We come now to a glorious picture of justification through faith in the coming Messiah, the Christ. While these visions were given to encourage the saints of that day, if the word were limited to that day, all encouragement would ultimately fail. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of …
Hand-Packed Grace
“Horses are not to be judged by their bells or their trappings, but by limb and bone and blood; and sermons, when criticised by judicious hearers, are largely measured by the amount of gospel truth and force of gospel spirit which they contain. Brethren, weigh your sermons. Do not retail them by the yard, but …
Let All the Earth Keep Silence
The third vision of Zechariah, that of the measuring line, promises a glorious future for Zion. The promise of that future has not yet been completed, but enough has been fulfilled for us to know that God always keeps His prophetic word. “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a …
The False Finish
“I have known men tantalize us with the hope that they were drawing to a close, and then take a fresh lease two or three times; this is most unwise and unpleasant” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 62).
Lift Up Your Heads
In the first vision, God comforted His people. Though the outer appearance might not look like much, God remains in the midst of His saints. This vision continues the theme of comfort and encouragement, but adds information on how God fulfills His purposes. “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. …
Earthbound Prayer
“Beware of having an eye to the auditors; beware of becoming rhetorical to please the listeners. Prayer must not be transformed into ‘an oblique sermon.’ It is little short of blasphemy to make devotion an occasion for display. Fine prayers are generally very wicked prayers. In the presence of the Lord of hosts it ill …
The Church As a Cluster of Scrub Myrtle
The word that God brings to the people of Jerusalem through the prophet is a word of great comfort. But it is a comfort which requires faith to see and receive. On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord …
Last Chance Seminary
“One brother I have encountered — one did I say? I have met ten, twenty, a hundred brethren, who have pleaded that they were sure, quite sure that they were called to the ministry — they were quite certain of it, because they had failed at everything else” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. …
Reflect and Remember
This portion of the Word of God came to us through Zechariah, son of Berechiah. For our purposes here, we will not assume any textual error in Matt. 23:35 where Jesus says that Zechariah, son of Berechaiah, was murdered between the temple and the altar. This had also happened to Zechariah, son of Jehoidah, in …
Can’t Teach and Won’t Learn
“Another exceedingly large class of men seek the pulpit they know not why. They cannot teach and will not learn, and yet must fain be ministers” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 36).