6:1-8 The four chariots were similar to the four horsemen in the first vision. These chariots represent the four angels of God’s judgment on the earth.
6:6, 8 The black horses that went north executed God’s judgment in the north country. God is angry with sin and with the wicked (Psalm 7:11), and his anger is expressed in judgment. As much as we like to concentrate on God’s love and mercy, anger and judgment are also part of his righteous character. If you have unconfessed or habitual sin in your life, confess it and turn away from it. Confession releases God’s mercy, but refusing to repent invites his judgment.
6:9-15 This vision is about the Messiah, the King-Priest. In the days of the kings and after the Exile, Judah’s government was to be ruled by two distinct persons—the king, ruling the nation’s political life, and the high priest, ruling its religious life. Kings and priests had often been corrupt. God was telling Zechariah that someone worthy of the crown would come to rule as both king (“sit and rule upon his throne”) and priest (“a priest upon his throne”). This was an unlikely combination for that day.
6:15 Some of God’s promises are conditional—we must obey him to receive them. The rebuilding of the Temple required careful obedience. God would protect the people as long as they obeyed. Casual or occasional obedience, the result of a halfhearted or divided commitment, would not lead to blessing. Many of God’s blessings come to us as a result of diligent obedience. Inconsistent obedience can’t produce consistent blessing.