The Man Among the Myrtle Trees

I have found the visions in Zechariah are so revealing of the promises of God to send Jesus the saviour of all man and the endless grace and love of God. The first vision is testimony of these things as it is all through the book. It is so easy to look at the surface message of these visions as they do pertain to the “Jews” of that age. But like God has many layers (infinite) there are also layers of meanings in scripture. Ask the Holy Spirit to open these to you and it will be done. The gospel is all the way through the Old and New Testament and God is just waiting to reveal Himself to you.

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.

⁸ During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

In this verse we see a direct contrast between what should happen and what stops it happening. Let me explain, the man riding on the red horse represents swift (because he is riding) bloodshed (colour of red) is what should “happen” to man who are not in a relationship with God. Here it is focused on the Jewish nation who had turned away from God but it has a universal meaning as well.

However, there is also a man in a ravine standing by a myrtle tree. As we are all aware a ravine (using the symbolic nature of this word) is a place of no escape with its steep sided walls. If we try to escape the ravine through own efforts it will lead to death. Yet at the bottom of the ravine is a man beside a myrtle tree and a river. What does that represent? The Man is Jesus or Jehovah (that was yet to come) and the river is the Holy Spirit. The myrtle tree represents a young budding (because in verse 1 it gives the time of the year – February to the new moon in March given the term Chaldee, which means “shoot,” ) tree. Note it isn’t a Cedar of Lebanon which is tall and solid but a small tree, which needs protection and care.

To further explain we have a red horseman coming to kill those in the inescapable ravine but the Holy Spirit is there beside the Jehovah/Jesus (as it will be when Jesus comes to earth) who by His presence and Grace will protect the tree (us) and enable the tree to shoot/bud grow and thrive.

What a great way to create context for the vision/s. Lets proceed with the remainder of the vision.

⁹ I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”

¹⁰ Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”

Notice here it says “throughout the earth”. This does remind me Job 2:2  “I (Satan) have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” Here we see the love of God as He (Lord) sends out angels to patrol the earth counteracting Satan’s efforts to defend his people.

¹¹ And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

Here we see “the earth . . is at rest and in peace.” the heathen are at rest with their lives while Judah was desolate and their Temple not restored. Here have a direct contrast to those who are happy with their lives (heathen) and the Jews who are desolate and not restored. You see here the Holy Spirit has enlightened them, albeit through adversity, that shows up their desolation (God not filling their heart) because God isn’t dwelling in their temple which has yet to be restored.

This verse lays emphasis on the relationship between man and God and how he is more than willing to restore our temple. It is when by the influence of the Holy Spirit we see the walls of the ravine and that we understand, there is no way out except by God.

¹² Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?” ¹³ So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

¹⁴ Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, ¹⁵ and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’

Here we see the wrath of Jesus on those who suppress Judah or in our present day to those who love God. His people who need restoring are His people to show the world his love and mercy.

¹⁶ “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.

The measuring line is a great vision which follows this vision. It shows God’s abundance  when we are restored (temple) in Him.

¹⁷ “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

God is eager to bless us with the blessing that we can share with others. This can be wealth, love, mercy, long suffering, patience, etc. To impact others about His love and to draw them nearer to Him. God is love.