Book of Zechariah
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The Book of Zechariah is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. Its writing is attributed to the prophet Zechariah.
Contents |
Historical Context
Zechariah is broken into three parts in which the first six chapters are composed of eight visions that are bracketed by sermons, the first of which is retrospective and a call to repentance. The lack of response by the community is the catalyst for God’s judgment and the circumstances from which God promised to deliver them. (7:8–14, 8:1–8). In the sermons and in the visions the reversal of fortune and restoration is entirely at the Lord’s disposal. Zechariah’s work has been linked to Haggai’s where the first chapter of the latter attributes the nation’s ills to the fact that they have stopped work on the Temple in favour of restoring their own homes, and the second chapter attributes the improvement in the community’s standing to the fact that they have begun to restore the Temple.
Composition
The editors have placed Zech. 1:2–6 between these two dates which is believed to interpret the return in Zech 1:6 as the theological premise of what the prophet sees in his visions. Chapters 7–8 addresses the quality of life that God wants His renewed people to enjoy, and these words contain many encouraging promises to the people. According to some commentators, the second and third sections of the book consist of a series of predictions that are to be read as Messianic prophecies, either directly or indirectly, and it seems that the Apocalypse is coloured by images taken from this book. It is thought that there was actually more than one contributor to the book that bears the name of Zechariah.
Chapters 1–8 are treated as being the work of the first, "original" Zechariah who was a contemporary of Haggai. His prophecies and writings were collected by his disciples and his prophetic mantle handed down to still other disciples. These were responsible for chapters 9–14; so, rather than a single author, there was an inspired tradition of Zechariah after the “original” prophet, and the character of this original is to be found within the lines of chapters 1–8.
We do not know a great deal about Zechariah’s life except what is inferred from the book, although it is believed that his ancestor, Iddo, was the head of a priestly family who returned with Zerrubbabel; the inference being that Zechariah was a priest and a prophet. These details are apparent from his interest in the temple and the priesthood and also from his preaching in First and Second Chronicles. His concern for purity is apparent in the temple, priesthood and all areas of life as the prophecy gradually eliminates the governor in favour of the high priest, and the sanctuary becomes ever more clearly the centre of messianic fulfillment. The prominence of prophecy is quite apparent in Zechariah but it is also true that Zechariah (along with Haggai) allows prophecy to yield to the priesthood; this is particularly apparent in comparing Zechariah to Third Isaiah (chapters 55–56 of the Book of Isaiah), whose author was active sometime after the first return from exile.
The Prophet
The exact identity of Zechariah is only the first of a number of questions with regard to this prophecy. His name means "Jehovah has remembered." The purpose of this book is not strictly historical but theological and pastoral. As an example, even today historical details are often blended together to make a point or convey an overall impression and such is also true with regard to the transmission of religious traditions.
Main Point/Emphasis
The main emphasis is that God is at work and plans to live again with His people in Jerusalem. He will save them from their enemies and cleanse them from sin. These same chapters helped the writers of the Gospel understand Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection, which they quoted as they wrote of Jesus’ final days. Finally, Revelation draws on Zechariah as well as it narrates the denouement of history.
Sources
- The Student Bible, NIV. (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992)
- D. Guthrie, (ed.) New Bible Commentary. (New York: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970)
- Stephen G. Dempster, Dominion And Dynasty: A Theology Of The Hebrew Bible. (Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2003)
- Carroll Stuhlmueller, Haggai and Zechariah: Rebuilding With Hope. (Edinburgh: The Handsel Press Ltd., 1988)cs:Kniha Zacharjáš
de:Sacharja (Buch) fr:Livre de Zacharie fi:Sakarjan kirja id:Kitab Nabi Zakharia ru:Захария (пророк) sv:Sakarja