This Article: (2 Pages)
- 1. The Four Horns of Zechariah
- 2. The Quartet on the Middle East
2) The Quartet on the Middle East
:The 4 who seek to scatter or toss about Judah, Israel and Jerusalem:
In the context there is a finality to the vision of the throwing out of the 4 horns, by the four carpenters. There will be a time when,
Thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. (Zechariah 1:16-17)
As yet this is not fully achieved. It was not achieved in the last two centuries. To achieve this completely there must be no nations (horns) raised against Jerusalem. The vision implies the scattering by the 4 occurs simultaneously and the throwing away by the carpenters all at one time, which is remarkable as there are four entities related to the last Roman horn who are now (since 2002) seeking to scatter Israel, Judah (West Bank) and divide Jerusalem.
Scatter might also be 'winnow', 'disperse', 'toss about'. The nations first diffuse and winnow Jews, (or Judah) before they become Israel. This occurred in a weak form right from the first Aliyah in 1883. They then winnow or shake to spread out and disperse Israel from 1948. They then seek to disperse the inhabitants of Jerusalem from 1967. Who are the 4 super-powers who rule the nations who have since 1967 done this?
We might not have been sure, except that in Madrid in 2002 they emerged and are amazingly called 'the Quartet on the Middle East'. They are led now by the former Prime minister of Britain, who has adopted the Latin speaking religion of the Romans. One member of the Quartet is America, and it was Britain and America who formed the United Nations, the second member of the Quartet. The third member of the Quartet is Russia, whose power from 1883 to 1990 was heavy over Jews in their midst. And the fourth, is the last revived power of Daniel's image (Daniel 2), the newly emerged superpower of the European Union.
As an aside, four horns may belong to two beasts. The United States of America and the United Nations are of one, but have a cultural inheritance from Rome and Greece. Russia from the Byzantines and the European Union together are from Rome.
All of the above powers over the other nations have had a role in interfering with Judah returning from Diaspora, to Israel, to Judah and to Jerusalem. Not even America is innocent of the scattering of Judah, as they turned away Jews, just as Britain did in Israel before WW2. The UN becomes particularly evident in relation to the partition of Israel and the preponderance of anti-Israel resolutions since.
Since the Quartet on the Middle East was formed in 2002, the 4 super-nationals have acted together to 'toss' and 'winnow' Judah (Judea) which they dispute, Israel proper through harsh policies and Jerusalem which they seek to control and divide. Their project is not peace in the Middle East but ensuring Israel has less of a piece of the Middle East.
If the 4 horns are revived again in the Quartet, the scattering might be in the near future somewhat more a real dispersal of Israel, rather than a mere shaking. But they are all to be thrown out and cease to be super-national powers. It is interesting to note how the 4 horns relate geographically to Israel. Russia is to the Nor-North East, The EU to the North West, America in the West and if the UN has any location in terms of those who work to malign Israel it is in the Islamic dominated nations in the South East and East of Israel. Four horns covering four diagonal corners of the world from Israel.
But no nation who seeks to push against Israel will prosper. All are to be thrown out. And if carpenters are to throw them out, they will need to be cut off!
Who are the 4 carpenters?
The word in Hebrew covers all forms of skilful craft and fabrication work, from carpenters, stone masons to smiths and engravers. Yeshua is a carpenter (Mark 6:3 Matt 13:55) Paul is as a masterbuilder,
According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it. For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ. And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one's work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one's work as to what kind it is. If anyone's work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. (1Cor 3:10-14)
This implies that all that follow Yeshua are also 'workers'. That there is four indicates the completeness of their work and places them in a relationship to the fourfold aspect of the Cherubim (Ezekiel 1) and the Living Ones (Revelation 5:8). Though the workers of the gospel go forth and their presence in the nations breaks the power of tyranny anywhere their preaching has a growth in human minds, as yet it only 'frightens' the powers of the world, so they hate it. As yet the final 4 carpenters have not emerged to throw away the horns. There is a day when, as surely as it was proclaimed in the book of Zechariah,
“I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it,” saith the LORD of hosts, “and a (string) line (for a building) shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:16)
There are two houses built. A literal house of prayer, a temple, over the entire city, and a spiritual one of the servants of God. The temple of Ezekiel's prophecy has timber and will be built by carpenters. Thus the work of the servants of God is like that of a carpenter.
For more on The Carpenter
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