So, in chapter 1 and verse 8 and running through to the end of zechariah chapter 6, the prophet relates to us 9 visions. In that respect, its possible to think of the book of zechariah as a kind of miniature book of isaiah. It is natural to suppose as the prophet himself mentions his fathers name, whereas the book of ezra mentions only iddo, that berechiah had died early, and that there was. Zechariah zechariah has been called the temple builder and the seer robinson. Zechariah 18, concerned mainly with the rebuilding of the temple, and zechariah 914, dealing with future events, notably the coming of messiah and the glory of his reign. Zechariah the prophet was probably born in babylon during the 70year babylonian captivity.
In addition, the purpose of the eight night visions is. The critical message of zechariah is sometimes called the apocalypse of the old testament. The book of zechariah, the 11th book of the twelve minor prophets, dates from the same period as that of haggaiabout according to dates mentioned in chapters 18, zechariah was active from 520 to 518 bc. Additionally, zechariah reveals more about the coming messiah than all the other minor prophets combined.
Gcbi is a one year bible program designed to give students the tools and knowledge required to understand the bible and form a biblical worldview, with the g. Zechariah pictures christ in both his first coming zechariah 9. Zechariah was contemporary with haggai, but his book is in direct contrast to haggais. I will return to zion, and will dwell in the midst of jerusalem.
Rick phillips has produced a gem of a book on the prophet zechariah. None of the available sources relate that the latter was murdered9. What is the historical background of the book of zechariah. Lets turn our attention to the 7 th chapter of the book of the old testament prophet zechariah zechariah 7 begins a new section in this book. Hence zechariah was prophet and priest at the same time as were jeremiah and ezekiel. This would place the beginning of zechariahs work as a prophet around the month of november, 520 bc. Zechariah s prophecies took place during the reign of darius the great, and were contemporary with haggai in a post exilic world after the fall of jerusalem in 5876 bc. Zechariah 1 niv a call to return to the lord in the bible gateway. Their influence on zerubbabel, governor of judah, and joshua the high priest was observable. The book of zechariah challenges gods people to remain.
Zechariah emphasized that god has used his prophets to teach, warn and correct his people. His name, common to more than 29 old testament men, means the lord remembers. The book of zechariah is rich in messianic content. Zechariah was a prophet from 520 bc to 518 bc in jerusalem, about 2500 years ago. The book also bears evidence that even prophecy could be corrupted. From flying scrolls to golden lampstands, and flying angels with wings like storks the lord spoke to zechariah in visions and symbols that defied the prophets. Likewise, chapter describes a fountain of water opening up to the house of david with waters that. Hag 12, though both prophets were clearly interested in spiritual renewal as well. The book of zechariah is narrative history, prophetic and apocalyptic in genre. May 17, 2017 the critical message of zechariah is sometimes called the apocalypse of the old testament. The chief purpose of zechariah and haggai was to rebuke the people of judah and to encourage and motivate them to complete the rebuilding of the temple zec 4. The call to obedience and ending with the coming of the messiah and his kingdom. Those who question the unity and single authorship of zecha.
The lord who rules over all says, turn to me, says the lord who rules over all, and i will turn to you. In a prophetic vision that is broader than any of the other minor prophets god gives prophecies that cover the ages. As was the case with haggai, god commissioned zechariah to urge the people to complete the construction of the temple. In hebrew the book is titled hyrkz meaning yahweh remembers b. Zechariah is the eleventh of the twelve prophets in the book of the twelve in hebrew scripture. Zechariah was a person in the hebrew bible and traditionally considered the author of the book of zechariah, the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. Since such a large part of his book centers on eight visions which he received in one night zechariah might appropriately be.
He is truly the minor prophet with the major message. Zechariah, a young man, especially when compared to his contemporary haggai, came alongside the older prophet to deliver messages from the lord to the. And i will pour out on the house of david and the inhabitants of jerusalem a spirit of grace and. Chapters 18 deal principally with judahs spiritual. Since this zechariah is the last martyr mentioned in the hebrew bible as the book we know as 2 chronicles is the last book in the hebrew arrangement, many think that jesus must be referring to this zechariah they explain jesus mention of. The book of zechariah, attributed to the hebrew prophet zechariah, is included in the twelve minor prophets in the hebrew bible. Zechariah 7 commentary verses 17 explaining the book. Though the book contains 14 chapters, only the first eight are oracles of the prophet. Zechariah begins his book zechariah 1 with a reminder that the captivity had been a result of disobedience.
The hebrew word zechariah or zachariah means god remembers. Students of the book of revelation will readily recognize certain symbols and motifs strewn throughout this book. Before the temple completed, and then wrote chapters 914 approximately 480 b. Finally, it seemed that the lord had placed a specific book in my mind as the next subject of our study. During that era, many jews were returning from the babylonian captivity to rebuild jerusalem and the temple, which had been destroyed by the babylonians. Teaching young children the message of hope in the book of. In this study, well take a quick overview of the book and then zero in on gods message through zechariah for his time, how it applies today and a special glimpse of a prophecy about. The ultimate hope for us all was predicted by zechariah this book has more predictions of christ than any of the other minor prophets. Zechariahs message is intended to bolster the jews confidence in the lord almighty that he will keep all his promises both for evil and for good haggai 2. Best commentaries and books on zechariah logos bible. In greek the book is titled zacarias, a transliteration from the hebrew name. Zechariah, the son of iddo, was instrumental in inspiring his fellow jews to rebuild. The book of zechariah, because of its great variation in style, content, and language, is widely believed to be a composite work. Yet their prophecies are just about as different as any two could be.
Bryan estelle the book of zechariah records the prophetic message of zechariah to the community that had returned to jerusalem after the babylonian exile and was charged with rebuilding the temple and city. It is a postexilic book, meaning it was written after post the return from captivity exile in babylon. But unfortunately we came to the end of that book and now we need to move on to something else and as i prayed, a few different possibilities were in my mind. In this book, zechariahs visions foster hope in the future promise of. An angel restores the high priest joshua in zechariah 3. The book of zechariah was likely written in two primary segments, between 520 and 470 b. Book of zechariah, the 11th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in the jewish canon in one book, the twelve. The book of zechariah, the 11th book of the twelve minor prophets, dates from the same period as that of haggaiabout 520 bce. In a prophetic vision that is broader than any of the other minor prophets god gives prophecies that. He was a prophet of the kingdom of judah, and, like the prophet ezekiel, was of priestly extraction. Since such a large part of his book centers on eight visions which he received in one night zechariah might appropriately be called the prophet of. Minor prophet with a major message part 1 by steven c. In this study, well take a quick overview of the book and then zero in on gods message through zechariah for his time, how it applies today and a special glimpse of a.
Zechariah is a commonly used name in the old testament and means the lord remembers, a meaning that contributes to the hope of the messiahs first and second coming prophesied in zechariahs book. The book of zechariah begins with a challenge for gods people to turn back to him, unlike their ancestors who rebelled, disobeyed and were exiled. They definitely knew each other and prophesied to the same people at the same period of time. The book of zechariah is possibly the most symbolic of all the minor prophets, with perhaps only the book of revelations in the new testament with as much symbolism as zechariah. Jul 07, 2017 gcbi is a one year bible program designed to give students the tools and knowledge required to understand the bible and form a biblical worldview, with the g. The nelson study bible includes the following observation. Yeshua describes zechariah as a rejected prophet, martyred between the temple and the altar. The book of zechariah is the last book in the old testament and one of the twelve minor prophets of the hebrew bible. The occasion is the same as that of the book of haggai see background. Zechariah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.
Zechariah 1 niv bible in the eighth month of the second. Zechariah, a companion prophet who began his ministry about two months following haggai, was chosen to motivate the hebrews to repentance and a deeper level of spiritual dedication see zechariah 1. The book of zechariah falls into two major segments. The first part of the book, chapters one through eight, contain eight symbolic visions of zechariah. He is called in his prophecy the son of berechiah and the grandson of iddo, whereas in the book of ezra, ezra 5. Intro to zechariah biblica the international bible society. Both haggai and zechariah encouraged the returned exiles from babylon to rebuild the jerusalem temple, particularly their leaders joshua the high priest and prince zerubbabel, the governor of judah and the. Zechariah was a prophet and a priestthe son of berechia, the grandson of iddo the prophet zechariah 1. Zechariah is an interesting prophetical book of only fourteen chapters.
Jan 02, 2020 since this zechariah is the last martyr mentioned in the hebrew bible as the book we know as 2 chronicles is the last book in the hebrew arrangement, many think that jesus must be referring to this zechariah they explain jesus mention of the son of berekiah as a reference to a grandfather. Best commentaries and books on zechariah logos bible software. The book of the twelve prophets was originally on one. Zechariah is book number 38 in the old testament of the bible. Like the prophet haggai, zechariah appears in 520 bc as a prophet to the jewish exiles who returned to. May 18, 2017 the critical message of zechariah is sometimes called the apocalypse of the old testament. The book of zechariah contains the clearest and the largest number of messianic about the messiah passages among the minor prophets. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 minor prophets of the bible. Nor should zechariah the prophet be confused with any of the 28 other men in the old testament who bore this name. The message included details about the new jerusalem and a warning to remain faithful. Bible class notes on zechariah the church of christ in. Steves analysis would make a great companion in the reading of the book. To portray gods future plans for his people, zechariah uses a series of.
Like the prophet haggai, zechariah appears in 520 bc as a prophet to the jewish exiles who returned to the promised land. Zephaniah contemporary of jeremiah preached around 625 bc king manasseh is dead after a reign of 55 years the most evil king in judah he was the exact opposite of his father king hezekiah. In the third chapter of zechariah, the prophet sees a vision concerning gods servant, the branch, which promises that the sin of this land will be removed in a single day. The dates mentioned in the book confirm that he was a contemporary of haggai zechariah 1. Zechariah encouraged the leaders of jerusalem and called the jewish people to rebuild the templeand he looked forward to the ultimate fulfillment of yahwehs promise to restore and save. And all of them contain some message of hope for gods previously forgotten but now remembered people. The murder of the prophet zechariah in the gospels 249 name zech 18.
Patterson referred to this prophet as the idealist while ward branded him the enthusiast. So, for the last year and a few weeks, weve grown accustomed to turning our attention to the book of job. Zechariah emphasized that god has used his prophets to teach, warn, and correct his people. The eleventh in order of the twelve minor prophets. This would place the beginning of zechariah s work as a prophet around the month of november, 520 bc. Summary of the book of zechariah the story of the bible. Some modern critics, as mede and hammond, have been of opinion that the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of this prophet were written by jeremiah. The prophet who wrote this book was zechariah son of berekiah, son of iddo who prophesied about 520bc. The general theme of the book centers on gods plan to rid jerusalem of his enemies and render them clean from sin with the ultimate desire to live and be with them in the end. Zechariah 2 definition and meaning bible dictionary. Zechariah was a levite who was born in babylon neh 12. Book of zechariah overview insight for living ministries. Bible class notes on zechariah church of christ in zion. Zechariah, or zachary, was the father of john the baptist, and a relative by marriage of jesus.
The prophet zechariah wrote chapters 18 approximately 520518 b. God spoke to his people through dream visions with bizarre images. A contemporary of the prophet haggai in the early years of the persian period, zechariah shared haggais concern that the temple. The universal tradition of both jews and christians endorses the prophet zechariah as author. Watch our overview video on the book of zechariah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Sep 15, 2014 the ultimate hope for us all was predicted by zechariah this book has more predictions of christ than any of the other minor prophets. The prophets zechariah and haggai wrote about the year 520 bc during the restoration of jerusalem and judah. The books of ezra and nehemiah are also key literary sources on the restoration. Zechariah, the son of berechiah, the son of iddo the prophet zechariah was among. Zechariah prophet and priest haggai and zechariah were the two lone prophets of israel in the days when darius of persia released the captive jews to return to jerusalem.
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