Zechariah’s visions foster hope in the future promise of the messianic kingdom, and challenge Israel after the exile to remain faithful to God.
Almost 70 years after the exile, the Israelites were experiencing hardships and wondered if prophetic promises of a New Jerusalem would ever be fulfilled. The book of Zechariah answers this question through several dream visions.
Things just got weird
These bizarre images remind God’s people that they must remain faithful to the covenant if they want the New Jerusalem, Messianic kingdom, peace on earth and end of evil to come to pass. Even though the book doesn’t follow a neat, orderly pattern and contains scary and bizarre images, it shows glimpses of God’s hand at work guiding history toward His own purposes. We can look above the chaos and hope for the coming of God’s kingdom, which will motivate faithfulness in the present.