What are the two bronze mountains in Zechariah 6?

Question

I've already asked a broad question about the number two in the book of Zechariah. I've received some helpful input on that and made progress in my own thinking regarding it. However, some of the remaining specific occurrences of the number two are puzzling me.

In addition, mountains are a theme in Zechariah (1:8; 1:10-11; 4:7; 6:1; 8:3; 14:4-5). These two (!) themes come together in 6:1:

I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! (NIV)

Would these mountains perhaps reference or allude to any physical mountains familiar to Ezekiel's audience? Why were they made of bronze? What is their symbolic meaning? Why would the chariots come out from them?

Answer 1

These two mountains of brass are the backdrops of the scene of which the four chariots ‘come out’ from. The chariots themselves I take the arguably most commonly held view: the four winds represents angels directing the four monarchies that overturned the known world starting with the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and then the Roman empire. The question before us then is what are these brass mountains, why two and how related to the chariots?

First as to the basic meaning we can take a step more certain. Most commentaries will all agree that we have represented in the brass mountain a sense of immovable, unstoppable strength covering a wide base. For example one author says:

Mountains are the Bible emblems of immoveable steadfastness; and mountains of brass is just a strengthening of the emblem (Lectures on the Prophecies of Zechariah, by Ralph Wardlaw, p130)

However, is this immovable sovereignty of God in general upon which these kingdoms rise and fall, or the immovable power of the kingdoms themselves, or something else? Also, why two mountains? Are we to take significance in the number two, or are we to assume this represents just a narrow passageway between one unmovable will of God whereby his decrees can slip through from his narrow opening for the event?

To take a cautious step forward in what is not clear at all, it seems the only way forward is to stick close to the chariots, otherwise any imaginative idea may be proposed. The solution must compliment the prophecy regarding the four monarchies. If we imagine it ourselves I think the answer will appear to us as obvious. If we looked upon brass-mountains through which chariots rode between their narrow openings, we would have two obvious impressions. One, the chariots are actually very small compared to the mountains. Two, the mountains keep everything else out from the scene except these chariots that they let pass. Therefore these mountains can’t directly speak to the power of the chariots themselves, but rather to the power of God’s will in allowing them to pass and esnuring they alone do pass.

Regarding the meaning of two, there are two positions that seem reasonable to me. (One my own conjecture, but I think a well received one if I may.) First, 'two' may mean nothing really other than a way to describe a mountain range with an opening for God’s sovereign will. Second (my proposed possibility) is that if we regard the immovable mountains as not only allowing passage but from their holy establishment but in regard to their high peaks viewing the seen are thereby acting as witnesses of the truthfulness of the prediction, then there is a plain meaning in the number two before is. For it is not biblical to accept the testimony of a witness unless there be at least two witnesses in establishing the truth of a matter (Deuteronomy 17:6). If we take this position then, the two brass-mountains are two reliable witnesses of God’s all powerful and unstoppable will. These emblems make the four kingdoms themselves, though tiny in comparison, unstoppable in their over-turnings of the world according to the foreordained purposes of God under the management of his angels.

However this really does not provide proper confidence to a good interpretation unless we can somewhere find mountains as taking the role of a witness in the Bible. As we look for such an indication it is no surprise that scripture has used this allusion to the high view of a fixed mountain to the concept of a testimony before:

Hear what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.( The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Mic 6:1–2). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.)

So there we have it.

Answer 2

I offer two possibilities here.

Option 1

Before we tackle the mountains we need to ask: what are the four chariots (with their four colors of horses)? Rashi sees here references to the four powerful kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Greece, and Edom. The mountains are bronze (or copper or brass) to signify strength and hardness:

and the mountains were mountains of copper: A sign of the strength of these kingdoms, which came to them from between the two mountains, which are hard and strong, as these four chariots are messengers of the Holy one, blessed be He, to give ruling power to the four kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Greece, and Edom.

Why these four kingdoms, beyond that all caused problems for Israel? Rashi offers the following reasoning:

red horses: They were the ones that caused Babylon to mount, for [Babylon] is red, as it is written (Dan. 2:38): “You are the head of gold” [gold having a red tinge].

black: [Horses,] to cause Media to mount, for they blackened the faces of Israel in the days of Haman.

white: To cause Persia to mount, and Persia built the Temple. [I do not know what he means by that, and Persia isn't on his initial list.]*

spotted: They are spotted. [Their function is] to cause Greece to mount, [as Greece] oppressed Israel with various kinds of decrees

ash-colored: to cause Edom and Ishmael to mount, but I do not know the expression אֲמֻצִּים. Jonathan rendered: ash-colored.

So Rashi's reasoning seems to be that the chariots are symbols of mighty kingdoms and the mountains, being of metal, indicate the strength and hardness of those kingdoms.

Alternatively...

Option 2

The word נְחֹשֶׁת, here translated "bronze", is in other places translated "copper" or "brass". Perhaps this refers to appearance, not composition. I offer here a photo I took in Jerusalem in summer 2012 just outside the old city:

Answer 3

Two mountains would make me think first of Gerizim and Ebal, where the Levites pronounced the blessings and curses, respectively, of Torah upon the people of Israel. These were pronouncements of God's blessings if Israel and Israelites kept covenant, and cursing if they did not (Paul refers to this in Gal 3:10). I have not studied Zechariah in any depth, but if that's correct, it's likely a picture of YHWH reinforcing the covenant by sending out messengers of blessing and judgment to patrol Judah in her captivity and see that she has returned to the law of her God.