Zechariah: Prisoners of Hope
Zechariah 9:9-13
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy
Faith Fellowship - September 4-5, 2021

Gallery of the Minor Prophets.
• First nine Minor Prophets are Pre-Exilic and mostly foretold judgment.

• Daniel and Ezekiel were during the Babylonian Exile.

• Last three Minor Prophets are Post-Exilic announcing restoration and hope.

Zechariah is a Prophet of

and

Reveal Answer

.
• Zechariah is quoted forty times in the New Testament.

• The prophecy is obviously Messianic.

• The focus of Zechariah is the rebuilding of the Temple to the coming of Jesus, Second Coming, and Millennial Kingdom.

Which Zechariah?
• We are familiar with Zechariah the father of John the Baptist.

Zechariah means “Yahweh has

.”
• The name Zachary is a form of Zechariah.

• Fourteen different times in Scripture God remembered His Covenant or His Promise. (Exodus 6:5)

• God remembers His promises to His people, even after a time of terrible Exile.

• Zechariah is the Prophet of Hope.

• God has not forgotten you.

At 14 chapters, Zechariah is a “Longer Minor” Prophet.

Zechariah 9:9-13 (ESV)
[9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. [10] I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. [11] As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. [12] Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. [13] For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Zechariah was born in the

of Babylon.
• He returned from Babylon as a young child.

• He was in the first group after the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC.

• Of 1 million Jews in captivity, only 50,000 returned.

• He grew up surrounded by efforts to rebuild Jerusalem.

• Eighteen years later, he prophesied alongside Haggai and then beyond.

• He wrote to bring hope to the refugees.

Haggai was the

Guy and Zechariah was the

Reveal Answer

Guy.
• The dates of his first prophecies were the month after Haggai– September - October of 520 BC.

• The later prophecies of Zechariah probably extended into the reign of Xerxes I (485-465 BC) - the time that Esther was Queen of Persia.

God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to

Reveal Answer

the apathetic people.
• Fits into the historical books of Nehemiah and Ezra.

• Haggai is the kick in the pants.

• Zechariah is the poetical mystic.

• God uses different styles!

• Somewhat like the book of Revelation.

• The poetry of a vision transcends time and culture.

Zechariah was a

and a Prophet.
• The grandson of a priest named Iddo.

• This made him very familiar with the practices of the Temple even though he had never seen the Temple.

520 BC: A call for the people of Judah to repent (Zechariah 1:1).
• Eight visions on the restless night of February 15, 519 BC (1:7).

• Four messages that he preached on December 7, 518 BC (7:1).

• His final messages in chapters 9–14 are undated.

Some call Zechariah a miniature book of Isaiah.
• Zechariah has more references to the coming of Christ than any other Minor Prophet.

• You cannot help but see Christ in this book.

The Message…
• Judah would still be judged for sin (5:1–11).

• But they would also be cleansed and restored (3:1–10).

• God would rebuild His people (1:7–17).

• In the future, Israel will reject the Messiah (9:1–11:17).

• Ultimately, Messiah will reign and Israel will finally be delivered (12:1–14:21).

Sovereignty of God
• Zechariah uses the term ‘the Lord of hosts’ fifty times.

• Zechariah 14:9 - And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

Zechariah began with a call to Repentance.
• Zechariah 1:2-6 - [2] “The LORD was very angry with your fathers. [3] Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. [4] Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. [5] Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? [6] But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”

Eight visions about rebuilding the Temple. [ch. 1-8]
• An angel explained the meaning of each dream.

1 - A

among the Myrtle Trees. [1:7-17]
• A man riding on a red horse among the trees.

• Myrtle trees are evergreens that are extremely hardy– an image of the nation of Israel.

• The house will be built and there will be expansion.

• Zechariah 1:16 - Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.

2 - Four

and four

Reveal Answer

. [1:18-21]
• Horns are symbols of power and authority.

• The horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem [1:19]

• Assyria and Babylon. Or the four nations found in Daniel– Gold, silver, bronze, iron– Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

• Four craftsmen or stone masons represent the nations that God used to overthrow Israel’s oppressors– Persia.

3 - A

with a measuring line. [2]
• Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number that will be in it.

• Jerusalem will expand and grow.

• Come from the places you have been scattered. [2:6]

• Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people…” [2:10-11]

4 - Clean

for the Priest. [3]
• Joshua was the High Priest along with Haggai.

• Joshua the Priest was standing before the angel in filthy garments.

• His iniquity is taken away and he is clothed with pure vestments.

5 - A Golden

and two Olive Trees. [4]
• The Lampstand was constantly filled by a bowl that is fed by the Olive Trees.

• This is the Word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. [4:6]

• Not by your own strength or by your own wealth.

6 - The Flying

. [5:1-4]
• Written on the scroll was the curse that was going out over the land.

• Specifically, against those who break the seventh and eighth commandments– Do not steal and do not bear false witness.

7 - The Woman in a

. [5:5-11]
• A measuring basket filled with the iniquity of the people throughout the land.

• Wickedness would be set in place in Babylon.

8 - Four

. [6]
• Red, black, white, dappled horses.

• Four spirits of heaven going out from the presence of the Lord of the whole world.

• These are the wrath of God going out to the whole earth.

Chapters 9 – 14: About the coming and return of Messiah.

Zechariah 9:9 -
• Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

We call it

Reveal Answer

.
• He allowed Himself to be publicly welcomed as the Messiah.

• Kings rode donkeys in times of peace. They rode a horse in times of war.

• Zechariah 9:10 - I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Chapter 11 - Speaks of the

of Jesus.
• The flock detested me and I grew weary of them. I will not be your shepherd. [11:8]

• I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. [11:10-11]

• Give me my pay. So, they paid me thirty pieces of silver. [11:12]

• The LORD said, “Throw it to the potter.”

• This prophecy was fulfilled in Judas’ betrayal of Christ (Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10)

Chapter 12-14 - The Enemies of Jerusalem are destroyed and Messiah will reign.
• Zechariah 14:8-9 - On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

What do we get from Zechariah?

1 - Yahweh

.
• He has not forgotten His promises.

• He has not forgotten His plans.

• He has not forgotten you.

2 -

to the Lord and He will return to you. [1:3]
• James 4:8 - Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

3 - Work

.
• Zechariah 10:5 (NIV) Together they will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.

• Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. [4:6]

• Ephesians 4:1-4 - One body, one Spirit, and one hope.

• Zechariah and Haggai worked together.

• Different generations, experiences, and styles.

4 - Don’t give up

.
• Zechariah 9:12 (NIV) Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

• We are prisoners of hope.

• Our mighty fortress is our God.

• God promised the first coming of Messiah Jesus, and He made good on that.

• God promised the Second Coming of Message Jesus, and He will make good on that.

DISCUSSION
1. Was there anything in this study that really grabbed your attention or stirred your spirit?

2. Have you ever felt like God had forgotten about you?

What did you do?

Where can you turn in Scripture for reassurance?

3. The call to repentance is foundational to our faith walk. How would you explain this to a seeker or a new believer?

How do you understand the life of drawing near to God?

4. Working together can be difficult. Why is it important to surrender to the Spirit rather than rely on might or power? (Zechariah 4:6; Ephesians 4:1-4)

5. The term “prisoner of hope” is unique to Zechariah. How would you understand or explain that phrase?

6. How can your group pray for you?