Zechariah 6:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I witnessed in the chariot of the first, red steeds—these symbolize the Babylonians, the architects of the initial empire; "and in the chariot of the second, horses of the second"—these represent the Persians, who invaded the territory of Babylon; "and the white men followed them" (Zech. 6:6)—which denote the Macedonians. The Persians and the Macedonians together toppled the Babylonian kingdom and brought about its demise. Such visions were granted to the prophet as a divine revelation to uplift the disheartened people of Judah and to reassure them that they would no longer have to live in fear of the Babylonians.

Following the conclusion of this vision, the Prophet recounts yet another vision, mentioning that he witnessed four 'chariots' emerging from two 'mountains of brass.' In the first chariot, he observed red horses, in the second, black horses, in the third, white horses, and in the fourth, horses of a mixed color, akin to apples. He then states that he posed a question and received a response from an angel: