Zechariah 5:1-11
Q.1. Was Israel able to meet the requirements written on the scroll? What commandments on the scroll were highlighted? Why were they identified as a curse? – (Zech.5:1-4)
The sixth vision of the flying scroll seemed to underscore the Law, containing a curse on those who had promised to keep it, but had disobeyed (c.f. Dt.27:26; 29:20-21). Zechariah then brought the charges against His people – 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4 I will make it go forth,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.” (Zech.5:3-4). God was about to apply the curse that He had promised as part of the condition of His Covenant with His people at the beginning (Deuteronomy chapters 26:16-31:22).
Q.2. What was the seventh vision of the basket about? What did it represent? How will this wickedness manifest itself and where? – (Zech.5:5-11)
Zechariah indicated through the vision of the flying scroll, that God was about to purge sinners from the land. In the seventh vision of the woman in an ephah or basket. God announced that the sinful system will be dealt with and will eventually be removed from the land – Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening (Zech.5:8). This prophesies the revival of a wicked system to be transplanted in the land of Shinar i.e. Babylon (see Zech.5:11 c.f. Gen.10:10; 11:2; Rev.17:1-5; 18:1-3, 9-10). This wicked system will control all world commerce – and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name (Rev.13:17).