Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)

Zechariah was a Hebrew prophet who appears in both the Jewish and Christian bibles. The Old Testament book of Zechariah is often attributed to him, though there is debate over its authorship. He was one of twelve Old Testament prophets who are referred to as “minor prophets.” This is because the writings attributed to each of them were significantly shorter than those of the group known as “major prophets.”

In biblical terms, a prophet is someone who communicates the will of God to the people. They also serve as role models and encourage people to be faithful to God. Since God is portrayed as all-knowing, his prophets sometimes received and shared visions of the future, but this was not the only aspect of their work. They would often remind people of the past, or discuss how their current actions did not measure up to God’s expectations.

History

According to biblical writings, before Zechariah was born, the Jewish people were living peacefully in their established kingdom of Judah. Their most important city was Jerusalem, which was home to Solomon’s Temple. The temple was a revered religious site that had been built centuries earlier during the reign of King Solomon. However, the people of Jerusalem began to stray from their faith. Because of this, God said that he would exile those that did not trust and believe in him.

In 587 BCE, the Babylonian Empire was a dominant power in the region. It invaded Jerusalem and quickly conquered the city. Many of Jerusalem’s citizens were captured and taken from their homes, while others were left in the ruins of the city.

While little is known of Zechariah’s early life, the book of Zechariah says that he was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of the prophet Iddo. Zechariah’s parents were likely captives of Babylon when he was born. His name means “God remembered.”

According to religious tradition, God spoke to the people through prophets, promising that this exile would end and Jerusalem would be restored. In 550 BCE, Cyrus II became a ruler in western Persia. He united several neighboring regions, forming the beginning of the Persian Empire.

In 539 BCE, the Persian and Babylonian empires came into conflict. Persia successfully invaded Babylon, conquering its territory and ending Babylonian rule. After this takeover, Cyrus communicated with Jewish leaders. He quickly developed a great respect for their people and their faith. Some scriptures suggest that he was shown the writings of the prophet Isaiah, which predicted that he would help return the Jewish kingdom to its former glory. Cyrus officially permitted them to return to Jerusalem and restore their city and the temple.

Overview

Zechariah returned to Jerusalem at some point before 520 BCE. The group of returning exiles was led by a high priest named Joshua and Zerubbabel, a leader among the Jews during the Babylonian captivity. The people set to work rebuilding the city. As a prophet, Zechariah was primarily focused on communicating God’s will to the people. He worked alongside the prophet Haggai, reminding people that their ancestors’ lack of faith led to the exile in the first place. They warned the people not to repeat those mistakes.

Much of Zechariah’s work involved addressing the people’s doubts, fears, and struggles to put trust in God above their own desires. He and Haggai criticized those who were spending more time adding luxuries to their own homes rather than rebuilding the temple. Jerusalem endured a period of famine and drought, which the prophets attributed to divine punishment due to these misplaced priorities.

The temple rebuilding project faced more controversy. Though the Babylonian Empire had taken many prisoners from Jerusalem, many others were left behind. Some of the surviving members of this group, as well as some of their descendants, offered to help with the rebuilding of the temple. However, Zerubbabel rejected them, saying that God’s kingdom must remain pure. Zechariah’s prophecies contradicted this, detailing a future Jerusalem where all faithful people would unite to praise God.

Once the temple was rebuilt, many of the city’s elders were disappointed. They had seen the temple before its destruction and they remembered a place where they could feel God’s presence. The new temple did not seem to have the same blessing, causing many people to fear that God had left them. Zechariah and Haggai encouraged the people to focus on their faith and continue to keep God’s commandments.

One night in 519 BCE, God communicated with Zechariah through a series of vivid dreams. The dreams showed an optimistic future for Jerusalem, while also giving Zechariah a clearer idea of God’s expectations of his people. Assured that God would bless those who were faithful, Zechariah continued to preach.

The second portion of the book of Zechariah differs drastically in style and content from the first. Some scholars have theorized that he was much older when he wrote the second portion. Others believe that one of his disciples wrote it. The section features a series of poetic verses that describe the future.

According to the text, God would send a new ruler to his people. Zechariah described the ruler as a shepherd who would humbly arrive on a donkey. He wrote that the people would reject him in favor of false shepherds, but that God would send the Holy Spirit to give the people a chance at redemption. The book concluded by saying that God’s kingdom will open to all people who accept it.

Much of the imagery in these writings was revisited in the New Testament. Jesus rode into town on a donkey, frequently described himself as a shepherd, and was eventually rejected and handed to the authorities by Jewish crowds. New Testament descriptions of heaven also share many similarities with the text in Zechariah.

Zechariah’s death is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Centuries later, Jesus refers to a Zechariah among a group of prophets, and accuses religious leaders of killing them. However, the text is vague on whether the accusation is referring to the same Zechariah, as several are mentioned in the Bible. It’s also unclear if Jesus was describing a literal execution, or if he was metaphorically referring to the leaders’ rejection of the prophets.

Bibliography

Ger, Steven. “Zechariah: Minor Prophet with a Major Message.” Sojourner Ministries, 28 Mar. 2017, www.sojournerministries.com/jews-views/zechariah-minor-prophet-with-a-major-message#sthash.ARq2YNXT.dpbs. Accessed 2 Mar. 2019.

Holy Bible, Zondervan Publishing, 2006.

“An Introduction to the Book of Zechariah.” Bible.org, 2019, bible.org/article/introduction-book-zechariah. Accessed 3 Mar. 2019.

Niditch, Susan. “Prophetic Dreams and Visions in the Hebrew Bible.” Bible Odyssey, 2018, www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/related-articles/prophetic-dreams-and-visions-in-the-hebrew-bible. Accessed 5 Mar. 2019.

“Read Scripture: Zechariah.” YouTube, uploaded by the Bible Project, 1 Aug. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=‗106IfO6Kc0.

“Zechariah.” Biblica, 2019, www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-zechariah/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2019.

“Zechariah.” Insight for Living Ministries, 2019, www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-minor-prophets/zechariah. Accessed 3 Mar. 2019.

“Zechariah.” Jewish Virtual Library, 2019, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/zechariah-4. Accessed 3 Mar. 2019.