Zechariah 9:1-10

Zech. 1-6 were comforting words to Judah and Jerusalem to encourage them in rebuilding the temple.  Zech. 7-8 also had comforting words but revolved around the question of the traditions/fasts that had been established when the temple was destroyed.  Now we come to the final six chapters of Zechariah.  These chapters consist of two burdens, a term that applies to the messages of the prophets and that reflects the heaviness of the message.  Ch. 9-11 are the burden of the word of the Lord against the nations.  Ch. 12-14 are the burden of the word of the Lord against Israel.

The first burden concerns the inter-testamental time period with prophetic references to the Messianic time.  This is classic Biblical prophecy where the near-future gives rise to the far-future.  Zechariah does what is seen often in the other prophets.  For example, Joel moves from a future locust plague to the future judgment of the nations.  Daniel, like Zechariah, in Dan. 10-12 speaks of Antiochus Epiphanes but then moves on to the time of antichrist.  Isaiah and Jeremiah refer to the current adversaries (Assyria, Babylon) but interject Messianic prophecy with it.

In Zechariah 9:1-8 the nations being addressed are identified as those immediately around Judah (Syria, Phoenicia, Philistia; see map).  9:9-10 is clearly Messianic but related to His victory over the nations (i.e. same subject but the future hope to encourage the God’s people).  9:11-10:1 deals with the time of the Maccabees and God’s dealing with the nations after Alexander the Great.

The reference to the mixed race in Ashkelon (9:6) has been taken by some to be a reference to Palestinians today who occupy the area of the Gaza Strip.  However it is better understood as referring to the practice of Alexander to mix other nationalities into the areas they captured.

In 9:8 God promises to camp around my house, the temple build in Zechariah’s time.  This would have been comforting to the people of the day to know that God would protect Jerusalem and the temple in the time from Alexander until Messiah came (the first time).  Remember Haggai’s prophecy that the Messiah would walk in the temple that they were building (Hag. 2:6-9).

Even more encouraging are the words, rejoice o daughter of Zion.  God is displaying His sovereign ability to fulfill His plan for the nations in the days ahead (v1-8) and even more so in the ultimate time of hope for Israel (v9-10).  This prophecy involves both the first and second comings of Messiah, although like the other prophets, Zechariah gives no hint of this.  The angels rejoices as this became evident in Christ’s first advent and we should find comfort in it as well (Rom. 11:33-36; Eph. 1:9-10; 1 Peter 1:10-11).  God will keep His word.