About Zechariah
God is jealous for Jerusalem and will return to dwell there - the suffering Messiah who enters on a donkey and is pierced will ultimately reign as King over all the earth.
"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."
Zechariah 4:6
Written
circa 520-480 BC
Author
Zechariah
Genre
Prophecy / Apocalyptic
Position
38th of 66 books - Minor Prophets
Authorship
Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, a priest who also functioned as a prophet - ministering alongside Haggai to encourage the temple rebuilding. Chapters 9-14 may be from a later period of Zechariah's own ministry.
Historical Context
Contemporary with Haggai (520 BC), Zechariah ministered during the rebuilding of the second temple. The eight night visions in chapters 1-6 provided cosmic reassurance that God was at work behind the scenes of a discouraged community.
Purpose
To encourage the post-exilic community by revealing God's heavenly perspective on their restoration - and to provide the richest OT deposit of messianic prophecy outside of Isaiah.
Key Message
God is jealous for Jerusalem and will return to dwell there - the suffering Messiah who enters on a donkey and is pierced will ultimately reign as King over all the earth.
Book Structure
Interesting Facts
Zechariah 9:9 - Your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey - is fulfilled in Jesus's triumphal entry (Matt 21:5).
Zechariah 12:10 - They will look on me, the one they have pierced - is quoted in John 19:37 at the crucifixion.
Zechariah 11:12-13 - 30 pieces of silver thrown into the potter's field - is applied to Judas's betrayal in Matthew 27:9.
Zechariah is the most quoted Minor Prophet in the NT Passion narratives.