The Lord of Hosts (2) - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets." Thus says the Lord of hosts: "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?" says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 8:4-6

The Lord of Hosts (2)
Two months after Haggai uttered his first recorded prophecy, the Lord began also to use Zechariah, a young priest, to prophesy to the remnant who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Chapters 1 to 6 of his book show that God gave him a series of visions showing him that He, God, was well aware of all that was happening on earth, and that all was under His control. It is not unusual for us, especially when we are young, to question in our minds whether God really knows what is happening in the world, and if He does, why He is not righting the many wrongs.

In the prophecy of Zechariah we often find the Lord's name, in fact, a number of His names. Among them we find the name the Lord of hosts mentioned 52 times, most of these in chapters 1 to 8. What a joy it must have been to him, and what an encouragement to the feeble remnant again beginning to rebuild the temple, to know that their God was indeed superior to every foe they had!

Then too, Zechariah was told to tell the men who came to inquire whether they should still keep the fasts they had been keeping, about God's magnificent plans for the future of Jerusalem, and indeed, of His earthly people. Going on in the Book, we come to much about the Lord Jesus Himself, both about His sufferings and about the glories yet to follow. He, the mighty Lord of hosts, is the One wounded in the house of His friends, but He will soon fulfill every promise to Israel, and to His heavenly people too!

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.