On Zechariah: A Timely Message

By R. J. Plugge

God symbolically showed Zechariah the Ten Commandments covering the promised land, and He warned of consequences. [Zec.5.3] They apply to us today too. Zechariah looked forward to a day when the exiled returnees would say. Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. [8.21] They did. [Neh.8] We need to seek Him too! Zechariah foresaw the Lord would be King over the entire world. [Zec.14.9] He is!! We know Him as Jesus, Israels promised Messiah. [Mt.16.16] Within the Book of Zechariah, God declared Him my shepherd [Zec.13.7]; the man who is close to me[13.7]; my servant [3.8]; the stone with 7-eyes [3.9]; and the Branch [3.8]. Zechariah spoke of Him as the word of the lord [1.1]; the angel of the lord [1.11]; my lord [4.4]; and Jerusalems king [9.9]. The world needs to take note! He is Lord and King now! [1Cor.1.2; 1Pe.2.10; Rev.19.16]

Zechariah was a prophet, priest, and pretype for Jesus. He provided verifications for Jesus being the promised Messiah. God knows the end from the beginning. [e.g. Dan.2; 9; Isa.46.10; Rev.21.6] History has verified the visions given Daniel. But the words given to Zechariah through preincarnate Jesus, especially within the Oracle on Israel [12.1-14.21], are still in the process of being confirmed. [e.g. 13.9; 14.16, 20]

This commentary on the Book of Zechariah is like no other. That book has been reprinted with interpretations for its pronouns and symbols inserted to reduce the frequent arbitrariness of interpretations often imposed. Millennial concepts and eschatological models are questioned. Even a suggested calendar day for Christs return is included. Many will undoubtedly take issue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512726442

R. J. Plugge

Mr. Plugge was an Aerospace Engineer for 40 years primarily designing microwave systems and their unique components. He’s now writing Bible studies from the perspective of an engineer, not a theologian or story teller. His other books include: Daniel’s Five Visions and On Zechariah. He has degrees in Engineering and Divinity.

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Copyright © 2016 R. J. Plugge.

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Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-2645-9 (sc)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016900410

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/25/2016

CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface

Useful Associations and Quotes

Useful Quotes (with Emphasis Added)

Useful Dates

1 God Spoke through the Prophet Zechariah

2 Zechariah Also Had Visions

3 A Fourth Vision Was Given to Zechariah

4 A Sixth Vision Was Given on the Same Night

5 Then Came a Seventh Vision

6 Zechariah Received a New Word from the Word of the Lord

7 Zechariah Had Another Message from God

8 Zechariah Was Given a Message Concerning Their Life in Babylon

9 The Lord Also Gave Messages about Those outside Jerusalem

10 God Had the Seer Also Give Instructions

11 Zechariah Provided Another Renouncing and Judgmental Message

12 Zechariah Also Had a Message for Israel

13 Israel’s King Will be the King of All the Earth

14 Zechariah’s Closing of the Oracle on Israel

References

Appendix A Further Comments about the Times of Zechariah

Appendix B End Times?

Appendix C Eschatological Perspectives

Appendix D Dates Associated with the Book of Zechariah

Questions/Answers on the Book of Zechariah

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to the memory of that very old man I was forced to sit next to as a young boy in church every Sunday. Fortunately, he always had pink peppermint candies in pocket. He knew all the words to the hymns but only softly spoke them. He never read the Bible but obviously took it seriously as he helped me look up texts in the tattered pew Bibles.

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PREFACE

The book of Zechariah was placed near the end of the Old Testament. It has often generated interpretation problems; it’s frequently referenced, but it hasn’t always seemed to fit all the projections drawn from it. So here, the whole text has been recopied but greatly modified for instruction. I hope that my clarifications and identification of pronouns’ antecedents help the reader. The text has also occasionally been underlined or in bold face for emphasis. I injected comments between the verses for further discussion.

The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 BC, and captives were taken to Babylonia. The book of Zechariah provides a record of messages sent to Jerusalem through the prophet Zechariah beginning sixty-six years later. Their primary purpose was to encourage those Israelites returning from exile to rebuild the temple.

The biblical text reproduced here is from the marvelous American King James Version (AKJV) published by Michael Engelbrite as a public-domain document. It was created to be readily available for study. Thus, it’s often part of computer software packages such as that from Cosmi used for this text (See Cosmi in references). The AKJV is often viewed as one of the most accurate renderings of Scripture.

Unfortunately, the original text of Zechariah used lots of pronouns or labels such that the characters aren’t easily recognized. So in this book, I have parenthetically inserted my interpretations of the individuals intended. I have also injected other, hopefully clarifying comments in the text itself as well as in the accompanying discussions. I have occasionally included verses taken from other translations of the Bible for comparison’s sake.

There are numerous items in Zechariah subject to interpretation as symbolic, and I have parenthetically addressed these as well. In many cases, these interpretations of symbols come from biblical numerology and from the typical images previously recorded in dreams and visions. I used them to derive explanations for this prophet’s message. For example, the number twelve often implies something being complete for the family of God, and the Rock was often to be seen as reference to Jesus Christ. Biblical names often had significant meaning throughout Scriptures, and thus they too have sometimes provided insight into the messages within the text, e.g., Joshua means Jehovah saves.

USEFUL ASSOCIATIONS AND QUOTES

Apple of God’s eye: the sensitive pupil; the focus of His view; also King David; and faithful Jerusalem, the faithful remnant of Isaac through Jacob/Israel.

The Branch: a prophetic name for Jesus (Isa. 11:1).

Angel of the Lord: pre-incarnation Jesus (Judg. 2:1, 6:22, 12:3; 1 Chron. 21:30; 2 Kings 19:35; etc.)

The Commander of the army of the Lord: Jesus (Josh. 5:13; Rev. 19:11)

The Word: a proper name for Jesus (John 1:1)

USEFUL QUOTES (WITH EMPHASIS ADDED)

Zechariah 1:3: Therefore say you [Zechariah] to them [in Jerusalem], Thus said the LORD of hosts [God Almighty]; Turn you to me, said the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you, said the LORD of hosts. (cf. 1 Sam. 17:45)

Zechariah 3:8: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and your fellows [fellow high priests] that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. [type for Jesus] (e.g., Isa. 4:2; 11:1; 14:19; Jer. 33:15)

Zechariah 4:6: Then he answered and spoke to me [Zechariah], saying, This is the word of the LORD [God Almighty] to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, said the LORD of hosts. (e.g., John 1:32; 3:5)

Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King [Jesus] comes to you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass. (e.g., Matt. 21:5)

Zechariah 9:10: And I [Almighty God] will cut off the chariot from Ephraim [northern kingdom], and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he [Jesus] shall speak peace to the heathen [Gentile world]: and his [Jesus’] dominion shall be [over the whole earth] from sea even to sea, and from the river [Jordan] even to the ends of the earth. (e.g., Dan. 2:35, 44).

Zechariah 11:12: And I [Zechariah] said to them, If you [high priest and governor] think good, give me [Zechariah] my price; and if not, forbear [be quiet and hold your peace]. So they weighed for my [Zechariah’s] price thirty pieces of silver (e.g., Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:15).

Zechariah 13:8: And it shall come to pass, that in all the land [Israel], said the LORD, two parts [two-thirds] therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein [Judea and Jerusalem] (e.g., Rev. 8:7, 9:18, 13:18).

Zechariah 14:8: And it shall be in that day, that living waters [the Holy Spirit with the Word of God] shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea [Mediterranean], and half of them toward the hinder sea [Dead Sea]: in summer and in winter [continuously] shall it be. (e.g., John 4:10; Ezek. 47; Rev. 22)

Other verses could also be added, e.g., Zechariah 6:12, 13, 12:8, 13:1.

USEFUL DATES

Dates and the intervals between dates are important to the Lord (see Plugge, Intervals). Therefore, a tabulation of related dates (all BC) has been included for reference below.

CHAPTER 1

God Spoke through the Prophet Zechariah

The year was 520 BC, sixty-six years after the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed (2 Chron. 36:13). More important, it was seventeen years after the Jews had originally begun to rebuild the temple following their return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon in 537 BC (Ezra 2:1, 64). The Jews had been told that they could return during 538 BC and that they would be given funds to rebuild the temple by King Cyrus II of Persia (559–530; Ezra 1:3; 2 Chron. 36:23). In 537 BC, approximately 50,000 adults made the approximately 800-mile trek around the Fertile Crescent back to the site of the destroyed Jerusalem (Ezra 1:11; 2:64).

Seven months after returning, they built an altar to restart offering sacrifices (Ezra 3:1). In their second year back, they began laying the temple’s foundation stones, but they soon stopped construction (Ezra 3:10; 4:5) primarily due to the interference from the Samaritans living just north of the city. The surrounding peoples didn’t appreciate the Jews returning (Ezra 4:4; Neh. 2:19, 4:1, 8, 15).

The Samaritans at that time were an amalgamation of the remnant of the Judean and Israelite lower-class laborers who had been left to work the land after the Judean leadership was exiled. They were mixed with displaced Assyrians, Canaanites, Ammonites, Amalekites, and other previously defeated peoples who had been rudely deposited and scattered in that region by their conquerors (2 Kings 17:24, 29; Ezra 4:10). Most of these groups came into the land with their pagan practices and idols, further degrading the region that had previously been the northern kingdom of Israel.

The Jews were released from the lands of Babylonia and Assyria by the Persian King Cyrus II, who was known as the king of kings, in 539/8 BC (Ezra 1:3). He was definitely an instrument of God. God even prophetically called him his anointed and his shepherd about two hundred years before he took the city of Babylon from the Chaldeans (Isa. 44, 45). But at the time of Zechariah’s message, Darius the Great, also known as Darius I or Darius Hystaspis (522–486 BC), was the ruler of the Persian Empire, which included Babylon and Israel’s Promised Land as well as the lands of the previous Assyrian Kingdom.

In the winter of 520 BC (in the eighth month, or approximately November), Zechariah was given a message through a word from the Lord God Almighty (Zech. 1:1). That was only two months after the prophet Haggai had given a similar word (Hag. 1:1). This word to Zechariah might have been verbal or given spiritually, but the Word of the Lord is also another name for the Lord Jesus (John 1:1). So the message was given from God through the Angel of God—the pre-incarnate Jesus.

Zechariah was a young man born during the Babylonian exile, and he was probably about thirty (Num. 4:47; Zech. 2:4). He was a priest, and he apparently had a brother who was a repairer among the returnees (Neh. 3:4). He was the second of three postexile prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Zechariah was a priest of the lineage and order of Iddo (Neh. 11:4, 5, 12:16, 40). The text says he was the son of Berekiah and the son (or grandson) of Iddo, but these names might have just been noting he was of that qualifying lineage (Zech. 1:1; Ezra 6:14; Matt. 23:35). Iddo can be noted to have been a prophet or priest long before this (1 Kings 4:14; 2 Chron. 9:29). And Berekiah was the name of an earlier doorkeeper at the ark (1 Chron. 15:17, 23). At that time, the given names had meaning; so taken together, the three names in sequence become Jehovah remembers, Jehovah blesses, and His time, probably to be read as God hadn’t forgotten Israel and would bless them in His own time.

Apparently, the first words Zechariah heard were internally understood in his spirit.

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, The LORD [God Almighty] has been sore displeased with your fathers. (Zech. 1:1–2)

God Almighty had been displeased with the people living in Israel and Judea after He had miraculously brought them back to the Promised Land (Ex. 12:51; Ps. 77:20). In fact, for the entire period of the kings, they had not tried to keep all the required observances or commandments (2 Chron. 35:18; Jer. 25:4–17). For their not having given the land its lawful rest for 490 years, God restored to the land its seventy years of rest by removing the leadership of both Israel and Judea from Jerusalem and its surrounding regions by sending them into exile. (The number 490 is equivalent to 7 x 70, a numeric symbol of God’s patience.) Those seventy years of the exile were officially from 586 to 516 BC, from the destruction of the temple until the official dedication of its reconstruction.

Daniel was also in Babylon for seventy years after being deported in 605 BC, when King Nebuchadnezzar first took Jerusalem. Daniel’s last (fifth) vision was in 535 BC, or seventy years after his deportation (Dan. 1:3; 10:1).

Richard Phillips opens his wonderful collection of sermon-like presentations from Zechariah by pointing out that Zechariah’s book contains a much-needed message for our postmodern age (Phillips, xiii). He could have made his statement even stronger by adding that Zechariah’s book has a very necessary message for the post-Christian culture enveloping the world now. Several earlier commercial articles had already labeled this current era as being post-Christian (cf.Time, ‘62, & ‘67). Even the United States, once the hope of the civilized world and originally founded on Christian principles and the Bible, now has its schools and military removing Bibles from facilities because of complaints from atheists and an executive administration sympathetic to Islamic interests. Also, the country’s (arguably) leading university, once founded as a church-sponsored seminary for biblical study and Christian training, has now become a leading center for socialism and biblical criticism, and it produces anti-Christian lawyers and judges. Zechariah today would strongly warn how easily a people’s greatness, health, happiness, and prosperity could be lost.

The Word continued.

Therefore say you [Zechariah] to them, Thus said the LORD of hosts [God Almighty]; Turn you [Israelites] to me, said the LORD of hosts, and I [God Almighty] will turn to you, said the LORD of hosts.

Be you not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus said the LORD of hosts [God Almighty]; Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they [the Israelites of both the northern and southern kingdoms] did not hear, nor listen to me, said the LORD.

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? (Zech. 1:3–5)

God told those who returned to not be like those (your fathers) who lived before the exile.

Note: God’s mercy has a limit, and each of the prophets couldn’t continue to argue forever. The lifestyles in Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judea (the southern kingdom) under the kings couldn’t be allowed to continue, as the people wouldn’t listen to the prophets (cf. Jer. 25:8ff). So God had scattered them to a foreign land in the exile just as He had warned (Deut. 28:64).

But my [God’s] words and my statutes, which I commanded [through] my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they [of the exiled people] returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts [God Almighty] thought to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has he dealt with us. (Zech. 1:6)

Note: God’s wrath was justified. He did as He had warned, and the returning peoples would admit it (Zech. 1:6; Neh. 1:7). Their ways and doings had been wrong. The justice of God required that the Promised Land be rested and cleansed before new generations could be allowed to develop.

Many commentators suggest that Zechariah was being told to tell the people to note that the prophets were gone, that the pre-exile people hadn’t listened to them, and that the people had abandoned God’s teaching and requirements. At that time, those people were dead and buried. However, the Christian faithful will never die, and they will rise to future glory. But that wasn’t Zechariah’s message.

Zechariah was telling the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem to note that they were living in ruins and struggling to survive. They were not even making the effort to pile enough rubble to rebuild a wall (Neh. 1:3; 2:5). The temple had once been built of massive, cut blocks of dressed stone, and it had been beautiful to behold. Their forefathers had also once been a part of the leading and most prosperous kingdom on earth, and their buildings were wonders. But they had lost it all. By not honoring the Creator God, by not responding to the prophets, and by not following Moses’ teachings, they experienced the wrath of God. That wrath came through aggressive pagan kingdoms. Their forefathers had been scattered, killed, made slaves, and degraded below all the other peoples. And it could happen again! (Luke 21:6; Matt. 24; Rev. 11, 17, 19).

The book of Zechariah is the eleventh of the twelfth minor prophets’ writings in the Old Testament. It has been declared hard to interpret; the apocalypse of the Old Testament (i.e., an unveiling, like Revelation); a mixture of past, present, and future which is impossible to separate; the most obscure book in the Bible; impossible to understand; and an expression of the cultic Israelite hopes. But it is also a source for the primary messianic prophesies. It’s said to be the most messianic book in the Old Testament but one with numerous challenges (cf. New American Standard Bible, 1308). However, it is also an endeared document by many groups.

It’s endeared by the premillennialists since it’s claimed to verify a coming golden age on earth, but it’s also liked by the postmillennialists, as they see it pointing to a time on earth when all the common items of life—even kitchen pots and pans—will eventually become holy and dedicated to the Lord.

It’s precious to those claiming to be realized millennialists who find in it the growth of the church, and curiously, it’s even endeared by those practicing biblical criticism, as they think it’s obviously at least two documents from different writers combined to match some desired assembly of