Zechariah | Book Overview

Overview Article

The people of God who had returned to Judea from exile were being oppressed by neighboring nations. As a result, they were discouraged, and they let their Temple lie in ruins. Zechariah encouraged them with a vision of things to come. God continued to love Jerusalem and the land of Judah, and his unwavering plan was to live there again with his people and establish his rule over all the earth. Zechariah warned Israel not to repeat the sins that had led to exile, and he called those who wavered between God’s truth and human wisdom to return to God, obey the commands of God’s covenant, and practice justice in the land.

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Key People, Places, and Terms

Themes

The Return of God’s Presence with His People 15 The descriptions of the Israelite exile include the terrible reality that, as part of his judgment, God removed his presence from his people and from the holy city of Jerusalem. This idea is most obviously present in... God’s Commitment to His People 6 Sometimes, God's people have had to wait what seems like a long time to see God's promises come true. Here are some examples from the Bible: God first promised Abraham and Sarah he would make them a great nation. Yet,... Zion 5 Zion is the Hebrew name for the mountain in Jerusalem where the temple was located ( 2 Samuel 5:7 ; see also 2 Chronicles 3:1 ). Over time, people began using the name Zion to refer to all of Jerusalem. Zion can refer... Returning to the Lord 5 The Old Testament prophets often told the people of Israel to return to the Lord, both before and after the exile to Babylon (see, for example, Isaiah 55:6–7 ; Hosea 6:1–3 ; Haggai 1:12 ; Malachi 3:7 ). This meant a r... Angels 4 In the Bible, angels are God's messengers who carry out his plans and tell his will to humans ( Genesis 16:7–12 ; Numbers 22:22–34 ; Judges 13:3–21 ; 2 Kings 1:3 , 15 ; Zechariah 1:4–12 ). The Hebrew Old Testament and... The Shepherd 3 In ancient Jewish society, shepherds who cared for sheep or goats were important. Shepherding was essential in the ancient Near East. Each morning, the shepherd led the flock out ( John 10:2–4 ). He found grass and wa...

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Compassionate Healer 2 The New Testament often describes Jesus as someone who "had compassion." This phrase is sometimes translated as "felt sorry" or "took pity." It appears in complex situations where: God’s Promised Kingdom 2 God promised that his kingdom would come through King David ( 1 Chronicles 17:4–14 ). During his rule, David prepared for building the temple, which would be the center of God's kingdom ( 28:11–19 ). He urged Israel's... Jesus’ Final Night 2 When Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover, he knew it was his last night before death. He came to Jerusalem to "suffer many things and … be killed" ( Mark 8:31 ). His disciples prepared the meal,... Spiritual Renewal in the Later Prophets 2 The prophet Haggai commanded his audience to think about how failing to pay attention to their relationship with God affected their current situation ( Haggai 1:5–7 ; 2:15–18 ). God sent natural disasters as a warning... Symbolic Numbers 2 Numbers in Scripture have often led people to strange conclusions. Understanding ancient number symbolism can help us interpret the Scriptures better. Yet, this symbolism is not precise. We must be careful when using... God’s Justice 2 God is just ( Psalm 9:7–8 ). He hates sin and fairly rewards people and nations based on what they do ( Psalm 67:4 ; Isaiah 1:27 ; Jeremiah 46:28 ; Joel 3:1–8 ; Acts 17:31 ). God has complete control over the natural... Apocalyptic Literature 1 Several Old Testament passages have themes similar to later Jewish apocalyptic literature ( Isaiah 24–27 ; Ezekiel 38:1–39:29 ; Daniel 7–12 ; Zechariah 9–14 ). Apocalyptic literature is a kind of writing that uses vis... Apostasy 1 Sadly, opposition to God is not limited to those outside the community of faith. The Bible tells of many who seemed to know God but turned away (see Numbers 16 ; Deuteronomy 13 ; 2 Kings 17:5–23 ; Ezekiel 8 ). God bri... Blessing 1 Before the patriarch Jacob died, he blessed each of his sons and Joseph's sons ( Genesis 49:1–28 ; 48:3–20 ). This was also how his father Isaac had blessed him ( 27:27–29 ). A blessing gives, improves, and enriches l... Completion of the Second Temple 1 The dedication of Israel’s second temple on March 12, 515 BC, was a major event for the Israelites returning from exile in Babylon. They could now worship and praise God as their ancestors did before the exile. This n... God’s Love for Israel 1 The prophet Malachi begins his message to the people of Israel with, " I have loved you,” says the LORD " ( Malachi 1:2 ). God's love for Israel is clear throughout the Old Testament. Malachi tells people to look at h... God’s Servant 1 In Isaiah 40–66 , God's servant is very important and appears often. The servant announces a new order of justice and righteousness to the world ( 42:3–4 ). He prepares the world for God's arrival ( 52:7 ). Who is the... Jesus and Satan 1 Satan is a personal agent of sin and evil who opposed Jesus ( Matthew 4:1–11 ). The Gospel of Matthew refers to this being as: Religious Hypocrisy 1 Religious hypocrisy happens when people selectively obey rules and only pretend to follow God's law without real change in their motives and lives. Those who boast about their religious commitment often lack a true de...

Outline

Zechariah’s messages and visions 1–8

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Messages of judgement and hope 9–14

Use of Zechariah in the New Testament

Quoted 8 times across 5 New Testament books

Total quotations 8

Connected books 5

Most-connected book Matthew 3

Most Echoed Across the New Testament

Zechariah 9:9 2

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Echoed in Matthew John

Zechariah 13:7 2

Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Echoed in Matthew Mark

Zechariah 12:10 2

Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Echoed in John Revelation

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Zechariah	bookOverview.connections.ntReference	Compare
Zechariah 8:16	Ephesians 4:25	Compare OT Text These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates, NT Text each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for
Zechariah 9:9	John 12:15	Compare OT Text Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. NT Text O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey
Zechariah 9:9	Matthew 21:5	Compare OT Text Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. NT Text to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey
Zechariah 11:12–13	Matthew 27:9–10	Compare OT Text Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. NT Text They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him and they gave them for the potter’s field, as
Zechariah 12:10	John 19:37	Compare OT Text Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. NT Text They will look on the One they have pierced
Zechariah 12:10	Revelation 1:7	Compare OT Text Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. NT Text will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all
Zechariah 13:7	Matthew 26:31	Compare OT Text Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. NT Text I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered
Zechariah 13:7	Mark 14:27	Compare OT Text Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. NT Text I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered

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Overview Article

Key People, Places, and Terms

People 24

Places 36

Key Terms 60