an order that due governmental discipline might be applied to the nation of Israel. And now, God having said previously, when the moment comes, I'll take them to task for the way they've dealt so severely with my beloved people. And when they gather around Jerusalem ready to pounce, God says, this is the moment, they're in for a fright. Now I say that advisedly. Isaiah 52 verse 15 says, the nations will be absolutely astonished, startled, petrified, and we get the same thought here. Cup of trembling, cup of fright, they'll be absolutely petrified at the moment that they think victory is within their grasp. The siege, as verse two says, is against Judah in particular, and Jerusalem specifically. And in that day, see what I mean now, that day I used to think, well that's the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ushering in the day of the Lord. Which is another point of course. We talk about things like the day of Christ, the day of the Lord. We talk of the parousia. I used to think each of them was a specific event. I've begun to learn that they may well be periods marked by a special character or way of approach. And here, that day, again, we are beginning to learn that there are different aspects of it. Well, this particular aspect of this particular period is this, that the nation of Israel will be used under the hand of their mighty deliverer, Jehovah, in the person of Messiah, to bring the crushing blow to all the nations that have opposed God. The day, that day, when God's disciplinary judgment will have run its course and will have expired, will be the very day when those who are used as disciplinary tools will themselves be disciplined. And this is how it will occur. When all the peoples of the earth be gathered together against this. Now I say, under the direct intervention of Jehovah in the person of Messiah, if we look at verse 4, we get the word astonishment, petrification, absolutely shriveled up with fear in the moment of their supposed victory. Smitten with blindness, you see how the roles are reversed, at the present time, Israel is smitten with national blindness in part. Blindness in part has happened to Israel, as we learn in Romans. But then, the very nations, heaping their arms against them, they will be smitten with judicial blindness in the same way that Israel as a nation has been for these thousands of years. But we begin to get the mark of grace coming in, but notice as to the judicial element referenced to the wood and the sheaf. The nations will be rife for judgment. It reminds me very much of the parable of the tares in Matthew 13, where they are bound into bundles, ready for burning. The devil does God's work in gathering the opposers of God into bundles, ready to be thrown into the fire of judgment. Here the nations, gathered together, making it all so easy for the reaping angels to discern, and here we have it, that they're ready to be cast into the burning as wood and a sheaf in the fire. Fire, wood thrown into a hearth with a raging fire, a torch thrown into a sheaf, how quickly the fire will spread with the effect that all the peoples round about will be devoured. But notice the beginning of the marks of grace. Verse 5, the governors of Judah shall say in their heart. Verse 6, in that day will I make the governors of Judah. Certainly seems to me that after what we speak of as the epiphany, the brightness of the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ in power and great glory, certainly seems that after that shattering event, the Lord in his grace is pleased to associate with himself on earth certain responsible people in Judah, subordinate to him, but in his grace he allows them to be used in the work that has to be done. There seems to be no other way in which these governors of Judah should be referred to. And again, we have these overall impressions that Christ personally is going to do it all. Certainly it couldn't be done without him. But it's certainly true, it's true now, it will be true then, that the Lord gives his own the capacity to be involved with him in what he's decided to do. And then doing it in his strength, he gives the credit for having done it in all his wonderful grace. And it seems to me that these governors of Judah seem to be involved in the same way. And because of that, at the end of verse 6 we read, Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place. Her own place is the focal point of all the prosperity of the nations, centre of God's administration on earth. That's her own place. She only gets her own place when Christ gets his place, his ordered place, king of kings, lord of lords. And then when he's in the right place, his appointed place, she will then be dovetailed into her own place, everything in its own proper order. But notice too, it's implied here rather than stated, the deliverance is referred to, but other prophets tell us that before that moments have arrived, Israel as a nation, the remnant in particular, must have plumbed the depths of heartfelt sorrow. First in physical, material, temporal persecution, and then, as we shall see now, in utter sorrow of heart. Well, Judah is delivered first, verse 7, the remnant of Judah were the first to be touched in their hearts in repentance and restoration, they'll be first to enjoy the blessing or the compensation that God gives to his own when they suffer for him, and so it will be in that day. But again, it is a reminder in passing that they who are first to enjoy the blessing will have been the first to receive the touch of judgment. What does the scripture say? Judgment must begin at the house of God. They've received the first touch of judgment in the time of Jacob's trouble, but they will be the first to be brought into the blessing, adequate compensation. But again, it's the way of God towards blessing, again, bringing us into this cyclical succession of events. We've noticed in all the chapters, blessing, disobedience, falling away, call to repentance, restoration in measure, ushered into further blessing. And again, the remnant first to be repentant and then first to enjoy the blessing. Then, Messiah, and those subordinate to him, but in the event it must be recognized, verse eight, in that day shall the Lord defend. I will destroy, verse nine, all the nations that come against Jerusalem. The audacity of it, with all that scripture has said, with all that history has recorded, in this last fling, at this period of history, that all the nations that are left and powerful at that time, they heap upon heap themselves against God's center on earth, against Jerusalem. It's a challenge that God cannot ignore, and he deals with it. Now, we come to the sweet side of the chapter, and this must necessarily be the climax of our study tonight, verse 10. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication. The order in scripture is always exact. Grace first, then supplications. Grace, pure divine favor. By the time their deliverance comes, the nation will have been brought to their knees. They know that without the intervention of Jehovah, they are in for utter defeat, utter destruction, utter extermination as a nation. They know that there's nothing they can do about it. It's the intervention of God in grace, not because they deserve it, but because he's committed himself to it. In the realization of what grace has wrought, and in the recognition that all that they have can only be gained in utter dependence upon him, they are filled not only with the spirit of grace, they are filled with the spirit of supplication. None other but he can supply their need, individually, as a family, as a nation. How strong the lesson for us. But they have to come to it as a nation. And in his grace, having delivered them from the foes, he then shows them the character of their deliverer. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced. Oh, in the turmoil, in the climax of the confrontation, enemies all round about them, the hearts disturbed, all perplexed, they couldn't possibly have entered into the sweetness or the necessity of such a deliverer. But now that the enemies have been dealt with, now that their deliverance has come, now that the deliverer has smoothed the way, they are able, they are free, they have the time, they have the serenity to have their hearts conducted away from their circumstances to look at him who has brought about their deliverance. Now it's this which marks the beloved in any dispensation. First of all, the deliverance. As the scripture says, the goodness of God bringeth to repentance. It's not repentance that brings you into the blessing. The blessing and the sense of it, and what's available to it, and realizing the inadequacy to enter into it, brings this repentance, the goodness of God. Here, grace provided the remedy. And in the realization that God could do for them what they could never do for themselves, we read, they shall mourn. Wonderful thing. They had been echoing a cry of distress for themselves. They are delivered, they are granted the spirit of grace and supplication, the cry of distress for themselves becomes a cry of repentance for their sins. What a contrast. They shall mourn. How sweet the scripture puts it. Having been delivered from the peril of their circumstances, they are able to ponder quietly, as in the presence of their God, the reason, the cause, why they'd been in the situation from which they have just been delivered. All their enemies dealt with, no fear of being subjugated to Gentile foes, no fear of discipline, no fear of judgment, no fear of punishment, but they can think about the character of the one who has delivered them, him whom they shall pierce. Now there are two similes used which give the character of their mourning. They shall mourn. First of all, as one mourns for his only son, his firstborn, we can put those together, we can think of Genesis 22 and Abraham, his only one, his firstborn, Isaac, the special object of his love, the apple of his eye, his darling, his only begotten. What a contrast. Read Isaiah 53, the first six verses in particular. The remnant, after they've been delivered by the arm of the Lord, looking back from their present serenity, filled with repentance, they look back and they say, was it really him? If that's what he did for us, he deserves all our love, all our devotion. And by now, the repentant remnant can say, he's just like our only one, the object of all our love and devotion, we mourn, we afflict our souls as we think that it was him that was abused in such a terrible way for us. So in their repentance, in their deliverance, in the time of their national distress, they are then made to realize that their deliverance is not only based, as we had last night, on a mighty act of deliverance, it depends and is based and founded upon the redemption by blood that took place at the cross. Wonderful thing that these details are implied here, as one in bitterness for his firstborn. It's the character of the mourning that is depicted here in this simile, as one mourns for an only one, an only begotten. Verse 11 gives us another simile to tell us about the mourning, as the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the valley of Megiddon. If we check in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, we will find that Judah were holding their heads high. They'd had a king the like of which they hadn't enjoyed for centuries. He dealt with the idols, he dealt with the groves, he dealt with all those who were disobedient, he established certain feasts which hadn't been celebrated in that way for long years, Josiah by name, and the thought, he's riding on the crest of the wave, all the former glory of the kingdom, it's going to come again. It's going to be like the days of Solomon. And then we get a point where the beloved of the people, Josiah, he was stricken down. Oh, how they mourned for him. A present-day counterpart might be something like how the Americans felt when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. They thought, here's the man that's going to be the leader of the free world, and just when he was getting on the crest of the wave, dealing with Khrushchev and everybody else, he was stricken down. Well, that's perhaps a pale, modern-day example of how the people of Judah felt when they lost their beloved king, Josiah. And out of their relatively recent history, Zechariah pulls this little bit, 150 years previously or thereabout, and he says, when the nation mourns, it's going to be just like when the nation has been mourning all these years for the loss of Josiah, one who's specially beloved because of the way he'd acted on behalf of his people. Well, we then get this outline. This, you would notice when I read, how delightful it is that all these people are mentioned. Before we pass to that, I suppose I'd better notice this Valley of Magidon, a large plain, central Palestine, at a crossroads of all the main trade routes. If you get on any hills roundabout, you can see a vast plain, which could well contain the hundreds of millions of people that scripture says will be in the last great battle on earth, the traditional site of Armageddon. That may be, but certainly roundabout Jerusalem at this time, it's going to be the scene of the judgment of the nations who oppose God and his people, but more significant, this mourning. We can take these people, or these classes of people, either as categories to compare, or we can take them by way of contrast. Personally, I think there's scope for considering them in three different ways, at least. The mourning of the nation, the mourning that they exhibit, is complete, it's thorough, it's comprehensive. They mourn as individuals, a part. They mourn as families, a part. They mourn as a nation, a part. None are missed out. If you look at the text, the house of David, well, we can look at it this way. The royal family, the highest in the land. Nathan, the prophet, the prophetic line, a part. Levi, the priestly line, a part. Shimei, we have a choice. We're taking it literally, as in the authorized. We not only have these people of honor and respect, the royal family, the prophetic family, the priestly family, we have Shimei, who cursed David, had the audacity to curse God's anointed, and ultimately had to be executed by Solomon. Well, the highest in the land, the wickedest in the land, the remainder, the rest, the families that remain, all those unworthy of special mention, unworthy of note, the nondescript, the others also, all have to be marked by this spirit of mourning. But there's another way to look at it. David and Nathan were together in at least one event. Nathan, the prophet, the accuser. David, in his gross sin, the accused. No one has right of place or thinks more of himself than another in repentance, in mourning. All have to take the same low place, whether in the things of this life, we are the accuser or the accused in the eyes of men. Levi and Simeon, not now on the opposite sides of the confrontation fence, like David and Nathan, Levi and Simeon, as it might be translated, a team together, instruments of cruelty, doing terrible deeds together, alike in mourning for sin. I like the last one best, husbands and wives in every case. If I can add a personal comment here, and we're almost at the end of our meeting. It was of note then, and it's of note now. It's a good thing when a husband or a wife is prepared to go along with their partner in an exercise, in a decision, in an activity, even if they don't feel as strongly about it as their partner. I think it's good to be prepared to go along with the partner, although not feeling a matter so strongly, but better by far, if as a result of individual exercise, the two can walk together because they are fully agreed apart as individuals. No couple, no team can walk together better than when they've come to the same conclusions as individuals, and that binds them together more closely than they've ever been. Or however we look at this, as individuals, as husband and wife partnerships, as friends, as colleagues, as opposing members of difficulties like David and Nathan, Limeon, Levi and Simeon, all these nondescripts that are perhaps less worthy of notice than anyone, each personally involved in this spirit of mourning. And it's when that spirit of mourning is entered into, in the appreciation of the grace and the favor that has brought deliverance about, that there's the spirit in which God can move for the accomplishment of his ways upon earth. We'll see something more of this, if the Lord will, in chapter 13, and then in the last grand statement in chapter 14, if the Lord will. Now let us look at our last hymn, 152. With the moments rich in blessing, music of the cross we stand. …

… Uriah chapter 14 and verse 1. We come in chapter 14 to the grand climax. We seem to have been on the brink of it in most of the chapters, where by the Spirit we are guided to confrontations between the people of God and the enemies of God, and how that only the personal intervention of Jehovah in the person of Messiah brings about the deliverance, and in no other way would it be possible. Now, that statement has been made with supporting evidence in almost every chapter, that the ways of God upon earth, particularly with his earthly people, that the will of God is seen to be brought to pass. His plan will be finally executed on the grounds of grace, and not because they deserve it. And as we've seen recently, that very fact, the goodness of God has brought them to repentance, and they are able to enter feelingly into some of the issues that have been involved. And having finally a true appreciation of Messiah. Now, when we come to chapter 14, these things are stated in their final setting. And we shouldn't be surprised that again, the opening verses remind us of what we've had so often, that the nation of Israel, representatively in the remnant, has a terrible time of trouble ahead. If we've learned nothing more, we should learn that. There is a terrible time lying ahead for God's earthly people, Israel. Now, there are certain things emphasised in this last chapter, and we'll have again time for guidelines in the framework, rather than all the detail. But let us look and see the ways of God coming to a climax, the kind of thing that is said. First of all, notice the emphasis on Jerusalem as such, the centre of God's plans for the earth. And because of that, in chapter 14, verse 2, Jerusalem, verse 4, Jerusalem, verse 8, verse 10, verse 11, verse 12, verse 14, verse 16, verse 17, verse 21, the microscope is put on Jerusalem. In addition, in verse 2, the city, the city, the city, three times over, the city of the great king, the centre of God's ways and thoughts upon earth, and coming to the climax, the emphasis is repeated again and again. Now, in line with previous scriptures, the point is arrived at. Not where there are enemies in the city, in Jerusalem, we seem to be past the point in history where the king, Antichrist, in league with the Roman beast and the Western powers, are oppressing the people. Now, you have the inhabitants in the city, and you have all the nations round about, to the south, to the east, and to the north. Now, that is confirmed again in the number of times the peoples, plural, the nations, plural, are referred to. Verse 2, verse 3, verse 14, 16, 18, 19, translated variously in the authorised, heathen, nations, people, but emphasising this, this final, crucial phase, with the nations, the sea on one side, and the nations round hemming them in on the other sides, under the leadership of the main antagonist, the king of the north, the Assyrian. Now, I only say that for your suggestive reasoning, but it certainly seems to me that the people are inside the city, and all their enemies are round about. As we considered last night, ready to pounce with those nations with whom Judah had been in league, disposed of by the Lord Jesus Christ at his epiphany, and then we have this slightly later phase, where the other enemies are gathered round about. Now, verse, verses 1, 2, and 3 deal with that. Now, as we go into that detail, something cropped up in the reading, was stated, needs to be said again, true in part in chapter 13, true absolutely in chapter 14. The terms Jehovah, and Messiah, and the one who is the Messiah, referred to as he, the terms are used interchangeably, and synonymously. It's a bit like John's Epistle for Christians. The he, and the him, not always easy is it in John's Epistle, is this God? Is it the Son? Is it the Father? Is it the Lord? Not always easy, because the one who's spoken of, is God. The one who's spoken of, is the Lord, is the Son, and the terms are used almost synonymously. It is the same in Zechariah 14. He, him, I, is it Jehovah? Is it Messiah? The answer is yes. Jehovah is Messiah. Messiah is Jehovah. So, let's not worry our finite minds, but let us say yes, that's the answer. It's him, and this is the climax to the prophet of Zechariah. And so we have it, the day of the Lord. As we look at prophetic scriptures in the New Testament, we will read of the day of Christ. We will read of the day of the Lord. We will read of that day. It's the same period looked at in different ways. That day is the day when everything will be revealed in its true colors. The day of the Lord is what we might call technically the judicial aspect of the world to come. Justice, righteousness, holiness will be applied. The day of Christ is the same period. It marks the blessed aspect of the kingdom. Bounty, plenty, prosperity, fruitfulness, all ministered by the Christ of God. Let us take note and hear. Because it's the assertion of the rights of God, because it's the administration of justice, because it's dealing with enemies, it's the day of the Lord. It bears the stamp of his authority. I used to think that the day of the Lord was an event and the day of Christ was a period. But I've had to learn that the day of the Lord certainly commences when the Lord asserts his authority when he comes to put down his enemies. But it carries right through the world to come where every item of justice which is necessary is applied by the Lord with his full personal authority. And then when there is that final outburst, when Satan is released for a season, certainly the authority, the full authority of the person will then be seen. And so we see that you have periods marked by a certain character of thing attract certain terms. And so we have here the day of the Lord. And at the end of that section, then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle. Coming events cast their shadow before them. A good phrase. How often in the past did God's people of Israel in dire extremity hear the voice of the Prophet, the servant, God himself at times saying, the battle is not yours, but God's. You're in a difficulty you can't extricate yourself out of. The battle is God's, the Lord's. And here, then shall the Lord go forth. Confirming what we've learned in other chapters. Even the nations who've been used as disciplinary tools against a disobedient adulterous nation, that even they will find that God comes against them and fights against them in the day of battle. And I think for once, instead of quoting, let's turn to Acts 4, which puts in perspective much of the prophecy of Zechariah. Acts chapter 4, verse 26. The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. Of a truth against thy holy servant Jesus, as it should be, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together. Now that's what they did in their responsible career. What were they doing? They were being used by God to achieve his own purpose. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. They thought they were doing their will. They were being used to accomplish God's will. It was true of all these nations. Now here they are, gathered round Jerusalem, ready to swamp it, and they are only there because they have been used by God to accomplish his will. And now that that has been done, God is going to deal with them in their responsibility. As the psalmist says, he maketh the wrath of man to praise him and he restraineth the remainer. He uses them in line with his will and he puts his restraining hand and says, so far and no farther. Well here we have it then, that in verse 3, only the personal intervention, Jehovah, Messiah, yes indeed, only that personal intervention can prevent the utter destruction and annihilation of the nation in the day of battle. Now we pause. We must pause. That's the statement of what's going to happen. How will it be done? What is the manner of the intervention? How sweet that we can turn to these well-known words. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives. Oh, notice the difference in mood. We know from Isaiah that in the days, or relative to the days of his ministry, in the days of his flesh, it could be said, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that publisheth good tidings, that publisheth peace. Oh, a brother quoted this afternoon, prophetic words, true uniquely of him, they pierced my hands and my feet. Those feet in resurrection stood on the summit of the Mount of Olives, and he was taken up out of the disciples' sight. And the next reference to his feet is that physically, actually, geographically, his feet shall touch, shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. Not now quite in this sense that that day, at the beginning of chapter 13, not quite here, the day of national mourning, although that will be there, but the day when he shall manifest himself. His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives in that day, which is no doubt, it's located geographically, which is before Jerusalem on the east. How often must he have stood upon the Mount of Olives, coming out of Jerusalem on the eastern side, going down into the valley of Kidron, up the Mount of Olives, pausing on the top, looking back, then going over the summit, down to Bethany, where he was rightly appreciated. How right, that that which was frequently his recourse should be the very spot from which he ascended, and to which he shall return. The manner then of his personal intervention. And what will take place then? The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. This is a miracle. It will happen actually. We can draw many moral figurative lessons from these things, but this will actually happen. We've read in earlier chapters that there'll be a deliverance provided. We know the exhortation in the Gospels that in this terrible moment that the nation will be told, flee to the hills. How are they going to do it when they see certain signs? We do know from the chapter, from verse 2, that a part of the battle, the city is entered, and terrible havoc is wrought. The city taken, houses rifled, women ravished, half of the city going forth into captivity. Terrible thing. But we learn that a way of escape is provided, actually, geographically. From the Mount of Olives, when it cleaves in two, there'll be a deep rift formed, east to west. The mountains gathered to the north, the mountains gathered to the south. And this is the avenue of escape. Or they'll have the scriptures. Things will be made real to them that they won't see beforehand. And here we learn that the actual method of escape in that day, and the identity of the deliverer, is revealed. Because the one whose feet shall touch in that day upon the Mount of Olives, is the one by whose power the cleft shall occur, and the way of actual physical escape is made available to them. Now, again, coming events cast their shadow before. There was an earthquake in the days of King Uzziah. We learn that. We also know, and this is very precious, at the climax of the first advent of the Messiah, at his personal resurrection, we know there was an earthquake. Creation bore witness to the power of Messiah in resurrection. Creation itself bore witness to the tremendous power being unleashed in resurrection at that time. And now, the climax to his second advent. There will be this, again, this cataclysmic rift, which is caused whether by direct earthquake or not. That's merely the vehicle that God will use, but by the personal intervention of God, certainly the result as from an earthquake at the climax of the second advent. We can see how history is seen to repeat itself as we shall go through. Well, ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains. Ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah. Full stop, at least a colon. Not easy to read in the authorized. But there are two parts here, and the first comes to this climax, that the earthly saints are given physical deliverance. A proportion, we learned in our reading, that the ultimate proportion preserved through this terrible tribulation is only a one-third of the mass. But there are those who are delivered. There are those who are saved, preserved through it by this terrible refining process. Earthly saints delivered. But then comes the pause, and there's another statement, the Lord my God shall come, all the saints with thee. Now again, very difficult to know who is speaking and who is at rest. Part of the difficulty to our finite minds is this. Sometimes the Prophet is quoting the Lord of hosts. Sometimes he's quoting Messiah as such. Sometimes he's projecting himself into the position, almost as a type of the one that he's representing. And because he's sometimes representing one, sometimes representing another, the I's and the U's and the V's aren't always easy to track down. It certainly seems from the mood of the language here, that up to the word Judah, that it's the remnant who are addressed. Ye shall flee. And then, after the word Judah, the Prophet turns to Jehovah and says to Jehovah, well the Lord my God shall come, and then the last bit, all the saints with thee. Jehovah manifesting himself, the Lord cometh, bringing his saints with him. Enoch and all the later prophets bear testimony to this, that when Messiah comes, when the Lord comes from glory, when he appears in glory, his saints shall appear with him. Colossians 3, among others, we know that when he who is our life shall appear, then shall we appear with him in glory, bringing his saints with him, and other similar quotations. Lovely contrast here, earthly saints delivered, heavenly saints manifested, at the same event. Wonderful thing, that Jehovah, Messiah, in delivering his people, has his consort with him, bringing his saints with him. And following on from that, we have in verses 6, down I suppose to about verse 11, certainly, and probably following on in the main right through to verse 21, a catalogue again, as we saw in chapter 8 of Millennial Conditions. Notice verse 9, the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there should be one Lord, his name one. Notice verse 16, a reference to worshipping the king. Notice in verses 20 and 21, references to the Lord's house. If we want to localise this, it tells us that in the world to come, the thousand years reign of Christ, there will be an actual, physical, material temple in the city of Jerusalem. As we know from our various studies of the many scriptures, scripture speaks of five material temples. There was Solomon's temple, built first of all, that was destroyed. The remnant that returned were privileged to build what is identified as Zerubbabel's temple. We know, again, that Herod built a temple, which after 46 years, in the days of the gospel, still wasn't finished. That was destroyed in AD 70. We know Zerubbabel's temple was destroyed in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. Another temple will be built, we learn in scripture, because the climax of Daniel's 70th week, that midpoint, we learn that there the temple is desecrated and ultimately destroyed, number four. But Ezekiel, in his later chapters, tells us very plainly that the specification has been laid down, and God will arrange, he will ensure, that there is a millennial temple, which we might call Ezekiel's temple, which will be in line with God's specification. Again, as with the tabernacle, as with Solomon's temple, I may well not be able to track down every detail, but God can, and the craftsman will, and it will be there, and it's this temple which is referred to as this millennial house of the Lord. God will not be thwarted in his desire, the dwelling amongst his people, his glory will be displayed, he will be honoured, there will be those who worship him in his holy temple, and those verses referred to identify that for us. But look at verse 9, in that day there shall be one Lord, there'll be no rivals, no idols, no lesser gods, no competitors, there'll be one Lord, there's one God, one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, we know that now, but there are many attempted rivals, there are those who seek to compete, their supporters speak of others, but in the millennium there will be no difficulty, no delusion, there will be no rival, there will be one Lord. But if we look now at verses 12 to 15, another element comes in. The day of the Lord reminds us that in the kingdom wherever sin rears its ugly head, it will be instantly summarily dealt with. The soul that sinneth it shall die is not primarily a gospel message, it's a statement of conditions in the world to come, that if sin occurs it will be instantly dealt with. It is not the time of the long-suffering of God, it is the time for justice. Oh how many creatures at the present time need to be grateful that we are not in a day of righteousness, a day of justice, we are in the day of the long-suffering of God, that we might be saved, the mercy of God is available. But verses 12 to 15 tell us, and we looked at a verse, chapter 10, the other night, verse 4, which tells us that one of the characters of Messiah will be that he will be the exacto, the sole dictator. Like Nebuchadnezzar, that head of gold, the king of kings will allow to live whom he will live, he will put down whom he will put down, he will be in sole sway. And if there are those who disobey, justice will be applied. Now things will be introduced on the line of justice. I may well be able to recognize some of the results of chemical warfare chemical warfare or atomic warfare in the description that is given of the corpses here, but I don't need science properly or falsely so-called to tell me how God is going to do things. I have the word of God and if he tells me that justice will be applied and those who oppose God, whether it's in this confrontation period just before the kingdom is introduced or during the kingdom, I accept it. The justice will be absolute. The day of the Lord refers to that judicial aspect of the world to come. Putting down the enemies, maintaining order throughout the millennium will bear the stamp of complete and utter justice. Of course, after the battle is won, there will be bounty which accrues. Verse 14 tells us this, the wealth of all the heathen, the nations round about gathered together in great abundance and all the instruments of warfare will be dealt with. Plague as a commentary upon the application of justice, all will be given their due rewards. But in verse 16, we come to another happy thing. The nation of Israel, properly reconstituted, expiated by blood, purified by water, set in the land, will be in the full bounty and blessing of God. But there will also be a residue scattered throughout the earth of those amongst the nations who did not fall in this judicial execution that it transpired. And from every nation, every year, representatives of each of the nations will come to Jerusalem, God's hub, and they will pay due homage to the God who permits them to continue to live. Now, here we have it. We say it in general terms, but this is the scripture that puts it for us that everyone that is left of all the nations shall even go up from year to year to worship the king, the lord of hosts, to keep the feast of tabernacles. We know from one of the Psalms, isn't it, those who are restrained, as Psalm 76 tells us, there may be some among them who will pay what is called feigned obedience. The heart won't really be in it, but they know the consequences if they don't pay homage. Well, amongst those that come to Jerusalem, there will be those who pay homage because they want to. There may well be those who pay homage because they've got to. Maybe that's the element that Satan rallies supporters from in that short season when the thousand years has expired for the final rebellion against God. But here we have it. There will be those from each of the nations when the feast of tabernacles is not only celebrated, but actually fulfilled. In the orderliness of scripture, chapter 12 comes before chapter 14. National repentance comes before national celebration. The great day of atonement when the nation had to afflict their souls necessarily comes before the feast of tabernacles. Look again at the order of the feasts in Leviticus 23, you'll find that is the order. Feast of trumpets, the message goes out. Great day of atonement, there are those who respond, who repent. On the lines we looked at in chapters 12 and 13, and then they are ushered into the feast of tabernacles, God dwelling among them, he their God, they his people, and the ways of God have been brought to a climax. There's one lovely little touch, and with this we must close. Verse 20, in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord. Verse 21, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts. In the kingdom, when there should be one Lord, when things should be rightly regulated, holiness will be the norm. It seems implicit in the term at the present time that holiness and holy ones, it's not used in the absolute sense, but it seems to be in our thoughts sometimes mainly set apart from the mass. Only a very small minority is set apart to God. That may well be so in practice because there are fewer faiths, but it shows how the world is upside down. When God's ways have been brought to finality, when God has brought the blessing in, holiness will be the norm. Everything will be according to God. Complete purification and sanctification, not in a comparative sense compared with the evil, the pollution, and the uncleanness, but in the absolute sense, holiness the norm because God is holy. Everything will be utterly devoted to him. No distraction, no discordant sound, no distracting element at all. And perhaps this is why there is this reminder there'll be no Canaanite in the land. Read the history of God's earthly people. They were told to put the enemies out of the land. 29 kings were detailed, weren't there, that had to be expelled. They got rid of some of them or most of them, but every now and again you find that when the land is having difficulties or problems arise, it's because there's a Canaanite in the land. There are enemies there that haven't been expelled. Always the history of the people of God plagued by this implacable enemy. Oh, there's this reminder. Holiness is the norm and never again will the most inveterate enemy be allowed to assert itself or themselves again. There'll be no Canaanite in the land. The enemies will be expelled, put down, put down forever so that God can settle down with his people and be their God and their his people. We know it's all as a result of the work of Jehovah Messiah. All these wonderful things about his power and his work are said here relative to Judah as a remnant, Israel as a nation. We died to be my savior. I'm going to be with him when he comes. That's not selfish. It's recognizing that when God's ways approach finality, we'll be there as a result of grace, as with the nation. We don't deserve to be there. We never will, but we'll be there to see it in proper perspective because we'll be with him who's brought it all about. Let us, as we read the book of Zechariah, a little more intelligently perhaps than we've done before, revel in this, that as the psalm that speaks of the sin offering comes to that mighty climax, so might we as we study this prophecy. We can exult together that he hath done this. Praise the Lord. Now let us sing hymn number 48. High in the father's house above our mansion is prepared. There is the home the rest we love and there our bright reward. Our thoughts go on to eternity. All taint of sin shall be removed. All evil done away and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day. Number 48. High in the father's house above our mansion is prepared. There is the home the rest we love and there our bright reward. With him we love, his love we ever praise. His glory we will not chide. His blissful presence our delight. Evermore the glory divine. All taint of sin shall be removed. All evil done away and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day. Shall be removed. Shall be removed. …

… Please, to the book of the prophet Zechariah, second last book in the Old Testament and chapter 14. My family tell me, families are honest you know, my family tell me that when I'm on the telephone they can usually tell the kind of person I'm talking to, in many cases, and they have a little game, or when they all lived at home they did, that they would guess amongst themselves who I was talking to and then when I came off the phone they would tell me, that's without listening to any names. And they, first of all, split the one I was communicating with into two broad categories. And they told me, after some time, that they would make one assumption in certain cases, but other times they were absolutely sure. When I came off the phone they'd say, now you are talking to someone from Tyneside. Now how do they know that? It seems that without trying, without being deliberate, that sometimes if I'm listening to someone at the other end I may say yes, indeed, of course, thank you very much, and they make certain assumptions. But sometimes if they hear me saying I, why I, never in the world, or fancy that, they know for a fact that it's someone I know well, that I love and appreciate, and that I'm feeling relaxed with them. Now I'm not saying, well, that's good, bad, or indifferent, but it's something that happens. We tend to gauge how we act, the kind of thing we talk about, the way we say things, the way even we stand or sit. We tend to gauge it or just change our style a bit depending who it is we are with or talking to. Now you may, after that, spot certain things in your own experience, having been given that guideline. But without wanting to lighten the Gospel at all, far be the thought. That kind of thought comes to me when I read words like this, holiness unto the Lord. Now some of you, just a reflection of my experience, if you were speaking to a lifelong friend that you've known from childhood, you might speak in a certain way, or stand or sit in a certain way. But if you were speaking to one of the big bosses at work, or maybe if you're at school the headmaster at school, or if you were privileged to be in the presence of the sovereign of the land, it would certainly make a difference as to how you conducted yourself, wouldn't it? Without saying that on other occasions you are behaving less than the best, you would certainly feel that a certain kind of conduct would be appropriate, the more dignified, the more majestic, the more important the person in whose presence you were. Again, when I think of this, and some of us have been thinking during the week, there will be a time come, not only in heaven but on earth, when holiness will be the norm, not the exception but the norm. There are people in this world, you know, that have special suits, the best suits, keep hanging up in the wardrobe, and marriages, funerals, going to church, when they want to be smart and look right and be right for the occasion, they have a special suit or a special set of clothes. Well, again, I can see merit in saying only the best is good enough on certain occasions. But what the Bible tells me is that God never changes. God's standards are absolute. I might make a difference depending who I'm with and what I'm doing, whether it's a formal occasion or whether it's a casual occasion. But God's standards are absolute, they never change. Now, we must recognize that, because the Bible tells us that the moment will surely come when each of us will be presented before the presence of the God of whom it needs to be said, Holiness unto the Lord. We tend to get like the company we keep, and because much of our time is spent in the company of people who have set standards according to man's opinions, it means that when we realize that something is important or dignity is called for, we have to shake ourselves and say, now look, I'll have to behave myself here, what I do, how I do it, the way I act, what I say, and how I say it. And we need to be reminded that God never changes. He had to say to some, I, the Lord, change not. It said of the Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday and today and forever. Now, it's a solemn thought, but a necessary one. You see, it's possible in the Gospel, I've probably done it on many occasions, to start at the end of my need. Well, there may be times when that emphasis is necessary, but sometimes at least, probably most of the time, we need to start not at the end of my need, but at the end of the holiness of God and what is due to him from us as his creatures. Now, what does it mean when it says God is holy? It means this, among other things, wholly set apart for him, utterly devoted to him, fully committed to him and his interests. Could any of us ever say that that was always true of us? If we were to be good enough for God, if we were to be right to meet God, who is utter, complete, absolute holiness in himself, that would have to be true. The Bible tells us that God never, ever lowers his standards to accommodate our frailty, our frailty, our weakness, and he certainly doesn't reduce his standards to allow for our sins. God's standards are absolute. Listen to what the scripture says here and there. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He is the father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. God is faithful, entirely consistent with what he's declared himself to be. You know, that's a lovely statement in 1 Corinthians 1, God is faithful. We can depend upon him, he's told us about himself, he's telling the truth because he's the God of truth, and we can rely on what he says about himself in the Bible because God is true. As the Bible says, even if everybody else was a liar, if all men were liars, God would remain true. God, who has revealed himself in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, has shown himself to be entirely consistent. Think again. He dwells in light unapproachable, whom no man hath seen, nor can see. And he is the God who has set the standards in whether at the moment it appeals to me either to go to heaven or to go to hell, to have my sins forgiven or not. I have to meet him, and I have to meet his standards. God with whom there is no variableness, nor standard, nor shadow of turning. He is entirely invariable, inflexible, inexorably righteous and holy, the standards ever remaining the same. Now, it's a strange consideration, but you know, we are consistent. We can be relied upon. The Bible says so. It says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Consistently, invariably, in what we do, in what we say, in what we think about, our attitude to life, our lifestyle, the way we go about our jobs or bringing up our families, or the way we conduct our affairs at home or in business. We are consistent in that we do things for ourselves, and we fall far short of the standards that God has set. If you like, we are consistently inconsistent. We are regularly unreliable. And it's the only thing we can depend upon, that we fulfill God's word every day. Now, it's a mercy that God has left his word on record. You know, we could have been left, and we could have been just left to our own devices and doing either the best we can or the evil that we are disposed to do, quite content in our own way, and then, at the end, when, as the Bible tells us, every one of us must give account of himself or herself to God, to get a rude awakening, to find that we've fallen short of the standard that God has set. We couldn't have complained. We choose how to live. We choose the friends we make. We choose how to spend our time. We choose how to spend our talent and the resources that God, as a faithful creator, has committed to our care. But God, in his kindness, doesn't leave it till the end. He tells us now. He said, that's the standard. You'll never get there. If you are going to be saved, there must be some other way. We sang the hymn because it reinforces the fact that God never reduces his standards to accommodate our frailty, weakness, or sins. What was it we sang? The love of God is righteous love. We sang other words as well. Love that condemns the sinner's sin, yet in condemning, pardon seals. Holiness unto the Lord. If you've studied your Bible, I know most of you have, you will notice that there are certain books in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, that concentrate on this matter of holiness, God's absolute standards, far higher than we could ever attain as a result of our own devices. It's worthwhile thinking about why certain books emphasize the holiness of God. Second Thessalonians, Second Timothy, First and Second Peter, Jude. As you study your Bible, you'll realize that these books in the New Testament tell us about conditions at the end of history, towards the end of the day of God's grace, and just before Jesus is going to come again. It tells us that one of the indications that the coming of Jesus is getting very close is that the world and the people in the world will be marked by ungodliness and unholiness and blatant departure from the standards that God has set. Those of us who are a little older can look back with thanksgiving to a time when the standards accepted in society round about us were reasonable standards of conduct. Because those who made the laws, for this country at least, were guided indirectly, whether they were Christians or not, they were guided indirectly by God's standards revealed in the Bible. You see, for about three or four hundred years ago, every household had a Bible. And whether or not it was believed, in many houses it was read. And even when it wasn't read regularly or believingly, it was respected, and it was always there on the shelf. And those enlightened people who made the laws in those days, whatever else might be said about them, instinctively they set laws for society which, whether they realized it or not, were at least in part based upon God's standards. And perhaps until about thirty, forty, fifty years ago, they were the normal standards of behavior accepted in society. But the Bible became abandoned, no longer read, no longer respected, no longer even on the bookshelf, thrown out, abandoned, repudiated. We shouldn't be surprised that over the next twenty, thirty, forty years into recent history, instead of getting God's standards coming through in the laws, we now begin to get men's opinions. Can we be surprised that things are specifically mentioned as sin in the Bible are no longer a crime as far as man's concerned? Offensive against God's standards, yes, no longer offensive to man's standards and man's opinions. In other words, where God's standards as declared in the Bible are put to one side, instead of holiness being the mark, even recognizing we'll never get there, if you say away with that standard, we're not even going to try to get there, can we be surprised that in society at large, unholiness, ungodliness, rebellion, flagrant, blatant sin on every hand is the order of the day? I'm not preaching a social gospel. I'm telling you that what these second epistles have to say, put Jude with them, they are telling us about conditions in the last days in man's society which tell us that time is short, that Christ is coming, and that he will reassert God's standards on earth. Holiness unto the Lord. The Bible says, God willeth not the death of the sinner. He gets no pleasure in the death of the wicked. What an enigma, what a puzzle! How can this be solved? It's not only that man is reaching up to a very high standard and not quite getting there, but man is abandoned completely, any pretense, any attempt of reaching God's standards at all. Now, I may be speaking to someone who says, that's not me. I do my best. I come to the meeting, go to church, read my Bible, pray for God's help. Oh, the Bible is as plain to you and me on that as on the other score. There have been those in history who were specially fitted by God to live to a high standard. He gave them the best of living conditions, protected them in the best way possible, and he said, I'll protect you in a special way, I'll care for you, I'll preserve you, I'll shepherd you, and see, and then this is the way you've got to live. God's comment on the Bible is, they were the most disobedient, rebellious people that there's ever been, honoring God with their lips and yet their hearts, whether it leads to destruction or whether we are on the clean side and think, well, we'll get there in the end if only we try our best. The Bible says, God says, it can't be done that way. Christ is the end of the law. If you want to comment, God's comment on any attempt you might make to be good enough for God by your own behavior, God says, look at Calvary, look at Golgotha, look at the cross of Christ, and you'll see God's comment on the best that man can do. The best of behavior is only good enough to make it necessary for Jesus to die at Calvary because God's assessment is, there's no other way. The love of God is righteous love. The standard's so high, we could never hope to attain it. Thank God for that. You will be aware that the strength of a chain is governed by the strength of its weakest link. I remember being shattered as a boy to be told and to know because my conscience confirmed it that I was a sinner, that I had fallen short of God's standards, and that my nature was such that I could do nothing about it. How terrible I thought! I've been told that I'm not good enough for God, I never could be, and yet I want to be saved, I want to go to heaven, I like to hear about Jesus between three o'clock and four o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. I used to think, isn't life lovely, hearing the stories of Jesus, listening to the Sunday school teacher singing those lovely hymns that I still like to sing, but then when Sunday school was over, out into the world again, hearing the nasty things that people said, realizing the harsh, cruel world that was round about, all the illnesses and the diseases and the poverty that there was, the things I heard, even as a little boy, you know, it may be more open now, but sin was sin a hundred years ago, fifty years ago, twenty years ago, it's just that the lid's been taken off the cesspool now, and you can see what's underneath. It may be a mercy in some way, you can call a spade a spade, but it's always been there. But I had to realize, and many of you had to realize, and it was a shattering experience to know that you were in a position that you could do nothing about. How am I going to be saved? I'm told there's nothing I can do about it, and if nothing else happens to change it, I'm doomed for hell. Oh, when the scales drop off, that God loves me to such a degree that he's given his very best, his beloved son, to die at Calvary, to pay the price that God has set. God sets the standard. He's the judge of all. He says you cannot meet it, however hard you try. He says there's only one virtue, one standard of worth that can meet the standard and pay the debt that we owe to God because of our sins, and that price, God says, is the blood of Christ. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul. Oh, the joy that sweeps into the soul when for the first time you realize, yes, I cannot meet the standard, but the standard's been met on my behalf by the one who is utterly precious to God itself. What a standard for the love of God, that to meet his own righteous claims and that infinitely absolute standard that he requires, that he provided the remedy. He paid the price. He provided the Savior. He said that's it, the blood of Christ, sufficient worth in that to deal with every sin that's ever been committed. Have you thought about it? If you were able to heap upon heap every sin that's ever been committed individually by anybody, if you were put on the top of the heap the absolute sinfulness and rottenness of every sinner, God says the blood of Jesus is sufficient payment for that and any other that you could bring up. There's not a sin, there's not a kind of sin, there's not an aggregate of sins that you could bring up before God, but to hear him say the blood of Jesus Christ is of sufficient worth to put away every sin and every kind of sin. Or that we might come to this, I need the love, I need the blood, there's no other way. I was saying that for me and for many others it was an utterly shattering experience to realize that I was in a predicament that I could do nothing about. With all the mercy of God, when he says the price has been paid, this is the measure of my love for you, that I allow Jesus, my beloved son, to come into the world to die at Calvary just for you. Well, that's the end of the story, isn't it? It's worth, in the precious, precious blood of Christ, to deal with every sin and to bless every sinner, but at the other end of the scale, it's equally true that for you, as an individual, God made that wonderful provision just for you. Listen to what a believer is able to say. The Son of God loved me, all by myself. It's no good thinking about other people unless you think of yourself first. The Son of God loved me, the emphasis on the me, me, and gave himself for me. God loved the world by sin undone. All the joy, the thrill of knowing, it's all of God, nothing of me at all. If you want to put it in an obtuse way, I can say my only contribution to the scheme of salvation was committing the sins that made it necessary for Jesus to go to the cross to die for me. All the work, all the solution, all the blessing rests upon him, not a weak link in the chain, or the thing that shattered me, eventually encouraged me, because this is what assurance is. God says to my soul, you need salvation, you need the love, I provide it. You need the blood, Jesus shed it. You accept that, joy will flood your soul, and you needn't have a moment's doubt, because you've done nothing about it. It's all been done on your behalf. That's the assurance of faith. I, with my puny ways, I cannot undo what the mighty God has done. The mighty God has arranged my salvation, his is the plan, he has done the work, he's brought me to himself, all the love that brought me to himself. We rely utterly upon what God has done for us. This is the gospel, this it is, which fills my soul with the right estimation of myself. I need to feel sorry with a godly sorrow. I need to prove the reality of my acceptance of the love of God by turning my back completely on my old life, or if I believe that Jesus died for me. If I say God's love was so wonderful that he spared not his only son, but delivered him up for us all. How can there be any reality in that confession if I say, well, I know the way I used to live made it necessary for Jesus to die upon the cross. I only live once in the world, surely I can just enjoy myself just a little bit, live for myself, do something that pleases me or my family, or if there's any reality I will rightly esteem. If that's what made it necessary for the son of God to die for me and go to the cross and shed his precious blood, if my life made it necessary for him to be like that, how can I possibly go back to the old life? My lifestyle will confirm that I realize the cost to God, the cost to Christ of dealing with my every sin. It will show, the reality of my confession will show. I still need the love, I still need the blood, I need the reminder of what was absolutely necessary if I was to have my sins forgiven. Yes, I know that there is a heaven to be gained, there is a hell to be shunned. I know as a responsible creature that my sins must be forgiven if I'm to go to heaven. I know I need to get right with God. There's nothing I can do about it, but God has done everything about it on my behalf. And he uses the word of God, he uses the words of the gospel preacher, using the word of God to bring faith to the soul. Or that there might be someone here for the first time who realizes, yes, I can see it now, there's nothing that I can do to save myself. Long story short, yes, I can see from the New Testament that any time now, God is going to stamp his holiness upon everything, and to do that, and in doing that, he will sweep away all unholiness and ungodliness and rebellion against him. Man will be at his worst, outwardly speaking, when God will come in in judgment and sweep all ungodliness and unrighteousness away. Read again the epistle of Jude if the Lord spares you to get home. But there's another facto, a lovely little facto which is dealt with in our closing hymn which we're going to sing in a couple of minutes. It's hymn number 94, something that's always moved me. The greatness and the kindness and the mercy of God. You know, God moves in a wonderful as well as a mysterious way. God alone has done the work. Nothing that you and I can do about it. For it pleases God to involve those who love him upon earth in bringing salvation to others. You know, when you think about it, it's a marvellous thing. God could achieve things by act of power, without involving man at all. He has the power. He doesn't do that. May seem a roundabout way of doing things, but it's the grace of God. When God wants to achieve something on earth, do you know what he does? He puts an interest in that particular thing, or the blessing of a particular person, in the heart of someone who already knows him as a saviour God. And having put that interest in their heart, he moves them to pray to him that what he wants to achieve will be brought to pass. And then he's pleased to accomplish his own will by answering the prayers of his people. He doesn't need, he chooses to work in that way. I've known many who've been brought into wonderful spiritual blessing because there were others who were praying conscientiously, regularly, diligently, fervently on their behalf. Oh, there are those here, myself included, who would read the words of this Hymn 94, to any who've not yet trusted the saviour for themselves, speaking from personal experience. I have a saviour. He's pleading in glory, so precious, though earthly enjoyments be few. And now he is watching in tenderness o'er me, but o'er that my saviour were your saviour too. My saviour, what he's done for me, he's capable and worthy of doing for all. He wants you to shelter under the worth of his precious blood. Have your sins and your sinfulness and your unworthiness swept away once and for all. And as one of the links in the chain, not the work that's been done, but so that you might enter into it, he moves the hearts of those who believe already to cry to him that you might be blessed in a similar way. Let us think about it while we sing this lovely little hymn, number 94. I have a saviour. He's pleading in glory, so precious, though earthly enjoyments be few. And now he is watching in tenderness o'er me, but o'er that my saviour were your saviour too. For you I am praying, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, I'm praying for you. I have a rest and the earnest is given, though now I am blind, he'll appear from my view. His love is ever watching, his Jesus in heaven, and though he has failed, let me hear you say to him, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, I'm praying for you. I have a pinch and it's almost a river, and he's a-walking on the river, never new. I take a bow in his bosom and give a bow to my Lord, give forgiveness to him. For you I am praying, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, I'm praying for you. Amen. …