The two anointed ones - Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Son was to be sent by the Father, and so was the Holy Ghost. And they stand by him, ready to go.
A flying roll - A volume, or book spread out at large, flying in the air, swiftly.
This - This roll or book containeth the curse, due to sinners. The whole earth - Either the whole land of Judea, or all the world, wherever these sins are found. According to it - According to the threats inscribed thereon. Sweareth - Profanely, or falsely.
It shall enter - This curse shall come with commission from me. It shall remain - It shall stick close to them and theirs like Gehazi's leprosy. And the stones - Nothing shall remain, as when both the timber and stones of a house are consumed.
And behold - Here is another part of this vision. Lifted up - Brought thither to cover it. A talent - A piece of lead of a talent weight, as large as the mouth of the ephah. A woman - A woman, the third in the vision. Perhaps this vision was purposely obscure, least a plain denunciation of the second overthrow of the state and temple, might discourage them from going forward in the present restoration of them.
This - This woman represents the wickedness of the Jews. He cast it - The angel cast down this woman. On the mouth - And so shut her up, to suffer the punishment of all her sins.
There came out - From the same place whence the ephah came. Their wings - They had wings, like the wings of storks, large and strong, and flew before the wind with great swiftness. The judgments came thus flying, and so bore away with them those that were incorrigible.
To build - Not in mercy, but in judgment. Of Shinar - Of Babylon whither many of the Jews fled, and others of them were forced by the Romans. Set there - There they shall be confined without hope of release. Her own base - They are settled upon the lees of their own unbelief: their wickedness is established on its own bases.
Four chariots - Angels who are sometimes styled chariots of God. These as employed in the affairs of church and empire, act their part in the revolution and changes of things, 'till the gospel be preached by the Messiah, and the apostles. Of brass - These denote the immoveable decrees of God, his steady execution of his counsels and the insuperable restraints upon all empires and countries, which God keeps within the barriers of such impregnable mountains.
Red horses - Perhaps denoting bloody times, Rev 6:4. Black horses - Perhaps a time of mortality, and wasting diseases, Rev 6:5.
White horses - Signifying joyful and prosperous affairs, chap. 1:8. Grisled - A mixt state of affairs.
These are - The angels of heaven, who have a great share in the management of the affairs both of the church and states. Of the heavens - Which reside in heaven, 'till employed, go thence when employed, and having done their work, return thither. Standing - They stand as servants attending the command of their Lord.
The black horses - The angels signified by the black horses are the executioners of God's just displeasure. Therein - In the second chariot. The north - country - Babylon. The grisled - The angels signified by these, managed the Roman power, which was sometimes favourable, sometimes fierce and severe, to those they had to do with. The south - country - Egypt and Arabia, which lay south of Judea. It may perhaps point at their invading Africa too, whose punishments were mixed, with kindness and mercy more than the punishments of Babylon were.
Sought to go - Waited for a commission. He said - Christ who hath all power in heaven and on earth. Through the earth - Thro' the rest of the kingdoms of the world remote from Judea, but not remote from God's wise and sovereign providence.
Cried he - Christ spake aloud, and called to him. Quieted my spirit - By doing what I appointed them in revenge of my peoples injuries, and by bringing my people back into Canaan.
Take - Of those that are come out of Babylon. Come thou - Go fetch them, if they lodge elsewhere. The same day - The same day in which they come.
Make crowns - One of silver, the other of gold. Set them - Put both of them, one after another. Joshua - Who herein is now a type of Christ, king and priest for ever for his people.
Unto him - Joshua, but in the hearing of others. Whose name is the Branch - Whom you know by the name of the Branch, who was called so long since. Thou, O Joshua art the portrait, he is the Branch itself. Out of his place - Of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold. He shall build - He it is, though unseen, that stands by you, who build the material temple, far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, preserve, and dwell in for ever.
The glory - Of both kingly and priestly office; the glory of both those crowns shall abide on him. Shall sit - Which speaks both his royal magnificence, and the perpetuity of it. A priest - The great high - priest, to offer the great sacrifice to God, to make reconciliation, to intercede for his people. The counsel of peace - The peace made for God's people shall rest upon these two, the kingly and priestly office of Christ; by his priestly office he shall make their peace with God, by his kingly office he shall deliver them from their spiritual enemies.
The crowns - The two crowns before mentioned. Helem - These persons we know no more of than their names. A memorial - Of the Messiah's certain and speedy coming.
They that are far off - This verse hath a double reference, one to the Jews, and the building of the material temple, the other to the bringing in of the Gentiles. And this - The literal part shall come to pass in your day, if you will obey the voice of the Lord. The mystical part shall come to pass also, and, if you will believe and obey, the Gentiles shall come in and be your brethren, and help to build the temple, the spiritual temple. But if you rebel and obey not, you shall be cast out and the Gentiles be taken in, to be God's people.
When they - The captives who still continued in Babylon. The house of God - The temple, which now half built began to be frequented. Regem - melech - It appears not who these were, but no doubt they were eminent in dignity and piety. Their men - The train of friends that accompanied them. To pray - To intreat the Lord for pardon of what was past, acceptance of them at present, and an answer to their enquiry.
The prophets - Haggai and Zechariah. Weep - Fast, in remembrance of the burning of the temple on the tenth day of that month. Separating myself - From worldly cares and designs.
Unto all the people - By their messengers. And seventh - For the murder of Gedaliah, slain by Ishmael. Even to me - You pleased yourselves in it, not me; you wept more for the inconveniences of the thing than the sinfulness of it.
For yourselves - I was as little minded by you in your fasts, as in your feasts.
Hear the words - You needed not have thus enquired, had you heeded the written word. Prophets - Who have called for repentance, and sincere love to God, and man, and shewed how light, formal services are. Prosperity - Did such observances preserve Jerusalem in its prosperity? Were they sufficient to save the men that inhabited the south of the plain? Did they do no good when things were all safe and well? And do you imagine they can profit you, now all is in ruins?
Spake - To your fathers.
Imagine evil - Neither think ill of, or with ill to, nor plot evil against one another.
Pulled away - Withdrew their shoulder from the yoke of the law.
In his spirit - By his holy spirit.
They laid the land desolate - By their sins.
Jealousy - With great care that she should not, as formerly, sin against my love, and her own welfare, and with a great desire to do her good, and to rescue her from her enemies. Fury - With heat of anger against her enemies.
Shall be called a city of truth - Her citizens shall love the truth and speak it, shall worship me in truth of heart, as well as in the true manner prescribed to them.
Old men - Formerly war, or famine or pestilence, and wasting diseases, cut off men and women before they came to old age.
Marvellous - These things may seem strange to this people.
The east - country - Persia and Media, which lay east from Jerusalem, and were now masters of Babylon.
In truth and in righteousness - This signifies both God's part, and their part; on God's part truth, on their's righteousness, obedience to God's righteous law.
The prophets - Haggai and Zechariah.
Before these days - For eighteen years together. No hire - No profit by the labour of man or beast, no sowing or planting. Affliction - Distress, and want, through the barrenness, which attended all their labour.
I will not be - That is, I will not deal with them as in former days.
I repented not - I did not fail to do it.
So - So with like steadiness of mind I have purposed to do well to you.
Judgment of truth - True judgment. Peace - That may restore, and settle peace among you. Gates - The places of judicature, where the judges sat.
Thus saith the Lord - This verse is a final decision of the case: provided they do these things required, ver.16, 17, then shall the fasting cease, and turn into joyful feasts. The fourth month - Wherein the city was taken by the Babylonians. The fifth - In which the temple was burnt. The seventh - Wherein Gedaliah was killed. The tenth - On the tenth day whereof the king of Babylon's army sat down before the city.
People - Multitudes.