Zechariah, a complex book to understand

[AlexB23]

Hello folks. It seems that Zechariah is a complicated book to dissect and analyze. How do I go about doing this? The book uses a lot of metaphors, and deep historical/prophecies which are difficult to apply to daily life or summarize in a convenient format.

I am hoping to analyze Zechariah using the familiar format below, which is common for my daily devotionals/scripture analyses. These analyses are supposed to stay as true to the Bible as possible, while also connecting the verses to modern life.

Date​	The devotional's date​
Verse​	Zechariah [chapter : verse] ​
Explanation​	Explanation of passage.​
Societal Relevance​	Relevance in modern society or relation to a current event, and applications in daily life.

 

[Qubit]

Hi @AlexB23 . I have a contribution for the thread.

Date:
May 04, 2024

Verse:
Zechariah 3:9
"For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

Related verse...

Revelation 5:6
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

Explanation:
The Stone with Seven Eyes is a reference to what the modern field of Biology calls a Nitrogen Base or Nucleobase. It is the Word of God that forms DNA in all life. Nitrogen is the seventh element. The Seven Eyes refer to Electrons and the Seven Spirits of God. The Slain Lamb represents the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God (the Word was made flesh - John 1:14). One day there will be a new 'engraving' on the Stone, meaning the Genomes of all life will be rewritten to remove 'iniquity'. In other words, the corruption that occurred in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, will finally be corrected. Death will be eliminated.

Societal Relevance:
In an age when Genetic Engineering is becoming ubiquitous, moral and ethical issues become a concern. Are we adding and taking away from the Word of God when we alter the Genome of God's original blueprints? Is this something that God forbids? Is Genetic Engineering the ultimate form of idol worshipping?

What if Mankind creates an Image of the Beast by engraving the Stone with Seven Eyes with unauthorized words?

If society keeps going down this path, we could all be faced with the prospect of having to accept a DNA augmentation that leads to Transhumanism and the Mark of the Beast. If we decide against altering our Genomes, we could end up facing a strict penalty, i.e., death.

 

[AlexB23]

Hi @AlexB23 . I have a contribution for the thread.

Date:
May 04, 2024

Verse:
Zechariah 3:9
"For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

Related verse...

Revelation 5:6
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

Explanation:
The Stone with Seven Eyes is a reference to what the modern field of Biology calls a Nitrogen Base or Nucleobase. It is the Word of God that forms DNA in all life. Nitrogen is the seventh element. The Seven Eyes refer to Electrons and the Seven Spirits of God. The Slain Lamb represents the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God (the Word was made flesh - John 1:14). One day there will be a new 'engraving' on the Stone, meaning the Genomes of all life will be rewritten to remove 'iniquity'. In other words, the corruption that occurred in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, will finally be corrected. Death will be eliminated.

Societal Relevance:
In an age when Genetic Engineering is becoming ubiquitous, moral and ethical issues become a concern. Are we adding and taking away from the Word of God when we alter the Genome of God's original blueprints? Is this something that God forbids? Is Genetic Engineering the ultimate form of idol worshipping?

What if Mankind creates an Image of the Beast by engraving the Stone with Seven Eyes with unauthorized words?

If society keeps going down this path, we could all be faced with the prospect of having to accept a DNA augmentation that leads to Transhumanism and the Mark of the Beast. If we decide against altering our Genomes, we could end up facing a strict penalty, i.e., death.

Cool. Though, I am not sure that we can accurately assert that nitrogen is in the Bible, even though I am against human genome editing. Also, Rev has nothing to do with this verse.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Hello folks. It seems that Zechariah is a complicated book to dissect and analyze. How do I go about doing this? The book uses a lot of metaphors, and deep historical/prophecies which are difficult to apply to daily life or summarize in a convenient format.

View attachment 347187


I am hoping to analyze Zechariah using the familiar format below, which is common for my daily devotionals/scripture analyses. These analyses are supposed to stay as true to the Bible as possible, while also connecting the verses to modern life.

Date​	The devotional's date​
Verse​	Zechariah [chapter : verse]​
Explanation​	Explanation of passage.​
Societal Relevance​	Relevance in modern society or relation to a current event, and applications in daily life.

the tools to help with this are cross references and comments, cross references help put things in the proper context and helps quite a lot also some commentary from different authors could help. However. some commentary are clearly biaised and you need to take care of not falling into a specific doctrine. There is one doctrine IMO you should always consider the word of GOD above all else.

Blessings

 

[Qubit]

Also, Rev has nothing to do with this verse.

You say that with such confidence.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Typically, the seven eyes sculptured on the stone might be held to represent Him whom the stone symbolises, as “having the seven spirits of God” (Revelation 5:6).

Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Zechariah speaks of the eyes of "the Lord which run to and fro on the earth" Zechariah 4:10, and John, of the "Lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, seat forth into all the earth" Revelation 5:6.

Pulpit Commentary
"Seven" is the number of perfection, and may denote here the infinite care which God takes of his Church, even as St. John in the Revelation (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 5:6) beheld the Lamb "having seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
...but here is a stone with seven eyes in it, denoting perfection of sight in him as a divine Person, special oversight of his people, and fulness of grace in him as Mediator; for the fulness of the gifts and graces of the Spirit in him, for the use of his people, is signified by seven eyes, Revelation 5:6

Zechariah 3:9 Commentaries: 'For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

do you have a bible software?

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Hello folks. It seems that Zechariah is a complicated book to dissect and analyze. How do I go about doing this? The book uses a lot of metaphors, and deep historical/prophecies which are difficult to apply to daily life or summarize in a convenient format.

View attachment 347187


I am hoping to analyze Zechariah using the familiar format below, which is common for my daily devotionals/scripture analyses. These analyses are supposed to stay as true to the Bible as possible, while also connecting the verses to modern life.

Date​	The devotional's date​
Verse​	Zechariah [chapter : verse]​
Explanation​	Explanation of passage.​
Societal Relevance​	Relevance in modern society or relation to a current event, and applications in daily life.

I also use chat gpt if I am stuck;
""Certainly! When examining Zechariah 1:18 in the context of the surrounding verses and the broader themes of the book of Zechariah, as well as other prophetic passages in the Bible, we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.

Throughout the book of Zechariah, there are numerous visions and prophecies that convey messages of restoration, redemption, and judgment for the people of Israel. These visions often use symbolic imagery to convey spiritual truths and prophetic messages.

In the immediate context of Zechariah 1:18, the verses leading up to it describe a series of visions that Zechariah receives from the Lord. These visions include a man riding on a red horse among the myrtle trees, four horns, and four craftsmen. Each of these visions holds symbolic significance and conveys a message related to God's plans for Israel and the nations.

Considering the broader themes of the book of Zechariah, which include the restoration of Jerusalem, the coming of the Messiah, and the establishment of God's kingdom, we can interpret the vision of the four horns as representing earthly powers or kingdoms that oppose God's purposes. The horns could symbolize political or military forces that threaten the peace and well-being of God's people.

Additionally, other prophetic passages in the Bible, such as Daniel's visions of four beasts representing successive world empires (Daniel 7), may provide further context for understanding the symbolism of the four horns in Zechariah's vision. These passages suggest that earthly kingdoms rise and fall according to God's sovereign plan, and ultimately, His kingdom will prevail.

Therefore, Zechariah 1:18 and its surrounding verses likely convey a message of assurance to the people of Israel that despite the challenges they face from worldly powers, God is in control and will ultimately bring about their deliverance and redemption.""

however you have to verify sometimes it makes mistakes...lol

Cheers.

 

[AlexB23]

I also use chat gpt if I am stuck;
""Certainly! When examining Zechariah 1:18 in the context of the surrounding verses and the broader themes of the book of Zechariah, as well as other prophetic passages in the Bible, we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.

Throughout the book of Zechariah, there are numerous visions and prophecies that convey messages of restoration, redemption, and judgment for the people of Israel. These visions often use symbolic imagery to convey spiritual truths and prophetic messages.

In the immediate context of Zechariah 1:18, the verses leading up to it describe a series of visions that Zechariah receives from the Lord. These visions include a man riding on a red horse among the myrtle trees, four horns, and four craftsmen. Each of these visions holds symbolic significance and conveys a message related to God's plans for Israel and the nations.

Considering the broader themes of the book of Zechariah, which include the restoration of Jerusalem, the coming of the Messiah, and the establishment of God's kingdom, we can interpret the vision of the four horns as representing earthly powers or kingdoms that oppose God's purposes. The horns could symbolize political or military forces that threaten the peace and well-being of God's people.

Additionally, other prophetic passages in the Bible, such as Daniel's visions of four beasts representing successive world empires (Daniel 7), may provide further context for understanding the symbolism of the four horns in Zechariah's vision. These passages suggest that earthly kingdoms rise and fall according to God's sovereign plan, and ultimately, His kingdom will prevail.

Therefore, Zechariah 1:18 and its surrounding verses likely convey a message of assurance to the people of Israel that despite the challenges they face from worldly powers, God is in control and will ultimately bring about their deliverance and redemption.""

however you have to verify sometimes it makes mistakes...lol

Cheers.

I use Mistral AI, if I am stuck on a verse, and it works 95% of the time as well, and I do try to verify it.

 

[AlexB23]

the tools to help with this are cross references and comments, cross references help put things in the proper context and helps quite a lot also some commentary from different authors could help. However. some commentary are clearly biaised and you need to take care of not falling into a specific doctrine. There is one doctrine IMO you should always consider the word of GOD above all else.

Blessings

Alright, I will use a combination of cross references and AI to help understand Zechariah.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Alright, I will use a combination of cross references and AI to help understand Zechariah.

the cross fre's will point you in the right directio, the ai if used properly can be helpful but i found you have to poke the beast many times to get to what you need... lol