Zechariah I. Introduction A. Zechariah (YHWH remembered) B. Addressing the challenges of the post-exilic Jewish community C. Let us consider the book II. Zechariah: The Details A. Authorship 1. Material from Zechariah the priest, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo (Zechariah 1:1) 2. Iddo returned from exile with Zerubbabel, ca. 538 BCE (Nehemiah 12:1) 3. Ezra 5:1, 6:14: Haggai and Zechariah prophesy to encourage people to rebuild Temple despite official opposition 4. Perhaps the prophet mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 23:35, killed between the sanctuary and altar 5. Nothing known regarding final compiler B. Dating 1. Dates provided for many prophecies (Zechariah 1:1, 1:7, 7:1) 2. These date to around 520 BCE, same time as Haggai 3. All material ca. 530-470 BCE C. Audience 1. Post-exilic Judah 2. Much we can gain from it D. Purpose 1. To reveal the word of God that came to Zechariah 2. To encourage the people to finish the Second Temple, obey God 3. To set forth the things that would happen to the Christ III. Zechariah: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Visions (Zechariah 1-8) 2. Burdens (Zechariah 9-14) B. Call to Return to God, Visions (Zechariah 1-6) 1. 520 BCE: Word of God to Zechariah: LORD angry with your fathers; LORD calls people to return to Him; do not be like fathers who did not listen to prophets; fathers and prophets did not live forever, God's words and statutes caught up to them; they repented when their destruction was evident (Zechariah 1:1-6) 2. Zechariah sees first vision: man on red horse, standing among myrtle trees, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him; Zechariah wants to know meaning, angel will reveal; horsemen as those God sends to patrol earth; indicate earth is at rest; angel wants to know how long it will be while God shows no mercy to Judah; LORD provides comforting, gracious answer, indicates His jealousy for Judah; God angry with nations at ease; God will return to Jerusalem, Temple to be rebuilt, prosperity to return; God will comfort and choose Zion (Zechariah 1:7-17) 3. Zechariah sees second vision: four horns; asks what they are; horns that scattered all Israel; Zechariah sees craftsmen, asks what they are doing; they come to terrify, cast down horns of nations who fought against Judah (Zechariah 1:18-21) 4. Zechariah sees third vision: man with measuring line; Zechariah asks him where he is going; he goes to measure Jerusalem, its size; angel meets individual, tells him that Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls because of number of people; LORD as wall of fire all around, His glory present; LORD declares for people to flee from the north, to return from the Dispersion to Jerusalem; glory to plundering nations will be restored; God to dwell again in Jerusalem; nations to join themselves with the LORD; God to dwell in the midst of the people, they will know that God has sent Zechariah to them; God will inherit Judah as His portion; all flesh to be silent because God has roused Himself from His dwelling (Zechariah 2:1-13) 5. Zechariah sees fourth vision: Joshua the high priest before angel of LORD, Satan next to him, accusing him; LORD rebukes Satan; God has again chosen Jerusalem; Joshua as in dirty clothes; angel says to have clothes removed; iniquity removed, he will be clothed with pure clothing; Joshua clothed with clean turban, garments; angel assures Joshua that if he is obedient to God, he will be given right of access; friends sitting before him as a sign that God will bring His servant the Branch; stone set before Joshua with seven eyes, inscription engraved; sin of land removed in one day; on that day, all invite neighbors to sit under vine, fig tree (Zechariah 3:1-10) 6. Zechariah sleeping, awakened by angel; Zechariah sees fifth vision: lampstand of gold, bowl on its top, seven lamps with lights, two olive trees; Zechariah wants to know what they are, does not know; word of LORD to Zerubbabel: not by power or might but by the Spirit of God; mountain to be plain before him, will bring forward top stone; as Zerubbabel began foundation of Temple, he will finish it; then they will know God sent Zechariah; those despising days of small things will rejoice, will see plumb line in hand of Zerubbabel; seven as eyes of the LORD on the earth; Zechariah asks twice about olive trees; they are the anointed ones who stand by the LORD of earth (Zechariah 4:1-13) 7. Zechariah sees sixth vision: a flying scroll, 20 by 10 cubits; curse going out over the whole land; all who steal cleaned out by what is on one side, those who swear falsely by what is on other side; God will send it out, it will enter houses of thieves and those who swear falsely, and will consume those houses (Zechariah 5:1-4) 8. Zechariah sees seventh vision: a basket going out; the iniquity in the land; woman in the basket, Wickedness; pushed back into basket, lid returned; Zechariah sees two women coming forward; wind in their wings, wings like storks, lifted up basket between earth and heaven; basket taken to land of Shinar (=Babylon), house to be built there for it (Zechariah 5:5-11) 9. Zechariah sees eighth vision: four chariots coming out from between two mountains; mountains of bronze; first chariot with red horses, second black, third white, fourth dappled; all strong; they go out to four winds of heaven after presenting themselves to God; black goes north, white after them; dappled toward south; horses impatient to patrol the earth, and they go; those who go to north country have set Spirit at rest there; word of LORD to Zechariah: take Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, exiles returning from Babylon, go to house of Josiah; take silver and gold, make crown for Joshua the high priest; to say to him: man whose name is Branch; will branch out, build Temple; will bear royal honor, will sit and rule; priest on throne, counsel of peace between them both; crown will be in Temple to remind aforementioned persons; those far off will come and help build Temple; people will know that God sent Zechariah; it will come to pass if they obey (Zechariah 6:1-15) C. The Word of the LORD Through Zechariah (Zechariah 7-8) 1. 518 BCE: people of Bethel send Sharezer and Regem-melech to entreat God's favor, asks whether to weep and abstain in the fifth month; word of LORD to Zechariah: did you fast for God? Do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Did not God say that all these things were going to take place?; God tells people to accomplish justice and mercy, do not oppress people; people refused to pay attention, stopped ears, made hearts as hard as diamonds, did not hear message of former prophets; anger came from God, people were scattered among nations, land made desolate (Zechariah 7:1-14) 2. God jealous for Zion, jealous with great wrath; God has returned to dwell in Jerusalem; it will be called faithful city; old men and women will again sit in it; streets to be full of children playing; marvelous in His sight; God will save His people from east and west, make them dwell in Jerusalem; they will be His people, He will be their God (Zechariah 8:1-8) 3. Let the hands of Temple builders be strong; beforehand, no security, money; now there will be sowing of peace, prosperity; Judah previously a curse, will be made a blessing; do not fear, have strong hands (Zechariah 8:9-13) 4. As God was provoked and brought disaster without relenting, He will now do good for Judah; do not fear; they are to speak truth and act justly, not think evil in their hearts and do not love false oaths, things God hates; all the fasts of Judah will be turned into seasons of feasting and joy; love truth and peace; people of many cities will come to seek, entreat God; men of nations will ask to go with a Jew since they have heard God is with him (Zechariah 8:14-23) D. The First Burden (Zechariah 9-11) 1. Burden of word of LORD against Hadrach and Damascus; God has eye on nations, Israel; Tyre is very wealthy, yet God will strip her of her possessions and power; Philistine cities will see and be afraid, will lose their kings, be uninhabited; mixed people to live there, pride of Philistia to be cut off; blood taken from its mouth, abominations removed; after purging, made part of Israel; no oppressor to march over God's people (Zechariah 9:1-8) 2. People of Jerusalem to rejoice: their king is coming, humble, mounted on colt; cavalry, armaments to be removed from Israel and Judah; will speak peace to the nations; will rule over all the earth; because of blood of covenant, prisoners of the pit to be set free; prisoners of hope to return to their stronghold, will receive double from God; Judah bent as bow, Ephraim as arrow, to attack Greeks (Zechariah 9:9-13) 3. God will appear over them, will sound trumpet and march as whirlwinds of south; LORD to protect them; they will devour, tread down, and drink and roar; God will save them on that day; they will shine in land like jewels in crown; God's goodness, beauty are great; grain make men flourish, new wine the young women (Zechariah 9:14-17) 4. Ask for rain from the LORD in spring season, He will provide; household gods speak nonsense and the diviners see lies; people wander like sheep, afflicted for lack of shepherd; God angry with shepherds, or leaders, will punish them; God cares for the flock of the house of Judah, from Him will come cornerstone and tent peg and battle bow and ruler; they will be as mighty men in battle; they will fight because God is with them, will put riders on horses to shame (Zechariah 10:1-5) 5. God will strengthen, save Israel and Judah; He will bring them back because of His compassion, they will be as if never rejected; God will answer them; Ephraim to be as mighty warrior, will be glad; children will see it and be glad; rejoice in LORD; God to whistle and gather them in for He has redeemed them; they will be as they were before; God dispersed them, will restore them, bring them home from Egypt, Assyria, return them to Gilead and Lebanon until there is no room; waters to be struck and dried up; pride of Assyria to be humbled; God will make them strong, they will walk in His name (Zechariah 10:6-12) 6. Lebanon to open doors so fire will devour cedars; cypress, oaks, shepherds to wail, lions to roar, for destruction has come upon Lebanon (Zechariah 11:1-3) 7. God tells Zechariah to become shepherd of flock doomed to slaughter; those who slaughter go unpunished, those who sell make money on them and bless the name of God; shepherds have no pity; God to no longer have pity on them, will cause them to fall into each others' hands; land to be crushed; Zechariah does so, taking two staffs, Favor and Union; shepherds sheep; in one month, destroyed the three shepherds; became impatient with them, they hated him; Zechariah says he will no longer be their shepherd: what will die to die, those who remain devour one another; Favor broken, ending covenant of God with peoples; sheep traders saw, know it is word of LORD; asks them to give him his wages; they weigh out 30 pieces of silver; God says to throw it to the potter; it is the price at which they valued God; Union broken, ending brotherhood of Judah and Israel (Zechariah 11:4-14) 8. God tells Zechariah to take equipment of foolish shepherd; God raising shepherd in land who will not care for oppressed; woe to that shepherd, deserting the flock; may he be struck in the eye and his arm withered (Zechariah 11:15-17) E. The Second Burden (Zechariah 12-14) 1. Burden of Word of LORD regarding Israel: LORD the Creator will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to the peoples; siege of Jerusalem also against Judah; Jerusalem to be a heavy stone for peoples; those who lift it will injure themselves; nations of earth to gather against it; all horses, riders struck with panic, madness; for Judah God will keep eyes open, inhabitants of Jerusalem will have strength through God; Judah to be made like a fire on that day, devouring all surrounding peoples; Jerusalem to be inhabited again; LORD to give salvation to tents of Judah first so that glory of Jerusalem does not surpass Judah; LORD to protect inhabitants of Jerusalem; the feeble to be strong, the strong to be like God; God will seek to destroy all nations coming against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9) 2. God will pour out spirit of grace and mercy on house of David and Jerusalem; they will mourn and weep for sin when they look upon the God whom they have pierced; on that day, mourning for Jerusalem like mourning for Hadad-rimmon on plain of Megiddo; land, families individually mourn; fountain opened that day for house of David and for Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin (Zechariah 12:10-13:1) 3. On that day, God will cut off name of idols from the land, to be remembered no more; prophets, spirit of uncleanness to be removed from land; those who prophesy will be denied as liars by their own parents; they will pierce him through; every prophet on that day will be ashamed of vision; he will not put on hairy cloak, but will claim to be a farmer; will deny wounds are from being a prophet; sword to be roused against shepherd; when shepherd struck, sheep will scatter; God to turn hand against little ones; two-thirds will be cut off, one-third to survive; that third to be put in fire and refined; they will be His people, tested in fire, who will call on His name and He will answer; He is their God, they are His people (Zechariah 13:2-9) 4. Day coming when spoil taken will be divided in their midst; nations will gather for battle, the city will fall, houses plundered, women raped; half of city will go to exile, other half will not be cut off from city; LORD will go out and fight on that day, will stand on Mount of Olives; it will split in two; people to flee to the valley of the mountains, like they fled in the day of the earthquake in Uzziah's day; God will then come, His holy ones with Him; no light, cold, frost on that day-- a unique day, known to God, light in evening; living waters will flow from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, half to western sea, in summer and winter; LORD to be king over earth; LORD will be one, His name one; land to be turned into a plain save Jerusalem, which will still be on mountain; it will be inhabited and will dwell in security (Zechariah 14:1-11) 5. Plague will come against nations fighting Jerusalem: flesh will rot; panic from LORD will fall on them, will fight each other; wealth of all nations to be collected; plague will also fall on all living creatures in their camp; all who survive from the nations will come up to worship God, keep Feast of Booths; no rain on those who do not go up; plague, no rain, for Egypt if they do not go up; it will be inscribed on bells of horses, "Holy to the LORD"; pots in Temple will be as bowls before altar; every pot in Jerusalem, Judah to be holy to the LORD so that all who sacrifice may come and partake; no more traders in Temple on that day (Zechariah 14:12-21) IV. Zechariah: Important Passages A. Zechariah 1:7-16 / Revelation 6:1-8 B. Zechariah 2:1 / Revelation 11:1 C. Zechariah 3:2 / Jude 1:9 D. Zechariah 4:2 / Revelation 1:12 E. Zechariah 6:1-3 / Revelation 6:1-8 F. Zechariah 8:16 / Ephesians 4:25 G. Zechariah 9:9 / Matthew 21:5, John 12:15 H. Zechariah 11:13 / Matthew 27:9 I. Zechariah 12:10 / John 19:37, Revelation 1:7 J. Zechariah 13:7 / Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27 V. Zechariah: Conclusion A. Thus we have the visions, prophecies, and burdens of Zechariah 1. Encouragement to the people to serve God 2. Condemnation of nations, wickedness 3. Upcoming day of glory B. Zechariah teaches us the importance of listening to God, serving Him C. Let us be the holy ones of God! D. Invitation/songbook