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NOON HOUR BIBLE CLASS: (Professor Inghram): Zechariah Introduction

Zechariah

Introduction:

Encouragement and hope are the underlying themes of the prophecies of Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah was one of the three prophets, along with Haggai and Malachi, who ministered to the exiles returning to Jerusalem. These exiles faced the ruins of what had once been a splendid city and a glorious temple. There was much to be sad about, but Zechariah encouraged the exiles with visions of judgment on Israel’s enemies and of the complete restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Yet the most thrilling vision of all was the prediction of a coming King—the Messiah who would bring eternal salvation and the promised eternal kingdom. NSB

Whereas Haggai’s vision encompassed, for the most part, his immediate, temporal situation, the range of his contemporary and colleague was much more expansive; for Zechariah not only shared Haggai’s burden about the inertia of the postexilic community, but by vision and dream saw the unfolding of Divine purpose for all of God’s people and for all the ages to come. Rich in apocalyptic imagery and packed with messianic prediction and allusion, Zechariah’s writings became a favorite of the New Testament evangelists and apostles. The glorious hope expounded by the prophet was viewed by them as being fulfilled in the saving work and witness of Jesus Christ. No Minor Prophet excels Zechariah in the clarity and triumph by which he looks to the culmination of God’s program of redemption. ESV

In an often-quoted statement, George L. Robinson has called the Book of Zechariah “the most messianic, the most truly apocalyptic and eschatological of all the writings of the Old Testament” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956, 5:3136). The messianic emphasis of Zechariah accounts for its frequent citation by New Testament authors. Nestle and Aland list 41 New Testament citations or allusions to Zechariah’s book (Eberhard Nestle and Kurt Aland, eds., Novum Testamentum Graece. New York: American Bible Society, 1950, pp. 6701). BKC

The title of the book is derived from the work’s principal prophetic spokesperson. The Hebrew title of the book is Zekar-yah, which means “God remembers” or “Yahweh has remembered.” This meaning is consistent with the book’s contents that focus upon God’s future program for national Israel on account of His covenanted promises to the nation’s forefathers. Both the LXX and the Vulgate entitle the book Zacharias. AW

The Prophet Zechariah’s day was a time of deep discouragement for the Jewish people who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. They were so deeply troubled that many had lost their will to continue the daunting task of reclaiming the land. It seemed that God Himself had turned His back on them. The future was so clouded by what appeared to be impending disaster

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that the national spirit was at a very low ebb. If God was not prepared to intervene, where could they turn?

Eighteen years earlier, this little group of refugees had returned to Jerusalem with hearts overflowing with joy. With a great sense of expectation, they had begun to clear the mass of rubble left from the horrible destruction of the city almost two generations before (586–587 B.C.). Within seven months of their return, the Levitical system of sacrifices had been restored. In the second month of the second year of their return, they had completed the foundations for their new Temple (Ezra 3:8).

Initially, the work went well, and it continued to progress until adversaries conspired to prevent the Jews from completing the work (Ezra 4).

Eighteen years passed during which no construction was done on the Temple, and the people nearly gave up hope of ever rebuilding their place of worship. With their numbers diminished, enemies on every side, and apparently no real leader to guide them, their morale was all but broken. The hardships of nearly two decades of oppression had left them weakened, and their only comfort lay in the thought that at least they were home. Huddled below Jerusalem in the valleys to the south, they waited for someone to come to the fore and restore their hope.

Questions about God’s faithfulness haunted them: Had they returned to their land in vain? Why was their God silent? Had He forgotten them? Would He keep His word?

It was at this point that God raised up two prophets with a message for the disheartened remnant. First to appear was the Prophet Haggai. Apparently he was an old man who had seen Solomon’s Temple before its destruction, as well as the years of exile endured by Judah. His words were harsh, virtually lashing these Jewish refugees with a message that was short and laced with severe rebuke: “Consider your ways” (Hag. 1:5), he cried. “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your paneled houses, and this house [the Temple] to lie waste? … Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (Hag. 1:4, 7, 8). Haggai charged them to go to Mount Moriah and rebuild their Temple, along with the city and its walls. The prophet’s words implied that more progress had been made on their personal dwellings than on anything pertaining to the city or sanctuary.

With the thundering speech that only a true prophet of God had the right to use, Haggai poured out his soul to these discouraged and disobedient sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although his messages were of little comfort to a people who had already faced many trials and difficulties, he did reveal that the Lord was with them after all, and the Temple would, in fact, be built. After a ministry of only three months, he left the scene as rapidly as he had arrived.

Two months after Haggai began his brief ministry, the Lord raised up the Prophet Zechariah, a young man who continued to proclaim God’s message for many years. Zechariah’s message carried a different tone, and his words touched the hearts and lives of this confused band, bringing them hope and encouragement. The very name Zechariah means God remembers, a reminder they sorely needed at that moment. Even as his message met the immediate need of the returned Jerusalemites, it went far beyond the immediate context to encompass the ages and give an enduring message of hope to troubled people across the centuries. Of even greater

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significance is the fact that this minor prophet delivered a major message, the essence of which portrays the glorious prophetic future of Jerusalem and end-time events.

By means of God-given visions, Zechariah transmitted prophecies of the Messiah’s two comings. Throughout the book the Messiah is portrayed. He appears in several visions in chapters 1 to 8, and in chapters 9 to 11 He is portrayed as a rejected and crucified leader. Finally, in chapters 12 to 14 He provides cleansing and victory.

Zechariah also proclaimed God’s future plans for the Jewish people and Jerusalem. As we have seen, at the time of his prophecy, the nation needed assurances that God had not forsaken them, that He was still deeply concerned about His people.

In a nutshell, the Lord gave Zechariah a message of comfort for hurting Israel. His people would learn that He was on their side and that He intended to bless them and assure the fulfillment of Israel’s future destiny.

So, as we shall discover, God had not forgotten His people. Indeed, He had remembered them in a far greater way than they could ever have envisioned, and the good news given in these brief chapters of prophecy would sweep away the bitter memories of the Babylonian captivity. As a matter of fact, Zechariah’s prophetic passages surpass in detail and clarity those of many of his Old Testament peers. FHH

Author and Name:

The postexilic Prophet Zechariah was a Levite born in Babylon (Neh. 12:1, 16). He was the son of Berekiah and the grandson of Iddo the priest (Zech. 1:1). Ezra and Nehemiah referred to him as “a descendant of Iddo” (Ezra 5:1; 6:14; cf. Neh. 12:4, 16), implying perhaps that his father had died young and Zechariah became the successor of his grandfather (cf. Neh. 12:4, 16). So, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel before him, Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest. Zechariah’s name, which he shared with about 30 other men in the Old Testament, means “Yahweh (NIV, the LORD‘) remembers.”

Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai the prophet, Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest (Ezra 5:1–2; Zech. 3:1; 4:6; 6:11). Zechariah returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with almost 50,000 other Jewish exiles. He was probably a relatively young man at the beginning of his prophetic ministry (cf. 2:4) while Haggai might have been considerably older. BKC

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Both the book itself (1:1) as well as universal Jewish and Christian tradition indicates that Zechariah was the writer of the entire work. However, some who challenge the book’s unity contend that chapters 9–14 should be assigned a pre-exilic date on account of Matthew’s attribution of this material to Jeremiah (Zech 11:12-13; Matt 27:9-10). In actuality, Matthew is merging material from both Jeremiah (18:2; 19:2, 11; 32:6-9) and Zechariah and attributing it to the older and better-known prophet Jeremiah. Others questioning the book’s unity contend that chapters 9–14 were written as late as the Hellenistic (331–167 B.C.) or Maccabean period (167–73 B.C.). At least four arguments are used to advance this position. However, most of these arguments seem answerable.

First, chapters 9–14 exhibit different linguistic and stylistic characteristics in comparison to the rest of the book. However, these differences can be explained in terms of a change in subject matter and a later composition by the same writer.

Second, this latter section fails to mention the reconstruction of the temple. However, this section is not obligated to mention items associated with the struggles of the original audience since it represents futuristic prophecy.

Third, the existence of the word “Greece” (9:13) argues for a later date when the Greek empire had come into existence. However, this argument collapses upon the realization that this same word also appears in several pre-exilic and exilic prophetic writings (Isa 66:19; Ezek 27:13, 19; Dan 8:21; 10:20). Interestingly, Persian troops consisted largely of Greek mercenaries. Also, this objection betrays an anti-supernatural bias against predictive prophecy since 9:13 could be predicting the future activity of Greece.

Fourth, it is contended that the Book of Zechariah represents an “apocalyptic genre” that did not flourish until the second century. However, the book’s apocalyptic features do not demand a second century date since these same characteristics are also found in the exilic prophets Daniel and Ezekiel. Further arguments favoring the unity of the book include the commonality of phrases in both sections of Zechariah (2:10, 9:15; 8:6, 12:4; 1:7, 9:1; 1:17, 12:1), a similar evangelistic fervor found throughout the entire book, and the similarity of the book’s entire message to that of the post-exilic prophet Haggai (Ezra 5:1; 6:14).

As far as Zechariah’s biography is concerned, his name was a common one since at least 29 other Old Testament figures bear this same name. He was the son of Berechiah (1:1). Because he was called into the ministry as a mere youth (2:4; Jer 1:6-7), he was likely born during the Babylonian captivity and taken to the land of Israel with his grandfather Iddo (1:1, 7) during the first return (Neh 12:4, 16; Ezra 5:1, 6:14). Because Iddo was a priest (Neh 12:1, 4, 16), Zechariah, like Jeremiah (1:1) and Ezekiel (1:3), was from the tribe of Levi and occupied the roles of both prophet and priest. This priestly background would explain Zechariah’s natural interest in the temple. According to tradition, Zechariah was a member of the Great Synagogue. This august body governed the Jews prior to the advent of the Sanhedrin and collected and preserved the Old Testament canon. AW

Date:

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Those who question the unity and single authorship of Zechariah usually argue that chs. 9–14 date from the Hellenistic period (331–167 B.C.) or the Maccabean period (167–73 B.C.). The reference to “Greece” in 9:13 has often been cited as evidence for a late date, after Alexander’s conquests (c. 330 B.C.). However, Greek influence was strong in the ancient Middle East as early as the seventh century B.C. Greece is mentioned by the eighth-century prophet Isaiah (see Is. 66:19, where Greece is referred to as Javan) and the sixth-century prophet Ezekiel (see Ezek. 27:13, 19 for Javan). Those who hold to the unity of the book generally date its completion between 500 and 470 B.C. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry in the second year of the Persian king Darius (522–486 B.C.) and his last dated prophecy was delivered two years later, in 518 B.C. NSB

The book’s key chronological markers are delineated on the following chart.

Scripture Scriptural Date Date1:1 8th month, 2nd year of Darius 10 or 11/520 B.C.1:7 24th day, 11th month, 2nd year

of Darius2/15/519 B.C.

7:1 4th day, 9th month, 4th year of Darius

12/17/518 B.C.

The first date took place two months after Haggai’s first message (Hag 1:1). The second date took place two months after Haggai had completed his ministry (Hag 2:10, 20). The chronological relationship between the ministries of Haggai and Zechariah is captured on the following chart.

Date Scriptural Date Haggai Zechariah8/29/520 1st day day, 6th

month, 2nd year of Darius

1st sermon (1:1-11; Ezra 5:1)

9/21/520 Temple building resumed (1:12-15; Ezra 5:2)

10/17/520 21tst day, 7th month, 2nd year of Darius

2nd sermon (2:1-9)

10–11/520 8th month, 2nd year of Darius

Beginning of ministry (1:1-6)

12/18/520 24th day, 9th month, 2nd year of Darius

3rd and 4th sermon (2:10-23)

2/15/519 24th day, 11th month, 2nd year of Darius

8 visions (1:7–6:8)

12/7/518 4th day, 9th month, Delegation from Bethel

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4th year of Darius (7:1)3/12/515: Temple dedicated (Ezra 6:15-18)

Thus, the Book of Zechariah covers at least the two-year period of time in between October or November 520 B.C. and December 7, 518 B.C. However, many contend that Zechariah must have written these chapters at a later time after the temple was completed (480–470 B.C.). The basis of this view is the linguistic and subject matter distinctions found in chapters 9–14 in comparison to the rest of the book, the Greek influence found in these chapters, and the fact that they are undated. According to this theory, a four-decade period of time exists in between chapters eight and nine. If this theory holds, then the scope of the Book of Zechariah covers the time period in between (520–470 B.C.). Given this time period during which he ministered, Zechariah was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai (Ezra 5:1; 6:14), the high priest Joshua, and the governor Zerubbabel. AW

Dates of Key Events in Haggai’s and Zechariah’s Time

August 29, 520 B.C. Haggai’s first sermon (Hag 1:1–11; Ezra 5:1)

September 21, 520 Temple building resumed (Hag 1:12–15; Ezra 5:2)

October 17, 520 Haggai’s second sermon (Hag 2:1–9)

October–November 520 Zechariah’s ministry begun (Zech 1:1–6)

December 18, 520 Haggai’s third and fourth sermons (Hag 2:10–23)

February 15, 519 Zechariah’s eight visions (Zech. 1:7–6:8)

December 7, 518 Delegation from Bethel (Zech 7)

March 12, 515 Temple dedicated (Ezra 6:15–18)

Historical Setting/Background:

Zechariah lived and prophesied during the period following the Babylonian captivity (597–538 B.C.). Jeremiah had predicted that the Israelites would return to the Promised Land after seventy years of discipline in exile. God began fulfilling this promise when He raised up Cyrus king of Persia, whose military exploits brought about the capture of Babylon in 539 B.C. Following his victory, Cyrus decreed that all exiled peoples could return to their homelands. The

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people of Judah were among those who benefited from this reversal of Babylonian policy. The first group of Jews returned under the leadership of Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8) in 537 B.C. The altar for the temple was erected in the fall of that year, but construction of the temple itself did not begin until the spring of 536 B.C.

Opposition to the temple rebuilding by enemies of the Jews living in and around Judah resulted in the abandonment of the work until 520 B.C. During these sixteen years of neglect the people of Judah lost their vision and sense of spiritual purpose. Their procrastination resulted in divine chastening (Hag 1:11; 2:17). Although the crops failed and the people languished, they did not repent until God raised up two prophets to turn the people back to Himself. In 520 B.C., Haggai called for the Israelites to recognize their spiritual priorities and rebuild the temple. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry just two months after Haggai (compare 1:1 with Hag 1:1).

The ministries of Haggai and Zechariah did not cease when work began in earnest on the temple. The prophets continued to encourage the people. Haggai’s messages were delivered in 520 B.C.; Zechariah’s last dated prophecy was given in 518 B.C. (7:1). With the people committed to restoring the worship of the Lord and the temple, God poured out His blessing on a repentant and spiritually revitalized people. The temple was completed in 515 B.C. and rededicated with great rejoicing. NSB

Zerubbabel led the first return of the Jews from Persia back to the land in 538 B.C. In 536 B.C., the returnees laid the foundation for the temple. However, in 534 B.C. the people of the land interrupted this Jewish construction of the temple (Ezra 4). Consequently, the building of the temple was stalled for nearly 15 years. During this time, not only did the wall surrounding Jerusalem lay in ruin (Neh 2:17) but the temple also lay in ruins as the returnees lived in paneled houses (Hag 1:4). During this time the people suffered from a crisis of faith due to the postponement of promised prosperity (Hag 1:6, 9-11) and the lack of divine retribution upon Israel’s oppressors. In fact, because Darius of Persia asserted control over not only Persia but also Mesopotamia, Egypt, Asia Minor, and the land of Israel, the ancient Near East was resting quietly under the Persian king’s authority (1:11).

However, Israel’s indifference over her uncompleted temple was remedied through the prophetic ministries of both Haggai (520 B.C.) and Zechariah (520–518 B.C.) who encouraged the people to finish the temple structure (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14). While Haggai exhorted the people through open rebuke, Zechariah encouraged the people by providing visions of the temple’s future kingdom and messianic significance. These prophetic efforts, coupled with Darius’ confirmation (519 B.C.) of Cyrus’ original decree (538 B.C.) giving the Jews permission to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:3–6:12), led to the resumption of temple construction (Hag 1:14). Consequently, the temple was completed in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:13-22). AW

The book begins, “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, …” To understand the remainder of the book, it is important to know something about this historical figure. Darius was a Persian king, the second ruler of Persia after the death of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus was the king

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who had decreed that the Jewish people could return to their homeland following the Babylonian captivity. Cyrus’ decree to allow the Jews to return was not unusual for Persian kings. They often allowed conquered people to remain in their homeland and even granted freedom to practice national religions. Consequently, Darius allowed the Jews to live fairly peacefully during his reign. FHH

Zechariah’s ministry, like that of Haggai, was to encourage the returned remnant to rebuild the Temple, and to nourish hope in the coming time of victory over every enemy. His ministry extended in scope far beyond that of Haggai. The prophetic horizon of Zechariah is far broader than that of the other Minor Prophets. His book has been called an apocalypse because of the presence of a number of visions. He dwells on the Person and work of Christ more fully than all the other Minor Prophets together. C.L. Feinberg

Recipient(s) and Place of Writing:

While some of the book could have been written for the benefit of Zerubbabel (4:6-9) and Joshua (3:1; 6:9-15), the book as a whole was composed for the benefit of the 50,000 Jews who participated in the first return under Zerubbabel (7:4-7; Ezra 5:1; 6:14). The book’s repeated references to the temple (1:16; 3:1–4:9; 6:9-15; 8:9, 20-23; 14:16-21) demonstrate that Jerusalem was the likely place of the book’s composition. AW

Purposes:

Zechariah likely had several purposes in mind when he penned his book. First, he wrote to encourage the returnees to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14). While Haggai and Zechariah both wrote in order to accomplish this purpose, both prophets used differing approaches in order to stimulate the remnant. While Haggai focused upon rebuke regarding the nation’s covenant violations, Zechariah instead focused upon encouraging them with vision of the temple’s future kingdom and messianic purposes. Other different emphases between the two prophets are captured on the following chart.

Haggai ZechariahExhortation EncouragementMore concrete More abstractConcise ExpandedPresent concern Future concernTake part! Take heart!Older activist Younger missionary

Second, Zechariah wanted to give the returnees a message of hope in the challenging postexilic world by providing a description of God’s glorious eschatological purposes for his covenanted nation. Thus, his purpose was broader than mere temple reconstruction. This point is

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strengthened if it is acknowledged that chapters 9–14 were written several decades after the temple had been rebuilt. Third, he wrote in order to prepare the returnees for proper temple worship after the temple was rebuilt by furnishing them with information about millennial temple worship. Fourth, he wrote in order to exhort the returnees toward general covenant obedience (1:3; 7:4-14; 8:16-17). AWMessage:

Zechariah predicts the Messiah’s restoration of the Jewish remnant as well as the Messiah’s millennial reign from the Jerusalem temple as both priest and king in order to give the returnees hope in the challenging post-exilic world and to induce them toward covenant obedience in general and temple reconstruction in particular. AW

Theological Themes:

Numerous theological themes recur throughout the Book of Zechariah. First, the book features both the First and Second Advents of the coming Messiah (9:9-10). Second, the book emphasizes the temple. This theme is seen not only through temple worship as the defining characteristic of covenant obedience but also through the structure’s representation as the tangible manifestation of God’s presence among His people. Third, the book focuses upon Israel’s eschatology through the prophesied restoration of the remnant, the eventual revival of the priesthood and Davidic line, Zion as the future place of God’s dwelling (2:10, 11; 8:3, 23), and the millennial prominence of the city of Jerusalem. Fourth, the book emphasizes Israel’s position as God’s elect nation (1:17; 2:12; 3:2). Fifth, the book repeatedly focuses upon the necessity of covenant obedience and renewal (1:3; 7:4-14; 8:16-17). AW

Unique Characteristics:

The Book of Zechariah boasts several outstanding characteristics. First, the book features the continual presence of an interpreting angel in order to explain the book’s influence (1:9, 13, 14, 19, 21; 4:1, 4-5; 5:5, 10; 6:4). Second, the Book of Zechariah is the lengthiest of all the Minor Prophets. Third, the book features numerous messianic prophecies. In fact, the book is second only to Isaiah in terms of its emphasis upon messianic prophecy.

Fourth, the book features a multiplicity of literary styles. Such styles include messages, burdens, oracles, and visions. Fifth, the book picks up where Daniel left off by giving even more details about the history of Israel during the “times of the Gentiles.” Sixth, the book furnishes voluminous details about Israel’s eschatology. These details include Christ’s first coming, Israel’s rejection of Christ, the tribulation, Israel’s future acceptance of Christ, Christ’s Second Advent, and Christ’s messianic kingdom. Seventh, in comparison to all the other Minor Prophets, Zechariah is the most “apocalyptic.”

Eighth, the section featuring Zechariah’s two burdens (9–14) is quoted more times in Christ’s passion narratives than any other section of the prophets. Ninth, the Book of Zechariah is one of

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the most alluded to Old Testament book in John’s Apocalypse. The only other two books that rival Zechariah in this regard are Daniel and Ezekiel. Tenth, the book provides a clear example of the New Testament concept of the imputation of righteousness (3:1-5). Eleventh, the book summarizes many themes developed by previous prophets. AW

Structure:

The Book of Zechariah contains four basic sections. First, there is an introductory call to repentance (1:1-6). Second, the book records Zechariah’s eight night visions that concludes with the crowning of Joshua. Each of these night visions can be enumerated by observing the repetition of an introductory verb of perception (1:8, 18; 2:1; 3:1; 4:2; 5:1, 5; 6:1). These visions can be chiastically organized.

A. The riders and horses among the myrtle trees (1:7-17)B. The four horns and the four craftsmen (1:18-21)

C. The man with the measuring line (2:1-13)D. The cleansing of Joshua the high priest (chapter 3)D.’ The lampstand and the olive tree (chapter 4)

C.’ The flying scroll (5:1-4)B.’ The woman in the basket (5:5-11)

A.’ The four chariots (6:1-8)

“The heart of the structure focuses on God’s restoration of His people, symbolized by the cleansing of the high priest (chapter 3) and the promise to restore the temple by His Holy Spirit (chapter 4).” The outer boundaries of the chiasm refer to God’s judgment upon Israel’s oppressors. Third, the book records Zechariah’s inquiry to God regarding fasting (7–8). After the initial inquiry (7:1-3), God’s four responses to Zechariah are discernible through the repetition of the phrase “the word of the Lord came to me” (7:4, 8; 8:1, 18).

Fourth, the book records two burdens focusing upon the future of the nations and Israel (9–14). The beginning of each burden is discernible through the repetition of the phrase “the burden of the word of the Lord” (9:1; 12:1). While the first burden focuses upon the interruption of Israel’s deliverance due to the nation’s rejection of her Messiah (9–11), the second burden focuses upon the completion of Israel’s final deliverance after she has accepted her Messiah (12–14). This final section is also chiastically structured.

A. God comes to protect and bless (9–10)B. The people reject God’s shepherd (11:1-14)

C. The worthless shepherd hurts the flock (11:15-17)C.’ The nations come to destroy Jerusalem (12:1-9)

B.’ The people accept God’s shepherd (12:10–13:6)A.’ God comes to protect and bless (13:7–14:21). AW

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Christ in Zechariah:

Christological references as well as predictions of both Christ’s first and second advents pre-dominate the Book of Zechariah. General Christological references include the following: the angel of the Lord (3:1-2), the righteous branch (3:8; 6:12-13), the servant (3:8), the stone with seven eyes (3:9), the King-Priest (6:13), and the cornerstone, tent peg, and the bow of battle (10:4). References to Christ’s First Coming include the humble king riding on a donkey (9:9-10; Matt 21:1-8; John 12:14-16), the rejected good shepherd sold for thirty pieces of silver (11:4-13; Matt 26:14-16; 27:9-10), the one the Jews pierced (12:10; John 19:37; 20:24-27), and the smitten good shepherd (13:7). References to Christ’s Second Advent include the one who will be accepted by Israel (12:10–13:1; Rom 11:26), the one who cleanses Israel (13:1), the coming judge (14), the destroyer of Israel’s enemies (14:3, 12-15; Rev 19:11-16), the one who will split the Mount of Olives (14:4), and the one who will reign from Jerusalem (14:9, 16; Rev 20:4-6). AW

Outline of Zechariah (NSB)

I. A call to repent 1:1–6II. The visions of Zechariah 1:7–6:15

A. A vision of horses 1:7–17B. A vision of horns 1:18–21C. A vision of a surveyor 2:1–13D. A vision of the high priest 3:1–10E. A vision of a lampstand and olive trees 4:1–14F. A vision of a flying scroll 5:1–4G. A vision of a woman in a basket 5:5–11H. A vision of four chariots 6:1–8I. The crowning of Joshua 6:9–15

III. A question about fasting 7:1–8:23A. An inquiry by a delegation from Bethel 7:1–3B. The Lord’s rebuke of empty ritualism 7:4–14C. The future restoration of Zion 8:1–23

IV. An oracle concerning the nations and Israel 9:1–11:17A. A divine warrior hymn 9:1–17B. A plan for restoration 10:1–12C. The rejection of the Good Shepherd 11:1–17

V. An oracle concerning Israel’s future 12:1–14:21A. The physical deliverance of the nation 12:1–9B. The spiritual renewal of the nation 12:10–13:6C. The fate of the shepherd and the flock 13:7–9

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D. The Second Coming of the Messiah 14:1–7E. The kingdom of the Messiah 14:8–11F. The judgment of Israel’s enemies 14:12–15G. Worship in the Messiah’s kingdom 14:16–21

Outline of Zechariah (BKC)

I. The Eight Symbolic Visions (chaps. 1–6)A. The introduction to the visions (1:1–6)

1. Preface to the call to repentance (1:1)2. Particulars of the call to repentance (1:2–6)

B. The communication of the visions (1:7–6:8)1. The vision of the red-horse rider among the myrtles (1:7–17)2. The vision of the four horns and the four craftsmen (1:18–21)3. The vision of the surveyor with the measuring line (chap. 2)4. The vision of the cleansing and crowning of Joshua (chap. 3)5. The vision of the gold lampstand and the two olive trees (chap. 4)6. The vision of the flying scroll (5:1–4)7. The vision of the woman in the ephah (5:5–11)8. The vision of the four chariots (6:1–8)

C. The symbolic act concluding the vision (6:9–15)1. The symbolic crowning (6:9–11)2. The prophetic message (6:12–13)3. The visible memorial (6:14)4. The universal significance (6:15)

II. The Four Explanatory Messages (chaps. 7–8)A. The messages required by the question about fasting (7:1–3)B. The messages declared as the answer from the Lord (7:4–8:23)

1. A message of rebuke (7:4–7)2. A message of repentance (7:8–14)3. A message of restoration (8:1–17)4. A message of rejoicing (8:18–23)

III. Two Revelatory Oracles (chaps. 9–14)A. The anointed King rejected (chaps. 9–11)

1. The intervening judgments on nations surrounding Israel (9:1–8)2. The blessings of the Messiah (9:9–10:12)3. The rejection of the Good Shepherd and its consequences for Israel (chap. 11)

B. The rejected King enthroned (chaps. 12–14)1. The redemption of Israel (chaps. 12–13)2. The return of the King (chap. 14)

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Ezra Chapter One - ncbiblechurch.orgncbiblechurch.org/audio/Zechariah/Zechariah Intro.docx · Web...

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Transcript of Ezra Chapter One - ncbiblechurch.orgncbiblechurch.org/audio/Zechariah/Zechariah Intro.docx · Web...