Zechariah 1:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet perceives four horns, indicative of four nations, fierce and militaristic, capable of ravaging cities and lands. It is suggested that these may refer to the kingdoms of Assyria, Babylon, and the Macedonians, as Antiochus, known as Epiphanes, came from Macedonia and devastated Judea. Additionally, the Roman Empire is included, which, after the crucifixion of Christ, seized Jerusalem by force. However, since the divine messenger informed the prophet that "these horns have devastated Judah and Israel," it is pertinent to shift focus to the nations that attacked Israel.

Thus, there are four rulers associated with the suffering of Judah: the first is Tula, who subjugated the tribes of Israel on the eastern side of the Jordan; following him were Salmanasar, Sennacherib, and finally Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, it is fitting to assert that "these are the horns that wasted Judah and Israel." As God revealed the vision and its interpretation to the prophet, "four tree-beings" appeared. The prophet inquired about their purpose and destination. The angel responded that they "went out to cry out" against the four horns that had crushed and scattered Judah and Israel. What does this signify? Were those who had already laid waste to Israel incited against them anew, or did God ignite greater cruelty in those He had allowed to rise against His people as a consequence of His wrath? He commanded them to proclaim, "I am zealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great zeal, and with great wrath I am angry against the tongues of the assailants: for I have been angry a little, but they have come upon the wicked."

He who was not excessively wrathful, but found jealousy against the oppressors for the inhumane treatment of their captives, could not simply command for the horns to be sharpened against them. These horns are indeed sharpened, but not towards Israel; rather, they turn against themselves. The Assyrians and Babylonians battled against the Persians and Medians during the reign of Cyrus, as previously indicated. If those horns had not been refined, and if the Babylonian territory had not been overtaken, Israel would have remained in bondage enduring profound suffering. Thus, through the four craftsmen sharpening the horns in their hands, representing the conquerors — which could refer to the kings of Persia — we see the angels assigned to accomplish God’s will perfectly. This was to ensure that the Babylonians would be subdued and placed under the authority of the Persians and Medians, of whom the Lord of all states in another passage, "They are sanctified, and I lead them, and they are exceeding great, and come to fulfill my wrath, rejoicing together, and rebuking together" (Isaiah 13:3).

The four horns represent the nations that arose against the land of the Lord—specifically the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Macedonians, and the Romans. The Lord's inquiry of the prophet serves to illustrate this point, further clarified by Daniel. Daniel described these nations in his vision of a great statue, remarked upon for its golden head, silver chest, bronze belly, and iron and clay feet (Dan. 2:31-44). In another vision, he represented the same nations through four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fearsome beast unidentified by name. The formation of a singular kingdom by the Medes and Persians after Cyrus' victory is evident to anyone who references both secular and sacred texts.

The prophet accurately used the metaphor of horns to signify kingdoms, a practice found throughout Scripture—such as in the phrase, "He raised up the horn of His Christ" (Ps. 148:14) and "He raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of His servant David" (Luke 1:69). Similarly, Daniel prophesied about the ten horns of the eventual kingdoms (Dan. 7:7-20). At the time of this vision, the Babylonian kingdom had already been dethroned, the Persian and Median kingdom was on the rise, while the Macedonian and Roman powers still prevailed.

The historical trajectory includes the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Macedonians, particularly during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes as recorded in the Maccabees, and the turmoil faced by the Israelites at the arrival of the Savior when Jerusalem was besieged, foretold in the Gospel (Luke 19:42-43) and elaborated upon by Josephus, the Jewish historian. These horns did indeed cause discord among Judah, reducing them to a state where no one could raise his head under the burden of their calamities.

The four laborers, also referred to as craftsmen, were shown to the prophet by the Lord, who explained their identity. We understand these laborers to be angels who serve the will of the Lord, working to reconstruct what the Gentiles have destroyed. The phrase translated from Hebrew as “they came to crush” is rendered by the Seventy as “they came to refine,” where “refine” conveys the notion of overcoming, signifying a purpose to bring all under Christ's yoke rather than implying that they would worsen through this sharpening.

If angels were intended to exacerbate wickedness, they would be misidentified as builders of good. Worth noting is that the four horns of the Gentiles rose one after the other against God’s people; they did not reign simultaneously but succeeded one another, following the Babylonians with the Medes and Persians, then the Macedonians, and finally the Roman Empire.

The words of the prophet, "I lifted up mine eyes," invite interpretation in a spiritual context, echoing the sentiments found in scripture: "I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from?" (Psalm 120:1) and "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest" (John 4:35). This summons a spiritual awareness to recognize the adversarial forces, as the Apostle reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, and the powers of this dark world (Eph. 6:12).

Through His coming, Christ has vanquished these four foes that oppose the saints. The Psalmist captures this victory, declaring, "You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent" (Ps. 90:13). The four horns can also symbolize the four passions—indignation, sorrow, joy, fear, and desire—suggested by the esteemed poet. The four laborers, akin to physicians battling these afflictions, are divinely revealed and correspond to the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, courage, and temperance, expounded upon by Cicero in his writings.

Thus, those who eradicate vice and cultivate virtue—and all saints who, through the acquisition of these qualities, consistently edify the Church—are rightly labeled as builders or laborers. As the Apostle mentions, "As a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation" (1 Cor. 3:10). The Lord, in His wrath, proclaims He will remove from Jerusalem the wise and skilled builders (Is. 3:3). Furthermore, the Son of God, Creator of all, has also been referred to as the son of a builder. Some interpretations hold that the four laborers signify the four evangelists, who have restored the oppressed people of Israel to their rightful place and through the Gospel have led the lost back to salvation.