THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ZECHARIAH
INTRODUCTION.
The prophet
Zechariah ("Jehovah remembers," "he whom Jehovah
remembers") was a son of Berechiah and a
grandson of Iddo, a member of a priestly family. Cp. Neh. 12, 4. As late as the
time of the high priest Joiakim, Neh.
12, 12. 16, he was the chief of his generation or order. His prophetic activity
followed immediately upon that of Haggai, as far as his writing is concerned,
for he received his first recorded revelation in November of the year 520 B. C.
Both Haggai and Zechariah were active in furthering the construction of the
second
The Book of
Zechariah may be divided into four or, more exactly, into three parts. After an
exhortation admonishing the Jews to be obedient to the words of the Lord we
have eight visions, in the manner of the prophet Ezekiel, all of which were
vouchsafed the prophet in one night in February of the year 519. The second
part of the book, dated December, 518, contains a message with both admonition
and promise. The third part contains a prophetic description of the future of
God’s people, which, again, is divided into two parts, both highly Messianic in
character.1) "The style of the prophet varies with his subject: at one
time conversational, at another, poetical. His symbols are enigmatical and
therefore accompanied by explanations. His prose is like that of Ezekiel,
diffuse, uniform, and full of repetitions. The rhythm of his poetry is somewhat
unequal, and the parallelisms are not altogether symmetrical. Still there is
often found much of the elevation met with in the earlier prophets and a
general congruity between the style and the subject. Graphic vividness is his
peculiar merit. Chaldaisms occur occasionally.
Another special characteristic of Zechariah is his introduction of spiritual
beings into his prophetic scenes."
Paul E. Kretzmann