Zechariah’s Eighth Vision

Text  Zechariah 6:1-15

This is the last of Zechariah’s visions.  Remember that these visions are given to Zechariah to encourage the people of God in their work of rebuilding the temple, and completing the task that He has given them.

1. The Power Beyond the Mountains!

The first part of this vision deals with the doctrine of the omnipotence of God.  If we fully appreciate the power of God, His divine ability, we will put our trust in Him, and not in our own abilities! 

1. God is POWERFUL!  Zech. 6:1  And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. We as humans cannot begin to comprehend the power of God!  In the vision, Zechariah sees these chariots proceeding from between two mountains of brass, or bronze. To the ancients, brass was the hardest alloy that could be manufactured.  It was, to them, absolutely unbreakable.  It symbolised POWER and STRENGTH and MIGHT! Though there are things which a holy, rational God is incapable of intending, all that he intends to do he actually does. “Whatever the Lord pleases he does” (Ps. 135:6).
2. God is PERSONALLY REVEALING his power to us!  Despite His great power and ability, God does not sit enthroned in the heavens unconcerned about his people.  God loves His people and He communicates with them and He acts on their behalf to bring them into conformity with his will and purpose, and to bring them eventually to be with himself.   He dit that:-
   1. When He planned redemption for us!  In His power, God did not leave us in our sins.  He ordained the plan of salvation!  He sent His own Son into the world to die on the cross, that we might have eternal life!   Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.    And only the power of God can keep us!  1 Peter 1:5   
   2. When He uses us to achieve His Will!  Sometimes we think that GOD NEEDS US TO ENACT HIS PURPOSES!  In fact the opposite is the case!  WE NEED GOD MORE THAN HE NEEDS US!  Psalm 95:5 God can do what he pleases, without us!  Yet in His mercy he has decided to use US to accomplish his will.

So, God is all-powerful, but He chooses to reveal that power to us, mere sinful mortal men and women!

1. God’s power is behind GOD’S PROVIDENCE!  Out of the mountains came these four chariots and they went both north and south and they walked throughout the earth.  The four horses and their chariots would have spoken of the power and authority of God demonstrated in the prevailing conditions of humanity over all the earth.   God’s way is always perfect!   
2. God’s power means we can trust GOD’S PLAN!  Now, what does all this mean for us today?  We need to notice two more things about these mountains from which the providence of God is pouring forth.
   1. They are immovable!  Brass or bronze to the people of the days of Zechariah was indestructible!  We will come and go, nations shall rise and fall, but the God of heaven and earth will never change, will never die, will never cease to exist, will always accomplish his will.  Psalm 90:2   Psalm 103:17
   2. They have a road between them! The power of God comes out from between them and there is a valley, a road there. There is a way to God! Yet although there are two mountains depicted here, there is only one valley – and only one road. Jesus Christ is that WAY!  John 14:6 

2. The Priest upon the Throne!

Zechariah now receives a strange command.  He is to CROWN THE HIGH PRIEST!  Why so strange? 

• Because it is forbidden to man!  In Israel, the priesthood, and the monarchy were two completely separate institutions.  A priest could not also be a king.  In the OT there is the story of a king of Judah called Uzziah, a good king, and a godly man. 2 Chron. 26:4-5  2 Chron. 26:16  But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.   This was totally forbidden.  And even as the priest was speaking to him a little spot began to form on his forehead.  It was leprosy! It was the penalty for Uzziah’s pride and disobedience to God. V20 So, the enthronement of a priest would have gone contrary to Jewish law, and would cause them to think of a completely new era in God’s dealings with His people!
• Because it is an office reserved only for Christ!  The book of Hebrews says that He is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 7:17 cf Zech. 6:12.  Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:   The cry of recognition was, ‘Behold the man!’ cf John 19:5?  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!  

So the priesthood of Christ is different from any other priesthood.  He being perfect takes our sin, and does what no other priest can do – he atones for it, not with the blood of animals, but by an effectual shedding of His own blood.  Having died on the cross to save us, he proceeds directly into the presence of this all-power God.  Hebrews says that ‘He has entered the presence, behind the veil.’ where He is CROWNED as KING!   Hebrews 6:20   And, now by faith, we too can go there with Him, for He is our forerunner!  Listen carefully to God’s Word… Hebrews 7:24-26   

For further study: What does Christ do as king?  Read Matt 25:31-34; Romans 14:9; Ephesians 1:20-22; Phil. 2:9-11; 1Peter 3:22; Rev. 5:5; 17:4.