October 16, 2005

   We arrive at Ch.5:5-11 with Vision #7 to Zechariah while earlier visions have primarily focused on God’s mercy and restoration upon Israel and Jerusalem and His judgment upon Gentile nations who have oppressed Israel.  We have also seen both a historical and prophetic understanding of the visions with several of them reaching far past Zechariah’s day into the era or dispensation of the reign of Messiah (called the ‘millennium’).

   As the visions move us to view Messiah’s reign, so they also evidence God’s action of preparing both the people and the land of Israel for such rule.  Certain phrases should be noted:

1:17 “The LORD…will again choose Jerusalem”

2:12 “the LORD….will take possession….in the Holy Land”

3:9  “Says the LORD…. I will remove the iniquity of that land…”

  Here, we might note the far-reaching prophecies of Daniel 7:24 in the language

of the infinitives “to finish the transgressions, to make an end of sins.” Vision  #7 evidences the removal of sin or a system of sin away from the land of Israel.

   Again, we have questions (vs.5) to set up the description of the vision—

Vs.6 “It is a basket that goes forth”- the KJV and NASV has “ephah” and the NIV has “measuring basket”.  Twice this “basket” or measuring item (dry measures) is said to be “going forth”- indicating action like “flying” scroll.

“this is their resemblance throughout the earth”- there is some disagree-

ment over the translation of the word for “resemblance”—[ahyin] which has its root in the thought of ‘eye’ and from that ‘appearance, resemblance’ and negatively, ‘conceit’ and positively, ‘favor’.  The NIV has “this is the iniquity of the people”. The ‘basket’ or ‘ephah’ is an easily understood symbol of trade or commerce as is the lead disc or “talent of lead” (KJV).   Vs.7 “this is a woman sitting in the basket” and vs.8 “this is wickedness!”  This woman may be synonymous with the harlot of Rev.171-3 and 18:3,9 as a figure of

seduction and intercourse (commercial and religious) between the woman and the rulers of the earth.  She represents the system of the world based on greed

with which Israel has become partners.

  A way in which this “basket-woman-wickedness” may be understood is in the nature of Israel’s sin before and after the Babylonian exile.  Before, Israel’s sin was primarily idolatry- II Kings 17:8-12, 15.  However, the focus of much of what is said by post-Exile prophets relates to Israel’s commercialism and greed.

See Neh.5:1-10, 13:15-17 and Hagg.1:4.  After the Babylonian exile, the people of Israel moved from an agrarian economy and the life of farmers and vineyard

keepers to commercialism and merchantile work.  The roots of such greed may precede the exile- see Amos 8:5.  “threw the lead cover over its mouth”-

a movement done as if to confine the wickedness.

Page 2

Zechariah then sees “two women..wings like a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.”   When Zechariah asks where they are going, he is told “to build a house for it in the land of Shinar [Babylon]

when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

  This movement expresses the purifying of Israel from the system (driven by

greed and materialism) and the relocation of the basket-woman-wickedness to a place that God will destroy, although the destruction is not revealed in this vision.  See Rev.18:8, 20.  “when it is ready”- may indicate how she awaits

Divine judgment.  Some see this as supportive of a rebuilding of a literal city of Babylon that becomes the world’s leading commercial center in the Tribulation.

The two women with stork-like wings are complicit with the single woman and may being acting to protect her, yet simultaneously (and unknowingly) playing into the providence of God’s judgment.  It should be remembered that “Shinar” was associated with Babel in Gen.10:8-10 and its rebellion against God in

Gen.11:2-9.  Not until this “wickedness” is dealt with by the justice of God can either Israel or the earth be a place of God’s will being done.