Zechariah 1

Zechariah begins with an urgent call for the people to return to the Lord and not repeat the sins of their ancestors. He then recounts his first of eight night visions: a man riding a red horse among myrtle trees. This symbolizes God’s messengers surveying the earth, which is currently at rest. God promises to return to Jerusalem with compassion and restore the city, condemning the nations that acted with excessive hostility toward Israel during the time of judgment.