Zechariah 5:5-11 is one of the most puzzling visions in the entire Bible. I used to search throughout the Internet for explanations that addressed the vision, but I often found that hardly anyone addressed it. The websites that recognized the vision explained the vision’s imaginary, but did not offer an explanation of the vision’s significance.
After several years of contemplating this vision I devised an explanation regarding the significance of Zechariah 5:5-11. Here is my explanation of this puzzling vision…
The vision opens with an angel showing Zechariah an ephah (a kind of basket) with a giant piece of lead above the ephah. Inside the ephah is a woman who is characterized as “wickedness” by the angel that accompanied Zechariah.
- Zec 5:5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
- Zec 5:6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
- Zec 5:7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
- Zec 5:8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
The vision becomes even more puzzling when Zechariah witnessed two-winged women take the ephah to the land of Shinar (the land of Babylon). Another consideration that makes the vision more puzzling is that I’ve read Bible commentators suggest that the two-winged women are also wicked entities. Thus, you have wicked creatures transporting a wicked entity to the land of Babylon.
- Zec 5:9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
- Zec 5:10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
- Zec 5:11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
Zechariah wrote this vision after the Jews were released from Babylonian captivity so it initially seems counterintuitive that a group of people would be brought back to the land of Babylon.
However, the idea that a wicked group of people could be sent to Babylon during the End Times does not seem impossible when you consider that Antichrist is likely going to scatter the Jews from Israel and is likely going to send them to places like the land of Babylon.
Recall that I wrote that Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51 probably had End Times significance. In both Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51 Jews located in Babylon are told repeatedly to flee from Babylon before it is destroyed:
- Jer 50:8 Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.
- Jer 50:9 For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.
- Jer 51:5 For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.
- Jer 51:6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.
- Jer 51:45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.
- Jer 51:46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
If Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51 truly have End Times significance then the call for Jews to flee from Babylon implies that there are Jews in the land of Babylon during the End Times. This begs that question: “Why are there Jews in the land of Babylon during the End Times?”
I believe there is a lot of biblical evidence that Antichrist is going to have a concentration camp system throughout the Middle East, including one major concentration camp in the land of Babylon. The purpose of the Jews enduring the hardship of these camps is to purge the wicked elements of the Jewish people and to condition the surviving Jews to seek salvation.
- The evidence for the existence of a concentration camp system, including the evidence for existence of a concentration camp in Babylon can be read beginning here: link.
Given my view that there is going to be a major End Times concentration camp in Babylon, the woman inside the ephah represents a “wicked” group of people from Israel that will be sent to Babylon during the End Times. Once in Babylon this group of people will undergo a purge. The survivors of the purge will return from Babylon to be saved…
This is just my interpretation of the vision. I am sure there are going to be people that will disagree with my interpretation because the meaning of the vision can easily be debated. Zechariah 5:5-11 is one of the most puzzling visions in the Bible after all.
