Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/225



EARLY two years had elapsed since that memorable night on which the series of eight visions were shown to the prophet in which are unfolded, as in a wonderful panorama, the thoughts and purposes of God concerning Israel and the nations from the beginning to the very end of this age when the word of Jehovah came again to Zechariah. The day, the month, and the year of this divine oracle are clearly given it was " in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev " (answering to December), " in the fourth year of King Darius"

The occasion when the prophet was inspired to utter this great and comforting prophecy, which stands separate and complete in itself, though going over in plain, verbal prophecy the same line of thought as unfolded by the visions, is clearly stated in the first three verses of chap. vii.

To understand the circumstances which brought about the very significant incident recorded in these verses, we have to remember that the fourth year of Darius was a time when things seemed to go well, and looked promising to the remnant who had returned to the land. Every hindrance to the completion of the building of the Temple had been removed by the royal decree of Darius, as recorded in Ezra vi. Even the city of Jerusalem, in spite of the desolations which still prevailed in some of its quarters, and the ruinous condition of its walls, was begin ning to improve and revive, and contained already some fine private residences, as we may judge from Hag. i. 4.

The question, therefore, naturally agitated the minds of