Zechariah was an important prophet in the Old Testament of the Bible. There are several men named Zechariah mentioned in Scripture, but the most prominent one was the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo the prophet (Zechariah 1:1). This Zechariah was a post-exilic prophet who prophesied to the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. He was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai and began his ministry around 520 B.C. during the reign of King Darius I of Persia. Zechariah’s ministry lasted around 2 years and his prophecies can be found in the biblical book that bears his name.
Some key facts about the prophet Zechariah:
- He was born in Babylon during the exile and returned to Jerusalem after Cyrus’ decree in 538 B.C. allowing the Jews to return home (Ezra 5:1).
- He was a member of a priestly family. His grandfather Iddo was also a prophet (Nehemiah 12:4, 16).
- Zechariah began prophesying around 2 months after Haggai in the second year of King Darius (520 B.C.) (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1).
- The purpose of his ministry was to encourage the Jewish returnees to rebuild the temple and motivate them towards spiritual renewal.
- Many of his messianic prophecies, like the coming of the King on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
- The book of Zechariah contains some apocalyptic sections with visions of the end times.
- His name means “Yahweh remembers.”
Zechariah’s background
Zechariah was born in Babylon during the 70-year exile of the Jews from the land of Israel. His grandfather Iddo was among the exiles taken to Babylon during the time of Nebuchadnezzar (Zechariah 1:1). After Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., King Cyrus issued a decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1). Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the first group of exiles began returning to Judah around 538 B.C.
Zechariah was part of this group that returned with Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest to resettle the land and rebuild the temple (Ezra 2:2). They faced opposition from enemies like the Samaritans who eventually succeeded in halting the rebuilding process for about 15 years (Ezra 4:4-5). This led to discouragement and spiritual apathy among the returnees. It was into this scenario that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah arose to prophesy around 520 B.C. during the reign of King Darius I.
As a member of a priestly family, Zechariah had ancestral ties to Jerusalem and the temple. His grandfather Iddo is identified as one of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:4). Zechariah’s father Berechiah seems to have died when Zechariah was young. But growing up in Babylon, Zechariah was well aware of Judah’s history and the prophecies about the nation’s restoration. When the opportunity came to return to the promised land, Zechariah was eager to play his part in helping rebuild the Jewish nation.
Zechariah’s ministry
Zechariah began prophesying about 2 months after the prophet Haggai in the second year of King Darius (520 B.C.) (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1). The primary purpose of their messages was to motivate the Jews to resume construction of the Second Temple which had been halted due to opposition. Haggai’s prophecies focused mainly on the present need to rebuild the temple. Zechariah echoed this theme but also provided a broad vision of Israel’s future hope and messianic expectations.
In Zechariah 1:3, the prophet makes a passionate appeal: “Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.” This call to repentance sets the tone for Zechariah’s prophecies. If the returnees repented and restored their covenant relationship with God, He would bless them and help them fulfill His purposes.
Some key themes that emerge in Zechariah’s prophecies:
- Rebuild the temple – Zechariah encouraged the people to finish rebuilding the temple whose foundation had been laid (Zechariah 4:9; 6:12-13).
- Repent and return to God – He called the nation to repent from their sins and return wholeheartedly to the Lord (Zechariah 1:3-4).
- Messianic prophecies – Zechariah gave numerous prophecies about the coming Messiah and His kingdom (Zechariah 9:9-10; 11:12-13; 12:10; 13:1).
- Restoration of Israel – He envisioned a time when God would restore Israel’s land, power and prestige among the nations (Zechariah 8:1-8).
- Apocalyptic visions – The book contains intriguing apocalyptic sections picturing future events (Zechariah 1:7-6:15).
In terms of messianic prophecies, Zechariah powerfully predicted Christ’s triumphal entry riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13), His crucifixion (Zechariah 12:10) and the cleansing fountain that would deal with sin (Zechariah 13:1). The Gospel writers specifically point to the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 and 11:12-13 in Jesus’ final entry to Jerusalem before His crucifixion (Matthew 21:4-5; 27:9-10).
Structure and content of Zechariah
The book of Zechariah consists of 14 chapters which can be divided into two major sections:
- Chapters 1-8 contain a series of visions and prophecies dated to the second year of Darius (520 B.C.).
- Chapters 9-14 contain two “oracles” dealing with future events, judgment on Israel’s enemies and the coming of the Messiah.
A brief outline of the book:
I. Call to Repentance (1:1-6)
The opening section calls Israel to repent and outlines Zechariah’s early visions.
II. Eight Night Visions (1:7-6:15)
This section contains 8 visions that Zechariah saw during one night. These symbolic visions assured God’s favor and protection on Israel in order to accomplish His purposes:
- The horseman among the myrtle trees (1:7-17) – God patrols the earth and cares for His people.
- Four horns and four craftsmen (1:18-21) – God judges the nations who scattered Judah.
- The man with the measuring line (2:1-13) – Jerusalem’s prosperity will overflow its boundaries.
- Joshua the high priest (3:1-10) – God restores the High Priest as a picture of future cleansing from sin.
- The gold lampstand and two olive trees (4:1-14) – God will empower His leaders Zerubbabel and Joshua by His Spirit to rebuild the temple.
- The flying scroll (5:1-4) – God will judge unrepentant sinners among His people.
- The woman in a basket (5:5-11) – Wickedness will be removed from Israel to Babylon.
- The four chariots (6:1-8) – God’s war chariots patrol the earth and execute His judgment.
III. Crowning of Joshua (6:9-15)
As a symbolic act, Zechariah crowns Joshua the High Priest to represent God’s blessing on him.
IV. Exhortation to Obedience (7:1-8:23)
This section contains Zechariah’s teachings on ethical conduct like caring for widows and orphans. He contrasts past judgment with future blessings for obedience.
V. Two Oracles (9:1-14:21)
Chapters 9-14 contain two longer prophecies about Israel’s future, both starting with “An oracle”:
- First oracle (9:1-11:17) – God will judge Israel’s enemies but deal harshly with the people’s unfaithfulness. It ends by predicting the rejection of the coming Good Shepherd (Messiah).
- Second oracle (12:1-14:21) – God will rescue and restore His people, destroy their enemies and usher in His kingdom from Jerusalem under the Messiah.
These powerful prophecies look ahead to both the first and second coming of Christ to establish God’s kingdom on earth.
Some highlights from the second oracle:
- 12:10 – God pours out a “spirit of grace and pleas for mercy” and the people look upon the pierced one.
- 13:7-9 – God strikes the Shepherd (Messiah) and scatters the sheep but a remnant survives and is refined.
- 14:1-8 – On the “day of the Lord” the Messiah’s feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and living waters will flow out of Jerusalem.
- 14:9 – “The LORD will be king over all the earth.”
How Zechariah’s prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus
As one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, Zechariah brilliantly predicted critical details about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ centuries in advance. Here are some examples of how his messianic prophecies were directly fulfilled by Jesus:
- The King comes riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9) – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey before His crucifixion (Matthew 21:4-5).
- The Shepherd is rejected and betrayed for silver (Zechariah 11:12-13) – “Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver…And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.” This points to Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus for 30 silver coins (Matthew 27:3-10).
- Mourning the pierced one (Zechariah 12:10) – “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…” John 19:37 quotes this verse as being fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion.
- Cleansing fountain (Zechariah 13:1) – “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” Jesus’ death provides the open cleansing fountain that washes away sin.
Clearly, Zechariah’s messianic prophecies precisely depict the historical details surrounding Jesus Christ. This confirms Jesus’ claim that the entire Old Testament Scriptures point to and speak about Him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39).
Lessons from Zechariah’s life and ministry
As one of the three major post-exilic prophets along with Haggai and Malachi, Zechariah played a pivotal role in restoring hope and vision to the exiles who had returned from Babylon. His legacy provides valuable lessons for God’s people today:
- Put God’s kingdom first – Zechariah continually pointed people towards the worship of Yahweh and the importance of building His temple.
- Repent from sin – He called the people to repent from selfishness and return wholeheartedly to obedience to God’s covenant.
- Trust God’s sovereignty – Through his visions, Zechariah emphasized God’s complete power over history and the nations to accomplish His will.
- Have hope in God’s future – His prophecies offered hope by looking ahead to the coming Messiah and God’s restoration of Israel.
- Focus on spiritual renewal – More than physical rebuilding, Zechariah stressed heart change and a right relationship with God.
For believers today, Zechariah reminds us to seek God’s kingdom first, cling to His promises and live in light of Christ’s second coming. Though his prophecies were partially fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, they assure us there are even greater things to come when Jesus returns to establish God’s rule on earth. Maranatha!