#Zechariah the Prophet

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (September 6)

Saint Zechariah, also known as Zechariah the Prophet, was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the author of the Book of Zechariah in the Old Testament.

He lived during the 5th century BC. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Zechariah was the son of a priest named Jehoiada and his wife, Elizabeth.

He was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah.

According to the Bible, Zechariah was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem during the reign of King Darius of Persia.

He was chosen by God to deliver a message of hope and encouragement to the Israelites, who had recently returned from exile in Babylon.

In his prophecy, Zechariah foretold the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of Israel.

One of the most famous stories about Zechariah is the account of the angel Gabriel visiting him in the Temple to announce that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son, who would be named John.

This son would later become known as John the Baptist and is considered to be one of the greatest of the prophets.

There is not much historical information about Zechariah's life events �� birth and death dates, canonization date, and feast days — as they are not recorded in the Bible.

However, the book of Zechariah is considered one of the most profound and complex books of the Old Testament.

It is still studied and revered by scholars and theologians today.

Zechariah is the last of the Old Testament prophets whose name appears in the New Testament. He is also one of the four prophets mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

He is an important figure in both Jewish and Christian tradition. As a prophet, he delivered a message of hope and redemption to the Israelites.

Though not much is known about his historical life events, his prophecy in the book of Zechariah is still respected and revered today.

Zechariah is the patron saint of fathers, barristers, notaries, and tailors. He is also invoked against diseases of the eye.

[justana0kguy]

2023 OCTOBER 03 Tuesday

"I too will go to seek the LORD."

~ Zechariah 8:21c

[kdmiller55]

How Great Is His Goodness

14 Then the LORD will appear over them,     and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the LORD God will sound the trumpet     and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. 15 The LORD of hosts will protect them,     and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,     and be full like a bowl,     drenched like the corners of the…

[biblebloodhound]

Be Prepared, For the Lord Is Coming (Luke 1:5-17)

Not everything will remain as it presently is. All will change. Acceptance entails knowing this, that all things will be different.

The Angel Appearing to Zechariah, by William Blake, 1800 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no…

[geekpreacher217]

The Crowned Priest - Zechariah 6:9-15

Hello everyone.  Due to some technical issues at the Internet Archive, where these audio files are usually hosted, I have not been able to upload in recent weeks.  Please be patient as I try to get caught up with uploading this audio a few lessons at a time. This lesson is from December, 2024

[dwellinginscripture]

ZECHARIAH 9-10: Triumphal Entry

ZECHARIAH 9:1-17  ZECHARIAH 10:1-12  Focus: A little bit of context  The places mentioned by Zechariah are the neighbors and surrounding people groups of Israel.  This list is much like Amos (before the exile).  God addresses the evil in the entire land and points out those who would suffer because of their sinfulness.  Those who do not prioritize God will be punished… Jew and Gentile alike. …

[agreenroad]

HISTORY, LIST OF JERUSALEM/JEWISH TEMPLE DESTRUCTIONS, SIEGES, AND ATTACKS - LIST OF JEWISH PROPHET'S KILLED

OLD TESTAMENT IS FULL OF WARS AND BATTLES AGAINST ISRAELITES, AND THEIR CONTINUAL DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD, RESULTING IN THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION BY THEIR ENEMIES The Old Testament is full of war, battles against the Israelites that worshipped other gods, the God of ISRAEL'S children. Many times the God of Israel sent Prophets to the cities of Israel to warn them of their corruption, but chose not to…

[ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet]

Zechariah

[momentsbeforemass]

Waiting

Take everything to God. Everything.

Whether it’s your hopes and dreams, or your fears and worries – take it all to God.

God answers every prayer. Sometimes God’s answer is “yes.” Sometimes it’s “no, I’ve got something better for you.” Sometimes it’s “wait.”

That last one, where God’s answer is “wait,” is the hardest one for most of us. I know it is for me.

When you’ve been praying for something for a long time, you can lose hope. Because of the way that waiting can weigh on your heart.

Waiting can lead you to doubt. It makes you wonder whether it will ever happen. It makes you ask whether it’s been too long.

We see it in today’s Gospel. Zechariah and Elizabeth have been believing and praying for a child. For years. Elizabeth is still believing for a child. But not Zechariah. They’ve been waiting for so long that Zechariah has lost hope.

Elizabeth has to be heartbroken. Not only is she struggling with waiting on God, but Zechariah – the person who should have been her strongest support – isn’t there for her. Elizabeth has to carry on alone, because Zechariah has given up.

We see it in his response to the angel telling him that their prayers are being answered. Zechariah doesn’t buy it.

The beautiful thing about it? The angel doesn’t turn to Elizabeth and say, “I’m sorry, God would have given you a child, if Zechariah hadn’t given up.”

Instead, Elizabeth (who would have been overjoyed with any child) gets more than she asked for – a child who would become the greatest of the prophets.

Zechariah’s doubts have no impact on God. Or on God’s answer to Elizabeth’s prayers.

The only person Zechariah’s doubts have any impact on is Zechariah. Who gets struck mute by the angel.

I’ve often wondered whether the angel’s swipe at Zechariah didn’t have more to do with him emotionally bailing on Elizabeth than it did with doubting God.

Each of us knows an Elizabeth or two. Someone who’s believing and praying. Someone who’s waiting on the Lord. Maybe for a long time.

Today, reach out to the Elizabeths in your life. Pray for them. Support them as they wait on the Lord. Let them know that you’re there for them.

Don’t be a Zechariah.

Today’s Readings

[thewordfortheday]

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you!” Zechariah 9:9 

Jesus is the King of kings! Prophets heralded the coming king.” The angels in heaven worship Him as the King of kings!  (Revelation 17:14) This great King calls Himself- your King. He's not somewhere in obscurity. He's near you. He cares for all His children. None is neglected. His Spirit is within you, giving you life and strength.

He came humble on a donkey, the first time. But now, He will come again in glory. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Your King is coming. 

You may say I am in a terrible mess. How can I rejoice? James 5:7 says, "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming." And the next verse goes on to say, that His coming is very near. And, He's with you always. He will never fail you. 

Yes, cheer up! Weep no more. 

[gsirvitor]

I trust you better than I trust google and Wikipedia. So, where oh where, did Silver come to be holy? it can't be Christianity, because we use Gold (and our bodies). or is it just an out cropping of Silver used a money? or am I over thinking it and Silver is holy because it is pretty?

No clue, I'd guess it comes from the fact it's a very pretty and rare metal, and the fact it kills parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria, or as it says in myth, it is so pure it wards evil.

In fact, silver, due to its rarity, was often used to back currency more than gold, depending on the period and region.

Many medieval economies were silver backed, being later replaced by gold.

God's refining of the hearts of people is likened to the refining of silver (Psalm 66:10, Isaiah 48:10).

The words of truth that come from the Eternal are said to be like this metal refined seven times (Psalm 12:6).

While pure, and revered in Christianity, silver is also a damning metal in the Bible, those who placed a higher value on things made of silver rather than repentance were condemned.

Judas was paid thirty pieces of this precious metal for betraying Christ (Matthew 26:14 - 16, 27:9).

The prophet Zechariah prophesied that silver would ultimately be used to buy a potter's field (Zechariah 11:12 - 13).

Silver was so great in ancient times, that many rulers made plates, jewelry and entire pieces of furniture from the metal, or at least coated furniture in silver plating.

Precious metals, like gold and silver, are more corrosion resistant, had a high lustre and were rare, thus making them an ideal material for currencies, jewelry and idols.

For instance, in contrast to this, while Roma has a coin currency, they often paid their soldiers in salt, it was difficult to obtain and was used for many purposes, including food preservation, and seasoning.

This made salt an ideal currency in Rome, salt was a vital commodity to the Roman army, in fact the word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt.

Damn my autism, I went off on a tangent.

[justana0kguy]

2023 SEPTEMBER 30 Saturday

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you."

~ Zechariah 2:14-15a

[kdmiller55]

Going Through the Motions

1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many…

[biblebloodhound]

The Day of the Lord (Zechariah 14:1-9)

Even though people are polarized politically, not on the same page spiritually, and with as many diverse opinions as the grains of sand on a beach, we all seem to agree on one thing: The world is a messed up place.

Art by Larissa Lando A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out…

[creature-wizard]

Is it true that Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is 100% accurate and historically well-documented, just like the Gospels were written by eyewitnesses?

While many Christians claim that the Gospels were written by eyewitnesses, there is no reliable evidence of this. In fact, the writer of Luke outright says that their information came from others. (Luke 1:1-4.) Meanwhile, whoever wrote the other three gospels didn't identify themselves or cite their sources at all. They also describe numerous events that none of Jesus's followers would have been around to see. (None of them would have been hanging out with Herod when his daughter asked for John's head on a silver platter!)

We can very easily rule out the writer of Matthew as an eyewitness to... like, anything. How? The writer of Matthew clearly borrows a lot of material from Mark while embellishing on it in ways that just don't make sense.

You know how Mark 11 describes Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a borrowed colt? In a very clumsy attempt to make this story sound more like a fulfillment of prophecy, the writer of Matthew has Jesus riding in on not only the colt, but also on its mother! It's actually downright hilarious because the writer of Matthew very clearly misunderstood the poetic language of the quoted passage (Zechariah 9:9) and failed to realize that the passage is only referring to one equine!

(Also, if you read all of Zechariah 9, it's pretty obvious that the writer of Matthew was just skimming through prophetic texts for stuff that sounded like things Jesus did - or supposedly did - because all that stuff about riding in on a donkey was very clearly taken out of context.)

The writer of Matthew also includes a story about darkness falling and the temple veil tearing and a bunch of dead bodies coming to life - a story which is not only found in no other gospel, but isn't recorded by anyone else period.

So we can rule out the writer of Matthew as an eyewitness, much less any kind of trustworthy source. The writer was blatantly twisting information they'd received to sound more like what they thought prophetic texts said, and inserting events that nobody else knew anything about.

It's also highly unlikely that the writer of Mark was an eyewitness, given that the text was written by a fluent Greek speaker, where Jesus's original followers would have been native Aramaic speakers.

Now, whoever wrote the Gospel of John claims to have gotten their information from "the disciple whom Jesus loved," who supposedly wrote all of this stuff down. Like Mark, the earliest texts we have are in Greek, though some people argue it was originally written in Aramaic. But also, the Gospel of John is just... odd. Like, the more you really pay attention to the text and compare it with the other Gospels, the weirder it gets.

You know how Luke places the miraculous catch of fish early in Jesus's ministry? John places it after the resurrection. You know how Matthew, Mark, and Luke have Jesus attack the temple market shortly before Passover - you know, right before he's crucified? John places this at the beginning of his ministry. A lot of stuff is shuffled around relative to the other Gospels. It also includes the story of Jesus turning water into wine, which is not only absent from the other gospels, but may also be an oral tradition influenced by the Dionysian mysteries. Also, the text goes hard to present Jesus as this kind of otherworldly being in a way that none of the other canonical Gospels do. And the whole narrative has this kind of dreamlike, surreal quality.

Regardless of what the author claims about getting all of this information from Jesus's own very beloved disciple, it just doesn't make a lot of sense that this would be an eyewitness account, either. It reads like the other gospels: a collection of stories that probably began as oral tradition, assembled into a cohesive narrative intended to illustrate how the author perceived Jesus.

Like the story of Jesus turning water into wine, the story of Lazarus's resurrection is also only found in the text of John. And we already know from Matthew's thing with the two donkeys, and the weird story about three hours of darkness and the resurrection of the holy dead, just because a gospels says something happened, doesn't mean it actually happened.

I want you to consider this: I could easily go around saying that Jesus just did whatever. I could say, "yeah, there were these guys who were grievously injured in a fight, then Jesus came along and healed them. I saw it myself. In fact, hundreds of reliable people saw it themselves." Ancient people living back then could do the exact same thing. Now, I'm not saying that each and every tradition about Jesus is just made up from whole cloth, but we have to also remember that people can and do just make things up sometimes. And in fact, there is quite a lot of reason to think that quite a bit was made up about Jesus.

Buckle in, because I'm about to go for the jugular.

You know how each gospel claims that Jesus was bodily resurrected, and people saw his physical form, even touched it? It's like, the big thing in Christianity, right?

There is evidence in the New Testament itself that this never happened, that this was in fact a tradition that developed a number of years after Jesus's crucifixion.

Enter Paul of Tarsus. Originally antagonistic toward the budding Christian movement, Paul did a 180 after having a visionary experience while heading to Damascus. He tells us about this in his own writing in (1 Corinthians 15). I want you to go and read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 and pay very, very careful attention to what Paul says and to what he does not say.

In this passage, Paul compares his own visions to whatever the original Apostles experienced after Jesus's crucifixion. It's almost as if the original apostles themselves only saw Jesus in visions or dreams after the Crucifixion. And you might think, "yeah, but Paul also argues for a physical resurrection." And so he does, but that doesn't actually preclude the visionary experience for the other apostles, because Paul himself here clearly thinks that a visionary experience is perfectly sufficient evidence that the man he saw in said vision was physically raised.

This is why I keep recommending Bart D. Ehrman's How Jesus Became God, because this book is all about exploring how the mythology of Jesus emerged and developed over Christianity's early years. Seriously, go read it. It's a good book, and once you're done you'll never be able to look at Christianity and its mythology the same way again.

[dwellinginscripture]

ZECHARIAH 7-8: God's New Thing

ZECHARIAH CHAPTERS 7-8  Read Zechariah 7 | Read Zechariah 8  Focus: A little bit of context  The Jews were observing feasts that they instituted to remember the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.  God desires that the people not commemorate their time of sin, but move forward with proper worship and not man-made contrived fasts.  God desires spiritual worship and worship based on truth; not based on…