Zechariah 9:9 reads: “Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh upon thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, [even] upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was described in all four Gospels. In Mark, Jesus instructed his disciples: “… ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never a man sat; loose him, and bring him. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him” (Mark 11:2, 7). Luke’s account is substantially the same (Luke 19:30, 35). John wrote: “And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt” (John 12:14, 15).

But, in Matthew’s account, two animals are mentioned. Arriving at Bethphage, Jesus directed two disciples:

“Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [plural] them, and bring [plural] them unto me… And [they] brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them [the animals] their [the disciples] clothes, and they sat thereon” (Matt. 21:2, 7).

Why two animals? There is no question about the authenticity of these verses in Matthew. Therefore we may be sure two animals were involved. Otherwise we would have to conclude Matthew was mistaken – an untenable position for all who accept divine inspiration of the Bible.

There really is no contradiction. All accounts are accurate, but none give all the details. Mark, Luke, and John, for whatever reason, simply ignored the second animal. Matthew and John failed to mention the colt had never been ridden. And only Mark mentioned the colt was “tied by the door without in a place where two ways met” (Mark 11:4).

The suggested lesson is found in the symbolic meaning of “horses” in the Bible. Following Bro. Russell’s lead (C316), horses may picture doctrines; the philosophic principles, tenets, concepts which determine one’s conduct in life, capitalism, socialism, Catholicism, Islamism, Hinduism, etc. Thus, the ass (a beast of burden like a horse), probably the mother of the colt and long ridden, may represent the doctrinal or philosophic principles of the Mosaic covenant, God’s arrangement with Israel. The colt, having never been ridden, may represent the “new doctrine” of Jesus (Mark 1:27), his “new commandment” (John 13:34; I John 2:8), the “mystery” he made manifest (Col. 1:25-27).

Paul wrote concerning this new teaching: “… by revelation he made known unto me the mystery …which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Eph. 3:3, 5; also I Cor. 2:7.) The writer of Hebrews called it “a new and living way” (Heb. 10:20).

The colt was tied “in a place where two ways met.” The two ways could suggest much the same as do the two animals – the way of works versus the way of faith (Rom. 3:20-22), the way of the Law versus the way of Grace (Rom. 6:14-23). Another possibility is the two ways specified in Matthew 7:13, 14: “… wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leadeth to destruction… strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life” (Matt. 7:13, 14).

The name of the village where the two ways met was Bethphage, meaning “house of unripe figs” (McClintock and Strong). This is significant when it is remembered a fig tree is used in the Bible to represent Israel (Matt. 24:32). It is very likely Jesus cursed the fig tree near or at Bethphage (Matt. 21:17-19).

– R. E. Evans

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