38) The Book of Zechariah

ZECHARIAH, Haggai, and Malachi were prophets to the restored remnant of Israel after the seventy years of captivity under Babylon. Cyrus the Persian allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. Haggai preached practical messages to exhort and motivate the Jews in the immediate task of rebuilding the temple. Zechariah prophesied more from a doctrinal viewpoint rather than an instructional or practical viewpoint (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Zechariah's name means Jehovah remembers. The LORD reveals the everlasting covenant with Israel during the kingdom of His Son as the greatest doctrine in the Scriptures. Zechariah prophesied of a few strange doctrines associated with the glorious return of the Lord Jesus.
These doctrines are recorded through symbolism. They are designated by the words like or as. These two vital words occur over 50 times in the 14 chapters and 211 verses of the book. These strange doctrines reveal the physical identity of Jehovah and the Antichrist. They reveal some strange beings of the Devil also (5:1-11; 9:9; 11:10-17; 12:10). A phrase of the Second Coming of Christ, the LORD ofhosts, is also recorded over fifty times.

Zechariah records the reason for the captivity of the nation of Israel (1:2-6; 7:8-14) and he records the everlasting covenant between God and Israel (1:13-17; 2:7-10; 8:1-8; Heb 13:20). The prophecies of Zechariah are closely associated with the prophecies in the book of Daniel and the book of John the Apostle, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.