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| 1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, |
Darius – Darius Hystaspes. R2521:2
Zechariah – Was a prophet and a priest; returned from Babylonian captivity under governor Zerubbabel as a young man. R2521:2
He was the successor of Haggai. His career began in the second year of Darius Hystaspes and continued two years. Part of his mission was to encourage the Jews who labored in the construction of the Temple. R2521:2
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| 2 Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers. |
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| 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. |
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| 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith Jehovah. |
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| 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? |
Do they live forever? – Are they immortal, as claimed by many? R802:2*
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| 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. |
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| 7 Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, |
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| 8 I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white. |
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| 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are. |
The angel – Materialized angels can eat, drink and perform all the functions of the natural being of the earthly plane of existence. Q744:3
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| 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. |
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| 11 And they answered the angel of Jehovah that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, we have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. |
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| 12 Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years? |
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| 13 And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words. |
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| 14 So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. |
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| 15 And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. |
The affliction – Rendered "evil" in "I create evil." (Isa. 45:7) A125
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| 16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem. |
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| 17 Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. |
Choose Jerusalem – Promises to the natural seed. R11:5
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| 18 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns. |
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| 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. |
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| 20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths. |
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| 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. |
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