Introduction to Zechariah

So you think you don’t know Zechariah?!

Matthew 21:5 / John 12:15 ← Zechariah 9:9

Matthew 26:31 / Mark 14: 27 ← Zechariah 13:7

Revelation 1:7 ← Zechariah 12:10

The study of the book of Zechariah is bound to be enriching: it is imbued from beginning to end with the same heart-cry that Jesus turned into a prayer for all of us: ‘Your kingdom come.’  Barry Webb

History

Note that the book of Zechariah contains a number of exact dates: it is a historical document!

The Persian Empire, under the rule of Darius (522-486BC) was divided into 20 provinces. Jerusalem and the surrounding area (Yehud) was a sub-province of the Province ‘Beyond the River’ (Euphrates).

In 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel had been defeated by Assyria, and in 587 the remaining 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin) by Babylon. 50 years later the Babylonians had been defeated by the Medo-Persian Empire under Cyrus, and exiles were gradually being sent home. (Read Ezra and Nehemiah). Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to these people.

Yehud was about 55 x 65 km, and had a population of about 50000 (Jerusalem in its heyday had contained about 100000).

The community was agrarian and relatively poor, there were tensions between returned exiles and those who had never left, as well as between those from the northern and southern kingdoms, and there were enemies around.

Who was Zechariah?

Zechariah 1:1, Nehemiah 12:1-4, Ezra 5:1-2.

Probably from a priestly family, his grand father Iddo having returned from exile in Babylon.

Structure of the book

Part 1

1:1-6 Introduction

1:7-6:15 Eight visions

Part 2

7:1-8:23 Introduction

9-11 and 8-14 Two oracles

(Some scholars believe that the second part of the book is by a different author)

Themes

1. Repentance

2. The city of God

3. The ‘now’ and ‘not yet’ of the kingdom

4. Cleansing

5. The Messiah

6. The people of God

Suggested reading

The Message of Zechariah by Barry Webb (Leicester: IVP 2003)

MRT 01/09