Zechariah

Book Outhne

Key theme: God’s jealous concern for Jerusalem and the Jews

Key verse:

I. God Calls His People to Repent ()

II. God Encourages His People to Trust Him ()

A. Eight night visions ()

1. The horsemen: God watches the nations ()

2. The horns and blacksmiths: the nations judged ()

3. The measuring line: Jerusalem restored ()

4. The high priest: Israel cleansed ()

5. The olive trees: God’s people empowered ()

6. The flying scroll: evil purged from the land ()

7. The basket: evil taken to Babylon ()

8. The four chariots: the Gentiles judged ()

B. The crowning of Jeshua: Messiah will reign ()

III. God Instructs His People ()

A. About true fasting ()

B. About obedience to the Word ()

C. About Jerusalem’s future ()

IV. God Redeems His People: Two Oracles ()

A. The coming and rejection of the Messiah ()

B. The return and reign of the Messiah ()

Book Overview

Zechariah was a young man () when God called him to minister to the struggling Jewish remnant trying to rebuild their temple in the ruined city of Jerusalem. The elder prophet Haggai had delivered two of his messages before Zechariah joined him in ministry, and the two of them served God together for a short time. Haggai had gotten the building program going again after a sixteen-year hiatus, and now Zechariah would encourage the people to finish their work. God gave the young man “good and comforting words” (, ) to assure the people that despite the hard times God was with them and would see them through.

The prophet had two major emphases as he began his ministry to the remnant: God was calling them to repent, and God was assuring them of His personal concern. In a series of eight night visions, God explained His involvement with his people.

As you review these night visions, you will learn that God watches the nations and knows what they are doing, that He judges the nations for their sins, especially for their mistreatment of Israel, and that a glorious future has been planned for Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, when the Messiah will return to cleanse them and restore the glory of God in their midst.

No wonder we’re taught to pray, “Your kingdom come” (); for when we pray that prayer, we are praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And no true peace can come to Jerusalem until the Prince of Peace reigns in glory.

“Be Transformed”

Those who feel compelled to sort out the future should also seek to do so with humility. God is not bound by our explanations, confident though we may be. God is working out His plan, in His way, and in His timing. The degree of confidence we have about the future must be directly tied to our trust in God and His wisdom. We can repeat what He has revealed. Zechariah reminds us again that God is not finished with His chosen people. The fact that Israel continues to occupy a role in current events ought to also remind us that God is still working out His promises and that His plan includes His people.

Zechariah’s book begins with a call to repentance, but it ends with a vision of a holy nation and a glorious kingdom. Zechariah was one of God’s heroes who ministered at a difficult time and in a difficult place, but he encouraged God’s people by showing them visions of what God had planned for their future. God is still jealous over Jerusalem and the Jewish people, and He will fulfill His promises.

One of the most familiar calls to worship that we hear in church comes from : “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ ” In that same song, David gives us a command that Zechariah would have heartily endorsed: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (). We may feel as though we have very limited effect on the events that are swirling around us at the national and international level, but we have direct access to the supernatural level! Praying small as well as large will transform our lives. We should pray about the immediate issues in our lives, and we should also lift our eyes and our hearts to participate in God’s great plan. We can prayerfully anticipate seeing the fulfillment of those parts of Zechariah’s amazing visions that have not yet come to pass.

A Call to Repentance

1In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

“The LORD has been very angry with your fathers.

“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.

4“Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.

“Your fathers, where are they?

And the prophets, do they live forever?

6Yet surely My words and My statutes,

Which I commanded My servants the prophets,

Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said:

‘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

On 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, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.

9Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”

And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”

11So 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 resting quietly.”

The LORD Will Comfort Zion

Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, “O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”

And the LORD answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.

14So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:

“I am zealous for Jerusalem

And for Zion with great zeal.

15I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;

For I was a little angry,

And they helped—but with evil intent.”

‘Therefore thus says the LORD:

“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;

My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts,

“And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’

17“Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:

“My cities shall again spread out through prosperity;

The LORD will again comfort Zion,

And will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns.

19And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, “These are the horns 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 horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Vision of the Measuring Line

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.

2So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “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: ‘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 a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the LORD; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the LORD.

7“Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

8For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

9“For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD.

11“Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

“And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

“Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

Vision of the High Priest

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

4Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

5And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.

The Coming Branch

Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,

7“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘If you will walk in My ways,

And if you will keep My command,

Then you shall also judge My house,

And likewise have charge of My courts;

I will give you places to walk

Among these who stand here.

‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,

You and your companions who sit before you,

For they are a wondrous sign;

For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.

For behold, the stone

That I have laid before Joshua:

Upon the stone are seven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’

Says the LORD of hosts,

‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

10In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts,

‘Everyone will invite his neighbor

Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”

Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

2And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.

3“Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.”

So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

5Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

Says the LORD of hosts.

‘Who are you, O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!

And he shall bring forth the capstone

With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

8Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

9“The hands of Zerubbabel

Have laid the foundation of this temple;

His hands shall also finish it.

Then you will know

That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

For who has despised the day of small things?

For these seven rejoice to see

The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

They are the eyes of the LORD,

Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

11Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?”

12And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”

13Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Vision of the Flying Scroll

Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll.

2And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

3Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

“I will send out the curse,” says the LORD of hosts;

“It shall enter the house of the thief

And the house of the one who swears falsely by My name.

It shall remain in the midst of his house

And consume it, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”

6So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.” He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth:

7“Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”;

8then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.

9Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

10So I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”

And he said to me, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

Vision of the Four Chariots

Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze.

With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses,

3with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds.

4Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.

6“The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.”

Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth.

And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

10“Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.

11“Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

“Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying:

“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!

From His place He shall branch out,

And He shall build the temple of the LORD;

Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD.

He shall bear the glory,

And shall sit and rule on His throne;

So He shall be a priest on His throne,

And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’

“Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the LORD for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.

15“Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

Obedience Better than Fasting

Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev,

2when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD,

3and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

5“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?

6‘When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?

7‘Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

Disobedience Resulted in Captivity

8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,

9“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Execute true justice,

Show mercy and compassion

Everyone to his brother.

10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,

The alien or the poor.

Let none of you plan evil in his heart

Against his brother.’

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.

12“Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

13“Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts.

14“But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Again the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying,

2“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal;

With great fervor I am zealous for her.’

3“Thus says the LORD:

‘I will return to Zion,

And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,

The Mountain of the LORD of hosts,

The Holy Mountain.’

4“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Old men and old women shall again sit

In the streets of Jerusalem,

Each one with his staff in his hand

Because of great age.

5The streets of the city

Shall be full of boys and girls

Playing in its streets.’

6“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,

Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’

Says the LORD of hosts.

7“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east

And from the land of the west;

8I will bring them back,

And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

They shall be My people

And I will be their God,

In truth and righteousness.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Let your hands be strong,

You who have been hearing in these days

These words by the mouth of the prophets,

Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid

For the house of the LORD of hosts,

That the temple might be built.

10For before these days

There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast;

There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;

For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

11‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the LORD of hosts.

‘For the seed shall be prosperous,

The vine shall give its fruit,

The ground shall give her increase,

And the heavens shall give their dew—

I will cause the remnant of this people

To possess all these.

13And it shall come to pass

That just as you were a curse among the nations,

O house of Judah and house of Israel,

So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.

Do not fear,

Let your hands be strong.’

14“For thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Just as I determined to punish you

When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’

Says the LORD of hosts,

‘And I would not relent,

15So again in these days

I am determined to do good

To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

Do not fear.

16These are the things you shall do:

Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;

Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;

17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;

And do not love a false oath.

For all these are things that I hate,’

Says the LORD.”

18Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

19“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘The fast of the fourth month,

The fast of the fifth,

The fast of the seventh,

And the fast of the tenth,

Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts

For the house of Judah.

Therefore love truth and peace.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts:

‘Peoples shall yet come,

Inhabitants of many cities;

21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,

“Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD,

And seek the LORD of hosts.

I myself will go also.”

22Yes, many peoples and strong nations

Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem,

And to pray before the LORD.’

23“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”

Israel Defended Against Enemies

The burden of the word of the LORD

Against the land of Hadrach,

And Damascus its resting place

(For the eyes of men

And all the tribes of Israel

Are on the LORD);

2Also against Hamath, which borders on it,

And against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

3For Tyre built herself a tower,

Heaped up silver like the dust,

And gold like the mire of the streets.

4Behold, the Lord will cast her out;

He will destroy her power in the sea,

And she will be devoured by fire.

5Ashkelon shall see it and fear;

Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;

And Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.

The king shall perish from Gaza,

And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6“A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod,

And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7I will take away the blood from his mouth,

And the abominations from between his teeth.

But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,

And shall be like a leader in Judah,

And Ekron like a Jebusite.

I will camp around My house

Because of the army,

Because of him who passes by and him who returns.

No more shall an oppressor pass through them,

For now I have seen with My eyes.

The Coming King

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

And the horse from Jerusalem;

The battle bow shall be cut off.

He shall speak peace to the nations;

His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,

And from the River to the ends of the earth.’

God Will Save His People

11“As for you also,

Because of the blood of your covenant,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

12Return to the stronghold,

You prisoners of hope.

Even today I declare

That I will restore double to you.

13For I have bent Judah, My bow,

Fitted the bow with Ephraim,

And raised up your sons, O Zion,

Against your sons, O Greece,

And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”

Then the LORD will be seen over them,

And His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,

And go with whirlwinds from the south.

15The LORD of hosts will defend them;

They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.

They shall drink and roar as if with wine;

They shall be filled with blood like basins,

Like the corners of the altar.

16The LORD their God will save them in that day,

As the flock of His people.

For they shall be like the jewels of a crown,

Lifted like a banner over His land—

17For how great is its goodness

And how great its beauty!

Grain shall make the young men thrive,

And new wine the young women.

Restoration of Judah and Israel

Ask the LORD for rain

In the time of the latter rain.

The LORD will make flashing clouds;

He will give them showers of rain,

Grass in the field for everyone.

2For the idols speak delusion;

The diviners envision lies,

And tell false dreams;

They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wend their way like sheep;

They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.

3“My anger is kindled against the shepherds,

And I will punish the goatherds.

For the LORD of hosts will visit His flock,

The house of Judah,

And will make them as His royal horse in the battle.

4From him comes the cornerstone,

From him the tent peg,

From him the battle bow,

From him every ruler together.

They shall be like mighty men,

Who tread down their enemies

In the mire of the streets in the battle.

They shall fight because the LORD is with them,

And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

6“I will strengthen the house of Judah,

And I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back,

Because I have mercy on them.

They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;

For I am the LORD their God,

And I will hear them.

7Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,

And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.

Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;

Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.

8I will whistle for them and gather them,

For I will redeem them;

And they shall increase as they once increased.

9“I will sow them among the peoples,

And they shall remember Me in far countries;

They shall live, together with their children,

And they shall return.

10I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,

And gather them from Assyria.

I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,

Until no more room is found for them.

11He shall pass through the sea with affliction,

And strike the waves of the sea:

All the depths of the River shall dry up.

Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,

And the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

“So I will strengthen them in the LORD,

And they shall walk up and down in His name,”

Says the LORD.

Desolation of Israel

Open your doors, O Lebanon,

That fire may devour your cedars.

2Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,

Because the mighty trees are ruined.

Wail, O oaks of Bashan,

For the thick forest has come down.

3There is the sound of wailing shepherds!

For their glory is in ruins.

There is the sound of roaring lions!

For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins.

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the LORD my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter,

5“whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them.

6“For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

7So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.

8I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

9Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.”

10And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.

11So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.

12Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.

Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd.

16“For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

“Woe to the worthless shepherd,

Who leaves the flock!

A sword shall be against his arm

And against his right eye;

His arm shall completely wither,

And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

The Coming Deliverance of Judah

The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.

3“And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

5“And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.’

6“In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

7“The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah.

8“In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them.

9“It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

11“In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12“And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;

13“the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;

14“all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Idolatry Cut Off

“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

“It shall be in that day,” says the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.

3“It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

4“And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive.

5“But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’

6“And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Savior

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,

Against the Man who is My Companion,”

Says the LORD of hosts.

“Strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep will be scattered;

Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

And it shall come to pass in all the land,”

Says the LORD,

“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,

But one-third shall be left in it:

I will bring the one-third through the fire,

Will refine them as silver is refined,

And test them as gold is tested.

They will call on My name,

And I will answer them.

I will say, ‘This is My people’;

And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’ ”

The Day of the LORD

1Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,

And your spoil will be divided in your midst.

2For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;

The city shall be taken,

The houses rifled,

And the women ravished.

Half of the city shall go into captivity,

But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then the LORD will go forth

And fight against those nations,

As He fights in the day of battle.

4And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,

Which faces Jerusalem on the east.

And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,

From east to west,

Making a very large valley;

Half of the mountain shall move toward the north

And half of it toward the south.

5Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,

For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.

Yes, you shall flee

As you fled from the earthquake

In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the LORD my God will come,

And all the saints with You.

6It shall come to pass in that day

That there will be no light;

The lights will diminish.

7It shall be one day

Which is known to the LORD—

Neither day nor night.

But at evening time it shall happen

That it will be light.

8And in that day it shall be

That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,

Half of them toward the eastern sea

And half of them toward the western sea;

In both summer and winter it shall occur.

9And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.

In that day it shall be—

“The LORD is one,”

And His name one.

All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.

The people shall dwell in it;

And no longer shall there be utter destruction,

But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,

Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,

And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

13It shall come to pass in that day

That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.

Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,

And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;

14Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.

And the wealth of all the surrounding nations

Shall be gathered together:

Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

15Such also shall be the plague

On the horse and the mule,

On the camel and the donkey,

And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.

So shall this plague be.

The Nations Worship the King

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.

18If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

19This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

Annotations for Zechariah

Zechariah invited the people to look back and recall what their forefathers had done to provoke the Lord to anger and judgment. The Jewish people who had returned to the land knew their nation’s history very well. They knew that God had sent prophet after prophet to plead with their forefathers to turn from idolatry and return to the Lord, but the nation had refused to listen.

Zechariah shared God’s promise with them: “ ‘Return to Me,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will return to you.’ ” God had left His people to their own ways, and that was why they were experiencing so much trouble. Haggai had already told them this in his first message (), but it was worth repeating.

The point Zechariah was making with his question was that the death of the prophets indicated the loss of opportunity for the nation. God had given the Jews ample time to repent and escape punishment, but they had wasted their opportunity. Now it was too late. The Word of God, spoken and written by the prophets, however, can never die; that Word eventually catches up with rebellious sinners (v. ; essentially, “we have received what we deserved”). Once God’s patience runs out, His living words will track down the offenders and judge them. By calling the people to repent, Zechariah was preparing them for the messages he would give them, for unless our hearts are right with God, we can’t hear His Word with true spiritual comprehension.

About three months later, during the night of February 15, 519 B.C., Zechariah had a series of eight visions from God, given to encourage the remnant and motivate them to finish rebuilding the temple. These visions focused primarily on God’s ministry to Israel and His judgment on the Gentile nations that had afflicted Israel.

The angel of the Lord taught Zechariah the meaning of the riders: they were God’s angelic army that patrols the earth and carries out the decrees of the Lord (v. ; and see ; ; , ; , ; ; ). Jehovah is “LORD of Heaven’s Armies,” the Commander of the armies of heaven and earth.

Remarkably, the angel, who may be the preincarnate Christ, interceded for the people of God who were in great affliction. That the Son of God should so identify Himself with the cries of His people reveals His compassion and concern. “In all their affliction He was afflicted” ().

After interceding for Israel, the Lord gave “comforting words” to the angel to give to the prophet. He affirmed His jealous love and concern for Jerusalem (see ). God is jealous over His chosen people as a husband is jealous over his wife and as parents over their children (; ).

, When our situation appears to be hopeless, we must remember that God identifies with our sufferings and is in charge of the future. Our responsibility is to repent, confess our sins, and believe His “comforting words.” His responsibility is to respond to our faith and work out His perfect will for us.

This scenario suggests that the “animal horns” also became “craftsmen” as each empire conquered the previous oppressors. It also reminds the Jews of God’s providential care in the past and His promise of protection for the future, for God will not permit any nation to annihilate His chosen people.

The remnant that had returned to Judah was concerned about rebuilding the temple and restoring the city and the nation, but their work was extremely difficult. In this vision, God assured His people that He planned future glory and honor for them and their city when He Himself would come to dwell with them.

The angel spoke of Israel’s Messiah. Leaders and diplomats may debate over who will control Jerusalem, but the Lord Jesus Christ has the final word. By measuring the city, the Lord declared that it was His and He would accomplish His divine purposes for the city no matter what leaders and international assemblies might decide. But this symbolic act declared something else: Jerusalem would enjoy future expansion and glory such as the city had never experienced.

The Lord admonished the Jews yet in Babylon to leave the city and join the remnant in Jerusalem. Why remain in the comfort and security of a pagan society when they were desperately needed in their own land? The day would come when Babylon, now under Persian rule, would be judged for her sins, and those who served her would plunder her. So they should leave now, while they could.

Promises like these ought to make God’s people “sing and rejoice.” Their Messiah would come and live with them, just as the glory of God had dwelt in the tabernacle and the temple.

Here is the only place in Scripture where the land of Judah is called “the Holy Land.” That designation is often used today but doesn’t really apply. The land will not be “holy” until the Messiah cleanses the people and the land when He returns to reign (). A fountain will be opened to wash away sin and uncleanness (), and then the Jews shall be called “The Holy People” (). That’s something to shout about!

As we review these three night visions, we learn that God watches the nations and knows what they are doing; that He judges the nations for their sins, especially for their mistreatment of Israel; and that a glorious future is planned for Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, when the Messiah will return to cleanse them and restore the glory of God in their midst. No wonder we’re taught to pray, “May your kingdom come” (); for when we pray that prayer, we are praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will not have true peace until the Prince of Peace reigns in glory.

Haggai’s first message () and Zechariah’s call to repentance () are evidence that the spiritual maturity of the Jewish remnant was very low. Most of these people had been born in Babylon, where they had precious little religious example or instruction to nourish their worship of Jehovah. In addition, the difficult circumstances in their own land greatly tested their faith. They needed to be cleansed.

Zechariah described a courtroom scene, featuring Jeshua as the defendant, God as the Judge, Satan as the prosecuting attorney, and Jesus Christ as the defense attorney, the Advocate of God’s people before the holy throne of God (, ). The Hebrew term ha-satan, literally “the Satan,” means “adversary” or “accuser” and refers to the enemy who resists God’s work and God’s people. Satan has access to the throne of God (), where he accuses God’s people (). When Satan talks to us about God, he lies, but when he talks to God about us, he tells the truth! God’s throne is a throne of justice, and God is a righteous Judge. Knowing this, Satan pointed out Jeshua’s defilement, which symbolized the defilement of the nation, and insisted that a holy God punish His sinful people. It seemed like an airtight case, except for one factor: God’s grace.

Christ’s present ministry in heaven is twofold. He is our High Priest, interceding for us and giving us the grace we need for life and service here on earth (; , ), and He is our Advocate, representing us before the throne of God when we do sin (, ). We shouldn’t get the erroneous idea that the Father yearns to punish us and the Son pleads with Him to change His mind, because that isn’t the picture at all. The Father and the Son both love us and want the best for us, but God can’t ignore our sins and still be holy.

The Lord rebuked Satan on the basis of His own electing grace. He had chosen Jerusalem and the Jewish nation in His own love and grace (; ; ). He had not chosen them because of their good works, so how could He condemn them for their bad works?

, Jeshua and his fellow priests weren’t put on probation; they were cleansed and restored to service. The Lord gave a charge to Jeshua because cleansing and restoration always involves responsibility. But the continuation of their service depended on their faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. Serving the Lord is a privilege that we must never take for granted.

This remarkable announcement to Jeshua and his fellow priests focuses on Jesus Christ and presents three different images of the coming Messiah: the Priest, the Branch, and the Stone. Zechariah would say more about the priest in . “The Branch” is an image of the Messiah frequently found in the prophets (, ; see also footnotes at ; ). The “stone” is another image of the Messiah found often in Scripture, revealing several aspects of His ministry. The Messiah is the cornerstone (, ; ).

The seven “eyes” on the stone probably speak of our Lord’s omniscience (; ).

, The lampstand in the tabernacle was symbolic of the Messiah, the Light of the World (), who one day would come and give the “light that leads to life” to all who would trust Him. The light from the golden lampstand would shine on the table in the holy place () and reveal the loaves of bread, Christ the Bread of Life (; , , , , ). Believers today must keep in mind that the church is a light in a dark world, and we must depend on the Holy Spirit to enable us to bear witness (; ). In , local churches are symbolized by individual lampstands, and the purpose of a lampstand is to give light. If we don’t do what Christ commands us to do, He may take away the lampstand ().

God provides the power. The word “might” refers to military might, what people can do together, but the remnant had no army. “Power” refers to what an individual could do, but Zerubbabel’s strength was no doubt waning. “Don’t be discouraged!” was the essence of the prophet’s message. The Spirit of God will enable us to do what an army could never do.

We can attempt to do God’s work in three ways: we can trust our own strength and wisdom; we can borrow the resources of the world; or we can depend on the power of God. The first two approaches may appear to succeed, but they’ll fail in the end. Only work done through the power of the Spirit will glorify God and endure the fires of His judgment ().

God finishes His work. God assured Zerubbabel that He would complete the rebuilding of the temple, and the people would rejoice at what God had done through them. Zerubbabel would set “the capstone” or the final stone to be placed in the building with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”

To some of the Jews, the project was but a “small thing” in comparison to Solomon’s grand temple, but we must look at God’s work through His eyes and not the eyes of the people of the world. Great oaks grow out of small acorns and great harvests from small seeds.

If our God is “Lord of all the earth,” what have we to fear? If He promises us the power of His Spirit, why should we falter and fail? Let’s remember Jeshua and Zerubbabel, men who are encouragements to all who seek to serve the Lord in any way. Measured by God’s purposes, we find no small places or small ministries, and no “big preachers.” But we do have a great God who can empower and bless servants who are dedicated to Him. He can cleanse us and He can empower us, so let’s trust Him and do His work!

The vision of the flying scroll and the vision of the basket focus primarily on the land of Israel. In both of them, God performs a cleansing operation and deals with the sins of the nation.

This scroll represented the law of God that brings a curse on all who disobey it, and that includes all of us (; ) because no one can fully obey God’s law. For that matter, the law was never given to save people (, ; ) but to reveal that people need to be saved; “the law simply shows us how sinful we are” ().

If we were suspended over a chasm by a chain of ten links, how many links have to break before we fall? If while driving down the highway, we’re pulled over by a police officer because we’re speeding, does it make any difference to the officer that we haven’t broken the income tax laws or stolen anything from our neighbors? Obedience to one law doesn’t negate disobedience to another law. To break one is to become a lawless person.

Not only will individual sins and sinners be judged, but wickedness itself will be removed from the land. In this vision, wickedness is personified by a woman. The basket was a common measure in Israel, but no basket would be large enough to house a person; thus, like the huge scroll, this was a special basket. The woman attempted to get out of the basket, so a heavy lead cover was put on the basket to keep her in.

To understand this vision, we must ask, “What did the Jews bring to their land from Babylon when they returned after their captivity?” It wasn’t idolatry, for their years of exile cured them of that sin. The answer is—commercialism. The Jews were people of the land when they went to Babylon, but many of the Jews born in Babylon became people of the city and successful merchants. So the spirit of competitive commercialism is represented by the woman in the basket, for both the basket and the talent were measures of commodities.

Both believers and unbelievers, Jews or Gentiles, can be manufacturers and merchants and faithfully do their work. But if the worldly commercial spirit infects the child of God, the result will be twisted values, confused priorities, and a craving for wealth and position that grieves the Lord (). The best antidote is .

The four chariots with their horses represented the “four spirits of heaven” (v. ), that is, four angels () assigned to different parts of the world to do God’s bidding. The angel-driven chariots of God are “thousands of thousands” (). The presence of chariots suggests battle, and this implies judgment. “For behold, the LORD will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire” ().

If the horses’ colors are significant, then can assist us. The red horses symbolize war; the black horses, famine; and the white horses, victory and conquest. No dappled horses appear in John’s vision in , but they could well symbolize plagues. During the “day of the Lord,” God will use wars, famines, plagues, and death to punish the nations of the earth.

The cumulative effect of this vision is that God will judge the Gentile nations for their sins. This will occur during the period of time called “the tribulation” or “the day of the Lord” that precedes the return of Christ to the earth to set up His righteous kingdom. In the latter chapters of his book, Zechariah will describe many of the events that will occur during “the day of the Lord.”

The ministry of angels among the nations and in dispensing God’s judgments is clearly taught in other parts of Scripture (; ; ; ; ; ). Zechariah’s vision assures us that God is in control of the future and will judge the Gentile nations during “the day of the Lord.” God is patient (), but there comes a time when the sins of nations warrant their destruction (; ); and then God’s judgment must fall.

The visitors no doubt faced two problems: (1) the money from the Jews in Babylon was supposed to be used for the completion of the temple; and (2) Scripture had no precedent for a priest to be crowned king. Was Zechariah trying to oust the governor and make Jeshua ruler of the struggling nation? How would this better the situation of the remnant and hasten the completion of the temple?

, Zechariah explained God’s message to the high priest and the witnesses. He must have told them that both Zerubbabel and Jeshua were “wondrous signs” of things to come (). Even though Zerubbabel was from David’s line, he wasn’t the one God had chosen to be crowned. God had chosen Jeshua, and for the first time in Israelite history, the Lord united the monarchy and the priesthood.

The reign of Christ on earth will have a restored temple and priesthood (; ; ; ), and Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of His father David as King and Priest (, ). This will be the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to David that He would always have an heir seated on His throne ().

, Zechariah then took the crown from Jeshua’s head and gave him his priestly turban (). Why? Because the symbolic act was over and the crown did not belong to Jeshua. It belonged to the coming Messiah. Zechariah placed the crown somewhere in the temple as a memorial (reminder) of the Lord’s promise of a King-Priest who would bring peace and holiness to His people.

To commemorate events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, four new fasts had been added to the religious calendar by the Jewish exiles in Babylon (see ): one in the tenth month, when the Babylonians had begun the siege of the city; another in the fourth month, when the city walls had been broken through; one in the fifth month, when the temple had been burned; and one in the seventh month, when the Jewish governor Gedaliah had been assassinated (see ). The significant question was “Now that the temple was being rebuilt, was it necessary to continue the fast in the fifth month that commemorated the burning of the temple?”

Zechariah didn’t give them an immediate reply. In fact, the Lord didn’t reveal His will in the matter until later (). First, they needed to deal with the heart attitudes of the people.

Catalyst

Zechariah and the people faced a practical question. Since the temple was being rebuilt, was it still necessary or appropriate to go on remembering the destruction of the first temple? After all, our relationship with the Lord isn’t so much a matter of traditions and rules as it is faith, love, and a desire to please Him. Immature people require religious regulations to tell them what to do, and these regulations help them measure their spiritual lives. But God wants us to mature spiritually and grow away from obeying rules to following principles and cultivating a vital personal relationship with Him.

In Zechariah reminded the people of the way their forefathers routinely practiced their religion but failed to hear God’s Word and obey it from their hearts. That was why Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. Their religion was just a part of their lives; it wasn’t the very heart of their lives. They could go to the temple and piously present their prayers and sacrifices but then leave the temple to break God’s law, worship idols, and abuse other people.

The word “tradition” simply means “that which is passed along.” It comes from a Latin word that means “to hand over.” The basic doctrines of the Christian faith must be handed from generation to generation (; ; ; ; ; ), but the customs and traditions of the early church don’t carry the same authority as the inspired Word of God. In fact, as times change, some of these customs may be detrimental to the work of the Lord.

Jesus dealt with the question of tradition when He was ministering here on earth (; ). He carefully distinguished between the inspired Word of God that never changes and human traditions that are always subject to review and revision. Final authority for faith and practice must rest in the Word of God.

Go to the

The central issue, God made clear, wasn’t the destruction of the temple or the scattering of the people. Those were the painful consequences that followed a long chain of causes. Remembering those events didn’t make sense unless the reason for those tragedies was also remembered. If the causes were forgotten, then the consequences, as vivid as they might be, would be merely wasted lessons from the past. When we disconnect sin from painful consequences, we often find ourselves repeating sin.

God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises. Faith and hope are nourished by the promises of God given to us in the Scriptures. That explains why Zechariah dropped the discussion of the traditions and delivered a new message from the Lord. In this message, he focused the people’s eyes of faith on the future and shared some wonderful promises to encourage them.

God affirmed His jealous love and concern for Zion, just as He had done earlier (). He promised that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and become a wholly different city, dedicated to truth and holiness. This promise will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to earth to establish His kingdom (; ; ; ).

Haggai had rebuked the Jewish remnant because the people weren’t faithful to the Lord in their stewardship (). Instead of honoring the Lord and building His house, they had built their own houses first, and for this sin, God disciplined them. The weather turned bad, their crops failed, and the economy became worse and worse. God wasn’t being unkind to His people; He was only being true to His covenant ().

We must always keep in mind two facts about material blessings. First, we don’t obey God just to become wealthy and secure. We obey God because He is God and deserves our loving obedience. Obedience builds character, and when our character is what it ought to be, God can trust us with His blessings. Material blessings aren’t bribes, nor are they rewards. Second, God doesn’t always respond with material blessings, and poverty is not a sign that God has forsaken His people. Job’s experience completely destroys this commercial or material idea of faith and obedience. Because Job’s friends had a commercial view of faith, they encouraged him to confess his sins so God could again make him wealthy. They told him to bargain with God! But Job refused to try to negotiate with God, even though he didn’t understand what the Lord was working out in his sufferings.

God called Abraham and established the nation of Israel so His people would witness to the Gentiles and lead them to faith in the true God (). In setting apart one nation, God was seeking to reach a whole world.

These verses describe the future march of Alexander the Great and his army through the area north and east of Palestine. Alexander defeated the Persians in 333 B.C. at the Battle of Issus and then turned to conquer the leading cities in Phoenicia. Daniel had predicted Alexander’s success, comparing him to a winged leopard () and a fighting he-goat (). Prophecy is history prewritten, and both Daniel and Zechariah wrote some of that history.

The promise in this verse goes far beyond the time of Alexander, for it states that God is always protecting His people and His temple. No one can touch them without His permission. In the centuries since Alexander’s conquest, the Jewish nation has suffered often because of invaders, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. But the day will come when the Messiah will reign and no invader will be able to threaten God’s people let alone attack them.

This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on what we traditionally call Palm Sunday, and the event is recorded in all four gospels (; ; ; and ). This is the only public demonstration Jesus allowed during His ministry, and He did it to fulfill Scripture.

The coming of God’s Son to this earth wasn’t heaven’s Plan B or a hasty decision by the Father after our first parents sinned. The plan of redemption was settled in eternity, before Creation. The coming of the Lamb of God was decided “before the foundation of the world” (), for He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” ().

When Jesus Christ comes again, He will “speak peace” which means “proclaim peace,” for unlike authors and politicians, when Jesus speaks, His words carry authority and things happen (). His Word will go forth with power and result in a general disarmament around the world. Chariots and war horses will be demobilized; every weapon will be destroyed.

The Messiah will march in triumph. The image here is that of a storm, not unlike what we read in and . The Messiah will march forth with a voice like thunder and arrows like lightning, and His army will march with Him. He’ll shield them from danger and death and will enable them to defeat their enemies.

The promise of rain may have a spiritual meaning behind it, because the Holy Spirit is spoken of in terms of rain (; ; ; ; ). God promises to pour out His Spirit on Israel () and bring them to repentance and faith in Christ.

The emphasis in the rest of the paragraph is on strength and “mighty men.” Because the Lord will be with the Jews, they will trample their enemies down like mud in the streets, and they will go from victory to victory in the strength of the Lord. God will also call His scattered sheep back home from the many countries where they have been scattered. Just as a shepherd can whistle or play a tune on a pipe and call His flock together, so the Lord will gather His people.

What a day of victory! God will regather, redeem, and reunite His people Israel as one nation, and they will rejoice in the strength of the Lord. But this same God can give the same blessings to His church today. We’re a scattered people, divided and sometimes distant from each other, but God can unite us in Christ and bring us together. We’re fighting battles against the enemy, but the Lord can strengthen us and turn His helpless sheep into victorious war horses. Think how much He is willing to do for us if only we would admit our failures and unbelief and turn to Him for help!

These brief verses describe the invasion of the Holy Land by the Romans. Key places like the Jordan Valley, Lebanon, and Bashan are mentioned. The invading army is like a fire that burns the forests. The wailing shepherds are the rulers of the nation who have led the people astray and are now paying for their sins.

God commanded Zechariah to play the role of the true Shepherd. He became a type of the Messiah at the time when our Lord was ministering on earth. The flock of Israel was destined for slaughter because of their wicked rulers, but he was to do his best to rescue them. The Jewish leaders weren’t concerned about the sheep; they were concerned only about their own position and power (see also ).

Zechariah called the one staff “Beauty” (v. ) and the other one “Bonds.” He fed the flock and even got rid of three unfaithful shepherds. Then one day he broke both staffs! God’s favor to His people had come to an end; the covenant union between God and His people was broken. But so also was the union between Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel.

Zechariah was then commanded to adopt the role of a “foolish shepherd.” The word doesn’t mean “stupid” but “morally deficient, corrupt” because he doesn’t receive God’s truth. He’s “a worthless shepherd” because he doesn’t care for the sheep. Unlike the Good Shepherd, he doesn’t seek the lost, care for the young, feed the flock, or heal the injured. All he does is slaughter the flock to feed himself! (See .)

That God’s chosen people, who possess the inspired Scriptures, should reject Him who is “the truth” () and has come from the Father, and follow one who is a liar and is energized by Satan, is incredible to comprehend, but it will happen just as the Scripture says. The Lord will judge this false shepherd, however, by breaking his power (his arm) and confusing his mind (right eye), and then Messiah will come from heaven and confine him to the lake of fire for a thousand years ().

Jerusalem is mentioned forty-nine times in the Book of Zechariah, and twenty-four of these references are in the final three chapters. In the first chapter of his prophecy, Zechariah said that God is “am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal” (). This statement reveals the yearning heart of a loving Father for His firstborn () and the desire of a faithful Husband for His unfaithful bride (; ).

, Zechariah used the images of a “cup of drunkenness” and a “very heavy stone.” A drink is a familiar biblical image for judgment (; , ; ; ; ). The nations plan to swallow up Jerusalem, but when they begin to drink the cup, its contents make them sick and drunk! History shows that every nation that has ever tried to destroy the Jews has itself been destroyed. It will be no different when the nations collectively attack God’s chosen people.

Panic, a wildfire, and special power given to the Jewish warriors (v. ) are the means God will use to conquer the invading armies. The horses will panic in their blindness, and the riders will be possessed by madness and end up fighting each other (). God will watch over His people and see to it that they are delivered. He will make the Jews to be like fire and their enemies like dry stubble. Jesus Christ will demonstrate His great power as He defends His people and defeats His enemies. In delivering Israel from her enemies, our Lord’s ultimate goal is more than their national preservation, for their spiritual restoration is uppermost in His heart. He wants to reveal Himself to them and establish the kind of relationship that was impossible in previous centuries because of their unbelief.

Repentance isn’t something we work up ourselves; it’s a gift from God as we hear His Word and recognize His grace (; ; ). God will pour out the Spirit upon Israel (, ), and the people will realize their sins and call out to God for forgiveness.

The people will finally see their Messiah whom the nation pierced (; ; , ) and will put their faith in Him. Forgiveness comes to any believing sinner only through faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Isaiah had admonished the nation, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil” (), but they refused to listen. Jeremiah had pleaded with His people, “O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness that you may be saved” (), but they wouldn’t obey. But here, in response to Israel’s repentance and faith, the Lord would wash them clean. This forgiveness is part of the new covenant that God had promised to His people ().

Not only would their hearts be cleansed, but the land itself would be purged of all that is deceitful and defiling. The idols and the false prophets—two of Israel’s besetting sins—would be removed, as well as the very spirit of impurity that caused people to turn from God.

In contrast to the false prophets, the true Shepherd is presented throughout Zechariah. (Review chapter for the other “Shepherd” prophecies.) Jesus quoted part of this prophecy when He was on His way to Gethsemane with His disciples (), and He referred to it again when He was arrested in the garden (, ).

, The refiner image reminds us of the value God puts on His people Israel: They are like gold and silver that need to be refined in the furnace of affliction. This had been their experience in Egypt () and in Babylon (), but the “time of Jacob’s trouble” () will be their most difficult furnace experience. The goldsmith refines the gold or silver so that the dross may be removed, and that’s what the tribulation in the last days will accomplish for Israel.

Certainly the church is a defiled people who need to repent and be cleansed, and the promise of forgiveness is still valid (). God often has to put us through the furnace of suffering before we’ll call on Him and seek His face (; ). If God’s people will follow the instructions of , the Lord will cleanse and bless the church and bring healing to the land.

Zechariah predicted that the Lord would visibly appear. Our Lord ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives (), and when He returns to earth, He will stand on the Mount of Olives and cause a great earthquake to change the terrain (; , ). This will create a new valley that will provide an escape route for many of the people. Changes will also occur in the heavens so that the day will be neither light nor darkness, morning nor evening (see , ).

, In addition to the changes caused by the earthquake at Christ’s return (vv. , ), two other changes will occur: (1) the land around Jerusalem will be lowered and leveled and become a plain, and (2) Jerusalem itself will be raised above the land around it. These changes will fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy ().

The mountains round about Jerusalem had served for many centuries as part of her protection (; , ); but when the Messiah reigns, the city no longer would face danger from enemy invasion ().

Israel would have a ministry to the Gentiles who would trust the true and living God and come to Jerusalem to worship at His temple (; ).

The nations that wouldn’t send their representatives to Jerusalem to worship would be disciplined by getting no rain for their land. This is how God had disciplined Israel when she had refused to obey Him (). Remember, though the millennium will be a time of peace and blessing, it also will be a time when Jesus will reign over all the earth “with a rod of iron” and will judge disobedience (; ; ; ).

, Holiness will characterize all of life. For the believer today, this is the Old Testament version of , “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The Christian life has no “secular” or “sacred” divisions because everything comes from God and should be used for His glory.

Zechariah 1

1:1

1:1 ,

1:3 []

1:4 ,

1:4

1:6 []

1:6 ;

1:8 []

1:9 , , ;

1:10 []

1:11 [, ]

1:12

1:12 , ;

1:13

1:14

1:15

1:16 [; ]

1:16 ,

1:16

1:17 [, ; ]

1:17

1:18 []

1:19 , ,

1:21 []

1:21 ,

1:21 Literally these

Zechariah 2

2:1

2:2

2:4

2:5 []

2:6

2:7

2:8

2:9

2:10

2:10 []

2:11 [, ]

2:11

2:12 []

2:13

Zechariah 3

3:1

3:2 []

3:2

3:3

3:4

3:5

3:7

3:7 ,

3:7

3:8

3:8 ; ;

3:9 []

3:9

3:9 ;

3:10

Zechariah 4

4:1 ;

4:1

4:2

4:2 []

4:3 ,

4:6

4:7

4:7 , ,

4:9 ;

4:9 ,

4:9 , ;

4:9 []

4:9 Literally house

4:10

4:11

4:12 Literally into the hands of

4:14

Zechariah 5

5:1

5:3

5:4

5:4 ,

5:6 Hebrew ephah, a measuring container, and so elsewhere

5:8 Literally stone

5:9 ,

5:10

5:11 ,

5:11

5:11 That is, Babylon

Zechariah 6

6:2

6:4

6:5 [, ]

6:5

6:6

6:7

6:8

6:11

6:12

6:12 [; ; ]

6:13

6:13 ; []

6:14

6:14 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Syriac reads for Heldai (compare verse ); Septuagint reads for the patient ones.

6:15

Zechariah 7

7:2 Literally they (compare verse )

7:2 Or Sar-Ezer

7:2 Hebrew Bethel

7:3

7:5 []

7:5

7:5 []

7:6

7:7

7:7 Hebrew Negev

7:9

7:10

7:11

7:12

7:12 ,

7:13

7:14 ;

Zechariah 8

8:2

8:3

8:3 ,

8:3

8:3 [, ]

8:3

8:4

8:5 ,

8:6 []

8:7

8:8

8:8 [; , ]

8:8

8:9

8:9 , ;

8:9

8:10 ,

8:11

8:12

8:13

8:14

8:14 []

8:16 ,

8:16 []

8:17

8:17 Literally his

8:19

8:21 [, ]

8:22 ;

8:23

8:23 []

8:23

Zechariah 9

9:1

9:1 Or oracle

9:2

9:4

9:5 ,

9:6

9:8 []

9:9

9:9 [, ]; ; , ; ;

9:10

9:11

9:12

9:14

9:15

9:16 ,

9:16

9:17 []

9:17

9:17 Or His

Zechariah 10

10:1 []

10:1 [, ]

10:1 []

10:1 That is, spring rain

10:2

10:2 ,

10:2

10:2 Hebrew teraphim

10:3

10:4

10:4 Or despot

10:5

10:6

10:7

10:8

10:9

10:10

10:10 ,

10:11

10:11 That is, the Nile

10:12

Zechariah 11

11:1

11:2

11:3

11:3 Or floodplain, thicket

11:5 [];

11:5

11:5 ,

11:7

11:7 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads for the Canaanites.

11:7 Or Grace, and so in verse

11:7 Or Unity, and so in verse

11:8

11:9

11:11

11:11 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads the Canaanites.

11:12 ; ; ,

11:13

11:15

11:16

11:17

Zechariah 12

12:1 ;

12:1 []

12:1 Or oracle

12:2

12:3 , , ;

12:3

12:4

12:6

12:9

12:10 [, ]

12:10 , ; ; []

12:10

12:11 []

12:11

12:11 Hebrew Megiddon

12:12 []

12:12

Zechariah 13

13:1 [, ]

13:1 []

13:1

13:2

13:2 ,

13:3

13:4 [, ]

13:4

13:5

13:6 Or hands

13:7

13:7 []

13:7 , , ; ; ; ,

13:7

13:8 , ,

13:8 []

13:9

13:9 ,

13:9

Zechariah 14

14:1 [, ]

14:2 ,

14:4

14:5

14:5 , ;

14:5

14:5 Or you; Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read Him.

14:7

14:8

14:9 []

14:9

14:9 Compare

14:10

14:10 Literally She

14:11

14:13 ,

14:13

14:14 ,

14:15

14:16 [, ; ; ]

14:16

14:17

14:18

14:20

14:21

14:21 []

14:21 Or on every pot . . . shall be (engraved) “HOLINESS TO THE LORD OF HOSTS”

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