Commemoration Day of
St. Zechariah the Prophet
ST. Zechariah THE Prophet
The Prophet Zechariah was a contemporary of the Prophet Haggai. This is confirmed both by the dates mentioned in their respective books and by the testimony of the Book of Ezra:
“Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them” (Ezra 5:1–2).
Like Haggai, Zechariah witnessed the religious indifference of his people and sought to awaken them through words of encouragement and exhortation. His ministry greatly contributed to the rebuilding of the Temple.
Of the two prophets, Haggai was the elder, while Zechariah was younger (Zechariah 2:4). It is likely that Zechariah was born in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem with one of the groups of exiles. His prophetic ministry lasted approximately two years, from 519 to 517 B.C.
The Book of Zechariah consists of fourteen chapters and is the longest among the books of the Minor Prophets. Following an introductory call to repentance (1:1–6), the first six chapters present eight symbolic visions, each accompanied by an explanation of its meaning.
Chapters 7 and 8 contain Zechariah’s response to delegates who came from Bethel seeking guidance concerning fasting. The prophet replied:
“When you fasted, was it really for Me that you fasted? ... Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Render true judgments, show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger, or the poor. Let none of you devise evil in your heart against another” (Zechariah 7:5, 9–10).
Yet Zechariah’s prophetic vision extends far beyond the concerns of his own generation. Looking through the veil of the future, he foresaw the coming of the Messiah and the dawn of a brighter age. Accordingly, chapters 9–14 contain a series of prophetic messages whose central theme is the ultimate establishment of God’s Kingdom.
These chapters include many remarkable prophecies concerning Christ, including His triumphant entry into Jerusalem:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; righteous and victorious is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey... He shall proclaim peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:9–10).
Zechariah also foretold Christ’s crucifixion and the piercing of His side (12:10), His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (11:12), and the scattering of His disciples (13:7).
The prophet further reveals the secret of success in all spiritual endeavors:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
According to the testimony of the Gospel, Zechariah was slain in the Temple (Matthew 23:35).
The Armenian Church commemorates the Prophet Zechariah as one of the righteous servants of God who faithfully proclaimed His word and foretold the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
~ Zechariah 3:7-4:9 ~
"Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each other to come under your vine and fig tree."
The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep. He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel who talked with me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." He said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of "Grace, grace to it!' " Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
~ 1 Corinthians 12:28-13:3 ~
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 23:34-39 ~
Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "