ZECHARIAH - CHAPTER 5 - A FLYING SCROLL
ZECHARIAH – CHAPTER 5
A FLYING SCROLL AND A LEAD COVERED BASKET
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
7/23/19, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
This vision of THE FLYING SCROLL and the LEAD COVERED BASKET deal with three evils which stand to be dealt with in the wake of God’s judgment: theft, false witness, and wickedness in the Lead Covered Basket.
Zech 5:1Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. And he said to me, what do you see?” So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”
Then he said to me, this is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.
I will send out the curse,” says the LORD of hosts;
it shall enter the house of the thief
and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume it, with its timber and stones.
Again this is the same angel who has been speaking with Zechariah in previous visions, And he said to me, what do you see?
In the Scriptures, a roll or scroll depicts the Word of God. When Zechariah beheld this large flying scroll, he carefully noted its position, its size, its message and its fulfillment.
Positionally, it was flying as though on wings---a symbol used in referring to angels. The Covenant of the Law was mediated by angels unto Moses. The Jews believed that when God spoke a word, it might later be altered or mitigated through changing circumstances; but when a Word was written, it could never be changed or set aside.
We are living in a time when the Spirit speaks frequently through His prophetic servants. We too have learned that such prophecies are conditional and sometimes subject to change depending on our obedience or action. We test all things spoken by the written Word of the Lord, the Word of God. I believe the Word of God is the only perfect form of TRUTH who is Jesus Christ, the Living Word who is TRUTH.
The symbol of the scroll is a familiar one in the Old Testament, but in this case it was wide open to be read by the prophet, for it clearly contains the curse against every thief and everyone who swears falsely.
The size of the scroll was significant. We have learned that God’s measurements are most meaningful. All the details in a dream or vision are significant of the message of the dream and the vision. Zechariah would have known the dimensions are exactly those of Solomon’s porch in the Temple. (1 Ki. 6:3). It was from this porch that the law was often read to the people.
The message of the scroll was a “curse” or judgment. The Hebrew root means “adjure or swear.” God’s curse is never to be confused with man’s curse, which is usually “qalal,” and means to revile, hate, afflict or bring into contempt. Man curses from an evil and destructive heart. The Lord, on the other hand, never curses His people in hatred or from a desire for revenge or punishment. He does---and indeed must---adjure and renounce evil. The Lord’s curse is remedial rather than merely punitive.
The cursing of the fig tree (Judah), by our Lord, was an open sign of the withering which was to come to Judah as a result of their unbelief and self-will. From the beginning, the Lord set before Israel both blessing and cursing (Deut. 27). The curse of the Lord is actually the negative aspect of His blessing---the loving favor and grace which has been rejected and forfeited.
Our Lord spoke to us that every branch in Him that does not bear fruit shall be cut away and burned (Jn. 18: 1-8). God’s curse inevitably follows sin and disobedience. Yet it is always designed to bring man into repentance and restoration.
With a great joy, we rejoice that Christ has fully and completely redeemed our souls from the curses of the Law (Gal. 3:13).
However, in spite of this, our branches may be fruitless; our works may have to be destroyed as wood, hay and stubble. If we prove unfaithful and persist in unbelief, if we are guilty, we too will rob the Lord of His portion and glory in us. Just as Israel was accused of stealing, according to this scroll, we too shall be guilty of false swearing and irreverence. The Holy Spirit has made it plain to us that we have often robbed God of time, praise, glory and love, as well as of tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8-9).
Each time we allow doubt, fear, unbelief or self-love to motivate us, we rob God. We also rob the entire Body of Christ, for our prayers are always hindered by such defeats and losses. In addition to robbing the LORD directly, we rob one another by withholding good and blessing that is in our power to bestow when we fail to pray for others and minister to their needs (Prov. 3:27-28).
Or we may rob someone of the love and consideration of another, by speaking critically of them, or putting them in the wrong light. The ways in which we can---and sometimes do---rob God and others, are indeed manifold.
God’s ancient Law will remain the standard by which the deeds and words of men will be tested. This suggests being purged out from the faithful congregation. God’s word is sent forth and because it goes out with his authority, it accomplishes the purpose for which it is given.
The curse is clearly connected with the covenant. I do not speak a curse over a congregation which I serve. Every curse was broken at the Cross, by faith, the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus; but it is not automatic. It must be apprehended.
The fulfillment of the message of the scroll was devastating. Not only was the individual to be cut off, but his house also would be consumed. One translation for “cut off” is “purged or scoured.” This offers comfort and hope to the offenders. But consumed is a final word, and again we are reminded of the burning of the unfruitful branches in the Vine, and destruction of the wood, hay and stubble. Israel was thus judged for taking the Lord’s name in vain, swearing falsely by Him and failing to keep their vows. That this Word was fulfilled at a later day is certain.
Even the Temple was destroyed, but in the days of Zechariah, this word of warning was heeded by Israel, and the Lord did manifest grace and mercy to them. The curse did not come upon them until centuries later.
God’s word in the day of renewal will do God’s work irrespective of the judgments of others. It is a vision of a time when the word of the Lord is so unfettered that it finds its way into the homes and the consciences---it will remain---of all who dare to transgress and not receive Jesus Christ’s precious Blood to cover their sins.
Vision of the Woman in a Basket: Zech 5:5Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth. So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.” He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket.” Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?” And he said to me, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”
In Zechariah’s ninth vision he beheld a woman hidden in an ephah, a large basket, by which measures were estimated. Since this ephah contains a human figure, it has no real bearing on the basket/barrel as a unit of measurement. Its significance is immediately identified by the interpreting angel. This is wickedness! Wickedness is uncovered and personified in a woman. Wickedness denotes a variety of forms of evil---social, ethical and spiritual---which can only be dealt with by the power of God. In the Scriptures, women are used to typify both good and evil.
God matches wickedness in a woman with two women who appear as his chosen servants who have the wind in their wings. The Wind denotes the power of the Holy Spirit. They have wings like those of a stork. The mention of the Spirit winds reminds the prophet, and us, that this removal of wickedness was the work of God alone.
The two women lifted up the ephah and bore the evil woman away to the land of Shinar.
Shinar is an ancient name for Babylon and means the place of two rivers. Not only has religious Babylon corrupted all nations, but the spirit of commercial Babylon, based on greed, has permeated every civilized nation. Babylon is metaphorical for antagonism of God’s purpose. The kingdom of Babylon was established by Nimrod and was the location where the tower of Babel was built.
The Lord of Hosts determined to rid Israel of idolatry in every form. Babylon and its unholy ways were soon to be banished from Israel. We see the spiritual, metaphorical, counterpart of this vision in Revelation 17 and 18.
The stork is a strong migratory bird capable of swift flight. It feeds on snakes and other foul things. It is believed in this instance angelic messengers are represented. The wickedness was to be borne away and the land was to be cleansed. A double work of redemption would take place in due time. As we know, the curse pronounced upon all sinners, and especially upon disobedient Israel, was born by Jesus Christ. All who will receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be delivered from Babylon. That is if we seek after Him with our whole heart.
There will be erected a house for the basked carrying wickedness---probably a shrine. Where Judah had been exiled was a fitting place for wickedness to be worshipped, but not in the land where God had placed His Name. The idolatry of Babylon must once and for all be separated from the worship of the God of Israel.
Unlike the fourth vision in which Joshua is relieved of his filthy garments, this vision is concerned with the truth that wickedness often hidden from men so far as its real identification is concerned, is a power which must be reckoned with and never underestimated; but is removed by the aid of God’s power.
Isa 11:9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros (upper Egypt), and from Cush (Ethiopia), and from Elam (Iran), and from Shinar (Iraq), and from Hamath (upper Syria), and from the islands of the sea.
Jesus Christ is the root of Jesse and the ensign of the people. Since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we have been in the Times of the Gentiles. We have surely come to the time when the knowledge of the LORD covers the earth. The remnant of his people are not just the Jewish nation, but the Christians in the nations of the earth.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Dora Pfnister, Ladies of Gold, Volume Three, The Authorized Compilation by James Maloney; and F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect from those who I entered into their labors.