What is the meaning of Zechariah 5:9? Then I lifted up my eyes • Zechariah describes a simple, physical action—he literally looks up, ready to receive what God shows next. • Similar language marks other moments of sudden revelation (Genesis 33:1; Daniel 8:3). • The posture reminds us to stay alert to God’s unfolding plans (Mark 13:37). and saw two women approaching • In this vision the Lord chooses female figures—unusual yet intentional—to serve His purpose. • Scripture occasionally pictures women as agents in God’s judgment or deliverance (Judges 4:4–9; Revelation 17:1). • Their gender underscores that God can employ any vessel to carry out His will. with the wind in their wings • “Wind” hints at divine power propelling them (Exodus 14:21; Acts 2:2; John 3:8). • The scene is not a mere symbol; it depicts real, God-given force rushing the vision toward its goal. • The same Spirit who moved over the waters in Genesis 1:2 now moves these winged messengers. Their wings were like those of a stork • A stork is large, strong, and—according to Leviticus 11:19—ceremonially unclean. • The detail signals both capability (able to bear the load) and impurity (fitting agents to escort wickedness). • Psalm 104:17 notes the stork’s dependable nesting; likewise, these messengers reliably fulfill God’s assignment. and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth • Earlier (Zechariah 5:7–8) the basket held “Wickedness.” Now it is hoisted away, illustrating literal removal of sin from the land. • Suspended “between heaven and earth,” the basket is under God’s control yet no longer defiling His people—echoing Ezekiel 8:3 and Revelation 18:5. • The action previews a future day when iniquity is finally exiled and the earth is cleansed (Isaiah 11:9). summary Zechariah witnesses two wind-driven, stork-winged women physically lifting the ephah of wickedness away from Israel. Every detail—the prophet’s upward glance, the female agents, the Spirit-powered flight, the stork imagery, and the basket’s elevation—works together to show God literally and decisively removing evil so His covenant people can enjoy promised holiness. |
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