---
title: "John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible"
author: "John Wesley"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 259 of 398
url: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/259/
cite: "John Wesley, John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible, section 259. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/259/"
---

# John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible

*John Wesley*

Wesley's short, plain notes on the Old and New Testaments, verse by verse.

## 259. Zechariah · 1 of 4

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/259/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/259/#p-N

[¶0] In the eighth month - Two months after Haggai began to encourage the Jews to build the temple. Zechariah - Probably this is that Zechariah whom the Jews slew between the temple and the altar, Matt 23:35.

[¶1] Where are they - But where are your disobedient fathers? Were they not consumed with famine and sword, as I threatened them? Do they live - The prophets died as others; they must not live always to warn you.

[¶2] My words - The dreadful menaces which I spake. My statutes - The decreed judgments which I resolved to execute on them, which by my prophets I proclaimed. Take hold - Overtake as a pursuing enemy overtakes, and seizeth on his enemy. They returned - By this it should seem that Zechariah gave them time to consider what answer to give. So hath he dealt - It is true, as God said he would do, so he hath done against us.

[¶3] A man - Christ Jesus in the shape of a man. Riding - In a posture of readiness. A red horse - This colour is a symbol of his coming to avenge himself on his enemies. The myrtle - trees - He posted himself in a convenient place to observe and be ready, among verdant, fragrant trees, emblems of the saints of God. In the bottom - This bottom or valley in which the myrtles grew, is an emblem of the church in a low, afflicted state. Behind him - Christ was, as becomes a captain, at the head, the rest, as his soldiers, are behind attending on him. Red horses - Horses and horsemen, and those are angels, ver.10. And the colour of these horses is red, probably denoting the bloody condition of states and kingdoms, by wars one against another when God punisheth his church, or when he avengeth himself. Speckled - Of a mixt colour; perhaps an emblem of affairs, not all dark, nor all light, such as those during the last seventy prophetic weeks. White - An emblem of the best days of the church.

[¶4] O my Lord - This was Christ, the Lord of hosts. What are these - What is the meaning of these appearances. The angel - Christ, the angel of the covenant.

[¶5] These - Horsemen, are angels, who are ministers of the Divine Providence in the government of the world.

[¶6] Is at rest - All men sit still to take their ease. All is peaceable. This was the state of the empire which at that time ruled all.

[¶7] Angel of the Lord - The angel, the Lord Christ.

[¶8] Cry thou - Now publish what thou hearest, and assure my poor captive church, that God will do good for her.

[¶9] A little displeased - With mine own people, that is, in comparison of the anger I bear against the Heathen. Helped forward - Attempted to destroy whom I would but correct.

[¶10] A line - The builder's measuring line shall be stretched out, to mark out the walls, gates, streets, and houses in Jerusalem.

[¶11] Through prosperity - Through increase of families, they shall send forth colonies, and plant new cities, and thro' increase of wealth, and cattle, be able to build their cities, and stock their colonies.

[¶12] Four horns - Emblems of the enemies of the Jews.

[¶13] The horns - Powers, states, and kingdoms, which have from all sides pushed at, broken and tossed my people. Judah - The two tribes. Israel - The ten tribes.

[¶14] He - Christ. These - He first points to the four horns. But these - These carpenters are emblems of those instruments God will employ in breaking those destroyers. Who lift up - Who employed their arms and strength against the kingdom of Judah, to drive them out of God's inheritance.

[¶15] With a line - Ready and prepared to lay out the platform of Jerusalem.

[¶16] To measure - To take the exact dimensions of it, that it may answer God's promise, and be capable to receive its inhabitants. Jerusalem - The city which was to be built hereafter.

[¶17] The angel - Christ, who had so long talked with Zechariah. Went forth - From the midst of the myrtle - trees.

[¶18] And he said - Christ to that angel who came to meet him. Run - Hasten and tell Zechariah. As towns - The suburbs of it shall be as towns unwalled, for extent and for safety.

[¶19] The glory - My presence and favour shall make her glorious.

[¶20] Ho, ho - Ye sleepy Jews. Come forth - Come out from your prisons. Flee - Make all the haste you can. From the land - Babylon, which lay north of Canaan. For I have spread you abroad - As I executed my threats in scattering you, so I will perform my promise, and gather you.

[¶21] Deliver thyself - Accept of thy deliverance.

[¶22] After the glory - After that he is become your glory, I am to avenge you of your enemies.

[¶23] Upon them - Against the nation that doth violence to my people. Unto their servants - Unto the Jews, who were first spoiled by, and then made servants to them. Hath sent me - To inform them of my father's will.

[¶24] I come - To execute judgments on thine adversaries, and to compleat thy deliverance and salvation. I will dwell - This was fulfilled in part to the Jews, but more fully to the gospel church.

[¶25] Shall be joined - Shall worship the God of Israel. In that day - When Christ shall come in the flesh, and take down the partition wall. Sent me - The Messiah.

[¶26] Shall inherit - Claim, recover, possess, and delight in, as a man doth in his paternal inheritance.

[¶27] Be silent - Reverence and adore God, and expect the accomplishment of his word. All flesh - Both Jew and Gentile. He is raised up - God is on this work already, and he will not sit down again, 'till he has accomplished his whole work.

[¶28] And he - The Lord represented to me in a vision. Standing - Ministering in his office. The angel - Christ.

[¶29] The Lord - Christ, as a mediator, rather chuses to rebuke him in his father's name, than in his own. Is not this - Joshua.

[¶30] With filthy garments - The emblem of a poor or sinful state. The angel - Christ.

[¶31] And he - Christ. Unto those - Ministerial angels. I have caused - What angels could not take away, Christ did; he removed the filth of sin, the guilt and stain of it. With change of raiment - Clean and rich, the emblem of holiness.

[¶32] I said - Zechariah takes the boldness to desire that for Joshua, which might add to his authority, and he asks the thing of Christ. A fair mitre - The proper ornament for the head of the high - priest. With garments - All the garments which appertained to the high priest. The angel - Christ.

[¶33] Protested - Solemnly declared.

[¶34] My charge - The special charge and office of the high - priest. Judge - Be ruler in the temple, and in the things that pertain to the worship of God there. Keep - Not as a servant, but as the chief, on whom others wait, and at last thou shalt have place among my angels.

[¶35] Thy fellows - Thy associates in the priestly office. That sit - As assessors in a council. Wondered at - The unbelieving Jews wonder at them; at their labour and expense in attempting to build such a house. Bring forth - God the Father will bring forth a much more wonderful work. The Branch - The Messiah.

[¶36] Behold - Behold (pointing to a particular stone) that stone which I have laid in the sight of Joshua. Upon one stone - On that stone are seven eyes, probably so placed, that they may look many ways; so it was a more exact emblem of Christ, and of his perfect knowledge and wisdom. I have removed - I have pardoned the iniquity of this land at once. The temple, founded on such a corner - stone, guarded and watched over by all - seeing Providence, is the blessing and honour of that people, whose sins are all forgiven.

[¶37] In that day - Of removing the sins of my people. Shall ye call - Ye shall invite one another to refresh yourselves with the sweet fruit of the vine and fig - tree. When iniquity is taken away, we receive precious benefits from our justification, more precious than the fruits of the vine or fig - tree. And we repose ourselves in sweet tranquillity, being quiet from the fear of evil.

[¶38] With a bowl - Or basin. His seven lamps - The temple candlestick had just so many. And seven pipes - So each of the lamps had a pipe reaching from it to the bowl. On the top - These lamps were so set, as to stand somewhat higher than the body of the candlestick.

[¶39] Two olive - trees by it - All which is an emblem of the church, made of pure gold; to be a light in the world; to shine as lamps that continually burn, maintained with pure oil, distilled from the olive - trees, not pressed out by man, but continually, abundantly, and freely flowing from God.

[¶40] This word - Is particularly designed to him, and in an emblem prefigures what a church it is, how precious, how full of light, how maintained by God himself. Power - Courage and valour.

[¶41] O great mountain - All opposers put together. Become a plain - Thou shalt sink into nothing. The head stone - Shall assist at the laying of the finishing stone, as he assisted when the foundation stone was laid. Grace, grace - Wishing all prosperity, and a long continuance of it, to the temple and those that are to worship God therein. As the free favour of God began, and finished, may the same ever dwell in it and replenish it.

[¶42] Thou - Zerubbabel and all the Jews.

[¶43] For who hath despised - In the work of God, the day of small things is not to be despised. God often chuses weak instruments, to bring about mighty things: and tho' the beginnings be small, he can make the latter end greatly to increase. For - Tho' they undervalued the meanness of the second temple, yet when finished, they shall rejoice in it. The plummet - The perpendicular with which Zerubbabel shall try the finished work. With those seven - In subordination to the Divine Providence expressed by the seven eyes, which were on that stone. And those that have the plummet in their hand, must look up to these eyes of the Lord, must have a constant regard to the Divine Providence, and as in dependence upon its conduct, and submission to its disposals.

[¶44] I answered - l went on to discourse. Unto him - The angel. What be these - Two principal branches, one in each tree, fuller of berries, and hanging over the golden pipes. Through the pipes - These were fastened to the bowl, on each side one, with a hole through the sides of the bowl, to let the oil that distilled from those olive - branches run into the bowl. Out of themselves - An emblem of supernatural grace; these branches filled from the true olive - tree, ever empty themselves, and are ever full; so are the gospel - ordinances.