Who Was the Prophet Zechariah and What Does His Book Teach Us?

Dust rose in the morning light as the old man set down his hammer. He wiped his brow, squinting at the half-laid foundation. Stones lay scattered where walls once stood tall. The Temple Mount, once alive with worship, now echoed with silence. Most of the workers had stopped coming. Jerusalem stirred with activity, but not here.

Across the city, wooden beams lined the walls of new homes. Paneled ceilings gleamed with craftsmanship. Children ran in courtyards. Markets bustled. But where God’s house stood, weeds crept between forgotten stones.

Earlier, a remnant had returned from seventy years of exile to rebuild what Babylon had crushed. They came with hope. The altar had been rebuilt. Sacrifices had resumed. The foundation had been laid with weeping and rejoicing. But it didn’t last. The temple seemed small and unimpressive compared to Solomon’s. The work was hard, and the opposition louder. Discouragement settled like fog. The people dropped their tools and picked up other dreams (Ezra 1-3).

Years later the prophet Haggai thundered: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4). The words pierced hearts. People stirred. Guilt settled. Eyes dropped to the ground. Every man and woman knew he was right. Their homes gleamed while the Lord’s temple stood in silence. That very afternoon, workers poured back to the Temple Mount. Progress came quickly.

The sting of the rebuke drove them forward. Every swing of the hammer seemed like an apology to God. But over time, the sharp edge of conviction dulled. The days grew hot. The stones grew heavier. Opposition from surrounding nations started again. Whispers spread: “The temple will never be as glorious as before. Why bother?”

The reprimand had started the work, but the work demanded hope, not just guilt. And without it, the noise of progress faded into the wind. It would take another voice, a vision, and the promise of God’s Spirit to make the hammers ring again.

Zechariah’s Message of Encouragement

In that moment, God sent Zechariah. He was a young man, the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, a priestly family. Unlike his older contemporary Haggai, who thundered short commands, Zechariah painted vivid scenes.

“Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return to you” (Zechariah 1:3). That was the heartbeat of Zechariah’s message. The people needed more than walls and bricks; they needed to turn their hearts toward the Lord. God’s presence, not the structure, brought blessing. Without repentance, rebuilding would mean little.

Then he delivered this word to Zerubbabel, the governor leading the project: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

Zechariah didn’t scold. He encouraged. He inspired. He reminded the people God had not abandoned the work, even if they had. The strength to finish would not come from their tools or strategies. It would come from the Spirit of God moving among them.

He pointed to the mountain of obstacles and declared: “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground” (Zechariah 4:7).

Then he spoke of the last stone: “He will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:7). God promised the work would not end in failure. The one who laid the foundation would finish it. God had not changed His plan. The message ran through the city. Hope rekindled and workers returned. This time, they didn’t look to their strength. They looked to heaven.

Visions of Hope and Warning

God gave Zechariah eight night visions, each one a divine message meant to lift the hearts of weary builders and to ignite the hope of a coming King.

In one vision, he saw a man riding a red horse among the myrtle trees. Behind him stood other horses, ready for duty. This wasn’t random. The man was the Angel of the Lord, God’s messenger who watched over the earth. Though the nations rested, God’s people still suffered. The Lord promised He would shake the nations again and comfort Zion.

In another scene, Zechariah watched as the high priest, Joshua, stood before the Lord in filthy garments. Satan accused him. But God rebuked the enemy and said, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you” (Zechariah 3:4). Then came the promise: “I am about to bring my servant, the Branch … and I will take away the iniquity of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:8-9). That day pointed to Calvary.

Zechariah’s eyes saw further than his own time. He saw the Messiah. He saw Palm Sunday before it happened: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). He saw the cross: “They will look on me, the one they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10). He saw a day when a fountain would be opened “to wash away sin and impurity” (Zechariah 13:1). These weren’t guesses. They were previews of the suffering Savior.

But Zechariah also looked ahead to glory. His final chapters picture war, upheaval, and judgment, but they end in triumph. The Messiah would return. “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4). “On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, … On that day the Lord will become King over the whole earth — the Lord alone, and his name alone” (Zechariah 14:8-9).

Unlike the first coming, when He came to serve, this time He would come to reign. We live between promises. We follow a King who has already come to save, and He will come again to reign. When life feels stuck between rubble and promise, His Word reminds us: the plan is not finished.

Zechariah’s Message Still Speaks Today

“‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’” (Zechariah 1:3). This is not a vague suggestion but a direct invitation from the heart of God. He desires a relationship, not empty ritual. He doesn’t push the guilty away. He calls them home.

Jesus issues that same call to the wandering heart – not only to those who need salvation but also to believers who have drifted from daily closeness with Him. Many Christians serve without joy, give without love, and live without peace. The problem is rarely a lack of activity; it is a lack of intimacy. Zechariah’s words challenge us to pause, examine our walk, and turn back to God with our whole heart, allowing Him to renew our passion and restore our fellowship.

Like the remnant in Zechariah’s day, we know what it feels like to grow weary. Culture pushes against us at every turn, and the values of the world work to erode our commitment. Distractions pull our attention to lesser things that seem urgent but leave the soul empty. Churches launch ministries with enthusiasm, only to watch the momentum fade when obstacles arise. The work of building Christ’s Church, whether through evangelism, discipleship, or service, often feels slow and unglamorous.

Hearts that once burned with passion for the mission can begin to flicker with doubt. Discouragement leans in close and whispers, What’s the use? You’ll never make a difference.

It is in these moments that we need the same encouragement God gave through Zechariah. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). We don’t finish the work of ministry through human will. We finish it by walking in the Spirit. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation, who raised Jesus from the dead, now empowers the Church to build what God has begun.

The stones you lay in faith today may look small. The mountain ahead may look steep. But Zechariah reminds us: the hands that began the work will complete it, because God strengthens those hands. Don’t measure the task by its size. Measure it by the God who called you.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/coffeekai

Brad Simon has shared God’s Word for over forty-five years, with a unique blend of storytelling and Bible exposition. He is a retired Master Jeweler and relies on the God-given creativity that won him several national and international jewelry design awards to craft Biblical Narratives and Life Stories that are engaging and thought-provoking. Once a speaker, author, and publisher for the jewelry industry, now he is putting those skills to work to promote the beauty and appeal of God’s Word. Download a free copy of his devotional on prayer.