This is the first of four messages that Zechariah received from the Lord that bear on the question just raised. That there were four separate messages seems clear since each one begins with the same preamble: "The word of the Lord came" ( Zechariah 7:4; Zechariah 7:8; Zechariah 8:1; Zechariah 8:18). The first two, in chapter7 , are negative, and the last two, in chapter8 , are positive. [source][source][source]