Participants 55
Discussion Questions
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The book of Zechariah is known for its clear Messianic prophecies. How do you put together the pictures of the coming Messiah as both suffering servant and king (see Zechariah 3:8-9; 9:9; 12:10; 13:7; 14:9)?
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6 Replies
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The son of God will come unto mankind. He will dwell among them as a human but will reveal to them all of His sovereignty and Godly wisdom. He will perform miracles and raise the dead. He will bless some and curse others. He will be called the messenger of God. He will die a horrible dead and offer His blood body and soul up as a sacrifice for many.
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2 Peter 1:21 tells us that as certain men were carried along by the Spirit, they spoke prophecies from God. Since a prophecy does not come from the will of the prophet, the prophet himself may not fully understand what he uttered. He would continue to search intently the time and circumstances which the prophecy was describing (1 Peter 1:10-11). Sometimes some details are only understood with hindsight centuries later, especially with the explanation from the New Testament.
Zechariah 3:8-9 describes the Messiah as God’s servant, the Branch, and an all-seeing stone that removes the sin of the land in one day. This Branch, variously mentioned in Isa 4:2; 11:1; Jer 23:5, refers to Jesus who came from the Davidic line. He died just once and his sacrifice was adequate (Heb 9:28), so he indeed took away the sins of the world in one day (John 1:29).
Zechariah 9:9 describes the Messiah as a king riding on a donkey. I see fulfilment in Matt 21:4-5, Mark 11:7, and Luke 19:35, which describe Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10 describes the Messiah as one whom men have grieved. When the Jews realize what they had done, they will mourn and grieve bitterly. I see fulfilment in Rev 1:7 which applies this verse to Jesus who will be coming again.
Zechariah 13:7 describes the Messiah as a shepherd who is close to God, yet struck by God Himself. I see Jesus apply this to himself in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27, before he was betrayed and slain.
Zechariah 14:9 describes the Messiah as king over the whole earth. He will be the only Lord, and his name will be the only exalted name. I see fulfilment in Phil 2:9-11 which says that, as a result of the Cross, God exalted Jesus to the highest place.
Put together, these verses point to Jesus as the Christ who was both suffering servant and coming king. Because he suffered to the point of death on a cross, God exalted him to the name of eternal king of the earth.
#Zechariah
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What a beautiful picture… Suffering servant and Conquering King! Jesus would suffer the cross, while also conquering the grave. His sacrifice would cause the temple’s Holy of Holies to become the core of human spirit. His shed blood on the Mercy Seat released God’s forgiveness and grace to all of mankind. He tore the veil, creating a new temple. The temple of the Holy Spirit to reside in us!
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1 Peter 1:10-12 talks about the prophets ministry of writing. They wrote things that sometimes probably did not make sense to them. The book of Ephesians reveals that there are some things that were mysteries in the Old Testament – not revealed. It is only through God’s revelation of His plan through Jesus’ life on earth and the rest of the the New Testament writings that we are able to understand the Messiah coming first as the suffering Servant and then coming again as a conquering King. The two comings of Christ revealed in the New Testament show the harmony of what God was saying through the prophets, but it was not understood until God revealed it.
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I can imagine that it may have been confusing for the people of Zechariah’s day (and in Jesus’ day) that the Messiah is described as both a servant as well as a king. We have such a privilege to look back in hindsight, knowing that Jesus is a king like no other, who came as a servant who would give his life as a ransom (Matt. 20:28). Zechariah 9:9 helps to reconcile these images, showing that Jesus is, in fact, a king – worthy of exaltation, but who chose a lowly and humble existence who would ultimately die. In doing so, we know that this single act would finally establish His true Kingdom.
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What similarities and differences do you see between the messages preached by Haggai and Zechariah?
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10 Replies
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They mostly delivered their messages in the same tone and stayed consistent with the order of events. The temple had to be built first and it was urgent, of course God always encourages and send reassurance when necessary. God was with these two and there is no way that they could have gone wrong. Zachariah used visions and predictions while Haggai used forcible prophesies, examples and illustrations.
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They both are side by side in their messages to Israel about their sinful ways, their need to turn back to God, the rebuilding of the Temple because God wants them to have a place to worship where He wants to dwell among them and their message of the coming Messiah.
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They both challenged the Israelites to put God first in their efforts to rebuild. Both prophets talked about the protection God would provide while also challenging them to be obedient and rebuild the temple.
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The similarities between Haggai and Zechariah: Both prophesied around 520 B.C. in Judah to the exiles who had returned. For both, their primary task was to encourage the people, with their leaders, to finish the building of the temple, since only the foundation was laid after 18 years.
But there were differences. Nothing is said about Haggai’s background, but we can deduce that Zechariah was a priest who also functioned as prophet. Nehemiah 12:16 lists Zechariah as the head of the priestly family of Iddo. Haggai probably prophesied for a shorter period; in fact his written prophecies were made in a span of only 3 months. Zechariah prophesied for a longer period. Compared to Haggai who spoke in a more direct manner, Zechariah’s prophecies were full of visions which were of apocalyptic genre and abounded with Messianic allusions. Haggai was concerned with the temple rebuilding, although he also addressed the purity of the people in their worship in Haggai 2:10-19). Although Zechariah also encouraged this temple project through sharing his visions of chapters 1-8, he had a wider theme than Haggai – it stretched beyond a rebuilt temple to a revived kingdom. Hence Zechariah preached judgment against the nations which had opposed the kingdom of God (chapter 9), he rebuked the weak leaders (shepherds) who had not led the kingdom well (chapter 10), he predicts the coming of the Messiah who, though struck and pierced, would open up a fountain of cleansing for his people and would usher in his kingdom (chapters 12-14). Haggai did not address these kingdom issues at length.
#Haggai-Zechariah
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The similarities of Haggai and Zechariah were to encourage the people to BUILD the temple. Haggai was encouraging them, reminding them that God was with them, and that He would provide and continue to be faithful. Zechariah, using allegorical symbolism was prophesying of the temple to be built by the Chief Cornerstone… the foundation of the temple where God’s Spirit would reside.