"*** ZECHARIAH 01 ****" 
"The returned exiles again"
"begin to rebuild the Temple During the second year of Darius king of Persia , the returned exiles in Judah again began to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem . Tattenai the provincial governor challenges their authority However Tattenai , governor of the Trans- Euphrates province of the Persian empirecame to Zerubbabel in Jerusalem , along with his officials , and said to him , Who authorised you to rebuild this Temple? Work permitted to continue while Tattenai sends a letter to king Darius But the Lord was watching over the Jews and they were permitted to continue building the Temple until a"
"letter could be sent fromTattenai to Darius the king and his written reply be received . A copy of the letter This is a copy of the letter that was sent to Darius . To King Darius from Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates . Greeting . The king should know that we visited the district of Judah and found the people there rebuilding the Temple of thegreat God . We questioned the leaders and wrote down their names for your information . They claim that in his first year , King So this Zerubbabel came and laid the foundations of the Temple in Jerusalem and from that day to the present it hasbeen"
"under construction , but is not yet finished . Now if it pleases the king , let a search be made in the royal archives to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this Temple , and then let the king send us his decision in this matter . King Darius locates the decree of Cyrus When Darius received the letter he ordered a search of the archives and the decree was found . So he wrote back this reply to Tattenai . The kings reply to the governor To Tattenai , governor of Trans- Euphrates , from King Darius . In his first year King Cyrus issued this decree concerning the Temple"
"ofGod in Jerusalem : Let the Temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices . It is to be 60 cubits high and 60 cubits wide , with three courses of hewn stones and one of timber . The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury . Also the gold and silver articles which King Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple are to be returned to theirplaces in the house of God . Jews permitted to build Temple and expenses to be paid from royal revenues Now then Tattenai , stay away from there . Do not interfere with the work on this Temple of God . Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders"
"rebuild this Temple on its site . Moreover , the expenses of these men are to be fully paid without delay from the royal revenues of Trans- Euphrates , so that the work will not stop. Animals for offerings to be provided And whatever is needed for burnt offerings to the God of heaven ; young bulls, rams , male lambs , wheat , salt , wine and oil , as requested by the priests in Jerusalem must be given them daily without fail . The priests to pray for the well being of the king and his sons That they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and"
"his sons . Punishment if the kings decree not obeyed Furthermore I decree that whoever changes this decree shall have a beam pulled from his house and he be impaled upon it , and his house turned into a pile of rubble . Also, may God overthrow any king or people who seek to change this decreeor to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem . I Darius have made this decree . Let it be carried out with diligence . Tattenai the governor obeys the kings decree So Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates did with all diligence what Darius had ordered." 
"*** ZECHARIAH 02 ****" 
"A warning word to the Jews from the"
"Lord through Zechariah the prophet During the second year of Darius this word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah inJudah . Jehovah Almighty says, Return to me and I will return to you. Be not like yourforefathers who were commanded to turn from their evil ways but did not listen to me. Did not my words which I spoke to the prophets overtake your forefathers? Then they repented and said, Jehovah has done to us what our ways deserve, just as he saidhe would.Zechariahs vision of the four horsemen sent to patrol the earth During the eleventh month of the same year , visions of the Lord"
"came to the prophetZechariah . During the night I had a vision . I saw before me the Lord standing among the myrtle treesdown in the valley . Behind him were a red , a brown , a white and a black horse , each with a rider. I said to the angel of the Lord who stood by me , Who are they my lord? He replied , It will be revealed to you who they are. Then the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees spoke saying , These are they whom Jehovah has sent to patrol the earth. At this the riders reported to the Lord saying , We have patrolled the earth and found the world at peace. Jerusalem to be"
"rebuilt Then the angel of the Lord who stood with me said , O Jehovah Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and thetowns of Judah with whom you have been angry these seventy years? The Lord spoke comforting words to the angel who stood with me , then the angel said to me , Say to the people, Jehovah says, I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem andZion,  and I am very angry with the nations who are at ease, for I was only a little angry with my people but the nations added totheir afflictions. Therefore I have returned to comfort Jerusalem. My Temple shall be rebuilt"
"andthe city also. Jerusalem and my other cities will again overflow with prosperity. The vision of four horns  four kings Then I saw before me four horns , and I said to the angel of the Lord , What are these? He answered me , These are the kings that scattered Judah and Jerusalem. The vision of four workmen with hammers Then the Lord showed me four workmen with hammers . I asked , What have they come to do? He answered , They have come to terrify and strike down the nations that scattered Judah. The vision of the young man with a measuring line Then I saw before me a young man with a"
"measuring line in his hand . I said to him , Where are you going? He answered me , To measure the walls of Jerusalem. Jerusalem to outgrow its walls Then the angel of the Lord left me and went to meet another angel who said to him , Run after that young man and say to him, Jehovah says, Jerusalem will outgrow its walls because of the great number ofpeople and livestock in it. And I myself will become a wall of fire around it and will be its glory within. Therefore come my people, return from the lands of the north where I have scattered you to the four winds. Come toZion you who live among"
"the daughters of Babylon. Jehovah the Messiah sent by the Lord God Almighty After the Lord God Almighty has glorified me, and sent me against the nations that have plundered you, for whoever afflicts youafflicts the apple of his eye, then you will know that he has sent me. Jehovah coming to live among his people in future Shout and be glad O Jerusalem, for I Jehovah am coming and will live among you. Many nations to also become Lords people in that day Many nations will turn to me in that day and will also become my people. 24I will live among you and then you shall know that the Lord God"
"Almighty has sent me toyou. Joshua the high priest saved from Satan Then the angel of the Lord showed me a vision of Joshua the high priest and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him . The angel of the Lord said to Satan , Jehovah rebuke you O Satan. Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire? Joshua symbolically clad in filthy clothes Now Joshua was clad in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel of the Lord . The angel said to those who were standing beforehim, Remove his filthy clothes. Joshua dressed in clean clothes Then he said to Joshua , See, I have taken away your"
"sin and will put cleanclothes upon you. I said to the angel , Let them also put a clean turban on his head . So they clothed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by . A conditional promise to Joshua Then the angel gave this promise to Joshua , Jehovah Almighty says, If you will walk in my ways you shall govern my Temple, and I will give you a place among those who stand in my presence. Hear O high priest Joshua, you and the See the rock I have set in front of Joshua. There are seven facets on that rock, and I will also engrave an inscriptionon it, and remove the guilt of the"
"land of Israel in a single day. In that day, each of you will enjoy peace with your neighbour, sitting amid your vines and fig trees. …each of you will enjoy peace… sitting amid your vines and fig trees, Zechariah 2:33. The vision of a golden lampstand and olive branches Again that night , the angel of the Lord returned and awakened me and asked , What do you see? I answered , I see a golden lampstand supporting seven oil lamps , with a bowl at the top feeding the lamps through seven pipes . I also see two olive branches , one on either side of the lampstand , each feeding oil to the bowl on"
"the top of the lamp-stand . What are these my lord? He said to me , The seven lamps are the eyes of the Lord which range throughoutthe earth.  38The two olive branches either side of the lampstand are the two men who are anointed to serve the Lord. Power comes by the Spirit of the Lord not by mans might or power Therefore hear the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit. Even if a great mountain be placed in your way, before you it will become a plain. Zerubbabel to complete the Temple The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this Temple, and"
"his handsshall complete it. The people will rejoice when they see the plumb line in his hand. He shall place the capstone of the Temple to shouts of rejoicing. Then you will know that Jehovah has sent him to you. An artists view of the olive branches and the lampstand vision . The vision of a flying scroll Then he said , What do you see now? I answered , I see a large flying scroll . He said to me , This is a curse to go out over the whole land. On one side is written,All who steal shall be cut off and on the other, All who swear falsely shall be cut off. Jehovah says, I have sent it out and"
"it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely and will remain in their house and destroy it. The vision of a woman in a measuring container Next I saw a box and said , What is it? . The angel replied , It is a measuring container holding the guilt of this people. The heavy leaden cover was raised and there in the container sat a woman . The angel said This is Wickedness and he pushed her back into the box and closed the heavy lid . Then I saw two women coming with wings like those of a stork and they flew off with the container . I asked , Where are they taking"
"it? The angel replied , To the land of Babylon to build a house for it. When the house is completed the basket will be setthere. An artists view of two visions of Zechariah – a flying scroll and two winged women bearing off a box to Babylon containing a woman, representing the wickedness of Jerusalem. The vision of four horses and chariots I looked again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains . The first chariot had red horses , the second black , the third white , and the fourth brown , all of them powerful . I said to the angel , What are these my lord? He answered ,"
"These are the four spirits of heaven from the presence of Jehovah. The one with black horses is going to patrolthe north, the one with white horses the west, and the one with brown horses the south.  52The powerful horses were straining to go so he commanded , Go patrol the earth and they departed . Then the voice of the Lord called to me saying , Those patrolling the north country have given my Spirit rest in that land.  A crown to be made for Zerubbabel The word of the Lord came to me . Take silver and gold from the exiles who have arrived from Babylon and make a crown. Set it upon the"
"head of Zerubbabel in the presence of Joshua the high priest. Zerubbabel is the Branch Then say to Joshua, Jehovah says, Here is the man who is the Branch. He will branch forth and build the Temple of the Lord and those who are afar off will come tohelp. Then you will know that Jehovah has sent him to you. If Zerubbabel and Joshua obedient they will rule the people in harmony He shall be clothed with honour and will sit and rule on his throne and you shall be apriest at his right hand, and there shall be harmony between you. This will happen if you diligently obey Jehovah your God."