Prophet
Zechariah
Prophet of Apocalyptic Restoration
c. 520-480 BC
The Prophet Zechariah — Michelangelo
Biography
Zechariah began prophesying in 520 BCE (the second year of Darius) and continued for at least two decades. His book is the longest of the minor prophets and contains some of the most striking apocalyptic imagery in the Hebrew Bible. The eight night visions of chapters 1-6 reveal God's restoration program: the man among myrtle trees, the four horns and four craftsmen, the measuring line for Jerusalem, the high priest Joshua cleansed, the golden lampstand and two olive trees, the flying scroll, the woman in the basket, the four chariots. The closing crowning of Joshua the high priest (6:9-15) is a remarkable priest-king fusion anticipating Christ. Chapters 9-14 contain explicit messianic prophecies: the king coming "humble and mounted on a donkey" (9:9, fulfilled Matt 21:5); the thirty pieces of silver (11:12-13, fulfilled Matt 27:9); the one pierced whom they will look upon (12:10, fulfilled John 19:37); the shepherd struck and the sheep scattered (13:7, quoted by Jesus at Matt 26:31); the Mount of Olives split and the LORD coming with his holy ones (14:4-5).
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD
More key verses
“your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey”
“they shall look on me, on him whom they have pierced”
“his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives”
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
Apocalyptic vision; specific messianic prophecy; priest-king typology.
Weaknesses
None recorded.
Lessons
The Spirit, not human might, builds God's house. The coming king is humble, pierced, struck — and then vindicated.
Spiritual significance
Zechariah is the apocalyptic minor prophet — his night visions and messianic oracles rival Isaiah in Christological density.
How Zechariah points to Jesus
The donkey-mounted king, thirty silver pieces, pierced one, and struck shepherd are all directly fulfilled in Jesus's passion.
Zechariah in Scripture
61 verses use this name, in 9 books. Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture, some of these verses may speak of another person called Zechariah.
Old TestamentNew Testamentsegment width = share of mentions
Old Testament7 books · 46 mentions
2 Kings5 mentions
- 2 Kings 14:29And Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And his son Zechariah reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 15:8In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months.
- 2 Kings 15:10Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people, and reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 15:11As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
- 2 Kings 18:2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.
1 Chronicles12 mentions
- 1 Chronicles 5:8Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.
- 1 Chronicles 9:21Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- 1 Chronicles 9:37Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.
- 1 Chronicles 15:18and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
- 1 Chronicles 15:20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.
7 further mentions in 1 Chronicles — read them in the book.
2 Chronicles11 mentions
- 2 Chronicles 17:7In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah,
- 2 Chronicles 20:14Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly.
- 2 Chronicles 21:2Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”
- 2 Chronicles 24:21But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.
6 further mentions in 2 Chronicles — read them in the book.
Ezra6 mentions
- Ezra 5:1Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
- Ezra 6:14So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.
- Ezra 8:3from the descendants of David, Hattush of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
- Ezra 8:11from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
- Ezra 8:16Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.
1 further mention in Ezra — read them in the book.
Nehemiah7 mentions
- Nehemiah 8:4Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
- Nehemiah 11:4while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.) From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;
- Nehemiah 11:5and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.
- Nehemiah 11:13Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; and his associates, the leaders of families—242 men;
- Nehemiah 12:16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
2 further mentions in Nehemiah — read them in the book.
Isaiah1 mention
Zechariah4 mentions
- Zechariah 1:1In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:
- Zechariah 1:7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.
- Zechariah 7:1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.
- Zechariah 7:8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
New Testament2 books · 15 mentions
Matthew1 mention
Luke14 mentions
- Luke 1:5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron.
- Luke 1:8One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
- Luke 1:11Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
- Luke 1:12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.
- Luke 1:13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
9 further mentions in Luke — read them in the book.
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