November 8, 2015 October 23, 2016

As credible as a politician’s promise!

Money and corruption are ruining the land. Crooked politicians betray the working man; Pocketing the prophets and treating us like sheep, And we’re tired of hearing promises that we know they’ll never keep. Ray Davies

A promise means everything. Once it is broken, Sorry means nothing!

…Keep all the promises you make to [God]. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Ecclesiastes 5:4b-5

Prophecies of a Promised Messiah November 8, 2015 Zechariah Prophecies of a Promised Messiah

Timeline of Old Testament Prophets Seeds of revival Kept revival going

Zechariah (Yahweh has remembered) Author Zechariah – of priestly heritage Date 520-515 BC Theme The prominence of the temple in God’s spiritual restoration of Israel; the providence of God in bringing back His people to their land; and the preeminence of the Messiah in the future spiritual restoration of the Nation

Zechariah (Yahweh has remembered) Christ in this book Zechariah presents Messiah, Christ in both of his advents and as both Servant and King, as Man and God, as the Angel of the Lord; the Righteous Branch; the Stone with the seven eyes; the Crucified Savior or the pierced One; the coming and humble King; the smitten Shepherd who will be abandoned; and the coming Judge and righteous King

Zechariah – Historical Perspective 725 700 675 650 625 600 575 550 525 500 722 BC - Assyrians exile the northern kingdom 586 BC - Babylonians take Judah captive

Zechariah – Historical Perspective 550 530 520 510 539 BC - Babylonian Empire falls to the Persian Empire – Cyrus the Great decrees that the Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple 539 BC - Levitical sacrifices are reinstituted on a rebuilt altar of burnt offering 520 BC - Haggai preaches four encouraging sermons 520 BC - Two months later, Zechariah begins 515 BC - Temple reconstruction is complete

Themes and Purpose* Zechariah was written to: encourage the returned remnant to complete their work in rebuilding the temple show that God was at work in the world in preparation for the coming Messiah *Old Testament Survey, J. Hampton Keathley III 1998

Themes and Purpose* Zechariah’s climax is in chapter 14: discloses the last siege of Jerusalem cleaving of the Mount of Olives the Lord’s defense of Jerusalem with His visible appearance on Olivet

Themes and Purpose* Zechariah’s climax is in chapter 14: judgment on the confederated nations topographical changes in the land of Israel the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium the ultimate holiness of Jerusalem and her people

Key Verses* “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ Zechariah 8:3

Key Verses* “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

Key Words “The Word of the Lord” (13 occurrences) “The Lord of Hosts” (53 occurrences) point to the divine nature of Zechariah’s message Stress the prominent idea of the book preparing for the coming Messiah in both of His advents.

Selected Promises 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. Zechariah 1:3

Selected Promises ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” Zechariah 2:4b-5

but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. Selected Promises “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

Selected Promises 3 “Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’ Zechariah 8:3

Selected Promises “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

and grieve for Him as one grieves Selected Promises 10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

[i.e. at the death of King Josiah] Selected Promises 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. [i.e. at the death of King Josiah] Zechariah 12:10-11

Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with Him. Selected Promises Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with Him. 9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one,” And His name one. Zechariah 14:5,9

What Next?

What Next? Five times in Amos 4, the LORD says, ”Yet you have not returned to Me!” He also says, “Prepare to meet your God.”

Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with Him. What Next? Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with Him. 9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one,” And His name one. Zechariah 14:5,9

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! What Next? 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Maranatha!) Revelation 22:20