Zechariah 6 – Four Chariots

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Watch the video for this lesson

Zechariah 6 covers the final vision the prophet received in the same night. This one is divided into two sections and we will simply cover the first portion of Zechariah 6:1-8 in this installment.

The chapter opens with the prophet Zechariah seeing four chariots. There are numerous similarities with this vision and the first vision of Zechariah 1:7-17. We see a group of horses with various colorations in Zechariah 1 and here in Zechariah 6. The order and colors are different here in chapter 6, from first vision in chapter 1. The first vision of chapter 1 had riders but no chariots. The vision here in chapter 6 we see chariots with horsemen appear before the prophet.

The emphasis in both chapters 1 and 6 is similar. Yahweh controls history and subdues nations who oppress Israel. In fact, this is what we see happening now with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel. Those three terrorist groups are being decimated because of the harm they have and seek to continue against Israel and Jews in particular. Regardless what people may think of Jewish people and the state of Israel, it seems clear that Israel would not have come into being again in 1948 without God allowing it even though it was “approved” by the United Nations. God sovereignly uses good and bad powers of this world to accomplish His will.

The other thing to note is that as far as God is concerned, Jewish people are His chosen people. He chose them to ultimately bring the Messiah into this world. Though Israel’s leaders rejected that Messiah, that was simply the good fortune of Gentiles because we no longer have to approach God through the Mosaic Law and sacrificial system. We can now go directly to God because of what Jesus accomplished for us.

Satan’s hatred of Jews and Israel is so palpably visceral that he has managed to sway much of the world to extend his hatred to Jews and Israel. Much of the time, the people who hate Jews/Israel do so thinking that they are correct and anyone who does not join them in their hatred is seen as a “Zionist,” which is a derogatory term used by them.

What is astounding related to this is the truth that almost daily, Israel’s IDF are taking out terrorists, who then die into eternity and are there, of course, forever. We learn in 1 John 1:5 the following truth:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Take a moment to consider that please. One thing it means of course is that no lie can stand in God’s Presence. He Himself is not a liar nor do lies have a chance of succeeding in His Presence. But consider the many lies that people often believe here in this life. In the case of terrorists against Jews and Israel, they firmly believe that their god Allah, will ultimately give them victory over the “Zionist state” of Israel. However, if they are martyred for their efforts, they believe they will be rewarded with 72 virgins in the afterlife as service to Allah.

Now, imagine these same terrorists going into eternity with those lies. Upon entering eternity (and ultimately God’s Presence), their lies that they so vehemently believed in this life, not only fall apart, but are seen for what they are – absolute, unmitigated lies. They can no longer believe them or convince themselves they continue to be true. All the lies they believed fall apart once they leave this life. They will spend the remainder of eternity knowing that they believed lies in this life and lived their lives in a way that promoted those lies.

I cannot imagine this and by the way, this applies to everyone whose eyes are never open to the truth of Jesus, whether they are Islamists or simply atheists. All who leave this life are faced with an eternity of abject frustration and disappointment regarding the lies they believed and lived in this life. Because of those lies, they directed their lives to live in a way that continued their animosity toward God and His truth. Can you fathom the reality of that?! How horrifying it is for those who have left this life and for those who are still here but will die at some point.

It should impact us to the degree that we want above all things for them to see the truth and embrace it. It should impact our lives as evangelists and ambassadors for Jesus. No lie will survive in the Light of Truth; God. No lie. All will vaporize in His Presence leaving the unrepentant sinner with woe upon woe. They will spend eternity hating themselves and God and cursing the whole situation because they will continue sinning while in hell. Does that not take your breath away?

As I’ve stated before, though today’s Jews overall and Israel are not knowingly aligned with God’s purposes now, God still has it plan for Jews and Israel to yet unfold and is in the midst of accomplishing His will regarding that nation, whether the people of Israel can see it or not.

The book of Zechariah is merely one book that points to Israel’s future and Zechariah 6 details more of how God views those nations who despise and work to destroy Israel. God will at some future point cull a final remnant of Jewish people who will go into the coming Millennial Kingdom following the coming seven-year Tribulation period, and it will be that final remnant that will enjoy the fullness of promises originally given to Abraham in Genesis 12. Any Jewish person today and up to that future time who sees the reality and truth of who Jesus is and becomes saved because of it, is then part of the Church, Christ’s Bride. The terrible time of the coming Tribulation will purge the rebellious Jews from God’s final remnant and only those whose eyes are opened by God Himself then will go into the Millennial Kingdom. Theirs is a very painful purification that occurs during the coming Tribulation.

But the truth is that God is not finished with Israel or Jews in general, ultimately taking the final remnant from among all Jews who will then represent and be part of the final version of Israel.

In Zechariah 6, the prophet sees these chariots coming forth from between “two brass (bronze) mountains.” In ancient days, brass (bronze) was used to defend against attackers (Isaiah 45:2; Jeremiah 1:18), because of its strength and appearance. Chariots were often seen as instruments of judgment (war/conflict). The mountains may represent Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives, with the valley between being the Kidron Valley. Another possibility is that they are the two parts of the Mount of Olives that will split apart when Messiah returns to the earth (cf. 14:1-8).

Thomas Constable notes that, “Always in Scripture, chariots and horses stand for the power of God earthward in judgment (Jeremiah 46:9-10; Joel 2:3-11; Nahum 3:1-7). The vision, then, speaks of the LORD’s judgments upon the Gentile nations north and south in the day of the LORD (Isaiah 2:10-22; Revelation 19:11-21).”

These horses represent angels who facilitate the work of other angels, represented by the chariots (cf. v5). The colors of the horses may symbolize various aspects of judgment. Possibly war and bloodshed in the case of the red horses, famine and death for the black, victory and triumph for the white (cf. 1:8; Rev. 19:11, 14), and plague and disease for the dappled (spotted; cf. Rev. 6:1-8).

Zechariah asks what these were (v4) and the angel responds “these are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth” – hence they are angels. They executed God’s will throughout the earth. The chariots/riders all either went north or south and because of the geography of Israel, all of her enemies were either north (Assyria, Babylon, etc.), or south (Egypt, etc.).

Verse 7 tells us that the angels were very eager to patrol the earth, and carry out God’s judgments. Verse 8 informs us that after the horses/riders went out, God’s Spirit was “quieted” – or appeased with respect to the North, which likely refers specifically to Babylonian Empire that had been conquered by the Medes-Persians. This was of course, in Zechariah’s past because the Medes-Persians reigned when he wrote this book. In fact, it appears that Zechariah was two years after the Medes-Persians began to reign and two years out from the rebuilding of the Temple that is discussed in more detail in the chapters following Zechariah 6.

An interesting note here is that while verse 7 tells us that after the chariots went north, God’s spirit was quieted. What was/is north of Israel? Babylon, Assyria, Syria and ultimately Moscow, Russia. We know the Medes-Persians conquered and absorbed the Babylonian Empire so while the fact that God’s Spirit was quieted is important. Yet, at the same time, we know that even though Ancient Babylon was destroyed, the system that undergirded Babylon has remained to this day and it will once again rise in importance during the coming Tribulation period. This is clear in Revelation 18:2-3.

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.

The above description is still yet future. Babylon will rise again and be destroyed once and for all during Antichrist’s short reign. So, Zechariah 6:7 ultimately seems to point to an event that is still in front of us. When God does finally and completely destroy Babylon’s system (and there will likely be some sort of city that represents the new Babylon during Antichrist’s reign where he will be headquartered), this is when His Spirit will finally be eased. It will be at this point that the physical return of Jesus to judge all nations of the earth and rule over this earth for 1,000 years will commence. The final destruction of Babylon is something that occurs prior to His coming.

These things of course are yet in front of us and we can clearly see events and signs happening now that point to the rise of the final global kingdom to be ruled by the Antichrist ultimately, though initially there will be 10 kings (Revelation 17). It is in the works according to God’s will and purposes. Know and understand that God is in full control, that He raises up and brings down the kings of the earth, that nothing can come near to you that God does not permit. He does all of this for His glory and our growth.

By way of application, I have no real idea how the upcoming election will turn out. I can see massive problems and even some civil unrest regardless of who wins the presential race. If all I do is focus on the problems occurring, then I can easily lose sight of Who is in control. I (and maybe you as well), need to keep our eyes focused on Him and His purposes. So whether your candidate wins or not, the actual issue here is what is God promoting/producing? It’s easy to think if the favored candidate does not win, then God has somehow failed. The truth is, as we know, that God never fails and will accomplish His will with or without us. However, we are privileged to work with Him in His strength to accomplish His will just as the elect angels are also privileged to work to accomplish His will. Amen?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Source: https://studygrowknowblog.com/2024/11/04/zechariah-6-four-chariots/