Zechariah Introduction
Introduction
The people of Judah had been prisoners and slaves in Babylon. But then they had returned to their own land. The prophet Zechariah brought his messages to the people of Judah. This was during the second year of the rule of King Darius of Persia.
The book of Zechariah has two main parts. The first part contains two sets of prophecies. These prophecies are in the form of visions that Zechariah has. The second part of the book is mostly speeches written as poems. These speeches are about the nation’s leaders.
The book of Zechariah opens by reminding the people that their ancestors were very wicked. They had to repent. Then the book tells of eight visions to encourage the people to continue rebuilding the temple. The first and last visions describe four differently colored horses and their riders. These horses and riders are sent over the whole earth. The second and third visions show that unfriendly nations will no longer hurt Judah. The third and fourth visions tell about God blessing two important people. Those people are the high priest Joshua and the governor Zerubbabel. The sixth and seventh visions tell about the removal of the peoples’ sin. The overall message is that God is in control. Everything is in place so the temple can be rebuilt. And the rebuilt temple is a sign that God’s presence has returned.
The second set of prophecies has six parts. The leaders of Judah have a question about fasting. The practice of fasting began when the people of Judah were taken away. At certain times of the year the people would stop eating as a sign of sadness. Now they asked if they should continue doing that. Zechariah tells the people there is something more important than fasting. He says it is more important to treat everyone fairly and to show mercy. And he says the people must work on rebuilding the temple. Then Zechariah announces that in the future the people will have joyful feasts.
The final part of the book tells the people they will be ruled by bad leaders in the future. But God will send a just and good king. That king will come from the family line of David. The Lord himself will return to them. He will defeat every enemy. And he will be king over the whole earth.
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Zechariah Introduction: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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