Zechariah Part Two Dive
WAIT A SECOND – THAT PUZZLE LOOKS LIKE JESUS!
As we get closer and closer to the New Testament, we begin to feel the increase of the prophetic message pointing towards the coming Messiah–Jesus Christ. Zechariah is the second last prophet that speaks before the silent years (the 400+ years between the Old and New Testament) and the third last prophet to speak before the coming of Jesus Christ Himself (Malachi and John the Baptist being the final two). So the declaration of the future that is about to unfold is the main message on God’s heart and therefore the heart of His spokesmen, the prophets. Wait until we get to Malachi!
I love the fact that the Bible is one long Bible story that unfolds over 4000+ years. God slowly revealing like a jigsaw puzzle piece by piece, the image of His Son. His redemptive plan, His salvation story, His promise, the mystery revealed, the One prophesied in Genesis 3:15 and then over 300 times in the Old Testament. Zechariah adds a few pieces to the jigsaw puzzle and the face is nearly ready to be revealed.
the reality stretch
This book brings together some large pieces of the Messiah puzzle and again, as New Testament Christians, we get the incredible gift of looking back at history through post-Jesus glasses and seeing the mystery that is revealed in these incredible texts. But at this stage, remember the people that Zechariah was prophesying to were still seeing the future through prophetic eyes and for them, it was hard to work out what the Messiah would look like from these very symbolic and cryptic visions. Remember, discouragement had set in and to imagine a day when Zion’s King would come was a big stretch from the factual reality of their world. Remember, they have just come out of exile, the Temple was just being rebuilt and Jerusalem was not the beautiful, victorious city of God that she was under King David and Solomon. It was hard for them to take a hold of the prophetic promise of Zechariah and ignore the reality around them, but as we know, they did! They built the Second Temple with boldness and the promise of God in their heart!
As I studied this book, I found some of the verses that were highlighted as Messianic (pointing forward to a coming Messiah that will save the people of Israel). As I studied these verses in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi by Andrew E Hill, I noted the corresponding verses in the New Testament that fulfil the promises found in the Zechariah (I’ve put these below for you to check out). By the way, if you love this story of Old Testament and New Testament crossover, a great book to read is Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by G K Beal and D A Carson!
Jesus shaped pieces
Z 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See you king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Check out Matthew 21:4-11 to see the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Z 9:11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
See Mark 14:24, this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.
Z 10:2 Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
In the New Testament we find this fulfilled in Matthew 9:36 ,’When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’
Z 11:11-12 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the lock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD. I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So, they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
How incredible is this? How amazing! Check out Matthew 27:1-10, especially verse 9, ‘Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the LORD commanded me.”’ Jeremiah and Zechariah both prophesied the exact amount that Judas would take for betraying Jesus!
Z 12:10 They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
And again, in Zechariah 13:7–read it for yourself. These are both fulfilled in Matthew 24:30, 26:31, 26:56 and John 19:37.
Z 13:7 Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
See Matthew 26:31-35 for the OT/NT crossover.
Check out the following OT to NT verses yourself:
Zechariah 14:1-6 and Matthew 25:31
Zechariah 9:9-10 and Revelation 11:15
Zechariah 14:6-19 and Revelation 21:25
Oh my gosh, the more I study the Bible, the more I realise how incredible it is! Have a great time finishing the Book of Zechariah and highlight all the Jesus moments as you go!
recommended
An Introduction to the Old Testament
Zechariah part One
Zechariah part Two