Question
I need to know who the book of Zachariah was written for? like what type of audience?
Answer
To understand the book of Zechariah, as with almost all the Old Testament prophets, you must have an idea of the historical context in which they were written. In the case of Zechariah, the following facts must b noted:
1. 586 BC – Last stage of Babylonian captivity was competed with the destruction of the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon. Left in Jerusalem, were the poorest of the poor and the rest were either destroyed or carried back to Babylon for serving the Empire.
2. 538 BC – A decree is issued by Cyrus, Persian King who conquered Babylon, that the Jews, along with any of the other conquered peoples, might return to their homelands, rebuild their temples and worship their own gods according to their traditions. Ezra 1:2-4.
3. 536 BC – a small number of Jews return under the leadership of Zerubbabel and begin to rebuild the Temple. But after the foundation is built, they become discouraged and stop the work. Ezra 3:1-13, 5:14-16.
At this point, God raises up two prophets, Haggai and Zecharia,h, whose missions are to encourage the people to finish the great work that had been started. According, to Haggai, they do begin trusting in the Lord, work on the Temple and in just over three weeks, accomplish their goal, the finishing of the Temple.
The main message of Zechariah is that if the people will purify themselves, separate themselves from sin and turn to God and His work, they will prosper. This is the basic background for Zechariah.
By Gary Hunt
