Zechariah: Your King Is Coming

Zechariah proclaims the return of the king. The prophet's messianic expectation is unrivaled in the Old Testament. Amid the dark days of the post-exilic community (c. 520 B.C.), God's people need hope. Externally, foreign kings rule over Jerusalem, imposing high taxes and authoritarian control. Internally, the community shows little interest in religious or moral reform. The temple remains uncompleted, and all hope seems lost. In every way, the prophet's ministry began when people "despised the day of small things" (4:10). But everything is about to change. God promised to return to his people, and he used Zechariah, more than any other prophet, to proclaim the messianic kingdom. The king is coming (9:9)! The LORD will return to his people and establish his global rule (14:9). Zerubbabel and Joshua, the governor and priest, signal God's return. Still, the LORD's promises will ultimately be fulfilled in the coming of his son, Jesus Christ. Over 50 passages from Zechariah are echoed in over 60 places in the New Testament, and key citations from Zechariah in the Gospels show that the apostles understood that Zechariah's ultimate hope is met in Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. On the pages of Zechariah, we read about our Lord Jesus Christ, who inaugurated his kingdom in his first coming and who will consummate his global kingdom rule upon his return. Behold, your king is coming!