Ruthe's Secret Rosesl
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Angels with Gentle, Comforting Words
Zechariah was a common name in the Old Testament days; no less than 28 men had it. We'll zero in
on the head of a priestly family who was a prophet among those that returned after Israel's 70 year
exile in Babylon. The temple was being rebuilt, and the walls of Jerusalem going up again.
The second last book of the Old Testament tells of eight, very vivid, symbolic visions that
Zechariah had to encourage the people and teach them about God's tender watch and care of them.
It seems to me, God likes to use angels to explain and teach things to His loyal servants. In this
case Zechariah was to pass on the messages to the people.
God had told this prophet He was very angry with their forefathers, and now he wanted this
generation here to come back to Him, and He would return to them as well. The people repented and
confessed that the Lord was God and had done right.
Being very specific about the calendar date, Zechariah describes a night vision he had. A
man riding on a red horse was among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were others on red,
brown and white horses. When Zechariah asked what it meant, the angel at his side began to explain.
These spiritual riders were sent by the Lord to go throughout the earth, checking for rest
and peace. The angel turns next to the man in the myrtle trees, and addressing Him as LORD, and
asks, "How long until You show mercy to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, after these seventy
years?
The Man in the myrtle trees answers the angel with soft comforting words, and the angel
turns to Zechariah to explain God's promise to return to Jerusalem with mercy and to see that it and
all the towns will overflow with prosperity.
The vision continues with more symbolic things like four horns, and craftsmen, and the
questions and answers keep going back and forth.
There is a man with a measuring line, and a scene where a young high priest is given clean
clothes for dirty ones, and he is anointed, and addressed as a symbol of the messiah yet to come.
There is a flying scroll, a woman in a basket, four chariots and a crown for Joshua the
young high priest.
This book has some fascinating imagery in it! This short article is not the place to analyze
all of it, but I want to point out one main impression. It implies something very good for us.
It is this; God is willing to send angels to explain things to us when we humble ourselves,
admit our wrongs and those of our ancestors, and when we really want to know the truth.
Sometimes we find ourselves in hard situations, and we rail out that we're trapped, and
can't understand or get out, and some even renounce God, and blame Him for all our troubles.
He may well have allowed them to discipline us for past sins, but if we would repent and
humbly start asking questions, we would be surprised at what gentle, comforting answers He gives -
perhaps even through an angel - and how glad He is to explain what He is doing in the world, and
why.
Great. I've got some questions to ask, don't you?
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