What is the meaning of Zechariah 5:8? “This is Wickedness” • The angel identifies the woman in the ephah plainly: “This is Wickedness” (Zechariah 5:8). No symbolism is left to guesswork; God names sin for what it is, echoing passages like Isaiah 5:20 (“Woe to those who call evil good”). • Personifying wickedness as a woman pictures the seductive, pervasive nature of sin (Proverbs 5:3–5; Revelation 17:4–5). • By limiting her to one basket, God shows wickedness is not infinite; it exists under His sovereign limits (Job 1:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13). • The vision follows the flying scroll that curses thieves and liars (Zechariah 5:1–4), tying personal sin to national corruption (Jeremiah 5:23–25). “he said” • The interpreting angel speaks, underscoring that divine revelation—not human speculation—explains the vision (2 Peter 1:20–21). • His authoritative word reminds us that “the word of the LORD endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). When God labels something wicked, no culture or era can redefine it (Malachi 3:6). • The angel’s statement invites immediate response, mirroring Jesus’ calls to repentance after naming sin (Mark 1:15; John 8:11). “And he shoved her down into the basket” • The forceful action pictures judgment. Sin is not merely exposed; it is restrained (Psalm 9:5). • Like the scapegoat driven from the camp on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:21–22), wickedness is removed from among God’s people (Zechariah 3:4). • This anticipates God’s ultimate confinement of evil: “He seized the dragon…and bound him” (Revelation 20:2–3). • For believers, the scene encourages decisive separation from sin (Romans 6:11–13; Colossians 3:5). “pushing down the lead cover over its opening” • Lead is heavy and dense; the cover shows God’s judgment is irreversible and complete (Psalm 62:11). • Sealing the basket parallels sealing of Satan in the abyss (Revelation 20:3) and the sealing of believers for protection (Ephesians 1:13)—God controls both judgment and redemption. • The closure halts wickedness from spreading, assuring Israel—and us—that God will not allow evil to reign unchecked (Nahum 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). • Soon after, two winged women carry the basket to Shinar (Zechariah 5:9–11), symbolizing the final removal of sin to its place of origin and ultimate destruction (Genesis 11:2; Revelation 18:2). summary Zechariah 5:8 presents wickedness identified, condemned, restrained, and sealed by divine authority. The vision assures God’s people that He names sin truthfully, acts decisively against it, and will ultimately remove it entirely from their midst. For us, the passage calls for the same clear-eyed recognition of sin and confident hope in the God who both judges evil and secures His people’s future righteousness. |
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