Who Was Zechariah in the Bible — Meaning Explained

Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest, the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, who returned from Babylonian exile and began prophesying in 520 BC, two months after Haggai. His book is the longest of the Minor Prophets and one of the most Messianic books in the Old Testament. The first eight chapters contain a series of eight night visions that Zechariah received, full of striking imagery: a man riding a red horse among myrtle trees, four horns and four craftsmen, a flying scroll, a woman in a basket, and four chariots. These visions assured the returned exiles that God was restoring His people, removing sin, and preparing Jerusalem for a glorious future. The remaining chapters (9-14) focus on the coming Messiah and the end times. Zechariah prophesied Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem: 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.' He predicted the piercing of the Messiah: 'They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son.' He foretold the smiting of the shepherd and the scattering of the sheep — fulfilled when Jesus was arrested and the disciples fled. He also described the day when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and when living waters will flow from the city. Zechariah's visions bridge the gap between the restoration from Babylon and the ultimate restoration through Christ, demonstrating that God's purposes for His people stretch from history into eternity.