Christ in All the Scriptures
by A.M. Hodgkin
V. Christ in the Prophets
18. Zechariah --
We have already seen the connection of this prophet with Haggai. He was probably a priest as well as a prophet. (See Neh 12:12,16).

His first prophecy [1:1-6] occurred just after the time of discouragement, when the people had begun to rebuild the Temple [cp. Ezra 4:23,24; 5:1,2], and he warns them not to disappoint God, as their fathers had done. He has a special word of encouragement to the ruler Zerubbabel, who must have been conscious of his own weakness, and that it was indeed a ''day of small things.'' ''Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts'' (Zech 4:6-10). He promised that the mountains of difficulty should be removed, and that he who had laid the foundation should have the joy of bringing forth the headstone with rejoicing, crying, ''Grace, grace,'' unto it.

Christ is both the Foundation-stone and the Headstone of the corner. [1Cor 3:10,11; 1Pet 2:6-8]

Eight Visions.
Zechariah's second prophecy consists of eight visions concerning God's final dealings with Israel.
 
Then follows the symbolic act of crowning the High Priest (6:9-11). By this act, the two great offices of priest and king are united in his person, [which is] a type of the person and work of the Man whose name is the Branch (6:12; 3:8), who shall sit on His throne of glory as a Priest, the Builder of the eternal Temple of the Lord, and ''bear the glory'' [6:13-15; cp. Mat 16:27; 24:30; 25:31]. [Note that the promise is for a yet future time. Christ, our High Priest, is presently seated on His Father's throne (Heb 9:24; Rev 3:21). He has not yet received His earthly Kingdom. "The crowns made for the symbolical crowning of Joshua were to be laid up in the temple as a memorial to keep alive this larger hope of Israel (cp. v.14; Isa 4:2)" (ScofRB). ]
 
[The Question of the Fasts.] Zechariah 7 - 8.
[''They'' (in 7:2) refers to those of the captivity in Babylon. The mission of these Jews of the captivity concerned a fast day instituted by the Jews in commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem (which took place in the ''fifth month'', 7:3; Jer 52:12-14). This fast had been instituted wholly of their own will, and without warrant from the word of God. In the beginning, there was doubtless sincere contrition in their observance of the day; now it had become a mere ceremonial. The Jews of the dispersion would be rid of it, but seek authority from the priests in Jerusalem. The whole matter, like much in modern pseudo-Christianity, was extra-Biblical, formal and futile. Jehovah takes the occasion to send a divine message to the dispersion. That message is in five parts:
  1. Their fast was a mere religious form; they should rather have given heed to the ''former prophets'' (7:4-7; cp. Isa 1:12; Mat 15:1-10);
  2. They are told why their 70 years' prayer has not been answered (7:8-14; cp. Psa 66:18; Isa 1:14-17);
  3. They are reminded of the unchanged purpose of Jehovah, and His promise of blessing upon Israel in the kingdom (8:1-8; cp. a similar order in Isa 1:24-31 with Isa 2:1-4);
  4. The messengers of the captivity are exhorted to hear the prophets of ''these days,'' ie., Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (their contemporaries), and to do justly; then all of their fasts and feasts will become gladness and joy (8:9-19);
  5. They are assured that Jerusalem is yet to be the religious center of the earth (8:20-23; cp Isa 2:1-3; Zech 14:16-21).
    (adapted from ScofRB).]
 
''Thy King cometh unto Thee.''
More than any other of the Minor Prophets, Zechariah foretells the Saviour.

Zechariah speaks of ''the blood of the Covenant'' (9:11), which our Lord applied to His own blood. ''This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many unto remission of sins'' (Mat 26:28, R.V.). We have the prophecy of His betrayal by Judas for thirty pieces of silver, even to the fact that the money was ''cast to the potter in the house of the Lord'' (11:12,13) [Mat 26:14,15; 27:3-10].

Zechariah prophesies the conversion of his people to the Lord in the day that the Spirit is poured out upon them, when they shall look on Him whom they have pierced, and the sin of the nation shall be washed away through that fountain opened through their Messiah's death on Calvary (12:10; 13:1) [cp. John 19:33-37]. He speaks of the wounds with which He was wounded in the house of His friends (13:6) [cp. John 20:24-29]. The third part of the remnant shall be brought through the fire and purified in the time of Jacob's trouble (13:9).

The last chapter foretells the Great Day of the Lord, which is always associated with the coming of Christ to [exercise] judgment. He who ascended from the slopes of Olivet shall so come in like manner as those who watched Him saw Him go [Acts 1:9-11]. ''And His feet shall stand upon the mount of Olives. . . and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. . . It shall be one day which shall be known unto the Lord. . . at evening time it shall be light. . . And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be One Lord, and His name shall be One.''

[Additional notes on Chapters 9 - 14.]
[The notes below are adapted from the Scofield Reference Bible.]

For a verse by verse study of Zechariah, see the Book Notes on Zechariah.

Return to the Table of Contents for Christ in All the Scriptures.

For another brief look at this book of the Bible,
see the related chapter in OT Reflections of Christ, by Paul Van Gorder.

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