Zechariah 5 summary

Zechariah Chapter 5: Vision 6, the flying scroll, and vision 7, the woman in the basket

©Tod Kennedy, todkennedy.com; knowbelieveapply.com

Sentence summary: Yahweh God will purge or cleanse the land and meanwhile He has restrained evil in the land, and later will restore Babylon as the seat of evil. Watch for the rise of Babylon.

Summary. The scroll vision (1-4) symbolized God’s righteous standards and his judgments against evildoers in the land (remove the sinner). The judgments are specifically directed against stealing (Exodus 20:15) and false swearing (Exodus 20:7). The vision of the evil woman in the basket (5-11) symbolizes that God had restrained evil in Judea at the present time (remove sin). The woman is then sent to Babylon (land of Shinar, 5:11) where she will rule in her own temple. This pictures the restoration of Babylon in the future as the center of evil (see Revelation 17). Persia, under Cyrus the Great, had defeated Babylon (539 BC) by this time but Babylon will not be totally destroyed until the Tribulation period. See Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51, and Revelation 17-18 for a few of the many Scriptures that discuss Babylon. As to the woman in the ephah, God would remove all wickedness from Judah and send it to Babylon in Judgment of them.

  1. The scroll vision (1-4) symbolized God’s righteous standards and his judgments against evildoers, sinners, in the land. The judgments are specifically directed against stealing (Exodus 20:15) and false swearing (Exodus 20:7) which are condemned in the Mosaic Law.
    1. Zechariah 5.1-2.The scroll was floating indicating that it was visible over a large area, like a plane pulling an advertisement over a city or a stadium. Normal Cubit is 17.5 (18) inches. Therefore this scroll is 30×15 feet. This is the same size as the tabernacle (Exodus 26.15-28 and 1 Kings 6.3). Largest scroll in common use was 30ft long 10 inches wide. Also the Eggyptian papyrus Horris scroll (133ft, 17 in wide; and Book of the Dead was 123 ft, 19 inches wide) (Unger, Zech 84). Both sides (tables of law Ex 32.15). Common Cubit elbow to end of middle finger, 18 inches. Also had smaller and longer cubit. Since same size as tabernacle in wiloderness, the judgments were based on holiness of the lord.
    2. We can make an inference that Zechariah gave the size to bring up the reminder that God is holy, he has revealed his will, and judgment begins with house of God. Swearing means that one swears to say something is true and claim the LORD as your evidence.
    3. Zech 5.3. Judgment on sin, both Israel and others. Steals (Exodus 20.15 stealing, second section of law), curse (Ex 20.7 first section of law). Synecdoche for whole law. Recall the problems that the exiles faced when they returned from Babylon. Eventually Ezra and Nehemiah had to go to Judea to minister to and administer the returnees. Ezra read the law to the people (Ezra 8). 8th commandment is not to steal. 3rd commandment is to not swear falsely in LORD’S name. Scroll listed the curses against Israel for her sins. Israel needed to remain pure to avoid curses and enjoy God’s blessings (Tom Constable). Deuteronomy 28-30 record God’s blessing and cursing on Israel. He will purge Israel of sin before he blesses his people. The idea in Israel for the returned exiles was that crim did not pay. To be purged away means the community would be cleansed before God will bless them.
    4. Zechariah 5.4. The judgment will be specific and severe, swift and firm.? Apparently, this has not fully happened yet. The full reference is the millennial kingdom. In Zechariah’s time there was divine discipline that continued to the present, right now. The tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week will see Israel purged (cursed) right before the kingdom blessings. MSTF 274 interpret prophecy.
    5. Calvin takes this passage as in meaning referring to the entire law. The Jews have disobeyed the law and rightly deserve God’s punishment, James 2.11 (no prophecy here). The judgment will be so thorough and go on until men are reconciled to God. They cannot escape into their houses. Covenant interpretations use the church here. That interpretation is very unclear as in Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.
    6. Application for us: Reject sin; know, believe, apply God’s word. Confess sin when needed.
  2. Zechariah 5.5-11. The seventh night vision given to Zechariah pictures the removal of wickedness from the land. Ephah is a basket that holds about 5 gallons, like a barrel. The vision of the evil woman in the basket (5-11) symbolizes that God had restrained evil in Judea at the present time. The woman is then sent to Babylon (land of Shinar, 5:11) where she will rule in her own temple. This pictures the restoration of Babylon in the future as the center of evil (see Revelation 17). In summary: wickedness will be contained, and wickedness will be centered in Babylon.
    1. Zechariah 5.5-6. The angel tells Zechariah to look up and see the ephah (a measure of about 5 gallons. Here the container).
    2. Zechariah 5.7-8. Once the cover was lifted he could see a woman inside. The woman was wickedness personified. The angel messenger put the lead top on the container to keep wickedness confined.
    3. Zechariah 5.9-10. Zechariah saw two women who had stork like wings lift up the basket which contained wickedness into the sky and carry it away. He asked where they were taking it.
    4. Zechariah 6.11. The stork women took the basket to Shinar (Genesis 10.10; 11.2; 14.1,9; Isaiah 11.11; Daniel 1.2, Babylon) where a temple would be built and wickedness would be placed there on her own pedestal. This means that at some time in the future sin or the center of sin will be confined and taken to Shinar (Babylon) where it will be centered and worshipped. Babylon has been and will be the center of anti-God activity in the future as it has been in history At the time of Zechariah, Babylon had been defeated by Cyrus of Persia. So, the time is waiting for these events. This must refer to the period known as Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30.7 and context), Daniel’s seventieth week, (Daniel 9.24-27; Matthew 24.15), and the tribulation (Matthew 24.21).
  3. Points to remember or so what applications.
    1. Sin ultimately causes God to judge the sinner and the sin. See Deuteronomy 29-31 for Moses instructing the Israelites before they crossed into the land.
    2. In the future to Zechariah’s time the LORD will judge sinners and wickedness in Israel. This be specifically fulfilled in what Jesus spoke of as future tribulation θλιψις thlipsis (Matthew 24.9) and a great tribulation (Matthew 24.21; Mark 13.19). See mstf # 41.
    3. Shinar, Babylon, plays an important part in the conflict between God and Satan, that which we know as the angelic conflict or the conflict of the ages: Shinar (Genesis 10.10; 11.2; 14.1,9; Isaiah 11.11; Daniel 1.2, Babylon).