旧约 - 撒迦利亚书(Zechariah)第1章

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
"The LORD was very angry with your forefathers.
Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty.
Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.
Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever?
But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers? "Then they repented and said, 'The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.'"
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.
During the night I had a vision--and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.
I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are."
Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth."
And they reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace."
Then the angel of the LORD said, "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?"
So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
Then the angel who was speaking to me said, "Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,
but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.'
"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty.
"Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.'"
Then I looked up--and there before me were four horns!
I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."
撒迦利亚书第一章   亚 1:1> 先知撒迦利亚的信息也与重建圣殿相关── 

  1:1 撒迦利亚是在犹太人被掳时期在巴比伦出生的,公元前 538 年他回到耶路撒冷,当时他是一位年富力强的青年。波斯王塞鲁士在公元前 539 年打败巴比伦后,下诏准许所有被掳的犹太人归回故土,撒迦利亚和哈该是第一批归回犹大的人。撒迦利亚是先知又是祭司,他与先知哈该在同一个时期开始事奉工作(公元前 520-518 年)。他在哈该最初发出预言以后两个月,第一次宣讲预言。撒迦利亚和哈该一样,鼓励百姓继续重建圣殿,当时工程已停顿了将近十五年。他指责百姓的灵性麻木,因仇敌的压力而灰心,又因新的圣殿根基规模小而失望。今天我们若忽略灵性建设上的优先事项,也同样不能成全上帝的旨意。 

  亚 1:2-6> 无论是选择祖宗和传统,还是选择自己所行的路,最重要的…… 

  1:2-6 俗语说:“有其父,必有其子”,意思是孩子会变得象父母一样。不过,在这一段经文里,神警告以色列人,不要效法他们的列祖,因为他们的列祖不顺服神,自食其果,终于受到神的惩罚。我们在神面前要为自己的行为负责。我们既不要被自己的传统或环境所限制,也不能以此作为犯罪的藉口。我们所做的事是自己选择的,归向神、信从祂也是自己决定的。 

  撒迦利亚 

  亚 1:5-6> 神定意行的事,绝不会食言,这与我有何关系? 

  1:5-6 在以色列人被掳的百多年前,神藉着祂的众先知所说的话,照样适用于撒迦利亚的时代,就是对今天的我们也非常适切。神的话存到永远,我们理当研读、查考,并活用圣经中留给我们的教训。要学习神的话语,使我们能避免重蹈前人的覆辙。 

  亚 1:7-17> 神的异象中出现的马象征什么? 

  1:7-17 站在番石榴树中间的这个人是耶和华的使者( 1:11 )。马和马的颜色都是神介入世界管治的象征。对于各种颜色的意义虽难以确定,不过红马常常与战争有关连,白马则代表胜利。 

  亚 1:11> 神永远顾念祂的子民,你看── 

  1:11 耶和华的使者看到地上的各国都安息平静,惟以色列仍然被欺压、受藐视;但是神正部署要改变这状况,祂释放祂的百姓,容许他们归回本国,重建祂的圣殿。 

  亚 1:12> 先知预言以色列人要被掳七十年,结果真是七十年── 

  1:12 七十年是神下令以色列人留在被掳之地的年数(参耶 25:11 ; 29:10 )。这期限已到,耶和华的使者求神采取行动,成全祂所应许的,让祂的子民回耶路撒冷。 

  亚 1:13> 艰难中,有从神而来的安慰,还有什么比这更温暖人心呢? 

  1:13 神的子民被掳到巴比伦受惩罚七十年,不过在这一节,神说出了安慰和保证的话。神应许只要我们归向祂,祂就医治我们(参何 6:1 )。当我们受伤害,生活担子很重时,只要归向神,祂必能医治、安慰我们。 

  亚 1:15> 看见列国加害过分,为何神却无动于衷? 

  1:15 外邦列国加害神的子民超过了祂的定意,祂并不是没有力量阻止他们,而是使用这些国家来惩罚犯罪的百姓。当列国竟想消灭以色列这个民族时,神就要干预了。 

  撒迦利亚的异象 

  亚 1:18-21> 四只角、四个匠人代表了──