Zechariah 5:1-11

Zechariah 5:1

Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

Then Zechariah turns and lifts up his eyes and sees a flying roll.  The roll is a scroll which is called a roll because it is rolled up around a stick when not in use.  This is the sixth vision.

Zechariah 5:2

And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

The Lord then asks Zechariah what he sees.   Zechariah answers the Lord and tells him that he sees a flying roll or scroll.  It was a very large one because the length would be about 30 feet (9.1 meters)  and the breadth would have been about 20 feet (6 meters) high.  A cubit is 18 inches (46 cm).

Zechariah 5:3

Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

The curse was the law which permeated the whole earth.  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  (Galatians 3:10)  Every human being on earth shall be judged on the last day according to the law of God.  God mentions two specific sins and they are theft and also swearing which means they who swear falsely when taking an oath or it could point to those who take the name of the LORD in vain, whether it be a swear word or even a joke.  Notice the verse also speaks about this side and that side of the scroll which means it is speaking of the entirety of the law of God and not just the two sins which God mentions as examples.  Those who have become saved are no longer under that curse because Christ had fulfilled every righteous demand of God’s law on behalf of his people, the true believer.  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  (Galatians 3:13) 

Zechariah 5:4

I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

There were those who thought that their relationship to God meant that they would face no penalties for their disobedience but this verse is stating that the curse of the law will not depart from the homes of those who live in rebellion.  It will remain all their lives and it will consume the house as well as all those who are living in it.  They will face the judgment of God on the last day and will not be found innocent because of their belief that they were right with God because of the law.  Their names will be blotted out of the book of the living.  Even though God was speaking to them that good days were ahead, he did not want them to ever forget that rebellion, even in good times, is still rebellion and demands a lawful retribution.  Habakkuk had also prophesied a similar situation concerning the house of the rebellious.  For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.  (Habakkuk 2:11)  The beam in view would have been a cross beam which would answer the stones by themselves crumbling simultaneously with the stones thus making total destruction of the house.

Zechariah 5:5

Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

Then the angel had a conversation with Zechariah and then told him to lift up his eyes and to see what is going forth. This is the beginning of the seventh vision.

Zechariah 5:6

And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

Then Zechariah asks the angel what was he seeing.  The ephah was a measurement which was about 8 gallons and it was also used in dry measures which was about one bushel, one of the largest measures of the Hebrews.  Here God is dealing with the sin.  It is a measurement which goes out through all the earth just like the scroll we saw in the previous verses.  {32} Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.  {33} Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  (Matthew 23:32-33)  Jesus spoke about the Jews who were as rebellious in his day as they were in previous times.  However, the rebellion of the entire human race will be brought into judgment day when their actions will be adjudicated by God. 

Zechariah 5:7

And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

If the dry measure is in view here, then the lead would be referring to the lid of the basket.  It would have weighed about 125 pounds troy which would have been a very heavy lid for a basket which was normally a woven basket.  Once the lid was removed, there was a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.  The fact that she was sitting meant that she was secure or established in the middle of the ephah.  The type of woman she was is mentioned in the next verse.

Zechariah 5:8

And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

The woman is used to describe the fact that she represented wickedness among the people.  The angel then took wickedness and cast it out of the comfortable seat she was sitting on and threw the lead plate upon the basket trapping her inside.  This symbolizes her being trapped in the basket and not escaping the penalty for her sins against God.  It may also be a picture of hell where those sentenced there will never be able to escape the penalty of their sins.

Zechariah 5:9

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

There is no specific identity given to these two women but the wings they have are like those of a stork.  The stork has strong wings because it is a strong bird.  Then these two women descend upon the basket and remove it from the earth and at this point it was between Heaven and earth.  With the wind being in their wings it shows the swiftness of any judgment that God will bring if the repatriated nation of Judah from the Medes and Persians begin to once again adopt a rebellious character against God like the previous generation did.  Just as Judah was removed from the land by Babylon and the northern kingdom was removed by Assyria, the fact that the ephah is being removed from the land shows that it could happen again if they fail to be obedient.  The final removal of Judah did happen in 70 A.D. when the LORD dispatched the Roman army to destroy Jerusalem.

Zechariah 5:10

Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

Then the angel continued to talk to Zechariah and he asked him to what place are they going to take the ephah to?

Zechariah 5:11

And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.