Chapter 8 not only contains two major messages from the Lord (vv. 1-17, 18-23) but 10 minor messages, "a decalogueof divine words,"155that make up the two major ones. "Thus says the Lord"introduces each of these minor messages (vv. 2, 3, 4-5, 6, 7-8, 9-13, 14-18, 19, 20-22, 23) each of which contains a promise of future blessing for Israel. These short sayings may have been the texts of different sermons that Zechariah had preached and later wove together because of their similar content.156
"In the preceding section [ch. 7] Israel was to repent and live righteously after the punishment of her captivity; here [in ch. 8] she is to repent and live righteously because of the promise of her future restoration."157
The whole chapter presents Israel's eventual restoration and participation in full millennial blessing.158The restoration from exile in Zechariah's day was only a precursor of greater future blessing and prosperity.
"Of a total of 36 occurrences of YHWH of hosts' in Zechariah, 15 are in this one oracle [ch. 8], the highest concentration of the phrase in the OT with the possible exception of Malachi. Even more remarkable, it occurs six times in the present passage alone [8:1-8], a passage that focuses narrowly on eschatological restoration. So humanly impossible will that be, it can come to pass only by the resources of the Almighty One."159
8:1 The Lord's word came to Zechariah.
"The introductory formula lacks the words to mein the original, a fact which suggests that Zechariah was repeating words he had often spoken rather than expressing a new revelation."160
8:2 Almighty Yahweh had revealed that He was very jealous for the exclusive love and commitment of His people (cf. 1:14). His loving jealousy burned within Him.
". . . YHWH is a jealous God' (Ex. 20:5), one who tolerates no rivals real or imaginary and who is zealous to protect His uniqueness and maintain the allegiance of His people to Himself alone. He is also jealous for His people, that is, He is protective of them against all who would challenge them or claim to be elect alongside them. Therefore, He is zealous to safeguard their interests and come to their defense."161
"The zeal with which God had carried through His chastisement of Israel and then of the nations (1:15, 21) was now burning to restore the covenant bond."162
8:3 Yahweh announced that He would return to Zion and reside among His people in Jerusalem again (cf. 1:16; 2:10). When He did, people would call Jerusalem the City of Truth, and they would refer to the temple mount as the Holy Mountain (cf. 14:20-21). Finally the recurring cycle of apostasy followed by punishment would end.
"Jerusalem did not acquire this character in the period after the captivity, in which, though not defiled by gross idolatry, as in the times before the captivity, it was polluted by other moral abominations no less than it had been before. Jerusalem becomes a faithful city for the first time through the Messiah, and it is through Him that the temple mountain first really becomes the holy mountain."163
8:4-5 Then the elderly would feel secure enough to sit in the open streets again, and children would again play in the streets because they would be safe. During the destruction of Jerusalem both of these groups of Israelites had suffered greatly (Lam. 2:21). In other words, Jerusalem would become a place of tranquillity, long life, peace, prosperity, and security for even the most defenseless of her citizens (cf. Isa. 65:20-25). These conditions await the return of Jesus Christ at His second coming.
8:6 Even though these blessings seemed impossible to the people of Zechariah's day, they were not to assume that they would be impossible for the Lord. His promises of blessing were as hard for the returned exiles to believe as His threats of judgment had been for their ancestors previously.
8:7-8 Sovereign Yahweh promised to deliver His people from the distant places in the world where He had scattered them and to bring them back to live in Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 30:7-11; 31:7-8).164There they would enjoy intimacy with Him, a relationship marked by truth and righteousness. This future Exodus depended on Yahweh's electing grace and His covenant faithfulness just as much as the original Exodus did.
"They will be my people, and I will be . . . their God' is covenant terminology, pertaining to intimate fellowship in a covenant relationship (cf. Gen 17:7-8; Exod 6:7; 19:5-6; 29:45-46; Lev 11:45; 22:33; 25:38; 26:12, 44-45; Num 15:41; Deut 4:20; 29:12-13; Jer 31:33; 32:38; Ezek 37:27; 2 Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3)."165
"This is one of the greatest and most comprehensive promises in reference to Israel's restoration and conversion to be found in the prophetic Scriptures."166
8:9 The Lord also told the people to gain strength from the words of the prophets who had encouraged them to complete the rebuilding of the temple ever since they began the project (cf. Josh. 7:11; 2 Sam. 2:7; 16:21; Hag. 2:4). These prophets were Haggai, Zechariah, and perhaps others (Ezra 5:1-2). Probably the resumption of construction in 520 B.C. (Hag. 2:18) is in view rather than the restoration of the foundation in 536 B.C. (Ezra 3:8). Between these dates the people did little work on the temple, especially between 530 and 520 B.C.
8:10 Before the returnees began to rebuild in earnest, there was severe unemployment, so there were no wages for many of the people (cf. Hag. 1:6). Even the animals were not earning their keep. There was also no peace because the enemies of the Jews oppressed them (cf. Ezra 4:1-5; Hag. 1:6-11; 2:15-19). The Lord Himself was ultimately responsible for the antagonism that existed then.
"This verse presents a contrast of the present, when they had begun to obey the Word of God, with the past, when they did not."167
8:11-12 The Lord promised to treat the remnant of His people differently in the future than He had in the past (cf. Hag. 2:19). Peace would prevail for the people as they sowed their seed, their fields would become productive (cf. Hag. 2:19), there would be abundant moisture so things would grow (cf. Hag. 1:10-11), and the remnant would enjoy the fruits of all these blessings. These were some of the things God had promised the Israelites for covenant obedience (Lev. 26:3-10; Deut. 28:11-12; cf. Ezek. 34:25-27).
8:13 Even though the Israelites had been a curse among the nations in the past (cf. Deut. 28:15-68; Jer. 24:9; 25:18; 29:22), the Lord would save them and make them a blessing to the world in the future.
"Not only the two tribes [of Judah] but the ten [of Israel]. This has never yet been fulfilled."168
One of the purposes of these promises was to remove the Jews' present fear and to give them strength to complete the temple. "Let your hands be strong"is the exhortation that frames this sixth message of encouragement (cf. v. 9).
8:14-15 Yahweh of armies also promised that just as He had purposed to bring His people into difficult times because of their forefathers' sins (cf. Jer. 4:28; 51:12; Lam. 2:17), so He would bless Jerusalem in the near future. Covenant disobedience had brought divine discipline, but covenant obedience would bring divine blessing. As He had not relented from bringing the first promise to pass, so He would not go back on the second promise. His determination was equally strong in both instances. Therefore the people should not fear (cf. v. 13).
"These glorious eschatological promises illuminating the future of the Jews and setting before them their future national hope also came as an illustration to them of the blessing God had in store for them at that time. To describe this the prophet uses the expression in these days(v. 15). But the benefits that were immediate did not exhaust the full scopeof these sweeping prophetic previews.
"Like Jonah out of God's will they have caused a storm among the Gentiles. Yet in a future day, after their great tribulation, like Jonah's experience in the fish, they shall be restored to faith and obedience to minister to the nations of the millennium, as Jonah did to the Ninevites."169
8:16-17 In view of this promise, the remnant should speak truthfully with each other. They should also practice justice and promote peace (Heb. shalom) in their community life. They should stop plotting to take advantage of one another and stop lying under oath because the Lord hates these things (cf. Prov. 6:16-19; Mal. 2:16).
"One theological rationale for ethics, then, is awareness that God hates attitudes and actions contrary to his character. We are to love what God loves and hate what he hates."170
Verses 14-15 explain God's part in the people's immediate restoration, and verses 16-17 explain theirs.
