The Four Chariots

Transcript

GR 1010
05/22/1977
The Four Chariots
Zechariah 6:1-8
Gil Rugh

Zechariah 6 in your bibles. Zechariah chapter 6, we come to the eighth and final vision in this section of Zechariah. You have an outline that will help you follow it. There are some still one the literature rack, if you don’t. Next week, I plan to put together a brief summary of these visions, to help tie them together for us. Just a statement or two about each vision, to refresh your mind on what was the emphasis in that vision. What was the basic subject of the vision, so that we can see something of how they tie together. They are all revolving around events leading up to the setting up of the earthly kingdom for Israel. The concern of the Jews, and particularly Zechariah at this time, of where is the Messiah? When will the kingdom be established?

Now, as we come to chapter 6, and we’re just going to look at the first 8 verses this evening, which is the eighth vision, which we have called the Four Chariots, which is the substance, the four chariots with the horses that pull those chariots, are the focal points of this vision. This vision takes us back and ties to the first vision. So, with the first vision and the last vision, you really tie all the visions together. Maybe you ought to go back to the first vision before we say some things about this vision. Back in chapter 1, and beginning with verse 7, you have the first vision of Zechariah. It’s a vision where he sees four horsemen, and then verse 8 describes them. “Behold a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him.” So, these four horses with their horsemen. Remember that these were those who patrolled the earth in verse 10, then in verse 11, “So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet’.” We noted that that was not a positive response, as far as Israel is concerned. Because that is not the condition of the earth immediately preceding the setting up of the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ. So, that announcement is disappointing for the nation Israel. Thus verse 12, began the intercession of the angel of Jehovah on behalf of the nation; how long will it go on like this? With the nations of the earth suppressing and oppressing Israel, and yet, going on with the peace as though this was the way it was always going to be.

Now, as you come to Zechariah 8, you have the response to that. In effect, the other side. Peace is removed from the nations of the earth. Destruction and judgment is brought upon them, and it moves us to the point of the setting up of the kingdom.

Now, as chapter 5, there are two visions. In those two visions, we focused attention upon the judgment that will be brought upon Israel.

Now with chapter 6, we deal with the judgment that focuses upon the Gentile nations in particular. With that, we’re ready for the millennial kingdom. Israel and the nations have both experienced judgment to prepare the earth for the setting up of the kingdom.

Picking up with verse 1, “Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked and behold four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains.” Zechariah lifts up his eyes, again he’s being drawn, his attention drawn to another vision. Keep in mind, all eight of these visions occurred on the same night for Zechariah. He looks, and four chariots, these could be translated, four war chariots. That’s the implication here. These are chariots of war. And the word “behold” is an attention getting word. “I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold”, lo the King James, I believe has it, “look”, focus your eyes on this; “four chariots”, these four war chariots. Attention is fixed on these, because these are the vehicles of judgment. The vehicles of God’s judgment on the Gentile powers. They come from between the two mountains, and the two mountains were bronze mountains.

To identify these mountains, there have been a variety of explanations. We’re not going to run through those. Most probably, they refer to the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion. The valley then, in-between, the Kidron Valley, then east of the city of Jerusalem. From here, will issue judgment as God sends it forth. So, if you get a map when you get home, and you look at Mount Zion where Jerusalem is, then to the east, the Mount of Olives. You’ll see the Kidron Valley spread down the eastern side of the city of Jerusalem. That’s the valley in view here. These chariots come out of the Kidron Valley, depict the judgment originating from here, and thus from the city of God. Judgments in view, because the judgments are bronze mountains, and bronze is the symbol of judgment through the bible. You have the bronze alter, or the brazen alter, as we usually refer to it. But it’s a bronze alter in connection with judgment, as part of the furniture in the tabernacle. You had the brazen or bronze serpent in Numbers 21, that was lifted up as a type of Christ. All who looked at it would experience salvation. So bronze, through the bible, depicts judgment. So here, the bronze mountain, with the chariots coming out between them, depicts God’s judgment coming forth. So, a rather clear picture here.

Maybe you ought to come back to Joel 3, here we’re talking about the judgment that will be meted out on the Gentiles again as it precedes the setting up of the kingdom. Joel 3:1, “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem.” So you note the time in view, when Judah and Jerusalem are restored. They are established in their proper position. Thus, we are ready for the kingdom. “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.” The valley of Jehoshaphat, as you have in the margin, means Yahweh or Judges. We don’t know of any valley at the time that Joel was writing, was called this valley, the valley of Jehoshaphat. It seems that the symbolic import here, I’ll bring them down to the place from which God judges. In connection with Zechariah 6, it would seem we’re talking about the Kidron Valley here. The actual geographic location is the Kidron Valley. It can be called the valley of Jehoshaphat, because this is where Jehovah will meet out judgment upon the Gentiles. You note, why He judges them, “Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” and so on. So, for the oppression of Israel. Remember, this is where Zechariah started with his first vision. Concern about this kind of oppression. How can the nations of the earth be at peace, when they treat Israel like this?

Well, we come to Zechariah 6, and God is ready to rectify that situation. So, we have the four war chariots coming out in the valley between the two mountains. Now, verse 2, “With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses. Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, ‘What are these, my Lord’?” Alright, these four horses, they right away, remind you of another very significant portion in the bible. What is the portion? The $64 question. Revelation, and what chapter? Six, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, as they are called, tie and I take it, are the same in import and significance as Zechariah 6.

So, why don’t you flip over to Revelation 6, put your bulletin there, put your finger there, and we’ll go back and forth on these. We’ll take them in the order we have them in Zechariah. What you have in Revelation 6 is, we’re in the tribulation from Revelation 6 through 19, you have events that occur on the earth, during the tribulation. The tribulation, being the refining process for Israel, and the judgments preparatory to the establishing of the earthly kingdom. So we have the same time period in view as well. Now, Revelation 6 opens with the breaking of the seals, the first seal. You have the seven seal judgments, followed by the seven trumpet judgments, followed by the seven bowl judgments, followed by the return of Jesus Christ to set up the kingdom.

So, verse 1, “And I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come’. And I looked and behold.” And now the horsemen.
So, go back to Zechariah, keep your finger there, and let’s examine these horses and horsemen one by one. We’ll take them in the order of Zechariah, since that’s what we’re studying tonight. Verse 2, the first chariot, the first war chariot is pulled by a group of horses that are red in color. They are red in color, and that seems to symbolize war and bloodshed. Look over in Revelation 6:4, “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.” So here, the picture with the red horse, as is explained in Revelation 6, is that of war and bloodshed. Tremendous wars, tremendous bloodshed, as we’ll see as we culminate these visions. So, the first chariot, pulled by the red horses, symbolizes war and bloodshed that will take place among the Gentile powers. Now note, this is judgment that God is bringing. Within the judgment of God, is the destruction that the Gentiles reap upon themselves, in wars with one another, particularly now, in the tribulation, and leading up to the setting up of the kingdom.

Alright, back in Zechariah 6:2, “the second chariot [has] black horse[s].” Black horses pulling the second war chariot. These seem to symbolize famine and death. Famine and death. Look over in Revelation 6:5-6, “And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine’.” Now, what is pictured here, is this quart of wheat, or three quarts of barley, three measures. A quart of wheat, or a measure of wheat, would have been equivalent to what you would use for one meal. Now, barley was a less expensive grain. So you could buy three times as much barley, or enough for three meals. The problem was that a denarius was a day’s wage. So, here you have a days wage taken up with just provision to put food on the table. That leaves nothing for other essentials. That would be included in the oil and the wine. In other words, you have a famine situation. It’s like if you worked all day long, and all that you could buy after working all day, was a sandwich. Or if you took it on stale bread, you could buy two sandwiches. That kind of situation, all your wages were gobbled up, taken up without even having enough to really eat and live on. It denotes a famine situation. So, this black horse symbolizes, it pictures famine, and the death that accompanies famine. A characteristic the world during the tribulation, will be tremendous famines. Just exciting, as believers, for us to be reading about things going on in the world, not that we’re glad about famines, but it is exciting to be a believer, and to realize that God says this is going to happen. To read in secular magazines and the secular press, how much of a real potential famine is, with changes in the earth temperature and so on. How the real fertile areas of the earth could no longer be fertile for growing, and the tremendous famines that could be brought about. A few years ago, we wouldn’t have thought it possible. We couldn’t decide what to do with all the surplus. All of a sudden, we can see that it’s not so farfetched. So, that’s the picture here. In God’s judgment, famines will come. We think we have famines today, but that’s nothing like will be present in the tribulation. With widespread famine and the death that accompanies it.

Back in Zechariah 6. Next group of horses are white. In verse 3, “the third chariot [pulled by] white horse[s].” A white horse symbolizes victory and triumph. Now, that seems strange. Go back to Revelation 6:2, “And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer.” Now, this is not the Messiah. Although, there is similarity in description. As we read about the coming of Christ, over in chapter 19, but here, we are in the tribulation; and the picture here, a person is in view, the antichrist. But even more broadly than that, is pictured the conquering that will be going on. So, you’ll have battles, but you’ll have victors. There will be, in the human sphere, those who are asserting themselves and winning victories. Victories and triumphs that are being accomplished. But they are rather hollow in light of the other things that are going on at the same time. So, you have conquered a starving, famine region. You really have, not much, but now something else to be responsible for. So, there’s victories, but they are rather hollow.

One other horse, or group of horses, that’s the dappled horses in verse 3 of Zechariah 6. The dappled horses, they’re described in Revelation 6:8, “And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death.” Here you have death in a broader scope. We’ve had death by war. We’ve had death by famine. Here, we have death in the broad sense. In particularly, as a result of plagues and judgment that God will be pouring out through the rest of the seals and the trumpets and the bowl judgments of the tribulation. “Hades was following with him.” Hades is the place where the unbelievers are gathered upon death. So, here you have this horse going along, and the picture Hades following right along behind. Just to reap in, all the souls of those who are dying. Now note, what he says in verse 8, “And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by with wild bests of the earth.” Now I was reading an interesting advertisement for a movie, jumped out at me, because of the picture with it, a big lion or tiger jumping on somebody. Talking about things in reversed, men have been conquering the animals, and in this picture, the animals are evidently conquering the men. Sounds like a science fiction thing. But you know what it reminded me of, it reminded me of Revelation 6:8. You note, the wild beasts, and evidently something of the fear of the animal world, will be removed, so multitudes of people will die by the destruction of wild animals. But you note, one fourth of the earth’s population will be destroyed in these judgments, and we’ve just started. The seal judgments are milder than the trumpet judgments. The trumpet judgments are milder than the bowl judgments. Here we have one fourth of the earth’s population. So, if you have an earth of 4 billion people, one billion people will die in these judgments. How many people do we have in the United States? 250 million? So, you can see that it won’t be anything for a large portion of the earth to be gone. Some would explain the absence of America in the tribulation, or any biblical references to the western world that we live in, the North American continent. With the explanation that we are included in that one fourth of the earth, that will suffer destruction. We’re just not there. There’s not enough left to make it a significant factor in world events. I think that’s a possibility, in light of the fact we know that one fourth of the earth is going to be destroyed. Russia will still be here. China and the Orient will still be here. Europe will still be here. About this part of the world, we’re not sure.

Ok, back to Zechariah 6. So, you can see, as you get over to Revelation, there is the tie together. They help to explain one another. Now, these chariots then, are going forth. Zechariah asks the question in verse 4, “What are these, my lord?” The question concerns the chariots and the horses, as we’ll see in the answer. He’s not just asking about the horses, but what about the chariots. In other words, what do these chariots and the horses symbolize?

Verse 5, “And the angel answered and said to me, ‘These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth.” These are the four spirits of heaven. I take it, the four spirits are four angels, because they are described as “going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth.” That’s a characteristic expression describing the position of angels. They stand before the Lord. Just a couple of passages I jotted down, where this expression is used of angels. Back in 1 Kings 22, very interesting portion, you can read the entire account when you get home tonight, or sometime this week. Micaiah the prophet is speaking. You have an alliance here, that ought never to have taken place. But it takes place between a godly King and an ungodly king. Micaiah is the one who is called, and who is to give a prophecy, and note verse 19, “And Micaiah said, ‘Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left’.” Note that expression here, what are the angelic host doing? They are standing by the throne of God. Pictured here, as ready to do His bidding, because what are angels? They are messengers. As messengers, they stand in the presence of God, awaiting His instruction. Then certain instruction is given for a particular angel, to go and entice Ahab to go to war, because God wants to kill Ahab in the battle. Now, to show you how sinful, sinful man is, this is an aside. The prophet tells Ahab, and Ahab has asked the prophet to come and tell him what God says; the prophet tells him what is going to happen; Ahab says, put him in prison until I come home, and he goes off to battle. Didn’t hear it at all. Last words of Micaiah, if you come back from the battle, I’m a liar. What happens? Ahab goes to battle, he disguises himself, he’ll fool the Lord. You know what happens? Someone just “happens” to pull his bow back and shot an arrow at a venture, I think the King James says, and it strikes him at a joint in the armor; that’s the end of Ahab. Well, that’s an aside. Always fascinated by the story of Ahab and Micaiah.

Alright, Daneil 7, we’ve got to pick up a prophetic portion here. Over in Daniel, back towards Zechariah. Daniel 7:10, one of the most striking prophetic passages in the bible, as it’s described with the crowning of the one who will be king of kings. A picture of the throne in verse 9 of Daniel 7, “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him.” Note that expression here again, “thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him.” Just this multitude of angelic hosts, standing in His presence. You can jot down one other passage, we won’t turn there, Luke 1:19. Remember Gabriel? What he promises concerning the birth of John the Baptist, is questioned by the father of John the Baptist? Gabriel responds, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God’. Sort of like, the audacity, you question what I’ve said? I’, Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God! Indicating, I’m a messenger from God! How can you question the message?

So, when we get back to Zechariah 6, and you read then, the four spirits of heaven, who go forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, talking about four angels. What you have then, are the chariots symbolize the angels, the horses symbolize the judgments. The chariots symbolize angels, the horses, the particular judgments. You put it together, and you have the judgment that God is going to meet out through the agency of angels, upon the earth. God is going to send forth angels from His presence, to pour forth judgment upon the nations of the earth. That’s consistent with the book of Revelation, as we see the key part that angels have in pouring out judgment.

Now, they’re standing before the Lord of all the earth, that would tie to His messianic position, He who is Lord of all the earth. This is preparatory to Him assuming, for all the world to see that position and that function as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now, verse 6, “with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them.” So, the black horse chariot and the white horse chariot go forth to the north. “The dappled ones go forth to the south.” Now, you note, the red chariot hasn’t left, or the red horses haven’t left. They are left out. Doesn’t say they went any direction. So, we’ll pick them up in a moment. Go to the north and go to the south. Now, it seems that what is pictured here, when the strong ones went out, they were eager to go and patrol the earth. “He said, ‘Go, patrol the earth.’ So they patrolled the earth.” They go north and south. They don’t go east and west. Keep in mind, we’re talking about from Palestine. For the Jews, they didn’t suffer invasion from the west, the Mediterranean Sea was the buffer. They didn’t suffer invasion from the east, the Arabian Desert was the buffer. The invasions either came from the north or they came from the south. Babylon, if you went geographically, was to the east of Israel. But when Babylon attacked Israel, they came from the north, because they went around the fertile crescent, and down into Palestine.

So, the chariots go forth to bring judgment on the enemies. In the north, Assyria and Babylon would be particularly in view. Babylon, as that nation that had been conquering Jerusalem. To the south, Egypt is the key enemy that is going to suffer the punishment and judgment of God. But then they go from there, to patrol the whole earth. So, they branch out from him and all the Gentile powers are included now, in the judgment that is meted out. The red horses that symbolize war and bloodshed, probably are included then, in verse 7, when they go and patrol the earth, and thus, are all in view. So, particular judgments are sent to the north. Particular judgments are sent to the south. Then the General judgment would encompass all the earth, as all the Gentile nations then, come under this judgment. We’ve got some idea from Revelation, where one fourth of the earth’s population will be taken in, in just the preliminary judgments we’ve looked at. To say nothing of the rest. By the time you get through the numbers that are tallied for us in Revelation, over half the earth’s population had been destroyed, in judgments that are just numbered for us; that tell us how many people died. What portion of the earth, one quarter, one half, and so on. Then you have all the other judgments on top of that. And you can understand why Jesus said, if He didn’t intervene after seven years, there wouldn’t be a person left alive on the face of the earth. That’s how fast people were dying and being killed and destroyed in the judgments of God.

So, you have then, verse 8, “The He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, ‘See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.” God is satisfied with the judgment that He brings out. Then the north is particularly singled out here, because it was the north that was the great enemy of Israel. It was from the north, that the Assyrians had come to destroy and bring to an end, the southern kingdom. It was from the north, that the Babylonians had come and brought about the captivity that had occurred immediately preceding Zechariah’s ministry. It’s from the north that the great enemy in the tribulation will come. The hordes of the north, that suffer destruction at the hands of God Himself, in Ezekiel 38 & 39; where their armies are destroyed and one sixth of their armies are left and pushed back to the desolated regions of the north. These judgments then, the Gentiles are taken care of. So, go back to the vision in chapter 1, and all the nations are at rest. The angel of Jehovah intercedes, how long can this go on? In Zechariah 6, the eighth vision answers. God has prepared judgment, at the proper time, He’ll send that judgment out, and that judgment will be destructive for the Gentile powers, and then, will prepare the way for the establishing of the earthly kingdom.

Now, this isn’t the culminating thing. Where in the tribulation, for the final judgment of living Gentiles preparatory to the kingdom, you’d go over to Matthew 25, and read the judgment of the sheep and the goats. And that follows the intervention of Jesus Christ to earth. But this judgment takes us up to the time when Jesus Christ, personally intervenes. So this, in effect, will take us up to the events of Revelation 19. The judgment that God will bring out on the destruction for the Gentile powers of the world.

Then we come to verses 9 and following, we’re not going to do that, but we have the symbolic coronation that takes place, for Joshua. What that symbolizes, as far as the one who is the branch, is depicted here, looking forward to the Messiah. Because with judgment meted out on Israel in chapter 5; judgment meted out on the Gentiles in chapter 6, we are ready for the coronation of the king, and the establishment of the kingdom; and then, we have the earthly kingdom.

God is on time; His time schedule is perfect. Things are going along, just as He said they would. We see all these things, all these gruesome things in the news. All the things that are depressing. All the things that are discouraging. We ought to be encouraged, because, you know, the exciting thing, I can talk about famines and say that it’s exciting, because I know that I’m leaving before it gets too bad. Now, it might get bad, but I’m leaving before the famines we’ve been talking about. We may have wars and battles, but you know, I’m leaving before it really gets bad. It’s exciting to be a believer. Exciting to see all these things falling together. God says that He will vindicate Israel. God promises that those who have oppressed Israel, will suffer judgment. God promises that Israel will have a kingdom. To see all that falling into place, but it’s more exciting to me, to know that He promises that I’m going to leave and see Him, before it all transpires. So, maybe we won’t get to finish Zechariah. Praise the Lord, we’ll go to heaven and find out from Zechariah himself, what he wrote about.

Let’s pray together. Father, we do thank You for Your word. Lord, for the promises. Lord, we thank You that the promises are sure, and firm, because they’re based in Your person, in Your work. Lord, we’re thankful for the privilege of looking a little bit into the future for the Gentile nations of the world. Lord, again, to see Your faithfulness to Israel. That as You have promised, You will do. Pray that we might be encouraged, as Your children this evening, we might be made mindful, that we have a God who has promised. Lord, that we might be looking for the coming of Jesus Christ. Father, pray that we would be a people who are about Your business. Alert and ready, anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ, even this week. Use us to tell others of the good news of the salvation that’s available in Him. For we pray in His name. Amen