Most Bible prophets lived before God punished the Israelites by exiling them to Assyria and Babylon. Not so with the prophet Zechariah, he lived after the exile. The Israelites are back in their homeland rebuilding their nation.

The return from exile sparked joy in the hearts of the Israelites. But it also prompted some anxiety. They still lived under the shadow of the Persian Empire. Also, since their monarchy had been obliterated and God’s Temple destroyed, the Israelites had much to be saddened. Zachariah ministers to the exiles returning to Jerusalem with encouragement, hope, and shares visions of God’s judgement, this time not against Israel, but at Israel’s enemies.

Zechariah writes also about the anticipation of the heavenly king and delivers more prophecies about Jesus in just 14 chapters than any other book in the Old Testament, except for Isaiah’s book but it contains 66 chapters.

The book of Zechariah affirms the pragmatic importance to be involved in shaping this world into a better place while also providing visionary outlook to renounce this world and lift our heads in anticipation of our redemption when “the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord – his name alone will be worshipped” (14:9).

Important to also mention the New Testament writers took notice and about 71 quotations of Zechariah appear in the books of Revelation and throughout the Gospels, many of these found in the record of the last week of Jesus’ ministry.