Zechariah
Joining with Haggai in bringing a message of hope and encouragement to those who returned from the exile was Zechariah, whose analysis of the situation was more profound than that of his contemporary. Zechariah realized that something more than a rebuilding of the Temple was necessary before Israel's hopes could be realized. A moral transformation must take place within the people themselves, who must be cleansed of their evil nature. Furthermore, the foreign nations whom the people consider their enemies must be subdued, but not by the Israelites' taking up arms against them: Yahweh will quash the aggressors when the time is right for him to act.
Zechariah's messages are expressed in a series of eight visions, each of which symbolizes some aspect of the situation having to do with the future of his people. In one of these visions, the prophet sees an angelic surveyor measuring the area on which Jerusalem is to be built and marking the line of a wall. Another angel explains that the city will have no need of a wall because Yahweh's protection is all that is necessary. In another vision, the high priest Joshua, dressed in soiled clothes, stands before an angel. At Joshua's right stands Satan, the accuser, who brings charges against Joshua and the people to whom he ministers. The angel does not accept these accusations. Joshua is then clothed in a white robe, which symbolizes forgiveness of the sins of the people. Other visions symbolize the destruction of the forces of evil. One of the most significant statements found in the book is Yahweh's message to Zerubbabel, including the saying "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."
