Alongside Haggai, Zechariah prophesied to the returning exiles encouraging them to rebuild the temple. The first section deals with the period whilst the Temple was being re-built. The second section with a time after teh Temple had been completed.
Author & date
Zechariah, the author, gives us the exact dating of his prophecy. from the second year to the sixth of king Darius of Persia.
Outline
A. Messages during the Temple Re-building Ch.1-8
- Setting 1:1
- The Man
- The Timing
- A call to Return 1:2-6
- The Lord’s Displeasure, 1:2
- The Lord’s Plea, 1:3
- The Lord’s Warning, 1:4-5
- The Lord’s Word, 1:6
- Eight Visions 1:7-6:8
- Vision 1: Horsemen and Myrtle trees, 1:7-17
- Vision 2: Four Horns and Four Craftsmen, 1:18-21
- Vision 3: A Man with a Measuring Line, 2:1-13
- Vision 4: Joshua- the High Priest, 3:1-10
- Vision 5: The lampstand and two Olive trees: 4:1-14
- Vision 6: The Flying Roll, 5:1-4
- Vision 7: An Ephah and a Woman, 5:5-11
- Vision 8: Four Chariots, 6:1-8
- Messianic Prophecy – The Priest on His Throne, 6:9-15
- Crowns Commissioned, 6:9-11
- Behold the Man, 6:12-13
- The Branch
- The Temple of the Lord
- The Priest on His Throne
- Crowns of Memorial, 6:14-15
- Answers to an Enquiry, 7:1-8:23
- The Enquiry, 7:1-3
- The Word of the Lord, 7:4-8:23
- Obedience, not Observation
- Disobedience and Dispersal
- Restoration and Remnant
- Facts and Feasts
B. Messages after the Temple Re-building Ch.9-14
- The Word in the Land of Hadrach, Ch.9-11
- The conquest of the North and South, 9:1-4
- Judgement against the North
- Judgement against the South
- Behold Thy King, 9:5-8
- Having Salvation
- He shall speak Peace
- The People of God, 9:11-17
- Prisoners of hope
- Against Greece
- The Lord of Hosts
- Israel’s Shepherd revealed, 10:1-12
- The Providing Shepherd
- The Faithful Shepherd
- The Strengthening Shepherd
- Israel’s Shepherd rejected, 11:1-17
- The Land judged
- The People judged
- Two Staves
- The Idol Shepherd
- The conquest of the North and South, 9:1-4
- The Word to Israel, Ch.12-14
- Jerusalem – a cup of trembling, 12:1-2
- In that day, 12:3-14:21
- Jerusalem – a burdensome stone 12:3
- The Lord will smite, 12:4-5
- Jerusalem inhabited again, 12:6-7
- The Lord defends, 12:8
- The One Pierced, 12:9-10
- Great Mourning in Jerusalem, 12:11-14
- A Fountain opened, 13:1
- Idols cut off, 13:2-3
- The Shepherd Smitten. 13:4-9
- Jerusalem taken, 14:1-6
- One day, 14:7
- Living Waters , 14:8
- The Lord shall be King, 14:9-12
- A Great Tumult, 14:13-19
- Holiness unto the Lord, 14:20-21a
- No more Canaanites, 14:21b
notes
a. Messianic Prophecies
Zechariah contains many Messianic prophecies. Here are some of the more obvious ones. A full discussion here is outside the scope of this outline.
- Jesus the Priest, king, branch and Temple builder, ch.6:9-15
- Jesus the lowly king, Ch.9:9-10
- Jesus the Shepherd betrayed, Ch.11:7-14
- The Pierced one, Ch.12:10