Zechariah
The book of Zechariah, although probably the most complex of all of the books which are commonly known as the minor prophets, stands out in terms of its focus on pointing to the Christ who was to come to earth as the Saviour of the world, but who would also come a second time for his bride, a glorious and spotless Church.
Zechariah, like Haggai, had a ministry of encouragement for the group of Israelites who had returned from Babylon. More specifically, he was called by God to encourage the returned exiles in the rebuilding of God’s temple in Jerusalem. Zechariah means “Yahweh remembers’, a meaning entirely appropriate to the prophet’s message of hope and the context in which he prophesied.
At the time of Zechariah’s first message (520 B.C.), about eighteen years had passed since Cyrus pernitted Zerubbabel with a group of Jewish exiles (539/38 B.C.) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The foundation was promptly laid and the people celebrated although subsequent work was brought to a halt due to pressure from the local authorities. Zechariah was appointed by God to stir the people, discouraged by resistance, to complete the task of rebuilding God’s temple.
Like other prophets before him (e.g., Jeremiah, Ezekiel), Zechariah was both priest and prophet.
A Call to Return to the Lord
At the beginning of the book (1: 1-6), Zechariah calls the people to return to the Lord to spur them on to begin rebuilding the temple. God always calls to us right where we are to draw us forward in his plans and purposes. In the New Testament, we find that God is passionate about the Church and likens it to a Holy Temple. (Eph.2:19-22). In our generation, God is interested in a restored Church. Just like the call to rebuild the temple, God calls us to build the Church that he intended, a Church built with strong foundations, a people going on to maturity and committed to reaching out to the world with the wonderful news of Jesus Christ.
A Call to Persevere
In 519 B.C , the year after his first message, Zechariah gave a series of eight night visions and an account of the high priest Joshua’s crowning. Each of these visions demonstrate Israel’s role in the age about to dawn and would have encouraged the returned exiles to press ahead with the temple’s rebuilding. The Bible is full of encouragement for God’s people to persevere (James 1:2-4). We are not promised it will be easy, but the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8 v 10). Paul understood the reality of this (2 Corinthians 7:4).
A Call to Live by the Spirit
Probably the most quoted verse in Zechariah is “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.’ (4:6). The Holy Spirit was at work in the Old Testament, but was poured out on the disciples in the New Testament (Acts 2:33). Jesus returned to heaven and left the Holy Spirit as our comforter and counsellor. Staying full of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) are keys to living to an effective Christian life. Zechariah understood that to fulfill God’s plan and purposes, we must always act ” by my Spirit.’
A Call to Repentance
Nearly two years later (518 B.C.), Zechariah spoke to to the people urging their repentance, and promising blessings that would follow. We find a call to genuine faith rather than simply religious acts. Repentance, turning from our ways to follow God’s ways, is always ” repentance unto life.’ (Acts 11 v18). If we want to live life to the full, we need to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
The End Game
The final prophecies in the book of Zechariah (9:1-12:14) would have come near the end of the prophet’s life (c. 480 BC). Theologians suggest that these final prophecies divide broadly into two. The first concerns the arrival and subsequent rejection of Christ (9:1-11:17), probably pointing to his first coming, with its accompanying death by crucifixion. The second concerns the arrival and subsequent acceptance of the Messiah (12:1-13:9), possibly pointing to his return at the end of history. When Jesus comes again, “we will be with the Lord for ever.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:17). What a wonderful hope we have!