Zechariah
Bible Study # 7
The Flying
Scroll
Zechariah
5:1-4
The
Flying Scroll
5:1
Then
I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there
was a
flying scroll. 2
And
he said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a
flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”
3
Then
he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face
of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away
according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be
purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4
I
will make it go forth,” declares the Lord
of
hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of
the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night
within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.” NASB
After
5 visions emphasizing hope and future glory, come 2 visions
displaying the cleansing judgment that must come.
Before
the millennial reign on the earth
from
this very land,
through
this very people
there
must be a time of cleansing from everything that defiles.
“The
God of Israel has two methods in dealing with sin and removing
iniquity, both of which are in perfect accord with the absolute
holiness of His character. One of these methods—the one He
delights in—is the method of grace. This is beautifully unfolded
in the 3rd
chapter, where we are shown how that, on that ground of His sovereign
immutable 'choice', and because of the full atonement and perfect
righteousness accomplished by His Righteous Servant, 'The Branch,'
the iniquity of that land shall be removed 'in one day,' and
repentant Israel (upon whom the Spirit of grace and supplication
shall in that day be poured)shall be cleansed from all defilement (as
signified by the removal of the 'filthy garments') and clothed in
'rich apparel,' and with the 'fair,' or 'clean,' mitre on his head,
on which the words 'Holy to Jehovah' are graven, shall be fitted to
go forth among the nations as the priests of Jehovah and the
ministers of our God.
But
what about those who persist in their wickedness, and, in spite of
the marvellous display of God's grace, 'will not learn righteousness'
but continue even 'in the land of uprightness' (as Immanuel's land
shall then be called) 'to deal unjustly, and will not behold the
majesty of Jehovah'? (Isaiah 36:10) With them God's method is that
of judgment. Sin must be purged away, iniquity, must be stamped out
in the city of God; and when the sinner is so wedded to his sin that
he is no longer separable from it, he becomes the object of God's
curse, and must be 'cleansed away' from the earth. In short, then,
the two visions in chapter 5 give us the reverse side of the truth
unfolded in the first four chapters.
They
show us that if there is grace and forgiveness with God, it is not in
order to encourage men to think lightly of sin, but that 'He might be
feared' (Psalm 130:4). They also take us, so to say, a step
backward, and show us that, before the glorious things symbolically
set forth in the first five visions will finally be fulfilled, a
period of moral darkness and corruption, and of almost universal
apostasy, was yet to intervene."
David Baron (3 amazing paragraphs)
Verse
1 – The prophet is looking toward the scroll that is the starting
point for the angel to explain it. Just like if someone visits your
house and is looking at an object, without them verbally asking, you
start to tell them about it. Ezekiel 2:9 is an example of a scroll
that appears in a vision that foretells, “lamentations, mourning,
and woe.”
Verse
2 – The dialogue begins with a simple question, “What do you
see?” Don't attempt to explain its meaning, or symbolism, or
anything else just yet. Let's keep it simple. The prophet sees a
scroll specifically that is flying. So it must have been “launched”
from somewhere. He is able to give its dimensions. The measurements
are the same as two areas of the temple; (1) the porch of Solomon's
temple (which had been destroyed) (2) the Holy Place of the
tabernacle. This would seem to say that this judgment is based on
God's standards. They are unchanging, unlike the culture around us.
They are final.
Verse
3 - “This is the curse...” It is singular, no matter how long
the list is. Deuteronomy 30:1 “So
it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing
and the
curse
which I have set before you, and you call them
to
mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you,
“ It is singular because it is coming from one source. The law of
God, has been broken, the curse now comes forth. This curse is going
out to the face of the 'whole land' (not the whole earth)
indicating once again that blessing and privilege for the Jewish
people also exposes them to judgment. Amos 3:2 “ You
only have I
chosen
among all the families of the earth; Therefore
I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
Two sins are mentioned, swearing falsely by the Name of Jehovah
and stealing. The third commandment and the eighth commandment, both
in the middle of the each table that God wrote the law on. Two sides
of a tablet and now two sides of a scroll. “Purged away” could
also be expressed as 'cleansed away.' Even in the judgment, there is
a redemptive element. One just gets the feeling that God is holding
back, giving grace, in only specifically identifying these two sins.
The judgment is poured out, “according to the writing” again,
which has not and does not change. There is a definite tendency in
our thinking that 'wishes' the commandments could be weakened or
altered. Can we come to the point where we see that the “hardness”
of the demands is meant to draw us, to drive
us, to the beauty of His grace. “Of course
you are going to fail, I knew that, and I have made the way to
return, to be healed.” The horror and the beauty is shown most
magnificently at the cross.
Verse 4 – Here we find out who “launched” it,
God Himself. Baron calls this verse, “one of the most solemn in
the whole Bible, as showing what an awful thing it is to come under
God's curse against sin.” 'I will make it go forth' and 'it will
enter' both emphasize that there is no turning back, judgment has
come. 'The house', the place where you may imagine yourself most
hidden or least vulnerable, is neither, with God. The judgment
'stays' until the work that it was sent to do is accomplished. This
is no visit that when the person leaves or when you exit the
principles office you can wipe your brow and say, 'I'm glad that is
over.' This is not over until God's judgment has been satisfied.
These transgressions bring punishment with them. Baron again, “But
there is yet a climax in the train of calamities which the curse will
bring to the house of the wicked. It shall not only 'dwell' there,
but is 'shall consume it with the timber thereof, and the stons
thereof.' Here we see the terribleness of the punishment which sin
brings down upon itself. It shall be utterly 'cleansed away,' or
'consumed' from the midst of God's congregation, together
with those sinners who are no longer separable from it.” In
Leviticus 14:45 the same type of destruction came to a house stricken
with leprosy.
This makes our joy even
more full, when we see, truly see, that “His blood can make the
vilest clean, His blood availed for me.”
One day at the time
of the end this prophecy will have its full terrible fulfillment.
The Day of the Lord.
When the earth will be cleansed.
