 Welcome back to the second session. Today we will be completing the last two books from our intestines, that is the book of Zechariah and last book Malachi. So, before I could start with presenting the book, we will see who is the author. Well, the author of this book Zechariah is Zechariah himself, who along with the prophet Hegai, encouraged the rebuilding of the temple as we saw in the book of Ezra. And Zechariah was a priest as well as a prophet. And this grandfather was either a priest who returned from exile with zero pardon. So, apparently Zechariah succeeded his grandfather as a head of the priestly family. And Zechariah would later be martyred on the temple grounds and which we see that in Matthew chapter 23 verse 35. And the very meaning of his name Yahweh Zechariah means Yahweh remembers. So, the very purpose of his prophecy also relates to the meaning of his name that God remembers, remembers the promise towards his people, even after all the time he spent outside the land. So, with this, I will just present the notes directly so that we can go through the notes. So, here we see the chart about the complete book, the division of this book. There are about 14 chapters and the first chapter, first chapter from verse 1 to verse 6, it talks about the call to repentance. And then, you know, he also says he has this eight vision. Zechariah has eight vision, we can talk in detail later part of this book. The eight visions are covered from chapter 1 to chapter 6. And in chapter 6, verse 9, it talks about the coming of Joshua the Co-Priest. And from chapter 7 to 8, we see four messages have been given questioning of the fast and later the problems that are signing and the Israelites fasting. And, you know, it talks about Jerusalem and also talks about the building of the temple. And chapter 9 to 12 talks about chapter 9 to verse 14. Yes, there are two burdens. One is in chapter 9, 10 and 11 talks about the first burden where the rejection of the Messiah. And then chapter 12 to 14 talks about the second burden, the reign of the Messiah. The prediction and Israel's future after building the temple. You also see the date where it was written. It was written probably in 520 BC when Zechariah and Hagar began to encourage the rebuilding of the temple. And in 515 when the rebuilding was completed, this final prophecies, which has been recorded in chapter 9 to 14 from the latter probably about 480 BC. The very purpose of this book, Zechariah, is to encourage the rebuilding of the temple to give instruction and holiness. Rebuild lives would result in rebuild temple. To provide specific information concerning both the first and second coming of the list. So future restoration of Judah. And there's a unique feature of it recorded for its length. Yes, this is one of the, you know, the minor book, but then it has 14 chapters. It gives more incentive prophecies than any other Old Testament book has. And it also has quoted by other Bible books more than any other Old Testament. And we also see the comparison of Christ of this book. So very clearly we see that Zechariah passage is a bound in this book that Christ is portrayed into Advent as both the servant and the king. The man and the god. So there are, there's a following of the few of Zechariah's explicit anticipation of Christ. That is the angel of the Lord, the righteous branch. Somebody has gone away. Yeah, you see the righteous branch. And then in chapter three verse nine, you see the stone with seven eyes and the height. It talks about the king, priest, the humble king, the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow. The good shepherd was rejected and sold for 30 shepherds of silver. The prize of the slave, the pierced one, the cleansing fountain, the smitten shepherd who's bounded the coming judge and the righteous king. So every title that we read right now, which is recorded in the book of Zechariah denotes Christ in himself. So with this, we can see what this book talks about. We can read some of the key verses before we could get into that eight versions and we can see how Christ is portrayed in each. The eight verses here, sorry, the four verses, the key verses here. Can I request four of us to please read each verse? Zechariah chapter one verse three, therefore tell the people, this is what the Lord Almighty says. Return to me, declares the Lord Almighty and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. Can I request one? Quickly we can finish four people. Rosalind, the beer and yeah, anyone else, brother Isaac, you know, anyone? Please go ahead and read. Can I read? Yes, brother, please. Zechariah seven thirteen. When I called, they did not listen. So when they call, I would not listen, says the Lord. Says the Lord, the Lord Almighty. Zechariah nine nine, rejoice greatly. Oh, daughter of Zion, shout, daughter of Jerusalem, see your king comes to you. Righteous is having, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah seven thirteen verses nine. The first I will pick into the fire, which like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say they are my people and they will say the Lord is our God. Amen. Thank you so much for each one of us taking turn and reading because it's very important for us to read. So that we know the scriptures are speaking to us. In fact, we see that time and again and the prophets read the scriptures loud and impacted the people around them. So that is one of the reason why it's good for us to read the scriptures. Well, Zechariah nine nine says, rejoice greatly. Oh, daughter of Zion, shout, daughter of Jerusalem, see your king comes to you. Your king comes to you. Who's a righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey. We see this prophecy that fulfilled in the New Testament that Jesus coming on a colt. And then we also see in thirteen nine this third I will bring into the fire. I will refine them like silver and test them like gold and they will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say they are my people and they will say the Lord is our God. What a declaration that we can apply it to our life even today. So with this, we will just in brief go through the book of Zechariah. Because Zechariah uses a series of eight regions, four messages. And it also has two burden that we end up with. So where the future plan for this covenant people for a dozen of years or more, the task of rebuilding the temple has been half completed. And Zechariah is commissioned by God to encourage the people in their unfinished responsibility. So just like how Zechariah is commissioned by God today, you and I also commissioned by God to encourage people around us. Encouragement is a gift that God has given each one of us to himself. And we always see Zechariah exerting them to action with strong words of Rebuke correction. And Zechariah seeks to encourage them at the same time. As he rebuke and tries to correct them, he is also using words to encourage them to get into action by reminding them of the future importance of the temple. And the temple must be rebuilt. So one day the Messiah will come in his glory to inhabit it. But the future blessing is contingent upon the present obedience. So he exhausts people saying obedience. Through obedience is what we are. We will be blessed. And this is also for you and me. We can also take this. Through obedience, we can inherit the blessing of God. So people are not merely building a temple, but they are building a future. They are building the restoration of Jerusalem, restoration of Israel. And with that, they are motivated. And they are entering into the plan of welcoming Messiah. Welcoming the coming Messiah. So the first eight chapters were written to encourage us in rebuilding the temple. And later when we see the whole 14 chapters of it, talks about or teaches us the salvation will be obtained by. The last chapter talks about people from all over the world coming to worship God. So when this temple of God has been built and restored, Zechariah exhausts people and he says, people will come from all over the nation. We will come here to worship God. And just like he said, it is so true even now. And you know, who desires that all people will follow him. And this is not the doctrine of universalism, but that's all people would be saved. Because it is God's nature to save us. Rather the book teaches that God desires that all people worship God. And except those who, regardless of their nation or the political agenda, finally Zechariah, preach that God is sovereign over this world. God is above everything. Any kind of clearance to the contrary or notwithstanding is vision of the future indicates that God sees all that will happen. And the depictions of God's intervention into this world will teach that ultimately that he will bring the human events to end and he will choose. He does not eliminate the individual's freedom to follow God or rebel, but holds people responsible for the choices that they make. So everyone will have to face the consequence of the choices that they make. That's why we need to watch over the life book. I spoke about it. Watch over your life, watch over your way that you lead your life. So in the last chapter, even in forces of the nature, respond to God's control. And here we also see the foreshadow of the prophecy of Jesus Christ and the messiah and the tenor abound in Zechariah, which we just met. And we also see the great visions in the Enoch one this year. I will share about eight visions that has been listed in the book of Zechariah. The first one is the horseman among the multiple trees, which is recorded in chapter 1 verse 1 to 17. And the second vision is the four haunts and four craftsmen. And the third one is the survivor, servile. The fourth is the vision of Joshua, who was the high priest. And the fifth is the golden lamb stand and do all the trees. Six is the flying scrolls. The seventh one is the women in the basket and the ages for chariots. When Zechariah begins this book, the strong call for Israel to repent. And the theme of this book is repentance is developed more fully for the eight visions. So in general, these visions speak of God's plan for Israel, especially for Jerusalem at the time. Another major theme is coming of the future messiah, the prophet, also had a mission of encouraging the post-exhibition to continue their work to repaint the temple. So here in these three visions, we see that the first one, the horseman among the mortal trees. So Zechariah sees a man and horses among the trees. So here we see that the man explains everything. They had gone throughout the whole earth and found peace. And Angel then tells the prophet Zechariah that God still loved Israel and would restore Jerusalem in 2017. And he summarizes that this is what the Lord Almighty says, my town will again overflow with prosperity. The Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem. You see, God always stands. He's a God of restoration. No matter how much people would have sinned and gone too far from him, but God is a God who restores his people, who waits for them to repent and change. And he restores them back. He just doesn't restore us, but he also blesses with prosperity and comfort. And in the second vision, we talked about the four horns, the four craftsmen. Here we see Zechariah shown four horns and four craftsmen. As the angel tells him that the horns are four kingdoms that opposed Israel. That is Syria, Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The craftsmen are coming to throw down these horns. That is God will defeat Israel's end. God will stand. God himself will fight every battle that Israel faces. Not only then, even now God fights our battle. He stands for us. Please, I will not watch enemies overtake you. God will not spare the enemies who are trying to harm his children. He watches over us and he guards us from our enemies. He is a stronghold. He is a God who is our refuge. And the third vision, the Sylvia. Zechariah sees a man holding a measuring line. When the prophet asks the man, where is he going? The man says he is going to measure the city of Jerusalem. And this very vision represents God's promise that Jerusalem will be expanded. And its people will one day live in safety as a law judges Israel's. What a great comfort that this word would bring, this prophecy would bring to the people of Israel. Because the time and season when they were, it was not good. They didn't have the wall to protect them. It was in the state of ruin. But then Zechariah releases the comfort of God's promise to them. Saying that God will expand Jerusalem and people will live in safety. And the law will judge Israel's enemy. So the fourth vision comes, a vision of Joshua who was the high priest. So Zechariah sees that Joshua the high priest standing in the filthy clothes. He is before the angel of the Lord. And the Satan stands to the side and Satan is rebuked. And Joshua is given rich, clean clothes. So God himself explains this vision to Zechariah saying that Joshua will be blessed in his service to the Lord. The blessing, isn't it? The vision is also symbolic of Israel's restoration as God's priestly nation. The vision of Joshua ends with the protection of the ultimate high priest. Who's the ultimate high priest? The coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Simplized by a branch and an all-seeing stone. With that, we'll move on to the fifth one. The golden lamb stand and two olive trees. Here we see an angel Zechariah of golden lamb stand being fed whale from two olive trees. The two olive trees are symbolic of Zechariah, the governor of Judah. And the other one is Joshua who's the high priest. So the golden lamb stand represents the temple and the temple worshipping community. So God was making the point that he once again worked through his people to lay the foundation of the temple and finish the work. You see, God himself does everything. He stores the temple and the worship. So the sixth vision is a flying scroll. So Zechariah sees a large scroll written on both sides and flying over the whole land. This vision speaks of God's judgment on those who disobey his law. Very important. And the seventh one is the woman in the basket. The angel shows a prophet a basket that could hold and if that is a three-fifth of a bush. On the basket is a lead covered. The angel opens a basket to reveal a woman sitting inside. And the angel says, this is the iniquity of the people throughout the land and seals the basket again with the heavy lead. Two other women appear with a stroke like wings. They pick up the basket and carry it to Babylon. This strange vision pictures suppressed wickedness to be banished to Babylon where it would be eventually be free. We also relate this reference to Revelation chapter 17. We can go through it in our first study. And the last one, the four chariots. The four chariots Zechariah sees four horses of different colors putting four chariots and they quickly run through the entire earth with the result that God's Spirit has blessed. And this vision represents a judgment on the enemies of Israel. After the judgment, God's wrath will be at peace and rest and ensures. This final vision brings the series of vision foods up. The first vision at pictures, these horses at the end of their mission. A similar vision of judgment also using the imagery of ours which is found in Revelation chapter 6 verse 128. So the two in the middle vision, which is number four and five, the vision of Joshua and the eye priest and the gold lamp stand and the two olive trees, emphasizes God's blessing. As Israel returns to Jerusalem and rebuilds the temple, they will find God's favor. The work will be accomplished not by mind, not by power. The Holy Spirit says the Lord Almighty, which is a very powerful scripture and also been claimed by many. It is one of the main keepers from this book. Not by mind, not by power, but by the Spirit says the Lord Zechariah chapter 4 verse 6. So from this book, what we can carry and learn from this book is God is expecting us to have a sincere worship and a modern living today as Zechariah gives us an example of breaking through many visions and many messages that he is asking us to set our heart right with God and he is also giving the invitation, God's invitation to people of all nation origin, people from all over the world despite the language, race and culture that salvation is only available through the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed on the cross who died for us so that we can be restored, our sins will be washed, our sins will be forgiven and we can be restored back to God. So there is no other name under heaven by which our man can be saved but there is only salvation through Jesus Christ, the eternal life that we can receive is only through Jesus Christ. So this is the message that we can learn and carry it from this book. So before we could move on to the next book, class just feel free to share your learning from this book. Any of the scriptures that has affected you encouraged you, please feel free to share it in the class which will help all of us before we could move on to the next book, Malakai. Anyone would like to share? Okay. So I'll just present the slides from Malakai. So this is the last book of our Old Testament. Malakai was the author of this book and his name means messenger. It appears in chapter 3 verse 1. So this book was written about 430 BC and the meaning of his name is Malaki. Malaki means my messenger. It's probably a shortened form of Malakia, messenger of Yahweh in Him. And it is appropriate to the book which speaks of the coming of the messenger of the God. So Malakai, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people who are plagued with corrupt peace, wicked practices and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. So using the question and answer method, Malaki probes deeply into the problem of hypocrisy, infidelity and mixed marriages, divorce, false worship and arrogance. So sinful as the nation becomes that God's word to the people no longer have any impact. For 400 years after Malakai's ringing condemnation or proclaiming condemnation to God's people, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptist in chapter 3-1, God again communicates with people through a prophetic voice. So this book has 4 chapters and the chapters are divided by the first chapter 1 to verse 1 to 5. It talks about the privilege of the nation. It talks about the love of God for the nation, the care of God. And in chapter 1 verse 6 onwards, the second half of the first chapter, talks about the population of the nation, the sin, the pollution of the nation, the sin of the priest which is present, complaining against God. And in chapter 2, it talks about the sin of the people, sin of the people. And in chapter 3 verse 16 onwards, chapter 3-4 on hold talks about the promise to the nation and chapter 3 verse 16 to about chapter 4, talks about the book of the membranes as the coming of Christ and chapter 4 talks about the coming of Elijah, the future, the coming of God. So the book that it was written is in Jerusalem and the time period is about 432 BC to about 425 BC. The very purpose of this book we see is to review the profane of that which is holy and to review the views of proper human relationships to announce both the judgment and the blessings of the coming day of God. To teach that sin and apostasy will bring judgment and repentance brings blessing. To bring out some of the sins of people and their spiritual leaders, to teach about God's sovereignty and to give predictions about Messiah. And the unique of this book is again excellent and Malachi includes more questions about 25 than any other book in the Bible including perhaps the most famous one, Will a Man Rock God? Will a Man Rock God? This book also talks about the typing giving unto God. It contains the most famous Old Testament passage on giving and typing. And we see the foreshadow of Christ in this book is about 400 years of prophetic silence broken finally by the words of the next prophet that is John the Baptist where we see in John chapter 1 verse 29 it's recorded saying that behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and Malachi predicts the coming of the messenger who will clear the way before the Lord. And again John the Baptist later fulfills this prophecy by the next few verses saying jump ahead to Christ the second Edwin. This is also true of the prophecy of Abraham's of Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist was this manager but Elijah will also appear before the second coming of S7. We will read some of the key verses of this book. Can I request any two of us to please read the key verses of this book. Malachi 1 verse 6 a son honors his mother and a servant his master if I am a father where is the honor due me if I am a master where is the respect due me says the Lord Almighty it is you oppressed who show condemn for my name Malachi 3 verses 6 and 7 I the Lord do not change so you or descendants of Jacob are not destroyed ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them return to me and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty Amen. Malachi wrote the words of the Lord because chosen people were forestry especially the trees were turned from the Lord and trees were not treating the sacrifices the way they are supposed to the way to make God's peace and the animals with blemishes were being sacrificed and even though the Lord abandoned the animals need to be spotless the animals need to be sacrificed but then the Levites they went ahead and sacrificed the men and chudas were dealing with the wives of the youth treacherously and wondering why God would not accept their sacrifice and also people were not fighting as they should have been because all these instructions are not new for the people of Israel because God had instructed them in the book of Leviticus chapter 27 30 and also in verse 32 we read that God has already instructed them giving them the complete instruction how the sacrifice needs to be done how they need to conduct themselves how the wives need to conduct themselves during the sacrifice and how the people of Israel should offer the sacrifice and the fighting were being instructed, recorded and brought up but the people the way they lived their lives they stopped reading the Torah stopped reading the scripture and the people from different generations forgotten about the Lord time and again God raised prophets to declare to inform them to proclaim how how majestic our God is how miraculously they were saved they were brought trying to instill the word Torah into them but in spite of all this people were doing what they were doing because they were their very nature was corrupted corrupted as they were in exile living among the pagan people so the pagan nature started being inculcated in them even though they were returned from exile but still their activities, their daily living the way they lived their lives had those traces in their daily life time and again the prophets needed the mind then to correct them and when the people were not fighting on time and they were reminded about the book of lepticles and that's the reason we have God the mind how can you can a man from God but in spite of all people saying and turning away from God Malachi it creates God's love for us people can we repay God in any ways despite our nature not only the nature of the Israelites those days despite our nature God is saying my love bonds with sin my love abounds much more so Malachi retreating God's love for us people increases and his promises of coming messenger God looking at all these people he says there's a Messiah who's coming I love my people time and again we can focus on John 3 16 how much God loves his people despite the very sinful nature of this yes the practical application that we can take from this book is God is not pleased when we do not obey his commands he will repay those who disgrace him as for God's like you know things which are not good in those days like you know getting married to other culture women the pagan women and getting divorced but God is saying I hate divorce God takes a covenant of marriage seriously and he does not want it to be broken and we have to stay true to the spouse of a youth of our lifetime it was then within people but then as they got married to the pagan women and their culture their lifestyle started becoming different it was defining to the nature of God the very nature of God so God sees today our hearts so that he knows what our intentions are nothing can be hidden from God and we all know it even when it comes to offering even when it comes to title yes in the Old Testament we see that 10% need to be given but in the New Testament it's not like that in the love offering where we can give more than 10% it is not something like we give 10% or less than 10% love offering is something willingly we offer to God what you have blessed me here I'm offering back to you from what you have given and I've heard many testimonies where no one gone into laws by giving young to God God has prospered everyone so in this book we see that this is the only area where God says you give and test me you give and test me no other area where God says you give and test me you do this and then you test me in this area God says you give and then test give unto the Lord willingly it's not we are giving from what we have we are giving God what he has given to us and when we don't give God willingly or rightfully what belongs to God it is like we are robbing God's portion so we need to come to God willingly thankful hearted love and thank you for blessing the work of us even the very wisdom to do our work comes from God there is no way that we could take credit for anything in us it is the grace of God that you and I are there and living we can't take credit for the wisdom that I worked hard yes some people claim that I worked hard and money it is my work that brought me promotion it is my work that built my family the way we live and the Lord is reminding us it is me I am the God who will bless you and the Lord will promote you the Lord who is giving you the wisdom the very source from which you are earning everything is the wisdom the knowledge the understanding is the source of everything and we are getting it from him man at all times should not forget the source from God and one thing that we need to know again and again is to humble ourselves how to be hands of God and give him all the credit because as a man we are a created being we are not the creator we take all that credit we are a created being everything that we do in our life is the grace that God has given us it is only through his grace through his gifts we are able to do what we are able to do so we need to give all glory all honour to God and this is something that you know at the end of our Old Testament survey book I would like to share with each one of us is that let's humble ourselves and have a hand of God no matter how much we would have studied or what experience at each one of us we may hold on to a background but one thing that we need to give all glory to God that he has pleased us there more than anyone I guess we realise the realise the time of life the breath the very breath that we breathe sometime back we went through the pandemic season and we know the value of this breath people ran around the places for the oxygen the very breath that we are breathing that we need to be so thankful to God we need to give all glory to God no matter how high God lifts us and sees it that lets say you are all this belongs to you even when we are in the place we give you all glory all honour and even when the time we lift us up we give you all glory all honour all this belongs to you because if you are enabled to do something it's your wisdom it's your knowledge and it's in your understanding that we are able to perform what we are able to do it it's nothing of our own because we are just we are handmade of God we are just our vessel and God's hand if we are honoured by somebody praise God even that belongs to God because he is dwelling with each of us wherever the spirit of the Lord is there is honour praise God with this we come to the conclusion of this book saying that you know let's give all glory honour and in all the blessing that God has blessed us with let's give our time offering unto God and His people generously willingly, generously, happily so that we can inherit the blessing that is there because the scripture also says even a glass of water if it's given to the prophet the blessing of the prophet will be so if God is you know blessing us even in the small things how much more that you and I can expect when we honour God and His people His children around us in much better way the offering when we give it to the poor it is like giving up to the Lord that's what the scripture says so here the book of Malachi talks about more of the giving and generous giving you know the New Testament talks about unmeasurable give more don't measure but give more in we giving we will also receive that way and we can expect that all from God and also He says let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing in all our giving that's okay if no one have been watching you on the same we don't have to receive any kind of reward from people but then let's regard everything in every area so it's not only the material things that it talks about giving, typing and all but then giving can be even in that form of time given to the Lord in form of time to pray and also by sharing the gospel with others spreading the goodness with others because we are at the last days and it's time for us to stir ourselves as we have been equipped we the leaders God has chosen God is appointed because Scripture says the harvest is used, the laborers are few and God has called us as the laborers and He's also in the process of equipping us so as we have been equipped see for opportunities also to serve God in different ways in ABC at our church at our college we believe that every minister every believer is a minister of God every believer is a minister of God so do not wait for your graduation day where you get graduated, receive a certificate and then step out himself, the Lord, after minister to others but then it's your time now is your time as you are equipped, as the Lord speaks share to others share among your known circle God will open those, God will open opportunities when we seek Him let's be His mouthpiece Amen so that's what this book of Malachi is Malachi, so I hope leave this class open to also where you can share your learning from these two books and overall how the session is where what we learn personally please go ahead anyone, John, Radha, Bubaka Divya please feel free to share thank you Divya brother Avinna Abhadesh just go ahead, any one just share what you learned how was this time of learning how it has been to you Sid can I share I just want to thank you pastor just for giving us overall your way of assessment it had been very clear and thank you so much it has given a new perspective to learn the Bible praying that it will help us in the heart walk with the Lord thank you so much God bless you thank you so much my own pastor I appreciate thank you so much thank you so much I want to use the opportunity to say thank you for wishing me a happy birthday on the 11th of November thank you so much, I'm so grateful I'm so grateful thank you everyone the lady which is inoc the last of November was your birthday okay today as we sign off with lots of people blessing away inoc John can I request you to use it to be and also pray for inoc has been sure we just want to thank you for this time it has given us thank you for the time of learning thank you for helping to take us through the entire books of Old Testament and revealing your heart behind each books and we thank you for the time of learning that we had together as a class we thank you for all the mysteries that you have been revealing all these ways and we ask Lord that you would be able to continue to take in our lives and help us to understand more of your understanding more of your wisdom to apply that in our person work with you Lord Jesus we also take this time to submit brother inoc to your mighty hands thank you for his life thank you for adding one more year to his life for God thank you for all the mercies that you have been showing in his life and the blessings of the Lord rest upon him whenever he walks into his house let him be blessed he walks out of his house let him be blessed everything that he touches may your grace may your favor be upon him Lord eternal God is your refuge and underneath are our lasting arms that's your promise of God and we thank you that you are with him Lord God we praise you for his life we also submit all of us once again be at hands of God we thank you for the privilege that you have given us to serve you and all the areas of our lives we pray for God that you would be able to honor you and give you the best of our life for God thank you Lord in Jesus most precious name we pray amen amen thank you so much good bless thank you thank you ma thank you ma thank you thank you good bless thank you all it's been a pleasure as I thought I also learned a lot from this book God bless you all good bless thank you