1. Exploring the Minor Prophets
The Book of the Twelve
Exploring the Minor Prophets

2. What is the book of the Twelve?
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) divisions:
Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim (Law, Prophets, Writings)
Book = Scroll (סֵ֫פֶר- sepher)
תרי עשר = “The Twelve”
Emerged as a collection around 190 BC
Intended to be read as an episodic unity.

3. Israelite History Exodus (15th or 13th centuries BC)
Settlement & Proto-democratic Tribal Confederation
United Monarchy – Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam (c BC)
Divided Monarchy (and decline)
Fall of Samaria (N) to Assyria (c. 722 BC)
Fall of Jerusalem (S) to Babylon (587 BC)
Cyrus the Great invades Babylon (539 BC)
Edict of Cyrus Allows Jews to return home and rebuild

4. Majoring on The Minors History – What really happened?
Message – What does it say?
Reception – How have others interpreted it?
Significance – What does it mean for us?

5. The Path Ahead
July 23 – Zephaniah July 30 – Issues in the Minor Prophets ( Dr. Robin McCall, Guest Teacher) Aug 6 –   Biblical Archaeology (Dr. Don Polaski, Guest Teacher) Aug 13 – Haggai Aug 20 – Zechariah Aug 27 – Malachi Sep 3 –   Closing the Scroll
May 21 – Intro to the Book of the Twelve May 28 –  Hosea June 4 -   Joel June 11 – Amos June 18 –Obadiah June 25 –Jonah July 2 –   Micah July 9 –   Nahum July 16 – Habakkuk

6. Timeline of the book of the Twelve
Christian Bible (Masoretic Text)
Ancient Greek OT (Septuagint)
Chronology (all BC)
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
----
Amos (mid-8th)
Hosea (mid-8th)
Isaiah (late 8th)
Micah (late 8th)
Nahum (mid-to-late 7th)
Zephaniah (mid-to-late 7th)
Habakkuk (late 7th or early 6th)
Jeremiah (late 7th or early 6th)
Lamentations (early 6th)
Ezekiel (early 6th)
Obadiah (early 6th)
Haggai (late 6th)
Zechariah (late 6th)
Malachi (late 5th)
Jonah (5th – 4th)
Joel (4th ?)
Daniel (2nd)

7. This Time in History
The first Olympics (according to tradition) in Greece (776 BC)
The City of Rome is founded (753 BC)
Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey are put to writing (c. 750 BC)
Fall of Samaria/Northern Kingdom to Assyria (722 BC)
Greeks add vowels to Phoenician language (700 BC)
Fall of Jerusalem/Southern Kingdom to Babylon (586 BC)
Leonidas reigns in Sparta (530 BC)
The events recorded in the Book of Zechariah (c. 520 BC)
Socrates born (470 BC)
Alexander the Great born (356 BC)

8. Zechariah’s history Zechariah means “the Lord has remembered.”
Post-exilic Prophet (& Priest – cf. Nehemiah 12:16)
Contemporary of Haggai
Mentioned along with Haggai in Ezra 5:1, 6:14
During the rebuilding of the Temple
During Zerubbabel’s Governorship
Ancestor of King David
During Joshua’s Priesthood
Supporter of the Temple
Zechariah 9-14 written later

9. Haggai’s history During the Reign of Darius I of Persia (522 – 486 BC)
Cyrus decrees return and rebuild (Ezra 1:1ff)
Temple isn’t built
Internal tension between returnees and “the people of the land.”
Selfishness/Indifference
Persian instability after Cyrus
Cambyses (Cyrus’s son) struggles
Egypt misbehaving / Cambyses killed
Struggle for the throne / Darius acceded 522 BC
Temple decreed by Darius (Ezra 6:1ff)

10. Zechariah’s Message Outline Oracles of the Prophet Zechariah
I – Recalling God’s Judgment on the People (1:1-6)
II – Eight Visions (1:7-6:15)
III – Priestly Reply to a Question about Fasting (7)
IV – 10 Divine Promises to Jerusalem (8)
Two Later Oracles
V – Poetic Speeches about the Day of the Lord (9-11)
VI – Advent of the Day of the Lord (12-14)

11. Zechariah’s Message Superscription (1:1)
Recalling God’s Judgment (1:2-6)
Eighth Month of the 2nd Year of Darius
Mid-October (cf. Haggai 2:1)
Between Haggai’s 2nd & 3rd oracles
Son of Berechiah, Son of Iddo
“The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.” (2)
“Return to me” (3)
(שׁ֤וּב / shub – 4xs)
Double meaning – repent/return
“Do not be like your ancestors.” (4)
Validation of the prophets

12. Zechariah’s Message #1/8 Four Horsemen (1:7-17)
#2 Horns & Smiths (1:18-21)
Another time marker
Eleventh Month = Early February
An angel with red, sorrel, and white horses. (8)
Angelic patrols find peace on the earth and plead for Jerusalem.
“Then the LORD replied with gracious and comforting words…” (13a)
“My cities shall again overflow with prosperity…”(17b)
Vision of four horns & four blacksmiths
The angel explains these are the four horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem
Animals? Helmets? Altars? Symbols?
The blacksmiths “terrify” and “strike down” the horns

13. Zechariah’s Message #3 Measuring Jerusalem (2:1-5)
#4 Cleansing of Joshua (3:1-10)
Angel measures the “new” Jerusalem
“Jerusalem shall be inhabited like a village without walls, because of the people and animals in it.” (4)
God as wall/ring of fire (5)
Persian Capital of Pasargadae
Aside: Returning Exiles (2:6-13)
“Up! Escape to Zion…” (7)
Joshua the high priest flanked by the Angel of the Lord and the satan
Reference to political critics?
Joshua given clean clothes to replace his “filthy” ones
My servant, “the Branch” (8d)
Zerubbabel?
Multi-faceted “stone” from a headdress indicating the power to remove guilt

14. Zechariah’s Message #5 Lampstand & Trees (4:1-14)
#6 The Flying Scroll (5:1-4)
Z. wakes to see a lampstand of 49 candles and two olive trees
A message to Zerubbabel: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of Hosts.” (6)
Zerubbabel will finish the Temple
Lamp (menorah) = God’s presence and vision
Trees = sons of oil (“anointed”)
Open scroll, flying carpet style.
Roughly 30 x 15 feet
Warning of cursing for those who steal or swear falsely
Rare that scrolls have writing on both sides

15. Zechariah’s Message #7 Woman in a Pot (5:5-11)
#8 Four Chariots (6:1-8)
So absurd Zechariah can’t even make sense of it
Inside the basket is a woman named Wickedness
Pot? Jar? Hebrew, Ephah – 6 gallons)
Two stork-winged women take the basket away to a place where a house (prison) is built for Wickedness
A reference to foreign wives?
Four chariots come forth from between two mountains of bronze
Horses are red, black, white, and dappled gray
Mesopotamian sun god imagery
Chariots = the four winds of heaven
The making of crowns
The Branch = Joshua, the High Priest
Meaning unclear

16. Zechariah’s Message Question about Fasting (7:1-14)
10 Words to Jerusalem (8:1-23)
Oracles in the fourth year of Darius, ninth month
November or December 518 BC
A question about fasting is brought to the Lord.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” (9-10)
I am jealous for Zion
I will return to Zion (faithful city)
Old people in the streets/children playing
The impossible will be possible
Gathering in / Covenant reaffirmed
Not as in the former days (blessing crops)
I have purposed to do good to you (admon.)
Fasts to become feasts (love truth & peace)
Jerusalem as sought after destination by many
Strangers will mob you saying, “God is with you.”

17. Zechariah’s Message
Zechariah 9-11 – Poetic Speeches about the Day of the Lord
Judgment upon surrounding city-states in Syria-Palestine (9:1-8)
“Your King comes to you… He shall command peace to the nations.” (9:9-12)
Rejoicing as victory promised over enemies (9:13-17)
False shepherds & God’s protection (10:1-11:3)
Judgement using the Shepherd theme (11:4-17)
Two staffs broken (favor & unity) = covenant broken
Thirty shekels of silver
Rejection of unnamed “worthless shepherd”

18. Zechariah’s Message Zechariah 12-14 – Advent of the Day of the Lord
Judgment on those who go up against Jerusalem (12:1-4)
Blessing on Jerusalem “on that day” (12:5-9)
Mourning for the dead in Jerusalem (12:10-14)
Purification of Jerusalem & false prophets (13:1-9)
God will avenge Jerusalem (14:1-21)

19. Zechariah’s Reception
Late Ancient (New Testament)
A cornucopia of Messianic prophecies
Triumphal Entry (9:9)
30 Pieces of silver (11:12-13)
He will be pierced (12:10)
His disciples will forsake him (13:7)
Influences the Book of Revelation

20. Zechariah’s Reception
Early Church
Straight forward prophecies & typological interpretation
Messianic Prophecies
Renaissance
Zechariah in the Sistine Chapel

21. Zechariah’s Reception
Modern
“Apple of my eye” (2:8)
“Holy Land” (2:12)
“A brand plucked from the fire.” (John Wesley, at 5)
“Prisoners of Hope” (9:12)

22. Zechariah’s Significance
Questions about support for government
The Nature of Prophecy
Rebuilding & Renewing
Community Building
Church Building
Justice over religious ritual