The Executors Of God's Wrath
IN ZECHARIAH 6:1-8 we have the eighth of the series of visions granted to Zechariah on this occasion. This one is indeed a fitting conclusion to these mighty and far-reaching revelations.
And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The chariot wherein are the black horses goeth forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country. And the strong went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he to me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, they that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. (Zechariah 6:1-8)
The Two Great Mountains
According to the description found in this passage, the prophet saw four chariots coming forth from between two great mountains of brass and going out into different portions of the world. What is meant by these mountains? Are they literal, or are they symbolic? Commentators are divided in their opinions. One is in good company regardless of whether one interprets these literally or symbolically. But let us try to gather the facts and draw logical conclusions. In favor of the literal interpretation we may note the fact that the first two chariots go from between the mountains to the north country. The second and third chariots went to the north country whereas the fourth one went to the south. These statements mean that the chariots go forth into the world from a position between the mountains. This fact tends to localize these mountains. As the chariots journey forward, they go forth "from standing before the Lord of all the earth." This bit of information may help us determine the significance of the vision. Since they are in the presence of the Lord of the earth and they go forth from before Him into the north country and also into the south, one instantly thinks of Jerusalem as the place which the Lord chose from among all the cities of Israel to be the place of His abode (Psalms 87:1-3 and 132:13,14). At Jerusalem there are two mountains which immediately suggest themselves to the interpreter of this passage; namely, the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and Mount Moriah, the temple site, where God abode, according to the two psalms just referred to. Furthermore, the valley separating these are called in Joel 3 "the valley of decision" or "the valley of Jehoshaphat," which word means "Jehovah judges." In view of all these facts, it seems most logical to conclude that Mount Moriah and the Mount of Olives are the mountains seen at least ideally in this vision, from between which these charioteers go forward.
The Significance Of The Chariots
What or who are these chariots and charioteers? That is what Zechariah wished to know. The interpreting angel answered, "These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." The marginal reading of the word "winds" is spirits. The term in the original means primarily spirits and should be interpreted thus unless there are facts which demand that they be rendered winds. One instantly, in the light of this fact, has his attention drawn to angels and wonders if these chariots are not angels.
In Psalm 103:20,21, we are told that the angels are the ministers of God who execute His will throughout the vast domain of His kingdom, which rules over all. In Psalm 104:4 we are told that He makes His angels winds and His ministers flames of fire. The angels, according to Psalm 68:17, are very numerous. In several other passages of Scripture we see that the angels are set forth as those who carry out the divine commands and execute His wrath in the world. In our study of the first division of chapter 1, we saw that the horses and horsemen of that vision were none other than a band of angels led by "the angel of Jehovah," the Lord Jesus Christ in His prenatal state. In II Kings 6 we see a band of angels assuming the form of war-chariots and charioteers. All of these facts lead one to the conclusion that these chariots are angelic beings sent forth to carry out the divine will.
We are told that there are four of them. In the first chariot were red horses; in the second, black ones; in the third, white ones; and in the fourth, strong or grizzled ones. Why the number four? May there not be a connection between this number and the same number of world empires which are set forth in the four metals constituting the image of Daniel 2, and the four beasts of Daniel 7, the four horns of Zechariah 1, and the four smiths of the same chapter, which destroy the horns? When all of these passages are studied together, one cannot avoid seeing a close connection between them. This evidence will become more apparent as we study the concluding section of this article.
The Activity Of The Charioteers
Zechariah stated that the first chariot which went forth from between the mountains had red horses but he does not say that he saw them going. After giving us a general conception of the vision in verses 1-5, he then spoke of the second chariot and its going forth with the black horses. This fact is very significant. The black horses went forth to the north country and were followed by the white ones, but the grizzled or strong ones went toward the south country at first and finally throughout the entire world.
For the moment let us assume that these chariots and charioteers are specially commissioned angelic beings who go forth from before the Lord of the whole earth to execute judgment upon the four world empires. When this vision was given to Zechariah (c. 520 B.C.), the Babylonian empire had already suffered under the terrific strokes of judgment of the first charioteer. This kingdom had already been conquered and swallowed up by the Medo-Persian empire, which was then in existence. Because of this historical fact there was no necessity of representing this first chariot as going forth to execute its judgment. The next thing on the program was for the black horses with the second chariot to go forward and execute its judgment upon the country north from Palestine upon Media-Persia. In going forth from before the Lord of all the earth at Zion, it would naturally go north and then southeast as all traffic between Palestine and the East moved. The third chariot, with the white horses, likewise went in the same general direction to execute the divine wrath against Greece, the third world empire. That was accomplished by the death of Alexander and the collapse of his kingdom into four separate segments. The fourth chariot, with its grizzled horses, went toward the south and struck its blow of judgment against the fourth kingdom, Rome, in Egypt where the first fatal blow fell against ancient Rome.
But this same chariot also goes forth into all the world as we learn in verse seven. Hence it is, according to our hypothesis, to execute divine judgment against the fourth kingdom. Since it goes into all the world, we may assume that Rome will yet become a world empire, against which this fourth angel will execute judgment. This is exactly what is foretold by Daniel.
These four spirits or charioteers of Zechariah's vision may possibly be the four cherubim of whom we read in Revelation 6 and who call forth the first four strokes of judgment in the beginning of the Tribulation.
In the fall of government, and especially empires, we see only that which is observable by the physical eye, but there is an invisible world which figures very largely in the fortunes and changes of history.
At the proper time this fourth charioteer will go forth and execute God's wrath against Rome in its final form when it dominates the whole world. Then will the world be liberated from tyranny and oppression, and the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will be established throughout the world.
