God's Glorious Reign

The Bridge

Zechariah

Zechariah was a prophet from 520 BC to 518 BC in Jerusalem, about 2500 years ago. Like Jeremiah (1:1) and Ezekiel (1:3), Zechariah was not only a prophet (1:1) but also a member of a priestly family. He was born in Babylonia and was among those who returned to Judah in 538/537 b.c. under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. During that era, many Jews were returning from the Babylonian Captivity to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians.

Zechariah was instrumental in inspiring his fellow Jews to rebuild the Temple (see Ezra 6:14) and began prophesying during the same year as the prophet Haggai. His prophecies came from visions that showed God's power, God's judgment of sin, the importance of spiritual strength, and the promise of things to come - including the promise of the Messiah. His prophecies often looked far into the future, a future in which the Jews would again be exiled from their homeland and scattered throughout the world. His prophecies also said that the Jews would be persecuted worldwide, that Jerusalem would become a battleground of nations, and that Jerusalem would become the religious center of the world.

Today, we can see with our own eyes that Zechariah's prophecies accurately described the worldwide dispersion of Jews that has taken place during the past 1900 years, as well as the fact that Jerusalem has become a continual object of focus by the international community and a religious focal point among Jews, Christians and Moslems.

Zechariah means “The Lord Remembers.” Have you ever wondered if God has forgotten you? Have you ever lost hope or become frustrated or tired amidst your struggles and challenges? These are times when we need to remember that the Lord does indeed remember. He has begun a good work in you and He will preserve you and carry that work to the end when Christ returns (Phil 1:6).