Angels: Finding Hope in God Who Reigns Over Heaven and Earthნიმუში

Visions of Hope

Our dreams are often related to our subconscious thoughts or circumstances. Other times they may be totally unrelated to our experiences. The visions Zechariah recorded in his prophetic book are much more than stories from his sleep. They were revealed by God—to His prophet—and then explained by an angel. Our main focus today will be God’s message revealed through His messengers. We can find hope in God’s character as revealed through angels who helped prophets understand their visions. Before we dig into the text, let’s review some background for context:

1. Isaiah prophesied about exile for God’s people over a hundred years before it happened.
2. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel prophesied leading up to the exile of Judah to Babylon and during the process.
3. Zechariah prophesied after the exile during the events recorded in the book of Ezra when around fifty thousand Jews returned to Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 538–537 BC.
4. Zechariah recorded eight visions he received from God to encourage His people in the rebuilding process.

Hope in God’s Passion

One of the themes of the book of Zechariah includes God’s jealousy for His people’s devotion. He encouraged them to learn from the mistakes of the past and enjoy intimacy with Him. Through Zechariah, the Lord addressed the neglect of spiritual priorities.

While many Jews returned from captivity, they faced oppression in their own homeland. They had begun rebuilding the temple, but at the time of Zechariah’s writing, the construction of the temple had been halted. The people despaired over pressure from enemies to stop building as well as discouragement over the smaller scale of the temple compared to its former glory.

These setbacks set the stage for spiritual apathy in the lives of those who had returned. Zechariah reminded the people of God’s passionate commitment to them. God had kept His promise to bring His people back after seventy years as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 25; 29). God reminded them to return to Him spiritually just as they had returned to the land physically. Zechariah 1:14 says,

Then the angel said to me, “Shout this message for all to hear: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.’”

I don’t know if you are in a discouraging season right now, but we can all find hope knowing that God’s love for His people is passionate and strong.

Hope in God’s Kindness

Zechariah 1:7-13 is the first instance where we’ve encountered an angel praying to the Lord. Some scholars identify this angel as the preincarnate Christ and others classify him as a commander of angels. No matter where your theology lands when it comes to the angel of the Lord, we can all notice that this angel petitioned God for mercy and kindness. How comforting to know that God’s angels are delivering and explaining messages from the Lord but also recognizing human suffering and seeking God’s compassion on their behalf. The Lord responded to this angel’s prayer with kind and comforting words. Even if you are in the midst of discouraging circumstances like the returning exiles were, you can find hope in God’s kindness and comfort today.

Read Zechariah 1 and focus on what God is showing us about His nature. Reflect on how God has shown his passion and kindness towards you.