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The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan
Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)
Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)
The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
Zechariah begins and ends with horses. In the first night vision, the horses are in a glen (1:8ff). They have returned from patrol, and the world is at peace. That’s not good; sometimes peace is complacency and established evil, and war needs to begin. By the end of the night visions, the horses are heading out “between the two bronze mountains” (6:1), and are heading out to conquer.
A similar scene ends the book – again there are two mountains, between which people pass (14:4-5), and again there are horses, holy horses wearing high priestly bells (14:20). They are ready for holy war, ready to charge out between the mountains to ensure that no Canaanite is left in the house of Yahweh.
The whole process of Zechariah – temple building, restored priesthood, suffering and deliverance, the shepherd raised up and struck down, the city besieged and saved – all of it has the goal of preparing an army for Yahweh, horses who will patrol the earth, led by the One on the white horse who goes out conquering and to conquer.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 7:13 am
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