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Tag: Zechariah

Minor prophets

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Books and Testaments, What’s new?.

What is the core message of the Minor Prophets?

The Minor Prophets, sometimes referred to as “the Book of the Twelve,” make up the final section of the Old Testament. They consist of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The “minor” designation pertains solely to their shorter length in comparison to the five “Major Prophets” but doesn’t imply that they have less theological importance. Moreover, to fully understand the Minor Prophets, it’s important to grasp the core message they convey to readers.

While all seventeen prophetic books in the Old Testament share common features, such as writing style, many scholars believe that the Minor Prophets are uniquely united. Evidence for this includes the facts that (1) they are grouped together, despite having various historical contexts, suggesting theological cohesion; (2) they are referred to in non-biblical texts as a single collection, such as Sirach 49:10, which calls them “the Twelve Prophets”; (3) they number twelve, which symbolizes completeness in the Hebrew tradition; and (4) they contain numerous internal connections. For example, the books of Joel and Amos include the phrase the Lord roars from Zion (Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2, ESV).

This unity is further reflected in the core message of the Minor Prophets. Their central point is that Jews and Gentiles alike need to repent of sin and live for God, who is loving and just, so that on the day of the Lord they will receive the blessings that come through His promised Messiah, rather than face His judgment (e.g., Joel 2:28–32; Habakkuk 2:4). The basis of the prophets’ critique is the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai—the Mosaic Covenant identifies sinful and holy behavior (Exodus 19—24). Importantly, according to the law, a person’s behavior reveals the condition of his heart toward God (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5).

Three themes in the Minor Prophets work together to shape their core message. Central to each one is Hosea because it’s first in the traditional arrangement of the twelve books. Bible scholars disagree on which theme is dominant, yet most recognize that each one is important.

The first theme highlights Israel’s failure to keep the law. It communicates that people need to urgently repent for disobeying God’s commands to avoid His judgment and secure His blessing. Hosea 14:9 is central to this theme: “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

Another theme focuses on the day of the Lord, which ten out of the twelve Minor Prophets mention (e.g., Joel 1:15; 2:11; Amos 5:20). The day of the Lord is a future time when God will decisively intervene in world affairs, judging the unrighteous (e.g., Malachi 4:5) and blessing the righteous (e.g., Obadiah 1:15–18). The New Testament teaches that Pentecost foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment of the day of the Lord (Acts 2:17–21), which will culminate with the second coming of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10).

The third theme of the Minor Prophets emphasizes the love of God. This is evident in the narrative arc of the Minor Prophets. It begins with a story that illustrates God’s love (Hosea 1—3) and concludes with a declaration of the same theme in Malachi 1:2. That verse reads, “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob.’”

Finally, to fully comprehend the core message of the Minor Prophets, it’s important to understand that the New Testament identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. While the minor prophets looked forward with anticipation to the Messiah’s arrival, Christians look back on it. As the New Testament affirms, the minor prophets testify to Jesus’ birth (e.g., Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1), public ministry (e.g., Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5), death (e.g., Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34–27), and resurrection (e.g., Jonah 2:10; Matthew 12:39–41). Jesus also taught that the Old Testament prophets testified about Him (Luke 18:31; 24:44–47).

The minor prophets lived under the Mosaic Covenant, which Jesus fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). In contrast, Christians today live under the New Covenant, a unilateral agreement that Jesus established by His death and resurrection (Jeremiah 31:31–40; Luke 22:20). Yet the books of the Minor Prophets remind Christians about the importance of Holy Spirit-empowered obedience. This obedience is no longer directed toward the law in its details but to its essence through loving God and others (Matthew 22:37–40) and to the mission of preaching the gospel and making disciples of every tribe, language, people, and nation (Matthew 28:18–20; Revelation 5:9).

Not by might nor by power

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?, Zechariah.

What does God mean when He says, “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6)?

After the Jewish people experienced exile in Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia allowed 50,000 of them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple under Zerubbabel, governor of Jerusalem. At the time, Zechariah, a prophet and priest of Israel, received several visions from the Lord. In one of those visions, God delivered this key message: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, ESV).

In this period of Israel’s history, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were both ministering. While Haggai encouraged the returned Jewish exiles in their work of rebuilding the temple, Zechariah urged them to repent of sin and renew their covenant with God. Spiritual renewal would be essential to their survival and worship of God once the temple was rebuilt.

Construction on the temple, which had been stopped by opposition from neighbors, resumed under the exhortation of Zechariah and Haggai. Zechariah experienced a series of night visions; in the fifth one, he saw a solid gold lampstand. Two olive trees provided the lampstand with its oil supply, which flowed through two golden pipes (Zechariah 4:1–3). The key message of the vision is contained in the words of verse 6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The work of rebuilding the temple would only be accomplished by God’s Spirit and not by human might nor power.

In many places in the Old Testament, the Lord’s Spirit is represented by oil (Isaiah 61:1–3; 1 Samuel 16:13). The abundant supply of oil in Zechariah’s vision is the Holy Spirit’s power, which would help Zerubbabel finish rebuilding the temple (symbolized by the large lampstand). The lampstand’s light signified that Israel, God’s covenant people, were to shine forth light and glorify God in the earth.

Both in the Old and New Testament, God’s people are called to shine the light of God’s glory into all the world (Isaiah 60:1–3; Matthew 5:14–16). It is the great commission of every believer (Matthew 28:19–20). Just as Zerubbabel would need to depend on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish the work, so do Christians today. God’s people have no ability in themselves to shine the light of God’s truth to those walking in darkness.

The word for might in Zechariah 4:6 is often translated as “army,” “force,” “ability,” or “efficiency” and is associated with human resources. It also relates to financial means and can be connected with wealth. The term power implies purposeful force, firm resolve, dynamic strength, and resoluteness. Not by might nor by power—not by their own abilities, plentiful resources, or fierce determination—would God’s people build the temple and send God’s light into the world. Only by the Spirit of the Lord would their work and worship become a light broadcasting into all the earth (Acts 1:8; John 16:7–15).

As the physical labor of rebuilding the temple was being done, a spiritual renewal was also taking place. Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel were not to trust in financial resources or military prowess, but in the mighty power of God’s Spirit working through them: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:4–7, NLT).

God had made a similar promise to those who remained faithful to Him in Hosea’s day: “But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God” (Hosea 1:7, NLT).

Zerubbabel need not be discouraged by human limitations or afraid of earthly obstacles, and neither should present-day Christians (Romans 8:31; cf. Haggai 2:5; Isaiah 41:10). When God calls us to a purpose, His Spirit fills and equips us to complete it (Acts 2:17–18; John 3:34; Ephesians 1:18–20). As the apostle Paul learned, human weakness is no obstacle because God’s power is perfected in it: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10; see also Hebrews 11:34).

Our God-given work is guaranteed to be successful, not by human might or power, but by the guidance and empowering of God’s Holy Spirit poured into our lives like the oil that fueled Zechariah’s lampstand.