Zechariah 9

CHAPTER 9

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies (9:1–8)

1–8 Beginning with this chapter, the remainder of the book of Zechariah consists of two oracles (revelations) from God that concern the future—especially the “last days” of history, the time of the second coming of Christ. These revelations are undated and probably came to Zechariah in his latter years. Some of the details of these revelations are hard to understand, but their broad meaning is clear.

This first section deals with God’s judgment on three of Israel’s traditional enemies: Damascus, representing Syria (verses 1–2); Tyre and Sidon (verses 24); and the Philistines¹⁹ (verses 5–7). These three enemy nations had already suffered God’s judgment at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians, but here Zechariah is speaking of a future judgment that would be executed by Alexander the Great in 333 B.C.—two centuries after Zechariah’s time. Just as God had used Assyria and Babylon as instruments of His judgment, so He would also use Alexander and the Greeks to bring judgment on these three enemy nations.²⁰

In verse 8, God promises to defend His house (the temple in Jerusalem) against invading forces. Indeed, Alexander the Great marched up to Jerusalem, but because of a vision he had received from God, he spared the city. Then God says: Never again will an oppressor overrun my people. Subsequent to the writing of these words, the Jews have been overrun many times by oppressors, starting with the Romans in Jesus’ day. Therefore, these words must apply to the distant future when Jesus will come again to reign. However, God may also be saying here that He will preserve a continuing remnant of believers from that time onward to the end of the age.

The Coming of Zion’s King (9:9–13)

9 This verse is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (see Matthew 21:4–5; Mark 11:1–10). Zechariah says to the Jews that the coming Messiah will be your king—a king in the line of DAVID. He will be righteous; He will perfectly fulfill God’s law. Because He is righteous, He will bring salvation to His people. He will be gentle, humble; He will come riding on a donkey, not on a war-horse. Therefore, let the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem and her inhabitants) rejoice greatly!

10 God promises in that day to disarm His people; no longer will they need to depend on chariots from Ephraim (Israel, the northern kingdom) and war-horses from Jerusalem (Judah, the southern kingdom). God’s Messiah will proclaim peace throughout the world (Isaiah 2:4; 11:1–10); He will indeed be the Prince of Peace²¹ (Isaiah 9:6–7). People in the world today cry out for peace; but true and lasting PEACE will come only through the transforming work of the Prince of Peace, the Messiah Jesus.

11–13 Here God (through Zechariah) addresses the remnant of Jews in Judah:. . . because of the blood of my covenant with you (see Exodus 24:3–8), I will free all remaining Jewish prisoners from wherever they are held captive (verse 11), and I will send them back to defend their land against the sons of Greece (Alexander’s army). God will use Judah as a bow and Ephraim as His arrows (verse 13); and He will restore to the prisoners twice as much as they ever had before (verse 12).

The Lord Will Appear (9:14–17)

14–17 These verses refer to the future Messianic kingdom when the Lord will appear over His people in a dramatic manner (verse 14). He will be their source of power and prosperity; He will save His people. They will be like jewels in a crown (verse 16), like lights shining before men (Matthew 5:16). Just as the Jews in Zechariah’s day took hope from these words, so we today must take hope and do everything we can to speed the coming of our King²² (2 Peter 3:11–14).