20160215 Monday, February 15 2016
Zechariah 05: The Flying Scroll And The Woman In The Basket

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah ... 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"

The prophecies that were given by the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) to Zechariah are some of the most detailed in the Holy Scriptures (see also The Lampstand And Olive Trees Of The Messiah's Return). Events leading up to the return of the Messiah and the Messiah's return are written in amazing detail.

The "flying scroll" is regarded by many to be a real-life nuclear missile, as portrayed by a rolled scroll, not an opened scroll like some sort of mythical "flying carpet."

Why do some regard the "scroll" as a missile - specifically a nuclear missile?

Consider first the "woman" as described with the flying scroll:

"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." (Zechariah 5:7 KJV)

The ancient Hebrew word for a righteous woman is pronounced ish-shaw. But the woman that is described in that verse is not a righteous woman because "And he said, This is wickedness."

"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." (Zechariah 5:8 KJV)

The word for an unrighteous woman is pronounced esh-shah - a word that also meant fire. Consider how the meaning of "a whorish woman" and being "burned" are connected, for example in Proverbs:

"6:26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 6:27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:26-28 KJV)

What about the lead covering of the "fire" (i.e. the nuclear warhead) in the "flying scroll" (i.e. the missile)? Nuclear warheads were originally lined with lead. From "Thermonuclear Weapon Designs" by Nuclear Weapons Archive:

"Both the US and UK initially used casings made of steel, which were lined with lead or lead bismuth alloy to form the radiation case (probably 1-3 cm thick). The secondary pusher, which made up the inner wall of the radiation channel, was made of either natural uranium or lead (possibly as a lead- bismuth alloy). Operational bombs probably all used uranium tampers to maximize yield, but some test devices were equipped with lead tampers to hold down yield and fallout production. A massive radiation shield (uranium or lead) was located between the primary and secondary to prevent fuel preheating by the thermal radiation flux. A boron neutron shield was used in some designs to reduce neutron preheating."

The good news is that the LORD stops the flight: "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." The women in that verse are righteous "women" who stop the fire's flight by "they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven."

"5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou?

And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

5:3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. 5:4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

5:10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

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 5:1-11 KJV)

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