SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
Zechariah 1:1 through 14:21

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 1:3)

BACKGROUND

The Book of Zechariah contains messages delivered by the prophet Zechariah to the people of Judah. Beginning in 520 B.C., Zechariah joined the prophet Haggai in urging the post-exilic Jerusalem community to continue their task of rebuilding the Temple. However, the prophet’s messages went far beyond the importance of physical rebuilding. He reminded the people of their previous spiritual failures and called them to repentance, and also affirmed God’s continued commitment to them. 

Several Messianic prophecies are found in the Book of Zechariah. Zechariah’s inspired messages included that God would deliver and bless His people in a future kingdom in which the Messiah would reign throughout the world. Like many of his fellow prophets, Zechariah saw isolated glimpses of the future, so some events that were revealed to him in close succession (particularly those related to the Messiah) would actually occur thousands of years apart. 

The book’s fourteen chapters divide naturally into two sections. Chapters 1-8 describe eight visions that came to the prophet by night, followed by messages about the crowning of Joshua the high priest and answers to various questions; this portion was written while the rebuilding of the Temple was taking place. The second section, chapters 9-14, are messages delivered much later, after the Temple rebuilding was complete. These chapters contain multiple references to events beyond Zechariah’s day, including the first and second comings of Christ and His Messianic reign. 

The Book of Zechariah reminds us that while troubling circumstances exist in the world around us, God knows and controls the future. We cannot see even a moment ahead, but we can be sure that God keeps His promises, and He will never forsake His own.

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QUESTIONS

1. Zechariah delivered his first pronouncement to the apathetic and spiritually discouraged people of Jerusalem whose initial attempts to rebuild the Temple had been stalled for about ten years. What were the main points that Zechariah first conveyed at God’s direction? Zechariah 1:1-6
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2. In chapter 1, Zechariah described the first two of a series of eight visions. These were vivid, God-given allegories that symbolized divine truths that Zechariah was to impart to the people. What did Zechariah see in these first two visions? Zechariah 1:7-11, 18-21
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3. Verses 16-17 of chapter 1 indicate that God had turned back to Israel with mercy. The scope of His commitment is seen in Zechariah’s description of future events: God’s house would be rebuilt, Jerusalem would be restored, the nation would be rebuilt and prosperous, and “the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” The third vision, described in chapter 2, was of a man with a measuring line (verses 1-2) and towns without walls (verses 4-5). Seemingly, the future Jerusalem was measured to ensure that it would be large enough for the multitudes God would bring to it. What is the key message of both verse 5 and the final phrase of verse 8? How does that message apply to believers of our day?
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4. Beginning in chapter 3, Zechariah’s visions began to deal with Judah’s moral condition. In the fourth vision, Zechariah saw Joshua the high priest (representing all of Israel) standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan at his right hand to accuse him. What took place in this vision, as described in verses 1-7?
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5. Zechariah’s fifth vision, described in chapter 4, was of a seven-branched golden candlestick—a menorah. This symbolized the Divine Presence in Jerusalem. On either side of the candlestick were two olive trees, representing Joshua (the high priest and religious leader) and Zerubbabel (the civil leader of the Judean exiles). Encouragement was offered in verses 6-10 to Zerubbabel, who had been given the responsibility of rebuilding the Temple. How do God’s words to Zerubbabel in verses 6-7 offer encouragement for us?
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6. Chapters 5 and 6 describe Zechariah’s final three visions, which disclosed details of God’s intent for Israel’s future. After these visions, God directed Zechariah to crown Joshua the high priest in a foreshadowing of the triumphant Messiah, Priest, and King who will one day reign. God concluded His directions by giving Zechariah a conditional promise. What was required of the people in order to see its fulfillment? Zechariah 6:15
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7. Two years after Zechariah’s night visions, while the Temple was yet incomplete, the prophet received another message from the Lord. In it, God explained what He required of His people and why it had been necessary to punish them with exile. The people had become discouraged because of their situation, but in chapter 8 God described future changes that would take place in Israel. What specific hope did God offer the people in Zechariah 8:11-15?
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8. Two groupings of prophecies (chapters 9-11 and 12-14) make up the remainder of the Book of Zechariah. Both are designated as “burdens”—messages that relate to a heavy judgment of God or a prophecy of a disastrous nature. These messages were given much later than those in the first section, and they include many references to the Messiah. What event does Zechariah 9:9 foretell? What does the fact that this prophecy was fulfilled tell us about prophecies of Christ’s Second Coming?
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9. In Zechariah 11, Zechariah obeyed God’s instruction and enacted the role of a shepherd, foreshadowing the Good Shepherd who was to come. In verses 12-14, Zechariah requested compensation for the care he had bestowed upon the flock, leaving it to the recipients of that care to determine his value. In response they offered just thirty pieces of silver, which was the minimum price of a slave, or the required payment for the injury or death of a slave. This meager sum indicated their contempt for the shepherd’s favor and care. What did this enactment foreshadow?
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10. Chapter 12 describes a time still in the future when adversarial forces will gather around Jerusalem, expecting to overthrow the city and divide up its resources. However, God will protect Jerusalem. He will enable the Jewish people to overpower their enemies quickly and supernaturally, in an indisputably divine deliverance. According to verse 10, how will the Jewish people respond after this amazing victory?
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11. Chapter 14 completes the prophecies of the Book of Zechariah. Verses 8-11 and 16-21 focus on the establishment of the Messiah’s Kingdom and the role Jerusalem will have during the Millennial Reign. As you review these verses, what aspects of Christ’s reign as described here do you look forward to and why?

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CONCLUSION

Zechariah, Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people of their day did not live to see the fulfillment of all the glorious events promised in Zechariah’s prophecies. However, those prophecies teach the importance of faithfulness to God’s instructions and offer a glimpse into the glorious future for Israel and all of God’s children.