Spring26 Bible School- Haggai Zechariah- Tim Dobson and Rebekah Holden

This week Tim and Rebekah highlight the difference between two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Both prophesied at the same time in the same place, but they had very different styles.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Thanks for student boots here, but wonderful. Well it's lovely to have you here. Um when we look at the Old Testament, um it is quite a confusing book sometimes. I mean you might find the teachings of Jesus quite confusing and what Paul says confusing, but sometimes the Old Testament um is uh is quite hard. But Paul insists each time we look at Bible school, Paul insists that all scripture is God-breathed and it's profitable uh for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training righteousness. So actually, we believe that the books we're going to look at tonight um they are there for that reason. So as we look at the book of Haggard and Zechariah, uh they're here to uh teach you, they're here to rebuke you, be ready for a rebuke, they're ready to correct you. When you're going wrong, you need to know where to go. And actually, they're there to train you to be righteous people, people who kind of live rightly uh throughout throughout your life. Um so uh where do these minor prophets come on the book of Haggaiah and Zechariah? Um we said in the first week, again in the Old Testament, the the Old Testament's split up, it's a library, it's made of um uh of history books, wisdom books, and prophecy books. So there's 17 history books, five wisdom books, and seventeen prophecy books. Of those uh history books, you've got the law of Moses and the histories of Israel. There's a five and a twelve there, and again, when you look at the prophecies, you've got uh five major prophets, but then you've got these um uh twelve minor prophets, the ones we're looking at this month. Uh and of the histories, nine of those histories are what are called pre-the-exile, when God's people were taken out of the promised land, and uh three of those were post-exile. And again, of the minor prophets, nine of those are pre-exile, and three of those are post-exile. So if you know that the the history, the story of Israel, uh, at one point they carried on disobeying God, enemies invaded, and they cast them off to foreign lands, and that was called the exile. Um, so we're gonna look at these, uh, two of these uh three what we're called post-exile uh prophets uh this evening. Um we've said during this um this um these sessions that uh prophecy is a dramatic speech. It's a dramatic speech within an historical context. Uh so as we read Haki, as we read Zechariah, there's these kind of great speeches that they there's probably crowds listening to them as they say, I've got a message from the Lord for you, here it is. And they were dramatic speeches, but they're always within a historical context. If you hear a speech and you know something of the history, somehow the power of that speech is magnified. Uh so if you hear a speech, I had a dream, and you know the historical context of the uh persecution and the oppression that was happening in America at the time, you'll know the context of that speech, uh, you know the history, it somehow it brings the power. And so as we look at Haggai and Zachariah, we're gonna look at the history because that gives something of the power of what the book's trying to say. So that's a little kind of some of the kind of the principles we've been looking at uh as we've been looking at this. So um here's the timeline uh of the of the uh story of the Old Testament, um, and we write kind of down that end there. So it's kind of some of the last books in the Old Testament, it's um chronologically it's some of the last books as well. Um and it's when people come back from exile into the Promised Land, they start rebuilding the temple uh where God's presence was to be dwelling, and under Nehemiah they rebuilt the walls to make Jerusalem once again a city with walls. So when we look at um Haggiah and Zechariah, um, if we're going to understand the historical context, again you do need to understand at the time, when you read a prophet, uh the Old Testament prophets, what uh what superpower is um in charge at the time? So we we have superpowers now uh which have a certain kind of culture, a certain language, um, certain kind of uh whether it's communist principles, whether it's kind of um uh democracy, uh materialism, uh and those I mean those three up there, uh China, Russia, America, you could probably think, oh yeah, those superpowers are kind of like this, are kind of like that, are kind of like this. Um it was the same with the empires in the Old Testament. Uh so if you missed that, the first session would give you more of a background on those. But for these two books, the the superpower uh that was in charge at the time was that the Persian Empire. Under the Persian Empire, uh they um they had kind of they were quite nimble militarily. So compared to the Assyrians and to the Babylonians that used kind of scorched earth policy and sieging major cities, uh, somehow they were more humane, they took cities without destroying them. It kind of um uh as you read the story in Daniel chapter 5 of how the the Persian the Babylonian Empire was overcome by the Persians, it seems to be overnight, kind of um uh unaware the Persians took control. But the way uh they held uh their empire together, um, whereas the Assyrians were kind of blitzed in there, kind of uh exported people and brought people in and mixed up the nations so they couldn't have any rebellions against the empire. The Babylonians invaded, they took people to Babylon like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedago, they indoctrinated them in Babylonian thought and then sent them back to rule. What the Persians did was they said, for all these people we've got in our empire, um religious tolerance came in. So this uh is from the British Museum. Uh it's called the Cyrus Cylinder. And the way that Cyrus, who was the emperor of the Persian Empire, the way that he got his commands out to all the nations of his empire was that they would get some clay, they'd write his commands in the clay, and then they would bake it so that it was like these pottery cylinders. And then his pottery cylinders would be taken on horseback all the way around the empire so that his commands could be made known. And so uh if you translate what's what's on here, actually it says that um King Sires had this policy of I'm going to send every, if if if people want to go back to their home countries, they can do it. I'm gonna send everyone back uh to the home country who wants to go, I'm gonna give them some resources, I want them to reinstitute the gods and the shrines and the holy places of their particular particular culture, of their particular religion, um, and uh on the context that you get that your gods to pray to the true God, which is the Persian God, and to pray for me and my son that the empire holds together. Um, so that was the edict that uh we see uh archaeologically in the British Museum, um, and and that's what happens. So um these two prophecy books are mentioned in a history book. So in the those first 17 books of the Old Testament, uh one of the the last three are written about the post-exile. And Ezra is the book that records the story of uh behind Hadiah and Zechariah. So so in in chapter one, this is what we read in the in the Bible, and what we read in the Bible goes along exactly with what we see on this archaeological piece of evidence. So it says this: in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, so he's just come to power, he's got a new kind of religious tolerance principle, in order to fulfill the words of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to make a proclamation throughout his realm, and also to put it in writing. Here's the writing that we can actually see uh still today. Put it in writing. This is what Cyrus, uh king of Persia, says, and then this is a kind of paraphrase of what you uh can translate from the hieroglyphics there. Uh the Lord the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judea. Any of the people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and to build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God whom uh is in Jerusalem. And may their God uh be with them, and any uh and any uh locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold and with goods and livestock and with free will offerings for the temple of the God in Jerusalem. So alongside the uh all the other nations, God is working through a non-Christian, a pagan uh emperor, uh to see Jerusalem being rebuilt and see the temple in Jerusalem being rebuilt. So uh that's that's the historical context in which we come to um uh the book of Haggai and Zechariah. Is that uh the king has given people permission to leave uh the capital cities, leave places like Babylon, to return 900 miles to bomb down Jerusalem, it's been burnt to the ground. If you want to go back, you can go back, you will rebuild your sacred temple, and we'll provide all the cash you need, we'll provide all the wood you need, we'll provide the resources, actually, we'll provide, we'll search through the the royal treasury. If we find an idol or a statue that belongs to your particular country, uh your particular sacred places, we'll give you those statues or those idols back to you. They look through their treasury. Ah, the the the Jews don't seem to have an idol or a god. Oh, we've got a few gold plates and a few silver plates. We'll give you those. So um they get given the silver and gold plates from the temple, and they trek, these people who, again, God stirs their heart, they trek back to Jerusalem 900 miles, they leave behind the big city with job opportunities, education, entertainment, kind of uh because they know that in their hearts we've got to serve the purpose of God. Actually, God never intended us to be in this foreign land, he always intended us to be in the promised land, he always intended us to be in Jerusalem. So, although they had the comforts of the world, a proportion of the Jews felt that actually, no, we're going to travel back to rebuild the temple of God. So the first few chapters of Ezra, they travel back, they start rebuilding the temple, and and the local people who are there, who are not Jews, they start getting a little bit kind of, ah, what are you doing? And and persecution comes that way. And with persecution, they they I mean, it's the same with any kind of time when God's at work. When God's at work, there'll always be persecution. And what happens is that they crumble under the face of persecution. And what they do is they're they're fearful of the people around Jerusalem, that they stop building the temple. And and and 16 years goes by, and then they haven't rebuilt the temple. So just imagine that. If you were one of those people and you traveled all the way from this big capital city in Babylon or Persia, and you travelled 900 miles because you felt the call of God in your heart to rebuild his temple, you'd started building, there'd be persecution, and for 16 years you'd been sat back, you'd not been doing anything, you've not been doing the very thing which you you promised you you set out to do. And it's amazing in our Christian lives, we can feel like that. We we promised God so much, and then things somehow cut in. Money, relationships, kind of uh a bit of persecution, and we can be like these people, we can just get on with life. And so the people in Jerusalem, they've just been getting on with life for 16 years, until the two guys we're gonna look at this evening, until Haggai and Zechariah started to prophesy. And in their prophecies that we're gonna look at, actually, what happened is they provoked the hearts of people to think, do you know what? Yes, we should be serving God in our generation. Yes, we should be doing his stuff rather than our stuff. So it says this in um uh in Ezra chapter four. Um uh sorry, Ezra, what oh yeah, so Ezra chapter four says um how how they stopped. Um under Persecute. Thus the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia. Now he's a different king. So Cyrus, who had this great command, he's died, another king is on the throne, and it's the second year of his reign. So that's a 16-year break. So after 16 years, uh, what happens is that now Hagi the prophet and Zachariah the prophet, the descendant of Ido, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerobabel, son of Sheltiel, and Joshua, son of Jehoshaphat, set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. So here this history book tells us these two guys were prophesying, and as they prophesied, rather than not doing their work, they start to re-engage with the work of God again. Um it says uh so in verse 6 so the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Agai, the prophet, and Zachariah, that is in Dibelo. They finished building the temple according to the command of God of Israel and of the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Altaxerxes, kings of Persia. So here we in the history we say, these two prophecies, they both provoke the people to start building and they prophesy while they're building until the purposes of God for their generation have been accomplished. The temple is rebuilt. Is that okay as far as history? So that gives you a bit of history. Persian Empire, rebuilding of the temple that had been destroyed. Uh they went back, great sacrifice, 900 miles journey, no kind of easy jet, kind of no cars, no motorways. It would have taken them a kind of a month or so to travel. Um, and they've been backslidden, not doing any stuff until these two ghosts prophesy. Any little questions or comments on that? Is that are you with me so far? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:22

Why is there such a strong need for a visit attempting to this one?

SPEAKER_05 14:27

Okay, so uh in the in the old kind of covenant, in the old deal, um God who walked with Adam and Eve promised that to the people of God that he would be with them. Now, how can the God who's everywhere be somewhere? How would you know that the God who is everywhere is is with you? And so God said, Well, actually, I want you to build a temple for me. And and again, when we see Solomon building the temple, which was the one that was destroyed, kind of Solomon kind of realizes how can a temple contain God, but actually the God who's everywhere chose to be somewhere. And at the temple, the sacrificial system, so the the the lambs and the goats were sacrified, the the priests kind of did their bit, uh um fellowship offerings, thank offerings were brought to God. The God who was everywhere was somewhere. So the temple represented God in their midst, God with them. Now, because they disobeyed God, disobeyed God, disobeyed God, the temple was destroyed. And and the question was, where's God now? Is is God really with us? Uh so for 70 years there was that big question, kind of where is God now? God promised to our forefathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he'd be with them. Kind of he when Solomon built the temple, he said he was going to be with us, and now we have no temple. Where is God now? Which is why when there's the opportunity to go back, some in some Jews' hearts thought, actually, no, this is what God intended. He intended there to be somewhere where his presence would dwell, that the God His repertoire would be somewhere where people could go and once again offer sacrifices for sin, could once again go to worship. So that's why it was so important for them to do that. Now we'll see in a moment or two that obviously the the real temple was Jesus. So when Jesus comes and he says, You destroy this temple and I will rebuild it again in three days, and they'll say to him, It took our ancestors, these guys here, kind of years to build it. How do you think you're going to rebuild it in three days? Ah, and he was what John says, he wasn't talking about that temple, he was talking about this temple. Um, and so they've got it everywhere in Jesus' somewhere. Um is that okay?

SPEAKER_04 16:35

Um in terms of the location, talk about the Prussian Empire. Is that present-day Iran?

SPEAKER_05 16:42

Iran Iraq, yes, it would be over that kind of way. Okay, so um aware of time. So when you look at any piece of scripture, uh it doesn't have chapters and verses like we have now. That was just a construct that the the monks in monasteries put on the scriptures just to help them kind of copy stuff out by hand. So kind of brother Simon, you do from this bit to this bit. We'll call it chapter one to chapter three, and brother kind of Andrew, you can do from this chapter here. And they they gave the chapters and verses. But when a prophecy is written, it has some kind of innate structure, some kind of structure that's that's there that maybe you can discover what the structure is when the prophet writes it down or when someone records what a prophet's saying. Actually, in in literature, there's probably a little bit of a structure to the writing. And if you can find that innate structure, then sometimes it helps you to understand what the original writer was trying to record for the original hearers, and now for us as we read that as well. So, in the book of Haggai, so I'm gonna do Haggai, and Rebecca's gonna look at Zachariah, and we're gonna compare these two preachers, these two preacher men. They were preaching at the same time, and yet they were fundamentally so different. Um, but both of them provoked the people to start rebuilding, both of them supported them as they did the building, both of them saw the success after they finished. So, what what is the innate structure within Haggai? Well, there's a little phrase that um recurs five times, by the hand of or through. Again, the NIV might translate it in slightly different ways, but the the Hebrew word is by the hand of. Um in the old days, before emails and before WhatsApp messages, people used to send things called letters. Oh yes. And they put a stamp on them sometimes and they send them through the royal mail. Um but just occasionally uh you know you might know somebody who know somebody, and rather than putting it through the post, you might give it to them and go it goes by the hand of. So I might send something to Colin, and I think, oh Liz is going to see Colin. So I'll give it to Liz, and it's and Colin gets it by the hand of Liz from me. And this little phrase by the hand of occurs uh with each of these little prophecies. So uh for me, the there's five prophecies, and it's by the hand of, there's five fingers, uh, and I and maybe these five prophecies uh you can help to remember them by looking at your hand and thinking, okay, five prophecies of Haggai, high five Haggai, here we go. Here's the five things that Haggai's trying to say. So um the first prophecy is um is this. So if we get your Bibles out, and if someone's happy to read and you could find Haggai, so it's towards the end, just before you get to Matthew, uh you've got Malachi, you've got Zachariah, and you've got Haggai. Um it's just two chapters, so what we'll do is we'll we'll read, we'll read both chapters. So imagine you're there, you've you've backslidden from serving the purpose of God. Hagg gets up and starts saying this stuff. Would anybody like to read chapter one for me? Who's got a nice loud voice? Anybody? Have to read chapter one. Thanks so much. And who'd like to read chapter two? Yeah, Catherine, thank you. Okay, here we go then. This is what Haggell was preaching to these guys who at baptism uh trying to remote them to build the temple. Great, thanks so much.

SPEAKER_02 25:47

I will take you on service out the case of the Lord. And I will make you like my scene agree. I'm crazy, crazily crazy.

SPEAKER_05 25:58

Thank you so much. Okay, so that's what Hagia said. And as a consequence, the people started serving the purposes of God in their generation. So I'm just going to quickly go through those five prophecies that Hagia said. Why did they work then and how are they working in our lives now? Is that okay? So we're going to start with kind of um the five prophecies. So we're going to start with the biggest prophecy. So if you look at your hand, hopefully one of your fingers is slightly bigger than the others. And so this is the big prophecy. And the big prophecy is this. Is it time for you yourselves to be living in paneled houses while the house, this house, God's house, remains a ruin? Okay? So the deal was this. He said, you've the last 16 years, you've just got on with life. Actually, haven't you twigged that? Because you you came back, and I was so pleased with you coming back. In fact, if you look at the book of Ezra, there's a chapter which just gives the names of the people that come back. God's so proud of people who've forsaken the world for the purposes of God that they get their names mentioned in this one of these chapters that if you read it during your quiet time, you think, why am I getting why am I reading all these strange names? It's because God was so proud that people left the world to serve the purpose of God. But now, 16 years later, they're they've lost the plot. And actually, in losing the plot, God is concerned for them. He's bothered about it. Actually, he's bothered so much that he started to withdraw his hand of blessing again. And as he withdraws his hands of blessing, it says, kind of, actually, have you not noticed that life's not working for you? Do you notice that little kind of says you kind of you put money in your pockets and it's like you've got holes in them? Or you you eat, but you you've never got enough. Have you noticed that you you get the nicest new clothes and somehow they're not enough to keep you warm? And so, haven't you noticed what life's become? And it's because you yourself have been living in panelled houses while this temple remains in ruins. Come on, guys, you've got to get back again to the purpose of God. That's the big prophecy. It's fascinating that um they use this word panelled houses. I don't know if you noticed that when it was read out. Um I'm of an age where visiting national trust properties is a great joy. And if you've ever visited a national trust property, actually you go into some houses and you'll find that they're panelled. Do you know what do you know what I mean? This is oak panels. Um and what happened kind of before central heating and double glazing? If you wanted to keep warm, you'd build your house of of stones or mud and sticks or whatever, and then if you if you were rich enough, you would panel the inside of your houses. Um now, why does he mention that here? And I kind of think it was a reference back to when they first came back to build the temple, it says quite clearly that the king provided timber for them to build the temple. And so they they come back with all this timber that they're going to rebuild the temple, they stop building it, and as years go by, they look at this timber and think, we're not building the temple. Actually, do you know what? That would keep my house nice and warm. And actually, maybe what they've done is they've taken the timber that was meant for the purposes of God and they've used it to line their own lives. And then sometimes as Christians, we can be like that. God's given you gifts and abilities, he's given you things to serve his purpose, and sometimes they just turn them on themselves. It's great to have some students here this evening. Actually, you'll get your first kind of first job and your first pay packet, and you're maybe you're kind of going to rent a house just by yourself or with friends, and and and you've got the choice what you're gonna do with the gifts that God's given you, what there's what job and what you're gonna invest in. And and these guys seem to take in the stuff of God and they've invested in themselves. And so and they said, Well, actually, why do you live your life in your own little panel of houses with the stuff that should have been serving the purposes of God when the purposes of God, the temple, are in ruins. Come on, guys, up you get and do it. And what happened is that challenged them and it provoked them to think, actually, uh, yes. Actually, we have noticed that life isn't working quite as well as we hoped it would. We have realized that kind of uh we don't not find as much joy and pleasure in that as we as we used to. We have found that uh our relationships sometimes haven't got the meaning that they used to have. My connection with God isn't kind of quite as clear, and and um it's like the dew and the crops have been failing in my life. And Haggyah says, Come on, guys, it's time to rebuild the temple of God. And it says, as a consequence of hearing the biggest prophecy, they say, Do you know what? We'll do it. And what's the what's the kind of so are you using your skills and gifts for the kingdom of God? That's the message today. All scriptures God breathes profitable to rebuke, guys. Don't live with God's what God's entrusted to you, your body, your thought life, your um your skills, uh, your love of numbers or music or art or uh the ability to care for people. Don't just use it for yourself. There's a place in God's kingdom to build what He's doing in our generation. It's okay, big prophecy. Second prophecy um is that is the smallest prophecy. Actually, it's only uh four words. I am with you. I am with you. It sounds so small, but somehow that was the deal of building the temple. The building of the temple was was to say that the God is everywhere somewhere. And God's saying is, actually, do you not realize that if you serve my purposes, I am with you? I mean that's the wonderful thing for us as Christians, isn't it? That that when we become Christians, that God's Holy Spirit comes to live within us. God is with us. We're never alone. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. And that was a prophecy that they needed to hear, that the presence of God is with us. Now, although that might be a small thing, actually it didn't. So the first time it's they decided they were to build, actually, the second time it says, I don't know if you noticed there, it says it stirs their spirit. And sometimes we need our minds to be confronted, sometimes we need our spirits or our hearts to be confronted. And the fact that the God who's everywhere is with you is not just an intellectual concept to agree with, actually, it's something that should stir our spirits, it should move us. Actually, God who created the whole universe, he's with me. He's with you, he's with us. Um, and that thought, that prophecy, provoked them not just to intellectually respond, but their spirits kind of uh rose to the challenge as well. Is that okay? Prophecy number two. Prophecy number three. Prophecy number three is um is the um is the thumb. I don't know if you know that the thumb uh is where you have your strength. So if if I said to Colin, Colin, could you just hold that Bible between two fingers? Okay, just between two fingers. I'm gonna try and pull it from your hand. Okay, you've got to stop in pulling it. Can you? Okay, go. Now, if you hold it with a thumb and a finger, and you hold on to it, and I'm gonna pull it out. Yeah, okay. The strength in your thumb. So here's a prophecy that's talking about strength. Okay, what strength do you need? So you've been challenged to serve the purposes of God, you're reassured that God's gonna be with you, it's it's provoked. But how am I gonna see it through? How am I gonna live a life that's that's genuinely for him? How am I gonna do the thing that even when enemies now come to oppose us, where am I gonna find the strength to carry on? And so uh Haki says this, and my spirit remains among you, do not fear. Um do you know where else in the Old Testament it says it kind of it talks about um the Holy Spirit kind of being with you and accomplishing things uh with the power of the Spirit? Not by might, not by power, but by spirit, says the Lord. Have you come across that verse at all? Actually, is it a verse from Zechariah? We're gonna see in a moment. Actually, those kind of you need to know that the Holy Spirit is is with you. And that's what kind of where's our strength to serve our God in life? It comes from the Spirit being with us, uh, the Holy Spirit. Um, obviously, Old Testament prophecy, kind of God's Spirit came on certain people for certain tasks at certain times. When we look in a minute, when Andy does our meditation in Joel, we'll see Joel predicts the day when the God's Spirit will be poured out on all flesh, and not just for a specific time for a specific task, but now it's for our whole lives. The Spirit's with you all the time, empowering you, giving you the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit that you need to live like Jesus. Um so uh there's the prophecy that God's spirit will remain among you, and you don't need to fear. The first time when opposition came, you feared and you gave up. Actually, this time God's spirit's gonna be with you. Remember that. Do not fear. Strength came through the spirit, but actually, strength came through vision as well. What sustains you through the long haul sometimes is is a vision, a vision of God's kingdom, a vision of God's love, a vision of God's grace, a vision of God's generosity. Actually, that sometimes there's vision that keeps you going. And that's why this strange little verse, I don't know if you noticed it, um, uh in Haggai, where he says that um I'm gonna build, when you build this temple, that the latter temple is gonna be greater than the former temple. Did you notice that little bit? The latter temple's gonna be greater than the former temple. Now, the former temple was built by Solomon. I don't know if you've read the account, but it was opulent, it was huge. I mean, it was kind of, and and when it was destroyed, they didn't have all the the resources of Solomon at the height of his uh his kingdom. And so actually, physically, the temple that they were building now actually it was going to be a in some ways a slightly poor replica of the former temple. So, how can the latter temple be more glorious than the former temple? How do you think that happens? What do you think? What do you think is in the when we read that little bit about the latter temple will be the glory greater than the former temple? What do you think Hagel's trying to say there? Is it the Shekinah glory will be more intense? It could be. But it's fascinating when they build this temple, we don't, we don't, it's not recorded that the glor the glory, the Shekinah glory that we read about in uh uh in Solomon's time that filled both, well, with Moses filled the tabernacle and with the temple, that the glory of God filled. Actually, we don't hear that the glory of God filled, they build the temple, but we don't hear here that the glory of God fills that temple. That was a kind of big question mark. And in some ways, for me, is that temple, the latter temple, is it Jesus? It could be that actually there's there's you're building this temple, the day will come when someone will wander past this temple you're building, and they'll say these words destroy this temple and I'll build it again three days. And he wouldn't be referring to this temple, it'd be referring to this temple. And the glory of this temple will far outweigh the glory of that temple. So, so the God who said he's gonna be with you and the glory that came with Solomon, you're now building this replica of that, but actually the day will come when the glory of the latter temple, Jesus Himself, comes, and there'll be something about that glory that is going to be far greater than that. So it could be Jesus. I don't think it is, but it could be. But what else do we read about in the New Testament that's the temple of God? The church. Actually, the church. I mean, the church is the people of God. Actually, it could be that this prophecy, it could be that it's referring to Jesus, but actually it could be that it's referring to the church. And and that's why I've put this strange little um uh verse in here, because in this verse uh it was originally written in in Hebrew. And Hebrew is not like English, Hebrew is a bit more like French and German or Portuguese or Spanish. Actually, the nouns and the verbs they have gender and they have singular and plural endings. Do you remember that from school days? Kind of uh that you can have a noun that was feminine or a noun that was male, or you can have a noun that was plural feminine or plural masculine, and you can have a verb that had a single masculine ending, or you could have a verb that has a plural feminine ending. So these two words, so the desired, that noun, is a single feminine noun. Of all nations, the shall come is they plural masculine. So how do you just prophesy and said there's going to be the desire of all nations, this single feminine thing, they, plural masculine, will come. How can you have something that's feminine singular and masculine plural? Unless it's the bride of Christ and the sons of God. Maybe the reference here is that there's going to be this latter glory that's going to be far better than this, and it's going to be like a single female but loads of sons kind of deal going on. Imagine maybe it's referring to the church when the the heavens and the earths are being shaken. Maybe it's referring to the day of Pentecost rather than the incarnation of Jesus. Actually, maybe the glory of the latter church is this amazing fact that now God's Spirit is in his church, and his church is everywhere. His church is everywhere. Actually, people have the opportunity, the God is everywhere, is now somewhere. And each time there's a two or three meet together in my name, actually, Jesus is there. And in some ways, that's more amazing than just the incarnation. I mean, incarnation is amazing enough that God would be in one place, but now God has his representatives in virtually every nation because they, the bride of Christ, they're the sons of God, they're the children of God with the privilege of sonship. It's not a gendered thing. Uh the church maybe is the glory that is going to outstrip the first temple. Does that kind of make sense? So it might be Jesus, but it might be the church. But both of those are far more glorious than what these people were doing. These people were building a shadow, a replica of what one day would be fulfilled in Jesus and through Jesus in his church. Is that okay? Okay. Sorry? It could be both. It could be both. Yeah. Okay, um, as we head into chapter two, um, again, I don't know if you noticed as we read it through, but but the the days on which the prophecies were given were quite specific. So it says on the kind of for this month, uh kind of on this day of this month in the whatever year of the rain, um, and and so days are quite specific. So in this um uh this prophecy, actually it says, look, I want you to consider this. Make a little note kind of in your in your diary, get on your cow app, make a little note. Actually, before this date, if you went to the barn and you wanted to get kind of 10 loaves of bread, you might have only found five loaves. Actually, if you went to your wine cellar hoping to find 20 bottles of wine, you might have only found ten. But actually consider from this day, this day when you put one, you first put one stone on top of another to put the foundations, from this day on, I will bless you, says the Lord. And actually, he's kind of saying, look, I want you to I want you to work this out. Okay, make a note of today and consider what life was like before that, and consider what life is going to be like when you obey me. And actually says, kind of, on from this day onwards, he's very insistent, from this day onwards, I will bless you. Obedience somehow draws the blessing of God. And we're not talking about financial blessing, we're not talking about prosperity teaching, but actually, there's a reality of when you're obedient to God, actually, that is the best life to live. When you bring your life under the Lordship of Jesus, that's the best kind of life to live. Now we can't judge, we can't say what's going to come our way in life, but whatever comes your way in life, the best way is to obey God. Hear what he's saying, and your first response is yes, Lord. Hear what he's saying, yes, Lord. And and consider when you make those choices from that day onwards, actually see what God can do in your life. And he was convinced that God would bless them from that day on. Uh fourth prophecy. Uh like a like the uh lot of advert, is it? It could be you kind of and points points. I'm gonna it could be if you if you obey me, do you know what? It could be you that I'm I'm gonna bless the pointy finger. Um, last finger is the ring finger. Um, and the book of Hagar finishes off with. With a actually, this one is a personal prophecy. Actually, this isn't a prophecy to the whole people to get rebuilding. Actually, this is a prophecy that's from God to Zerubbabel. And I don't know if you noticed that in the last kind of bit there, where he says, uh, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel, son of Sheltiel, squares the Lord, and I will make you like my signet ring. For I've chosen you. What do you think it can mean that God's gonna make you like a signet ring? What does that imagery mean? Could be a marriage?

unknown 44:37

Like a stamp.

SPEAKER_05 44:38

Like a stamp? Yeah, I I think it's almost like a stamp. So in those days, a a king would have a signet ring that would have some kind of emblem that embossed on it. And if you wanted the king's seal of approval, actually you would stick it into mud and bake it, and you would know that kind of it had the signet ring, it had the mark of the king in wax, or um, and and the signet ring was a sign of royalty, it was a sign of uh you were part of uh a royal line. And so Haggai comes to Zorubbabel and says, Do you know what? Kind of calls saying to you, I'm gonna make you like my signet ring. I've chosen you. Now, what would that have meant to Zorrobal at the time? Well, Zerubbabel, it says that he was um a leader or was a prince. Actually, he knew what had happened to his great, great, great, great, great, great great, great, great uncle. He knew that actually in Jeremiah, um, Jeremiah um 22. Uh, if you yeah, just we'll quickly flick to this and then I'll finish. Jeremiah chapter 22. So Jeremiah's prophesying just as Jerusalem is about to be destroyed. And he's prophesying to the king, the king who should be obeying God but isn't obeying God. And so in Jeremiah chapter 22, uh verse 24, uh it says this. So this is to his great-great uncle. He says this, as sure as I live, declares the Lord, even if you, Jehoiachim, son of Jehoiakim, uh, King of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand. There we go. He's talking about a signet ring as well. Uh, I will pull, I will still pull you off. I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those who you fear. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Babylonians, I will hurl you and the mother who gave birth to you into another country where you were where neither of you were born, and there you'll both die, and you'll never come back to the land you want to return to. Is this man Jehoichim a despised broken pot, an object of what no one wants? Why will he and his children be hurled out, cast into the land they don't know? Land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says recall this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime. For none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the royal throne of David or rule anymore in Judah. That was a significant prophecy. What he's saying to Jehoishim, who was the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great-grandson of King David, God had made a promise to King David that there would be someone would always be on his throne. And here's this person, and he's saying, right, I'm taking that ring from you. I'm taking that ring from you, and and you're gonna die, and you're gonna be childless. And so he he he has no more children. And so for 70 years, people are thinking, hang on a minute, how is the prophecy of David gonna be fulfilled? Because David's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, he was taken into captivity, him and his children were killed. There's nobody on the on the throne of David. How's that gonna happen? And so Haggai comes to Zerubbabel and he says, Zerubbabul, do you know what? Actually, this signet ring that I took off, and for 70 years no one's known where it is or what's gonna happen. Actually, you're like my signet ring, and I've chosen you. So when we look at Matthew chapter 1, verse 12, where Zerubbabel appears, guess what? Zerubbabel is Jesus' great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great granddaddy. Actually, he's somebody who he he through his obedience in his generation in his time, actually, there's a personal prophecy, there's a personal destiny that he becomes part of the line of Jesus. So Matthew chapter 1, verse 12, it says, Surabbable, son of Sheltiel, uh has this son, has this son, has this son, has this son, and Jesus. So I think sometimes as we serve the purposes of God, actually, God wants to speak to us as a church, speak to us as a body, actually to get off your backsides, don't just be kind of there's God's purposes to be fulfilled. Actually, don't forget that God is with you. Don't forget that you need to know there's the spirit is with you. Actually, you need to know the vision of what it truly means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit for this generation. Actually, you need to know that obedience leads to blessing, and you need to know within it all, each one of us has destiny. Each one of us has hope. Each one of us, God has has dreams and plans and hopes for significance for your life. And to discover what that is is a real adventure in life. But for each one of us, uh our lives can have significance when we're obedient to following God and following his ways. Does that make sense? Haggy I five prophecies. Kind of um um so uh any any quick little questions before we have some group work time? Or do you think that makes there's enough there to be okay? Just in in in with three or four people around about you, just ask the questions. Which of those prophecies do you think most applies to you at the moment and and why? Okay, which of those prophecies most is appropriate to you at the moment and and why? Okay, just turn around to people with about five, ten minutes, uh turn around to people with you, answer that question.

SPEAKER_00 55:13

Oh yeah, we'll do that. Um, okay. So I've been lucky and chats to a closed and we'll move on to the next one. Um so now we're gonna look at a very different um profit. And but before I do that, my name's Rebecca, if we haven't met before. Um this year I am supporting young adults. You might have seen me around 630 quite a lot, or if you're a young adult, you've probably met me. Um but I'm also quite a creative person. Um, so this one is completely up my street. Now, Zechariah could not be more opposite um from Hageai. Um it's full of prophetic visions and dreams and poetry, and you might have just read that two-page um prophecy from Hageah and thought, right, okay, this is my guy, okay, straight to the point, loving your work, know exactly what you're saying, and uh Zechariah, 14 chapters later, lots of images. This this might not be your thing at all, and that's totally fine. Um, but what I do think looking at these two very different books is what a beautiful thing that God chooses to talk to us in very different ways, and he's a creative God, um, yeah, and he he says his word to people in completely different ways. Um, so Tim asked me to do this because he said, Rebecca, you like drama, and it's true.

SPEAKER_01 56:44

I do like drama.

SPEAKER_00 56:46

I like drama a lot. Um, I make movies, I studied English literature, um, and I love pictures and dreams, and actually, to be honest, it is the way that I would say God speaks to me. So I actually read Zachariah and I didn't think, okay, well, that's flipping weird. I thought, do you know what? This is actually a way in which I recognise that God does speak to people today. So without further ado, let's introduce you. It didn't done a lot of the context, so I'm just going to whiz through this bit, but just very simply, the who, oh, I spelled Hagaria wrong. There will be some spelling mistakes in here. I am dyslexic. So it's like a little test. Um Zechariah is addressing the post-Israelites who returned um two Judas from Babylon in exactly the same context. Um and when actually his prophecies fall in between the two prophecies given to Hagar in chapter two. Okay, there we go. So let's do a quick overview. So we have in Zechariah, we have an introduction in chapter one, and then we have eight different visions, so four of them are visions of the night, and then four of them are visions while he's awake. And then in the little middle chunk, we have the new era, and it's a bit of an invitation to the people to participate in God's kingdom, a bit more instructional, and former prophets and later prophets. And then right at the end, we have these shepherd songs which are very poetic and looking forward um more to Jesus' the Messiah. So a complete eclectic mix that I'm gonna try and take you through in 20 minutes and do 14 chapters. We'll see how we go. Um we're not gonna read it all, but you'll be glad to know just kind of like it. Okay, there we go. So I love looking at structure as someone that studied English later. Um I was very excited by the structure. So it has a little fun reverse structure, and so it goes the vision, because the eight visions go A B. So we have vision one cause over the nation, so this is the kind of theme. Rebellion of Israel, new three, leadership, and then it goes back and leadership. Rebellion of Israel was over the nation. Um and when a when a prophet does something like that, I would think, okay, well, what are they doing? Why are they structured it like that? Why is that the innate structure? Um so there's two things I want to highlight. And one is that one and eight kind of envelope all of the visions and become full circle. So in the first vision, we see the nations are at ease, um, and the Lord is angry with them because he's really passionately for Jerusalem and Judah. And in chapter six, then um, sorry this vision here, the Lord's Spirit is at rest, and the nations who are um because the nations who are against God have been judged and they've been dealt with, so that's quite interesting. But actually, even more interestingly, these two central visions are D, three and four, and some some would argue that the two central visions are being really highlighted by the structure because they're sandwiched in the middle, and both of those two visions in the middle are focusing on the priestly and will be visioned to lead to reason, and also more importantly, they point to what to use it. So we've been an interesting thing with structure, and it's highlighting things by the way it's structured it. Now, what I quite like, let's move on to the visions, and I'm not gonna lie, some of them are a little bit weird, um, they're a little bit out there, a little bit abstract. Um but what I really enjoyed about reading them is the fact that Zechariah himself has to ask God a lot what he's actually trying to do. So we are gonna like read a few of them in more detail, but I'll just highlight a couple of them. So this is a game of what are you talking about, Lord? Vision number one. Behind him were these red, brown, white horses. What are these, my lord? Vision two, then I looked up and there before me were four horns. I asked the angel who speaks to me. What are these? Um, and in vision three, you see someone with a measuring tape. Like, where are you going? And what's so interesting, and in each of these visions, actually God answers him and he explains a little bit more. Um, and I don't know about you, but I if you are someone that where God does speak to you in terms of visions or prophecies, um, I find that so relatable because if an image does pop in my head, whether it's for me or someone else, so often I have to say, okay, God, what are you trying to tell me through that? Like, why have you given me that picture for someone? Um, and then he'll explain it. And then if you're not someone um who you know really delves in that sort of thing, you might be thinking, well, what is the flipping point? What is the point in God giving you an image and then him having to explain it to you? He could have just like got to the point straight away. So I've got two arguments um for that before we go into vision two. Um one is I think so often images will mean something and resonate with the people that they're intended for. Um and you'll find that in these um prophecies that so often there are images that the people that Zachariah is addressing will understand they actually mean something. And then also we are creative, and God has creative ways of speaking to us. So imagine you're at the movie and um you went to watch a film, and all that you saw on the screen was just title slides explaining the themes that you were supposed to take away from the film. Like, who's watching that movie? Nobody's watching that movie, that's not interesting. Um so I find this quite interesting. So vision two, a bit more of a deep dive. Um I looked at, and there before me were four horns, and I asked the angel who was speaking to me, What are these? So that's the question. He sees the picture, he's like, Okay, what are you trying to tell me, God? And then the Lord answers through the angel in the dream. He answered me, these are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. Remember, we said that they had been persecuted and God's people had been scattered, they were a little bit afraid. Um, and there's our analysis. Sorry, I love English, so I love to have analysis. But horns are actually quite an interesting thing to be chosen because they are recognised in the strength. So the prophet intends to read it to remember the devastation um Judah at the nation's court. Okay, they were scattered, they were afraid. Um, and he doesn't want them to forget the strength of his deliverance and when he did. Okay. Um then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. And I asked him, Where are you going? He asked me to measure Jerusalem to find out how wide and how long it is. While the angel who's speaking speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said, Tell that young man Jerusalem will be a city without water, because there's a great number of people and animals in it, and I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord. And I will be with it. This is more about the new Jerusalem and the building of it of that new Jerusalem. So it's quite interesting, isn't it? Um it's quite a natural thing for people to want to build and reinforce walls, and it's saying actually you don't need walls, because I am going to be the walls around Jerusalem. And there's a question as to how literally um we take that, because actually Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the walls under Nehemiah's instruction. But on the other hand, in the history of Jerusalem, it did extend beyond its walls. Um and it did spread beyond its walls. But the important takeaway from that, um from that prophetic image, is that when God was within her, he will not fail with or without walls, and he promises of anything and allowed within Jerusalem, his presence will be there within. And if we look at the whole of Zechariah, which we can't read through all today, but please go home and do it, it's actually a great book. Um God being in the midst of his people is emphasized throughout the whole of that book through the rebuilding of his temple, um, according to God's plan, by the cleansing and recommissioning of the priests, and the promise that many people will come to seek the Lord in Christ. Now we move on to my favourite. Um so the vision three and four, so that should actually say vision three, um vision three and four contain two central visions of a whole series um of the eight visions, and they are both concerned with the two leaders of which Tim mentioned already. So there's the high priest Joshua and then the governor who represents God's rule over his people. And I wanted to zoom in on vision four, partly because it's my favourite, but also because it I think the imagery is actually quite familiar and quite helpful. So if you want to read along, you can with your Bible, but it's a happy. So then he showed me Joshua, the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, the Lord would be Satan. The Lord was a chair to accuse. Burning stick snatched from the fire. Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, Take off his filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you. That's the first section, we'll read the next section in a second. Now Joshua, for context, the high priest should have stood before the Lord in very specific clothing. There's very specific clothes that priests were supposed to wear that signified their purity, and that was necessary to come into God's presence. However, in this vision, you notice it says that his clothes are filthy. He stood before the angel. And you've got Satan there accusing him. Now, interestingly, the Hebrew word Satan means adversary or accuser. Okay, and he's unclean. And since the high priest represents the whole people, the people are unclean as well. So they've rebelled, they have sinned, he's representing the people, he's unclean, standing before God. So it's an interesting image, isn't it? And so technically, the accusation of the accuser is true, but what the enemy wants here is condemnations, and what God does is cleansing and restoration. So the next part. Then I said, put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, or the angel of the Lord stood by. The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua. This is what the Lord Almighty says. If you walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I'll give you a place among these standing there. So I'll pause there. But isn't that interesting? Joshua is given clean clothes, and I find that really helpful and quite familiar imagery that God is not condemning his people, but he's seeing their mess, he's dealing with their sin, and he's cleaning them up. And that's something I think that we recognise today. I've seen in many a church illustration, many a sermon, many a children's talk. It's quite familiar and helpful imagery. And after being cleansed, so Joshua is able to walk in God's presence and receives a charge to walk in God's ways and keep his requirements, you know, to lead his people. So this is God redeeming and cleansing his people. And then we have this little section here. The prophecy then moves on to talk about God's servant, the branch, and looks forwards to and foreshadows Jesus. So listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men, symbolic of things to come. I am going to bring my servant, the branch. See the stone I've set in front of Joshua, there are seven eyes, on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it says, The Lord Almighty, and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. So that's interesting. And you're probably asking, Rebecca, what makes you think that the servant branch is Jesus? Where is that connection? Um so very interestingly, in a different prophecy, Jeremiah, your branch equals a messianic title. And you can see here, he's referred to here, a righteous branch that I'll raise up for David, a righteous branch, a king who is will reign wisely. Um which he will be called the Lord, our righteous Saviour. So there is a link which is made, and you find that often in the Bible and throughout the prophets, that the same imagery pops up again and again and again to link them together. So we have the two priests high priests looking forward to Jesus. And then in the middle section of Zechariah is a bit of an invitation to God's people to participate in God's kingdom. Now we don't have time to read the whole of chapters seven and eight. It will take ages. Um, but what I will do is quickly summarise um the main points for you. So it says an invitation to participate in God's kingdom is kind of inviting them to that. So in here, a group of Israelites come, they've been mourning over the former temple's destruction for nearly 70 years, mourning that it's gone, and they ask God, should we stop grieving? Is God's kingdom coming soon? And in response, Zechariah again reminds them of how their ancestors before them had rejected God through the prophets, which led to their exile. And then he repeats the ancient prophetic challenge in chapter 8, and he says, This generation will see the Messianic kingdom, but only if they pursue justice and peace and remain faithful to the covenant, and the covenant is just God's promise. And now we're skipping right forward to the shepherd songs and foreshadowing. So you'll notice I probably I only did four of the visions, there are eight in total, and now we've done a little like highlight from the middle, and now at the end of Zechariah, it looks completely different. It jumps forward to these like beautiful poems, and they look very different to the first eight chapters on the first eight in visions. So each one is a bit of a collage of poems and images that look forward to the Messianic kingdom and points towards the coming of Jesus the Messiah. There we go. So this is possibly one of the most famous or well-known um sections of Zechariah. Um, rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, shout, daughter Jerusalem, see your king come to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the full of the donkey. Now I wonder what that could be referring to. Um and interestingly, there is a prophecy that comes before that, and then it was referred to earlier in the New Testament. So it's actually referenced, oh, gone the wrong way, um, in Genesis as well, which comes away before the first book of the Bible. And you see, the obedience of the nation shall be his, he will tether his donkey to a vine, his cult to the choice's branch. And again, we find I find that so interesting in the Bible that things are mentioned and repeated thematically. Then, of course, if we know the Easter story, we know that that prophecy is fulfilled much later. Um and that's why Matthew says this took a place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, and you can see it quoted again. Say to daughter side, your king comes to you, gentle abiding of the donkey, and a cultural of a donkey. So it's quoted word for word. Um and then we have Zechariah 13. There are so many of these poems that we could look at, but we're just going to highlight two. So we have the arrival of the shepherd king, um, and now we have the king who symbolized as a shepherd over the flock of Israel, who also represented as shepherds. And Jesus the shepherd, again, that's a very familiar image, isn't it? Used throughout the Bible. Um, we're often we're often told of Jesus the shepherd. And Matthew, each time he writes, he quotes the prophets, um, so that you make the link, knowing that that's being fulfilled. Okay, so Zechariah 13. Awake, sword against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me, declares the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I'll turn my hand against the little ones. That might seem like quite an obscure image, and you might not be entirely sure what on earth that is talking about. But here we have Matthew 26. So this is the night that Jesus is betrayed. Notice how Jesus quotes it again. Okay, this very night you will fall away on account of me, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. Okay, so that's quite helpful, isn't it? So if we go back, we go, okay, strike the shepherd, that must be talking about Jesus. And the sheep will be scattered, his people will be scattered. Okay, there we go. Um, and I always find that helpful that so often in the New Testament Jesus will quote back to the Old Testament or back to the prophets, go, look, that prophecy is being fulfilled.

unknown 1:14:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:51

So I guess the very important question of Zechariah is: will the rejection of this shepherd king last forever? Um, and the simple answer is no. So, right towards the end of Zechariah, we have chapters 12 to 14, and this depicts the new Jerusalem as a place where God's justice will confront and defeat the evil amongst the nation, but also deal with the rebellion of his own people. And he's gonna pour out his spirit on them so that they repent. And then we have the conclusion of chapter 14, where the Lord comes and he reigns. So chapter 14 concludes a new Jerusalem as the gathering point of all nations, the city becomes a new garden of Eden, with a river flowing water out of the temple, being sorry, being healing to all creation. So you might be wondering, well, what I've just gone through there seems a little bit disjointed. Like, how are they even linked? So, what we have is the future kingdom that's depicted in the second half of Zechariah with the shepherd's songs and with those prophecies, will only come when God's people are faithful to the covenants that Zechariah was talking about in the first half of Zechariah, and he made clear. So, in the book of Zechariah, we have the instructions to God's people, we have um the Israelites, which foreshadows and prepares um for something more for a new Jerusalem, and then looks forward to God's promises today. So that is a whirlwind. Zechariah, you guys still with me? Lovely. Okay. So I've got some questions for you. Um, how does Zechariah's prophetic visions affect your understanding of how God speaks to us today? And how does Zechariah's vision of God's future for Israel affect your understanding of, you say make that God's plan for you if that's easier rather than God's overall plan? Sound good?