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PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE

Introduction

Last week we looked at Haggai, who we said was the first of three Prophets who prophesied after the Babylonian exile. We said that Haggai was sent by God to encourage the people of God to finish what they had started. Haggai told the people that their priorities were all out of whack and that they needed to realize that the reason why they were not being blessed was because of their wrong priorities.

Tonight we look at the second of these three Prophets who prophesied after the exile, the Prophet Zechariah, whose first prophecy was delivered two months after Haggai’s first prophecy.

I.         THE BACKGROUND OF ZECHARIAH.

            The name Zechariah means “Jehovah Remembers” or “Jehovah is Renowned.”

His name was a very popular name in Bible times which can be seen by the fact that there were 27 men in the Bible who were named Zechariah.

The Prophet Zechariah is spoken of in Ezra 5:1, Ezra 6:14 and Nehemiah 12:4 as being the son of Iddo. Here in chapter 1:1 he is called the son of Berechiah who was the son of Iddo. This is not a contradiction, because in the Biblical sense we are considered sons of our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, etc. (i.e. We are all the sons of Adam)

Iddo was a priest, so Zechariah was born of priestly descent, and was likely a priest himself. Other than this we know nothing else about his background.

II.       THE MISSION OF ZECHARIAH.

            His mission was of a varied nature.

            A.        God Used Him To Arouse The People To Activity In Rebuilding The Temple.

            B.        God Used Him To Restore The Theocratic Spirit (i.e. The Recognition That This People Was To Governed By God.)

            C.        God Used Him To Rekindle The Nation’s Faith And Hope During The Coming Desolation.

            D.        God Used Him To Reorganize The True Worship Of God.

            E.        God Used Him To Remove Idolatry From The Nation.

III.      THE MESSAGES OF ZECHARIAH WHILE THE TEMPLE WAS BEING REBUILT. (1:1 - 8:23)

            Zechariah is often thought of as “the prophet of hope and mercy.”

Just like Haggai, Zechariah also encouraged the people to continue rebuilding the Temple, which had sat uncompleted for almost 15 years.

And just like Haggai, Zechariah battled against. . .

                        the people’s spiritual apathy,

                        the people’s despair over pressures from their enemies, and

the people’s discouragement about the smaller scale of the new Temple.

He wanted the people to see that they had neglected their spiritual priorities and that was the greatest threat that they faced!

Could I tell you that is the greatest threat we face too! It is what will keep us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives.

            A.        Zechariah’s Message For Judah To Return To The LORD. (1:1-6)

Through Zechariah, God warned Israel not to be like their fathers who disobeyed them!

He wanted them to see that they were responsible before God for their own actions!

            B.        Zechariah’s Night Visions. (1:7 – 6:8)

God gave Zechariah a series of eight night visions which portrayed the final restoration of Israel and the security and blessing that will be theirs when the Lord reigns in the millennium.

                        1.         The Vision Of The Scouts Of Jehovah. (Zechariah 1:7-17)

Zechariah sees scouts reporting to God that the surrounding nations who have oppressed Judah are living in careless and sinful ease.

                                    Israel was asking the question, “Why isn’t God punishing the wicked?”

God wanted them to know that wicked nations may prosper, but not forever.

God watches over His own and God will eventually bring upon the nations the judgment that they deserve.

                        2.         The Vision Of The Four Horns. (Zechariah 1:18-21)

Zechariah sees four animal horns which represent the four world powers that oppressed and scattered the people of Judah and Israel–

                                    Some say it is Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia.

                                    Others say it is Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Then he sees four carpenters who will pound the horns.

                                                Persia crushed Babylon.

                                                Greece crushed Persia.

                                                Rome crushed Greece.

                                                Jesus will Crush Rome.

So, God was showing what He would do to the evil nations that have oppressed His people.

                        3.         The Vision Of The Man Measuring Jerusalem. (Zechariah 2:1-13)

God was showing that the city of Jerusalem will be restored in His future Kingdom and it will be full of people in that day and God Himself will be a wall around the city. God will be their protection!

                        4.         The Vision Of The High Priest. (Zechariah 3:1-10)

Remember last week in Haggai we saw that Joshua was Israel’s High Priest when the remnant returned to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the walls.

Here we see a vision of him standing before God as he represented the nation of Israel. (Which was the what the priest did.)

                                    Satan was trying to resist Him. The LORD rebuked Satan.

Joshua’s filthy rags were exchanged for clean clothes. This shows the greatness of God’s mercy and forgiveness toward those who believe in Him.

The filthy rags of sin are replaced with the pure linen of God’s righteousness through the finished work of Jesus Christ!

                                    Only God can remove our filthy garments and give us His righteousness!

                        5.         The Vision Of The Golden Lampstand. (Zechariah 4:1-14)        

Zechariah sees a lampstand that is continually kept burning by and unlimited reservoir of oil which represents the sufficiency of God’s grace.

This picture reminds the people that it is only through God’s Spirit that they will succeed., not by their own might and resources.

                                    The work of God cannot be accomplished in human strength.

                                    Whatever we accomplish in our human strength is our work, not God’s!

As we live for God, we need to determine not to trust in our own strength or abilities. Instead, we need to depend on God and work in the power of His Spirit.

                        6.         The Vision Of The Flying Scroll. (Zechariah 5:1-4) 

This was a vision of sinners being judged. Specifically the sins of stealing and swearing falsely by the name of the LORD are mentioned here.

                                    The focus here is on the sin of individuals.

                        7.         The Vision Of The Flying Basket And The Woman. (Zechariah 5:5-11)

                                    The woman in the basket represents the wickedness of the nations.

The angel packed the woman back into the basket with lead and sent her back to the land of Shinar (i.e. Babylon) which had become a symbol of the center of idolatry and wickedness.

This was a picture to Zechariah that wickedness and sin would be taken away from Israel; and one day sin will be removed from the entire earth.

                        8.         The Vision Of The Four Chariots. (Zechariah 6:1-8)

                                    The horses represent God’s judgment on the world.

The black horse and the white horse were sent north, the direction from which most of Judah’s enemies came. (Babylon, Assyria, and in the future Gog and Magog)

                                    These horses executed God’s judgment in the north country.

                                    The grisled horse went to the south country. (Egypt)

The other horses are seen as patrolling the world ready to execute judgment at God’s command.

Judgement will come upon those who oppress God’s people–it will come in God’s time and at His command.

            C.        Zechariah’s Words Of Encouragement. (Zechariah 6:9-15)

                        This vision is about the Messiah, who will be the King-Priest.

                        He will rule both over His people and in the hearts of those who believe in Him.

            D.        Zechariah’s Words Of Contemplation and Rebuke. (Zechariah 7:1-14)

                        (Vs 1-7)

For the previous 70 years while Judah was in exile, the people had been holding fasts in August and October.

                        The fast in August was to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem.

                        (Jeremiah 52:12-13)

The fast in October was held to commemorate the murder of the Governor of Jerusalem, Gedaliah who was murdered. (Jeremiah 40:8; 41:1-3, 15-18)

Here we see that a delegation was sent to inquire about these fasts that they had been observing. They wanted to know if they should continue these fasts now that they were back in Jerusalem and things were being rebuilt.

The Lord, through the prophet Zechariah, rebuked them for their hypocrisy.

He showed them that the fasts they observed were for their own purposes in the first place, not for God’s.

God accused them of not fasting or feasting once in the way that they should have in all of their 70 years of captivity.

Not one of the fasts or feasts that God had commanded to observe is mentioned here.

Both fasts that were mentioned had something to do with calamity that fell upon Jerusalem and the remnant left after the city was destroyed.

They were not fasting for God’s glory, but for themselves. God wanted them to see their selfishness.

                        (Vs 8-14)

                        Here God showed them the reason why their prayers had not been answered.

It was because of their sin, their refusal to hear, and their outright hardening of their hearts to the prophets who came to them before the exile.

            E.        Zechariah’s Words Of Blessing. (Zechariah 8:1-23)

(Vs 1-8)

Here God shows that His purpose is unchanged and that Judah will yet be blessed by Him.

                        One day Christ will reign in His earthly Kingdom.

Vs 6 – God is saying here, “What seems unbelievable to you is no great thing for me.” With God all things are possible!

                        (Vs 9-17)

Again the people of God are encouraged to get to work. This encouragement came from a view of God’s blessings yet to come if they were obedient to continue on in their labors and in right living.

                        (Vs 18-23)

God said that the fasts that had been held in the past to mark times of calamity in the nation of Judah and in Jerusalem would in the future become days of feasts because of the wonderful blessings upon them in the days of their Messiah.

The Jews who are hated so now by so many will be respected highly throughout the world.

                        This concluded the messages that were given while the Temple was being rebuilt.

IV.       THE MESSAGES OF ZECHARIAH AFTER THE TEMPLE WAS REBUILT.

            (9:1-14:21)

            A.        Israel’s Enemies Will Be Judged. (9:1-8)

            B.        Israel’s Messiah Would Come. (9:9-17)

                        1.         The First Advent. (Vs 9; Cf. Matthew 21:1-11)

This is speaking of Christ’s Triumphal Entry which happened at His first coming.

                        2.         The Second Advent. (Vs 10-17; Cf. Matthew 24)

            C.        Israel And Judah. (10:1-12)

                        1.         The Two Kingdoms Will Be Reunited. (10:6)

                        2.         The Dispersion And The Regathering Of Israel. (10:9-10)

                        3.         Israel Will Be Strengthened By The Lord. (10:12)

            D.        The Two Shepherds. (11:1-17)

In this message we see that God asks the Prophet to act out the roles of two different kinds of shepherds.

The first shepherd was to demonstrate how God would reject His people (i.e. the sheep) because they rejected Him. (Vs 1-14)

The second shepherd was to demonstrate how God would give over His people to evil shepherds. (Vs. 15-17)

Israel would not only reject the true Shepherd, they would accept a foolish shepherd.

This shepherd would serve his own concerns rather than the concerns of his flock and would destroy them rather than defend them.

            E.        The Final Siege. (12:1-14)

This chapter looks forward to the great future battle against Jerusalem, the Battle of Armageddon.

Those who go against God’s people will not prevail. He will destroy His people’s enemies.

            F.        The Cleansing Of The Land. (13:1-9)

                        The fountain is a picture of a never ending supply!

                        For Messiah’s kingdom to be established, there must be a cleansing!

            G.       Messiah’s Kingdom Reign. (14:1-21)

                        The Lord Jesus Christ will rule and reign for a thousand years.

Conclusion 

So we see that although Zechariah had messages regarding Israel’s reestablishment in the land after the captivity, this book is primarily Messianic in its message as it looked to the future restoration of Israel as a nation again and to the eternal restoration under the Messiah.

Zechariah encouraged and inspired Judah in their immediate restoration and assured them of God’s present and future blessings in fulfillment of the covenants made with their fathers.

That concludes the prophecies of Zechariah. Lord willing we will conclude this study next Wednesday as we look at the prophet Malachi.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!