Overview

Zechariah is the most messianic of the Minor Prophets, a richly visionary book that encouraged the returned exiles to rebuild the temple while pointing them to the glorious future God had prepared in the coming of the Messiah. A contemporary of Haggai, Zechariah ministered to the post-exilic community with a series of eight night visions, oracles, and prophecies that move from the immediate task of rebuilding to the distant horizon of the messianic age. The book is filled with remarkable prophecies of Christ: the Branch, the humble King coming on a donkey (9:9), the shepherd betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (11:12–13), the one who would be pierced (12:10), and the fountain opened for cleansing from sin (13:1). It holds together the encouragement of the present work with the grand vision of God’s redemptive future, culminating in the coming of the King and the establishment of his kingdom. For the Reformed reader, Zechariah displays the encouragement of God’s people in their work, the rich messianic hope, the coming of the humble King and pierced Shepherd, and the cleansing and restoration that God accomplishes—pointing supremely to Christ. It is the book of the rebuilt temple and the coming Messiah-King.

Author

The book is the work of Zechariah the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo (1:1), a prophet of priestly descent who ministered to the returned exiles, a contemporary of Haggai. The conservative position affirms Zechariah’s authorship of the whole book. Critical scholarship has often proposed that chapters 9–14 (sometimes called “Deutero-Zechariah”) were written by a different, later author, based on differences in style and content. The conservative response affirms the unity of the book, noting that the differences are explicable by the different subject matter (the visions of chs. 1–8 versus the eschatological oracles of chs. 9–14) and that the New Testament cites material from both parts as Zechariah’s. The conservative conclusion affirms the prophet Zechariah as the author of the whole book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Date & Provenance

Zechariah began his ministry in 520 BC, in the second year of Darius (1:1), the same year as Haggai, and continued for some years thereafter. The dated visions and oracles of the first part of the book belong to 520–518 BC, while the undated oracles of the second part (chs. 9–14) may have been delivered later. He prophesied in Jerusalem, to the returned exiles during the rebuilding of the temple. The provenance is post-exilic Judah under Persian rule, during and after the rebuilding of the temple (completed 516 BC).

Audience & Recipients

Zechariah prophesied to the returned exiles in Jerusalem, encouraging them in the rebuilding of the temple and directing their hope to the glorious future God had prepared. His audience was a community that needed encouragement and a renewed vision of God’s purposes—both the immediate task of rebuilding and the grand horizon of the messianic age. The book served to encourage the people in their work, to call them to repentance and faithfulness, and to direct their hope to the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. Through the returned community, the book speaks to the people of God in every age about the encouragement of God’s people in their work, the rich messianic hope, and the coming of the King who would save and cleanse his people.

Genre

Zechariah is prophecy, comprising apocalyptic visions, oracles, and messianic prophecies, in both prose and poetry. The first part (chs. 1–8) consists of eight night visions and associated oracles, encouraging the rebuilding of the temple and revealing God’s purposes; the second part (chs. 9–14) consists of two oracles or “burdens” with rich messianic and eschatological content. The book employs vivid apocalyptic imagery and symbolism. Reading Zechariah well means attending to its visionary and prophetic genre, interpreting its symbolic visions in light of their theological message, recognizing the movement from the immediate task of rebuilding to the messianic future, and discerning its rich messianic content as it points to Christ.

Occasion & Purpose

The occasion was the rebuilding of the temple by the returned exiles and their need for encouragement and a renewed vision of God’s purposes. Zechariah was called to encourage the people in the rebuilding of the temple, to call them to repentance and faithfulness, and to direct their hope to the glorious future God had prepared in the coming of the Messiah. His purpose is to encourage the people in their present work by revealing God’s purposes and presence, to call them to genuine repentance and covenant faithfulness, and to proclaim the rich messianic hope—the coming of the Branch, the humble King, the pierced Shepherd, and the cleansing and restoration God would accomplish. The book aims to motivate and encourage the people in their work, to ground them in repentance and faithfulness, and to direct their hope to the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom—fulfilled in Christ.

Historical & Cultural Background

Zechariah prophesied to the returned exiles in Jerusalem in 520 BC and afterward, during the rebuilding of the temple. Like Haggai, he ministered to a community that had returned from Babylon but had grown discouraged and had neglected the rebuilding of the temple. The two prophets together encouraged the people to resume and complete the work, which was finished in 516 BC. The community was small, poor, and under Persian rule, without a king of their own (though Zerubbabel, of Davidic descent, was governor), and they needed encouragement and a renewed vision of God’s purposes for them. Zechariah’s visions and oracles addressed both the immediate situation—the rebuilding of the temple, the cleansing and restoration of the community, the leadership of Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua—and the distant future of the messianic age. The book’s rich messianic prophecies pointed the people beyond their modest present circumstances to the glorious future God had prepared. Understanding the post-exilic setting, the rebuilding of the temple, the need for encouragement, and the messianic hope illumines Zechariah’s message.

Structure & Outline

Zechariah divides into the night visions and oracles (chs. 1–8) and the messianic oracles (chs. 9–14).

1:1–6 — Introductory Call to Repentance

• 1:1–6 — The call to return to the LORD.

1:7–6:15 — The Eight Night Visions

• 1:7–6:15 — The visions encouraging the rebuilding and revealing God’s purposes (the horsemen, the horns, the measuring line, the cleansing of Joshua, the lampstand, the flying scroll, the woman in the basket, the four chariots, the crowning of Joshua).

7:1–8:23 — Questions about Fasting and Promises of Restoration

• 7:1–8:23 — The teaching on true fasting and the promises of the restoration and blessing of Jerusalem.

9:1–11:17 — The First Oracle: The Coming King and Shepherd

• 9:1–17 — The coming of the humble King.
• 10:1–11:17 — The restoration of God’s people and the rejected shepherd.

12:1–14:21 — The Second Oracle: The Pierced One and the Coming of the LORD

• 12:1–13:9 — The one who is pierced and the fountain for cleansing.
• 14:1–21 — The coming of the LORD and the establishment of his kingdom.

Key People

• Zechariah — The prophet who encouraged the rebuilding and proclaimed the messianic hope.
• Zerubbabel — The Davidic governor leading the rebuilding.
• Joshua — The high priest, cleansed and crowned as a sign of the coming Branch.
• The Branch — The messianic figure, fulfilled in Christ.

Key Places

• Jerusalem (Zion) — The city of the rebuilt temple and the focus of God’s restoration and the messianic hope.
• The temple — Being rebuilt by the returned community.

Key Verses

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!… Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9, ESV)

“And they shall look on me, on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him.” (Zech. 12:10, ESV)

“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David… to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” (Zech. 13:1, ESV)

Key Themes

Encouragement to rebuild and renewed vision. Like Haggai, Zechariah encourages the people in the rebuilding of the temple, but he does so by revealing God’s grand purposes through visions and oracles. The visions assure the people of God’s presence, his jealousy for Jerusalem, his cleansing and restoration of the community, and his commitment to complete the work. The famous word to Zerubbabel—”Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (4:6)—assures the people that the work would be accomplished not by human strength but by God’s Spirit. The book teaches that God’s work is accomplished by his Spirit and power, that he encourages and strengthens his people in their work by revealing his purposes and presence, and that his people can take heart in the grand vision of his redemptive plan.

The cleansing and restoration of God’s people. Zechariah emphasizes the cleansing and restoration of God’s people. The vision of the cleansing of Joshua the high priest (ch. 3), in which his filthy garments are removed and he is clothed with clean garments, pictures the removal of the people’s sin and their restoration to favor with God. The promise of a fountain opened “to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (13:1) points to the cleansing God would provide. The book teaches that God cleanses his people from sin and restores them to favor with him, removing their guilt and clothing them with righteousness—a cleansing accomplished through Christ.

The coming humble King. Zechariah contains one of the clearest prophecies of the coming Messiah-King: “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (9:9). This prophecy of the humble King, riding on a donkey rather than a war horse, was fulfilled in Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1–9; John 12:14–15). The King would be righteous, bring salvation, be humble, and establish a reign of peace. The book teaches the coming of the Messiah-King, who comes humbly to bring righteousness, salvation, and peace—fulfilled in Christ, the humble King.

The pierced Shepherd and the rejected one. Zechariah contains remarkable prophecies of the suffering and rejection of the Messiah. The Shepherd would be valued at thirty pieces of silver, which would be thrown to the potter (11:12–13), fulfilled in the betrayal of Christ by Judas (Matt. 27:9–10). The Shepherd would be struck, and the sheep scattered (13:7), fulfilled at Christ’s arrest (Matt. 26:31). And the people would “look on me, on him whom they have pierced,” and mourn (12:10), fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion (John 19:37). The book teaches the suffering, rejection, and piercing of the Messiah—the Shepherd betrayed, struck, and pierced for his people—fulfilled in Christ’s passion.

The coming of the LORD and his kingdom. The book climaxes in the vision of the coming of the LORD and the establishment of his kingdom (ch. 14). On that day, the LORD would come, defeat his enemies, and reign as king over all the earth: “And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one” (14:9). The book teaches that God’s purpose culminates in the coming of the LORD and the establishment of his universal kingdom, when he will reign over all the earth—a kingdom inaugurated in the first coming of Christ and consummated at his return.

Place in Redemptive History

Zechariah occupies a significant place in redemptive history as a richly messianic prophetic witness, encouraging the post-exilic community while pointing to the coming of Christ and the establishment of God’s kingdom. The book encourages the returned exiles in the rebuilding of the temple, revealing God’s purposes and presence, while directing their hope to the glorious future God had prepared. Most significantly, Zechariah contains some of the clearest and most detailed messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, foretelling the coming of the Branch, the humble King on a donkey, the Shepherd betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, the struck Shepherd and scattered sheep, the pierced one, and the fountain for cleansing—all fulfilled in Christ. The book also looks beyond the first coming to the coming of the LORD and the establishment of his universal kingdom. In the larger story, Zechariah advances redemptive history by encouraging the restored community, by providing rich and detailed prophecies of the coming Messiah—his humble kingship, his suffering and rejection, and the cleansing he would provide—and by pointing to the establishment of God’s kingdom. The book thus sustains and enriches the messianic hope, pointing supremely to Christ, the humble King and pierced Shepherd, in whom God’s redemptive purpose is fulfilled, and to the consummation when the LORD will be king over all the earth.

Christ in Zechariah

Christ is anticipated in Zechariah more richly than in almost any other Minor Prophet, with numerous detailed prophecies fulfilled in him. He is the Branch (3:8; 6:12), the messianic figure who would build the temple of the LORD and combine the offices of king and priest. He is the humble King who comes “righteous and having salvation… humble and mounted on a donkey” (9:9), fulfilled in Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1–9; John 12:14–15). He is the Shepherd valued at thirty pieces of silver, thrown to the potter (11:12–13), fulfilled in Judas’s betrayal of Christ for thirty pieces of silver, used to buy the potter’s field (Matt. 27:3–10). He is the struck Shepherd whose sheep are scattered (13:7), fulfilled at Christ’s arrest when the disciples fled (Matt. 26:31). He is the pierced one whom the people would look upon and mourn (12:10), fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion (John 19:37; cf. Rev. 1:7). And he is the source of the fountain opened… to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness (13:1), fulfilled in the cleansing from sin that Christ provides through his blood. Christ is also the LORD who comes to reign as king over all the earth (ch. 14). Zechariah thus directs the reader’s hope to Christ in remarkable detail—the Branch, the humble King, the betrayed and struck Shepherd, the pierced one, the fountain for cleansing, and the coming King—in whom all these prophecies are fulfilled.

Systematic Theology Themes

Christology

Zechariah’s rich and detailed messianic prophecies—the Branch, the humble King, the betrayed and struck Shepherd, the pierced one—are foundational for the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, presenting him as the humble King, the suffering and rejected Shepherd, and the source of cleansing.

Soteriology (Cleansing from Sin)

The cleansing of Joshua (ch. 3) and the fountain opened for cleansing from sin (13:1) ground the doctrine of the cleansing from sin that God provides, fulfilled in Christ’s atoning work.

Pneumatology

The word to Zerubbabel—”Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (4:6)—grounds the doctrine that God’s work is accomplished by his Spirit, not by human strength.

Eschatology and the Kingdom

The visions of the restoration, the coming of the LORD, and the establishment of his universal kingdom (ch. 14) contribute to the doctrine of the kingdom of God and the last things, fulfilled in Christ’s first and second comings.

Ecclesiology and Worship

The encouragement of the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of the community inform the doctrine of worship and the people of God, pointing to Christ as the true temple.

Confessional Connections

• WCF 8 (Christ the Mediator) — Zechariah’s rich messianic prophecies (9:9; 11:12–13; 12:10; 13:1, 7) are foundational for the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, his humble kingship, suffering, and cleansing work.
• WCF 11 (Justification) and the cleansing of sin — the fountain opened for cleansing from sin (13:1) anticipates the cleansing accomplished through Christ.
• WCF 5 (Providence) and the Spirit — “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (4:6) grounds the doctrine of God’s work by his Spirit.
• WCF 33 (The Last Judgment) and the kingdom — the coming of the LORD and the establishment of his kingdom (ch. 14) ground the doctrine of the last things.
• WCF 21 (Religious Worship) — the encouragement of the temple and worship informs the doctrine of worship.
• WLC Q. 45 / on Christ’s kingly office — the coming King (9:9) and the universal reign of the LORD (14:9) point to Christ’s kingship.

Application Points

• Take heart in God’s purposes. Like the post-exilic community, find encouragement in the grand vision of God’s redemptive purposes, and take heart in your work, knowing that God reveals his presence and purposes to strengthen his people.
• Rely on God’s Spirit, not human strength. Take to heart that God’s work is accomplished “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” and depend on God’s Spirit rather than your own strength in the work he calls you to (4:6).
• Rejoice in the humble King. Marvel at the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in Christ, the humble King who came to bring righteousness, salvation, and peace, and give him your worship and allegiance (9:9).
• Look on the pierced one and mourn. Contemplate Christ, the pierced Shepherd, looking on him whom your sins pierced, and respond with repentance, faith, and gratitude for his suffering on your behalf (12:10).
• Be cleansed at the fountain. Find cleansing from your sin and uncleanness at the fountain God has opened in Christ, whose blood cleanses from all sin (13:1).
• Hope in the coming King. Set your hope on Christ, the King who will reign over all the earth, and live in expectation of the consummation of his kingdom (14:9).

Interpretive Challenges

• The unity and authorship of the book. The critical claim that chapters 9–14 were written by a different, later author is rejected by the conservative position, which affirms the unity of the book by the prophet Zechariah, noting that the differences in style and content reflect the different subject matter and that the New Testament cites material from both parts as Zechariah’s. The unity of the book is affirmed.
• The interpretation of the night visions. The eight night visions (chs. 1–6) are rich in apocalyptic symbolism, raising questions of interpretation. These visions convey theological truth through symbolic imagery—God’s presence, his jealousy for Jerusalem, the cleansing and restoration of the community, and his purposes—and are to be interpreted in light of their theological message rather than pressed for literal detail in every element.
• The messianic prophecies and their fulfillment. Zechariah’s messianic prophecies are remarkably detailed, and their fulfillment in Christ is clearly attested in the New Testament (the triumphal entry, the betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, the scattering of the sheep, the piercing). The interpretation of these prophecies is guided by the New Testament’s identification of their fulfillment in Christ; some details (e.g., the rejected shepherd of ch. 11) require careful interpretation in light of the whole.
• The eschatological vision of chapter 14. The vision of the coming of the LORD and the establishment of his kingdom (ch. 14), with its vivid imagery, is variously interpreted—as referring to historical events, the first coming of Christ, the final coming, or a combination. The conservative and broadly amillennial reading generally understands it as portraying, in the idiom of the old covenant, the establishment of God’s kingdom through Christ’s first and second comings and the consummation; faithful interpreters differ on the details, while the central truth of the LORD’s universal reign is clear.

Further Study

• Within the Old Testament: Haggai (the contemporary prophet who also encouraged the rebuilding); Ezra 5–6 (the historical account of the rebuilding); the messianic prophecies of the other prophets (Isaiah, Micah); the Branch in Isaiah 11 and Jeremiah 23.
• New Testament fulfillment: Matthew 21:1–9 and John 12:14–15 (the humble King, Zech. 9:9); Matthew 27:3–10 (the thirty pieces of silver, Zech. 11:12–13); Matthew 26:31 (the struck Shepherd, Zech. 13:7); John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7 (the pierced one, Zech. 12:10); the cleansing from sin through Christ.
• Classic Reformed resources: John Calvin’s Commentary on Zechariah (with the Minor Prophets); the relevant volume of Matthew Henry; and the treatments of the messianic prophecies and the kingdom in biblical-theological and commentary works pointing to Christ.