Chapter 6 of Zechariah continues the prophet's series of visions, visions which are famously among the most difficult to understand in all of Tanach. As is our practice, we will study them according to the commentary of the Malbim, who leads us along a clear path: from the empires that rule the world until the Messianic era, and from there to the crowns and the promise of redemption.
וָאָשֻׁב וָאֶשָּׂא עֵינַי וָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה אַרְבַּע מַרְכָּבוֹת יֹצְאוֹת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הֶהָרִים וְהֶהָרִים הָרֵי נְחֹשֶׁת׃ - And I turned and lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming out from between the two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of copper.
The Malbim explains: in the first vision, the prophet saw a man riding on a red horse, with red signifying the empire of Greece, which seized power after Darius. Now he is shown the empires that will arise in the world until the End of Days, revealing which kingdoms will hold sway leading up to the coming of Mashiach.
Four chariots emerge, each chariot drawn by four horses. Each empire encompasses four kingdoms, for over each of the four directions of the world reigns a different kingdom influenced by a specific heavenly ministering angel, who receives influence from the Supernal Chariot (Merkavah Elyonah). The Supernal Chariot is likewise divided into four directions, as we learned in Yechezkel's vision of the Merkavah, where all the details of this matter were laid out.
And what is hinted at by the chariots emerging from between two mountains? That there will be two divisions here: two chariots emerge from the Mount of Destruction, and they are destined to harm Israel; and two chariots emerge from the Mount of Assembly, and they come to bring good to Israel.
"And the mountains were mountains of copper": the Babylonian Empire was represented as gold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and the Median Empire as silver, and both had already passed from the world. Now he is shown the beginning of the Greek Empire, which in Nebuchadnezzar's dream was likened to copper, following the stage of the silver empire.
בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרִאשֹׁנָה סוּסִים אֲדֻמִּים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הַשֵּׁנִית סוּסִים שְׁחֹרִים׃ - In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses.
The first chariot, with red horses, is the Greek Empire which emerges first, and it went forth to shed much blood - just as in the first vision he saw a man riding on a red horse, red signifying blood. The second chariot, with black horses, is the Roman Empire that follows Greece. Black also hints at blood, for Chazal teach in tractate Chullin (perek Elu Tereifot) that black blood is fundamentally red blood that has deteriorated. For this reason, one of the shades of blood that renders a woman ritually impure is black, because black is essentially corrupted red. Thus, the black horses likewise signify bloodshed, representing the Roman Empire. In addition, black hints at gloom and darkness, reflecting the hardship and the night-like exile Israel would endure during the Roman exile. Both of these chariots head in one direction: toward the north country.
It is worth noting: other commentators explain that these represent the empires of Babylon, Media, and Persia, but we are following the Malbim, who understands them to refer to Greece and Rome.
וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הַשְּׁלִשִׁית סווסִים לְבָנִים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרְבִעִית סוּסִים בְּרֻדִּים אֲמֻצִּים׃ - And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot dappled, robust horses.
The third chariot, white horses: After the kingdom of Rome is abolished, a kingdom will arise that will not shed as much blood as its predecessors, the red and the black. White is the aspect of kindness, and the burden of exile will be eased, in the words of the Malbim. The Malbim lived before the Holocaust, and at least in his era, the exile was relatively mild: the period of emancipation throughout most European lands, when the harshness of exile was lessened. It was no longer an exile like earlier periods of constant persecution and slaughter. Although there were occasional pogroms, the exile was generally easier. Therefore, the third chariot has white horses, representing a reign of kindness, when the nations showed greater goodwill toward Israel and did not pursue them with bloodshed like the red and black horses.
The fourth chariot represents the period immediately preceding the coming of Mashiach, alluded to by the dappled and robust horses (berudim and amutzim). Berudim means patterned with black and white spots, while amutzim hints that they will summon their strength (yitametzu) to wage war against us, as will be explained in verses 6-7. These terms are familiar from the Hoshanot, especially among Yemenite Jews who recite the Hoshanot of Rav Saadiah Gaon: "The master You tested with the heat of the dappled and robust" (Gevir nisito beyacham berudim amutzim). "The master You tested" refers to Yaakov, who was tested in the incident of the peeled rods, featuring striped, speckled, and dappled sheep (akudim, nekudim, u'verudim). And where did the paytan draw the term amutzim from? From right here, from our verse: berudim amutzim.
וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אֶל הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי מָה אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִי׃ - And I spoke up and said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?"
וַיַּעַן הַמַּלְאָךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי אֵלֶּה אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹצְאוֹת מֵהִתְיַצֵּב עַל אֲדוֹן כׇּל הָאָרֶץ׃ - And the angel answered and said to me, "These are the four winds of the heavens, going out after standing before the Lord of all the earth."
The prophet asked the angel the meaning of these things, and he answered: These are the four winds of heaven. Each empire encompasses the four directions of the world, just as we explained that each chariot has four horses. That is to say, each of the four chariots represents an empire that will rule here, exercising absolute dominion in all four directions of heaven. And they "go out after standing before the Lord of all the earth": the Holy One, blessed be He, is the One Who sends them forth, and from Him they receive their sovereignty to rule over the earth.
אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים הַשְּׁחֹרִים יֹצְאִים אֶל אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְהַלְּבָנִים יָצְאוּ אֶל אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהַבְּרֻדִּים יָצְאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַתֵּימָן׃ - The one in which are the black horses goes out to the north country, and the white ones have gone out after them, and the dappled ones have gone out to the south country.
Seemingly, it should have begun with the red horses, since the original order was red, black, white, and then dappled and robust. Why, then, did it open immediately with the black horses? The Malbim explains: because the red horses were already discussed in the first vision, where he saw a rider upon a red horse. Therefore, it begins straightaway with the black horses, which represent the kingdom of Rome, which marches to the north country to seize power there; it is also northern itself, for "out of the north shall evil break forth."
"And the white ones have gone out after them" - yet it does not specify toward which direction, because the white horses, representing the kingdom of kindness, have no single fixed direction. They simply go out after the black ones and spread across the east and the west; these are all the various kings who rule once the Roman empire is dissolved, each in his own place.
"And the dappled ones have gone out to the south country": this will take place close to the messianic era, when a mottled kingdom will arise, white with black spots or black with white spots. They will emerge from among the white horses, but black and white spots will be found within them; that is, they will not be entirely kind, but rather characterized by kindness mixed with dark spots. And from them will come Gog and Magog, arriving from the recesses of the north toward the south, meaning toward the Land of Israel.
Then they will divide into two camps that will fight one another, as we explained regarding Yechezkel chapters 38-39, that in the end of days there will be a war between the descendants of Edom and the descendants of Yishmael. We learned this at length, as well as in the lesson on the end of Sefer Zecharya, where the prophet mentions the war of Gog and Magog, and where the Malbim explains from the verses that the war will be between the descendants of Edom and the descendants of Yishmael. Already today we see that this is the clash: the descendants of Edom and the descendants of Yishmael. It is also written that Persia will be among the combatants, and even now we hear the Persians threatening America not to play with the lion's tail. It is a world of illusion where they believe they can threaten America, but such is the case when a person stands in leadership and imagines himself to be spiritual; ultimately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring them down.
It emerges that the spotted horses represent the descendants of Edom, who will come to conquer the Land of Israel from the hands of the Ishmaelites, while the Ishmaelites are the bay (strong / amutzim) horses. Why are they called amutzim? Because they will exert themselves (yitametzu) against the fighters and wage war against one another with intense effort and great strength; therefore they are called amutzim in contrast to the spotted ones, who represent the kingdom of Edom composed of white and black.
וְהָאֲמֻצִּים יָצְאוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ לָלֶכֶת לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמֶר לְכוּ הִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ וַתִּתְהַלַּכְנָה בָּאָרֶץ׃ - "And the bay ones went forth and sought to go, to walk to and fro throughout the earth; and he said: 'Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.' So they walked to and fro throughout the earth."
The amutzim are an allusion to the kingdom of Yishmael, who will exert themselves on their own to seek dominion wherever possible, going out to search for a realm to rule. Notice that no specific direction is mentioned here: the black horses go toward the north country, the spotted toward the south country, but regarding the amutzim, who are the descendants of Yishmael, it is not stated where they went, for they went everywhere to conquer lands.
This can also be seen today, as the descendants of Yishmael are scattered throughout the entire world and are already taking over Europe. Before long, Europe will have an Ishmaelite majority, and there are some there who are only now beginning to grasp the situation. Each family has four, five, six, or seven children, whereas Europeans have brought demographic ruin upon themselves and have virtually no children at all. Those who marry have perhaps one child, and many do not marry at all. A visitor traveling through Europe with a baby stroller recounted that everywhere they went, people were astonished and thrilled to see an infant, and he suddenly realized that there were no mothers with strollers in the streets, no children. Europe is aging, and if there are children today, it is almost exclusively in Ishmaelite and immigrant neighborhoods. Why do politicians flatter them in France, England, and everywhere else? Because anyone seeking election also needs the Ishmaelite vote, and therefore flatters them.
European journalists have already written that before long, Europe will become a place of ignorance and backwardness. One European journalist wrote: The Ishmaelites we brought here in an attempt to atone for the murder and inhumanity we inflicted upon the Jews - that very goodwill and desire to do good - will become our undoing. We cast out wisdom and progress from our midst, and brought ignorance and violence into our midst. We murdered the Jews and sent them to Auschwitz, and whom did we bring in their place? The Ishmaelites, who do not contribute, who build mosques across Europe and teach within them hatred for the country they live in and whose resources they drain, inciting jihad against it. The Jews never hijacked trucks to ram into Europeans in public squares, yet we sent them to Auschwitz; whereas here we bring in Ishmaelites who educate toward hatred, feed off our bounty, and drive trucks to crush the very people who treated them with kindness. This is the gratitude they show. In truth, the Ishmaelites there are already their punishment; it is what they have brought upon themselves.
"And they sought to go, to walk to and fro throughout the earth": The Radak explains that they did not head in a specific direction to establish dominion there, and Hashem granted them permission to go out and conquer lands. The Malbim explains that the bay horses went out to wage war against the spotted ones - who represent Europe, the kingdom of Edom - intending to seize the kingdom of the spotted ones and engage them in battle. However, they will only desire to do so, because ultimately they will fall in the battle surrounding Jerusalem, in the war of Gog and Magog. As for the words "And he said: 'Go,'" the Malbim explains that this refers back to all four kingdoms: after depicting all of them as four chariots, the angel says to them, "Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth" - meaning, you have received permission to rule by the decree of the Watchers, by the decree of the Creator, until the end of days.
וַיַּזְעֵק אֹתִי וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר רְאֵה הַיּוֹצְאִים אֶל אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן הֵנִיחוּ אֶת רוּחִי בְּאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן׃ - "Then he called out to me and spoke to me, saying: 'Behold, those that go toward the north country have quieted My spirit in the north country.'"
"Then he called out (vayaz'ek) to me" means he aroused me, and the word ze'akah denotes a great and bitter cry. Corresponding to this cry, he told him, "Behold, those that go toward the north country" - pointing out the red and black horses going toward the north country, meaning: see how much bloodshed, murder, and slaughter will come about through them. Afterwards, "and spoke to me" follows, where the language of speaking here conveys words of comfort: see that "they have quieted My spirit in the north country" - they have appeased and assuaged My wrath that was directed toward the Jewish people, and now it is My intention to bring good to their latter end, for My raging and angry spirit has subsided.
וַיְהִי דְבַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃ לָקוֹחַ מֵאֵת הַגּוֹלָה מֵחֶלְדַּי וּמֵאֵת טוֹבִיָּה וּמֵאֵת יְדַעְיָה וּבָאתָ אַתָּה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וּבָאתָ בֵּית יֹאשִׁיָּה בֶן צְפַנְיָה אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ מִבָּבֶל׃ - And the word of Hashem came to me, saying: Take from the exiles, from Cheldai, from Toviyah, and from Yeda'yah, and come on that day, and enter the house of Yoshiyah the son of Tzephanyah, who have arrived from Babylon.
The Malbim explains: The exiles in Babylon sent three men with silver and gold in hand, intended to be fashioned into crowns for the head. And for whom were they intended? One for Zerubbabel, who is the royal ruler, and the second for Yehoshua the Kohen Gadol. The golden crown was designated for the king, and the silver crown for the Kohen Gadol. And from whom was he to take the silver and gold? From the community of the exile through the hands of Cheldai, Toviyah, and Yeda'yah, the three who brought the money.
And He tells him: Do not wait for them to come to you; rather, "take" - you go to them to receive it from them. Moreover, do not even wait until tomorrow, but "come on that day" - immediately. He also reveals to him where he will find them: "and enter the house of Yoshiyah the son of Tzephanyah," for they gathered there upon arriving from Babylon, as Yoshiyah was also of the Babylonian exiles.
וְלָקַחְתָּ כֶסֶף וְזָהָב וְעָשִׂיתָ עֲטָרוֹת וְשַׂמְתָּ בְּרֹאשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל׃ - And you shall take silver and gold, and make crowns, and place them upon the head of Yehoshua the son of Yehotzadak, the Kohen Gadol.
Take from their hands the silver and gold that they brought from Babylon and make crowns from them; you must make them, not they. And even though it says "crowns" in the plural, meaning two - one for the head of the king and one for the head of the Kohen Gadol - nevertheless, He tells him to place only one crown: the silver crown upon the head of Yehoshua the son of Yehotzadak, the Kohen Gadol. Regarding the golden crown, however, He does not tell him to place it upon the head of Zerubbabel the king.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אִישׁ צֶמַח שְׁמוֹ וּמִתַּחְתָּיו יִצְמָח וּבָנָה אֶת הֵיכַל יְהֹוָה׃ - And speak to him, saying: Thus says Hashem of Hosts, saying: Behold, a man whose name is Tzemach [the Sprout], and he shall sprout from beneath him, and he shall build the Temple of Hashem.
Explain to him the reason and the purpose: Thus says Hashem, behold, a man whose name is Tzemach. Zerubbabel is referred to as Tzemach, as it is written, "Behold, I am bringing My servant Tzemach," and as we pray, "The sprout of David, Your servant, may You speedily cause to flourish." And why is he called Tzemach? The Malbim explains: A sapling is already a substantial growth, whereas a sprout (*tzemach*) is something just beginning to emerge. He is called Tzemach because his growth is not yet complete; he is still in the emerging phase. For this reason, he is also named Zerubbabel - "sown in Babylon" (*zeru'a be-Bavel*) - like a seed buried in the earth that still exists in potential and is destined to sprout.
Yet it is not he himself who will fully sprout, but rather "he shall sprout from beneath him" - do not think that he himself will be the Mashiach. "From beneath him" refers to his offspring: one of his descendants will ultimately be the Mashiach, and he will build the Temple of Hashem, which is the final Temple of the end of days. The proof that "beneath him" (*tachtav*) means his descendants comes from verses such as "your son whom He will set in your place (*tachtecha*)" and "the anointed Kohen in his place from among his sons (*tachtav mi-banav*)," showing that "beneath him" consistently denotes offspring.
Regarding the building of the Third Temple: Rashi in Masechet Sukkah writes that the Third Beit HaMikdash will descend already built of fire, and this has scriptural support: "I, Hashem, ignited it with fire, and with fire I am destined to rebuild it," as well as explicit Midrashim. On the other hand, there are sources to the contrary, stating that Melech HaMashiach will build the Beit HaMikdash. The Rambam writes this both in the Mishneh Torah and in his Commentary on the Mishnah, as do other Rishonim, supported by explicit Midrashim that Mashiach will construct the Temple. Seemingly, this presents a contradiction. The Aruch LaNer, the Ramchal, and others explain that the Beit HaMikdash will indeed be built physically by our hands, as it is an active positive mitzvah to construct the Temple. What will descend built of fire is the spiritual Temple that will clothe itself within the physical structure, like a soul entering a body. We will construct the body, the physical edifice, and into it will descend the soul - the spiritual Sanctuary descending built of fire from Above.
וְהוּא יִבְנֶה אֶת הֵיכַל יְהֹוָה וְהוּא יִשָּׂא הוֹד וְיָשַׁב וּמָשַׁל עַל כִּסְאוֹ וְהָיָה כֹהֵן עַל כִּסְאוֹ וַעֲצַת שָׁלוֹם תִּהְיֶה בֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם׃ - And he shall build the Temple of Hashem, and he shall bear majesty, and he shall sit and rule upon his throne; and there shall be a priest upon his throne, and a counsel of peace shall be between them both.
The Malbim explains: Even though Zerubbabel is currently building the Heichal, there is a fundamental difference between them. King Mashiach will build the Temple of Hashem and will also bear the splendor of Hashem, whereas Zerubbabel merely builds the Heichal and does not bear splendor. "And he shall sit and rule upon his throne": Mashiach will sit and rule, whereas Zerubbabel does not rule, for he is subject to the authority of the kings of Persia and came here under their permission, and the real masters are the Persian kings. Therefore, he does not sit upon his throne, as he is subservient to them as their subject. But King Mashiach will sit upon his throne with absolute sovereignty, with no other power ruling over him. Furthermore, the Malbim explains that "upon his throne" means that he will sit upon the throne of Hashem's splendor - Mashiach will sit upon the throne of Hashem as king.
"And there shall be a priest upon his throne": The Kohen, too, will occupy the throne fitting for him. Until then, the Kohen is not on his proper throne, but at that time the Kohen will sit upon his rightful throne. And then, "and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." And what is this peace that is seemingly lacking now? The Malbim explains wonderfully: Remember what occurred during the Hasmonean era, when the Kohanim took for themselves the crown of monarchy that was not rightfully theirs. As the Ramban writes, they were held accountable for this, and therefore not a single one of them remained, and whoever claims, "I am from the Hasmonean dynasty," is a slave, for Herod killed and destroyed them all. The reason: they did not uphold the counsel of the elder [Yaakov Avinu], "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet." After the great victory, when the Hasmoneans triumphed and liberated the Land of Israel from the Greeks, they took the royal crown for themselves, which was forbidden. They should have appointed a king from the House of Yehudah: you completed the task, now hand the keys over to the one to whom the monarchy was entrusted. They did not do so, and therefore utter destruction was decreed upon them, Heaven spare us.
We learn, then, that there was strife and struggle between the throne of monarchy and the throne of priesthood: the Kohanim assumed a crown that did not belong to them, attributing the greatness to themselves - "I conquered, and now I should vacate the throne for someone else?" Subsequently, the crown of Kehunah declined through the monarchy, for during the Second Temple era many High Priests came and went because the Kehunah was sold for money, and the Kehunah itself became degraded and diminished. But in the future, each will sit upon his throne in peace: the monarchy will have its rightful place and the Kehunah will have its rightful place, and there will be no conflict or discord between them as there was in the Hasmonean era. Rather, each will have his station, and there will be peace between them. For true peace exists when each recognizes his place, whereas when one encroaches upon another's domain, it produces nothing but strife and dispute.
And what is the meaning of "and he shall bear majesty"? The Malbim explains the difference between hod (majesty) and hadar (outward glory): hadar refers to outward beauty, whereas hod is an inward, spiritual radiance. An elevated soul is called majestic (full of hod), while something outwardly attractive is called having hadar. It follows, then, that here Scripture speaks of an inward virtue. And who is the one who "shall sit and rule upon his throne"? The Malbim suggests that this refers to the majesty itself - that majesty itself shall sit and rule upon its throne. For Scripture often personifies abstract concepts such as majesty, splendor, judgment, honor, and destruction as if they were entities: a "throne of judgment" - as if judgment sits upon the throne; a "throne of glory" - where glory sits upon its throne; a "throne of iniquity" - where falsehood, deceit, and the corruption of oppressors sit enthroned and govern. Here too, there will be a throne of majesty: majesty will sit and rule upon the throne, meaning that dominion will belong to spiritual majesty, to inner splendor, firmly established as though seated on a throne.
וְהָעֲטָרֹת תִּהְיֶה לְחֵלֶם וּלְטוֹבִיָּה וְלִידַעְיָה וּלְחֵן בֶּן צְפַנְיָה לְזִכָּרוֹן בְּהֵיכַל יְהֹוָה׃ - And the crowns shall be for Chelem, and for Toviyah, and for Yedaiah, and for Chen the son of Tzephaniah, for a memorial in the Temple of Hashem.
Now he tells him that the crowns will not be worn by either the king or the High Priest at this time, for they do not receive the crowns now; rather, this will only take place in the future. What, then, is to be done with them? Those crowns crafted from the gold and silver brought by Cheldai (here called Chelem), Toviyah, Yedaiah, and Chen (who is Yoshiyah) shall serve as a memorial in the Temple of Hashem. That is, they will hang suspended high in the Heichal, as recorded in the Mishnah in Masechet Middot. Whoever sees them will recall that future promise, and the Children of Israel will be reminded of what they must do: return in complete repentance before Hashem. Had they merited complete repentance in the Second Temple era, the Third Temple would have been built then, as the Malbim notes in several places. Therefore, he told him to hang the crowns high up, so that they would see them, repent, and by virtue of this the Beit HaMikdash would be built - all as a reminder that when the Temple is built, the king and the High Priest will wear these crowns.
וּרְחוֹקִים יָבֹאוּ וּבָנוּ בְּהֵיכַל יְהֹוָה וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּן בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃ - And those who are far off shall come and build in the Temple of Hashem, and you shall know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you; and this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of Hashem your God.
The Radak explains that "those who are far off" refers to gentiles from foreign lands who will come from distant countries to contribute voluntarily to the building of the Temple, and this is the meaning of "and build in the Temple of Hashem." It is very possible, says the Radak, that this refers to the era of Herod, in the construction he undertook in the Beit HaMikdash. Others explain that "those who are far off" refers to the people of Israel scattered in distant exile. Yet all of this is conditional: "and this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of Hashem your God" - if you walk in the ways of Hashem, then this is guaranteed to you.
The Malbim explains that "those who are far off" are the people of Israel who are presently distant, having not returned during the Second Temple period - such as the Jews of Yemen and many others, as noted previously, since only about fifty thousand returned during the Second Temple era while the rest of the exiles remained behind. Scripture tells you: In the future, when those who are far off return and ascend, and all take part in building the Temple of Hashem, then "you shall know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you." The prophecies for which Hashem sent me to prophesy to you will be fulfilled, and you will see that every word has come to pass. Yet everything depends upon your deeds: "and this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of Hashem your God." Then these prophecies will be realized immediately, those far off will arrive, the dispersed of Israel will be gathered, the crown will be restored to its former glory, and just as King Mashiach answered the question, "When is the Master coming?" - "Today, if you will heed His voice." If you diligently obey, you will immediately witness the redemption and the coming of Mashiach swiftly in our days, Amen.
In this chapter, Zechariah saw four chariots emerging from between the copper mountains, representing the four world kingdoms: the red horses representing Greece, the black Rome, the white the benevolent kingdoms that eased the exile, and the dappled and agile horses the kingdoms of the End of Days, Edom and Ishmael, who will fall in the War of Gog and Magog around Jerusalem. Afterward, the prophet was commanded to take silver and gold from the returnees from the exile and fashion crowns from them, placing only the crown of the Kohen Gadol, and hanging the crowns as a memorial in the Sanctuary so that the Jewish people would remember to repent and hasten the building of the Temple. And at the end of the chapter comes the promise: when the time arrives, there will be "a man whose name is the Branch [Tzemach]," and Mashiach from his lineage will build the Sanctuary of Hashem, bear majesty, and rule upon his throne, with the Kohen upon his throne, and a counsel of peace between them, as each one recognizes his place. And everything hinges upon one condition: "And it shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of Hashem your God."