The Prophet Zechariah

A messenger with a vision of Israel's future

by R. Douglass Mahaffey

          Zechariah was a younger contemporary of Haggai who encouraged the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. You'll remember in the blog about Micah, the restoration of Judah that Micah foretold. Zechariah was the prophet that saw that prophesy come to fruition. Like the book of Daniel and Revelation, Zechariah prophesied about future events involving Jerusalem, with detailed reference of Jesus' arrival.
          Zechariah also prophesied about the judgment of the enemies of Jerusalem and the future glory of God's Kingdome in Zechariah 12:3-5; "3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut into pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open miine eyes upon the house of Judah, and smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the Governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God."
          Zechariah's name literally means "Yahweh has remembered." The meaning is referring to the promise that God made to Judah through Micah that Judah would be restored. The message of  Zechariah completes that work that God began with Judah. Zechariah was the same as Ezekiel, in that he was of preistly extraction. His prophetical ministry began in the second year of the reign of King Darius, the King of Persia, in B.C. 520, or about 16 years after the return of the first company after the Babylonian exile.
          When the house of Joshuah had repented of their transgressions against the covenant with God, He restored their land as well. Chapter 3:3-4; "Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him, He said,  Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment."
          When looking at application, God is there to fight for His people who choose to serve and live for Him. When those who God calls His enemies (unbelievers), come up against His children, He stands in our place. His wrath and His vengeance comes upon them and all we need do in that situation is pray for those who hurt and spitefully abuse us, as Jesus taught.
          All too often, we step in front of God and take His vengeance upon ourselves to serve upon our enemies. The problem with that is, we grieve the Holy Spirit and do things our way, instead of turning to our Father for help. Our way is selfish and unrighteous. If we allow God to move in on the situation and have His way on those that hurt us, the glory goes to God, who in His perfection and holiness, convicts the offender and can even align us into being in a position to win them with our living example of godliness.
          Another point of application is that when we take our eyes off the prize set before us in His will, and we get weary of running the race, He is faithful to forgive us and restore us when we come back to Him, like a wayward child coming back to a father who loves him. However, he allows him to learn from his mistakes in order to grow in patience, endurance in his walk, and willingness to turn to God when he is weak. For when we are weak, He is strong.
          Zechariah, who was ultimately martyred in the temple of Jerusalem, as referenced in the Gospel of Matthew and in Luke of the New Tesatment, stood strong for what he preached and the message that God gave him. At his final hour, he was not alone. God saw him through to the Kingdom of Heaven. When our time comes to 'put up, or shut up' while fighting for the cause of Christ, God will not let us down. He is the cornerston of our strength when the chips are down and the enemy has the deck stacked against us. Whether it is our final hour or not, we must stand our ground and not back down or give in.
          God sent His son Jesus to give the very blood in His body for the countless sins of His children. He did not give up. He did not tap out and he did not come off the cross. Instead, He stayed the course and continued fighting until He drew His last breath. The least we, His chosen elect of the Kingdom of Heaven could do is stand for Him when met with adversity from our enemies. He will stand for us and He will fight the good fight. For "blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:10. 

R. Douglass Mahaffey - Founder and Publisher of The Wise Conservative.