Study Desk

So the Lord God All-Powerful made everyone eager to work on his temple, especially Zerubbabel and Joshua.

The angel who was sent to explain was there, and so I asked, "What do these mean?" His answer was, "These horns are the nations that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and took away their freedom." Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths, and I asked, "What are they going to do?" He replied, "They are going to terrify and crush those horns."

The Lord says to his people, "Run! Escape from the land in the north, where I scattered you to the four winds.

Then the glorious Lord All-Powerful ordered me to say to the nations that had raided and robbed Zion: Zion is as precious to the Lord as are his eyes. Whatever you do to Zion, you do to him.

When he does, many nations will turn to him and become his people. At that time you will know that I am a prophet of the Lord All-Powerful.

Then Judah will be his part of the holy land, and Jerusalem will again be his chosen city.

Everyone, be silent! The Lord is present and moving about in his holy place.

I spoke up and said, "Also put a clean priestly turban on his head." Then they dressed him in priestly clothes and put the turban on him, while the Lord 's angel stood there watching.

Tell him that I, the Lord All-Powerful, say, "Someone will reach out from here like a branch and build a temple for me. I will name him ‘Branch,' and he will rule with royal honors. A priest will stand beside his throne, and the two of them will be good friends.

It happened after the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer with Regem-Melech and his men to ask the priests in the Lord 's temple and the prophets to pray for them. So they prayed, "Should we mourn and go without eating during the fifth month, as we have done for many years?"

When this happens, ten people from nations with different languages will grab a Jew by his clothes and say, "Let us go with you. We've heard that God is on your side." I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

This is a message from the Lord : His eyes are on everyone, especially the tribes of Israel. So he pronounces judgment against the cities of Hadrach and Damascus.

I, the Lord , will take away war chariots and horses from Israel and Jerusalem. Bows that were made for battle will be broken. I will bring peace to nations, and your king will rule from sea to sea. His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River across the earth.

Like a cloud, the Lord God will appear over his people, and his arrows will flash like lightning. God will sound his trumpet and attack in a whirlwind from the south.

The Lord All-Powerful will protect his people, and they will trample down the sharpshooters and their slingshots. They will drink and get rowdy; they will be as full as a bowl at the time of sacrifice.

The Lord God will save them on that day, because they are his people, and they will shine on his land like jewels in a crown.

On that same day, I broke the stick named "Mercy" to show that the Lord had canceled his agreement with all people.

The Lord will have his day. And when it comes, everything that was ever taken from Jerusalem will be returned and divided among its people.

He will take his stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and the mountain will split in half, forming a wide valley that runs from east to west.

Then you people will escape from the Lord 's mountain, through this valley, which reaches to Azal. You will run in all directions, just as everyone did when the earthquake struck in the time of King Uzziah of Judah. Afterwards, the Lord my God will appear with his holy angels.