Chariots, and a Crown for the Priest
1 Again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 In the first chariot were red horses. In the second chariot were black horses. 3 In the third chariot were white horses. In the fourth chariot were dappled horses, all of them powerful. 4 Then I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of the sky, which go out from standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses goes out toward the north country; and the white went out after them; and the dappled went out toward the south country.” 7 The strong went out, and sought to go that they might walk back and forth through the earth. He said, “Go around and through the earth!” So they walked back and forth through the earth. 8 Then he called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.” 9 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 10 “Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. 11 Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; 12 and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch! He will grow up out of his place; and he will build Yahweh’s temple. 13 He will build Yahweh’s temple. He will bear the glory, and will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. The counsel of peace will be between them both. 14 The crowns shall be to Helem, to Tobijah, to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Yahweh’s temple. 15 Those who are far off shall come and build in Yahweh’s temple; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Yahweh your God’s voice.”’”
The night's last vision closes the circle the first one opened, and then the prophet is told to do something rather than watch it.
Four chariots come out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze, with horses of four colors. The angel identifies them as the four winds of the sky, which go out from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
The vision answers the first one. That night began with riders reporting that all the earth is at rest and in peace Zechariah 1:11, which was the complaint — nothing moving. It ends with chariots dispatched in every direction from a gate of bronze. The patrol has become a deployment.
And the report that closes it is about the direction the exile came from: those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. Babylon lay north by the traveled route, and what is settled there is God's own disquiet.
Then the visions stop, and the prophet is given a task. Silver and gold are taken from named men just arrived from Babylon — Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah — and made into crowns, and the crowns are set on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
That is a deliberate irregularity. A crown is not priestly furniture; the priest wore a turban, and Israel's kings and priests came from different tribes. The one man in the province who could not be king is crowned, and the act is performed with metal donated by returning exiles.
The words spoken over him explain it, and they are not about him: behold, the man whose name is the Branch! He will grow up out of his place; and he will build Yahweh's temple Zechariah 6:12. The title has been used once before, of a servant yet to be brought out Zechariah 3:8. Joshua is wearing the crown on someone else's behalf.
Verse 13 says what the crowning means, and it joins two offices the law kept apart: he will bear the glory, and will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. Then, the counsel of peace will be between them both — the two functions at peace in one person rather than checking each other across two.
The crowns are then left for a memorial in Yahweh's temple, and the promise widens: those who are far off shall come and build.
settled What this mark means