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. These exiles faced the ruins of what had once been a splendid city and a glorious
temple. There was much to be sad about, but Zechariah encouraged the exiles with visions of judgment
on Israel’s enemies and of the complete restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Yet the most thrilling vision
of all was the prediction of a coming king-the messiah who would bring eternal salvation and the
promised eternal kingdom.

Author and Date

The name Zechariah means “Yahweh Remembers.” This powerful phrase communicates a
message of hope: the God of Israel will mercifully remember His people. The prophet is identified as
“the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.” Iddo was among the heads of the priestly families that returned
from Babylon to Judah. Zechariah, then, was a member of the tribe of Levi and probably served as both
a priest and a prophet. He entered his prophetic ministry two months after his contemporary Haggai had
concluded his first oracle. Those who question the unity and single authorship of Zechariah usually argue
that chp. 9–14 date from the Hellenistic period (331–167 B.C.) or the Maccabean period (167–73 b.c.).
The reference to “Greece” in 9:13 has often been cited as evidence for a late date, after Alexander’s
conquests (c. 330 b.c.). However, Greek influence was strong in the ancient Middle East as early as the
seventh century b.c. Greece is mentioned by the eighth-century prophet Isaiah (see Isa. 66:19, where
Greece is referred to as Javan) and the sixth-century prophet Ezekiel (see Ezek. 27:13, 19 for Javan).
Those who hold to the unity of the book generally date its completion between 500 and 470 b.c.
Zechariah began his prophetic ministry in the second year of the Persian king Darius (522–486 b.c.) and
his last dated prophecy was delivered two years later, in 518 b.c.

Historical Setting

Zechariah lived and prophesied during the period following the Babylonian captivity (597–
538 b.c.). Jeremiah had predicted that the Israelites would return to the Promised Land after seventy
years of discipline in exile. God began fulfilling this promise when He raised up Cyrus king of Persia,
whose military exploits brought about the capture of Babylon in 539 b.c. Following his victory, Cyrus
decreed that all exiled peoples could return to their homelands. The people of Judah were among those
who benefited from this reversal of Babylonian policy. The first group of Jews returned under the
leadership of Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8) in 537 b.c. The altar for the temple was erected in the fall of that
year, but construction of the temple itself did not begin until the spring of 536 B.C. Opposition to the
temple rebuilding by enemies of the Jews living in and around Judah resulted in the abandonment of the
work until 520 b.c. During these sixteen years of neglect the people of Judah lost their vision and sense
of spiritual purpose. Their procrastination resulted in divine chastening (Hag. 1:11; 2:17). Although the
crops failed and the people languished, they did not repent until God raised up two prophets to turn the
people back to Himself. In 520 B.C., Haggai called for the Israelites to recognize their spiritual priorities
and rebuild the temple. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry just two months after Haggai
(compare 1:1 with Hag. 1:1). The ministries of Haggai and Zechariah did not cease when work began in
earnest on the temple. The prophets continued to encourage the people. Haggai’s messages were
delivered in 520 B.C.; Zechariah’s last dated prophecy was given in 518 B.C. (7:1). With the people
committed to restoring the worship of the Lord and the temple, God poured out His blessing on a
repentant and spiritually revitalized people. The temple was completed in 515 B.C. and rededicated with
great rejoicing.
Purpose and Themes

As was the case with Haggai, the primary concern of Zechariah was the establishing of
spiritual priorities in the life of the returned community. The lax attitude which the priests
manifested toward their duties was matched among the laity by an indifference to the claims of
the covenant relationship upon their lives, and even more seriously by a flagrant disregard for the
moral prescriptions of the Mosaic Torah. Zechariah saw that the prosperity of the theocracy
depended upon a proper relationship between the covenant people and their God. However
keenly the repatriates felt about the injustices of life, it was evident that submission, penitence,
and cleansing from sin must precede the outpouring of divine blessing. It was the avowed aim of
Zechariah to establish the fundamental importance of this principle in the minds of the returned
exiles, and to see that it operated at both religious and civil levels. Once this had been achieved
satisfactorily it would be possible for the larger Messianic purposes of the theocracy to be
satisfied.
Occasion

The conditions of apathy, neglect and despair which Zechariah encountered among the
repatriated exiles in 520 b.c.furnished the occasion of the prophecy. With his contemporary
Haggai he was called to give that kind of spiritual leadership which would regenerate the
theocracy, recall it to its true vocation, and guide it toward its destiny as the living witness of
God in the world. If the prophetic ministry of Zechariah extended over many years, the original
occasion would be subsumed under the larger purpose of the spiritual and social development of
the theocracy in Judaea.

Structure
Message
Summary outline
I. A call to repent 1:1–6
II. The visions of Zechariah 1:7–6:15
III. A question about fasting 7:1–8:23
IV. An oracle concerning the nations and Israel 9:1–11:17
V. An oracle concerning Israel’s future 12:1–14:21

Detailed Outline

I. A call to repent 1:1–6
II. The visions of Zechariah 1:7–6:15
A.    A vision of horses 1:7–17
B.    A vision of horns 1:18–21
C.    A vision of a surveyor 2:1–13
D.    A vision of the high priest 3:1–10
E.    A vision of a lampstand and olive trees 4:1–14
 F.    A vision of a flying scroll 5:1–4
G.    A vision of a woman in a basket 5:5–11
H.    A vision of four chariots 6:1–8
I.    The crowning of Joshua 6:9–15

III.    A question about fasting 7:1–8:23

A.    An inquiry by a delegation from Bethel 7:1–3

B.    The Lord’s rebuke of empty ritualism 7:4–14

C.    The future restoration of Zion 8:1–23

IV.    An oracle concerning the nations and Israel 9:1–11:17

A.    A divine warrior hymn 9:1–17

B.    A plan for restoration 10:1–12

C.    The rejection of the Good Shepherd 11:1–17

V.    An oracle concerning Israel’s future 12:1–14:21

A.    The physical deliverance of the nation 12:1–9

B.    The spiritual renewal of the nation 12:10–13:6

C.    The fate of the shepherd and the flock 13:7–9

D.    The Second Coming of the Messiah 14:1–7

E.    The kingdom of the Messiah 14:8–11

F.    The judgment of Israel’s enemies 14:12–15

G.    Worship in the Messiah’s kingdom 14:16–21

Argument

Summary