Several commentators say that the four horns in Zechariah chapter 1 represent the four political entities of the Quartet, made up of the United Nations, European Union, USA and Russia. It was formed in 2002 with the aim of preparing Palestinians for statehood. Could this be possible and could there be a connection between the Quartets’ actions on dividing God’s land and His people Israel and natural and economic disasters that have befallen the member nations since 2002?
I follow the traditional view that the four horns represent the gentile powers of history who scattered Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated “scatter” means to cast away or disperse. This is not the intent of the Quartet. Besides, in the angel’s explanation (Zech 1:19-20) the word scatter is in the past tense, indicating it had already happened. Zechariah wrote after the Babylonian captivity had ended.