The Tav Blog

Zechariah is a common Hebrew name in the Old Covenant.  It means “whom Yahweh has remembered.”  We know nothing about him aside from this book, Ezra 5:1, and 6:14, and possibly a bare mention in Neh 12:16.  His prophecies begin in the middle of those of Haggai, and end two years later, seemingly.

Main Idea(s)

God conveys His will to restore and establish the returning exiles, and their worship of Him.  The Jews need to repent of their sins in this process, as Haggai told them as well.  This is a shadow of a greater calling to faith and repentance that would come through the Messiah.

“Genesis, Psalms, and Isaiah are the most quoted books in the NT, which, considering their length and crucial contents, is not surprising. Most would be amazed to learn that Zechariah, with only fourteen chapters, is quoted about forty times in the NT. Doubtless this is due especially to the fact that the book is so Messianic, certainly the most Christ-centered of the Minor Prophets.” – Believers’ Bible Commentary

Target: Judah

Time Period

• Contemporary of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai
• During the reign of Darius the Mede

Outline

1. Introduction, Zec_1:1-6
2. Eight Visions Concerning Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem, Zechariah 1:7-6:15
   1. The Horses among the Myrtles, Zec_1:7-17
   2. The Four Horns and Four Smiths, Zec_1:18-21
   3. The Man with a Measuring Line, Zec_2:1-13
   4. The High Priest and the Adversary, Zec_3:1-10
   5. The Lampstand and Two Olive Trees, Zec_4:1-14
   6. The Flying Scroll, Zec_5:1-4
   7. The Ephah/Basket, Zec_5:5-11
   8. The Four Chariots, Zec_6:1-8
   9. (The Coronation of Joshua), Zec_6:9-15
3. Reply to Deputation from Bethel, Zechariah 7-8
   1. God Demands Obedience, Not Fasting, Zec_7:1-7
   2. Warnings from the Past, Zec_7:8-14
   3. God Waiting To Show Mercy, Zec_8:1-17
   4. The Nations to Worship in Jerusalem, Zec_8:18-23
4. Judgment and Redemption, Zechariah 9-14
   1. Judgments on the Nations; the King of Peace, Zec_9:1-17
   2. Israel to be Saved and Strengthened, Zec_10:1-12
   3. The Parable of the Shepherds, Zec_11:1-17
   4. The Siege and Deliverance of Jerusalem, Zec_12:1-14
   5. The Remnant Purified by Chastisement, Zec_13:1-9
   6. The Exaltation of Jerusalem, Zec_14:1-21

Famous verses and fragments

2:8, 3:2, 4:6-7, 8:23, 9:9, 11:12-13, 12:10, 13:1, 7,

Questions

1. Which of the minor prophets mention the time of any of their prophecies?
2. Should it be a problem for unitary authorship of the book that it has many different styles of conveying the truth of God? Are any other books in the Bible like this?
3. What is Zechariah’s point in 1:1-6? What attitude did the people have in response?
4. What is the main point of the first vision? (1:7-17) Why would this encourage the Jews?
5. What is the main point of the second vision? (1:18-21) What are the four horns?  Why four?  What do craftsmen do? Any other places in Scripture where you see four horns?
6. What is the main point of the third vision? (Ch 2) If you were a Jew still living in Babylon, what should you do?  Why might they not have done that?  How encouraging is this vision?
7. Are these visions simple or complex? Pictures or movies?
8. What is the main point of the fourth vision? (Ch 3) What would filthy garments do to a priest?
9. Verse 3:2 – who is saying what about whom?
10. How often does Satan get mentioned in the Old Covenant?
11. Where else do you see the Branch mentioned in the Old Covenant? Who is he?
12. What does 3:9 mean? Does verse 4:10 help?
13. What is the main point of the fifth vision? (Ch 4) Who was Zerubbabel? What was he supposed to do? Plumb Line?
14. What are the two olive trees – the two anointed ones, or sons of oil? What sorts of people get anointed?  Why might they be mentioned here?  Where else are they mentioned?  What do they tell us about Jesus?
15. What is the main point of the sixth vision? (5:1-4) How big was the scroll?  What sins are condemned?
16. What is the main point of the seventh vision? (5:5-11) Of what might the woman be symbolic?  How might this compare with the third vision?
17. What is the main point of the eighth vision? (6:1-8) Where else do you see four chariots?  What do you think the north country might be?
18. What happens to Joshua in 6:9-15? What were priests supposed to wear on their heads?  Did priests typically get thrones?  What does Joshua represent?  Where does the crown go?
19. What is the main idea of chapter 7? How does the text change in chapter 7 from what went before?
20. What does chapter 7 teach us about fasting? What would God rather have?
21. What do verses 11-14 express?
22. What is the main idea of chapter 8?
23. What does he call attention to in verses 8-10?
24. What is the purpose of all of the blessing in verses 11 and after?
25. Note the opposition of fasting to obedience again (vv 16-19). Why does God do this?
26. How does the text change in chapter 9 from what went before?
27. What is the main idea of chapter 9:1-8? 9:9-10? 9:11-17?
28. Where does 9:9 get fulfilled? What does 9:10 quote?
29. What is the meaning of Zion vs Greece in v 13? What does this tell us regarding when this was written?
30. What is the main idea of chapter 10?
31. What do verses 6-12 promise to the Jews? To the Gentiles?
32. What is the main idea of chapter 11? What does this imply about those who lead the Jews post-exile?
33. What is the meaning of 11:12-13? Where is it quoted?  Might that change the view of Chapter 11?
34. What is the main idea of chapter 12?
35. Where is verse 10 quoted? Is this entire chapter Messianic?
36. What is the main idea of chapter 13?
37. Where is verse 7 quoted? As for verse 8 – where else in the Bible do you see the 2/3 – 1/3 language?
38. What is the main idea of chapter 14? Note 14:1.
39. My contention is that all of Chapters 11-13 are fulfilled at the first coming, and Ch 14 expresses Christ ruling over the nations. That doesn’t mean that every detail can be fit together – the commentators are all over the place.

Haggai means “festal one.”  We know nothing about him aside from this book and Ezra 5:1, and 6:14.

Main Idea(s)

The exiles returned from Babylon, but did not consider it important to rebuild the Temple.  God rebukes then, and they repent and build the Temple.  God tells them that the new Temple would be greater than that of Solomon, much as it would appear otherwise.  This is symbolic of the great things that God would do preparing the way for the Messiah to come.

Target: Judah

Time Period

• Contemporary of Zechariah
• During the reign of Darius the Mede

Famous verses and fragments

2:6-9

Questions

1. What is different about the last three books of the Minor Prophets?
2. How much time elapses during the book?
3. Why do you suppose they did not think it was time to build the Temple? Is that similar to anything in our lives?
4. Why does God rebuke them? How does he get their attention?
5. What effect did his message have?
6. Why are Zerubbabel and Joshua significant with respect to building the Temple?
7. What did God want for the materials of his Temple? How is that different than Solomon’s Temple?
8. Why might the people have been discouraged at the appearance of the Temple? How does God encourage them?
9. What is the second problem that God has with those in Judah? 2:10-19 What does this imply about our good works?
10. Does their uncleanness prevent God’s blessing in this case?
11. How would the glory of this Temple be greater than that of the former?
12. What is the greater plan of God in the midst of all of this? 2:6-9, 2:20-23?
13. How is Zerubbabel significant here? What does he prefigure?

Zephaniah means one who is hidden (protected) by Yahweh

Main Idea(s)

God will judge Judah, and all of the nations around her for their sins.  After that, he will bring Judah back from exile, and call Gentile nations to follow Him.  This is the book of the Day of the LORD.  There are 7 occurrences out of 53 verses.

Target: Judah, and to a lesser extent the nations around it who would be judged by God using Babylon

Time Period

• Contemporary of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Nahum
• During the reign of Josiah
• Prior to the destruction of Assyria, like Nahum

Famous verses and fragments

3:9, 3:14, 3:17

Questions

1. During whose reign did Zephaniah prophesy?
2. During what part of the reign? Does it matter?
3. What are the two main divisions of the book?
4. Of what nature is his prophecy and for whom was it intended?
5. Did God kill everything? (1:2-3) What does He mean?
6. What particular sorts of people was He going to judge? (1:4-13)
7. Of what dreadful day does Zephaniah warn Jerusalem? What historical events fulfilled the prophecy?
8. What should we think about the phrase “The Day of the LORD?” (1:7-2:3)
9. What things that are commonly relied on would not help them in the Day of the LORD?
10. Against what nations is judgment pronounced in Zephaniah? (2:4-3:7)
11. How would Judah fare in the judgment of other nations?
12. What will be the fate of Nineveh? What vice lay at the root of her evil-doing?
13. Is Judah much better? Why is judgment coming to them? (3:1-7)
14. What comforting message does Zephaniah bring? (3:8-13) How will Judah and the nations change?
15. What are the main emphases of the song of rejoicing at the end? (3:14-20)

Habakkuk means embracer – one who comforts.

Main Idea(s)

During a time of great evil in Judah, Habakkuk calls out to God.  God tells him that he will use Babylon to purge the evil out of Judah.  This puzzles Habakkuk, who questions God, and gains a greater view of God’s righteousness, and that the Lord is pleased by faith.

Target: Judah, and to a lesser extent Babylon

Time Period

• Contemporary of Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum
• Possibly during the reign of Manasseh.

Famous verses and fragments

1:5, 2:1, 2:4b, 2:20, 3:17-19a

Questions

1. How does Habakkuk teach us how to speak with God?
2. What are the two main divisions of the book?
3. How does the spirit of the first part differ from that of the second part?
4. What nation’s rise to power brought about the prophecy of Habakkuk?
5. What deep question initially troubled Habakkuk?
6. How are the Chaldeans described in Chapter 1?
7. What question concerning this nation’s power vexed the prophet?
8. What answer does the prophet find?
9. How is the great truth in 2:4 developed – what is it opposed to?
10. Where is it quoted in the New Covenant? Did anyone notable ever get affected by the verse?
11. List the five woes Habakkuk gives in Chapter 2? Does the US possess any of these?
12. How is the judgment of Babylon described in Chapter 2?
13. In Chapter 3, how does Habakkuk describe the righteousness of God?
14. Why does he describe God as a warrior? Should that encourage us?
15. In what words does the prophet express the strength of his faith in God?
16. What should we, or do you, learn from the book?