John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 1:12

"Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" — Zechariah 1:12 (ASV)

The Prophet now shows that the angel who was his guide and teacher became a suppliant before God on behalf of the welfare of the Church. Therefore, the probable opinion is that this angel was Christ the Mediator. For those who say that it was the Holy Spirit, who forms prayers in our hearts, seem to depart very far from the meaning of the Prophet; and it is nothing new for Christ to exercise care over His Church.

But if this view is disapproved, we may take any one of the angels to be meant. It is certain that they are all enjoined to minister to the salvation of the faithful, according to what the Apostle says in Hebrews 1:1. Indeed, the whole Scripture is full of evidence that proves angels are guardians of the godly and watch over them; for the Lord, for whose service they are always ready, employs them in this way. In this we also see the singular love of God towards us, for He employs His angels especially for this purpose, to show that our salvation is greatly valued by Him.

Then there is nothing wrong if we say that any one of the angels prayed for the Church. But Papists absurdly and very foolishly conclude from this that dead saints are our advocates before God, or that they pray for us. For we never read that it is an office committed to the dead to intercede for us; in fact, the duties of love, as we know, are confined to the present life.

When, therefore, the faithful depart from this world, having finished their course, they enter into a blessed life. Though the case is then different, yet Papists foolishly pass from angels to the dead: for as it has been stated, the welfare of the faithful has been committed to angels, and they always watch over the whole body, and over every member of it.

It is therefore not strange that they offer prayers for the faithful; but it does not follow from this that angels are to be invoked by us. Why does Scripture testify that angels supplicate God for us? Is it that each of us may turn to them? By no means.

It is rather that, being assured of God’s paternal love, we may entertain more hope and confidence; indeed, that we may courageously fight, being certain of victory, since heavenly hosts contend for us, as appears from many examples. For when the servant of Elisha did not see the chariots flying in the air, he became almost lost in despair; but his despair was instantly removed when he saw so many angels ready to help (2 Kings 6:17).

So whenever God declares that angels are ministers for our safety, He intends to animate our faith. At the same time, He does not direct us to angels; but this one thing is sufficient for us: that when God is favorable to us, all the angels care for our salvation.

Furthermore, we must notice what is said by Christ: Hereafter you shall see angels ascending and descending, (John 1:51), which means that when we are joined to the Head, a sacred union will then arise between us and angels. For Christ, we know, is Lord equally over all.

When, therefore, we are united to the body of Christ, it is certain that angels are united to us, but only through Christ. All this favor, therefore, depends on the one true Mediator.

It is far, then, from being the case that Scripture represents angels as patrons to whom we may pray. The meaning, therefore, is what we have stated, when Zechariah says that the angel prayed in this way: O Jehovah of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah?

The angel seems in this place to have indirectly blamed God for having delayed too much in bringing help to His Church. But this mode of speaking, as we know, frequently occurs in the prayers of the saints; they, in a way, charged God with delay, that is, according to their human perception.

But this is not inconsistent with the obedience of faith, since the faithful ultimately submit to the counsel of God. Therefore, however familiarly they may often plead with God when He seems to delay and to withhold His aid, they yet restrain themselves and eventually feel assured that what God has appointed is best.

But they thus pour forth their cares and their sorrows into the bosom of God, in order to unburden themselves. The angel now adopts this form when he says, How long will You not show mercy? It is not, however, the complaint of unreasonable passion, like that of the ungodly, who in praying accuse God, rage against Him, and quarrel with His judgments.

The angel, then, was not moved by any turbulent feeling, nor were the saints when they adopted this mode of praying; but they did what God allows us all to do: they thus unburdened their cares and sorrows.

We should also notice the special import of the words, “how long,” עד-מתי, od-mati? Indeed, the angel later explains himself when he expressly mentions the term of seventy years. It was not, then, without design, or through a strong impulse of feeling, that the angel said, “How long?” but he had regard to a memorable prophecy, which was familiar to all the godly; for God had appointed seventy years for the exile of the people.

Since the people knew that a time had been predetermined by God, he does not here supplicate God according to his own will, but only appeals to the promise itself. And it is a usual thing for the saints to plead before God what He has promised them.

What indeed can better sustain our hope? And what can give us greater encouragement in praying than when we plead with God according to His promises? For God intends for our prayers to be founded first on His gratuitous goodness, and then on the constancy of His faithfulness and truth.

When, therefore, they thus address God, “O Lord, You are true, and You have promised this to us; relying on Your word, we dare ask what otherwise we could not,” they certainly do not exceed the limits, as though they were prescribing a law to God, but anxiously seek to obtain what had been freely offered.

We have seen that the angel does not here complain of delay, but that he founded his plea on that remarkable prophecy in which God had fixed the term of seventy years for His people.

I have said that it is more suitable to the passage to say that the cities had been despised by God; but if anyone prefers the other view, I will not contend. Yet whoever carefully considers the intention of the Prophet will, I think, readily assent to the idea that the cities had been despised or rejected by God, because He gave them no sign of His mercy.