“Four Horsemen”
Albrecht Dürer, 1498, “The Four Horsemen, from ‘The Apocalypse’” – Public Domain
Revelation 6:1-7 speaks of a vision of four horsemen riding four horses of different colors; one of the horsemen is Death and the appearance of these horsemen signals violence, famine, and wrath. Frequently, people try to retroject those four horsemen from Revelation into Zechariah, though they are not here. In Zechariah 1, there is a rider on a red horse, with other horses behind him, including red. Then there are four chariots in Zechariah 6, but they seem to be pacifying God’s spirit, rather than pouring out wrath. And these are chariots or carriages, rather than ridden horses. The four colors of horses seem to be the only commonality here. The interpreter should be careful not to overdo any connection between the horsemen of Zechariah and Revelation.
Visions & DreamsDreams often have potency and predictive power in the Bible, for they were seen as messages from God. In the Old Testament Joseph dreamed about the seven fat and lean years. In the New Testament Joseph dreamed about escaping to Egypt with Mary and Jesus.
The prophet Zechariah has night visions or dreams, rather than exclusively hearing from God lucidly during the day. Yet, this is not out of the ordinary for God’s communication with humans. Indeed, God said during the wilderness journey, “If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream” (Numbers 12:6). The promise of the prophet Joel, rehearsed by PeterPeter (also known as Cephas, Simon Peter) was the disciple who denied Jesus during his trial but later became a leader in proclaiming Jesus. at PentecostPentecost was originally a Jewish harvest or pilgrimage festival that fell on the fiftieth day after Passover. It was during this festival that the Holy Spirit visited Jesus' followers in tongues of fire and caused them to speak in many languages, as reported in Acts..., was that the young would have visions and the old would dream dreams (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28). God spoke with Pharoah (Genesis 40) and NebuchadnezzarBabylonian king who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled the people. (DanielAn interpreter of dreams who was delivered from the lions' den. 2) in dreams. But night visions and dreams are not reserved for communication with hostile kings. Joseph was known as a dreamer (Genesis 37:19). Zechariah’s prophecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God. was not lesser because of the mode of revelation. Indeed, only MosesProphet who led Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land and received the law at Sinai. seems to speak with God face to face (Numbers 12:7-8). We should not esteem Zechariah as a lesser prophet because his visions seem to happen primarily at night.
Christian history is full of dreaming visions, and also those who cautioned against ascribing too much importance to dreams. St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Gregory the Great both hesitated to put too much faith in dreams as conduits of divine communication. St ThomasOne of the twelve disciples of Jesus who is remembered for doubting then believing in the resurrection. Aquinas advised that divine communication was only one of many causes of dreams, including the imagination, the bodily position in which one sleeps, and the atmospheric conditions that surround the sleeper. To pay undue attention to dreams can be misleading, and even idolatrous. “Dreams give wings to fools” (Sirach 34:1).
Christians continue to be inspired by dreams and prophetic visions, however. The Elector of the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Roman EmpireThe region we today call Palestine and Israel was under Roman rule during the time of Jesus and the early church. The Roman Empire was in its ascendancy during the first century, making it the most powerful political and military force on earth., Frederick III, had a dream in 1517 in which “a true son of the ApostleDerived from a Greek word meaning "one who is sent," an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person's idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus... PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities.” came to him and asked permission to write on the door of a church. The next morning, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in Wittenberg (pointedly, without asking the elector first…).
In the 19th century, St. John Bosco, known for his educational outreach to disadvantaged children, was a prolific dreamer and frequently heard from God in his sleep. God spoke to Bosco, using the medium of dreams, to communicate about the spiritual struggle faced by humans. Particularly, St. John Bosco’s dreams focused on the means of fighting injustice and evil through celebrating the sacraments and working for the good of “the least of these,” in his case, children without educational prospects.
All of these examples teach us that God speaks through dreams, but so do spicy foods, uncomfortable beds, and overnight storms. Christians should seek to stay both open and discerning.
International Jerusalem and Welcoming Foreigners
Zechariah presents a nuanced, but mostly positive vision of inclusion of foreigners in God’s restoration and redemption work. Inhabitants of foreign cities will stream to Jerusalem, seeking God, and asking to be part of theology classes conducted by seemingly random Jews (8:20-23). God will teach kosher, or at least improved, diets to Philistines and others who formerly distinguished themselves from God’s people. They will be regarded as part of JudahJudah was the name of Jacob's fourth son and one of the 12 tribes. (9:7). And lastly, even foreign nations will be invited to identify with Israel’s wilderness experience and celebrate the Festival of Booths (Sukkot) as if they had wandered the 40 years with God’s people (14:16). Indeed, any foreigners who exempt themselves from this invitation will suffer (14:17-19). Zechariah is intentionally reminding his hearers that even the wilderness journey out of Egypt from Sinai to the Promised Land was not mono-ethnic or mono-linguistic (See Exodus 12:38 and the mixed multitude who became part of the people of Israel). Make no mistake, in Zechariah, Jerusalem is the center of God’s attention, and Jews are God’s chosen people, to be sure. But everyone is invited and encouraged to become part of God’s story and encounter God in the Holy City.
In the current day, Christians of different sorts bicker over who owns what piece of holy property in Jerusalem. Famously, a Muslim man, Adeeb Jawad Joudeh Al-Husseini, holds the keys to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, rather than any of the multiple Christian groups who share an uneasy truce within the building. Church patriarchsOriginally patriarchs were men who exercised authority over an extended family or tribe. The book of Genesis introduces Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the three patriarchs of the people of Israel. continue to write letters seeking to include or exclude people from various holy places (including those not in Christian hands). In the contemporary context of Jerusalem, Zechariah’s message remains relevant, that God will open the Holy City to all.
Polyvalence of Prophecies (ZerubbabelThe governor of Judah who helped rebuild the Temple after the exile. or JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity.?)
Zechariah speaks of a chosen branch (3:8-10, 6:11-13), messiah(s) (4:14), humble leaders riding on donkeys (9:9) and the pierced one who is mourned over as an only son (12:10). This must be Jesus, right? Yes, it is. But also, it was probably Zerubbabel several hundred years before the IncarnationIncarnation literally means "embodied in flesh." It is a Christian doctrine, based on the witness in John's Gospel, that God's Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds confess the central importance of the incarnation of Jesus.. As the first leader of the reconstituted exilic community in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel was profoundly exciting and reignited hopes of the people that God would anointTo anoint is to pour oil, water, or other substances on a person's head in a ritual fashion. In the Old Testament the prophet Samuel anointed David; and in Luke's gospel Jesus declared that he was anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to... a leader to save them and propel them to greatness, as had their kings hundreds of years earlier. Surely Zerubbabel faced many challenges, and possibly even violence as he literally rebuilt the foundations of God’s house, as well as the community.
These passages being about Zerubbabel, and possibly the whole House of Israel, before they were applied to Jesus does not undermine their importance to Christians. Indeed, if the Word of God is a living Word, it is reasonable that God would speak different things to different communities at different times and in different places with the same words. We do not have to argue “either/or” for Zerubbabel/Jesus. Instead, we might use the opportunity to praise God for enduring words of Scripture that provide comfort and encouragement throughout the centuries.
