280 VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH
Under the coats of every one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by their law (2 Mace. xii. 40).
" The Teraphim were, moreover, an unlawful and for bidden means of attempting to know the future not any coarse form of idolatry ; much as the people now, who, more or less, earnestly have their fortunes told, would be surprised at being called idolaters." l
But it is very probable that Zechariah is speaking in chaps, x. 2, xiii. 2, etc., of the sin which brought on the Captivity, and not of it as existing in his own day. The prediction repeated from one of the former prophets, that God will cut off the very names and memory of idols from restored and converted Israel of the future, does not neces sarily imply that they existed when the prophet wrote. And as to false prophets, they continued to exist after the Captivity such, for instance, were Shemaiah, who "pro phesied" against Nehemiah, and the prophetess Noadiah, and " the rest of the prophets " of whom we read in Neh. vi. 12-14. But here again it is overlooked that it is the distant future of Israel s final deliverance and cleansing which is before the prophet s range of vision, though it is linked to promises which have for their starting-point the more immediate future. There were false prophets at the time of the Lord s first advent, and He Himself warns His disciples against " false prophets " who would appear in the professing Church " in sheep s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves," and predicts that before the time of the end " many false prophets would arise and deceive many " (Matt. vii. 15, xxiv. 1 1-24, etc.).
Internal Marks of the Unity of Zechariah
We must draw this already lengthy disquisition to a close. We think we have shown that the objections raised by modern critics against the unity of Zechariah have no sufficient basis in fact.
1 Pusey.
