What is the meaning of Zechariah 5:1? Again • “Again” (Zechariah 5:1) signals the next installment in a series of night visions God gave Zechariah (compare 1:7–8; 1:18; 2:1; 4:1). • The word reminds us that God often teaches in stages, adding light upon light—much like the successive revelations shown to Daniel (Daniel 7:2; 8:1) and John (Revelation 4:1). • Each fresh vision keeps the prophet—and us—aware that God’s work in history is continuous and purposeful (Psalm 33:11). I lifted up my eyes • Lifting the eyes suggests intentional focus on what God is unveiling, not on earthly distractions (Colossians 3:1-2). • The same phrase appears when Abram looked toward the land God promised (Genesis 13:14-15) and when Stephen gazed into heaven before his martyrdom (Acts 7:55). • It calls believers to spiritual attentiveness—an upward posture of heart that trusts the Lord to reveal His truth (Psalm 121:1-2). and saw before me • Zechariah doesn’t report a vague impression; he sees a specific, objective vision set “before” him, reinforcing the reliability of prophetic revelation (2 Peter 1:19). • Similar wording is used when Moses set the law “before” Israel (Deuteronomy 4:44) and when Jesus set a child “before” the disciples to teach them (Matthew 18:2). • What God places in view becomes the standard by which His people should measure reality (Psalm 119:105). a flying scroll • A scroll points to the written Word and covenant terms (Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:9-10). In verses 2-4 the scroll’s contents pronounce judgment on thieves and perjurers, echoing the curses of the law (Deuteronomy 27:26; Proverbs 3:33). • Its flight shows the swiftness and inescapability of God’s Word as it moves through the land accomplishing His purpose (Isaiah 55:11). • The large dimensions given in verse 2—about thirty by fifteen feet—make the scroll impossible to ignore, much like the large writing on Isaiah’s “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” tablet (Isaiah 8:1). • The image foreshadows future universal judgment when God’s open books will confirm every deed (Revelation 20:12). summary Zechariah 5:1 introduces a vivid vision in which God urgently displays His written judgment. The repeated “again” situates the scene within a steady flow of divine revelation. Zechariah’s lifted eyes model our need to look up for truth. The scroll, borne aloft, testifies that God’s Word moves rapidly and visibly, confronting all sin and validating His covenant promises. |
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