I am taking the youth through the night visions of Zechariah 1-6 on Sunday mornings these days. Its a lot of fun! I’m reminded of God’s wisdom in communicating to us in such rich and diverse genres as we find in the Bible. The pictorial nature of Zechariah, though at times bizarre and difficult to understand, communicates at levels where mere prose cannot. I’ve been encouraged and surprised at the student response. Its cool to see the pictures and images communicating in broader, emotional ways, even when we are not fully sure of all the details of interpretation. This week…
Category: Zechariah
Reflections on Zechariah (5): concluding thoughts
1) Zechariah is a really difficult book, and most of the time I feel like I am just stumbling along, even when using a commentary. (When I don’t use a commentary, I usually feel totally lost.) Reading this book in the way I have done it (English Bible only, one commentary help, 5-10 verses at a time) has kind of been like sprinting at full speed through a museum: you get a sense of where things are, and you get a sense that there are beautiful things present – but you are also (poignantly) aware that you are not seeing…
Reflections on Zechariah (4): Looking Back on Chapters 1-6
The book of Zechariah divides into two large sections, chapters 1-6 and chapters 7-12 (although I don’t agree that these two sections represent different authors and different historical settings). As I just finished chapter 6 this morning, it is an appropriate time to stop and look back on what I have learned from this first half of the book. If you were to ask me to summarize in one sentence what the book of Zechariah is basically about, at this point in my study I would respond that the book of Zechariah is a call to the post-exilic community to…
Reflections on Zechariah (3): Joshua vindicated
I am really struck by the first section of Zechariah’s fourth night vision, portrayed in 3:1-5: 1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to…
Reflections on Zechariah (2): Implicit Trinitarianism in 2:10-12?
After a brief introduction (1:1-6), the book of Zechariah launches into a series of six visions referred to as the “night visions” (1:7-6:15). They are fascinating and very difficult to interpret. Right in the middle of these visions, however, Zechariah contains an important oracle in 2:6-13 which Boda, the commentator I am using (who is excellent), convincingly argues is set apart from the surrounding visions (rather than part of the vision in 2:1-5) and a key to understanding them. This prophetic oracle consists of two summons: a call to God’s people, scattered by exile, to return to the land (vv….
Reflections on Zechariah (1): Introduction
The next biblical book I am studying is Zechariah. Why Zechariah? (1) I want to do something in the Old Testament; (2) I know very little about it; (3) it is the lengthiest Minor Prophet; (4) it covers an important historical period (520 BCff.) that few other books cover (Haggai is the only one I am aware of); (5) its filled with messianic hope and has some beautiful and important Messianic passages (e.g., 9:9, 12:10); (6) its apocalyptic visions are fascinating; (7) God’s people are generally more responsive to Zechariah than they were to the pre-exilic prophets, which makes the…
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