Four Chariots
I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”
The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”
When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.
Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.”
A Crown for Joshua
The word of the LORD came to me: “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God.”
My Understanding: In Daniel seven we learn about four kingdoms that will rise on the earth. The fourth and final kingdom of men, before Jesus Christ sets up his kingdom on the earth, will be one with iron teeth and bronze claws. This beast will crush and devour its victims and trample underfoot whatever is left. This kingdom will devour the whole earth. A king will arise out of this kingdom who will oppress the saints of God. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. This is speaking of the beast of Revelation which will rule the entire world and will persecute, imprison and kill the saints of God for their testimony for Jesus Christ. Yet, after this period of time, the court will sit, and the power of this final earthly king will be taken away and he will be destroyed forever. And, then Jesus Christ will rule and reign on the earth, and his saints will reign and rule with him.
The Two Mountains
In this passage in Zechariah 6, four chariots with horses came out from between two mountains of bronze. I recalled this fourth beast, which was partly made of iron, bronze and clay. Bronze is made of copper and tin. This final earthly kingdom is pictured as a beast (so also in Revelation). This beast has iron teeth and bronze claws. Bronze is a very hard yellowish brown metal. The third beast in Daniel was made of bronze, so it appears this fourth beast contains some of the third beast (kingdom). Claws are sharp nails of an animal. They are used for tearing their prey to pieces. If this is to be taken literally, this would be accomplished through the use of weapons of warfare and through military force, though there are other ways in which to tear enemies to pieces (economically, politically, etc.).
A mountain can mean many things. This could be speaking of two literal mountains, but I don’t think so. In Zechariah 4 it spoke of a mighty mountain that would become level ground when Zerubbabel, a prefiguring of Jesus Christ, completed the temple. Thus, the mountain appears to be representing some type of obstacle(s) that stood in the way of the rebuilding of the temple. This mighty mountain in chapter four can thus symbolize anything that exalts itself above God, such as strongholds of Satan, Satan himself, sin, selfishness, pride, envy, etc., and that stands as a resistant power to the mighty working of God. In chapter six, these two mountains are made of bronze, so they are strong and fortified. Christ Jesus is the one to complete the temple, his church, and that won’t happen until he returns for his bride, at which time he will judge the Dragon (Satan), the beast and the false prophet. The beast and the false prophet could very well, then, be these two mountains.
I looked up the symbolism of the number two. It has to do with contrast, a difference between one thing and another and/or division of some kind. The chariots came out from between the two mountains of bronze. “Between” can also mean “among,” or “flanked by.” So, the chariots and horses could be said to have come out from among two opposing forces and that there is some kind of natural division or contrast between the two of them. What comes to my mind is the institutional church and the government, like the woman who rides the beast, perhaps, or the beast (a global government) and the false prophet (the institutional church). The church and government are different from each other and there should be a natural division between the two, yet in the context of the institutional church, the church is in a contractual (marriage) relationship with the government. Both the government of the USA and the institutional church of the USA are strong forces (mountains) that stand as resistant powers against Christ’s true church, the body of Christ.
Also, going back to the fourth kingdom in Daniel, when I think of the third kingdom as being made of bronze and the fourth having bronze claws (military power), I can’t help but think of the USA as this third kingdom and the fourth kingdom being this New World Order which has NATO as its global military force, of which the US military comprises roughly 90%, which would make the US military, perhaps, the bronze claws of this fourth beast.
I believe the strongest opposition to the church globally, but in particular in America, is deception. That is Satan’s strongest weapon against the church. So, when we think of enemy forces coming against Israel and that God will judge those he used as divine instruments against her, this is speaking today of the church, not physical Israel. There is much deception within the church via man-made teachings, marketing techniques, man’s plans and goals for “building” Christ’s church, etc. And, there is much deception in the government via the news media, TV, movies, radio talk shows, etc., much of which is government controlled to tell us what they want us to believe, but the truth that is told is so mixed with lies and so twisted that we can’t trust it. We can’t even trust our church leaders to tell us the truth, because so many of them are teaching a false and watered-down gospel of men, instead of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e. the true message of the cross. So, our true enemies are within our own gates and among our own people, and we are being destroyed from within.
So, God is going to judge the nations that have come against God’s people in deceiving the followers of Christ with so many lies that lead them away from pure devotion to Jesus Christ. And, I believe he is going to use parts of those nations, which have joined forces with the New World Order, to turn on their own people in warfare, too. I can’t help but see this dappled horse(s) as representing a blend of religions and government into one global order of government and religion. When the beast rules and God turns his saints over to him, that will mean deliverance for his saints, in reality, for truly their greatest opposition to the building of Christ’s church is deception, and when the church is judged and persecuted and killed for their faith in Christ, then eyes will be opened and they will be delivered out of the hands of their deceivers, even through death, for they will be free through acceptance and acknowledgment of the truth. God will have to judge his church in order to bring her back into a right relationship with him.
A Crown
The crown for Joshua is symbolic of Jesus Christ’s kingdom reign as both priest and king. The song, “The Lord’s Anointed,” is based off Isaiah 61, which is another prophecy about Jesus Christ, part of which he quoted about himself. Joshua was called the branch, and the branch is another name for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will branch out, because we are the body of Christ, and we come from him, and through us and our witness for him he branches out into the entire world. So, this prophecy in Isaiah 61 also applies to us, because we are his servants, the Lord’s anointed, his messengers, and his representatives. His ministry continues through us, if we are willing and obedient. Christ is ultimately the one who builds his church and he is the one who will complete his church, but we work with him in the building of the church (not physical buildings, but people’s lives) through sharing the gospel, through sharing with people that they need to turn from their sins and turn to faith in Jesus Christ, through edifying the church by serving as the parts of the body God intended for us and by using the spiritual gifts he has placed within us for the edification of his church, which is what this song is about. Many will come to Christ and will join in building Christ’s church. “This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God.”
Jesus Christ will complete this temple, his body, the church, when he returns for his bride. This is when our salvation will be completely realized. At this time he will set up his kingdom reign and rule on the earth for a period of a thousand years, and we will reign and rule with him. In the meanwhile, we need to be about the work of rebuilding Christ’s church, by being Christ’s hands and feet in taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and by demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ to all he brings into our lives. And, we need to pray for revival of our nation and of the church in our nation, because so many are deceived and are believing the lies of the enemy. We need to proclaim freedom to the captives…
The Lord’s Anointed / An Original Work / December 16, 2011
Based off Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;
Anointed to preach the Good News;
Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;
Proclaim freedom for the captives.
He sent me to preach release for pris’ners
Who are walking in sin’s darkness;
Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;
And tell them about God’s judgments;
Comfort all who mourn;
Give crowns of beauty;
Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.
They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,
A planting of our Savior, God,
For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and
They will rebuild God’s holy church.
God will renew them, and will restore them,
And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.
You will be ministers of our God, and
You will rejoice in salvation.
The Lord loves justice;
He is faithful to
Reward those who are seeking Him.
I delight greatly in the Lord;
My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.
He has clothed me with His salvation,
And in a robe of His righteousness.
He has given me priestly garments to
Wear, as the bride of Jesus Christ.
As the garden of our Lord and Savior,
He causes us to grow in Him.
He makes righteousness,
Praise, and thanksgiving
Spring up before all the nations.
http://youtu.be/PSH4DBpc__U
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1337/The-Lords-Anointed
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