Zechariah

From: Short Sketches of the Books of the Bible

By: Nicolas Simon

Though Haggai and Zechariah both prophesied in the second year of Darius (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); Hag. 1:1¹In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, (Haggai 1:1); Zech. 1:1¹In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, (Zechariah 1:1)), Haggai’s focus is the temple and its reconstruction, while Zechariah’s message is broader both in scope and time. Zechariah is occupied with Jerusalem and its history from the captivity to the last days.

God is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy, and He is sore displeased with the heathen (Zech. 1:14-15¹⁴So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. ¹⁵And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. (Zechariah 1:14‑15)). He has executed His government upon Israel through the Gentiles, but each nation has offended and must be judged (Zech. 1:18-21¹⁸Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. ¹⁹And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. ²⁰And the Lord showed me four carpenters. ²¹Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. (Zechariah 1:18‑21))—Babylon (already fallen at that time), Persia, Greece (Zech. 9:13¹³When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. (Zechariah 9:13)) and Rome.

The temple was being rebuilt, and under Nehemiah the walls of Jerusalem would be restored, (cf. Zech 2:5). All, however, a precursor of a better deliverance; the restoration of that city in a future day will be glorious (ch. 2). Zechariah lifts the eyes of the feeble remnant, setting their hope on Jehovah—what an encouragement! We too are looking beyond this scene “for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)).

In chapters 2-6 we have distinct visions that describe the reestablishment of Jerusalem (ch. 2), the cleansing of the people (ch. 3), the perfection of that future administration (ch. 4), the judgment of the wicked and wickedness (ch. 5), and God’s providential government exercised through the four successive Gentile nations, bringing us to Christ the Branch who will build the temple and rule in righteousness (ch. 6).

Chapter 7 begins anew; it is now the fourth year of king Darius. In the remainder of the book we have the Messiah and the consequences of His rejection. Judah is scattered because they refused to hear (ch. 7), yet Jehovah will return (ch. 8) and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, “and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (Zech. 8:8⁸And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. (Zechariah 8:8)).