Title Flying Scroll (Zech 05:1-4)
Contents The prophet Zechariah saw a vision of a scroll flying into the sky as the sixth vision.
A scroll is a book.
In ancient times there were two kinds of books.
The collapsible that we have today, from the 4th century, is the codex
It is said.
However, in ancient times, there were books in the form of a codex, and there were also books in the form of scrolls.
The codex is called papyrus, and the bark of bamboo was peeled off to make paper, and the letters were written with charcoal-like materials. Most of the New Testament that has been passed down to us was written on papyrus.
Books in the form of scrolls have large trees on either side and are usually made of sheepskin, and the Old Testament is made of these scrolls.
1. Symbol of Judgment
“I lifted up my eyes again and saw a flying scroll” (Zechariah 5:1).
A strange book flies in the sky.
It is said to be 20 cubits long and 10 cubits wide.
These dimensions in today's units are 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.
Since the average man in our country is 5 to 6 feet tall, the length of a book that flies is about 5 to 6 times the height of a man, and the width is 15 feet.
Zechariah, the servant of God, is seeing the big book flying in a vision. Let's see how the scroll flies and what it means.
Many scholars study this area.
While researching, I found one the same size as this book, which is the porch of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
According to 1 Kings 6:6, the size of the porch of this temple is 30 cubits and 15 cubits.
The porch of Solomon's temple was where the Law was read.
It is certainly significant that a scroll the size of the porch on which the Law was read flew through the sky.
There is something written in the scroll, and the written words cannot be avoided and cannot be withdrawn.
The flying scroll means that the sins of the earth cannot be hidden.
Even if we sometimes watch movies, we see that when a criminal is running away in a car and a helicopter chases it, the car loses its way.
Helicopter chases from the sky and looking down, there is nowhere to hide.
Likewise, the flying scroll is a threat to God.
Not only that, but it looks like all the writings on the open scroll are going to spill out at any moment.
What does this mean? It symbolizes God's judgment.
When the scroll flies and goes around and is poured out on all the earth, then the curse falls (verse 3).
God's curses fall here and there like bombs.
2. Subject of Judgment
Words falling like bombs have two targets.
The writings on one side of the book and the writings on the other side fall as a curse to the thief and the one who swears falsely.1).The thief
“Everyone who steals will be cut off just as it is written on this side” (Zechariah 5:3).
What kind of theft is theft in the text?
There is a story in Aesop's fables.
One day, a dog and a chicken were fighting at home, and the dog went to the moon to report the chicken.
“Dal, chickens are not working these days.
When dawn comes, the chicken should cry, but it won't." So the chicken
“Moon, give me a chance to make excuses. The reason the chicken crows is to tell the time to the owner, but now there are alarm clocks in every room. Even the housekeeper wears a watch. Do I need to cry, old-fashioned? They say that crying is rather noisy, so I have decided not to cry anymore.”
And thinking about it makes me angry. So I say it again
“My lord, I will make a complaint. This dog also doesn't bark at home these days.”
“Give me an excuse, too, in the world, dogs bark when a thief comes, and my owner is a thief, so how do I bark? If you bark at the thief owner, you won't be able to get food."
Of course, this is a drawing, but in today's world, everything is a thief.
Theft is not just stealing things.
Making an appointment on time and not keeping it is also stealing.
We have already been given the eighth commandment to not steal before God.
Now the scrolls are poured out on the thieves from the other side, and there is no way to escape.
2). Those who swear falsely
“Everyone who swears will be cut off by the word on the other side” (Zechariah 5:3).
We glorify God, obey Him, and commit ourselves, but in reality we talk a lot about nonsense before God.
It is terrifying when the scroll flies and drops curses on those who swear falsely.
Therefore, we should not be careless when we pray.
In the book of Judges, there is a judge named Jephthah.
However, while Jephthah was fighting with his enemies, he prayed before God.
“When I return in peace from the children of Ammon, whoever comes out to meet me at the door of my house, I will give to the LORD, and I will offer him as a burnt offering” (Judges 11:31).
It is not saying that they present themselves before God, but that they will sacrifice the first person who comes to welcome them.
God gave Jephthah an answer to his prayer so that he could go to the battlefield and win.
Jephthah wins the war and returns as a triumphal general. What is this? It was Jephthah's only daughter who came out dancing and playing the trumpet in the front.
We must not pray in vain before God.
You must not be fooled.
“I tell you, do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; neither by earth, for it is God’s footstool; nor by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great king” (Matthew 5:34-35).
This is not to say not to make promises.
A marriage vow or a christening ceremony is also an oath.
However, the above is not to make promises that cannot be kept.
You must not do anything in the name of heaven or earth that you cannot protect.
The reason why people who believe in Jesus are criticized and criticized by the world for being only good at talking is because they swear too much.
Verse 4 says that God will enter the house of the one who swears falsely, and stay there, and burn down the wood and stones of that house.
Here's a scary lesson.
The Israelites promised to build the house of God and did not build it for 15 years.
It was a false oath.
They prayed that if God made me rich, if God gave me health, I would build a house for God and do God's work.
When I told them to do God's work, they didn't do God's work, they did their own work, and God said that now the wood and stone are burned down.
In this way, a person who steals and swears in vain before God is judged as a scroll is flying around, and he has nowhere to go.
Today, we must not be subject to such judgment before God.
You have to be faithful before God, put God's work first, and find work that pleases God.
Since you and I do not steal or swear before God, I hope that we will not disappoint the Lord and live as faithful saints in the Lord.