Title: That I'm Back
Contents
The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament opens his mouth like this:
“God, who in ancient times spoke to our fathers in various parts and in various ways through the prophets, has spoken to us in these last days by a Son…”
Here, the different parts and different shapes represent the variety of ways God reveals His will to us.
In the Old Testament times, God revealed His will through various methods such as human shapes, dreams, angels, Urim and Thummim (Deuteronomy 33:8), events, and appearances.
But in the New Testament era, He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Wouldn't that mean we wouldn't use the Old Testament method at all? Absolutely not.
“Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).
Future days, dreams, and ideals are that God shows us His will through this.
Here, 'after that' was understood by the Apostle Peter as 'the last days' (Acts 2:17).
In other words, in the last days, God reveals Himself in many different ways.
Of course, the Word is the best way to express God.
“Therefore, all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” This is the gospel that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:24-25)
But God is pleased to reveal His will in various ways with His Word.
However, if you block your ears to this God, you are committing an offense that limits God's power.
God also works through people, events, dreams, visions, and environments. Therefore, it is important to be spiritually sensitive.
People with spiritual sensitivity are supposed to discern the will of God. The Holy Spirit helps us discover and understand the will of God correctly. God's children must not overlook any of these things. You have to ask God with me. Like the prophet Zechariah.
The prophet Zechariah had eight visions in one night.
① The illusion of a person riding a red horse
② The vision of the four horns
③ The illusion of the scale line
④ The vision of Joshua
⑤ The illusion of a pure gold lighthouse
⑥ Flying scroll illusion
⑦ A woman's fantasy
⑧ The vision of your chariot, etc. (Zechariah 1:7~6:8).
But what does the prophet Zechariah do whenever he sees a vision?
'I saw' (verse 8) The prophet Zechariah had a vision. And with what he saw, he questioned God.
"God, what does this mean?" Instead of passing on the vision he saw, he brings it to God and asks questions.
Then God explains the vision.
We maintain this pattern almost as a formula for the eight illusions. Let's take a closer look at when he had this vision.
Verse 7 says, "In the eleventh month of the second year of Darius, that is, on the twenty-fourth day of the month of Shebath."
The second year of King Darius means the time when everything was desolate.
It means a situation in which there is no hope and no hope. However, a more absurd situation unfolds than this.
Verse 11. “We went through the land, and the whole land was at peace and calm.” This phrase should be well understood.
This does not mean that the whole world is stable and at peace.
It means 'the whole earth is silent because nothing is happening'.
This means that God does nothing. Now his people are in despair. Losing the will to recover, he sits down.
Unjust things are happening. Nevertheless, God is doing nothing. You are quiet.
This was an important factor that severely discouraged the Israelites at that time.
Habakkuk also cried out in this situation.
'You have pure eyes, so that you cannot see evil or see rebellion. Why do you stand by the treacherous, and the wicked swallow up those who are more righteous than them, yet remain silent?' (Hab 1:13) He gave a vision to the prophet Zechariah.
'I saw at night a man riding on a red horse, standing among the fossil trees in the valley...' (Zechariah 1:8) Zechariah uses the symbolic expression 'night'.
Because night always means darkness, despair and discouragement. In this desperate situation, Zechariah sees a vision of a man riding a red horse standing among the fossil trees in a valley.
But who is the person riding the red horse that appears here? 'They said to the angel of the Lord, standing among the fossil trees, We went through the earth, and the whole land was at peace and quiet' (Zechariah 1:11).
Here we can see that the rider on the red horse (1:8) and the angel of the Lord (1:11) are the same person.
So, who is Jehovah's messenger? Samson's father, Manoah, made a burnt offering to the 'Angel of the Lord'. (Judges 3:15-20)
Then the angel of the Lord receives the burnt offering. Burnt offerings are accepted only by God. (Judges 13:18-20)
Then the angel of Jehovah means God Himself. Furthermore, the 'angel of the Lord' who received the sacrifice revealed his name as 'wonderful' (Judges 13:18).
Needless to say, the name Wonderful was the name of the coming Messiah (Isaiah 9:6).
In this way, we can see that the person riding the red horse is Jesus Christ who appeared in the Old Testament.
But where is he now? You are standing in the valley between the fossil trees.
Here, the fossil tree has a deep spiritual meaning.
The Hebrews call the fossil tree Hadassah, which is related to Esther. The Hebrew name for Esther is Hadassah.
So the name Esther is a very common and common name.
At the same time, this wood is the main material mainly used by commoners to build cottages.
Taking it one step further, this tree is characterized by its growth in low valleys.
So, where is the valley between the fossil trees? It refers to the current state of Jerusalem, the difficult situation Israel is facing.
And it refers to the field of ordeal that ordinary people face.
There is a 'hadassah,' that is, right there where ordinary people think they can no longer have hope in the dark, sombre valley of trials.
He is our Lord. But how did this grace come about?
In Zechariah 1:16, it says, 'I have returned.'
Then, explaining the motive for his return, he says, 'because of mercy'.
It does not mean that the people of Israel are back. In fact, if you look closely at the front, you can't find any traces of the Israelites' repentance and return.
But God had mercy on them, so they returned.
In Zechariah 1:8, the second person is described as riding on a 'red horse'.
Here the horse always symbolizes war or victory in subduing the enemy.
In the valley of the cypress tree, 'The angel of the LORD answered and said, "O LORD of hosts, how long will the LORD not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with this for seventy years." (Zechariah 1:12)
We are offering intercessory prayers. Hearing this prayer, God had mercy on them and they came back. And bless you.
'Cry again, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, My cities will again overflow and abound, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem' (Zechariah 1:17).
You cannot miss the emphasis on the word 'again' here.
So, if the promise in verse 17 could be summarized in one word, it would be 'restoration'.
It is a promise that God will restore you.
Dear saints,
Are there people who are thrown into the same environment as 'The second year of King Dario, that night'?
May the Lord give you a vision.
The darker the times we live, the more we need visions or visions the most.
The darker and the more painful, the more despair and trials life leads to, what we need most is to have a vision.
But the problem is that vision is not something you can have just because you want it.
Vision is what you see. Vision is what God shows us.