Zechariah 8

AGain Or, And, Heb. as the word of reproof in the former Chapter, so the word of consolation in this Chapter was from God. the word of the LORD of hosts Hereby God assureth the Iewes that what he promiseth he can perform, and therefore in this Chapter, where so many things, so great, are promised, this name is very many times repeated in this chapter, viz. 18. came to me, saying,

Thus says the LORD of hosts, I was I have been in time past in days of old before the captivity, and I have been so since the captivity for some years past. jealous for Zion Properly 'tis the Passion of a Lover or Husband, mixt of Love, Care, and Anger in their highest degrees for the Beloved, and against all that is hurtful to it, so God had greatly loved Zion, had been careful of her honour, and welfare, and displeased with her sins, (which first hurt her) and then with the Chaldeans, which violated her. with great jealousie With great care that she should not, as formerly, sin against my love, and her own welfare and with a great love to do her good now, and to rescue her from her Enemies., and I was jealous for her On her behalf, and not as formerly against her, I am jealous in favour to her (as the Heb. phrase importeth) with great fury With heat of Anger against her Enemies, as chap. 1.14, 15. which see..

Thus says the LORD, I am return'd I did in anger depart from sinful and incorrigible, and unhumbled Israel, and sent them into a long captivity, and a far distance from my house, but now I am pacified, they punished, and I will be no longer absent from them; I am returned, not by change of place, but by change of my dealings with them. unto Zion Literally to my place of antient Residence, where the Temple and City of David stood; spiritually to the Church wheresoever it was humbled in distresses., and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Once more, as of old, I will fix my Residence, and afford my Presence there, as 1 Kin. 6.13. and Psal. 68.16. according to promise repeated to my people. Ierusalem shall be my dwelling place., and Jerusalem shall be called It shall be, for I will make it, a a city of truth City of Truth, her Cit ens shall love the Truth and speak it, shall worship me in truth of heart, as well as in the true manner prescribed to them, and they shall inherit the truth of my promises too; much to this, is that of Ezek. 37.23, 24, to the end of the chap.; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts Either Ierusalem shall be called, The mountain of the Lord of Hosts, or Mount Moriah, on which the Temple was built., the holy mountain Shall be called, and be the holy mountain, for that the Temple is rebuilt there, and the holy worship of God restored there, impure Idols which were worship'd there by your impure Fathers, and thereby was the Mountain defiled, shall now be cast out and none but the Holy God worship'd in his holy Temple..

Thus says the LORD of hosts, There shall yet old men Very old Men, and very old Women; formerly War, or Famine, or Pestilence, and wasting Diseases, or wild Beasts, did cut off Men and Women before they grew to old Age; but now it shall be otherwise, I will bless with Health, and long Life, in a peaceful State,, and old women Though naturally the weaker, though by Child-bearing farther weakned; yet there shall be many of these very old, or possibly it may intimate a very long life with their beloved Mates, and so old men will be ancient Husbands, old women their ancient Wives. However, this old Age shall be a crown of honour to this City., dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man Every one, as H b. will bear it. with his staffe in his hand for very age Through multitude of days, it shall not be from weakness, and diseases, that they lean upon their staf e but very Age shall bring them to it..

And the streets Every street. of the city shall be full Have many young ones healthful strong, brisk, and lively, the present joy, and future hop of all. of boys and of girls So will I fulfil the promise of multiplying your Children. playing Ie salem shall be in that peace, health, and plenty, that Parents shall neither fear danger to their Children abroad, nor need their Labour at home. So shall that, Psal. 128. be fulfilled to them. in the streets thereof.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, If it be marvellous These things promised may perhaps seem very strange and difficult if not impossible. in the eyes In the Judgment and opinion, or rather, to the unbelief of this people. of the remnant of this people Few in number, exceedingly poor, and perpetually surrounded with dangers. in these days Which are days of small things., should it also be marvellous Impossible? Or so much as difficult to me. in mine eyes? says the LORD of hosts The Almighty God will do this..

Thus says the LORD of hosts Here again God engageth his Almighty Power to make good his Promise., Behold Consider well what power is to do this., I will save Bring them safe. my people from the east-countrey Persia and Media, which lay East from Ierusalem, and being now Masters of Babylon, and the captive Iewes, they are said to be brought out of the East, though otherwhiles they are brought out of the North, both very consistent., and from the west-countrey No doubt some of the Iewes were carried Westward, the Trade of selling men was known in those days, and Tyr s is noted, and threatned for it, by Ezek. 27.13, beside other Sea-towns West of Canaan, which would be ready to buy captive Iewes, and convey them Westward. But if this Promise should look to the Roman Empire, and secure the Iewes a return from that captivity it is plain how their Empire lay west from the Iewes. Or perhaps 'tis a Synechdoche, these two parts of the World mention'd, but all parts intended, as Psal. 50.1. and 113.3. and Mal. 1.11..

And I will bring Though many things interpose to hinder, none shall keep them from returning; I will lead the way, I will guard them in it, I will supply their necessities, I will give strength to the weak, and cheer up the dejected, I will gather and carry too. them, and they shall dwell Settle their Habitation in Ierusalem. in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people A peculiar people to obey and honour me, it contains very much, Ier. 30.22. and 31.33. and 32.37, 38. Ezek. 11.20., and I will be their God I will own them, perform all my Promises to them. in truth and in righteousness Both on Gods part, and on their part; on Gods in Truth, on theirs in Righteousness, in obedience to Gods righteous Law..

¶ Thus says the LORD of hosts, Let your hands be strong Be of good courage, and hearten on each other to the expectation of Gods Promise, and the doing your duty., ye You returned Captives. that hear This is an Argument to revive their courage, they hear God by his word very fairly proposing great things. in these days In these days of Darius Hys aspis, some 12 or 15, or perhaps 18 years since the time I point. In these days of hope from Darius favourably helping, but most from God assisting and blessing. these words Promises, Exhortations, and Counsels. by the mouth of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah., which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid In the second year of Cyrus which if reckoned from his succeeding of his Father Cambyses in the Persian Crown, and his Father in law Cyaxares in the Crown of Media; which happened near about, A no M. 3467, unto the second of Darius Hystaspis, Anno M. 3485. that is 18 years agone, will make it likely that Haggai and Zechariah are intended here: But to lay it so that this Re-edifying of the Temple be in the second of Darius Noth s is to make these two Prophets either to be silent 112 years together or to preach with little success, and less complaint, for I do not remember that either of them chargeth this people with this particular fault., that the temple might be built According to Gods command and your Duty..

For before these days For eighteen years together. there was no hire Reward or Recompence, no profit by the Labour of Man or Beast, sowing or planting. Vid. Hag. 1.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. and Hag. 2.15, 16, 17. and Mal. 3.10, 11. Or else though the poor Iew laboured and received wages, it profited him not, God blasted it. for man, nor any hire for beast, neither was there any peace No safety, or content, and rest at home, or abroad; nothing prosper'd as might be hoped, in Field or House; if they went out 'twas trouble to see all unprosperous there, if they came home 'twas not one whit better, perhaps it may intimate troubles by War, b t I incline to interpret as I have done with respect, partly to the Heb ew, partly to the twelfth verse. to him that went out, or came in, because of the affliction Distress, or straitness, and want, through such great barrenness, as attended all their labour.: for I God just and holy. set Let out, or took off the restraints which kept men in some order, and when they were thus let out, they did discompose all, fell into Seditions, and taking of Parties, and breaking their own and others Peace. all men, every one against his neighbour.

But now q I will not be unto the residue of this people, as in the former days See ver. 10. let. a., says the LORD of hosts See ver. 7. let. f.. Since this people go about building the Temple and restoring my worship with some cheerfulness. God changeth not, his not be ng what he was to this people is a change of his Providence and his dealings with them. Our affairs will be to us as God is to us.

For the seed Which before brought nothing, or very little forth, shall now prosper into a plentiful Harvest, such as Mal. 3.10. shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit This was very much the Wealth and support of that people, this had been blasted, as Hag. 1.9, 10. now it shall be blest, and bring forth her expected fruit., and the ground shall give her increase Summarily, the ground you plant shall abundantly bring forth her fruit to your satisfaction., and the heavens shall give their dew Which before were as Brass, and made your Earth as Iron, hard, barren, shall now drop down their Rain, and make the Earth fruitful. Much like that Psal. 72.3. Hos. 2.18., and I will cause By my special, singular providence, and blessing on them. the remnant of this people to possess To enjoy, have the things, and the comfort of them, whereas before, though they eat, they were not satisfied, had not enough, Hag. 1.6. all these things.

And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse As threatned Deut. 28.37. and Ier. 24.9. and 29.18. all which came upon them in this seventy years captivity, and the miseries that preceded. among the heathen Nations who knew the Misery, which they heap'd on the Iewes, Nations among whom they were scattered., O house of Judah Two Tribes., and house of Israel Ten Tribes, or rather some of them which escaped Salm n ser's hand and adhered to Iudah; or some that from the division of the Tribes did keep close to the House of David, and the Temple Worship.; so will I save you In such manner will I save you, so wonderfully, so graciously., and ye shall be a blessing A form or model of Blessing, as Zeph. 3.19, 20.: fear not, but let your hands be strong Be not discouraged, neither slack your hands, in the building of the Temple, and restoring the Worship of God, for God will be with you, and finish all by, and for you..

For thus says the LORD of hosts, As I thought Determin'd first, then declared my resolution, in my threats and many warnings given. to punish you Iewes, the Body of that Nation; you, one with your Fathers., when your fathers provoked Highly, obstinately, and till there was no remedy, my wrath being kindled and continually increased by increase of your Fathers sins and yours. me to wrath, says the LORD of hosts, and I repented not I did not fail to do as I said I would, I neither changed my mind, for I am not a man, nor changed the course of my Providence, but executed my threats..

So So with like steddiness of mind with an equal unchangeableness I have purposed and promised to do well to you, O inhabitants of Ierusalem and house of Iudah. again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah: fear ye not For if in punishing, which I love not, I was constant; in blessing, which pleaseth me, I cannot but be constant..

These are the things that ye You to whom I am return'd, whom I have promis'd to bless, you have something to do that the blessing may come upon you, and look you do it. Beside building the Temple and restoring publick worship in Sacrifices, these things ye must do. shall do, Speak ye every man the truth Be true of your word, and he not one to another, as becomes such a people, Psal. 24.4. Prov. 12.19. Hos. 4.1. to his neighbour To all men, it has been the sin of your Fathers, they have lived, deceived, and cheated, not strangers but brothers and neighbours, but do not ye so; every one you deal with is your neighbour, do you speak truth to every such one., execute the judgment of truth Vid. chap. 7. ver. 9. let. m., and peace That may restore, settle, and promote peace among you as righteous Judgments will do. in your gates Either referring to the places of Judicature where the Judges sate. Or more generally and comprehensively through the whole Land, Exod. 20.10..

And let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbour Vid. chap. 7.10. l t. t., and love no false oath Vid. chap. 5. ver. 4. let. y. you that must not lie to a man, must not swear to a lie before God, Psal. 15.4. Ezek. 17.18, 19.: for all these are things that I hate So that I cannot be reconciled to them, so that I must not, will not let them go unpunish'd, if you'l be blest as I promise, look you do as I prescribe. This is reason enough why you should not do them., says the LORD.

¶ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,

Thus says the LORD of hosts, The fast of the fourth moneth Wherein the City was taken by the Babylonians, who on the ninth day of this moneth broke into the City, Ier. 52.12, 13., and the fast of the fifth Of which on the tenth day the Temple was burnt., and the fast of the seventh Wherein Gedaliah was killed, Jer. 41.1., and the fast of the tenth On the tenth day whereof the King of Babylon's Army sate down before the City and besieged it. shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness Good days, in which they shall rejoice for all the goodness that God has showed them in their private, they shall rejoice., and chearful feasts for publick; these days of Fasting shall be turned into solemn, and publick Festivals, days of Thanksgiving to the Lord, for turning back their Captivity, and restoring Church and State.; therefore love Let your hearty Affection be set on Truth, in all concerns of Religion, and on Peace in all converse with your Neighbours. the truth and peace. This nineteenth Verse is a final decision of the proposed Case, and the whole of this Verse stands on a Proviso or Condition That they do those things required, ver. 16, 17. then shall their fasting cease, and turn into joy and feasts.

Thus says the LORD of hosts This solemn attestation, that 'tis the Lord of Hosts who will do that great thing next promis'd, calls both for our heeding, and believing of it., It shall yet come to pass How low soever the State of my Church does appear, and really is, yet a time shall come when it shall be more considerable., that there shall come people People, that is, multitudes of People, for they shall be, and inhabitants of many Inhabitants of many and great Cities, which is added to explain what was more obscure in that one word, People, The Gentiles shall be added to the Church, and increase her greatly. cities.

And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another Great was the Zeal and forwardness of primitive Converts, to bring others into the Church, and to acquaint them with the Doctrine of Christ, and this is here foretold under the Zeal, and forwardness of the Iewes to gather one another, and to ascend thus to the Temple., saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts To call upon his name, entreat his Favour, or face as 'tis, Heb. one part of Religious Worship put for all, and explain'd by seeking the Lord for counsel and supply; for Grace, Comfort and Glory., I will go also This foretels a readiness in the invited, they shall with as much zeal embrace the motion, as others made it.. In going let us go, set forth presently, hold on constantly and chearfully, Isa. 2.3. Mic. 4.2.

Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem Literally understood you have the first fruits of them mentioned in Acts 2.10, 11, 12. Mystically, Jerusalem is the Church of Christ, or the State of it in the ti es of the Gospel, Psal. 110. 2. Isa. 2.3., and to pray To perform all Gospel Worship to the Lord. before the LORD. This Verse is both confirmation and illustration to the former, there 'twas people, here 'tis many people, and mighty, or great, not the Poor, and contemptible, and few, but people of a greater figure in the World. The Gospel first spread it self through the Roman Empire, and triumphed in Rome the Lady of the World. Strong Nations submitted to the Gospel.

Thus says the LORD of hosts Once more the Lord avows this as his design, so his work as his purpose, so he would effect it,, in those days it shall come to pass in the days which shall be the shadow of better; that shall be brought to pass which shall be proportioned to them; thus in the deliverance of the Church from Haman's Conspiracy, many in the Provinces of that mighty Kingdom became Iews; But in the Gospel days it shall be more full., that ten men That is, many men, shall take hold As Children lay hold on the Nurse, or Mothers skirt to go with them. out of all languages No Nation any longer excluded. of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew To whom the Gospel was first preached, nay, who were the first Preachers of it, as the Apostles, and the seventy Disciples., saying, We will go with you We will go, that we may learn your Religion, and be of it.: for we have heard And now see, believe, and are assured. that God The true God, the only true God, whom to know is Life Eternal, is with you, ur Gods are vanity a Doctrine of lies, and a pernicious cheat, we will cast them off, and no more trust to Lies. is with you God is with you only, and we must be with you, and of you, that God the Saviour may be with us too, having hold on you, we will not let you go without us, we seek your God, and our God.. The Lord seems delighted with the reporting what should be done in those days of the building up his Ierusalem, and therefore he bids his Prophet report it again, as he does in this last verse of the chap.