Zechariah
was a contemporary of Haggai and
preached during the rebuilding of the temple. His message is one of
encouragement. The nations that once oppressed Israel were
broken, and though they were still under foreign rule, the king, Darius, was
favorably disposed towards the Jewish people and
supported the reconstruction of Jerusalem and
the temple. Though they had the protection of Darius, God asserted that He
was their true protector and He would overcome their enemies.
His visions predicted the coming of Christ. The
Branch of David
would remove the sins
of the people (though Zechariah also warns of judgment for the unrepentant).
The governor, and grandson of the Israelite king Jehoiachin
who was carried off in the captivity, Zerubabbel was
rebuilding the temple, but his descendant would rebuild a more excellent temple
(the church).
In addition to taking the role of a king, this descendant would become the high
priest. Some of his visions of Christ were very specific: he would be killed,
his hands would be pierced and he would be betrayed.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Malachi. The Holy Bible. New King James
Version. Nashville,
TN: Thomas
Nelson,
1982.
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