He’s the father of John the Baptist, and although he never shows up in your Nativity scenes, Zechariah is an important figure in the story of Christ’s birth. So important, in fact, that when Luke writes down the account of Christ’s life on earth, he begins with Zechariah. Show
Let’s get a closer look at this often-overlooked character. 1. Zechariah is a priestA priest is someone whose responsibilities included offering sacrifices and taking care of the Temple of the Lord, and blessing the Lord’s name (1 Chr 23:13). One of their duties was to make sure that incense was burning before the Lord at all times. Zechariah is offering incense when we meet him in the book of Luke (Lk 1:9). The priests were descendants of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. Aaron was the brother of Moses—the same Moses who led Israel out of Egypt. 2. Zechariah is from the tribe of LeviIn Bible times, the Jews traced their ancestry back to one of Jacob’s twelve sons. Zechariah is from the tribe of Levi, the same tribes that Moses, Aaron, Ezra, and Asaph hail from. 3. Zechariah followed the law of MosesLuke tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were “blameless” when it came to the Torah: they observed all the Lord’s decrees and commands (Lk 1:6). Now, this doesn’t mean they were sinless—we’ll see in just a minute that Zechariah is not perfect. It means that they followed the commands thoroughly: especially the commands that involved cleansing themselves of sin (making sacrifices). 4. Zechariah is the first person in the NT to speak with an angel (chronologically)Most of our stories of Jesus’ birth start with an angel speaking to either Mary or Joseph, right? Well, when Luke kicks off his story of Jesus, he begins with an angel speaking to Jesus’ relative, Zechariah. Zechariah is ministering in the temple when an angel appears. The angel tells Zechariah that his wife will bear a son: one who will go before the Lord (Jesus). This conversation would have taken place before Mary’s or Joseph’s visit from angels announcing the coming birth of Christ. 5. Zechariah is old and (at first) childlessLuke fills his first chapter with callbacks and allusions to the miraculous of significant figures in Israel’s history. Zechariah and Elizabeth are old and have no children: similar to how Abraham and Sarah were before the birth of Isaac. It was a sad thing in those days to have no children. In their culture, having no children meant that your family line ended—Old Testament characters (like Job and Jacob) were blessed with many children. But being childless was a shameful thing. 6. Zechariah prayed for a childLuke doesn’t record Zechariah’s prayer. But the angel who visits him does mention that he had prayed to have a son (Lk 1:13). 7. Zechariah doesn’t believe the angel’s message (at first)When God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would bear a son, Sarah laughed at the idea (Gn 18:11–15). In similar fashion, when the angel tells Zechariah that his wife will bear a son in her old age, Zechariah does not believe it. Zechariah asks how he can be sure that such an outlandish promise will come to pass. The angel replies, “I am Gabriel” (a name Zechariah may have recognized from the book of Daniel), and then tells Zechariah that he will be mute until the message comes to pass.  Explore the Bible with us!We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. Join our email list, and we’ll send you some of our best free resources—plus we’ll tell you whenever we make something new. The book of Zechariah contains descriptions of visions concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple, the gathering of scattered Israel, and the triumph of Israel over its enemies. The book culminates in prophecies of the Savior’s mortal ministry and final return in glory. By studying the book of Zechariah, students can learn about the Lord’s love for His people and His desire to cleanse and redeem them if they repent and keep their covenants. Students can also learn about events that will occur before and after Jesus Christ’s Second Coming and feel the importance of preparing themselves for the Lord’s return. Who wrote this book?The prophet Zechariah wrote this book. He was the son of Berechiah, who was the son of Iddo (see Zechariah 1:1). Iddo was a priest who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, the first Jewish governor of Jerusalem after the Jews’ return from the Babylonian exile (see Nehemiah 12:1–7). Zechariah prophesied from the second to the fourth year of the reign of Darius, about 520 to 518 B.C. (see Zechariah 1:1; 7:1). Along with his contemporary Haggai, Zechariah was instrumental in organizing and inspiring the Jews to finish rebuilding the temple (see Ezra 5:1; 6:14). When and where was it written?We do not know precisely when or where the book of Zechariah was written. However, we do know that Zechariah lived in Jerusalem soon after the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon. He received the visions recorded in this book between the second and fourth years of the reign of Darius, or between 520 and 518 B.C. (see Zechariah 1:1; 7:1). What are some distinctive features of this book?Many of the messages Zechariah received from the Lord were in the form of visions (see Zechariah 1–6). Possibly because of the difficulty of conveying heavenly visions in earthly terms, most of the messages in the book of Zechariah are couched in symbolic imagery and descriptions. The book is generally divided by its readers into two divisions: “Zech. 1–8, a series of visions sketching the future of the people of God, and Zech. 9–14, prophecies about the Messiah and events preceding His Second Coming” (Bible Dictionary, “Zechariah”). Of particular significance are the vivid prophecies of Christ’s earthly ministry (see Zechariah 9:9; 11:10–13) and of such latter-day events as the gathering of Israel, the final great battle, and the Second Coming (see Zechariah 10:6–12; 12:2–14; 14:1–9). OutlineZechariah 1–6 In a series of visions, Zechariah sees the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple; the gathering of Israel; and Joshua, the high priest, crowned in similitude of Christ. Zechariah 7–8 Because of the Israelites’ hypocrisy and oppression of the poor, the Lord scattered them among the nations. In the latter days, He will restore Jerusalem and gather Judah; many Gentiles will gather with them to worship the Lord. Zechariah 9–11 Zechariah prophesies of Christ’s ministry: He will enter Jerusalem riding upon an ass; the spirits in prison will be redeemed by the blood of the covenant. Scattered Israel will be gathered, redeemed, and strengthened. Christ will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 12–14 In the final battle before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, many people will gather to fight against Jerusalem, and the Lord will destroy them. The Jews will recognize their Messiah, whom they crucified, and see the wounds in His hands. Christ will reign as King of the whole earth.
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Who is Zechariah in the Bible Old Testament
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