Zechariah 1:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But due to their carelessness and rebellion, they faced destruction along with their deceivers. However, you should listen attentively to the messages of the holy prophets and hold their words in high regard, for they have communicated to your forebears that 'The Lord has resolved to act,' specifically regarding the exile and the tribulations that would come upon them. They admonished them clearly, saying, 'As you have lived and labored, so shall it be done unto you.' The Almighty does not punish without cause, nor does His perfect and just judgment make hasty declarations; rather, He exercises great patience before meting out deserved consequences upon those who transgress.

Where have your ancestors and prophets gone? Will they endure forever? Yet my words and decrees that I entrusted to my servants, the prophets, were disregarded by your forebears. They turned and declared, ‘As the Lord of Hosts intended to act toward us, based on our actions and plans, so has He treated us.’ LXX: Where are your forefathers and the prophets? Will they exist for all time? However, you dismiss my words and the directives I impart to my servants, the prophets; they have not heeded your ancestors. They responded, saying, ‘As the Lord Almighty prepared to deal with us according to our ways and our deeds, so has He done to us.’ Where, He questions, are your fathers who have not heeded or hastened toward Me? Where are your prophets?

Consider the veracity of My statements, declares the Lord, as the Prophets have arisen from this existence, and your ancestors face consequences for their actions, yet My words endure, revealing their authenticity through tangible actions. Without the Prophets who articulated these truths acting as advocates on their behalf—having already undergone the final judgement—they themselves proclaim and affirm that no untruth is contained within their messages. Thus, embrace with earnestness what the Holy Spirit delivers to you through the Prophets.