Part 601 (2/2)
6:3. And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grisled horses, and strong ones.
6:4. And I answered, and said to the angel that spoke in me: What are these, my lord?
6:5. And the angel answered, and said to me: These are the four winds of the heaven, which go forth to stand before the Lord of all the earth.
6:6. That in which were the black horses went forth into the land of the north, and the white went forth after them: and the grisled went forth to the land the south.
The land of the north... So Babylon is called; because it lay to the north in respect of Jerusalem. The black horses, that is, the Medes and Persians: and after them Alexander and his Greeks, signified by the white horses, went thither because they conquered Babylon, executed upon it the judgments of G.o.d, which is signified, ver. 8, by the expression of quieting his spirit.-Ibid. The land of the south... Egypt, which lay to the south of Jerusalem, and was occupied first by Ptolemeus, and then by the Romans.
6:7. And they that were most strong, went out, and sought to go, and to run to and fro through all the earth. And he said: Go, walk throughout the earth: and they walked throughout the earth.
6:8. And he called me, and spoke to me, saying: Behold they that go forth into the land of the north, have quieted my spirit in the land of the north.
6:9. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
6:10. Take of them of the captivity, of Holdai, and of Tobias, and of Idaias; thou shalt come in that day, a shalt go into the house of Josias, the son of Sophonias, who came out of Babylon.
6:11. And thou shalt take gold and silver: and shalt make crowns, and thou shalt set them on the head of Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest.
6:12. And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: BEHOLD A MAN, THE ORIENT IS HIS NAME: and under him shall he spring up, a shall build a temple to the Lord.
6:13. Yea, he shall build a temple to the Lord: and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit, and rule upon his throne: and he shall be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Between them both... That is, he shall unite in himself the two offices or dignities of king and priest.
6:14. And the crowns shall be to Helem, and Tobias, and Idaias, and to Hem, the son of Sophonias, a memorial in the temple of the Lord.
6:15. And they that are far off, shall come and shall build in the temple of the Lord: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. But this shall come to pa.s.s, if hearing you will hear the voice of the Lord your G.o.d.
Zacharias Chapter 7
The people inquire concerning fasting: they are admonished to fast from sin.
7:1. And it came to pa.s.s in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, in the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Casleu.
7:2. When Sarasar, and Rogommelech, and the men that were with him, sent to the house of G.o.d, to entreat the face of the Lord:
7:3. To speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying: Must I weep in the fifth month, or must I sanctify myself as I have now done for many years?
The fifth month... They fasted on the tenth day of the fifth month; because on that day the temple was burnt. Therefore they inquire whether they are to continue the fast, after the temple is rebuilt. See this query answered in the 19th verse of the following chapter.
7:4. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:
7:5. Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When you fasted, and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years: did you keep a fast unto me?
7:6. And when you did eat and drink, did you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7:7. Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem as yet was inhabited, and was wealthy, both itself and the cities round about it, and there were inhabitants towards the south, and in the plain?
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