Armeggedon…Zechariah pt 8

And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.  In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;  And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.  Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?  And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.  And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.(Zechariah 6:1-8)

In Zechariah’s final vision of the eight, He saw four chariots, (lit. Merkava in the Hebrew language). The first vision saw four horsemen, an angelic patrol going throughout the earth, but in this vision, the prophet sees chariots, indicating mechanized war. Red horses, indicate the color of war, Black the color of death, White horses for victory, and grizzled, (dappled) horses, possibly represent famine and disease.

The Chariots flow out from between two mountains of Brass. Brass is a holy metal, that is, it was used in the temple. The outer court area of sacrifice utilized Brass, for it represents Divine Judgment. Universal Judgement begins from between the two “brass Mountains”.

One possibility is that this is Zechariah’s version of what Joel saw in His final vision,

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,  I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.(Joel 3:1-3)

A valley is the lowland between two mountains, and the Valley of Jehoshaphat, lies between Mt Zion(Temple Mount) and the Mount of Olives. Jehoshaphat means,”Jahweh Shall Judge” and the story of Jehoshaphat is a fore type of the final battle in which the gentiles nations besiege Jerusalem, but God grants them a mighty deliverance!

God will judge the nations of the world which have been at ease, ignoring Israel’s plight, and they have even helped further the affliction of Zion! They have scattered Israel, parted her land and “cast lots for my people “,(voted for or against, condemned, censured) in the United Nations, and have prostituted their values, (Human rights, protection of the innocent), overlooking Arab terrorism for the sake of access to oil! They have literally “Sold a boy for a harlot and a girl that they might drink wine”.

Judgment is coming, the Chariots of Death, War and victory head North first, but then throughout the whole earth. All of the nations become embroiled in the nightmare conflict called the “Controversy of Zion”.

The four war chariots are also called “the four Spirits of the heavens”. They are more fully revealed in the Revelation given to John in the Apocalypse.THey are seen as Four Horsemen in Revelation 6 and as the Spirits which are holding back Judgment in Revelation 7,

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth…And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree(Revelation 6:1-8, 7:1)

These horrors coming upon the earth are the outcome of the previous events granted Zechariah in vision. Jerusalem must be restored, as the Joy not the whole earth. The Nations which scattered her and didn’t care about her plight must be judged. The city must be restored and Israel also to her rightful place as the Priestly Witness to God, (Lampstand) set on the Holy Hill, the city of glory!

The iniquity which snared and corrupted Israel, must be taken away to Babylon, Shinar, the place of universal Gentile rebellion against God,  then Iniquity will be removed from the Holy nation in one day and the Kingdom of God shall commence on earth!

Finally, before the eyes of the whole world, the King/Priest, the man named ‘the branch’ must be crowned and anointed as God’s appointed ruler.