12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?” 13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. 14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. 15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped—but with evil intent.”
Verses 12-17 give three results of the horse vision.
-the intercession of the Angel of the LORD with the LORD, 12
-the LORD’S response, 13
-the prophet’s commission, 14-17
1:12
Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts,
Verse 12 is an intercession for Israel by the Second Person of the Trinity (“the Angel of the LORD”) with the First Person of the Trinity (“the LORD of hosts”). Zechariah overheard this conversation.
how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”
In reply to the idea that the Gentile world was at peace and not under divine discipline, the Angel of the LORD responded with disappointment that the “LORD of hosts” had not dealt with the nations of the world. There was no suggestion that the Messianic kingdom would begin. Thus, He presented the question of “how long” it would take for the kingdom to come. This was great consternation to Zechariah.
Jeremiah revealed that the Babylonian captivity would last “70 years” (Jer 25:11; 29:11). Zechariah hoped that that promise would come true in his generation.
1:13
And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.
The LORD gave an encouraging answer to Zechariah through the interpreting angel.
1:14
So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
The LORD of hosts unambiguously made His commitment to Israel apparent. He holds Israel in a special place; He is “zealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great zeal.”
“I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal.
The cognate accusative “jealous with jealousy” is exceedingly emphatic. Israel had been disposed and abused by a foreign nation (Ps 132:13-14, 17-18). God would deal with that.
1:15
I am exceedingly angry with the nations [Gentile nations] at ease; For I was a little angry,
God was greatly angry with Gentile nations. “Exceedingly angry” means angry with anger. God was angry with the anti-Semitism of the Gentiles. Yet, these nations were “at ease.” They were in a settled state of tranquility apart from God.
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
The Gentiles “helped” with the discipline of Israel by taking them into captivity for 70 years of exile, but their intent was evil. God intended to discipline them, not to destroy them.
PRINCIPLE:
God is displeased today with any form of anti-Semitism.
APPLICATION:
Even in the 21st century, the kingdom has not yet come. God is still angry today with anti-Semitic nations in the 21st century. The purpose of the Tribulation before the Messianic kingdom is to bring Israel back to God and discipline Gentile nations.
