Zachariah

Zechariah Chapter 5

• Zechariah 5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

This represented the judgment of God. The bible was written on parchment and rolled up as a scroll at that time. The word of God flying on a roll would be a good representation of a word coming from the Lord. Judgment comes after God sends warning and people fail to repent.

• Zechariah 5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

This was about 20 ft. 10 inches by 41 ft. 8 in. It was huge. I long to see the day when people will love to study God's word. I prefer that we study verse by verse, line upon line rather than subject by subject and our text be the bible and not some book written by man. Not that its wrong to read good Christian books but it should be done on the side, not the main course.

Ezekiel also saw a scroll in his vision but it wasn't flying:

• Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
• 10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Notice that Ezekiel's scroll was also a sign of judgment and woe.

• Zechariah 5:3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

Sin brings forth a curse upon the sinners and the nations that sin. Stealing is just one sin among many. To embezzle from one's company is stealing, to rob one of his property is stealing. It can come in many forms that we do not notice it. Stealing is not just limited to those who sneak in houses and take things that do not belong to them. Using fraud or lying to deceive buyers is stealing.

To swear falsely especially using the Lord's name to do so, is very serious. It is a sin so serious that God would send a curse here. Since the scroll was very large, it probably contained a whole list of sins. By reading the law, prophets and the gospel in the New Testament, we can see what is sin and what is ordinances that were fulfilled in Christ. We no longer have to sacrifice animals for instance but we still are not to commit fornication, worship with the use of images, dishonor parents etc. 

Here is the same warning in Malachi but we see God's displeasure with adultery, cheating people out of their wages and oppress widows, orphans and strangers.

• Malachi 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

Israel does not get by with sin and neither does any other human being. Israel though should have known better because they knew who God was and what God's law required. A curse came upon them and upon all who ignore and disobey the law of God. Notice though that we tend to sin against God when we lose the fear of God. Not that we are terrified or scared but when we lose respect and a desire to keep His word.

This is the sole reason Jesus Christ had to come and die for our sins. He suffered the punishment for our sins but it only counts for us if we believe and receive Him as Lord and savior. Without Jesus Christ we are all under the curse of the law. He took away that curse for all who would believe. Remember, to believe in someone or something is to live by what they stand for and teach. 

• Zechariah 5:4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

This large scroll was to enter the houses of those that sin in the manner mentioned in these passages.

What does it mean to swear falsely?

To swear something is true when it is false. To do this in the Lord's name though really makes it a serious and dangerous sin. We must not deceive in the things of God or using the word of God by purposely twisting scripture to say what we want it to say rather than what it actually says in context. 

We must not take God lightly and swear falsely. I suppose if we took an oath to tell the truth and we didn't tell the truth using God's name to do it, it would be swearing falsely.

• Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
• 6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

An ephah is a measurement about a bushel and 3 pints. This seems to represent evil in some form. The lid was 122 lbs but still could not hold back or suppress the evil within its contents.  

• Zechariah 5:7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
• 8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
• 9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
• 10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
• 11 And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

We know that the Babylon in the bible was destroyed by the armies of the Medes and Persians. The land of Shinar is Babylon so it would seem that in the latter days literal Babylon will be established upon its base again. This would be around modern day Iraq and could include Syria since that was originally part of the Babylonian Empire. This is just one interpretation of this scripture though. There are others that do not hold to the literal Babylon being rebuild but teach that this means something else or is symbolic of the evil of Babylon that is revived in the latter days.

This bushel represents wickedness: Moral, civil and religious.

Who knows but what the wealth of other nations joining with Iraq to gain oil just might make them rich enough to establish the kingdom of Babylon again and fulfill this part of bible prophecy. The old Babylon was the beginning of all false religious systems of the whole world. When God destroyed the tower of Babel and confused the language so that people began to scatter all over the world, they took their religions with them. That is why we see different religions that changed over the years but similar at the same time. The names of the false gods would be different in other languages. As of December 2025, this has not happened at least not yet but Iraq does not have a stable government and is in disarray at this time. 

Although women are used here to represent this evil, it is nothing to be offended over. God also used a woman to bring the way of salvation to all of us. Mary was a woman that was virtuous. Proverbs 31 also shows us what a virtuous woman is like. There were also women God used that were not always virtuous but obtained salvation by believing in God or in Jesus Christ and forsaking their old sins. However tradition tells us the it was a woman who brought in the false religions of Babylon.

It would seem that Babylon would be rebuilt again, unless this is speaking of just past fulfillment. Some believe the Babylon of the future is only Mystery Babylon or some religious apostate system. Yet in Revelation we see both a commercial and a religious Babylon so it could be both. I'm sure Babylon will have something to do with a false religion of some kind.

I could try to name the false religions but it could be a combination of them all in the latter days. One world government and one world religion. This is why we need to be safe in the shelter of Jesus Christ and not be outside His salvation. Our faith in Him must remain in tact and strong. He is our foundation and our rock. We must study the word and seek His face continually so that we are not deceived by any false religion.

We can be deceived by false religion or by the secular world. Both are evil. We must not be wrapped up in either one for God's judgment will come upon both.

Look how the love for money and prosperity is deceiving so many. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived into laying up treasures on earth in this present life. God may bless some in that way but some may be poor and we are not to assume they are out of God's favor. We must remember that our houses of worship should be houses of prayer. Remember when Jesus went into the temple and cast out the money changers. That is just one thing that deceives us in the latter days. Following after men or women of importance is another. Christ is the one we are to follow. We must not follow the money trail, follow a person of great admiration, seek to be powerful politically, seek to make a big name for ourselves (old Babylon), seek the pleasure of this life at the expense of someone else, seek riches by robbing someone else, worship other gods, or seek to please men above God. We must die out to all these things and follow only Christ. 

Babylon just may be the combination of all I previously mentioned and more. What leads to the love of Babylon is first forsaking the fear of God and the word of God. Israel once lusted after the ways of Babylon of that day. They saw their prosperity, they lusted after their comfortable lifestyle and began to compromise their faith in God for the idols of Babylon. They forsook God and became enslaved to the world or Babylon. God allowed Babylon to enslave them literally. 

The study of the letters to the churches In chapters 2 and 3 or Revelation will help us avoid the temptations to come. As Israel and as followers of Jesus, we must avoid the spirit of Babylon.  Babylon represents all evil both religious evil and the secular worldly anti-god powers to come. DC

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