This section consists of a number of Messianic prophecies that reveal the importance of the rebuilt temple, since Messiah will come to this temple. It is very desirable to have the Lord of hosts for our friend, and very dreadful to have him for our enemy. Nor should Zechariah the prophet be confused with any of the 28 other men in the Old Testament who bore this name. Zechariah crowns Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest (6:9-15). I know that you know that. And in due time God would send the Messiah to bring them eternal salvation and glory. It’s so easy to be a spiritual procrastinator! 1:4). • God addresses the needs of the people as they work on the Temple. He then shows that when we return to the Lord on a personal level, it opens the floodgate of God’s grace. God calls every sinner to a personal relationship: “Return to Me, that I may return to you.” You may think that your sins disqualify you from ever drawing near on a personal level to a holy God. Messianic references include mentions of Christ's lowliness and humanity (6:12). He dwells on the Person and work of Christ more fully than all the other minor prophets together" (p. 273). What will change his opinion of that parachute and make him eager to put it on, in spite of any discomfort or ridicule? Outline of the Book of Zechariah . Introduction (1:1-6). The stewardess comes along and says, “Sir, would you like to put on this parachute? 1:1 - 6 God's almighty power and sovereign dominion, should engage and encourage sinners to repent and ... 1:7 - 17 The prophet saw a dark, shady grove, hidden by hills. Most of us are far more affected by the sins of our parents and grandparents than we realize (Exod. But how is this message about God’s anger a word of encouragement or hope? “‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. 34:7). It is the characteristic name for God in Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, occurring more than eighty times. The Bible warns that without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb. Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you.. Isa 2:12 13:6,9 Joe 2:31 3:14 Mal 4:5 Acts 2:20 Rev 16:14 ; THE DAY OF THE LORD IS IMMINENT. Isa 40:6-8)" (Expositor's, note on verses 4-6). Thus when we realize God’s great wrath against us as sinners, we will be desperate to find the remedy. This represented the low, melancholy cond... 1:18 - 21 The enemies of the church threaten to cut off the name of Israel. The word “overtake” has the idea of relentlessly pursuing and hunting down (Deut. Ezra refers to him as "Zechariah the son of Iddo" (Ezra 5:1; 6:14)—"son" in this case meaning "grandson." By “fathers” (1:2, 4, 5, 6) Zechariah means their ancestors, but especially those who had been responsible for the Babylonian captivity. When you look around at the evil in the world and the apathy or hostility toward the gospel, you may feel as if God has forgotten you. Zechariah's eight visions in the night (1:7 - 6:8). It is important to note that God takes the initiative in this process. It will also hit the mark with a backsliding believer, but I’m not backsliding. Zechariah meant by the “Word of God” simply the prophetic utterances about the destiny and the punishment of the nation. He is mentioned as well, along with *Haggai, in Ezra 5:1; 6:14, where he is referred to as the son of Iddo, rather than grandson. It is the gift of God, and we must depend on Him to grant it (Acts 5:31; 11:18). 12:14). As John Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries [Baker], Zechariah, p. 21) rightly observes, “for if everything which God requires were in our power, the grace of the Holy Spirit would be superfluous.” So we must cry out to God for mercy and strength to do what He justly requires of us, namely, to return to Him. Though a contemporary of Haggai, Zechariah continued his ministry long after him (cf. The book prepares God’s people for the worst calamity they can ever face, the triumph of evil over good. The prophet Zechariah's book opens with a call to repentance (Zechariah 1:1-6 Zechariah 1:1-6 [1] In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD to Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, [2] The LORD has been sore displeased with your fathers. Zechariah is the 11th of the 12 Minor Prophets—the second of the three Postexilic Prophets. The overarching theme of these visions is that God is again working on behalf of His people and that He will bring judgment on the heathen nations that had afflicted His people. The great God was with them to help and guide those who would trust in and submit to Him—and to correct and chasten those who would not. ), felt compassion for him, ran to him, embraced him and kissed him. For, though in former ages there was one Iddo a prophet ( 2 Chr. This kind of thinking is foolish. “Are you the world-renowned authority on manners?” the man asked. Does repentance stop the harvest? The name and family of the prophet to whom the word of the Lord came; He was Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, and he was the prophet, as Haggai is called the prophet, Hag. We glibly say, “God hates the sin, but, loves the sinner” as if somehow the sinner will never experience God’s wrath against him, but just against his sin (as separate from him)! I’ll get right with God after I work through the issues I’m facing right now.” But that is often fatal! Chapters 9-14 are not dated and probably were written many years (perhaps 40) later. Pastor Ray Comfort illustrates this (video, “Ten Cannons of God’s Law”) by picturing people on a commercial flight. But in His holiness, God cannot and does not wink at our sin or treat it lightly. Even though the people asked Jeremiah to ask God what they should do, and they assured him that they would obey, he no sooner told them the word of the Lord than they falsely accused Jeremiah of making it up himself. But since we do not always apply what we already know, he starts with a basic principle: Returning to the Lord is the key to experiencing His blessing. The people who repented (1:6) probably refers to those who suffered the consequences of the captivity. Zechariah 1:5-6 offers an important perspective about the prophetic pronouncements of the Bible. It is impossible to cling to my sin and reach for God’s salvation at the same time. • After the introduction (1:1-6), chapters 1-6 consist of 8 night visions that came to Zechariah in one night. 1:1. If the Lord is tugging on your heart today, saying, “Return to Me,” don’t put it off for later. Night, here, means the kind of darkness over a land … 12:29)” (Zechariah: Prophet of Messiah’s Glory [Zondervan], p. 21). The Hebrew word “return” is the word for “turning” or “repentance.” We first come to God in repentance and faith, but it is not a one-time thing. The people to whom Zechariah brought this “word of the Lord” (1:1) were probably a lot like you. The prophets also had died. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. These words were written for us as well. The history of God’s dealings with His people should teach us to return to the Lord. We will need to abandon the plane immediately. ), and his death is recorded (in 2 Chron. Zechariah the prophet was probably born in Babylon during the 70-year Babylonian captivity. They may have thought, “Why do we need to return to God?” He begins by answering that question. Even God’s representative dies at the hand of evil men. Because of these prophecies, Zechariah has been called the Revelation of the Old Testament. 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