IN OUR STUDY of Zechariah we have reached the tenth chapter. In the previous installments of this series we have investigated the promise made by the Lord to Israel of His bringing final deliverance to the nation, of restoring to fellowship with Himself those who accept Him, and of making them "... as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his [Jehovah's] land" (Zech. 9:16). At that time redeemed Israel will marvel at the goodness and the beauty of Jehovah who will be there in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and Messiah.

Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain, even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field (Zech. 10:1).

The prophet, looking forward to this great Millennial Age, told converted Israel to ask the Lord to give the proper precipitation "in the time of the latter rain." He assured them that, if they will do that, God will send them the rains in their season. These facts show that it is God who causes the rain. From this point we would do well to look at some statements along this line. At the very beginning, after the Lord had labored during six days in reconstructing the earth and making it suitable for man's home, we are told that at that time "Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground ..." (Gen. 2:5). God is the one who causes the rain, according to this statement. To Israel Moses made the promise that the Lord would give her the rain in the proper season both the former and the latter rain in order that they might gather in their grain, wine, and oil, together with all the other crops maturing at those seasons. The rains of Palestine were contingent upon Israel's hearkening diligently unto God's command and their asking for the rain. This same promise is reiterated in Deuteronomy 28:12. Ezekiel, in describing the Millennial Era, promised the Hebrews, in the name of the Lord, "... I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing" (Ezek. 34:26). These showers, of course, are literal ones. Our Lord said that God causes the sun to shine upon the just and the unjust and that likewise He sends the rain upon both of these classes.

The Lord also withholds rains at various times and for different reasons. For instance, in the days of Amos we see that God sent rain upon a certain city or section of the country and withheld it from other portions, that is, in the land of Israel. The people in those parts of the country where the rains were withheld migrated to those places where God sent the rain (Amos 4:6-8). The Lord had moral reasons for withholding the rain on the occasions referred to by this prophet. There was a terrible drought in the days of Jeremiah. Great was the suffering and distress, both of man and beast. The prophet therefore preached a sermon on this theme, which is found in chapters 14 and 15. In the last verse of chapter 14 he asked a question, "Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers ?" Then he exclaimed, "Art thou not he, O Jehovah, our God?" It is God alone who gives the showers or withholds them. In speaking of the Tribulation Period Joel foretold that God would withhold the rain from Palestine at that future time (Joel 1:15). But in the Millennial Age, according to Ezekiel 36:32-38, the Lord will send the abundance of rain.

We are utterly dependent upon our Lord for our daily food. Especially in trying times like the present we should implore the Lord daily to send us abundant crops so that there will be sufficient food for the people of America and for those who are allied with them in this mighty struggle against aggression and the barbaric cruelty of the Axis Powers. Our God will hear the cry of His faithful children.

Returning to our passage Zechariah 10 let us note the statement in verses 2 and 3 regarding false prophets and irresponsible leaders of Israel. In this passage we see that the teraphim have spoken vanity and the diviners have seen a lie. The teraphim are mentioned seven times in the Old Testament. They were gods or idols used by demons for making oracular utterances through false prophets to mislead the people. These leaders of Israel together with the false prophets are compared to shepherds and he-goats. At various times in Israel's history there was no true shepherd to lead her aright. Satan has taken advantage of this situation and has often misled many of them. False prophets have arisen in Israel from time to time and have led them away from God into sin. All the true prophets of God denounced the false ones. Frequently they, like Jeremiah, challenged the statements of these servants of Satan.

It is a very serious matter to speak in behalf of God. God will hold men responsible for putting themselves up as leaders if they lead the people astray. A person should be absolutely certain that he knows whereof he is speaking before he attempts to teach anything in the name of the Lord. This is as true today as ever.

According to verse 3 God promises to visit His flock, Israel and the house of Judah, whom He will make "as His goodly horse in the battle." This promise is the same as that found in the latter part of chapter 9 but expressed a little differently. Here the Lord compares Israel, reinforced and strengthened by the Almighty, to a war horse whom He will use as He fights against the nations which come against Jerusalem in the end-time (Zech. 14).

From him Judah shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together" (10:4). This is a marvelous revelation. In this prediction is summed up the major prophecies relating to the Messiah found throughout the prophetic word.

The Messiah here is called the cornerstone. This statement is doubtless an echo of the prophecy found in Isaiah 28:16. This language may also be a reverberation of the historical fact of the laying of the cornerstone of Solomon's temple. Archaeologists have discovered that stone at the northwest corner of the temple site. According to a story in the Talmud, Solomon's builders, when everything was prepared, passed among the various stones that were laid upon the temple area as they were searching for the one that was to be the cornerstone. According to this legend, which doubtless is true, they passed by a certain one at the beginning of their search but did not take the time to measure it. After they had gone throughout the entire lot, they had not found the one for which they were looking. Finally they returned to the first one and, upon measuring it, discovered that it was the one which they had been hunting. This historical fact seems to be reflected in Psalm 118:22. When Messiah came the first time, the builders in Israel rejected Him. At various times there have arisen false messiahs after whom quite a number of people have followed, only to be disappointed. Israel will have to make the quest concerning the true Messiah; and, when she does, she will discover that Jesus of Nazareth is the one for whom she has been looking so very long.

"From him Judah the nail." This language is an echo of Isaiah 22:22,23. An examination of the context shows that this passage refers primarily to Eliakim who was of the house of David, but the use of this figure in other orations of Scripture that of a pin driven into the central post supporting a tent, upon which the heirlooms and valuables of the oriental family were hung shows that this unique prediction went beyond Eliakim of Isaiah's day. This passage is therefore an example of the principle of double reference. The description of Eliakim blends in with that of another Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. We hear a further echo of this usage in Revelation 3:7,8, which applies to the Lord Jesus.

In the next place the Lord Jesus Christ is called a battle bow. There is not, so far as I recall, any specific prophecy which speaks of Him in this manner. The Lord, through Jeremiah, spoke to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and said, "Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war ..." (Jer. 51:20). By this figure the prophet was simply saying that God would use Nebuchadnezzar as a warrior employs his battle-axe. It is quite likely that the Almighty in our prediction thought of the Lord Jesus Christ as a battle bow through whom He will work in subjecting the rebellious nations to Himself.

The verse concludes with these words, "... from him every ruler together." There is no definite prediction to which this statement points. It is quite likely however that the prophet gathered together in this one phrase all those predictions that speak of the Lord Jesus and His appearing as the Mighty Warrior, who will conquer the world and will exact that which is right and just from everyone.

At that time the men of Judah will be mighty, being strengthened by the Lord God of Hosts. They shall tread down their enemies as the mire in the streets during the battle. The armies of Israel will fight because Jehovah will be with them and He will strengthen them so that they will be able to conquer all their foes. At that time all the men of Israel will be united in the one mighty struggle which will be the last through which the nation will pass.