Zechariah 5:5-11

 

Zechariah 5:5-11

The Great Rebellion

 

Zec 5:5  Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. 

Zec 5:6  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. 

Zec 5:7  And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. 

Zec 5:8  And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. 

Zec 5:9  Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. 

Zec 5:10  Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 

Zec 5:11  And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. 

 

          1.     Zechariah Receives His 7^th Vision – vs. 5

a.     This vision that Zechariah is given is one of foreboding and of woe

          2.     Zechariah Sees an Ephah that has a Likeness Throughout the Earth – vs. 6

a.     An Ephah is a basket for the holding and transporting of grain. It would be a very common symbol of trade and commerce. Much like the Roman Amphora or the modern-day cardboard box.

b.     An Ephah is equal to 1.05 bushels or 9 gallons of grain

c.     The Ephah might seem like an innocent enough symbol, because it was so common. Unfortunately, in the time of Zechariah some were becoming greedy with the new economic opportunities and taking advantage of the poor.

                                               i.     Nehemiah 5:1-13 

d.     We also need to be cautious of a love of money

                                               i.     1 Timothy 6:10  

          3.     The Angel Interpreter Opens a Sealed Ephah and Zachariah Sees a Woman Sitting Inside of It –               vs. 7

a.     The Ephah was sealed with a lead lid. Symbolizing the toxic nature of its contents.

b.     When Zechariah looks inside the basket to see its contents, he may have though a woman inside seemed innocent enough, but this tiny woman is symbolic of great evil to come.

                                               i.     We receive more information about the woman in Revelation. Where we are told that she is the harlot who rides the powers of the earth to do the biding of Satan.

1.     Revelation 17:1-6 

               4.     The Angel Interpreter Warns Zechariah of What He is Looking at and Then Seals the Woman                       Up – vs. 8

a.     God restrains evil while the Church is present on the earth

                                               i.     2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 

b.     We do not need to fear Satan because we live in victory over him

                                               i.     1 John 4:4 

              5.     Zechariah Sees Two More Women with Stork Like Wings, Coming to Take Away the Ephah –                 vs. 9

a.     Storks in Bible times were seen as unclean

                                               i.     Deuteronomy 14:2-3 

                                             ii.     A few verses later in the list of unclean birds we find the stork

1.     Deuteronomy 14:18 

b.     Satan is caught in the space between heaven and earth, the prince of the power of the air

                                               i.     Ephesians 2:2 

6.     Zechariah Asks the Angel Interpreter, Where the Women Taking the Ephah – vs. 10

a.     Although the Holy Spirit still restrains evil in our day and age, it is not completely gone, and in the last days it will rise again for one final rebellion.

                                               i.     2 Timothy 3:1 

           7.     The Angel Interpreter Reveals the Epicenter of Kingdom of Darkness and the Beginning of the                  Final Rebellion – vs. 11

a.     We know from Revelation that someday there will be an establishment of Satan’s reign on earth and a counter claim to Zion the City of God, that will be Babylon.

                                               i.     Revelation 18:2-5 

b.     Yet we are also told that this rise of evil will be cut off and destroyed

                                               i.     Revelation 18:10-13 

c.     What are we to do in the meantime?

                                                              i.      2 Thessalonians 2:13-17