Bible study - Zechariah . F B Hole . ( chapters 7 : 1-11 : 17 ) . in the first verse of chapter 7 , we find another date given ; almost two years later than that of the visions just recorded , and the prophecies of Haggai . these fresh prophecies were occasioned by the arrival of certain men with questions as to the observance of fasts , and we notice that we pass from the record of visions to a series of plain declarations of God &apos;s message . we now find repeated not , I lifted up mine eyes , but rather , the word of the Lord came . the question raised by these men concerned a fast in the fifth month , which had been observed for many years . from Jeremiah 52 : 12 , we learn that it was in that month the Babylonian army had burned Solomon &apos;s magnificent temple , and wrecked Jerusalem . now once more the house of the Lord was being built , if not entirely finished , so was it suitable that they should still observe the fast ? a very natural question ! the answer of God through Zechariah linked with this fast another in the seventh month , which apparently was in memory of the murder of Gedaliah and others , and the flight of the remnant , left in the land , into Egypt , as recorded in 2 Kings 25 : 25 , 26 . these tragedies were commemorated with fasting and tears , during the seventy years captivity . as far as we can discern , no direct answer was given to the question they raised : instead another question was raised with them . did they have Jehovah before their minds in their observances or only themselves ? and when the fast was over , did they return to their eating and drinking just enjoying themselves ? did they really fast , enquired the Lord , unto me , even to me ? here is deeply important instruction for ourselves . we may put it thus : in our observances and service a right motive is everything . we may diligently observe the Lord &apos;s supper on the first day of the week , diligently preach the gospel , or minister to the saints ; but are we doing it with God himself , revealed in Christ , before us , or are we just pursuing an agreeable ritual and maintaining our own reputations in it all ? a searching question , which the writer had better ask himself as well as the readers ask themselves . if the people had kept the Lord before them and observed his words through the former prophets , things would have been far otherwise . and what was his word now through Zechariah , but just what it had been through them . take Isaiah &apos;s first chapter as an example . he accused the people of moral corruption , whilst maintaining ceremonial exactitude . in verses 11-14 , of our chapter the men who enquired are reminded of this , and are plainly challenged as to the present attitude of themselves and the people of their day , as we see in verses 8-10 . the moral evils that had wrecked the nation were still working amongst the people that had returned to the land . a remnant may return but the inveterate tendency to develop the old evils remains . let us never forget that . but having exposed the sinful state of the people , another word from the Lord came in which the purposes of his mercy were revealed , as we see in chapter 8 . in this remarkable chapter there are things specially addressed to the remnant then back in the land - verses 9-17 , for instance - yet the main drift of it goes far beyond anything that was realized in their history , between the rebuilding as permitted by Cyrus , and the destruction under the Romans ; so it looks on to the end of the age and the second coming of Christ . in that age Jerusalem will indeed have Jehovah dwelling in her midst and be called a city of truth . once indeed he who was the truth as well as the way , and the life , was in her midst , only to be rejected and crucified , while Pilate , who sanctioned that act of rejection , asked satirically , what is truth ? no , Jerusalem has never yet been worthy of that designation ; but she will be in a coming age . and then human life will be greatly prolonged , and young life be abundant and free . our modern streets with fast-moving motor traffic are hardly a playground for children . verses 6-8 , also look on to the time of the end . what had come to pass in the return of the remnant was indeed wonderful in their eyes , but what is here predicted would be more wonderful still , when God would gather from the west as well as the east , to dwell as his people , so that he would be their God in truth and righteousness . in Christ truth and righteousness have indeed been revealed and established , but never yet has God dwelt in Jerusalem on that basis . the day is coming when he will do so . in verses 9-16 , there is a special appeal to the remnant of the people then in the land . they are reminded of the words spoken to them earlier , when the foundation of the temple was laid , and how the adversity that had marked their doings had been turned into a time of prosperity . God was now bestowing much favour and prosperity upon them , but they are reminded that he called for suitable behaviour on their part . truth , honesty and righteous judgment was what was expected of them . again the stress is on the moral qualities that are according to God , and not on ceremonial observances . a further word from the Lord is now given , and in verse 19 four fasts are mentioned . besides the two mentioned in the previous chapter we now have the one in the fourth month , for in that month famine prevailed and Jerusalem was broken up , according to Jeremiah 52 : 6 , and it was in the tenth month that the city was surrounded by Nebuchadnezzar &apos;s army , as verse 4 of that same chapter records . it is now revealed that the day would come when these four fasts would be turned into feasts of rejoicing . therefore they were to love truth and peace . these predictions of future blessing were to have a present effect upon the people . and all that we know of future blessing should have a present effect or good upon ourselves . it is worthy of note that truth precedes peace , as cause and effect . error produces strife just as certainly as truth produces peace . in the remaining verse of our chapter we find predictions of the happy state of things that will prevail when truth at last prevails in Jerusalem , and peace fills the scene . in that coming day the house of the Lord will indeed be , an house of prayer for all people ( Isa 56 : 7 ) . there will be many who desire to seek the Lord in prayer , and they will recognize where God is to be found in that day . all through the centuries the name , Jew , has had a measure of reproach attaching to it . it will not be so then , for they will recognize that at last God is with his ancient people . it is obvious that this prediction has never yet been fulfilled , and looks on to a future day . the word of the Lord that opens chapter 9 is spoken of as a burden , since it starts with solemn words of judgment on peoples that surrounded the land of Israel . some of these judgments took place soon after the predictions were uttered ; that upon Tyre , for instance , and upon the cities of the Philistines . Darby &apos;s new translation tells us that an alternate rendering to bastard , is one of a foreign race . but even so there will apparently be a remainder , or a remnant , who will be for God and belong to him . moreover , however powerful oppressors may appear to be , God will encamp about his house in protecting mercy . and how will this be brought to pass ? verses 9 and 10 answer this question , for in these two verses the two advents of the Lord Jesus are brought before us . the coming of the King will settle everything , but we can imagine how the reader of Zechariah &apos;s day might pause at this ninth verse in amazement , feeling that in the presence of powerful outside foes , and the inward defection so plainly manifested amongst the Jews , some great and majestic and powerful deliverer was needful , and the King is announced as lowly in his person and in his approach . true , he is to have salvation , but this was not the kind of King that was popularly expected . the spirit of God , who inspired this prophecy knew very well that there was a deeper question to be settled before there could be the intervention in power that was so ardently desired . first must come the bearing of the full penalty of human sin , and hence the divinely reached settlement of that dreadful matter , and , that accomplished , there could be emancipation from sin &apos;s power . this had been set forth typically in Exodus 12 and 14 . first the blood of the lambs in Egypt , and then deliverance by the overthrow of Egypt . the latter is more spectacular , but the former a far deeper thing . in the gospels we see how the more spectacular filled the minds of the disciples . even when they acted and played their part in the fulfilment of verse 9 , they did not realize they were doing it . this we are plainly told in John 12 : 16 . only when Jesus was glorified and the holy spirit was given did they realize the true significance of what they had done . again , in Acts 1 : 6 , we see how the coming of the kingdom in power filled their thoughts before the spirit was given . the coming of the King in lowly grace was but little understood or anticipated by the great majority . but the Messiah will come in power and have dominion over all the earth , as verse 10 declares . the way his widespread kingship is stated here agrees exactly with the inspired statement through David centuries before , written in psalm 72 : 8 . when David forsaw this by the spirit , every desire of his heart was satisfied , and he had nothing left to pray for , as the last verse of the psalm tells us . what our prophet tells us is that the days of warfare will be over - chariot and battle bow cut off , and peace imposed upon the nations . verse 11 appears to be a word specially addressed to the sons of Israel , for Ephraim is addressed in verse 13 , as well as Judah . they have all been like prisoners , entrapped in a waterless pit , waiting and hoping for deliverance . when Messiah comes in power deliverance will reach them , but only through the blood of thy covenant . here we see an allusion to that new covenant of grace , predicted in Jeremiah 31 : 31 , illuminated for us by the words of the Lord Jesus at the institution of his supper , when he spoke of , my blood of the new testament ( Matt 26 : 28 ) . on that basis only will the deliverance and the blessing be brought in and firmly established . when Zechariah wrote these things , Greece , mentioned in verse 13 , was hardly a power to be reckoned with , though not long after , under Alexander the great , it was destined to overthrow the Persian power . we may see therefore in the closing verses of this chapter predictions which had a partial fulfilment not long after the prophecy was given , though in their fulness they look on to the end of the age . the same thing may be said of the predictions that fill chapter 10 , though it opens with solemn words concerning the evils that still were practiced among the people . the rain of blessing would descend from God , and not proceed from the idols , or teraphim , little images by which men sought to probe into future events . all that came from this source was but vanity , and the shepherds of the people , who dealt with such things would have the anger of God against them , for God was going to take up the house of Judah and use them in the execution of judgment in some directions . 