Zechariah

Zechariah (520-516 B.C.) "tzechari yah" (Yaweh is my remembrance)

Zechariah, along with Haggai prophesied to the returned Jewish exiles between 520 and 518 B.C. The message begins with a reminder that the captivity had been a result of disobedience. He then has a series of visions revealing that God is in control of history and will bring a glorious blessing to the faithful remnant of His people.

Jerusalem is pictured as so prosperous that it must be enlarged to contain all the people (ch. 2). The vision of Joshua, the high priest, clothed in filthy rags (ch. 3) apparently is a vision of the future cleansing of the nation at the return of Christ. Other visions in the book point to the coming judgement of God, His ultimate victory over sin, and culminates in the coming of the Messiah.

Zech 9:9-10

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. . . He shall speak peace to the nations; his dominion shall be 'from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.'

Zechariah predicted the destruction of nations which had oppressed the Jews; and foresaw a time when people would come from every part of the world to worship in Jerusalem. He spoke more about the Messiah than any other prophet except Isaiah. Including His death:

Zech 12:10

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.