a whole, with the totality of earthly forces that over this period dominate the people of God (cf. the four horns/smiths of Zech 2:1, 4 [1:18, 21]). Each of the points of the compass spawns an animal. So mythic motifs lie behind the vision rather than on its surface, but their resonances carry through, adding depth and force to statements about history that are the text’s direct concern (as in Isa 17:12–13; 51:10). A world-transcending or world-encompassing scheme is adapted to communicate a perspective