Read the Passage: Zechariah 1-6
Authorship and Date – There are at least 29 different men in the Old Testament who are named Zechariah, with the prophet and author of this book being mentioned several times in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Most notably, it is recorded at Neh. 12:16 that Zechariah was one of the first returnees from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 538 BC. Like the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel (and possibly Habakkuk), Zechariah was a priest (cf. Neh. 12:12–16). Zechariah was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai, as he started his prophetic ministry two months after Haggai in 520 BC (cf. Ezra 5:1; Zech. 1:1). In Zech. 2:4 the prophet is called a “young man,” although his specific age is not disclosed. Zechariah’s last dated prophecy was in 518 BC (cf. Zech. 7:1), although context indicates that Zech. 9–14 was likely written later in the prophet’s ministry, perhaps between 480–470 BC. This would leave only Malachi as a later Old Testament prophet. This accounts for the placement of Zechariah within Minor Prophets.
Theme and Purpose – The book of Zechariah, which is the longest of the twelve books in the Minor Prophets, is alluded to at least half a dozen times in the New Testament. At Matt. 23:35, when He was confronting the Jews for their hypocrisy, note that Jesus referred to “Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar” (cf. Acts 7:51–52; Heb. 11:37). This is almost certainly the same Zechariah who wrote this book. Although, note that an earlier priest named Zechariah had met a similar fate (cf. 2 Chron. 24:20–22). Zechariah’s main theme in this book is encouragement to the temple builders in light of the fact that the Messiah was soon to return. In fact, among the prophets, only Isaiah has more explicit information about the Messiah than does Zechariah. Contextually, Zechariah returned to Jerusalem from Babylon in 538 BC (cf. Ezra 1:1–4), and witnessed the beginnings of the temple being rebuilt in 537 BC (cf. Ezra 3:1–4:5). Then, due to Samaritan persecution, the rebuilding of the temple was halted for 16 years until 520 BC (cf. Ezra 4:24). During this time, God raised up the prophets Zechariah and Haggai to encourage the people to finish the building of the temple (cf. Ezra 5:1–2). Zechariah is among the most messianic, apocalyptic, and eschatological of all of the Old Testament books.
Structure and Outline – The book of Zechariah is fairly logical in structure and can be outlined as follows:
- Eight Visions of Encouragement (1:1–6:15)
- Four Directives about Fasting (7:1–8:23)
- Two Prophecies Concerning the Messiah (9:1–14:21)
Invitation to Repent (1:1–6)
Zech. 1:1–6 serves as an introduction to this book, as here the prophet identifies and locates his ministry, as well as giving a call to repentance. Note that like John the Baptist, Zechariah first preached repentance (cf. Zech. 1:1–6), and then proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand (cf. Zech. 1:7–6:8). While this book is primarily a book of consolation and encouragement, like most of the prophets in Scripture, Zechariah begins with a call to return to God, writing, “‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you’” (Zech. 1:3). Note that Zechariah uses the phrase “Lord of hosts” fifty-two times in this short book, perhaps wanting his readers to remember that God is powerful and righteous. By way of encouraging repentance, in Zech. 1:4–6 God reminds His people that He had warned their ancestors about the coming judgment, and His Word proved to be true.
Description of Visions (1:7–6:8)
Between Zech. 1:7–6:8 God gave Zechariah eight unique visions to encourage the people. While these visions may seem to be vague or even confusing, they actually were given in order to comfort and to inspire the remnant in Israel. These eight vision can be labeled and described as follows: Vision 1: Promise of Prosperity (cf. Zech. 1:7–17); Vision 2: Judgment of Enemies (cf. Zech. 1:18–21); Vison 3: Rebuilding of Jerusalem (cf. Zech. 2:1–13); Vision 4: Removal of Guilt (cf. Zech. 3:1–10); Vision 5: Rebuilding the Temple (cf. Zech. 4:1–14); Vision 6: Purging of Sin (cf. Zech. 5:1–4); Vision 7: Removal of Wickedness (cf. Zech. 5:5–11); and Vision 8: Peace and Rest (cf. Zech. 6:1–8). These eight visions present a unified message: God will restore Jerusalem, cleanse His people, empower the leaders, rebuild His temple, and judge the nations that oppose Him.
Coronation of Joshua (6:9–15)
The high priest at this time was a man named Joshua (or Jeshua) the son of Jozadak, who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon (cf. Ezra 3:2; 5:2; Hag. 1:1). In his fourth vision (cf. Zech. 3:1–10), Zechariah had seen Joshua being cleansed by the Lord and restored to priestly service. Furthermore, this vision revealed that Joshua is a type or depiction of the promised Messiah, whom God refers to as “My servant the Branch” (Zech. 3:8), a term that had been used earlier to describe Christ (cf. Isa. 4:2; 11:1–5; Jer. 23:5–6; 33:14–16). In Zech. 6:9–15 God commanded Zechariah to craft an elaborate crown of silver and gold and to place it on the head of Joshua in a type of coronation ceremony. This bold act of declaring Joshua to be both priest and king was a prophetic object lesson, designed to teach Israel about the coming Messiah, and to encourage them regarding this promise.
Application Questions:
- What do you know about the book of Zechariah? Are you familiar with any passages or teachings from this book?
- How can we use both good and bad examples from history as a motivation to live godly lives and to avoid sin?
- Do the eight visions in Zech. 1:7–6:8 describe events in the past, the present, or in the future?
- Do you find the term “the Branch” to be an odd way to refer to the Messiah? Why is this word used to describe Christ?
- What is the difference between feeling guilty, expressing sorrow, and engaging in true repentance?
