UNROLL
The last of the night over small, ruined Jerusalem: the cleared temple platform with its first new courses of stone and rough scaffold poles dark against a sky going pale in the east, a few stars still out.

The Book of

Zechariah Intro

A young prophet, a half-built temple, and a night of visions about the King who is coming.

Before chapter 1≈ 2 min14 chapters

Images are artistic interpretations.

In 30 seconds

God says, ‘Return to Me.’

In one night, eight visions of a world He rules.

A priest made clean, a lamp lit by His Spirit.

Then a King comes, gentle, on a donkey,

and the LORD is King over all the earth.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Who wrote it

Zechariah

A priest and prophet of the return

  • A priest, of the family of Iddo.Nehemiah 12:16
  • He began in Darius’s second year, about 520 BC, two months after Haggai.Zechariah 1:1
  • With Haggai he stirred the people to build the temple.Ezra 5:1
  • The temple was finished in 516 BC.Ezra 6:15

His day

Persia ruled the Near East.

About fifty thousand Jews had come home from Babylon.

The temple’s foundation lay for years, half built.

Darius I was on the throne, putting down revolts.

How it’s built

Six parts

Return to Me1:1–6: the callEight nightvisions1:7–6:8: one nightThe Branchcrowned6:9–15: priest andkingFasts to feasts7–8: one questionYour King comes9–11: the first burdenOn that day12–14: the secondburden

Whiteboard

Dated words to builders, then two undated burdens that look far ahead.

How to read it

The visions are pictures: ask what they mean, as Zechariah did.

Some came true in his day, some in Christ, some are still ahead.

Hear the warning and the hope together.

Big themes

Hold on to these

Watch for

your King comes to you

Matthew 21:5

Start reading

Question

Quick question

Zechariah did not work alone. Think about who else spoke to the builders.

Which prophet worked alongside Zechariah?

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