In Bible times the donkey was the animal that a king would ride. A horse was the animal that was used in warfare. When Yeshua returns he will come riding on a white horse because He is coming to vanquish His enemies.
The Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 99a states: “Rabbi Hillel said: there shall be no Messiah for Israel, because they have already enjoyed him in the days of Hezekiah. Rabbi Joseph said: ‘may G-d forgive him for saying so. Now, when did Hezekiah flourish? During the First Temple. Yet Zechariah, prophesying in the days of the second, proclaimed, ‘rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy King cometh unto thee! He is just, and having salvation; lowly, riding upon a colt the foal of an ass.’”
Here we see in this quote from Rabbi Joseph that it was believed that Zechariah 9:9 referred to Messiah.
Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”
The Talmud Sanhedrin 98a states this: “If Israel behaved worthily, the Messiah would come in the clouds of heaven, if otherwise, humble riding on a donkey.”
The Talmud writer clearly ties the “Son of Man” in Daniel with the King in Zechariah 9:9.
The Babylonian Talmud, Bereshith 56b states: “If one see an ass in a dream, he may hope for salvation, as it says, ‘Behold thy King cometh unto thee; he is triumphant and victorious, lowly and riding upon an ass.’”
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Zechariah 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion will be from sea even to sea, and from river even to the ends of the earth.
This verse speaks of Messiahs second coming when He sets up His kingdom. Ephraim represents the Northern Kingdom Jerusalem represents the Southern Kingdom
The children of Israel will not need weapons anymore when Messiah sits on His throne.
Zechariah 9:11 As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Until we accept Yeshua’ atonement for our sins we are destined to be prisoners of “Sheol” - the waterless pit.
Zechariah 9:12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
Return to your fortress - our fortress is the L-rd. This contrasts the “pit” of the previous verse.
Psalm 18:2-3 The L-RD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my G-d, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the L-RD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
These verses are looking at the Millennium, to the time when Messiah will reign. Imagine the security Israel will enjoy under His protection.
twice as much - Israel’s prosperity will be twice as much as was her adversity.
Zechariah 9:13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you as the sword of a mighty man.
We are back talking about the Greek invasion in this verse.
Antiochus Epiphanes came after Alexander the Great and was a type of the anti-messiah. He had 80,000 Jewish people killed and another 40,000 sold into slavery. Chapters 8 and 11 in our Daniel study give more details about his reign of terror.
G-d used Judah and Ephraim against the Greeks. The Maccabean defeat of the Greeks came about 167 B.C.E.
Zechariah 9:14 And the L-RD will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth as the lightning: and the L-RD G-D will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.
This reminds us of the exodus from Egypt when Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) watched over the children of Israel.
Exodus 14:19,24 And the angel of G-d, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: … And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the L-RD looked to the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
Zechariah 9:15 The L-RD of hosts will defend them; and they will devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they will drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they will be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
subdue with sling stones - This may mean that they will defeat their enemies as easily as David did Goliath.
The bloodshed of the godless will be quite visible in that day.
Zechariah 9:16-17 And the L-RD their G-d will save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they will be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty! corn will make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.
in that day - This refers to “the day of the L-rd”
There will be abundant prosperity such as the world has never seen when Messiah reigns from this throne in Jerusalem.
New wine - This is grape juice that is just beginning to ferment. You could drink it by the gallon and never get drunk.