ATHEIST SCEPTICAL BIBLE READING ZECHARIAH 1 2 3 4 5 > <META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="Humanism, atheism, television, media studies, vampires, cthulhu, comics, graphic novels, battle, Moston, goths, night clubs, food, drink, religion, sects, guru, brainwashing, meditation, fun, philosophy, literature, time, Judge Dredd, Dr. Who, flash fiction, fantasy, comedy, beer, pubs, travel, art, history, Civil War Re-enactment, humour, short stories, links, quicksand, science fiction, SF, trivia, abstracts, haiku, poetry slams, poetry, blogging, myspace, belief, doubt, cynicism, free will, Eastercon, costuming, photographs, scepticism, existentialism, biography, autobiography, books, films, cinema, scripts, Manchester, links to other sites, Arthur Chappell"> <META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Atheism, Religious cults, erotica, humour, Civil War Re-enactment, history, Manchester England, humour, philosophy, book and film reviews."> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <link rel=File-List href="./bible-zechariah-1-5_files/filelist.xml"> <title>Some of the Old Testament's strangest prophetic visions

Some of the Old Testament's strangest prophetic visions

A sceptical Bible reading of the book of Zechariah 1 to 5

Chapter One

Second to last of the Minor prophecies and the penultimate book of the Old Testament. Zechariah was a contemporary of the preceding Minor Prophet, Haggai. He sets out to appeal to the next generation of the Hebrew peoples, and warn them not to make the same mistakes as their fathers, (the very fathers who would read his work as it went into public circulation).

God has sent four horsemen to patrol the Earth (not to be confused with the later horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Christian Book Of Revelation); An Angel comes to Zechariah to tell him about the horsemen. Their role is to see just how much evil and sin is in the World. (Why can’t an omnipotent God do that for himself?). The angel appears to want Zechariah to help plead a case before God for not destroying the heathenish city that is the new Jerusalem (Verse 14) (the very city God has Haggai leading in a new temple’s construction in the preceding Bible book.

Chapter Two

Zechariah has a second vision, this time of four horns and four carpenters. God explains the vision as symbolic of the removal of the invading forces suppressing and occupying Israel, and the city’s reconstruction.

God wants the next Jerusalem (another one after Haggai’s or the same one) to be unwalled, as the people there must trust God to protect them, rather than any man made defensive barriers like city walls. Their own faith alone will protect them.

News of the vision sends the people to Jerusalem rejoicing in song and prayer to God.

Chapter Three

Joshua, newly ordained as priest of the new temple of Jerusalem, is set on trial by Satan, but angel arrives and halts the proceedings, pushing Satan aside and re-robbing Joshua in the garb of a priest. We are not informed what charges Satan planned to level against Joshua. It would be a miscarriage of justice today in any court for the defence to simply push the prosecution council out of the courtroom before he can speak.

Chapter Four

A cryptic vision of the building work in Jerusalem follows. This prophecy involves candelabra, seven lamps and a bowl. The prophet is told that this represents how he will personally supervise the construction project and see it completed in his lifetime. (Written after it came true possibly).

The vision ends with God showing Zechariah mental pictures of two olive branches representative of two blessed anointed men, a king and a priest (Rabbi). Jerusalem will be united in church and state, secular and religious leadership.

Chapter Five

The weirdest vision yet next, with a giant flying floating writhing scroll. Gliding serpent like through the air, representing the Laws of God, as presented to Moses. Zechariah learns that all humanity rides the scroll, but the wicked fall off its edges and the scroll is capable of entering the houses of any thieves among us and destroying their property.

The hallucegenic vision extends further, with the evils of all being captured and sealed in a basket like urn, encased in lead and carried off to Babylon by angels, never to trouble Jerusalem again.

The full text of Zechariah online – http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Zechariah+1

Arthur Chappell

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