Section XCV.  ZECHARIAH’S VISIONS AND ENCOURAGING ADDRESSES

[Sidenote:  Zech. 1:7-11] In the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month [February], in the second year of Darius [519 B.C.], this word of Jehovah came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:  I saw in the night and there was a man standing among the myrtle trees that were in the valley-bottom, and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.  Then said I, O my Lord, what are these?  And the angel who talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are.  And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to go to and fro through the earth.  And they answered the angel of Jehovah who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, We have gone up and down through the earth and behold, all the earth is still and at peace.

[Sidenote:  Zech. 1:12-17] Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long hast thou no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which thou hast been wroth these seventy years?  And Jehovah answered the angel who was talking with me with good words, even comforting words.  So the angel who was talking with me said to me, Proclaim now, ’Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:  “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.  But with great wrath am I wroth with the arrogant nations; for I was only a little angry [with Israel], but they helped to make greater the calamity.”  Therefore, thus saith Jehovah:  “I am turning to show mercy to Jerusalem; my temple shall be built in it,” saith Jehovah of hosts, “and a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem.  Proclaim again, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:  My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem."’

[Sidenote:  Zech. 1:18, 19] Now I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and there were four horns.  And I said to the angel who was talking with me, ‘What are these?’ And he assured me, ‘These are the horns with which he scattered Judah.’

[Sidenote:  Zech. 1:20, 21] Then Jehovah showed me four smiths.  And I said, What are these coming to do?  And he said, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that none lifted up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to strike down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.

[Sidenote:  Zech. 2:2-5] Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.  Then I said, Where are you going?  And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and length.  Thereupon the angel who talked with me stood still, and another angel went out to meet him, and said to him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, ’Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle in her midst.  For I,’ saith Jehovah, ’will be a wall of fire round about her, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.’