Zechariah Zechariah
Zechariah
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: Zechariah the prophet
Audience: Those living in the aftermath of a partially failed revival of Israelite culture after the Babylonian exile
Date: 520–518 BC
Type of Literature: Prophetic prose oracles # See C. L. Meyers and E. M. Meyers, Haggai, Zechariah 1–8 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1987), lxiv. and apocalyptic literature
Major Themes: Yahweh as Commander of Angel Armies; the day of Yahweh; angelic revelation; God communicating through visions; the prophet as “custodian” of the covenant; promises of restoration and renewal—blessing for Israel and the nations; seeing Jesus in the book
Outline:
I. Superscription: author and setting — 1:1
II. Visions and revelations of hope, rebuke, renewal, and restoration — 1:2–8:23
a. A call to repentance — 1:2–6
b. A succession of eight night visions — 1:7–6:8
i. The horsemen — 1:7–17
ii. Four horns and four craftsmen — 1:18–21
iii. The measuring man — 2:1–13
iv. Clean clothes for the high priest — 3:1–10
v. The lampstand and two olive trees — 4:1–14
vi. The flying scroll — 5:1–4
vii. The woman in a barrel — 5:5–11
viii. Four chariots — 6:1–8
c. Three divine revelations from Yahweh — 6:9–8:23
i. The crowning of Joshua as the priest-king — 6:9–15
ii. A call for justice, mercy, and compassion, not ritual observance — 7:1–14
iii. The divine promise to bless Jerusalem — 8:1–23
III. Two oracles of promised Messianic deliverance and rule — 9:1–14:21
a. The coming of the Messianic King — 9:1–11:17
i. The protection of Judah and Jerusalem: destruction of her enemies — 9:1–8
ii. The arrival of Zion’s King in Jerusalem: rescue and salvation — 9:9–17
iii. The restoration of Yahweh’s people to their homeland: security and blessing — 10:1–12
iv. The elimination of the godless “shepherd-rulers” in Israel — 11:1–17
b. The full inauguration of the kingdom of God — 12:1–14:21
i. God’s deliverance of Judah and Jerusalem from all enemy nations — 12:1–9
ii. A prophecy of national mourning for “the Pierced One” — 12:10–14
iii. God’s promise to cleanse his people from their sin — 13:1–6
iv. The scattering and execution of those who will “strike” the Good Shepherd, followed by the spiritual renewal of the faithful remnant — 13:7–9
v. The consummation of the coming kingdom of God, with the arrival of the Messianic Ruler, and the apocalyptic destruction of the enemies of God worldwide — 14:1–21
About the Book of Zechariah
Zechariah is one of the longer books of the Twelve (the Minor Prophets) and is one of the most difficult books of the Bible to translate and interpret. Hebrew, as a spoken language, was starting to die and be replaced by Aramaic, the language of the Babylonian conquerors.
The exiles were back in Judah, their homeland, having returned from captivity in Babylon some twenty years previously (538 BC). The last sands of the seventy years of exile predicted by Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11; 29:10) had dropped through to the pile at the bottom of the hourglass.
In this exciting season, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were encouraging the people to rebuild the temple and restart the Israelite civilization. This revitalization of Israel would come to be known as “Second Temple Judaism” and was the era and culture in which Jesus grew up.
The potent and fiery Old Testament prophetic tradition (unique to Israel) was entering its twilight years, and the season of rabbinic sages and apocalyptic visions was dawning. This fault line runs through the book of Zechariah, which, along with Daniel, expresses the birth of revelatory/apocalyptic language. The book may be divided into two distinct but related parts. The first section is chapters 1–8, which incorporate night visions along with additional revelatory “words of Yahweh.” Together, these convey themes of hope, rebuke, restoration, and renewal. The second section is chapters 9–14, containing two prophetic oracles of distinctive apocalyptic language, conveying the primary themes of the divine destruction of the enemies of the people of God, the restoration and cleansing of the postexilic community of Judah, and the coming of the Messianic Priest-King, along with the establishment of the universal, everlasting kingdom of God.
Zechariah’s writing is highly cinematic and visual, with the first eight chapters of his book chronicling the eight night visions he experienced. As is often the case with such visions including angels, we occasionally have trouble figuring out who is speaking to whom. This accounts for the plentiful variations among English versions of Zechariah. The literary narratives of such revelatory reveries, much like our own dreams, are distinctly nonlinear.
It is a book of high hopes for an Israelite renaissance, which merges with a prophetic anticipation of the political, cultural, and social turmoil that will erupt in the postexilic community of God’s people in the centuries leading up to the dominance of the Roman Empire in the first century AD. This is highlighted, for example, in chapters 11 and 12. The anticipated pain of this future trauma is mixed with stubborn hope, sublimated into the prophetic oracles and apocalyptic visions splashing forth in the final chapters. These are oracles that also anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messianic King, and the fulfillment of the hope promised to the people of God. If Yahweh, whose promises always prevail, did not awaken the soul of Israel in Zechariah’s time, then he would certainly do so at some moment in the future.
Zechariah, in his very heart and soul, was compelled to process a depressing shift in Israelite society. In the former classical era of David, Solomon, and their descendants, independent Israel had a stable separation of three powers: kings, priests, and prophets. At the beginning of the book, Zechariah hoped to restore this “trinity” by naming Zerubbabel (political) and Joshua (priestly) as the heirs of Moses and Aaron. However, the prophetic voice was no longer resonating with the people, and Zerubbabel was unable to assert any real political power in the shadow of the mighty Persian Empire. Relegated to the weaker role of “county commissioner,” he faded from the scene. Of the three pillars of Israelite culture, only the priestly one survived. The prophetic and royal branches evaporated before Zechariah’s eyes. However, notwithstanding the contemporary discouragement, all eight visions granted to the prophet Zechariah (1:7–6:8) reinforce the hope provided in the divine revelation of God’s redemptive program. The civil and religious roles played out by Zerubbabel and Joshua in Zechariah’s day will be fulfilled in the crowning of the ultimate Messianic Priest-King.
Many scholars (Childs, LaSor, Baldwin, Klein, and most Jewish scholars) believe that the book of Zechariah is one cohesive unit. Others believe that some form of the last part of the book was added later. Given the heartrending, unified plot of the book, it makes little sense to divide it.
Purpose
In its final form, the book of Zechariah lays out the backstory of the failure of postexilic Israel to reclaim the glory of David, Solomon, and the original temple and reveals why that fumbled ambition had to be transposed into a new hope for a Messianic age to come. The promises of God and the faith heritage of Israel were simply too rich to abandon. The purpose of this book is much the same as that of Haggai, which was authored by Zechariah’s contemporary.
Thus, Zechariah laid out a future hope for God’s people throughout his prophecy. The eight night visions and accompanying revelations, along with the prophetic oracles in the second half of the book, reveal truly encouraging details of the hope that God clearly intended his discouraged people to understand and hold on to: God’s intention to have his temple in Jerusalem rebuilt, in order to house his glorious return. His people will be fully restored to their homeland. They will be cleansed from all their sins and be granted a renewed prosperity. They will also ultimately enjoy a God-given peace, with their enemies destroyed by the hand of their Sovereign Lord. And in the end, the arrival of the Messianic, priestly Shepherd-King will terminate the succession of corrupt and wicked shepherd-rulers as he ushers in a kingdom of never-ending glory and righteousness.
Underlying Zechariah’s message, as his name indicates, is the foundation of the divine plan of redemption. He wanted to remind the people of God that “Yahweh remembers” his covenant promises. God had not forgotten his people then, and he has not forgotten us now.
Author and Audience
Zechariah, like Ezekiel, was more of a priest who operated prophetically than the other way around. Hebrew names are more than just labels, and Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers.” There are over two dozen men in the Bible with that name.
Most likely, this Zechariah was born among the Israelite exiles during their captivity in Babylon. After the Persians destroyed Babylon, they set these exiles free, and Zechariah returned to Jerusalem with a wave of them, eager to lay eyes on the homeland that they had never seen. These returned exiles were his audience.
He came from a priestly family. His father, Berechiah, may have died when Zechariah was young, so it seems Zechariah was raised and adopted by his grandfather Iddo (Ezra 6:14; Zech. 1:1). Iddo was a priest (Neh. 12:1–4, 16), so Zechariah was born a priest with the heart of a prophet, much like Ezekiel and John the Baptist.
Zechariah and Haggai were contemporaries, with Haggai likely much older than the younger Zechariah. According to Haggai 1:1, Haggai’s ministry began on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of Darius (520 BC), and Zechariah’s prophetic ministry began roughly two months later in the same year (Zech. 1:1). Zechariah dated his night visions (1:7–6:8) on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month of Darius’ second year.
Major Themes
Yahweh as Commander of Angel Armies. Zechariah used the phrase “Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies” (or “Yahweh Zebaoth”; Hb. yahweh tsebaʾot) an astounding forty-seven times. This title was often translated “Lord of hosts” in older English usage, back when our word hosts was more commonly applied to military legions rather than hospitality directors. A zaba (or tsabaʾ) is an army of soldiers, and zebaoth (or tsebaʾot) is the plural form. The extensive use of this title in the book of Zechariah underscores the predominant motif of the all-powerful Sovereign Lord of the universe as the heavenly commander of innumerable angelic warriors. Such an omnipotent force is irresistible and indestructible, and it emphasizes the reality that throughout history, the present, and the future, the enemies of God and his people will never be able to prevail against such an opponent.
The Day of Yahweh. Zechariah referred to the day of Yahweh over twenty times in his prophetic work. Most commonly, he referred to events that will happen “on that day,” and these references bring out two contrasting emphases, one positive and one negative.
For the enemies of God and his people, such a day portends an ominous, catastrophic destruction, for then they will face the terrible wrath of the living God. However, for the people of God, the ultimate day of Yahweh will be one of unimaginable peace and joy, for in that day, God will be victorious over all his enemies and fulfill his plan of redemption and renewal for all eternity. But it must also be recognized that throughout the history of the Israelite people, they also suffered a day of Yahweh punishment for their sin—although such a judgment was temporary, never absolute. That terrible latter destiny is reserved for the unrepentant enemies of God.
And so, on that day, Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, will execute justice, destroy wickedness, vindicate the faithful remnant, and set everything right. In New Testament terms, his kingdom is coming; his will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Heaven is literally and inevitably invading earth. And all of that is accomplished solely on the basis of the finished work of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Messianic King of kings. This theme of the day of Yahweh is one that is consistently found throughout the Old Testament, incorporated particularly in the canonical Prophets, both Major and Minor.
Angelic Revelation. Throughout the Old Testament, certain concepts like angels, eschatology, and the afterlife gradually come into greater prominence and clarity over time. Revelatory angels—prominently though not exclusively found in Daniel and Zechariah—play a significant role in the increasingly frequent genre of prophetic-apocalyptic literature that began to emerge from the 500s BC onward. The book of Revelation is by far the best example of new covenant/New Testament biblical apocalyptic literature.
In Zechariah, there are two different kinds of angelic beings involved in communicating divine revelation to the prophet via the eight visions recounted in chapters 1–6. One is referred to simply as “the angel who was talking to me.” Commentators generally refer to him as “the interpreting angel,” for that is precisely his task: to explain to the prophet the meaning of the visions he is experiencing (1:9, 13–14, 19; 2:3; 4:1, 4, 11; 5:5, 10; 6:4–5). The other angel is a manifestation of God himself, designated here and elsewhere in the Old Testament as “the angel of Yahweh.” He is explicitly mentioned in 1:11–12; 3:1–3, 6. Elsewhere, the single term angel is likely to indicate this divine figure, as in 2:3; 3:4. Then the reference in 2:1 to “a man with a measuring line” is almost certainly to the angel of Yahweh. This figure is uniformly understood throughout the Old Testament as a manifestation of God in human form, commonly referred to as a theophany. Because mortal eyes may never view the essential being of God himself, his visible presence to individuals chosen to receive divine revelation is most often, but not always, via the manifestation of such an angelic being.
God Communicating through Visions. It is evident in Scripture that God reveals himself and his ongoing redemptive plans to individuals in both dreams and visions. God gives dreams to those who are asleep, but visions occur while individuals are awake. In the case of Zechariah, the context suggests that he was most likely awake when he received these visions (see 4:1), apparently, all in one night.
Zechariah’s visions have themes relating to both God’s judgment on his people and his promise to redeem, renew, and restore them back in their homeland with a focus on the New Jerusalem and a dual priestly-royal leadership. There are eight visions:
• The horsemen (1:8–17)
• Four chariots (6:1–8)
• Causes of the exile
◦ Four horns and four craftsmen (1:18–21)
◦ The flying scroll (5:1–4)
◦ The woman in a barrel (5:5–11)
• The New Jerusalem
◦ The measuring man (2:1–13)
• Restoration of priestly-royal leadership
◦ Clean clothes for the high priest (3:1–10)
◦ The lampstand and two olive trees—Zerubbabel and Joshua (4:1–14)
The Prophet as “Custodian” of the Covenant. Underlying the message of the prophet Zechariah throughout the book is the foundational “scaffolding” of the divine covenant. Zechariah’s language surrounding this phenomenon is proof of this. Most significant are the various references to the classic summary formulation of the covenant: “I will be your God, and you shall be my people” or variations on that wording (see Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12; Jer. 30:22, for example). Zechariah referenced this summary formula both explicitly (Zech. 8:8; 13:9) and implicitly (2:11; 10:6–7). In 9:11, he recorded the following words God revealed to him: “As for you, Zion, because of my covenant with you sealed with blood, I have set your captives free from the waterless pit of their prison.” The context of this revelation makes it clear that it denotes the divine rationale for God delivering his people from exile in Babylon. Then, by way of contrast, Zechariah’s sixth vision in 5:1–4 describes the application of the covenant curse to the people of God via the motif of a flying scroll. This scroll is a symbol of the covenant documents, and on each side is recorded the people’s violations of the covenant statutes, which resulted in the Judean population being sent into exile in Babylon, along with the destruction of their homeland.
It is evident that Zechariah was keenly aware of the details of the covenant that God had made with his people so many years before, an awareness that other canonical prophets also clearly demonstrated. In short, Zechariah was well acquainted with these covenant statutes and what they entailed, including punishments (or curses) for violations and blessings for faithful observance of those laws. So when the prophet related both the judgments Yahweh handed down to his people and the blessings he had in store for them—as well as for the nations around them (see the discussion in the following theme)—we can be quite definite that it was the knowledge of what the divine covenant contained, what it meant for the postexilic community, and what it portended for the future that undergirded his prophetic work.
Thus the description of Zechariah as a “custodian” of the covenant is an apt one since it clearly indicates to his audience—both then and now—that God has never forgotten his people and that his covenant promises have always been front and center when it comes to the redemptive focus on his people.
Promises of Restoration and Renewal—Blessing for Israel and the Nations. The long line of Davidic royalty and the heroic prophets who boldly challenged the leaders with direct words from God was coming to an end. The priests, rabbinic sages, and apocalyptic visionaries were filling the vacuum. Zechariah personally embodied a bridge between these two eras. Zechariah spoke forth some of the last words of Old Testament prophecy (“I, Yahweh, have this to say . . .”; e.g., 8:3, 6) and no doubt watched with keen interest and comfort for the fulfillment of the promise to renew and reforge the Davidic royal line by the merging of a priestly ruler (i.e., Joshua, the high priest) with that of a civil governor in the line of David (i.e., Zerubbabel). Zechariah’s fourth and fifth visions in chapters 3 and 4 reveal this theme explicitly, and the oracle of 6:9–15 reinforces it. In other words, the line of King David would not be consummated by a traditional royal figure but by the emergence of the Messianic Priest-King, Jesus Christ—David’s greatest son. The merging of the roles of Joshua and Zerubbabel prophetically anticipated this Messianic expectation. It is also worth mentioning at this point that the prophet Haggai, Zechariah’s contemporary, reinforced the significant role Zerubbabel played in the redemptive plan of God when he likened the governor of the postexilic Judean community to the divine “signet ring” (Hag. 2:20–23), an indication that God had chosen Zerubbabel as a guarantee, or pledge, that someday the Messiah descended from David would certainly come.
And so, notwithstanding the significant disappointments at the time of Zechariah, God revealed to his servant, the prophet, promises of restoration and renewal that focused squarely on the covenant people of Israel as well as the surrounding nations; these promises are scattered throughout the prophecy. Casting aside the legacy of the old covenant era, Zechariah launched courageously toward the new covenant age with potent apocalyptic promises of a blessed hope and a victorious future. What do we do with deep disappointment in our lives? As people of faith, we would do well to imitate Zechariah, who picked up the pieces, trusted the promises of God, and painted a picture of a fresh future hope into which we can live.
Zechariah 2:1–13 and chapter 8 show God restoring Israel not only for her own benefit but also for the benefit of the other nations, to whom she would be a blessing. In other words, not only would the Israelite people be renewed in their covenant relationship with their Sovereign Lord, but people from many lands the world over would also be drawn to the worship of Yahweh and, by clear implication, be joined to the covenant people as gentile believers. This conclusion is made abundantly clear in 2:11 and 8:20–23 and was spectacularly fulfilled in the new covenant age of the Holy Spirit, after Jesus had ascended back to the heavenly realm to rejoin God his Father on the throne of the eternal kingdom. Such a blessing will continue as the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world until Jesus returns.
Seeing Jesus in the Book. Despite the disappointments and frustrations experienced by the prophet and the people to whom he was ministering, Zechariah gave powerful and encouraging Messianic images that anticipated the coming of Jesus into the world. These prophecies would have greatly encouraged Zechariah’s 500s BC audience, providing they had ears to hear what God was saying. And in the first century AD, the first Christians—and all those generations that followed—would have seen in this book previews of the appearing of the Messiah. Zechariah records some of the most potent prophetic oracles and images related to the coming of Jesus, the Messianic Priest-King, in the canonical prophecies of the Old Testament and elsewhere. These are listed below:
• In 6:11–12, Joshua, the high priest, is about to be crowned as a priest-king, and in these verses, he is given the name of “the Branch,” a Messianic title associated with the royal lineage of King David, as indicated in Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15. The New Testament makes it clear that the fulfillment of the Messianic “Branch” is none other than Jesus Christ himself. John the apostle recorded in his vision of the heavenly Jerusalem the very words of the risen Christ to that effect in Revelation 22:16, and one of the elders surrounding the heavenly throne in Revelation 5:5 also testified to this identification.
• This title is also found in Zechariah 3:8–9, with the added feature of “the stone before Joshua,” elsewhere referred to in the Old Testament as a “rock” or the “capstone” or “cornerstone” of the temple (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Dan. 2:34–35, 45). The prophet then mentioned in Zechariah 10:4 that from Judah will come the “cornerstone,” which, in the context of this chapter, points to a victorious, divine Redeemer, who will conquer all the enemies of God’s people. This symbol is an undeniable Messianic characteristic, as evidenced by the following New Testament references that identify this “cornerstone” with the person of Jesus Christ: Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:6–8.
• In Zechariah 9:9, the prophet described the arrival of the King in the city of Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey. The New Testament Gospel writers unequivocally identify this rider as Jesus, who entered Jerusalem on a donkey in the week before his crucifixion and death. Both Matthew (Matt. 21:5) and John (John 12:15) attest to this event on the first Palm Sunday as a direct fulfillment of the Zechariah prophecy.
• In Zechariah 11:12–13, Zechariah made reference to thirty pieces of silver being thrown to the potter inside the Jerusalem temple. The context in chapter 11 reveals Zechariah role-playing a shepherd-leader, commanded by Yahweh to pasture a flock marked for slaughter—that is, the rebellious nation of Judah. After revoking a covenant made with the rebellious “flock,” Zechariah asked to be paid, and they gave him thirty pieces of silver. The Lord then commanded the prophet to throw the money to the potter in the temple. # The allusion to the potter involves an incident in the life of the prophet Jeremiah, as recorded in Jeremiah 19:1–13. See Matthew 27:9–10. This detail refers prophetically to the “blood money” that the Pharisees paid to Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot for information leading to the arrest of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. See Matthew 26:14–15; 27:3–10.
• In Zechariah 12:10, there is a reference to the mournfully repentant inhabitants of Jerusalem, lamenting their murderous actions and gazing on “the Pierced One” (i.e., God himself). It is a repentant response that is triggered by an outpouring of the divine Spirit of grace and supplication. This expression points, in prophetic anticipation, to the action of the Roman soldier in piercing Jesus’ side with a spear as he hung dying on the cross while the crowd gazed at him. John 19:34–37 records this incident and quotes this prophecy, although the attitude of the watchful crowd in their hearts is not indicated in the gospel record. A spirit of sorrowful repentance, however—at least in some onlookers—may be implied by the citing of Zechariah 12:10.
• In 13:1, in association with the prophetic anticipation of the day of Yahweh, we read that “a flowing fountain” will be opened up “for the family of David and the people of Jerusalem—a fountain to wash away sin and impurity.” The agent of that opening is undeniably Yahweh himself. Such a cleansing flow in the elimination of iniquity is an essential element in the prophetic outworking of the new covenant as indicated in Ezekiel 36:25. The supreme expression and fulfillment of the cleansing from sin is found in the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross, as recorded in Hebrews 9:14.
• In Zechariah 10:3 and 13:7 respectively, a contrast is drawn between Yahweh punishing the wicked, godless shepherd-leaders of Israel and then allowing his own righteous “shepherd” to be struck down, followed by the scattering of his people in judgment. In 13:8–9, mention is then made of one-third of the people being refined in that punishment, resulting in their profound spiritual renewal and transformation. This reveals God’s mercy in the midst of judgment. However, the reference in 13:7 also anticipates the emergence of Jesus Christ as the “Good Shepherd,” recorded in John 10:1–21, who was struck down at the instigation of the rebellious population in Jerusalem. Jesus himself quoted Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31, with reference to the immediate consequences of Peter’s denial (Matt. 26:69–74)—namely, the abandonment of Jesus by all of his band of disciples. However, God’s redemptive grace ensured that a chosen worldwide “remnant”—past, present, and future—would be purged of their sin and redeemed by the atoning sacrifice of the Messianic Shepherd-King at Calvary.
• In Zechariah 14:4–5, we read about the victorious return of Israel’s God to the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem after his all-conquering destruction of Israel’s enemies. This is an event that is directly linked to a manifestation of the day of Yahweh. Significantly, this text speaks of the legion of “holy ones” who will accompany their victorious Lord and God on his return. The accompanying host may include resurrected followers of Yahweh as well as angels. This scenario anticipates the final return of Jesus Christ to earth with his “holy ones” at the end of the age, ushering in the final judgment. See Matthew 25:31; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude (Judah) 14; Revelation 19:14.
• In Zechariah 14:8, there is another reference to a day of Yahweh event: the phenomenon of “living waters” flowing out from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea (i.e., in the east) and the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., in the west). This is an allusion to the extended vision of an identical phenomenon witnessed by the prophet Ezekiel some fifty years prior to Zechariah’s ministry (ca. 571 BC), recorded in Ezekiel 47:1–12 (and see Joel 3:18). These references to the flow of “living waters” are consummated in Revelation 22:1–2 where the river of the water of life flows from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the street in the heavenly city of Jerusalem. What is also of special significance here is that such a vision is a prophetic glimpse into the identification of Jesus as the essence of “living water” in John 4:10–14: the source of eternal life.
• And finally, in Zechariah 14:9, in another reference to the day of Yahweh, we read that Yahweh will be King over the entire earth. There is no doubt that this is another prophecy that points forward to the universal rule of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in the eternal kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth, a reign that comes to its supreme expression in the book of Revelation, especially in chapters 4, 5, 21, and 22.
For Zechariah (see chapters 7 and 8), the coming kingdom was inevitable (in terms of God’s promise) but conditional (in terms of the people’s spiritual readiness to experience such a restoration). Nonetheless, the context of these two chapters makes it clear that it is by God’s gracious initiative and enabling alone that the people will be restored, redeemed, and renewed. In other words, this conditionality will also become an inevitability, as the people’s initial unwillingness to practice justice, mercy, and compassion will be transformed—by implication—into faithful obedience to God and his covenant statutes. Chapter 8 reinforces this perspective when the Lord’s promise to bless Jerusalem will result in the people’s spiritual transformation, and the land will experience abundant joy, peace, and prosperity. These promises will find their ultimate fulfillment in the appearance of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Zechariah
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