Zechariah

Zechariah means “Yahweh Remembers.”

 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. He predicted a coming King—the Messiah who would bring eternal salvation and the promised eternal kingdom.

 Zechariah teaches a great deal concerning the First and Second Comings of Jesus the Messiah. He refers to the Messiah as the “BRANCH”, God’s “Servant”, and God’s “Shepherd”. There is also an allusion to the Messiah’s ministry as a Priest-King. 

Furthermore, he prophesied the Messiah’s entrance into Jerusalem on a colt, His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, the piercing of His hands and feet, and the cleansing from sin provided by His death. In fact, chapters 9–14 of Zechariah are the most quoted section of the Prophets in the narratives of the Gospels.

Concerning the Messiah’s Second Coming, Zechariah prophesied such future events as the conversion of Israel, the destruction of Israel’s enemies, and the reign of Christ in a new Jerusalem.

Along with his emphasis on the Messiah, Zechariah appropriately gives an important message about God’s plan for salvation. The importance of repentance and returning to the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah provides a striking illustration of the removal of sin and the imputation of righteousness. The removal of the high priest’s filthy garments and the provision of clean festal robes illustrates the work of Christ. 

Through His atoning death, Christ strips us of our filthy sins and clothes us with His own righteousness. In this way we can approach our holy God.

Zechariah 3:8 

⁸ ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. 

Zechariah 6:13 

¹³ Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’ 

Zechariah 9:9 

⁹ “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. 

John 12:14–16 

¹⁴ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵“Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 

Zechariah 12:10 

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 pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

John 19:37

 ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 

Zechariah 14:9

 ⁹And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be “The Lord is one,” And His name one. 

Zechariah 7:10 

¹⁰Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’ 

Zechariah 7:9 

⁹ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. 

Zechariah 8:16 

¹⁶These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;