Synopsis: Zechariah

Organisation of the synopsis

The Writer 

The prophet is contemporary with Haggai and he encourages the Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple. His ministry was also recorded in Ezra 6:14. The name Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo is instructive for our understanding of this book. Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers”, Berechiah means “Jehovah to bless”, and Iddo means “the appointed time”. We can therefore memorize it as” Jehovah remembers to bless at the appointed time!” 

Key verse 

Zechariah 9:9 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

If the Jews had carefully studied the coming of the Messiah in the above verse, they would not have made the mistake to expect the Messiah to appear immediately as a deliverer from the Roman’s yoke. 

There are two advents in the coming of the Messiah. The first is noted in the above key verse and the second advent is the Lord Jesus coming as a mighty deliverer. The first advent was fulfilled to the letter when the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem (Matt 21:5).  

Today, the Messiah has completed his task of propitiation when he died on the cross. The next event will be to deliver the earth from evil and he will indeed come as a mighty conqueror (Rev 19:11-16). 

Main Theme 

The key verse was selected because Zechariah emphasized more on the Lord Christ than all the other minor prophets. Twice he referred to the Messiah as the Branch in Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12. The Branch means the descendant, heir or seed.   

Isaiah 11:1, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots”. 

It is well known to the Jews that the Messiah will be a descendant of David. Therefore, in Matt 21:9, “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David”. 

This book can be broadly divided into 3 sections; chapters 1 to 6 contain eight visions of Zechariah. Chapters 7 to 8 is an intermission where the subject of the spiritual wellbeing of the Israelites was questioned and finally chapters 9 to 14 concerns the things beyond the prophet’s time and end with the millennian kingdom. 

Spiritual and Life Lessons 

The two advents of the Lord Jesus Christ are an act of immeasurable mercies. The first advent (Zech 9:9) represents the Lord’s reconciliation with sinful men and women with God. This was fulfilled when he came to Jerusalem riding on the colt (the foal of an ass). If this first advent did not take place, there is no propitiation for sin and the sinful descendants of Adam will just perish in the holy presence of the Lord. It is the greatest loss to any person living in this age of Grace to ignore the offer to be forgiven of their sins by the Lord Jesus Christ. No other mistake in the world can surpass it.  

The eight visions of Zechariah in chapters 1-6 concerns God’s plan for the future of Israel. Since the building of the ruined temple and city are a part of the plan of the Lord, the Jews can be encouraged that their efforts will not fail.  In Zechariah 1:9-16, God knows all his people’s predicaments. Today we also take comfort in the Lord who is our high priest and in whatever circumstances affecting our Christian walk, whether adverse or good, the Lord is behind us (Rom 8:28).  

In the intermission chapters (i.e., 7 and 8) the Jews were taught during Zechariah’s time to be aware of the omniscient God (Zec 7:5). All of us must be true to our God as he knows when we truly worship Him. It must be very unsettling to the Jews when God said their fasting over the last seventy years were in vain, Zec 7:5. God tells us in plain language how He likes to be worshipped (Matt 18:20, Acts 20:7 and Luke 22:19). 

In Luke 22:19, His condescending request was to be remembered, ‘And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me’. When the Lord of Heaven and earth gives us such a condescending request, do we obey or resist it? Also God reveals to us His character in Zechariah 7:9-10 and 8:16-17. Christians do well to follow these Godly characteristics. 

Finally, in the last section of Zechariah, we have the prophesy of the end times whereby Jerusalem will be restored and the millennian kingdom established. Before this takes place, the Jews will mourn because of their grave mistake to demand the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (Zechariah 12:10).

This event is an antitype of the great day of atonement in Leviticus 23:27. After this event, the millennium kingdom will be set up in Jerusalem. Today, the Jews are back in their homeland. The continual fulfillment of biblical prophesies relating to Israel confirms the veracity of God’s words.  

2 Peter 3:14, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 

With God’s blessings, 

CL