IT IS MARVELOUS
Zechariah Chapter 8
Elder Charles Holmes
The prophet’s name means “God remembers.” The time of this writing was during the second world kingdom, the Medes and the Persians. It begins with, “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet saying, The Lord has been sore displeased with your fathers.”
What a terrible announcement that must have been to this prophet, who had been helping to rebuild the temple wall. The people had been carried away captive for seventy years in Babylon. Now the Medes and the Persians had granted the Jews leave to rebuild the temple walls in Jerusalem.
Chapter Three speaks of Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan (the adversary) standing at his right hand to resist him. Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and he was given a change of raiment. A clean robe was given him, and also a clean turban. It might be that we need this cleansing from time to time. Many great prophesies of the BRANCH are given in this book of the Messiah that was to come.
Chapter Eight is a beautiful picture of the church, the pillar and ground of the truth. “Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, and I was zealous with a great fury” (a great zeal and with great fervor).
Verse three states, “Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.” This is a beautiful picture of the gospel church, where God’s people worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
Verse four states, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.” We have been blessed in western Arkansas to see the older ones come to meeting sometimes with a cane to lean on, but especially leaning on the staff of life, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse five states, “And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.” We have been blessed to have the older people, and also the new ones coming along that make up a great congregation in the service of God.
Recently, the brethren were helping to build a new church building in our area. As there was much work going on, the younger boys were outside using scraps to build themselves a fort. You might also see boys and girls running and playing after services are over.
God ends this beautiful thought in verse six: “Thus sayeth the Lord of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant (the church) of this people in these days (it is extraordinary indeed), should it be marvelous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.” It is marvelous indeed to see the church – old, middle aged, and the young – enjoying this great blessing in their streets.