The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, page 436
Date: Tribulation Period
Description: To be constructed during the Tribulation by the Antichrist
To be desecrated and destroyed
References: Dan. 9:2; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 17:18
Identification: Ezekiel’s (Millennial) Temple
Date: Millennium
Description: Envisioned by the prophet Ezekiel
To be built by the Messiah during His millennial reign
References: Ezek. 40:1-42:20; Zech. 6:12, 13
Identification: The Eternal Temple of His Presence
Date: The Eternal Kingdom
Description: The greatest temple of all
(“The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”)
A spiritual temple
References: Rev. 21:22; 22:1-21
The temple (Gr. hieron) is a place of worship, a sacred or holy space built primarily for the national worship of God.
©1993 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2:10–19 The fourth message of Haggai occurred 2 months after the third, on the 24th day of the month of Chislev, corresponding to Dec. 18, 520 B.C. Only one month earlier, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry (Zech. 1:1). The message sought to demonstrate that while their disobedience caused God’s blessings to be withheld, their obedience would cause His blessings to be released.
2:11–14 To provide an analogy or object lesson for the people, two questions were asked of the priests relative to ceremonial law. The first question was intended to show that ceremonial cleanness cannot be transferred (v. 12), while the second question showed that ceremonial uncleanness can be transferred (v. 13). Haggai then applied the lesson (v. 14). Even though the people had been bringing their offerings while neglecting the rebuilding of the temple, their offerings had not been acceptable. Their sin had caused their sacrifices to be contaminated and ineffectual. And their good works, their offerings, could not transmit cleanness. In other words, sin is contagious, righteousness is not (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6).
2:15–18 The LORD called the people to again consider their situation prior to the resumption of the temple building. In those days, the farmer found less than expected (cf. 1:6, 9–11).
2:16 ephahs…baths. Four to 6 gal., respectively. Between 50 to 60 percent of the expected harvest had been lost.
2:19 But from this day I will bless you. As a result of their obedience, God promised to bless them from that day forth (cf. v. 10).
2:20–23 The fifth message to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah (v. 20) came on the same day as the fourth, and he returned to the theme of vv. 6–9 and the millennial reign of the Messiah. Once again, it depicted the overthrow of the kingdoms of the world and the establishment of the messianic kingdom (cf. Dan. 2:44; 7:27). As the events predicted did not transpire historically, the promise pertains to the royal line through whom the Messiah would come. It looked to the ultimate day when Messiah reigns on earth (cf. Ps. 2; Rev. 19, 20).
2:23 In that day. The day of Messiah’s triumph (cf. Zech. 12–14). My servant. A distinctly Davidic and messianic title (cf. 2 Sam. 3:18; 1 Kin. 11:34; Is. 42:1–9; Ezek. 37:24, 25). signet ring. The signet ring was a symbol of honor, authority, and power (cf. Song 8:6). It corresponded to a king’s scepter which was used to seal letters and decrees (cf. 1 Kin. 21:8; Esth. 8:8; Dan. 6:17). Zerubbabel, as God’s signet ring, stands as the official representative of the Davidic dynasty and represents the resumption of the messianic line interrupted by the Exile. Just as Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring and made him second in the kingdom (Gen. 41:41–43), so God will do for the Davidic line of kings. The pre-Exilic signet of Jehoiachin was removed by God (Jer. 22:24) and renewed here in his grandson, Zerubbabel, who reestablished the Davidic line of kings, which would culminate in the millennial reign of Christ. See note on Ezra 2:2.
Haggai 1
1:1 a Ezra 4:24; Hag. 2:10; Zech. 1:1, 7
1:1 b Ezra 5:1; 6:14
1:1 c 1 Chr. 3:19; Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7; Zech. 4:6; Matt. 1:12, 13
1:1 d Ezra 5:2, 3; Zech. 6:11
1:1 e 1 Chr. 6:15
1:3 f Ezra 5:1
1:4 g 2 Sam. 7:2
1:4 1 Lit. house
1:5 h Lam. 3:40
1:6 i Deut. 28:38–40; Hos. 8:7; Hag. 1:9, 10; 2:16, 17
1:6 j Zech. 8:10
1:8 k Ezra 3:7
1:8 2 Lit. house
1:9 l Hag. 2:16
1:9 m Hag. 2:17
1:10 n Lev. 26:19; Deut. 28:23; 1 Kin. 8:35; Joel 1:18–20
1:11 o 1 Kin. 17:1; 2 Kin. 8:1
1:11 p Hag. 2:17
1:12 q Ezra 5:2
1:13 r (Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:31)
1:14 s 2 Chr. 36:22; Ezra 1:1
1:14 t Hag. 2:21
1:14 u Ezra 5:2, 8; Neh. 4:6
Haggai 2
2:1 1 Lit. by the hand of
2:3 a Ezra 3:12, 13
2:3 b Zech. 4:10
2:3 2 Lit. house
2:4 c Deut. 31:23; 1 Chr. 22:13; 28:20; Zech. 8:9; Eph. 6:10
2:5 d Ex. 29:45, 46
2:5 e (Neh. 9:20); Is. 63:11, 14
2:6 f Heb. 12:26
2:6 g (Joel 3:16)
2:7 h Gen. 49:10; Mal. 3:1
2:7 i 1 Kin. 8:11; Is. 60:7; Zech. 2:5
2:7 3 Or desire of all nations
2:7 4 Lit. house
2:9 j (John 1:14)
2:9 k Ps. 85:8, 9; Luke 2:14; (Eph. 2:14)
2:9 5 Lit. house
2:11 l Lev. 10:10, 11; Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:7
2:13 m Lev. 22:4–6; Num. 19:11, 22
2:14 n (Titus 1:15)
2:15 o Hag. 1:5, 7; 2:18
2:16 p Hag. 1:6, 9; Zech. 8:10
2:17 q Deut. 28:22; 1 Kin. 8:37; Amos 4:9
2:17 r Hag. 1:11
2:17 s Jer. 5:3; Amos 4:6–11
2:18 t Ezra 5:1, 2, 16; Zech. 8:9
2:19 u Zech. 8:12
2:19 v Ps. 128:1–6; Jer. 31:12, 14; (Mal. 3:10)
2:21 w Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:1, 14; Zech. 4:6–10
2:21 x Hag. 2:6, 7; (Heb. 12:26, 27)
2:22 y (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 19:11–21)
2:22 z Ps. 46:9; Ezek. 39:20; Mic. 5:10; Zech. 9:10
2:23 a Song 8:6; Jer. 22:24
2:23 b Is. 42:1; 43:10
Introduction to Zechariah
Title
The universal tradition of both Jews and Christians endorses the prophet Zechariah as author. His name, common to more than 29 OT men, means “The LORD remembers.” This book is second only to Isaiah in the breadth of the prophets’ writings about Messiah.
Author and Date
Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Zechariah was also a priest (Neh. 12:12–16). According to tradition, he was a member of the Great Synagogue, a council of 120 originated by Nehemiah and presided over by Ezra. This council later developed into the ruling elders of the nation, called the Sanhedrin. He was born in Babylon and joined his grandfather, Iddo, in the group of exiles who first returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the High-Priest (cf. Neh. 12:4). Because he is occasionally mentioned as the son of his grandfather (cf. Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh. 12:16), it is thought that his father, Berechiah, died at an early age before he could succeed his father into the priesthood.
Zechariah’s opening words are dated from 520 B.C., the second year of Darius I (cf. 1:1). The Persian emperor Cyrus had died and was succeeded by Cambyses (ca. 530–521 B.C.) who conquered Egypt. He had no son, he killed himself, and Darius rose to the throne by quelling a revolution. He was a contemporary of Haggai, and began his prophesying 2 months after him (cf. Haggai Introduction). He is called a young man in 2:4, suggesting that Zechariah was younger than Haggai. The length of his ministry is uncertain; the last dated prophecy (7:1) came approximately two years after the first, making them identical in time with Haggai’s prophecy (520–518 B.C.). Chapters 9–14 are generally thought to come from a later period of his ministry. Differences in style and references to Greece indicate a date of ca. 480–470 B.C., after Darius I (ca. 521–486 B.C.) and during Xerxes’ reign (ca. 486–464 B.C.), the king who made Esther queen of Persia. According to Matt. 23:35, he was murdered between the temple and the altar, a fate similar to an earlier Zechariah (cf. 2 Chr. 24:20, 21), who had been stoned to death.
Background and Setting
The historical background and setting of Zechariah are the same as that of his contemporary, Haggai (cf. Haggai Introduction). In 538 B.C., Cyrus the Persian freed the captives from Israel to resettle their homeland (cf. Ezra 1:1–4) and about 50,000 returned from Babylon. They immediately began to rebuild the temple (cf. Ezra 3:1—4:5), but opposition from neighbors, followed by indifference from within, caused the work to be abandoned (cf. Ezra 4:24). Sixteen years later (cf. Ezra 5:1, 2), Zechariah and Haggai were commissioned by the LORD to stir up the people to rebuild the temple. As a result, the temple was completed 4 years later in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:15).
Historical and Theological Themes
Zechariah joined Haggai in rousing the people from their indifference, challenging them to resume the building of the temple. Haggai’s primary purpose was to rebuild the temple; his preaching has a tone of rebuke for the people’s indifference, sin, and lack of trust in God. He was used to start the revival, while Zechariah was used to keep it going strong with a more positive emphasis, calling the people to repentance and reassuring them regarding future blessings. Zechariah sought to encourage the people to build the temple in view of the promise that someday Messiah would come to inhabit it. The people were not just building for the present, but with the future hope of Messiah in mind. He encouraged the people, still downtrodden by the Gentile powers (1:8-12), with the reality that the LORD remembers His covenant promises to them and that He would restore and bless them. Thus the name of the book (which means “The LORD remembers”) contains in seed form the theme of the prophecy.
This “apocalypse of the OT” as it is often called, relates both to Zechariah’s immediate audience as well as to the future. This is borne out in the structure of the prophecy itself, since in each of the 3 major sections (chaps. 1–6, 7, 8, 9–14), the prophet begins historically and then moves forward to the time of the Second Advent, when Messiah returns to His temple to set up His earthly kingdom. The prophet reminded the people that Messiah had both an immediate and long-term commitment to His people. Thus the prophet’s words were “good and comforting” (1:13), both to the exiles of Zechariah’s day as well as to the remnant of God’s chosen people in that future day.
This book is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and eschatological in the OT. Primarily, it is a prophecy about Jesus Christ, focusing on His coming glory as a means to comfort Israel (cf. 1:13, 17). While the book is filled with visions, prophecies, signs, celestial visitors, and the voice of God, it is also practical, dealing with issues like repentance, divine care, salvation, and holy living. Prophecy was soon to be silent for more than 400 years until John the Baptist, so God used Zechariah to bring a rich, abundant outburst of promise for the future to sustain the faithful remnant through those silent years.
Interpretive Challenges
While there are numerous challenges to the reader, two passages within the prophecy present notable interpretive difficulty. In 11:8, the Good Shepherd “dismissed the three shepherds in one month.” The presence of the definite article points to familiarity, so that the Jews would have understood the identity of these shepherds without further reference. It is not so easy for modern readers to understand. Numerous alternatives concerning their identity have been suggested. One of the oldest, and probably the correct, view identifies them as three orders of leaders: the priests, elders, and scribes of Israel. During His earthly ministry, Jesus also confronted the hypocrisy of Israel’s religious leaders (cf. Matt. 23), disowning them with scathing denunciations, followed by destruction of the whole nation in A.D. 70. Since His coming, the Jewish people have had no other prophet, priest, or king.
Considerable discussion also surrounds the identity of the individual who possessed “wounds between your arms” (13:6). Some have identified him with Christ, the wounds supposedly referring to His crucifixion. But Christ could neither have denied that He was a prophet, nor could He have claimed that He was a farmer, or that He was wounded in the house of His friends. Obviously, it is a reference to a false prophet (cf. vv. 4, 5) who was wounded in his idolatrous worship. The zeal for the LORD will be so great in the kingdom of Messiah that idolaters will make every attempt to hide their true identity, but their scars will be the telltale evidence of their iniquity.
Outline
I. Call to Repentance (1:1-6)
II. Eight Night Visions of Zechariah (1:7-6:15)
A. Man Among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17)
B. Four Horns and Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)
C. Man with Measuring Line (2:1-13)
D. Cleansing of High-Priest (3:1-10)
E. Gold Lampstand and Two Olive Trees (4:1-14)
F. Flying Scroll (5:1-4)
G. Woman in Basket (5:5-11)
H. Four Chariots (6:1-8)
I. Appendix: Coronation of Joshua the High-Priest (6:9-15)
III. Four Messages of Zechariah (7:1-8:23)
A. Question about Fasting (7:1-3)
B. Four Responses (7:4-8:23)
1. Rebuke for wrong motives (7:4–7)
2. Repentance required (7:8–14)
3. Restoration of favor (8:1–17)
4. Fasts become feasts (8:18–23)
IV. Two Burdens of Zechariah (9:1-14:21)
A. Messiah’s Rejection at First Advent (9:1-11:17)
B. Messiah’s Acceptance at Second Advent (12:1-14:21)
The Book of
ZECHARIAH
Zechariah 1
A Call to Repentance
1In the eighth month aof the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came bto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of cIddo the prophet, saying,
2“The LORD has been very angry with your fathers.
3“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return dto Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
4“Do not be like your fathers, eto whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: f“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.
5“Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6Yet surely gMy words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“So they returned and said:
h‘Just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
Vision of the Horses
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:
8I saw by night, and behold, ia man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were jhorses: red, sorrel, and white.
9Then I said, k“My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”
10And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, l“These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”
11mSo they answered the Angel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is 1resting quietly.”
The LORD Will Comfort Zion
12Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, “O LORD of hosts, nhow long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry othese seventy years?”
13And the LORD answered the angel who talked to me, with pgood and comforting words.
14So the angel who spoke with me said to me, 2“Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“I am qzealous3 for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great 4zeal.
15I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For rI was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
16‘Therefore thus says the LORD:
s“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My thouse ushall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts,
“And va surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’
17“Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“My cities shall again 5spread out through prosperity;
w The LORD will again comfort Zion,
And xwill again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”
Vision of the Horns
18Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four yhorns.
19And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, z“These are the 6horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
21And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the ahorns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but 7the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that blifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Zechariah 2
Vision of the Measuring Line
1Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, aa man with a measuring line in his hand.
2So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, b“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”
3And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him,
4who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: c‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.
5‘For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be da wall of fire all around her, eand I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
Description: To be constructed during the Tribulation by the Antichrist
To be desecrated and destroyed
References: Dan. 9:2; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 17:18
Identification: Ezekiel’s (Millennial) Temple
Date: Millennium
Description: Envisioned by the prophet Ezekiel
To be built by the Messiah during His millennial reign
References: Ezek. 40:1-42:20; Zech. 6:12, 13
Identification: The Eternal Temple of His Presence
Date: The Eternal Kingdom
Description: The greatest temple of all
(“The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”)
A spiritual temple
References: Rev. 21:22; 22:1-21
The temple (Gr. hieron) is a place of worship, a sacred or holy space built primarily for the national worship of God.
©1993 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2:10–19 The fourth message of Haggai occurred 2 months after the third, on the 24th day of the month of Chislev, corresponding to Dec. 18, 520 B.C. Only one month earlier, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry (Zech. 1:1). The message sought to demonstrate that while their disobedience caused God’s blessings to be withheld, their obedience would cause His blessings to be released.
2:11–14 To provide an analogy or object lesson for the people, two questions were asked of the priests relative to ceremonial law. The first question was intended to show that ceremonial cleanness cannot be transferred (v. 12), while the second question showed that ceremonial uncleanness can be transferred (v. 13). Haggai then applied the lesson (v. 14). Even though the people had been bringing their offerings while neglecting the rebuilding of the temple, their offerings had not been acceptable. Their sin had caused their sacrifices to be contaminated and ineffectual. And their good works, their offerings, could not transmit cleanness. In other words, sin is contagious, righteousness is not (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6).
2:15–18 The LORD called the people to again consider their situation prior to the resumption of the temple building. In those days, the farmer found less than expected (cf. 1:6, 9–11).
2:16 ephahs…baths. Four to 6 gal., respectively. Between 50 to 60 percent of the expected harvest had been lost.
2:19 But from this day I will bless you. As a result of their obedience, God promised to bless them from that day forth (cf. v. 10).
2:20–23 The fifth message to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah (v. 20) came on the same day as the fourth, and he returned to the theme of vv. 6–9 and the millennial reign of the Messiah. Once again, it depicted the overthrow of the kingdoms of the world and the establishment of the messianic kingdom (cf. Dan. 2:44; 7:27). As the events predicted did not transpire historically, the promise pertains to the royal line through whom the Messiah would come. It looked to the ultimate day when Messiah reigns on earth (cf. Ps. 2; Rev. 19, 20).
2:23 In that day. The day of Messiah’s triumph (cf. Zech. 12–14). My servant. A distinctly Davidic and messianic title (cf. 2 Sam. 3:18; 1 Kin. 11:34; Is. 42:1–9; Ezek. 37:24, 25). signet ring. The signet ring was a symbol of honor, authority, and power (cf. Song 8:6). It corresponded to a king’s scepter which was used to seal letters and decrees (cf. 1 Kin. 21:8; Esth. 8:8; Dan. 6:17). Zerubbabel, as God’s signet ring, stands as the official representative of the Davidic dynasty and represents the resumption of the messianic line interrupted by the Exile. Just as Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring and made him second in the kingdom (Gen. 41:41–43), so God will do for the Davidic line of kings. The pre-Exilic signet of Jehoiachin was removed by God (Jer. 22:24) and renewed here in his grandson, Zerubbabel, who reestablished the Davidic line of kings, which would culminate in the millennial reign of Christ. See note on Ezra 2:2.
Haggai 1
1:1 a Ezra 4:24; Hag. 2:10; Zech. 1:1, 7
1:1 b Ezra 5:1; 6:14
1:1 c 1 Chr. 3:19; Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7; Zech. 4:6; Matt. 1:12, 13
1:1 d Ezra 5:2, 3; Zech. 6:11
1:1 e 1 Chr. 6:15
1:3 f Ezra 5:1
1:4 g 2 Sam. 7:2
1:4 1 Lit. house
1:5 h Lam. 3:40
1:6 i Deut. 28:38–40; Hos. 8:7; Hag. 1:9, 10; 2:16, 17
1:6 j Zech. 8:10
1:8 k Ezra 3:7
1:8 2 Lit. house
1:9 l Hag. 2:16
1:9 m Hag. 2:17
1:10 n Lev. 26:19; Deut. 28:23; 1 Kin. 8:35; Joel 1:18–20
1:11 o 1 Kin. 17:1; 2 Kin. 8:1
1:11 p Hag. 2:17
1:12 q Ezra 5:2
1:13 r (Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:31)
1:14 s 2 Chr. 36:22; Ezra 1:1
1:14 t Hag. 2:21
1:14 u Ezra 5:2, 8; Neh. 4:6
Haggai 2
2:1 1 Lit. by the hand of
2:3 a Ezra 3:12, 13
2:3 b Zech. 4:10
2:3 2 Lit. house
2:4 c Deut. 31:23; 1 Chr. 22:13; 28:20; Zech. 8:9; Eph. 6:10
2:5 d Ex. 29:45, 46
2:5 e (Neh. 9:20); Is. 63:11, 14
2:6 f Heb. 12:26
2:6 g (Joel 3:16)
2:7 h Gen. 49:10; Mal. 3:1
2:7 i 1 Kin. 8:11; Is. 60:7; Zech. 2:5
2:7 3 Or desire of all nations
2:7 4 Lit. house
2:9 j (John 1:14)
2:9 k Ps. 85:8, 9; Luke 2:14; (Eph. 2:14)
2:9 5 Lit. house
2:11 l Lev. 10:10, 11; Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:7
2:13 m Lev. 22:4–6; Num. 19:11, 22
2:14 n (Titus 1:15)
2:15 o Hag. 1:5, 7; 2:18
2:16 p Hag. 1:6, 9; Zech. 8:10
2:17 q Deut. 28:22; 1 Kin. 8:37; Amos 4:9
2:17 r Hag. 1:11
2:17 s Jer. 5:3; Amos 4:6–11
2:18 t Ezra 5:1, 2, 16; Zech. 8:9
2:19 u Zech. 8:12
2:19 v Ps. 128:1–6; Jer. 31:12, 14; (Mal. 3:10)
2:21 w Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:1, 14; Zech. 4:6–10
2:21 x Hag. 2:6, 7; (Heb. 12:26, 27)
2:22 y (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 19:11–21)
2:22 z Ps. 46:9; Ezek. 39:20; Mic. 5:10; Zech. 9:10
2:23 a Song 8:6; Jer. 22:24
2:23 b Is. 42:1; 43:10
Introduction to Zechariah
Title
The universal tradition of both Jews and Christians endorses the prophet Zechariah as author. His name, common to more than 29 OT men, means “The LORD remembers.” This book is second only to Isaiah in the breadth of the prophets’ writings about Messiah.
Author and Date
Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Zechariah was also a priest (Neh. 12:12–16). According to tradition, he was a member of the Great Synagogue, a council of 120 originated by Nehemiah and presided over by Ezra. This council later developed into the ruling elders of the nation, called the Sanhedrin. He was born in Babylon and joined his grandfather, Iddo, in the group of exiles who first returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the High-Priest (cf. Neh. 12:4). Because he is occasionally mentioned as the son of his grandfather (cf. Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh. 12:16), it is thought that his father, Berechiah, died at an early age before he could succeed his father into the priesthood.
Zechariah’s opening words are dated from 520 B.C., the second year of Darius I (cf. 1:1). The Persian emperor Cyrus had died and was succeeded by Cambyses (ca. 530–521 B.C.) who conquered Egypt. He had no son, he killed himself, and Darius rose to the throne by quelling a revolution. He was a contemporary of Haggai, and began his prophesying 2 months after him (cf. Haggai Introduction). He is called a young man in 2:4, suggesting that Zechariah was younger than Haggai. The length of his ministry is uncertain; the last dated prophecy (7:1) came approximately two years after the first, making them identical in time with Haggai’s prophecy (520–518 B.C.). Chapters 9–14 are generally thought to come from a later period of his ministry. Differences in style and references to Greece indicate a date of ca. 480–470 B.C., after Darius I (ca. 521–486 B.C.) and during Xerxes’ reign (ca. 486–464 B.C.), the king who made Esther queen of Persia. According to Matt. 23:35, he was murdered between the temple and the altar, a fate similar to an earlier Zechariah (cf. 2 Chr. 24:20, 21), who had been stoned to death.
Background and Setting
The historical background and setting of Zechariah are the same as that of his contemporary, Haggai (cf. Haggai Introduction). In 538 B.C., Cyrus the Persian freed the captives from Israel to resettle their homeland (cf. Ezra 1:1–4) and about 50,000 returned from Babylon. They immediately began to rebuild the temple (cf. Ezra 3:1—4:5), but opposition from neighbors, followed by indifference from within, caused the work to be abandoned (cf. Ezra 4:24). Sixteen years later (cf. Ezra 5:1, 2), Zechariah and Haggai were commissioned by the LORD to stir up the people to rebuild the temple. As a result, the temple was completed 4 years later in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:15).
Historical and Theological Themes
Zechariah joined Haggai in rousing the people from their indifference, challenging them to resume the building of the temple. Haggai’s primary purpose was to rebuild the temple; his preaching has a tone of rebuke for the people’s indifference, sin, and lack of trust in God. He was used to start the revival, while Zechariah was used to keep it going strong with a more positive emphasis, calling the people to repentance and reassuring them regarding future blessings. Zechariah sought to encourage the people to build the temple in view of the promise that someday Messiah would come to inhabit it. The people were not just building for the present, but with the future hope of Messiah in mind. He encouraged the people, still downtrodden by the Gentile powers (1:8-12), with the reality that the LORD remembers His covenant promises to them and that He would restore and bless them. Thus the name of the book (which means “The LORD remembers”) contains in seed form the theme of the prophecy.
This “apocalypse of the OT” as it is often called, relates both to Zechariah’s immediate audience as well as to the future. This is borne out in the structure of the prophecy itself, since in each of the 3 major sections (chaps. 1–6, 7, 8, 9–14), the prophet begins historically and then moves forward to the time of the Second Advent, when Messiah returns to His temple to set up His earthly kingdom. The prophet reminded the people that Messiah had both an immediate and long-term commitment to His people. Thus the prophet’s words were “good and comforting” (1:13), both to the exiles of Zechariah’s day as well as to the remnant of God’s chosen people in that future day.
This book is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and eschatological in the OT. Primarily, it is a prophecy about Jesus Christ, focusing on His coming glory as a means to comfort Israel (cf. 1:13, 17). While the book is filled with visions, prophecies, signs, celestial visitors, and the voice of God, it is also practical, dealing with issues like repentance, divine care, salvation, and holy living. Prophecy was soon to be silent for more than 400 years until John the Baptist, so God used Zechariah to bring a rich, abundant outburst of promise for the future to sustain the faithful remnant through those silent years.
Interpretive Challenges
While there are numerous challenges to the reader, two passages within the prophecy present notable interpretive difficulty. In 11:8, the Good Shepherd “dismissed the three shepherds in one month.” The presence of the definite article points to familiarity, so that the Jews would have understood the identity of these shepherds without further reference. It is not so easy for modern readers to understand. Numerous alternatives concerning their identity have been suggested. One of the oldest, and probably the correct, view identifies them as three orders of leaders: the priests, elders, and scribes of Israel. During His earthly ministry, Jesus also confronted the hypocrisy of Israel’s religious leaders (cf. Matt. 23), disowning them with scathing denunciations, followed by destruction of the whole nation in A.D. 70. Since His coming, the Jewish people have had no other prophet, priest, or king.
Considerable discussion also surrounds the identity of the individual who possessed “wounds between your arms” (13:6). Some have identified him with Christ, the wounds supposedly referring to His crucifixion. But Christ could neither have denied that He was a prophet, nor could He have claimed that He was a farmer, or that He was wounded in the house of His friends. Obviously, it is a reference to a false prophet (cf. vv. 4, 5) who was wounded in his idolatrous worship. The zeal for the LORD will be so great in the kingdom of Messiah that idolaters will make every attempt to hide their true identity, but their scars will be the telltale evidence of their iniquity.
Outline
I. Call to Repentance (1:1-6)
II. Eight Night Visions of Zechariah (1:7-6:15)
A. Man Among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17)
B. Four Horns and Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)
C. Man with Measuring Line (2:1-13)
D. Cleansing of High-Priest (3:1-10)
E. Gold Lampstand and Two Olive Trees (4:1-14)
F. Flying Scroll (5:1-4)
G. Woman in Basket (5:5-11)
H. Four Chariots (6:1-8)
I. Appendix: Coronation of Joshua the High-Priest (6:9-15)
III. Four Messages of Zechariah (7:1-8:23)
A. Question about Fasting (7:1-3)
B. Four Responses (7:4-8:23)
1. Rebuke for wrong motives (7:4–7)
2. Repentance required (7:8–14)
3. Restoration of favor (8:1–17)
4. Fasts become feasts (8:18–23)
IV. Two Burdens of Zechariah (9:1-14:21)
A. Messiah’s Rejection at First Advent (9:1-11:17)
B. Messiah’s Acceptance at Second Advent (12:1-14:21)
The Book of
ZECHARIAH
Zechariah 1
A Call to Repentance
1In the eighth month aof the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came bto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of cIddo the prophet, saying,
2“The LORD has been very angry with your fathers.
3“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return dto Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
4“Do not be like your fathers, eto whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: f“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.
5“Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6Yet surely gMy words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“So they returned and said:
h‘Just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
Vision of the Horses
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:
8I saw by night, and behold, ia man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were jhorses: red, sorrel, and white.
9Then I said, k“My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”
10And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, l“These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”
11mSo they answered the Angel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is 1resting quietly.”
The LORD Will Comfort Zion
12Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, “O LORD of hosts, nhow long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry othese seventy years?”
13And the LORD answered the angel who talked to me, with pgood and comforting words.
14So the angel who spoke with me said to me, 2“Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“I am qzealous3 for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great 4zeal.
15I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For rI was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
16‘Therefore thus says the LORD:
s“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My thouse ushall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts,
“And va surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’
17“Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“My cities shall again 5spread out through prosperity;
w The LORD will again comfort Zion,
And xwill again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”
Vision of the Horns
18Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four yhorns.
19And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, z“These are the 6horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
21And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the ahorns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but 7the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that blifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Zechariah 2
Vision of the Measuring Line
1Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, aa man with a measuring line in his hand.
2So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, b“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”
3And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him,
4who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: c‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.
5‘For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be da wall of fire all around her, eand I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
