The demonic horns

GREETINGS to the nation. Zechariah 1:18–21 states: “Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, these are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.

And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.”

When we read this scripture, we see the prophet Zechariah being shown four horns. Horns in the Bible can represent powerful forces or kingdoms that oppose God or His people. They symbolise strength, power, authority and divine protection.

There are two types of horns: Godly horns and demonic horns. It is important to recognise that the devil loves to copy the systems or structures of God for his evil purposes. He is not the originator but seeks to imitate God’s principles for his demonic agenda.

Today, I want to speak about demonic horns. As I mentioned earlier, there are Godly horns and evil horns. The Godly horns represent God’s sovereignty and the authority bestowed upon leaders. Horns signify the might and dominance of leaders, kings and nations.

In the Old Testament, horns are associated with kings and military leaders, whereas in the New Testament, they often represent the authority and influence of evil forces or God’s kingdom.

Horns also symbolise strength, protection and refuge. For example, the horns of the altar in the temple were places of asylum where individuals could seek mercy and protection.

However, today I will focus on evil horns. Evil horns symbolise various negative aspects, such as evil powers or kingdoms. They can represent powerful forces or kingdoms that oppose God or His people.

They also symbolise pride, arrogance or self-exaltation, which can lead to conflict with God. In Revelation 12:3, we see the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, symbolising Satan’s power and influence.

Revelation 13:1 describes the beast with ten horns, representing a powerful and oppressive kingdom or system. In Daniel 7:8, the little horn with eyes and a mouth symbolises a powerful and boastful kingdom or leader.

Returning to Zechariah, the prophet saw four horns and asked the angel what they represented. He was told, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

Horns in this context represent authority and power. The fact that they scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem indicates that these forces were opposing God’s people.

Let us reflect: why are these horns evil? Remember, when we talk about horns, we refer to nations, authority, powers, and influence.

They scattered Judah — which signifies praise, leadership and redemption. These horns silenced the praise and worship of God’s people. How could these horns prevail against Judah?

Historically, in Scripture, when the children of Israel were taking territories, the Book of Judges (1:1–2) records that after the death of Joshua, they inquired who would go to fight the Canaanites.

The Lord replied, “Judah shall go up, I have delivered the land into his hands.” This indicates that Judah carried a special grace — a tribe that understood the power of praise.

These territories were won not solely through sword but through the mystery of praise and worship. As they sang, the enemy fell, as they expressed gratitude to God, they were victorious.

In Zechariah’s vision, we see a tribe that understands the mystery of victory, having witnessed God’s greatness and sovereignty being scattered. It suggests that a door was opened that allowed these evil horns to prevail against Judah.

When the church begins to live in rebellion against God — living in sin — these horns can gain ground. But this should not be! Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world. The Bible declares that we are “more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.” We have better horns than those of the enemy, the devil.

In 2 Chronicles 20, three nations were defeated when singers were appointed unto the Lord to praise Him — the tribe of Judah.

The phrase “the beauty of holiness” is key: you cannot sing about holiness if you are not living holy. It’s like the songs sung at funerals, praising God and declaring that names are written in the Book of Life, yet many sing without understanding.

The power of a song lies in living its lyrics. When they sang about “the beauty of His holiness,” they were living holy lives, which gave them an advantage over the enemy.

May God help us in the body of Christ that our worship and praise are not merely sung but also lived, so we avoid hypocrisy. There is too much hypocrisy in the church, which is why these evil horns prevail against the praisers.

When we begin to worship and praise genuinely, the Lord will set ambushes against our enemies, as He did for Judah. May the Lord restore true worship.

In John 4, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. May the Lord restore true worship — worship in spirit and in truth — because the Father seeks such.

This is the spirit of Judah: when we worship in truth and in spirit, we begin to experience victories both individually and corporately.

May every door we have opened that has allowed evil horns to prevail be closed. Again, we see Israel and Jerusalem being scattered. The biblical meaning of Israel is multifaceted.

It encompasses themes of struggle, faithfulness and redemption. Israel also means “one who struggles with God,” reflecting the complex relationship between humanity and the divine.

The name Israel originates from Genesis 32:28, where God renamed Jacob after he wrestled with the angel — symbolising Jacob’s transformation and his new role as the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Israel represents a covenant relationship between God and His chosen people, emphasising faithful obedience and divine guidance.

My question is: how can a people with a covenant relationship with God be scattered? It is because they have broken the covenant that these horns prevail.

May the Lord restore our covenant relationship with Him so that the horns of witchcraft will not scatter the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sadly, in many churches, witchcraft has infiltrated even the altar and corrupted it — often driven by issues such as fame, greed, and the misuse of God’s power for personal glory.

As one elder in the city remarked, “People are worshipping men of God more than they worship Jesus.” That is why these evil horns have scattered God’s covenant people.

I invite you now to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that He is your Lord and you shall be saved.

May God bless you all. Amen.
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