Zechariah was a prophet who lived around 520-518 B.C. during the time when the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Zechariah’s ministry focused on encouraging the people to finish rebuilding the temple and motivating them spiritually to wholeheartedly follow and obey God. His prophecies point to the coming Messiah and the end times. Here are some common questions people have about the prophet Zechariah and the book of the Bible that bears his name:
Who was Zechariah?
Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, the grandson of Iddo, and a member of a priestly family (Nehemiah 12:4, 16). He was a post-exilic prophet, meaning he prophesied after the Jewish exile in Babylon. Zechariah was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai and prophesied around the same time, around 520-518 B.C. (Ezra 5:1, 6:14). He was born in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem after Cyrus’ decree allowed the Jewish exiles to return home. Zechariah encouraged the struggling returned exiles to finish rebuilding the temple and promoted spiritual renewal. His ministry lasted around 2 years.
What is the Book of Zechariah about?
The Book of Zechariah contains prophecies, visions, sermons, and symbols revealed to the prophet Zechariah from God. It focuses on encouraging the Jewish people who had returned from exile to wholeheartedly follow God and complete rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after its destruction. The overall themes include:
- Calls to repentance and spiritual renewal
- Visions and prophecies about the coming Messiah
- Prophecies about the end times and God’s future victory
- Encouragement to rebuild the temple and serve the Lord
- Warnings of future judgment for disobedience
The book can be divided into two sections – chapters 1-8 contain visions and prophecies from 520-518 B.C. centered on rebuilding the temple, while chapters 9-14 contain two future prophecies predicting the coming Messiah and the end times.
How is Jesus revealed in Zechariah?
Although he lived 500 years before Christ, Zechariah prophesied many specific details about Jesus’ life and ministry:
- The Messiah would be God himself – “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the LORD Almighty (11:17).
- Jesus would be pierced when crucified – “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (12:10).
- Jesus would enter Jerusalem riding a donkey – “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” (9:9).
- Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver – “I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver” (11:12).
- The 30 pieces would be thrown in the temple and used to buy a potter’s field – “And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD” (11:13).
Zechariah’s messianic prophecies help demonstrate Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy centuries in advance.
What is the main message of Zechariah?
Zechariah’s main message for the struggling returned Jewish exiles was to wholeheartedly follow and obey God. Key themes and messages in Zechariah include:
- Complete the rebuilding of the temple – don’t be discouraged!
- Turn from sin and return to the Lord
- Wait patiently for the coming Messiah who will bring salvation
- Trust in God’s sovereignty over history and the nations
- Look forward to the final victory of God’s kingdom
Zechariah sought to motivate the people spiritually so they would faithfully serve the Lord and finish rebuilding the temple.
Why is the imagery in Zechariah so complex?
Zechariah contains some vivid, complex, apocalyptic imagery in his visions and prophecies. There are a few reasons the imagery is so striking and complex:
- Apocalyptic literature utilizes vivid symbolism – Zechariah was revealing God’s cosmic plans for the future, which required symbolic imagery.
- The imagery motivates hearers – by capturing attention and imagination, the imagery was memorable and motivated obedience.
- Symbols represent spiritual realities – the complex symbols point to deeper spiritual truths.
- God’s plans are complex! – the intricate details of God’s sovereign plans for salvation and judgement require multifaceted imagery.
So in summary, Zechariah utilized vivid imagery both to reveal deep spiritual truths in memorable ways, as well as capturing the intricate complexities of God’s cosmic plans for the future.
How should we interpret and apply Zechariah’s prophecies?
Here are some principles for interpreting and applying Zechariah’s prophecies:
- Recognize prophecies may have a near/far fulfillment – some prophecies have an immediate fulfillment but also point ahead typologically to Christ.
- Focus on the spiritual truths not just predictions – look for the deeper spiritual truths behind the imagery.
- See how prophecies are fulfilled in Christ – Jesus said the whole OT points to him (Luke 24:27).
- Look for principles for godly living – timeless spiritual principles but not always specific application.
- Submit to Christ as the fulfillment – he is the ultimate fulfillment of Messianic prophecies.
So we should look for spiritual principles, see how prophecies point to Christ, but humbly recognize unclear details of far future fulfillment await their appointed time.
How should the post-exilic prophets like Zechariah inform our understanding of biblical prophecy?
Here are a few implications of the post-exilic prophets like Zechariah for our understanding of biblical prophecy:
- God inspires prophets to speak to specific contexts – prophets often addressed current issues while inspired by the Spirit.
- Prophecy centers on calling people to faithfulness – turning from sin and living obediently for God is a constant theme.
- Prophecy looks forward to Christ – he is the ultimate fulfillment of prophetic hopes.
- Prophets utilize vivid imagery – apocalyptic symbolism characterizes much prophetic literature.
- Prophecy has an empowering purpose – to strengthen and encourage God’s people toward obedience.
Recognizing the historical context and literary style of post-exilic prophecy like Zechariah provides perspective for understanding biblical prophecy as a whole.
What are some key verses to know in Zechariah?
Here are some of the most important verses to understand in the Book of Zechariah:
- “Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return to you” (1:3)
- “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. (4:6)
- “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” (9:9)
- “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (12:10)
- “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. (13:7)
These key verses summarize important themes like repentance, God’s Spirit, the Messiah, and the atoning death of Christ.
How does Zechariah point forward to Christ’s return?
Zechariah contains prophecies that anticipate the second coming of Christ. Here are some ways Zechariah points to Christ’s return:
- God will return to dwell in Jerusalem (8:3) – points to the New Jerusalem Christ will establish.
- All the nations will worship the King in Jerusalem (14:16) – looks forward to the Millennial Kingdom.
- Holiness will spread from Jerusalem (14:20-21) – anticipates Christ’s righteous rule.
- The Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives (14:4) – foreshadows the return of Christ in glory.
- Living waters will flow out of Jerusalem (14:8) – symbolizes the blessings of the New Creation.
So Zechariah provides both symbolic visions and prophetic details anticipating the climactic return of Christ to judge evil and establish his eternal kingdom.
How is Zechariah encouraging for Christians today?
Zechariah encourages Christians today in the following ways:
- Our Savior Jesus has come! – we see the fulfilled prophecies and salvation through Christ.
- God keeps His promises – we can trust His faithfulness shown through fulfilled prophecy.
- God has a plan – we can trust His sovereign control over history and future victory.
- Christ will return in glory! – we await the culmination of prophetic hope.
- Persevere by God’s Spirit – the Lord enables His people to faithfully endure and serve Him.
Zechariah pointed God’s people forward to the coming of the Messiah and encouraged wholehearted reliance on God’s Spirit to persevere – truths that encourage believers in Christ today as well.
