The Skeptics Annotated Bible (715 page)

2
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

(2.1)
“Behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.”

2
Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem
, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

(2.2)
“Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem.”

3 And, behold,
the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,

(2.3)
“The angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him.”

4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

5 For
I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

(2.5)
“I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

(2.8-9) God says the Israelites are his favorite people, “the apple of his eye.” If you mess with them, he’ll shake his hand at you.

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for
he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

(2.8)
“He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”

9 For, behold,
I will shake mine hand upon them
, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

(2.9)
“I will shake mine hand upon them.”

10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

(3.1-5) Zechariah sees Joshua in filthy clothes standing next to Satan, hanging out with God and an angel. The angel said to take off Joshua’s dirty clothes and Zechariah said to put a mitre on his head. So that’s what they did.

3
And
he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

(3.1)
“He shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”

2 And
the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan
; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

(3.2)
“The LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan.”

3 Now
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

(3.3) “Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.”

4 And
he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him.
And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

(3.4)
“He answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him.”

5 And
I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments
. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

(3.5)
“I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments.”

6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

7
Thus saith the LORD
of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold,
I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

(3.7-8)
“Thus saith the LORD … I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.”

9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes:
behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

(3.9) “For, behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes.”

10
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

(3.10) “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.”

(4.1-3) The angel wakes up Zechariah and shows him a candlestick with a bowl on top, seven lamps on top of the bowl, and seven pipes on the top of the lamps, with two olive trees next to the bowls.

4
And
the angel
that talked with me came again, and
waked me
, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,

2
And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

(4.1-2)
“The angel … waked me … and said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof.”

3
And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left
side thereof.

(4.3)
“And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left.”

4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

7
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

(4.7) “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Someday there will be a great talking mountain that will become a plain that will bring forth a headstone that will scream “Grace, grace unto it.”

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with
those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

(4.10)
“Those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”
God has seven eyes that “run to and fro through the whole earth.”

(4.11-14) Zechariah asks about the two olive trees next to the candlesticks, and about the golden pipes, and the golden oil. The angel says they are they are the anointed ones that stand next to God.