His name means “Remembered of Jehovah.” Nothing of Zechariah’s own life is recorded. His time was about B.C. 519. We have just been reading Haggai’s book, and these two men apparently lived at the same time. According to Ezra 5:11Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. (Ezra 5:1) and 6:14. Haggai is concerned as to the House, Zechariah as to the city. We will find it a very interesting book, for it tells about the first coming of the Lord Jesus, which at that time was in the future. Then it also reaches forward to tell of days which are still future to us, when Israel shall be blessed in their land. They got their land back in May 1948. So we’re close!
Chapter 1
V.1-6 A call to the people to turn to the Lord, not to be like their fathers who refused to listen to God’s warnings through the prophets. They admitted that the punishment was exactly what He had said.
V.7-17 Zechariah’s first message. A horse is a symbol of God’s power on the earth, using nations to carry out His purposes. Possibly the red horse represents Persia (Iran today) the same color as the one on which the angel rode, because Persia was ruling at that time. The speckled could represent the next future Empire, the Grecian, and the white horse being the Roman Empire, the last Empire.
V.15 God is angry at the nations because they were having it easy while Israel was being punished.
V.16 God is yet going to show mercy to Jerusalem, after all the disobedience to Him. Mercy? Why? Because Christ paid for their sins.
V.18-21 The four world Empires represented by four horns, they were God’s instruments to scatter Israel for disobedience.