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.