(1) In the prophet Habakkuk (preface § 5. 6) we heard how the ministry and preaching of the old prophets had been of the two things: The first, that they kept the people in discipline and prepared them for the future kingdom of Messiah, as St. Paul says in Gal. 24: "The law has been our schoolmaster for the future Christ. For as a young son, though he be heir and lord of all his father's goods, yet the same are not left in his hands, till he be grown up first, and be well brought up; and must first suffer the taskmaster, before he become the captain of the house.
2. the other part, that they prophesy and praise of the same kingdom of Christ, under which they exhort the people to suffer the disciplinarian patiently for a time, and also comfort them that they should not despair of it, though it may seem as if it would not come, because they were so afflicted, oppressed, imprisoned, and led away by the Gentiles. Just as a young heir is admonished to be pious, to study diligently and to obey the disciplinarian, for it will not be long before he will be rich and a great lord; for this he should suffer gladly, whether the father of the ruth needs and sometimes punishes him, and not during the time of the punishment.
He will not think that his father will leave him or expel him from the house because of this, but will suffer such seriousness, anger and sour looks as a pious child until he grows up.
3. while they practice such two things with preaching, they sometimes do a miraculous work, or show a comforting vision of God, to confirm such teaching among the people. Just as a father sometimes buys and sends or brings to his son and heir, besides the rod and disciplinarian, a red pair of shoes or bag, or otherwise a fair, so that the boy does not hate the rod too much and become an enemy of the father, but suffers the sharp rod in patience and always keeps the love for the father in his heart, both over rod and disciplinarian. In short, as a pious, wise father raises up his child, so God also dealt with this people, and still deals with us in this way, when he makes us suffer much according to the flesh, and keeps sharp rods and disciplinarians over us; and yet comforts us with the promise of the future glorious joy and blessedness in heaven.
4 Now this prophet Zechariah is in these pieces, especially in the other piece, a paragon, and in my opinion the most distinguished.
For he was also at the time when it was most necessary to comfort the people with the future kingdom of Christ and to keep them under discipline, because the people, neither before nor after, was never so scattered, chased away, 1) and scattered, as long as it was called God's people, as at this time of the Babylonian prison. For the people of Israel were like a flock of sheep when the wolf came among them in the absence of the shepherd; several of them were strangled, but those that got out and escaped were so confused and frightened that it was very difficult to bring them back to the fold; Or, if a marten comes among the chickens at night, there is also such a choking, spraying and lamentation that the remaining chickens also become so timid and stupid that they do not know where to go, and one must also drive very carefully that one can lure them together again.
(5) Of course, the Jewish people were also troubled when they were recently disturbed by the Babylonians, because wherever they thought to go or whatever they planned to do, they always thought the land would be full of Babylonians. Therefore it costs the prophet much enticement and many good sweet words before he brings them together again and strengthens them. To us, who have not been in the bath, such words move us nothing, but seem to us vain, and henceforth to be impotent words. But they hold up to us an excellent example of faith, which we would never have had if we had been among the Jews at that time, as we shall see hereafter.
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius the king, the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah the son of Jeddo the prophet, saying, The Lord was wroth with your fathers.
6 To understand this text, we have to touch a little the ancient histories. In the first book of Ezra [Cap. 1, 3] we read how Cyrus, the first king in Persia, in his first year allowed the Jews to be free and to go to Jerusalem and to build it again, as it was announced before by the prophet Jeremiah [Cap. 29, 10]. So in the same year
1) In the original: verjeucht.
The foundation was laid and started in the first years. While Cyrus went to Scythia to fight against the queen Thamyris, 2) he left Darius Histaspis in the country, who was king with him, and helped him to win Babylon and the Chaldean Empire. But Darius died the next year, and Cyrus fought for twenty years, until the queen slew him and threw his head into a barrel full of human blood, saying: "Drink the blood that you have always thirsted for. Because Darius was dead, and Cyrus in the fight was not home, the officials in Judea went to the Jews and refused to let them build [Ezra 4, 4. 5, 6. ff.], so that nothing was built for the twenty years of Cyrus, and they were treated as poor, miserable people are treated by tyrants, as Zechariah afterwards confesses Cap. 8, 10: There was no peace etc. And no one could do anything about it, so badly did God start it through King Cyrus.
7th After the death of Cyrus, Arthasastha, read in Ezra, who is otherwise called Artaxerxes or Cambyses, and Ahasuerus Priscus, who became captain of Holofernes, were strangled by the Jews at Bethulia by Judith [Judith 13:9] (is the same story true). Therefore he was angry, and the Jews were also otherwise accused against him by the governors, Ezra 4, 7. ff., that he also forbade to build the temple; this also lasted twenty years, as long as he reigned. Behold, so long were the Jews deceived and hindered; should they not have despaired and grown weary of believing, since in forty-two years they held no happiness but vain hindrance? Therefore the prophets had to present many words and signs to comfort them and to keep them in faith in such a manifold accident.
8th After this came the third king Darius Longimanus, of whom Zechariah and Haggai speak, in which year, by his command, the temple was built, Ezra 6:1 ff. Then these prophets stood up and stopped. Therefore the Jews say John 2:20 that the temple was built in forty-six years, and Christ would build it in three days; that is, in six days.
2) This is how her name is written in all editions.
Forty years and forty years were passed by before it was built, through many great obstacles. As Daniel Cap. 9, 25 had said before: In angustia temporum, that is, it would be built with hardship and sorrow.
009 From all these things we know the time of the prophet Zechariah, which was about the forty and fifth year after they were delivered from Babylon, and he began to preach two months after Haggai. For Haggai began in the sixth month of the other year Darii. Now this is that he says here: he began in the other year Darii of the eighth moon. The Hebrew language calls this king Dariaves, like the king Cyrus Cores.
010 And he begins his first sermon with the word, "The Lord was angry with your fathers," that is, with admonition of wrath and punishment for the past sin of their fathers. And this whole first sermon remains on the same opinion, that he may move them by the present punishment of the former disobedience, to be the more pious and obedient, just as one points out the rod to a child, so that he is first strengthened to be more pious. As if to say, "You see how angry the Lord was with your fathers, and how severely he punished their disobedience. Take heed to yourselves, and beware lest ye do likewise. For now we also come to you with God's word and command that you should be godly and build the temple. If you also disobey, the rod and punishment will not stay with you long, as follows in the text, and the prophet himself further emphasizes such preaching.
V. 3 And saith unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Return unto me, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.
011 Then before he brings upon them the disobedience of their fathers, and reproaches them with the punishment and wrath of God, he calls before them, and preaches to them that they should be godly, saying, "Turn ye unto me," that is, send yourselves to be my people, to serve me only, and to obey my commandments, "and I will turn again unto you," that I may be your God; and
again do all good, and defend you before all the world, as I was before I turned away from you, when your fathers were still pious, and had not turned away from me. One turning brings another. Just as your fathers turned away from me, so I also turned away from them. Now therefore ye turn again unto me, and I will turn again unto you.
(12) I say this because the school-baiters and sophists use this saying for free will, as if man could convert himself, because God says here: "Turn to me," although the text does not say here what man is able to do, but what he is obliged to do. For when he says, "Return to me," he indicates that they should turn back, that is, keep all the commandments and be pious. Now whether a man may do this of himself, the Scripture does not say here, but elsewhere sufficiently. It is quite far from each other, to be able to do and to do ought; therefore one does not have to lead the scripture nor understand of being able to do, since it speaks of doing ought; of which I wrote further in my booklet Servum arbitrium 1).
(13) Then let us see why the prophet, who is supposed to comfort the poor, frightened multitude, is at first even more frightened, and begins with sorrow, and shows the rod. But it is the way of the Holy Spirit that he first begins sharp and hard, and then becomes kind and sweet. Again, the devil enters gently, and starts sweetly, but afterwards he leaves his stink behind, and goes out sourly. Just as a father first chastises his child harshly and sharply, but after that it is the dear child, and sweet love is present.
14 So also here, because this prophet wants to give much comfort, he starts hard and serious, and is not only the spirit's way and manner, but the adversity demands it from us. For, as has been said, this poor people had had many hindrances, longer than forty years, from their neighbors and from the emperor in Persia, and they were also in trouble, as Haggai says [Cap. 2, 18], that such great causes (as always rise up against God's word and work)
1) St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1668 ff.
would have made the people weary to turn away from God, as their fathers had done. As also some did, who turned to the Gentiles, when the son of the high priest took the daughter of the Gentile Tobiah, of which Nehemiah writes [Cap. 13, 28.].Therefore it was necessary first to point out the ruths to them and to deter them, so that they would not turn away from such causes and become like their fathers in sin and punishment.
15 For this is how man is accustomed to excuse himself: What shall I do? If I do not keep company with the people, I must leave my wife, child, property, honor and body. How shall I feed myself? Where shall I stay? Just as if one had to leave God's word for that sake, or as if God could not protect or reward all this, if it had to be lost for His sake, as those in the Gospel also excuse themselves, one that he had bought fields, the other oxen, the third a wife [Luc. 14, 18-20]. Ahaz, the king of Judah, wanted to have mercy on the gods in Syria, but lost the grace of God [2 Kings 16:3, 17:20]. O, it is a great, strong, high sermon that Zechariah preaches here. And even though the words are bad, if you look at how things were at that time, it was an excellent, necessary sermon to preserve the people so that they would not turn away from God and become disobedient to His word, just as we Christians must stop, shout and scream when persecution, rebellion or heresy arises and rages, so that the people may be preserved so that they do not turn away and turn away from God. It was just the same with the Jews, the poor, shattered little group.
For this reason the prophet is so vehement that in these short words he mentions the name of God, the Lord of hosts, three times, when otherwise it would have been enough in one time. For it is important and important that they remain with and in the Lord of hosts and do not fall away through such shocks and temptations. Besides, it is not to be rejected that the Spirit has secretly wanted to make it understood that there are three persons in one Godhead, each of whom is called the Lord of hosts. And whether the Jews I
not believe, nor is anything valid with them, yet we Christians think that [it] pleased God to indicate himself to his own.
V. 4. Be not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached. Prophets preached, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye from your wicked ways, and from your evil doings: but they hearkened not, neither hearkened 1) unto me, saith the Lord.
017 Here he set them up as an example of their fathers' disobedience. As if to say, Your fathers also had cause and temptation from their neighbors to fall away from me, as ye have now: but I sent prophets, and preached unto them, that they should cleave unto me. Watch, and do ye not also now so. For what did your fathers gain by it? They wanted to escape the rain and fell into the water. They wanted to be challenged, and they perished, as follows:
V. 5. Where are now 2) your fathers and the prophets? Are the prophets still alive?
(18) Here he holds up to them the punishment of the fathers, saying, They would not hear me through my prophets; but they heard their own prophets, which promised them peace, and happiness, and salvation, when they fell down to the Gentiles, and worshipped their gods, and forsook me, that they might not suffer anything for my sake from the Gentiles. But how finely they have met it! Where are they now, your fathers, who obeyed such prophets, and left me? Dead are they, as ye see, and their hope is gone from them: and the prophets themselves, which comforted them, are they also left alive? Seeing then, and feeling that they are deceived, and have obtained nothing but destruction, because they have fallen from me, take heed, and let no thing nor temptation be too great to turn you away; hold ye on me, and I will hold good over you.
19 And here you see that this sermon is most concerned with faith and unbelief,
1) In the original: merkten.
2) Erlanger: "only" instead of: "now", which is found both in the translation of the original and in our Bible. In Latin: jum.
because he is examining the prophets and teachers, so that one may understand how their fathers' sin was most of all, that they did not believe or trust in God in their temptation, but sought help from men, and thus became apostate, idolatrous people, and that the word "turn to me" goes deep and searches the heart; namely, that one then turns to God when one defies and trusts in God in all matters, needs and concerns; again, then turns away when one does not trust in God. Then no sacrifice nor good work will help, in which their fathers, together with their prophets, were very skilled. So also now, in this case, to build the temple, since there are many temptations, it is necessary to turn to the Lord of hosts, to cling to him, and to rely on him, be it the emperor in Persia or the neighbors. God speaks; he will, will and can also help; so that they will not fall to the Gentiles again.
(20) Such and such admonitions are always necessary for us against the mobs and tyrants, so that we do not fall away for their sake. For we also see how the Romans and all tyrants have fared. For where are they now? So also the Arians and all heretics, where are they now? And the princes and the mobs that are raging now will be the same in a little while. Therefore, let every one turn and hold to Christ, and do not fall away; let no one be deterred or deceived. God speaks, God will also do it.
V. 6. Is it not so, that my words and my judgments, which I commanded by my servants the prophets, have grieved your fathers? that they have turned back, saying, As the Lord of hosts commanded us to do, and as we went and did, so hath he done unto us.
21 That is, my prophets and I had to be wrong at that time; what they said was nothing; the false prophets had to be right, they followed them. But how did it end? My word remained, and as I said, so it came to pass, and not as the false prophets. Let this be a warning to you, and take hold of the experience you see, that all their teaching and hope is so utterly lost, that in the end they will be punished.
They themselves had to confess that it was not as their prophets had said, but as I had spoken. But it did not help at that time; now that it has come upon them, they believe and feel it. Beware yourselves also.
22 O, who will give that even now our tyrants and mobs believe God's words? Nothing will come of it; they want it and must learn it, so that they may hear this sermon at last, and confess that it was true; and yet they say that they did not believe that it would be so. Summa, one does not believe God until one hears it; so it has lasted too long.
23 Therefore this is the sum of this first preaching of Zechariah, that he will first make the people devout and godly with prophecies and promises, introducing the example of their fathers to terrify them. For because they are to build the temple and the city of Jerusalem, and to do such a good work, he wants them to be devout beforehand, so that they will not think that God is satisfied with the work of building the temple and the city, just as their forefathers thought it was enough for them to sacrifice. No, dear man, he wants to have faith and a converted heart before all good works; that is all that matters to him; this must precede, and must be preached first: "Return to me"; then build the temple for me. And not thus, First build ye the temple, and afterward return ye unto me. Good works puff up and make proud, but faith and heart conversion humble and make us despondent in ourselves.
For this very reason they were prevented from building the temple for more than forty years, even though there was not one obstacle, but much encouragement, to believe and to be pious, patient and holy, namely, so many temptations and persecutions that they had to experience that being pious and believing was more and far more important than building temples and houses and making sacrifices to God. As also Hosea 6, 6. says: I like good deeds more than sacrifices etc.
25 Thus God always teaches faith and right piety first, then outward works. But men, as having come far above faith and godliness, teach before
and above all things vain outward works, as if it were because of them. But God indicates here that He will not look at the temple unless they are first converted and pious, even if the temple is pure gold, ruby, emerald and diamond.
In the fourth and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the moon of Zebat, in the second year of Tarn the king, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Jddo the prophet, saying.
(26) The Jews count not the moons by the calendar, as we do, but by the moon's course in the heavens: neither do they reckon the year, as we do. For with them the first moon and the beginning of the year is April, that is, when April becomes new, when spring comes and all things become new. Although according to the course of the moon April is often in the sky, when it is still March in the calendar. So it goes also with all other moons that the eleventh moon with the Jews is the hornung, and may well be that still in Jenner is according to the calendar and with us, when the hornung is new with the Jews. So Zechariah began this first sermon in the eighth moon, that is, in the winter moon, almost around the grape harvest (according to the calendar in the grape moon), that they should become devout; and this other sermon, where he comforts them to build, was given around our women's Candlemas Day, when spring breaks, and time wants to work and build.
27 After the first sermon follows the other, in which he begins to comfort them to build, for he has no doubt preached the first sermon more than once for the past three months, and has also continued to cut out the words and explain with examples how to preach.
28 In the other sermon he shows a comforting vision, like a man riding a red horse among the myrtles, with many elders coming to him and proclaiming to him that all countries sit still. For the prophet saw such visions, that he should preach them unto the people for comfort and exhortation. And this is the summa and opinion of this vision, that the people should not be afraid, neither before [thej emperor in Persia,
nor before their neighbors, but be sure and confident that no one will hinder them from building henceforth, as they have been hindered hitherto; for there is neither war nor strife anywhere, but all countries sit quietly, and peace is everywhere, and now they build well. But it was difficult for the people to believe this, because they had experienced much else during the forty years. Therefore, the prophet had to strengthen their hearts with words and visions and assure them that God was now merciful.
(29) In fact, all the circumstances of the face, both in gestures and words, indicate that there is peace and silence. The first, that the angels appear and speak with men. For where it is of wrath, 1) the angels leave us, and hide themselves, that they be neither seen nor heard.
(30) Secondly, that the angels with the horses do not keep in order or in battle, 2) nor do they carry shields or armor, but in a merry meadow or arboretum, where they do not quarrel, but sing, leap, and be merry, as when there is peace in the land.
The third, that the angel holds among the myrtles. Myrtus is not in German lands, nor have I seen any elsewhere. But they write that it is not a wild tree, but a tame one, like pear and apple trees. It is green in winter and summer, like firs, spruces and box trees, and bears berries that are used to make must and oil, and also tastes vinous, has narrow and many leaves, but is not nutritious. 3) It is also used to make short spears, just as hornbeam is used to make pork spears in our country, because it is not a tall tree. The Romans used it for wreaths when they were triumphant, and also in reconciliations. Now because the angel holds under the tame trees, it is a sign that there is peace; just as if we saw horsemen holding under the lime tree, it would be a sign of peace. For under the linden tree we are wont to drink, dance and be merry, not
1) This has given the Latin translator by tenaxoro Iraq, at the time of anger.
2) Dispute tip in uoie railitari.
3) Wittenberger: werhafftig; Jenaer: wehrhafftig. In Latin: Uuradiiis.
nor serious, 1) because the lime tree is a tree of peace and joy in our country.
The fourth, that the angels go forth with words, and freely confess that there is peace everywhere. We have gone, they say, through all the countries, and behold, all the countries are at rest; that is, you must fear no one. There is neither strife nor strife against you anywhere.
(33) But the stupid mind does not believe this yet, and always worries about the contradiction; because it has been hit on the mouth before, it fears that there will be more blows behind. The same was true of the Jews, who had been rolled and bruised before, but were always afraid that there would be more. Therefore this face also appears outwardly, just as they are inwardly minded. Although it is comforting and peaceful, reason does not see and accept it that way. Therefore the prophet himself starts and says with fear: "Lord, who are these? As if to say, Woe is me, there are horses and horsemen, what does this mean? What do they want to do? Is there still no peace, but always war and strife?
For God always does this when He begins to comfort, so that it seems terrible. So Mary, the virgin, was also frightened when the angel Gabriel brought her the most joyful message [Luc. 1, 29], and the shepherds in the field were also frightened at first by the clarity of the angel [Cap. 2, 9/, and the disciples when they saw Christ walking on the sea [Marc. 6, 49. 51.].
(35) So Zechariah is shocked for his own and his people's sake that he sees horses and horsemen. For horses are war animals, as Solomon says in Proverbs [Cap. 21, 31.] and Job 39, 21. ff. Item, that he sees them in the meadow, in the ground, as on a cunning, yearly ambush; in addition in the night, since it is otherwise in itself yearly and frightening, more than in the day, with it is indicated, how their heart was fearful and timid. For as the hearts stand, so also the visions and revelations go. Therefore the angel comforted him, or the man who stood among the myrtles (for Zechariah puts both).
1) Dietz explains "ernsten" by: to argue, to fight. The Latin translator offers: tumuItuAri.
as if to say, "It is true that you see horses, and they are red, brown and white; that is, the kings and princes are still here and reigning. But do not be afraid, we sit on them and keep them in peace, in beautiful meadows, under the myrtles, and do not see any armor on us; they will not harm you and your people, but rather serve and help.
36 Here we shall now say about horses and angels. The first are red, the others brown, which Virgilius 2) calls spadices, which are chestnut-brown, very good kind and strong horses; the third white. By the horses we understand all the rulers who were at that time, especially around the Jews. Although some understand by the red ones the Babylonians, by the brown ones the Assyrians; by the white ones the Persians. But, as I have said, because the angels prophesy that all the countries through which they passed are silent, we must leave it at that, that it means all the kingdoms and dominions that were around them, especially the empire that was at that time, of which they were afraid.
37) But the color, that the first is red, 3) the other brown, the last white, I respect, means, as it is said, that the revelation happens, as those are minded, to whom it happens. Now the people always had in mind the killing and capturing that they had experienced so far, and they were always afraid of it. That is why the first color is red, and blood scar. But because there was comfort, the other color behind the red is brown, as a sign that the fear should soon be relieved, and come from fear to security, which security now means the last, white color, which is a happy color, like the light.
Now this text in Zechariah is one of the sayings from which one learns how God governs the world through the angels, yet He does everything by Himself alone. For God has established four kinds of rule.
39 One that he does for himself, without the cooperation of the creatures. This is entirely by his power alone; as when he creates and increases the creatures, sustains them, and gives them various powers and kinds; to this end, he helps them.
2) Vir.]. döoi-Aieu, lid. Ill, v. 82.
3) In the original and in the German editions: schwarz. In Latin correctly: rutum.
him no one. The other is when he commands such created and preserved creatures to the angels, that they lead, guide, keep, guard and help them from the outside, and especially the people; because from the inside only the one God receives and helps. Although the dear angels do not help from within, as God does, they still do their part from without, by giving people good, useful or necessary thoughts, and preventing or removing evil, harmful thoughts, so that they help to preserve and improve people and creatures externally, which God Himself does internally alone.
40 Thus it happens and happens that many a man escapes fire, water, murderers, and other accidents, in order to do a light thing that moves him, and such a thought or other thing occurs to him 1) suddenly, so that he is saved, which he could never have thought of before, and must say: Well, if I had done this and that, I would certainly have drowned, burned, murdered, or otherwise perished or suffered harm. Just as it is said, "You had a good angel there. That is why the pagans attributed this to luck and made an idol out of it. For they saw and learned that such a thing happened, but did not know that the true God did it through his holy angels. Thus it happened to St. Augustine, when the heretics held out for him to be killed, that he went down another street without a second thought, no doubt by the motion of his angels. Item, when the emperor Julius jumped out of the ship, and escaped his enemies by swimming, and yet was courageous and confident to do so; which counsel and courage his angel gave him from without, and God from within. It is the same with all people who escape misfortune or have good fortune. It is all God's work and the work of angels.
41: So we see here that the angel cares for the Jews and asks; item, Zechariah instructs and comforts from outside; item, in Daniel Gabriel has much to do with teaching, comforting and instructing [Dan. 8, 15-20. 9, 21.], and shows inside, how the angels of the Jews
1) "a" is missing in the original edition, but is added in the Wittenberg at this place, in the Jena before: "such thought".
Michael fights for them and how the angel of the empire in Persia resists him [Cap. 10, 13]. Such and such a revelation of the angels shows how they do so with us without ceasing, invisibly and secretly, that their office is to help and advise men, to promote and improve, also to ask and care for us.
Thus every emperor, king, prince, lord, even every man has his angel, whether the emperor or his empire, Christian or not. For it is an outward office which they both exercise on the pious and the wicked, because both the pious and the wicked are creatures of God, created by him. For this reason, he also nourishes, sustains, provides for and protects and increases them, as a god and master of his work. Where else would the Romans often have had such fine coincidences, advice and wit? Whence should Hannibal have been so skilful and ready and brave? Whence should the great Alexander have been so fresh and sprightly, so bold and blissful? It is all God's and the angels' work, what they have or do useful or blissful.
The third rule is that God rules through men, as through the apostles and preachers. For although God could teach people the gospel without preaching, as He does inwardly (just as He sustains and governs all creatures inwardly without angels), He does not want to do it, but needs preachers outwardly through the word, and lets them cooperate in the teaching and spirit that He Himself gives inwardly. Thus St. Paul boasts in 1 Cor. 3, 9 that the preachers are God's helpers and co-workers in the salvation of the Corinthians; and 2 Cor. 6, 1 says: We help and admonish you etc. So also through the angels, as co-workers and His helpers, He helps and saves all men, and will not teach without the preachers, nor help without the angels. For this reason, God wants to honor the ministry of preaching and all the authorities, because they are His work, and the work of His angels and His messengers.
44 The fourth is the worldly rule, which includes the rule of the home and the parents' authority over the children. For even though God could raise children without parents (as he well demonstrated with Adam and Heva, and
He does not want to do it, but has established the order that he does it through the parents and with the parents. So he could also keep house without housekeepers, as he often does; but still he will not do it, but with the housekeepers and through the housekeepers he will do it, as the 127th Psalm, v. 1, says: "Where the Lord does not build the house, there is no use working to build it. So he could well keep peace, punish the wicked, protect the pious without sword and prince. But he does not want to do this, but has arranged it so that the princes should help him, that is, he wants to do this with them and through them. Therefore, all regiments are his and truly divine regiments, without the need of angels and men, so that he may demonstrate his wonderful power, wisdom and goodness.
So he has three kinds of external regiments, and three kinds of external ways or means, over his own divine regiment. In the temporal regiment is the sword and the fist. In the spiritual is the word and the mouth. In the angelic one is the. Mind and reason. These are the three sages, sword, word, understanding. By the sword I understand everything that belongs to the worldly regiment, as, worldly rights and laws, manners and customs, gestures, estates, differentiated offices, person, clothes etc. By the word everything that belongs to the spiritual government, as the spiritual offices, 1 Cor. 12, 5. Eph. 4, 11. Rom. 12, 7. 8. and the sacraments and the like. Through the mind all that the dear angels need, that they may move and hinder us from evil, or promote us to good. For they do not rule with the sword nor with the word, though they can. Again, the spiritual cannot rule with the mind, as the angels do; so they do not rule with the sword, though they can do it, but with the word. The worldly cannot rule with understanding, like the angels, nor with the word, like the clergy, but they rule with the sword. So each has its own modest work and measure, that the lowest cannot govern the highest, but the highest can govern the lowest, and that the worldly regiment is the lowest and least of God's regiments, for it is the lowest and least of all.
makes no one pious, only punishes the wicked and fends off the disorderly. Enough of that elsewhere.
(46) And of these three regiments none is contrary to the other, neither breaketh nor destroyeth the other; but one serveth the other. The lowest, the regiment of the sword, serves the gospel by keeping peace among the people, without which one could not preach. Again, the gospel serves the sword in that it teaches and holds the people to the obedience of the sword, and testifies that the sword is God's order and regiment [Rom. 13, 4.], therefore it is to be feared and honored, without which fear and honor the sword would be a wretched, miserable regiment. So also the angels serve both the gospel and the sword, that they help it and move the people with understanding to it. Again, sword and word serve the angels. For they make room, and prepare the people by peace and preaching, so that the angels can come the more strongly to it, and drive their regiment. For in strife and in error the angels cannot rule well with their understanding.
Now Satan, whose office is nothing other than to break and destroy everything that God creates and does through these regiments, rages against such regiments of God. First of all, he sets himself against the divine regiment, and strangles, breaks, corrupts everything that God creates, maintains and improves, as much as God decrees for him. For he is the prince of the world [John 16:11], even a god [2 Corinthians 4:4]. Against the angelic government he also has his angels, who instruct, counsel and incite the princes, lords and all men to all kinds of evil, also directing all obstacles to good and all encouragement to evil, inciting people together, setting fires here and there where they can, and making the world full of sorrow and heartache. Against the spiritual regime he has heretics, false teachers, hypocrites, false brothers. He will not celebrate until he destroys them. Against the secular he has rebellious, disobedient boys, evil, poisonous counselors at courts, flatterers, traitors, spies, tyrants, rabid people, and everything that serves for war, strife and destruction of the country and people. That is enough of it now.
From this, everyone may think how God rules the world so strangely, and how he can punish us so easily when we sin, that he only removes his hand and lets the devil rule, so it is horrible enough in all the world.
And the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast been wroth these seventy years?
(49) This prayer also the angel must make, that the prophet may hear, and declare unto the people, and comfort them. And this is a fine prayer. First of all, it is done by the Jews' own special angel, who is St. Michael, Dan. 12, 1, who takes care of his people with such earnestness. In addition, he is considered so great and powerful by the others that they come to him and answer him and proclaim how all the nations sit still, so that the stupid people may be comforted because they hear that such a powerful angel cares for them and prays so earnestly for them.
50 Secondly, he makes the prayer hot and fierce, indicating the two things, as that all countries sit still, without God's own country alone having fear and anxiety; and that God had promised to release these prisons for seventy years; as Jeremiah chap. 25, 11. and Cap. 29, 10. had proclaimed. As if to say, O Lord of hosts, have mercy on all other ungodly kings and countries, that they sit in peace, but your own people alone must have strife; so that it would be better for them to have strife, and for your people to have peace. Moreover, you promised that after seventy years you would turn away your wrath. Because thou art righteous in thy works, and true in thy words, consider thyself, and remember thy righteousness and thy truth; for thou wilt not consider them.
(51) Behold, how accurately and honestly the angel speaks to God. 1) These are the right prayers, which take hold of God, and penetrate with
1) The Wittenberg edition and Walch have changed "GOtte" to "GOttes". The 'Latin translation offers:
V6>i6lli6iit6r 6t urÜSQtSr an "sink V6N1N alloHnutnr.
His righteousness and truth, and not alone with our needs and concerns. Where does he want to go? What does he want to do? His own righteousness and truth pleads, compels, urges, he must go and answer. Happy are those who can make such a prayer, for they cannot fail to be heard. Behold, that is well and abundantly comforted. Nevertheless, this is not enough, but follows further:
V. 13. And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me, kind words and comforting words.
52 The prophet also heard how the Lord hears and answers the angel's prayer, even though the Lord speaks nothing to the prophet, so that the prophet might be comforted all the more, because he hears not only the mighty angel, but also the Lord Himself speak to the angel and promise him an answer. But what the friendly, sweet, comforting words have been, the angel announces to the prophet, as follows:
V. 14. 15. And the angel that talked with me said unto me, Preach, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I have been very jealous over Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very wroth with the proud Gentiles: for I was but 2) a little wroth, but they help to destruction.
(53) Look at all the words, how fatherly and heartfelt they are spoken. They sound no different than the words of a dear father, who after the rod lures his child back to him and gives him the very best words, lifts up and throws away the rod, yes, he is angry against the rod, scolds it and tramples it underfoot, as if the rod had done it and he had not. Then he explains his stomping in the best way, how he meant it so well, and was not anger, but only love; next to it he gives him a penny or an apple as a sign, so that the stupid child forgets the rod, and stands childlike to him again. God does the same with the Jews. And first he begins to rebuke the rue, as if he had not done it, but the Gentiles had done it, and says, "I have been jealous over Jerusalem," etc.
2) "only" is missing in the Erlanger.
I have not been justly wroth to reject or forsake my people, but as a father punishes his child, and a husband his wife, and is wroth with her, so have I done.
(54) For zeal is not evil wrath, which enemies have against one another, but is the wrath of love, a kindly, fatherly wrath, such as those who are angry with one another love one another. This anger serves to make love all the more fierce and new. For if such anger did not sometimes come between the love, then the love would become rotten, and the rust would eat it up like iron. But zeal sweeps it fine, and makes it ever new; as also the heathen says, Terentius [Andr. act. 3, 86. 3.) that love becomes new again as often as those who love each other are angry with each other. That is why I use to call angry love zelum or zeal. For where love is angry, it does no harm.
55. But when hatred and envy is angry, it corrupts and disturbs as long as it can. For the wrath of love seeks and wants to separate the evil (which it hates) from the good (which it loves), so that the good and its love may be kept, as a father wants to keep his dear child, but he wants to do away with sin; and a man also wants to keep his dear wife, but he wants to avoid her disgrace and unrighteousness. Again, the wrathful hatred drives in, and wants to destroy both the good with the evil and bring to nothing.
56. So God also says here that he was not angry with Jerusalem out of hatred and enmity, but that he was jealous as a father and angry out of love, so that he would fight their evil and keep them as his children, and he himself interprets the zeal in this way and says: "I was a little angry", as if he should say: My zeal is a short, small anger, it does not last long; so he does not even bite, but stabs a little, so that he turns away the evil. Thus he excuses his anger, and so sweetly entices the heart of the people back to him.
(57) And indeed, when one sees who he is who speaks like this, namely God Himself, these are sweet words, yes, words of life, joy and all bliss. For if a man were in death and in hell, and
If he heard such words from God, he would become alive and happy from the words. But we let them go, regard them as if they were spoken by a man, do not believe that God Himself speaks; therefore we do not taste how sweet they are.
(58) Then he rebuked the Gentiles who had been his servants, not saying that he was jealous over them, but that he was very angry with them, calling them proud and blaming them for helping to destroy them; that is, they did not seek to punish Jerusalem, for which God needed them, but to destroy them badly was their opinion.
(59) The word "proud" in Hebrew XXXXX, I do not give enough in German, because it means to be secure, certain, free, without worry and fear. As when the great lords rely so highly on their property and power that they defy everyone at once, and sit so firmly that they think they cannot fail, as wisdom says in Proverbs Solomon Cap. 1, 33: "He who obeys me shall dwell securely, and be safe without fear of evil." So he also wants to say here: "My people are so shattered and shaken that no one can comfort them again; but the heathen are so safe and free that no one can frighten them, they make themselves believe that they have no need and that there is no wrath against them, that they have plagued my people so far. But not so, says God, but I am angry with them, and am not so well off as they think. Again, I am merciful toward my people, and am not so evil toward them as they think.
(60) And here you see God's judgment and work, how He is angry with the secure, free, impudent, proud spirits, and merciful with the fearful, humble, afflicted spirits, that it is not a good sign, but terrible, when it is safe and well with someone, that he lives without fear and trembling for temporal power and good. For there goes this saying mightily, I am very wroth with the secure nations. Again, there is no evil sign, but only comfort, when there is fear, trembling, anxiety, sorrow and distress. For there goes the saying Isa. 66, 2: "My spirit rests on the humble, quiet spirits who fear my words."
61 All these things are now preached to the Jews for their comfort, that they should no longer fear anyone on earth, for they have two good promises: one, that God is jealous over them and still loves them as His children; the other, that He is hostile to their enemies and angry with them. Who will harm them now, when God is with them? Of whom shall they be afraid when God is angry with their enemies? He has soon shielded his own, and soon he has smitten those who oppose him. Who can stand against God? Follow:
V.16. Therefore thus saith the Lord; I will return unto Jerusalem with mercy, and my house shall be built therein, saith the Lord of hosts; and the cord of the room shall be drawn in Jerusalem.
(62) This is the year's fair, the jewel, or the gift, which he gives in addition to the words of comfort, as has been said, promising that the temple and the city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt, that the Gentiles also shall not hinder, as has been done hitherto, but that it shall be accomplished and prosperous. This is what he means here, to turn back to Jerusalem with mercy, so that they will not only find it in words, but also in deeds and works, that he is merciful and gracious, and that his wrath is over.
63. he brings forth two kinds of balls. The first, his house, the temple, in which the most important thing is that they are first provided with spiritual regiment according to the soul, through God's word and worship. For God dwells where His word and His glory are. Therefore, it is a great mercy (as he says here), not to build a house of wood and stones, but that God will dwell in it with His word, service and ministry, and be with them, teach them, and sanctify them. This is called God's house. For where His word is not, there He does not dwell, nor does He ask for the house; for since the word no longer remained, He had the Romans destroy the temple and the city.
64 The other building is the city of Jerusalem, where the outward, worldly regime is included; which is also a great mercy. For the two regiments must be
The spiritual for the soul, the temporal for the body. But that he says that the cord of the room should be drawn in Jerusalem, is briefly and so much said: One will see many carpenters and builders in Jerusalem, who now and then build in the city, here a house, there a house, so that the cord of the room will not celebrate nor lie idle, but will be used and drawn in all places. He also means by the same carpenter's cord not only the carpenter's cord, but also the stonemason's cord and all builders who measure and straighten their building with cords, lead, iron, rods.
V.17. And preach again, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall be well with my cities again; and the Lord shall comfort Zion again, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
65 Not only shall the temple and Jerusalem be built, but the cities of the land of Judah shall also prosper. But Jerusalem shall be chosen above all, that the Lord may dwell there, and she shall be the capital. And he shall comfort her, that is, he shall give her his word, and his service, and wives, and children, and houses, and courts, and goods, and honour, and all that pertaineth unto a holy city and habitation of God. In the same way as it was afflicted, devastated and desolated by the Chaldeans, all this will be restored, so that both the land and the cities will be restored to orderly rule and existence, all of which is a great promise, and at that time it was very difficult to believe, because it was in such a bad state.
(66) In the Hebrew, when we say, "It shall be well with my cities," it means that the cities shall be scattered before a great God, that is, God shall do so much good to the people, and shall make them so that the cities shall be built again and again in the land, that the land shall be full of cities, as if they had been scattered and sown in three places, even as they lie scattered. With this word he shows how easy it is in his sight to reorganize a land and make it full of cities, as if he could scatter and sow cities as a farmer scatters grain in the field and sows it.
sows. He wants to do so much good for the land, because he considers the temporal good to be less than that which he scatters abundantly and throws into the rapids. Yes, who believes it? Should a man believe that God can scatter cities like grains, or even throw kingdoms into the raphe, if we cannot believe that He will or can feed our bellies for a day with a piece of bread? Fie on our unbelief that such beautiful, rich, powerful promises of God should be presented to him in vain.
V. 18-21. And I lifted up mine eyes, and looked; and, behold, there were four horns etc.
67 This is another sermon, and brings another vision, which shows two things: first, four horns; and second, four smiths, who shall break such horns. And this vision also comes to pass like the former vision, that it is terrible to behold, though it is comforting; and the prophet also is terrified at it, saying, "Who are these?" As if he should say, Blowing horns; throwing smiths; 1) there is yet vain beating and slaying. For as their heart stood, so the visions appear, and they also accept them as their heart stands; that is, fear is in their heart, therefore everything they see or hear is terrible to them; as is the way of the stupid conscience, that it always thinks the sky is falling, and God stands behind it with the club.
68 The angel himself indicates what the horns are, namely, that they are the Gentiles who have scattered not only Judah and Jerusalem but also Israel, that is, all the kingdoms and dominions around them. For this reason four horns appear, indicating, not, as some think, the four empires of Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Rome. For the Romans had not yet harmed the Jews or scattered them, as the angel says here of the horns. For the Romans were not yet so powerful at that time, nor had the Persians done them much good, nor scattered them; but that the Scripture divides the world into four parts. Morning, evening, noon, midnight; therefore it also makes four winds,
1) The Latin translator has given this "throw" by xsrcutiunt, to beat them.
Matth. 24, 31. So the four horns are nothing else than all the Gentiles (as the angel himself indicates) who had scattered the Jews around. For their neighbors round about, in all four places, were enemies to them, and helped to destroy them. It has been known long enough that in the Scriptures "horns" are called kingdoms and dominions, as is especially proven in Daniel [Cap. 8, 3. ff.] and St. John's Revelation [Cap. 13, 1. 11. 17, 7. 12.].
009 And the four smiths shall discourage the four horns, and turn them away from the land of Judah; that is, Fear no more the horns: they have scattered you, it is true; ye think too much of them; but they shall do it no more. For there are four blacksmiths, and they shall defend them. Who are they? They are the angels, to whom such kingdoms and dominions are commanded, as said above [§ 42]. They are to deter them, that is, to keep them away and turn them away, so that nothing will happen to you from them to prevent the temple.
(70) This little word "smiths" in Hebrew means not only smiths, but all kinds of builders who belong to building, such as smiths, carpenters, masons, stonemasons, carpenters, 2) goldsmiths, and what deals with wood, stone, iron and ore. Therefore, some would think that these four builders mean all kinds of people who were to help build the temple buildings around; but I remain of the opinion that they are the angels, and therefore appear in the builders' persons to comfort the people, so that they are sure that the building should continue unhindered. For as the first vision shows how the angels are among the myrtles, and all is quiet in all the world, so this vision shows that in such quietness the building should be promoted without any hindrance. Therefore, for the sake of the weak, the dear angels must come and appear in the guise of builders. One carries a carpenter's axe and cord; the other a stone axe and chisel; the third an axe and haft; the fourth a hammer and tongs. As if to say, Four horns have scattered Judah, but four builders shall set it up again; that is, fear not, ye have now so many to build you.
2) In the original and in the old editions: Tischer.
help than those who have broken you. For this they are to be built stronger than those have been to break. For they will scare off those and keep them away, so that the ban must go away and their appearance will be enough.
[They appear as builders, therefore it must be built. Behold, God so delicately and sweetly comforts the poor, stupid, shaken consciences. After all, it is a fine, gracious, sweet God. Blessed is he who believes it.