Zechariah

Original Audience: Primarily the Jews who recently returned from Babylonian exile but needed encouragement to finish rebuilding the temple; also anyone who was interested in the urgency of the mission of those post-exilic Jews; also anyone who was interested in the Jews’ Messianic hope.

THE MAN

Zechariah was a contemporary of Zerubbabel and Haggai.

He and the prophet Haggai encouraged the postexilic Jewish community to finish rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1–2).

The returned exiles had stopped working on the temple under pressure from their non-Jewish neighbors who attempted to undermine official Persian support for the project.

Zechariah’s prophecies calling for repentance fit the context of Ezra 5–6 and can be understood as the substance of his encouragement alluded to in Ezra.

Zechariah may have been part of a prominent family of priests who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Neh 12:16).

Matt 23:35 refer to a “Zechariah the son of Barachiah” with reference to his murder, apparently in the temple court.

Matthew 23:35 KJV 1900

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Jesus’ reference includes the first and last murders in the Hebrew Scripture

beginning with Abel (Gen 4:8)

ending with the murder of Zechariah in the temple court (2 Chr 24:20–21).

Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible.

CHAPTERS

Zechariah 1

The vision of the first horseman (probably a symbol of Christ) and subsequent horses, representing God’s judgment of the nations; The vision of the four horns, representing the various nations that God used to punish Israel

Zechariah 2

The vision of a surveyor and measuring line, representing the reestablishment of Jerusalem as the city of God’s people and ultimately the center of Messianic hope

Zechariah 3

The vision of Joshua the high priest and his filthy garments, representing the sins of the people

Zechariah 4

The vision of a lampstand and olive trees, representing God’s help in the construction of the temple

Zechariah 5

The vision of a flying scroll, representing the need to be governed by the law of God; The vision of a woman in a basket, representing wickedness that had polluted the people

Zechariah 6

The vision of four chariots coming from between two mountains of brass, probably symbolizing the overthrowing of Babylon by Cyrus; The crowning of Joshua the priest

Zechariah 7

The delegation from Bethel with their question about the frequency of fasting; The Lord’s rebuke of fasting when it is merely empty ritualism; Zechariah reminds the people of why they went into captivity in the first place

Zechariah 8

The future restoration of Jerusalem, with better living conditions

Zechariah 9

The Lord’s judgment of various cities; The coming King of Israel

Zechariah 10

The Lord in contrast to idols; Future restoration of Judah and Israel

Zechariah 11

Sorrow over the present state of Israel; The prophecy against the flock that rejects its Shepherd

Zechariah 12

The coming deliverance of Judah; Mourning for the one Who is pierced (cf. John 19:34)

Zechariah 13

The end of idolatry among God’s people; The Shepherd Who is God’s Companion, and who is murdered; The refining of God’s people through testing

Zechariah 14

The great day of the Lord, after which all nations who have opposed God will worship the King

KEY VERSES

Zechariah 3:8–10 KJV 1900

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, And thy fellows that sit before thee: For they are men wondered at: For, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; Upon one stone shall be seven eyes: Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, Shall ye call every man his neighbour Under the vine and under the fig tree.

Zechariah 9:9 KJV 1900

Zechariah 14:8–9 KJV 1900

8 And it shall be in that day, That living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; Half of them toward the former sea, And half of them toward the hinder sea: In summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

LESSONS

We should earnestly desire the coming of Christ, Who will set everything right

Zechariah 9:9–10 KJV 1900

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem, And the battle bow shall be cut off: And he shall speak peace unto the heathen: And his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, And from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Revelation 22:6–20 KJV 1900

6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

When we worship, our hearts must be focused on the Lord

Zechariah 7:5–7 KJV 1900

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?

John 4:24 KJV 1900

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Having a right relationship with God will allow us to overcome fear—and we must do so

Zechariah 8:15 KJV 1900

15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

Hebrews 13:6 KJV 1900

6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Luke 12:4–7 KJV 1900

4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

1 Peter 3:6 KJV 1900

6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Eventually, impenitent enemies of God (and thus, our enemies) will be overcome and destroyed

Zechariah 9:1–6 KJV 1900

1 The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, And Damascus shall be the rest thereof: When the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord. 2 And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. 3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, And heaped up silver as the dust, And fine gold as the mire of the streets. 4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, And he will smite her power in the sea; And she shall be devoured with fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, And Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; And the king shall perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

Acts 2:34–35 KJV 1900

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Philippians 2:9–11 KJV 1900

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 20:15 KJV 1900

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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