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Zechariah and the NT from ESVSB
Zechariah and the NT from ESVSB
The book of Zechariah is densely mined for quotations by the NT, whose authors discerned in it several prophecies concerning the Messiah’s coming. The clearest instances come from
Zechariah 8:16 (in Eph. 4:25),
'These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. Zechariah 8:16
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:25
Zechariah 9:9 (in Matt. 21:5 and John 12:15),
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9
"Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" Matthew 21:5
"Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." John 12:15
Zechariah 11:12–13 (in Matt. 27:9–10),
12 I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Zechariah 11:12-13
9 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; 10 and they gave them for the Potter's Field, as the Lord directed me." Matthew 27:9-10
Zechariah 12:10 (in John 19:37),
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10
And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." John 19:37
and Zechariah 13:7 (in Matt. 26:31 and Mark 14:27).
"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the Lord of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. Zechariah 13:7
Then Jesus *said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.' Matthew 26:31
And Jesus *said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.' Mark 14:27
In addition to these are numerous allusions, which are sometimes difficult to assess; one estimate, however, finds about 54 passages from Zechariah echoed in about 67 different places in the NT, with the lion’s share of these found in the book of Revelation. We know that the book of Zechariah is one of the most difficult OT books, but it behooves us to spend some time studying the promises of God that it contains.
Hugh DeLong
