Zechariah
About the Book of Zechariah
The enemies of Judah's people took them as prisoners to a country called Babylon. After about 70 years, the king of Babylon let the Jews return to Jerusalem to build God's temple again. Zechariah was one of the Jews who returned. He spoke to the people of Jerusalem from about 520 BC. At that time, God's prophet Haggai was also speaking God's messages to the Jews in Jerusalem.
God told Zechariah the messages that he must speak to the Jews. An important part of his message was, ‘If you turn back to me, I will come back to you.’ See Zechariah 1:3. God gave Zechariah eight dreams. These dreams showed the Jews what would happen in future years. God would bless them and he would fight against their enemies. The last chapters promise that God will one day rule as king over the whole world. See Zechariah 14:9.
1:0Babylon was a rich and powerful city on the Euphrates River. The king of Babylon ruled many other countries. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who attacked Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah.
1:0A Jew was someone who belonged to the Israelite kingdom of Judah. The name was first used at the time of their exile in Babylon. The people of Israel who still remain after that time are called Jews.
