The Book of Zechariah was written after the return of the Jews from 70 years captivity in Babylon. Zerubbabel began to rebuild the Temple in 536BC and it was finished 20 years later. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets who encouraged the workers to finish the task of rebuilding. Haggai was older and Zechariah was the younger of the two prophets.

The Prophecy of Zechariah is in two parts:

  1. Chapters 1 to 6 has 8 visions that God gave Zechariah
  2. Chapters 7 to 14 contains 5 messages from the Lord to

The messages began in the 4th year of Darius the Persian King which was 2 years before the Temple was complete.

The first message reminded them of the Palestinian Covenant – that obedience would bring national blessing and disobedience would bring judgment.

The second and third messages was an exhortation for the future Grecian period that followed the Persian era. God would protect Jerusalem from Alexander the Great and give the Maccabees the victory over the Seleucids from Syria.

The fourth message foretold the departure of Israel from the Lord in the Roman era when their shepherds would be judged. God would break His covenant with the people for selling the Lord for 30 pieces of silver and purchasing a potters field with the money. God would send them an idol shepherd who would tear the sheep. This idol shepherd will suffer a sword injury to his head and arm. No doubt this refers to the future Antichrist who will have a deadly wound that is healed (Rev.13:3).

The fifth message describes the Day of the Lord and 15 times mentions “that day” when there would be great tribulation and the nation of Israel would turn to the Lord before the Lord comes to the Mount of Olives and reigns over the earth in His millennial kingdom.

“That Day” is the day when the “idol shepherd” will be seeking to tear the flock of God and we have 15 facts about that future time.

  1. That Day: Jerusalem would be a burden to all who burden themselves with it (12:3)
  2. That Day: The enemy will be blinded and Judah will trust in the Lord (12:4-5)
  3. That Day: The governors of Judah will overcome all the neighbours (12:6-7)
  4. That Day: The Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and even the feeble will be victorious (12:8)
  5. That Day: Israel will turn to the Lord and God will destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem. This may specifically refer to the Russian invasion that causes the nation to call on the Lord (12:9-10)
  6. That Day: It will be a time of national mourning for 2/3 will perish at the Russian invasion (12:11-14)
  7. That Day: Israel will be pardoned and cleansed (13:1)
  8. That Day: False prophets will be judged when Israel turns to the Lord (13:2-3)
  9. That Day: Israel will acknowledge that they wounded the Lord Jesus and have been judged for it. Only one third in the land will survive the Tribulation but those who survived will all say, The LORD is my God! Armageddon will bring ALL nations against Jerusalem and the Lord will return to fight against (13:4-9; 14:1-3)
  10. That Day: The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives; there will be a great earthquake and a valley will form through the Mount of Olives running east-west (14:4-5)
  11. That Day: That day will be There will be signs in the heavens (14:6-7)
  12. That Day: Living (fresh) waters will flow from an aquifer under the Temple site down the valley formed when Olives a river will flow east and west to the Dead Sea and also to the Mediterranean (14:8)
  13. That Day: The Lord will be King over all the earth and Jerusalem will be The entire area will have a a change of topography and become a plateau raised up where the Lord will reign. The nations that fight against the Lord will be judged. 14:9-12
  14. That Day: Judah will fight at Jerusalem; their enemies will turn on each other and Israel will gather enormous spoil from their enemies.The nations that survive will go to Jerusalem annually to worship the Lord and any nation that does not come will be given drought or a plague (14:13-19)
  15. That Day: Jerusalem will be a truly Holy City devoted to the worship of the Temple worship will be paramount (14:20-21)