Personal Reading & Reflection on Zechariah

Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers”. He was the son (or

descendant) of Iddo, possibly from a priestly lineage (Nehemiah

12:16). Indeed the Lord remembered his promise to restore the

scattered children of Israel after their appointed time of exile was over.

Together with Haggai, Zechariah’s prophetic ministry inspired the

remnant who returned to complete the rebuilding of the second

temple. Babylon was defeated by the Medo-Persians in 539 BC and the

new policy was to return the exiled peoples to their homeland.

Zechariah was one of the first returnees (about 50,000 strong)

together with Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest

(Nehemiah 12:4). His main message was to rebuke the remnant for not

completing the temple construction and encouraged them to press on

despite opposition.

In a series of visions and interpretations, God revealed his plan for the

future of Israel. Horsemen patrolled the earth and found that it was

peaceful. During the reign of Darius, all his enemies were subdued by

520 BC. Yet the Lord was jealous for Jerusalem and angry at the

nations that brought disaster on Israel. The Lord declared judgment on

the nations (possibly Assyria, Egypt, Babylonia and Medo-Persia) which

had scattered Judah. Jerusalem was promised to be inhabited by a

multitude of men and cattle within so that it had no walls. The Lord

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himself will be a wall of fire around her (chapter 2). The Jewish exiles

were encouraged to leave Babylon and return to their homeland. The

high priest Joshua was depicted as being accused by Satan because of

his filthy garments (chapter 3). But the Lord spoke on his behalf,

rebuked Satan and clothed him in clean garments. It is symbolic of God

cleansing and forgiving the nation of priesthood so that they may walk

in His ways. But even Joshua is only symbolic of the Lord’s servant the

Branch (2:8, Isaiah 11:1, 42:1, Jeremiah 23:5). Zechariah moved

beyond the immediate context and pointed forward to the one day in

which God will remove the iniquity of Israel all at once, perhaps a

Messianic reference to the cross of Calvary. Zerubbabel was

encouraged that all opposition shall be overcome “not by might nor by

power but by the Spirit of the Lord” (4:6). In another vision, the

coronation of Joshua as high priest was followed up with the promise of

the Branch who would built God’s temple, exercise priestly ministry

while ruling from God’s throne (6:12-13). Again, we see Messianic

prophecy of Christ’s combined priestly and kingly ministry.

With the former prophets, Zechariah was in agreement that the nation

needed to practice true justice and compassion rather than oppression.

Their stubborn disobedience was the cause of their exile (chapter 7).

Yet the time of restoration and renewal had finally arrived. The Lord

will return to Jerusalem and bring back the remnant so their fasts

should be cheerful feasts (chapter 8). Then the nations will stream to

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Jerusalem in order to seek the Lord (a reference to future Messianic

age). Very often, Zechariah’s imageries point beyond the immediate

context to eschatological perspectives with Messianic glimpses. The

day of the Lord was described with earth-shattering events such as the

opening of a fountain to wash impurities, the striking of God’s

shepherd, the vengeance of God against hostile nations in battle, the

feet of the Lord standing on the Mount of Olives and splitting it into two

so that the faithful may flee through its valley (chapters 13 and 14).

The nations shall go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles to

worship the King (14:16). Such rich imageries for Messianic

expectations would be taken up by later apocalyptic writings like

Revelations in the New Testament.