Zechariah 1:16-17

2. The oracle about God’s jealousy for Israel 1:16-17

This is the first of four oracles that appear within the visions that Zechariah saw. These were messages that the prophet was to deliver along with the revelation of the vision.

"The vision had lifted the veil which hides the unseen, spiritual world to show that God is in control and active in the earth, but it would not have been of specific comfort without the message in words given by the interpreting angel (Zechariah 1:14-17). This oracle is essential to elucidate the implications of the vision." [Note: Ibid., p. 98. She understood the oracle as beginning with Zechariah 1:14.]