Theological Commentary: Click Here
Zechariah is
an incredibly messianic book. The
horsemen of this chapter lay the foundation for the infamous four horsemen of
the apocalypse. Zechariah looks to a
future where the enemies of the Hebrew are dealt with. Zechariah longs for a future where the world
is restored and God is at peace with His people.
The vision
of the horsemen is intriguing. Zechariah
sees a horsemen and goes to hear a report.
The horseman says that all the world is at peace. Remember, this is given when Darius is king
and the Hebrew people are only just beginning to be allowed to go back to Jerusalem. The world is at peace, but God’s people are
not.
Of course,
it is important to realize how the world came to its peace. The Egyptians gained peace through military
domination. The Assyrians followed the
same pattern. The Babylonians followed
the same pattern. The Persians have now
done the same. The Greeks will follow
them, the Romans them, and the story still continues. Even into the modern age, people only know
peace through military superiority. The
cold war – a time where people feared war but didn’t know war – was brought
about because of a fear of military power.
The world comes
to peace through its display of might.
The world knows peace when someone flexes their muscles and nobody is
able to challenge. The world knows peace
when a massive king-of-the-hill battle ensues and we all learn our pecking
order. The world knows peace not because
we choose it, but because those who are stronger impose it upon those who are
weaker.
God reminds Zechariah
that the Hebrew people were judged because they rebelled. He reminds Zechariah that even the prophets who
brought His Word to the people are since dead.
Our power – our ability to impress our will upon others – is
limited. We will fade away. Much like the Egyptians, Assyrians,
Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and all the other powers that have risen
and fallen, we will also rise and fall.
God, however, will not fall. He
will persevere. He will bring peace not
by dominating over us but by dealing with our humanity. He will endure, we will pass away. He, not us, is the source of true peace.
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