Study notes

Zechariah 4

Introducing ZechariahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–8:23 Section

God gave some messages to Zechariah by speaking to him. He gave Zechariah other messages through visions. Zechariah shared these messages while the people of Judah were rebuilding the temple. The story about this is recorded in Ezra chapters 5 and 6.

The messages had two main points. The first main point was about the Mount Sinai covenant. The people of Zechariah’s time needed to be faithful to the covenant. Their people from long ago hadn’t done this. They hadn’t worshipped only God. They hadn’t treated others the way God taught them to in the Law of Moses. They hadn’t listened to the prophets who warned them to stop doing evil deeds. They hadn’t turned away from their sin and repented.

That is why God brought judgement against the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The Assyrian government had taken control of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Babylonian government had taken control of the southern kingdom of Judah. The temple had been destroyed. Many of God’s people had been forced to leave their land. They had been scattered among other nations and lived in exile.

Many of God’s people understood that God’s judgement against them was right and fair. The people had shown how sad they were about God’s judgement. They showed it by mourning and going without food at certain times. Zechariah explained the way that God wanted them to show their sadness. It wasn’t by fasting. It was by treating people with justice. This was like the message about fasting recorded in Isaiah chapter 58. God had explained how to treat people with justice in the Law of Moses. After the exile God’s people were still required to follow those laws.

1:7–6:15

These eight visions helped the Judeans overcome their fears and trust in God's promises. The visions happened two months after Haggai's last two messages (Haggai 2:10–19, 20–23). They suggest that Haggai's prophecies were coming true.

4:1

woke me: Zechariah received a series of visions (Zechariah 1:7–6:8) in one night. The prophet slept briefly before this fifth vision.

4:1–14

This vision shows that God, through his Spirit, would help Zerubbabel and Jeshua rebuild the temple.

4:2–3

  • gold lampstand: The golden menorah in the Tabernacle was first described in Exodus 25:31. A similar lampstand was later placed in the new temple. It served as a symbol of God’s purity and holiness and of the light that comes from his revelation.

  • The two olive trees represent the roles of priest and king in Israel. They symbolize Jeshua and Zerubbabel. The golden oil represents God's Holy Spirit (see also Zechariah 4:12–14).

4:6

Jeshua and Zerubbabel would succeed in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, not by their own power, but because of God's empowering Spirit (compare Haggai 2:4–5).

4:7

  • O great mountain … become a plain: This phrase is a metaphor used in both the Old Testament (see Isaiah 40:4; 49:11) and the New Testament (see Matthew 17:20; 1 Corinthians 13:2). It means that faith in God helps people overcome difficult challenges.

  • The capstone or headstone, which is the final stone, completes a stone wall or building (see Psalm 118:22).

  • Grace, grace to it! is a prayer asking for God's favor and blessing on the new temple.

4:10

  • A plumb line is a cord with a tin or lead weight at one end. It helps ensure a wall is vertical in construction.

  • these seven eyes: Seven represents completeness or perfection. God observes everything on earth and controls the destinies of people and nations.

4:14

two anointed ones: Jeshua and Zerubbabel, served as the religious and civic leaders of Jerusalem after the return from exile in Babylon (Zechariah 3:1, 7; 4:6–7; Haggai 1:14; 2:2–3). They were anointed with oil during their commissioning. Under their leadership, the temple of the Lord was rebuilt, and worship was restored in Jerusalem.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources