Zechariah 5-6

What’s Happening?

In a series of four visions God tells the prophet Zechariah how he intends to purify his people and land from their evil and greed.

First, Zechariah sees an enormous scroll covered in curses against liars and thieves (Zechariah 5:1, 3). The scroll flies over the land, locates the houses of those who have abused the marketplace to their advantage, and destroys their homes. God tells Zechariah that greed does not escape his notice and he will purify his land from this kind of injustice  (Zechariah 5:4). 

Zechariah’s second vision is of a basket used to weigh grain that has a woman inside it named “Wickedness” (Zechariah 5:6-8). The basket is then carried out of Israel and into Babylon. There the people build a temple to it and worship it (Zechariah 5:9-11). The measuring basket full of wickedness is another way to describe the unfair trading practices within Israel. The vision promises that God will purify his land of greed and make sure that false measures no longer exploit the poor. 

Third, Zechariah sees four chariots emerge from between two bronze mountains (Zechariah 6:1). The bronze mountains are similar to the pillars that stood at the entrance of God’s temple (1 Kings 7:21). The charioteers represent the war God intends to wage against injustice and greed (Zechariah 6:5-6). Beginning with his own people, God intends to send his army out and purify the world of all its evil (Zechariah 6:8).

After these three prophecies about purification, God invites Zechariah to participate in one. He commissions a crown of gold and silver and places it on the head of Joshua the priest (Zechariah 6:11). Zechariah proclaims, “Here is the man!” who represents God’s final King (Zechariah 6:12-13). Then Zechariah takes the crown from Joshua to be placed in the temple (Zechariah 6:14). It stays there as a reminder that God will remove evil and greed from the land when a soon-to-come priest is enthroned as king. 

Where is the Gospel?

Zechariah’s coming priest who would be crowned King is Jesus. Jesus is the one who is able to totally purify his people of their greed and evil. 

Near the end of his life, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem and finds that the unfair trading practices once sent to Babylon were now being worshiped in Israel’s temple. God’s house of prayer had turned into a temple worshiping money (Mark 11:17). Like the scroll that exposed the greedy and fraudulent, Jesus rebuked the priests running the temple and began to tear down the home they had built for God (Mark 11:15-17). He promised he would rebuild a better temple in just three days (John 2:19-21). Sure enough, a few decades later the temple was destroyed completely. But Jesus wasn’t just talking about a building; he also meant his own body (John 2:21). Yes, he tore down one institution that took advantage of God’s people, but he also provided a new temple that would purify his people from all evil, greed, and sin. But first, Jesus needed to be crowned King. 

Angry at Jesus’ pronouncements, the religious leaders condemned Jesus to death on a cross. Mockingly crowned with thorns, Jesus was taken to the governor Pilate to seal his fate (John 19:2). But instead of condemning Jesus, Pilate, like Zechariah, announces, “Here is the man!” (John 19:5). Unintentionally, Pilate declares Jesus to be the priest and king who can purify his people. So with the authority of a priest, Jesus offers himself on his cross as a sacrifice to purify his people from their sin. Then three days later, after rising from the dead, Jesus sits on his throne and commissions his disciples to announce that his Kingdom has finally arrived (Mark 16:19). Greed, evil, and sin no longer have power over the people of God and will soon no longer plague his people. 

Obviously, greed, evil, and sin still exist—not only as a threat to us, but inside of us too. We’re still waiting for sin’s power over us and our institutions to be destroyed. And soon, it will be.

Like the crown in the temple, Jesus on his throne reminds us that he will soon come to purify his people and the world of all evil and greed (Acts 3:21). Soon, he will ride out with the armies of heaven and cleanse the earth of God’s enemies, greed, and sin (Revelation 19:11,14). So like Zechariah, wait for the coming of our priest and King Jesus.

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who will one day purify the world of evil. And may you see Jesus as the one who is both priest and King of his people.