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7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Set your and my spirit shall be in the midst of you: hearts upon your ways: Hfear not.

8 Go up to the mountain, bring timber, 7 For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet and build the house: and it shall be accept-one little while, and I will move the heaven, able to me; and I shall be glorified, saith and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. the Lord. 8 And I will move all nations: AND THE

9 You have looked for more, and behold, DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I it became less and you brought it home, will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord and I blowed it away: why, saith the Lord of hosts. of hosts? because my house is desolate, and 9 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, you make haste every man to his own house. saith the Lord of hosts. 10 Therefore the heavens over you were stayed from giving dew; and the earth was hindered from yielding her fruits:

10 Great shall be the glory of this last house more than of the first, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place I will give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the 11 In the four and twentieth day of the corn, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, ninth month, in the second year of Darius and upon all that the ground bringeth forth, the king, the word of the Lord came to Agand upon men, and upon beasts, and upon geus the prophet, saying: all the labour of the hands. 12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Ask the

12 Then Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, priests the law, saying: and Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, 13 If a man carry sanctified flesh in the and all the remnant of the people hearken-skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt, ed to the voice of the Lord their God, and bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any to the words of Aggeus the prophet, as the meat, shall it be sanctified? And the priests Lord their God sent him to them: and the answered, and said: No. people feared before the Lord. 14 And Aggeus said: If one that is un13 And Aggeus the messenger of the clean by occasion of a soul* touch any of Lord, as one of the messengers of the Lord, all these things, shall it be defiled? And spoke, saying to the people: I am with you, the priests answered, and said: It shall be saith the Lord. defiled.

14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of 15 And Aggeus answered, and said: So Zorobabel the son of Salathiel governor of is this people, and so is this nation before Juda, and the spirit of Jesus the son of Jose- my face, saith the Lord; and so is all the dec the high priest, and the spirit of all the work of their hands and all that they have rest of the people: and they went in, and offered there, shall be defiled. did the work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God.

CHAP. II.

16 And now consider in your hearts, from this day and upward, before there was a stone laid upon a stone in the temple of the lord:

Christ by his coming shall make the latter 17 When you went to a heap of twenty temple more glorious than the former. The bushels, and they became ten: and you went blessing of God shall reward their labour into the press, to press out fifty vessels, and in building. God's promise to Zorobabel. they became twenty.

IN

N the four and twentieth day of the 18 I struck you with a blasting wind, and month, in the sixth month, in the second all the works of your hand with the mildew year of Darius the king, they began. and with hail; yet there was none among 2 And in the seventh month, the word of you that returned to me, saith the Lord. the Lord came by the hand of Aggeus the 19 Set your hearts from this day, and prophet, saying: henceforward, from the four and twentieth 3 Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel day of the ninth month; from the day that the governor of Juda, and to Jesus the son the foundations of the temple of the Lord of Josedec the high priest, and to the rest were laid, and lay it up in your hearts. of the people, saying:

4 Who is left among you, that saw this * By occasion of a soul. That is, by hav house in its first glory? and how do you see ing touched the dead: in which case acordit now? is it not in comparison to that as no-ing to the prescription of the law, Numb. thing in your eyes? xix. 13, 22, a person not only became un

5 Yet now take courage, O Zorobabel, clean himself, but made every thing that he saith the Lord, and take courage, O Jesus touched unclean. The prophet applies all the son of Josedec the high priest, and take this to the people, whose souls remained uncourage, all ye people of the land, saith the clean by neglecting the temple of God; and Lord of hosts and perform (for I am with therefore were not sanctified by the flesh you, saith the Lord of hosts) they offered in sacrifice; but rather defiled

6 The word that I covenanted with you their sacrifices by approaching to them in when you came out of the land of Egypt:the state of uncleanness,

20 Is the seed as yet sprung up? or hath overthrow the chariot, and him that rideth the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pome- therein: and the horses and their riders shall granate, and the olive-tree, as yet flourish-come down, every one by the sword of his ed? from this day I will bless you. brother.

21 And the word of the Lord came a se- 24 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I cond time to Aggeus in the four and twen-will take thee, O Zorobabel* the son of Salatieth day of the month, saying: thiel, my servant, saith the Lord, and will 22 Speak to Zorobabel the governor of make thee as a signet: for I have chosen Juda, saying: I will move both heaven and thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

earth.

23 And I will overthrow the throne of O Zorobabel. This promise principalkingdoms, and will destroy the strength of ly relates to Christ, who was of the race of the kingdom of the Gentiles: and I will Zorobabel.

THE

PROPHECY OF ZACHARIAS.

Zacharias began to prophesy in the same year]]the myrtle-trees, that were in the bottom: as Aggeus, and upon the same occasion. and behind him were horses, red, speckled, His prophecy is full of mysterious figures and white.

and promises of blessings, partly relating 9 And I said: What are these, my lord? to the synagogue, and partly to the church and the Angel that spoke in me, said to me: of Christ, I will shew thee what these are:

CHAP. I.

10 And the man that stood among the The prophet exhorts the people to return to myrtle-trees answered, and said: These are God, and declares his visions, by which he they, whom the Lord hath sent to walk puts them in hopes of better times. through the earth. N the eighth month, in the second year 11 And they answered the Angel of the of king Darius, the word of the Lord Lord, that stood among the myrtle-trees, came to Zacharias the son of Barachias, the and said: We have walked through the son of Addo, the prophet, saying: earth; and behold, all the earth is inhabited, and is at rest.

2 The Lord hath been exceeding angry with your fathers.

3 And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye to me, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 And the Angel of the Lord answered, and said: O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Juda, with which thou hast been angry? this is now the seventieth year.§ 4 Be not as your fathers, to whom the 13 And the Lord answered the Angel former prophets have cried, saying: Thus that spoke in me, good words, comfortable saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye from your words.

evil ways, and from your wicked thoughts:|| 14 And the Angel that spoke in me, said but they did not give ear; neither did they to me: Cry thou, saying: Thus saith the hearken to me, saith the Lord. Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Jerusalem and Sion with a great zeal.

5 Your fathers, where are they? and the

prophets, shall they live always?

15 And I am angry with a great anger 6 But yet my words, and my ordinances, with the wealthy nations: for I was angry which I gave in charge to my servants the a little, but they helped forward the evil. prophets, did they not take hold of your

fathers, and they returned, and said: As the man. It was probably St. Michael the guarLord of hosts thought to do to us according dian Angel of the church of God.

to our ways, and according to our devices, These are they, &c. The guardian Anso he hath done to us. gels of provinces and nations.

7 In the four and twentieth day of the § The seventieth year, viz. From the beeleventh month which is called Sabath, in ginning of the siege of Jerusalem, in the the second year of Darius, the word of the ninth year of king Sedecias, to the second Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Bara-year of the king Darius. These seventy chias, the son of Addo, the prophet, saying: years of the desolation of Jerusalem and the 8 I saw by night, and behold, a mant rid- cities of Juda, are different from the sevening upon a red horse; and he stood among ty years of captivity foretold by Jeremias; which began in the fourth year of Joakim, An Angel in the shape of a and ended in the first year of king Cyrus.

† A man.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord: I will that have robbed you: for he that toucheth return to Jerusalem in mercies; my house you, toucheth the apple of my eye: shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts: 9 For behold, I lift up my hand upon and the building line shall be stretched forth them; and they shall be a prey to those upon Jerusalem. that served them: and you shall know that

17 Cry yet, saying: Thus saith the Lord the Lord of hosts sent me. of hosts: My cities shall yet flow with 10 Sing praise, and rejoice, O daughter good things: and the Lord will yet comfort of Sion: for behold, I come, and I will Sion; and he will yet choose Jerusalem. dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. 11 And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day: and they shall be my 19 And I said to the Angel that spoke to people, and I will dwell in the midst of me: What are these? And he said to me: thee: and thou shalt know that the Lord of These are the horns that have scattered Ju-hosts hath sent me to thee.

18 And I lifted up my eyes, and saw: and behold, four horns.*

da, and Israel, and Jerusalem.

12 And the Lord shall possess Juda his

20 And the Lord shewed me four smiths. portion in the sanctified land: and he shall 21 And I said: What come these to do? yet choose Jerusalem.

and he spoke, saying: These are the horns 13 Let all flesh be silent at the presence which have scattered Juda every man apart, of the Lord: for he is risen up out of his and none of them lifted up his head and holy habitation. these are come to fray them, to cast down

CHAP. III.

the horns of the nations, that have lifted up In a vision Satan appeareth accusing the the horn upon the land of Juda to scatter it.

CHAP. II.

high priest. He is cleansed from his sins. Christ is promised, and great fruit from his passion.

Under the name of Jerusalem, he prophesieth||
the progress of the church of Christ, by
the conversion of some Jews and many Gen-Lord:

ND the Lord shewed me Jesus; the high priest standing before the Angel of the and satan stood on his right hand to be his adversary. ND I lifted up my eyes, saw; and 2 And

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his hand.

chose Jerusalem, rebuke thee: Is not this

2 And I said: Whither goest thou? and a brand plucked out of the fire? he said to me: To measure Jerusalem, and 3 And Jesus was clothed with filthy garto see how great is the breadth thereof, and ments:§ and he stood before the face of the how great the length thereof.

Angel:

3 And behold, the angel that spoke in 4 Who answered, and said to them that me went forth; and another angel went out stood before him, saying: Take away the to meet him. filthy garments from him. And he said to 4 And he said to him: Run, speak to this him: Behold, I have taken away thy ini. young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be in-quity, and have clothed thee with change habited without walls, by reason of the of garments.

midst thereof.

multitude of men, and of the beasts in the And he said: Put a clean mitre upon his head: and they put a clean mitre upon 5 And I will be to it, saith the Lord, a his head, and clothed him with garments: wall of fire round about: and I will be in and the Angel of the Lord stood. glory in the midst thereof. 6 And the Angel of the Lord protested

6 0, 0 flee ye out of the land of the to Jesus, saying: north, saith the Lord; for I have scattered 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou you into the four winds of heaven, saith the wilt walk in my ways, and keep my charge, thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt

Lord.

7 0 Sion, flee thou that dwellest with keep my courts: and I will give theel some the daughter of Babylon: of them that are now present here to walk

8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts: After with thee. the glory he hath sent me to the nations

8 Hear, O Jesus thou high priest, thou and thy friends that dwell before thee, for Four horns, four smiths. The four they are portending men: for behold, I horns represent the empires, or kingdoms, WILL BRING MY SERVANT THE ORIENT. that persecute and oppress the people of God; the four smiths or carpenters (for faber may signify either) represent those the whom God makes his instruments in bring ing to nothing the power of persecutors.

sins.

Jesus, alias, Josue the son of Josedec high priest of that time.

With filthy garments. Negligences and

|| I will give thee, &c. Angels to attend

Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls. This must be understood of the and assist thee. spiritual Jerusalem, the church of Christ.

Portending men. That is, men, who

9 For behold, the stone* that I have laid 7 Who art thou, O great mountain,§ bebefore Jesus: upon one stone there are fore Zorobabel? thou shalt become a plain: seven eyes: behold, I will grave the grav-and he shall bring out the chief stone, and ing thereof, saith the Lord of hosts: and I shall give equal grace to the grace thereof: will take away the iniquity of that land in 8 And the word of the Lord came to me, one day. saying:

10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, every man shall call his friend under the vine and under the fig-tree.

CHAP. IV.

9 The hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to you.

The vision of the golden candlestick and 10 For who hath despised little days?|| seven lamps, and of the two olive-trees. Zo-and they shall rejoice, and shall see the tin robabel shall finish the building of the tem- plummet in the hand of Zorobabel. These ple. are the seven eyes of the Lord, that run to

AND the angel that spoke in me came and fro through the whole earth. again: and he waked me, as a man

that is wakened out of his sleep.

11 And I answered, and said to him: What are these two olive trees upon the 2 And he said to me: what seest thou? right side of the candlestick, and upon the And I said: I have looked, and behold, a left side thereof?

candlestickt all of gold, and its lamp upon 12 And I answered again, and said to the top of it; and the seven lights thereof him: What are the two olive branches, that upon it; and seven funnels for the lights are by the two golden beaks, in which are that were upon the top thereof; the funnels of gold?

3 And two olive-trees over it; one upon 13 And he spoke to me, saying: Knowthe right side of the lamp, and the other est thou not what these are? And I said : upon the left side thereof. No, my lord.

4 And I answered, and said to the Angel that spoke in me, saying: What are these things, my lord?

14 And he said: These are two sons of oil who stand before the Lord of the whole earth.

CHAP. V.

5 And the angel that spoke in me answered, and said to me: Knowest thou not The vision of the flying volume, and of the what these things are? And I said: No, my lord.

6 And he answered, and spoke to me, saying: This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying: Not with an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

woman in the vessel.

AND I turned and lifted up my eyes; and I saw, and behold, a volume** flying: 2 And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I see a volume flying: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

3 And he said to me: This is the curse, by words and actions are to foreshew won-that goeth forth over the face of the earth: ders that are to come. My servant the Ori-for every thief shall be judged as is there ent. Christ, who, according to his humanity written: and every one that sweareth in is the servant of God, is called the Orient, like manner shall be judged by it. from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world.

§ Great mountain. So he calls the oppo

The stone. Another emblem of Christ,sition made by the enemies of God's peothe rock, foundation, and corner-stone of ple: which nevertheless, without any army his church. Seven eyes. The manifold pro-lor might on their side, was quashed by dividence of Christ over his church, or the vine providence. Shall give equal grace, seven gifts of the Spirit of God. One day, &c. Shall add grace to grace, or beauty to viz. The day of the passion of Christ, the beauty.

source of all our good: when this precious Little days. That is, these small and stone shall be graved, that is, cut and pier-feeble beginnings of the temple of God. The ced, with whips, thorns, nails, and spear. tin plummet. Literally, the stone of tin. He A candlestick, &c. The temple of God means the builder's plummet, which Zorothat was then in building; and in a more babel shall hold in his hand for the finishing sublime sense, the church of Christ. the building. The seven eyes. The provi

To Zorobabel. This vision was in fa-dence of God, that oversees and orders all vour of Zorobabel; to assure him of suc-things.

cess in the building of the temple, which he Two sons of oil. That is, the two anointhad begun, signified by the candlestick; ed ones of the Lord: viz. Jesus the high the lamp of which, without any other in-priest, and Zorobabel the prince. dustry, was supplied with oil, dropping ** A volume. That is, a parchment, acfrom the two olive-trees, and distributed by cording to the form of the ancient books, the seven funnels or pipes, to maintain the which from being rolled up, were called seven lights.

volumes.

4 I will bring it forth, saith the Lord offven, which go forth to stand before the hosts and it shall come to the house of the Lord of all the earth.

thief, and to the house of him that sweareth

6 That in which were the black horses, falsely by my name and it shall remain in went forth into the land of the north ;* and the midst of his house, and shall consume it the white went forth after them: and the with the timber thereof, and the stones grisled went forth to the land of the south. thereof. 7 And they that were most strong, went

5 And the Angel went forth that spoke out, and sought to go, and to run to and in me and he said to me: Lift up thy eyes, fro through all the earth. And he said: and see what this is, that goeth forth, Go walk throughout the earth: and they walked throughout the earth.

6 And I said, What is it? And he said: This is a vessel going forth. And he said: This is their eye in all the earth.

8 And he called me, and spoke to me, saying: Behold, they that go forth into the 7 And behold, a talent of lead was car-land of the north, have quieted my spirit ried; and behold, a woman sitting in the in the land of the north.

midst of the vessel.

9 And the word of the Lord came to me,

8 And he said: This is wickedness. And saying: he cast her into the midst of the vessel, and 10 Take of them of the captivity, of Holcast the weight of lead upon the mouth dai, and of Tobias, and of Idaias: thou shalt thereof. come in that day, and shalt go into the

9 And I lifted up my eyes, and looked:house of Josias, the son of Sophonias, who and behold, there came out two women, and came out of Babylon.

wind was in their wings, and they had 11 And thou shalt take gold and silver, wings like the wings of a kite: and they and shalt make crowns: and thou shalt lifted up the vessel between the earth and set them on the head of Jesus the son of the heaven. Josedec the high priest.

10 And I said to the Angel that spoke in me: Whither do these carry the vessel ?

11 And he said to me: That a house may be built for it in the land of Sennaar,† and that it may be established, and set there upon its own basis.

CHAP. VI.

12 And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: BEHOLD a man, the ORIENT IS HIS NAME; and under him shall he spring up, and shall build a temple to the Lord.

13 Yea, he shall build a temple to the Lord: and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne: and he shall The vision of the four chariots. Crowns are be a priest upon his throne: and the counordered for Jesus the high priest, as a sel of peace shall be between them both. type of Christ. 14 And the crowns shall be to Helem,

AND I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and and Tobias, and Idaias, and to Hem, the son

saw and behold, four chariotst came of Sophonias, a memorial in the temple of out from the midst of two mountains: and the Lord. the mountains were mountains of brass.

2 In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses,

3 And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grisled horses, and strong ones.

4 And I answered and said to the Angel, that spoke in me: What are these, my lord?

5 And the Angel answered, and said to me: These are the four winds of the hea

15 And they that are far off, shall come, and shall build in the temple of the Lord: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. But this shall come to pass, if hearing you will hear the voice of the Lord your God.

CHAP. VII.

The people enquire concerning fasting: they are admonished to fast from sin.

* This is their eye. This is what they fix *The land of the north. So Babylon is their eye upon : or this is a resemblance and called: because it lay to the north in resfigure of them, viz. of sinners. pect to Jerusalem. The black horses, that The land of Sennaar. Where Babel is, the Medes and Persians; and after them or Babylon was built, Gen. xi. where note Alexander and his Greeks, signified by the that Babylon in holy writ is often taken for white horses, went thither because they the city of the devil; that is, for the whole conquered Babylon, executed upon it the congregation of the wicked: as Jerusalem is judgments of God, which is signified ver. 8. taken for the city and people of God. by the expression of quieting his spirit. The

Four chariots. The four great empires land of the south. Egypt, which lay to the of the Chaldeans, Persians, Grecians, and south of Jerusalem; and was occupied first Romans; or perhaps by the four chariots by Ptolemeus, and then by the Romans. are represented the kings of Egypt and of Between them both. That is, he shall Asia, the descendants of Ptolemeus and Se-unite in himself the two offices or dignities leucus. Hof king and priest.

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