Zechariah 6
New International Reader's Version
A Vision of Four Chariots
6 I looked up again and saw four chariots. They were coming out from between two mountains. The mountains were made out of bronze. 2 The first chariot was pulled by red horses. The second one had black horses. 3 The third had white horses. And the fourth had spotted horses. All the horses were powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”
5 The angel answered, “The four spirits of heaven. They are going out to serve the Lord of the whole world. 6 The chariot pulled by the black horses is going toward the north country. The one with the white horses is going toward the west. And the one with the spotted horses is going toward the south.”
7 The powerful horses went out. They were in a hurry to go all over the earth. The angel said, “Go all through the earth!” So they did.
8 Then the Lord called out to me, “Look! The horses going toward the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country.”
A Crown Is Given to Joshua
9 A message from the Lord came to me. His angel said, 10 “Get some silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah. They have just come back from Babylon. On that same day go to Josiah’s house. He is the son of Zephaniah. 11 Use the silver and gold to make a crown. Set it on the head of Joshua the high priest. He is the son of Jozadak. 12 Give Joshua a message from the Lord who rules over all. He says, ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch. He will branch out and build my temple. 13 That is what he will do. He will be dressed in majesty as if it were his royal robe. He will sit as king on his throne. He will also be a priest there. So he will combine the positions of king and priest in himself.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Zephaniah’s son Hen. The crown will be kept in the Lord’s temple. It will remind everyone that the Lord’s promises will come true. 15 Those who are far away will come to Jerusalem. They will help build the Lord’s temple. Then his people will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to them. It will happen if they are careful to obey the Lord their God.”
Zechariah 6
1599 Geneva Bible
6 By the four chariots he describeth the four Monarchies.
1 Again, I turned and lifted up mine eyes, and looked: and behold, there came four [a]chariots out from between [b]two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass.
2 In the first chariot were [c]red horses, and in the second chariot [d]black horses,
3 And in the third chariot [e]white horses, and in the fourth chariot, horses of [f]divers colors, and reddish.
4 Then I answered, and said unto the Angel that talked with me, What are these, my Lord?
5 And the Angel answered, and said unto me, These are the four [g]spirits of the heaven, which go forth from standing with the Lord of all the earth.
6 That with the black horse went forth into the land of the North, and the white went out after them, and they of divers colors went forth toward the [h]South country.
7 And the [i]reddish went out, and required to go, and pass through the world, and he said, Go, pass through the world. So they went throughout the world.
8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the North country, have pacified my [j]spirit in the North country.
9 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
10 Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, and of Tobijah, and Jedaiah, which are come from Babel, and come thou the same day, and go unto the house of [k]Josiah, the son of Zephaniah.
11 Take even silver, and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the [l]head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak the high Priest,
12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, and saith, Behold, the man whose name is the [m]Branch, and he shall grow [n]up out of his place, and he shall [o]build the Temple of the Lord.
13 Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the [p]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 [q]them both.
14 And the crowns shall be to [r]Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to [s]Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a [t]memorial in the Temple of the Lord.
15 And they that are [u]far off, shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord, and ye shall know, that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will [v]obey the voice of the Lord your God.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:1 By chariots here, as by horses afore, he meaneth the swift messengers of God to execute and declare his will.
- Zechariah 6:1 By the brazen mountains he meaneth the external counsel, and providence of God whereby he hath from before all eternity decreed what shall come to pass, and that which neither Satan nor all the world can alter.
- Zechariah 6:2 Which signified the great cruelty and persecution that the Church had endured under divers enemies.
- Zechariah 6:2 Signifying, that they had endured great afflictions under the Babylonians.
- Zechariah 6:3 These represented their state under the Persians, which restored them to liberty.
- Zechariah 6:3 Which signified, that God would sometimes give his Church rest, and pour his plagues upon their enemies, as he did in destroying Nineveh and Babylon, and others their enemies.
- Zechariah 6:5 Meaning, all the actions and motions of God’s Spirit, which according to his unchangeable counsel he causeth to appear through all the world.
- Zechariah 6:6 That is, toward Egypt, and other countries there about.
- Zechariah 6:7 That is, they of divers colors, which ask […], to signify that Satan hath no power to hurt or afflict, till God gives it him, Job 1:12.
- Zechariah 6:8 By punishing the Chaldeans mine anger ceased, and you were delivered.
- Zechariah 6:10 To receive of him and the other three, money to make the two crowns: which were men of great authority among the Jews, and doubted of the restitution of the kingdom, and of the Priesthood, and hurt others by their example.
- Zechariah 6:11 Because this could not be attributed to anyone according to the Law, therefore it followeth that Joshua must represent the Messiah, who was both Priest and king.
- Zechariah 6:12 Meaning, Christ, of whom Joshua was the figure: for in Greek they were both called Jesus.
- Zechariah 6:12 That is, of himself without the help of man.
- Zechariah 6:12 Which declareth, that none could build this Temple whereof Haggai speaketh, but only Christ: and therefore it was spiritual, and not material, Hag. 2:10.
- Zechariah 6:13 Whereof Joshua had but a shadow.
- Zechariah 6:13 The two offices of the kingdom, and Priesthood shall be so joined together, that they shall be no more dissevered.
- Zechariah 6:14 Who was also called Heldai.
- Zechariah 6:14 He was also called Joshiash.
- Zechariah 6:14 That they may acknowledge their infirmity, which looked that all things should have been restored incontinently: and of this their infidelity these two crowns shall remain as tokens, Acts 1:16.
- Zechariah 6:15 That is, the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel, shall help toward the building of the spiritual Temple.
- Zechariah 6:15 If ye will believe and remain in the obedience of faith.
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