 |
Mike BickleBook of Zechariah Series
Mike Bickle Eschatology Series
Mike Bickle Prayer SeriesTypes and Shadows Series
Other ATBS Teachings |
|
home >>zechariah series >> session 1 >> bible verse handbook
Zechariah Series - Session #1 - Bible Verse Handbook
Session 1: “Why Study the Book of Zechariah?” & “Understanding Its Historical Context” I. THE WHOLE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH IS ABOUT JERUSALEM A. The whole book of Zechariah is about Jerusalem. 2 “I am zealous for Zion with great zeal …3 I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst...” (Zech. 8:2-3) B. Jesus' worldwide government will be in Jerusalem, and all nations will be gathered there. 17“Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem.” (Jer. 3:17) E. We must become familiar with what happened in the days of Zerubbabe l because it is part of our story. 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Jesus affirmed this, highlighting its purpose as being a place of prayer and worship 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.' ” (Mt. 21:13) F. All who love Jerusalem are to rejoice with her by standing for Jerusalem's prophetic destiny. 10“Rejoice with Jerusalem…all you who love her…all you who mourn for her.” (Isa. 66:10) G. God loves Jerusalem, and Satan hates her. God's zeal is set on Jerusalem—what does He see? 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.' ” 8 As we have heard, 20 But Judah shall abide forever, 7 I will make the lame a remnant, 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. (Ps. 87:2) H. Battle for Jerusalem: 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (Zech. 12:3) 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; I• The uniqueness of Jerusalem. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you… (Gen. 12:3) J. Jerusalem is unique in blessing. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you…” 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God [the temple in Jerusalem] I will seek your good. (Ps. 122:6-9) II. ZECHARIAH THE PROPHET A. Zechariah was from a priestly family, so he understood the priestly office and the temple. He was a young man when God called him to be a prophet 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. (Zech. 2:4) His family returned from the Babylonian exile in 536 BC Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, (Neh. 12:1-4) B. Zechariah was martyred because of the message he spoke. 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. (Mt. 23:35) 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. (Lk. 11:51) III. ZECHARIAH'S FIVE MESSAGES 1. Calling Israel to obedience (Zech. 1:1-6) IV. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF ZECHARIAH: KNOWING THE STORYLINE C. This drama started when God told Jeremiah a few decades ahead of time that Israel would go into captivity for 70 years. 10Thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. (Jer. 29:10) D. This story is told in three passages (Ezra 1-6) (Hag. 1-2) (Zech. 3-8) 4. Zechariah: Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. (Ezra 5:1) Zechariah received his longest prophecy in one night which consisted of eight visions 16 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord : “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, 6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts. 8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! E. The two Persian kings: Cyrus (600-530 BC) released and financed the Jewish captives to return from 70 years of Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem in 536 BC (Ezra 1). Darius helped the remnant with finances in their efforts to rebuild the temple in 520 BC (Ezra 6). V. OVERVIEW OF THE STORY A. A rich prophetic story: 1• About 200 years before King Cyrus (750 BC), Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus would release the remnant of Israel from Babylon to go to Jerusalem and build the temple 28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘ He is My shepherd, 2. About 200 years later, Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would go into captivity, but would be released after seventy years to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple 8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the Lord , ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 Moreover I will [ a ] take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jer: 25: 8-11) 3. More than fifty years after Jeremiah, Daniel, inspired by the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah, sought the Lord with fasting and prayer 3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. (Dan. 9:3) 4. A few years later, the Spirit stirred up King Cyrus to free Israel and give them “millions” of dollars to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of prayer. 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1-4) B. With a rich prophetic history behind them, about 50,000 Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Ezra says they were “stirred by the Spirit” to do this. 5 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits Godhad moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem They arrived, and soon built the foundation and established musicians and singers who sang responsively. 10When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood…to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11And they sang responsively…All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (Ezra 3:10-11) C. The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem took five months, covering about 700 miles 9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord , and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:9 -10) The remnant returned to a city and temple that had been desolate for seventy years, since Babylonian armies destroyed it in 586 BC. They returned with the goal of building the temple and reestablishing the worship order that David had been commanded to establish 25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets. (2 Chr. 29:25) E. There were three main obstacles in Jerusalem. The Samaritans moved into the land after Israel went into captivity, and aggressively opposed the remnant of Israel Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers' houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” 4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 24 Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (Ezra 4:1-5, 24) The remnant of Israel struggled with spiritual lethargy, compromise, and fear A Call to Repentance1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ' But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord . 5 “Your fathers, where are they? “So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.' ” The economic crisis was intensified by drought and agricultural failure The Command to Build God's House1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord 's house should be built.” ' ” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “ Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord . 9 “ You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” (Hag. 1:1-11) F. The house of prayer was rebuilt over a 22-year period (538-516 BC). The two most important dates to remember are 536 BC, when they laid the foundation of the temple and then quit in discouragement 10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord , according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. (Ezra 3:10) 24 Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (Ezra 4:24) And 520 BC when they restarted their labors 5 Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. (Ezra 5:1-2) VI. EZRA 1-6: SIGNIFICANT EVENTS (538-515 BC) A. Ezra 1-6 describes significant events related to building the house of prayer. B. In 538 BC, Cyrus king of Persia (modern-day Iran) defeated the nation of Babylon (modern-day Iraq). He assigned a stipend from the royal treasury for the support of the singers 8 Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king's expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered. 9 And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons. (Ezra 6:8-10) There were full-time singers and musicians in Zerubbabel's day 64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred men and women singers. (Ezra 2:64-65) Temple Responsibilities44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered. 45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron. (Neh. 12:44-47) E. In the seventh month of their first year in Jerusalem (536 BC) the altar was built 1And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. (Ezra 3:1-2) In the second year, they began to work on rebuilding the temple itself 8 Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the Lord . 9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites. (Ezra 3:8-9) F. Some months later, when the foundation of the temple had been laid, they celebrated. The older men wept because it seemed so small compared to Solomon's temple. 10When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood…with trumpets, and the Levites…with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD…All the people shouted with a great shout…because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But…the old men who had seen the first temple wept. (Ezra 3:10-12) G. 1 When the adversaries of Judah…heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD…4 The people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose. (Ezra 4:1-5) H. The Persian government intervened and stopped the Jews from building the temple. 24Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased [535 BC] , and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius [520 BC]. (Ezra 4:24) I.The Jews became discouraged in the face of obstacles and opposition. 10 For before these days K. After a delay of sixteen years (535-520 BC), God sent prophets to stir up the leaders to start building. 1 Then [in 520 BC ] the prophet Haggai and Zechariah…prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah…2 So Zerubbabel…and Jeshua…rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. (Ezra 5:1-2) L. After about five years (520-516 BC) of hard work, they completed the temple 14The elders of the Jews built, and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah…and they built and finished it…15The temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar…in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius [515 BC]. (Ezra 6:14-15)
|
| Copyright © 2023 www.UnitedCaribbean.com. All rights reserved. Disclaimer Click to Contact us |