The Almighty Deals With The World's Powerful (Zechariah 1:18-21)
Rev. Tim Leslie, January 22, 2023Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Now we come to Zechariah's second vision. He sees four horns, which represent earthly power that has scattered God's people. God also uses horns of power for His purposes. Hannah referenced this giving her power to bear a child. David referenced God's power of refuge. Some suggest the number four as meaning all-encompassing or surrounding. Next, Zechariah sees four craftsmen. These could be God's means of correcting disorder and tumult, using craftsman to pound the earthly powers into submission. Persia could be such a craftsman as the world's first superpower. As part of the Persian Peace, Cyrus sent the Jews back to Jerusalem. The craftsman could also symbolize the rebuilders, or God's workmen, who took on the task of restoring Jerusalem and the temple. God uses insignificant people to defeat earthly power. Peter, an uneducated man, countered the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus, the humble man/God, has defeated Satan. The earthly authorities didn't even know who Jesus was until Judas pointed Him out. Paul teaches us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1), who holds the universe together. God used a humble priest, Martin Luther, to rise and bring reformation to the Church. We also are God's craftsmen, specially fitted to bring together His people through the spreading of the Gospel.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « A Vision Of A Horseman | None | The New Covenant In The New Testament » |
Zechariah 1:18–21 (Listen)
18 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
(ESV)