Zechariah 1:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, in response to this overwhelming joy, the heavenly messenger instructed the prophet to proclaim and spread the words of God. "Be zealous," he declares, "for Jerusalem with great zeal," channeling this passion not against her as before, due to her devotion to false idols, but for her, standing against those who despoil her. God harbored great anger towards those oppressors, a fury that was fierce and unyielding; for He has judged His people and wished for them not to suffer excessively. Conversely, their oppressors unleashed upon them horrific and unchecked brutality, displaying cruelty without restraint. This aligns with the declaration, "For I have angered them a little, but they have done evil." The Almighty disciplines those who err out of love, using moderate rebukes to guide us towards righteousness. Yet, those tasked with enacting this discipline can sometimes seize upon the punished with barbarity. God’s wrath against them is intense, for His intention is to correct His people as a loving father would; instead, these oppressors have acted with reckless ferocity against those in misery. In their persecution of the church, they remained unaware that they would ultimately be held accountable for their cruelty and would endure severe consequences from God, the sovereign ruler of all.

This marks the seventieth year.” The Lord reassured the angel speaking to me with words of hope and comfort.

Let us first reflect on history. The vision appeared by night, contrasting with the daytime experiences of figures like Moses, who encountered God directly, and Isaiah, who proclaimed, “I saw the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne” (Isaiah 6:1); this revelation occurred prior to the people's exile and the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. In this period of suffering due to captivity, the prophet perceives divine truths shrouded in darkness.

Indeed, a man ascended on a red horse. This man is understood by the Hebrews as the Archangel Michael, who avenges Israel's wrongs. He stood amid the myrtles, representing the prophets and saints who ministered among the exiled people. Following Michael were the horses of distinction—crimson, mixed, and white. The white horse symbolizes the Medians and Persians, whose reign saw the end of exile and the restoration of the temple, while the mixed horse represents the Macedonians, some of whom were allies and others adversaries, as depicted in Daniel's last vision (Daniel 8). The red horse signifies the dominion of the ruthless Romans, whose tragedies included the destruction of the people and the temple.

Various interpretations suggest that the red horse and the other horses symbolize the four great empires. The first two—those of the Assyrians and Chaldeans—were known for their brutality; the Assyrians, led by Salmanassar, took captive ten tribes, while the Chaldeans laid waste to Judah and Benjamin, burning Jerusalem. The latter two, characterized as mixed and white, correspond to the Medes and Persians, some of whom were magnanimous rulers like Cyrus and Darius, while others, such as Cambyses, were cruel.

Thus, the prophet, who sees the man on a red horse and the horses following him, questions the significance of this vision: “Who are they, my Lord?" The angel who communicates with him assures him that he will learn its meaning, but as he remains silent, the one standing among the myrtles replies, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to survey the earth.” The apostles, similarly commissioned by the Lord, spread the Gospel throughout the world and upon completing their mission returned to the Lord, participating in His divine purpose, as described, “We are the aroma of Christ among those being saved and among those perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). They declared, “We have traversed the earth, fulfilled our appointed task, and behold, it is populated and secure,” a stark contrast to the earlier desolation experienced by the planet—it is now free from warfare and vice, having inherited the peace of the Lord.

This plea for mercy revealed in the vision indicates that prior to the fulfillment of peace and the arrival of the seventieth year, neither Jerusalem—representing the vision of peace—nor the cities of Judah—denoting the faithful—will experience complete freedom. Ultimately, the Lord promises messages of hope and consolation, foreshadowing our future full realization of truth and the end of partiality as stated, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:10). When we are liberated from the Babylon of this age, we will rejoice, declaring, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream” (Psalm 126:1).