Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Zechariah Chapter 8
Metaphysically Interpreting Zechariah 8:1-17
8:1And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying, 8:2Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 8:3Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain. 8:4Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 8:5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 8:6Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts. 8:7Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; 8:8and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
8:9Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. 8:10For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. 8:11But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8:12For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 8:13And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.
8:14For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not;8:15so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. 8:16These are the things that ye shall do: speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; 8:17and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.
April 25, 1948: Zechariah 8:16-17
What is the truth as it is in Christ? It is the truth spoken in love, with due regard for the feelings of others, but without compromise with error.
How can we “execute the judgment of truth and peace” in our “gates”? By making sure that as far as we are concerned truth and peace are established in our life as the normal, right state.
If we keep the divine law as it is stated, need we make an effort not to devise evil in our heart against our neighbor or not to love false oaths? No. If we keep the divine law as it is stated, the negative phases will automatically be taken care of. We shall not need to be conscious of them.
April 25, 1948: Zechariah 8:16-17
The first thing that we are to do is to speak the truth as it is in Christ. Brutal frankness is ruled out under this heading. The truth in Christ is the truth spoken in love, with the feelings of others given due regard, but without compromise with error. Harmony does not require a compromise of this kind, and principles cannot be compromised. The habit of always speaking the truth gains for us the trust and confidence of others; so suspicion is ruled out and double-dealing loses whatever point or justification it may have seemed to have in the thought of those employing it. Every bit of trust and confidence that we are able to create in our world, that is, in the circle of our acquaintances, is so much solid ground under our feet as we enter into the new heaven and the new earth of spiritual consciousness.
Next we are to “execute the judgment of truth and peace” in our “gates.” Not only are we to “pass judgment” where truth and peace are under consideration; we are to execute this judgment or see that truth and peace are established as far as we are concerned. To the limit of our power we are to see that both are the normal, right state of our world. That no one who is engaged in executing truth and peace can devise evil in his heart against his neighbor is a foregone conclusion. Truth and peace cannot exist in company with evil in our consciousness.
Last of all, we are to “love no false oath.” He who executes Truth has no love for falseness in any guise. No one whose life is impregnated with Truth and peace feels the need of oaths either true or false to reinforce his position. Life lies open, straight, and unmistakable to all who obey the word of Jehovah. To realize the blessings that constructive living insures, they have but to obey.
– UNITY magazine.
Metaphysically Interpreting Zechariah 8:18-19
8:18And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying, 8:19Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.
Metaphysically Interpreting Zechariah 8:20-23
8:20Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities; 8:21and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also. 8:22Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah. 8:23Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-23-2014
