vilest " whiter than snow." Yes, blessed be God! for as many as can say with the Apostle, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree"
(Gal. Hi. 13).
Yet one word more in conclusion in reference to the yet unfulfilled prophetic element in this vision.
The more immediate application may have been to the remnant which returned from Babylon, to whom Zechariah spoke; and there may be some truth in the suggestion of Dr. Fausset that the " theft " and " false swearing " specially referred to in this vision has a reference to the sacrilege of which the Jews then were guilty in withholding the portions due from them for the Levites (Neh. xiii. 10), and in holding back the due tithes and offerings from the Lord (Mai. iii. 8).
Thus " they robbed God by neglecting to give Him His due in building His house, whilst they built their own houses foreswearing their obligations to Him."
There is also, as we have seen, a general application of the solemn truth contained in this vision to all who make any profession of the name of God at all times; yet the full and manifest fulfilment of this symbolic prophecy will not take place till the time of the end, when, in the final stage of both Jewish and anti-Christian apostasy, iniquity shall reach its climax, and the majority of those who profess to be the Lord's people shall join in " transgressing and lying against Jehovah, and in departing away from their God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood" (Isa. lix. 13). Then the final separation shall take place, and the wicked be " cut off" from the congregation of the Lord, and all sin and iniquity be finally cleansed away from the " holy land"
(Zech. ii. 12), and from "off the face of the whole earth."
