Zechariah – God’s Zeal for Zion and the House of Prayer
I. GOD’S ZEAL FOR JERUSALEM
And the LORD answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. So the angel who
spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Jerusalem and
for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; for I was a little angry, and they
helped—but with evil intent.”
“Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says
the LORD of hosts, and a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Again proclaim, saying,
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; the LORD will again
comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.’” (Zechariah 1:13-17)
A. The prophet Zechariah receives in one night eight significant visions that give great insight into the heart of God for
Israel, the House of Prayer, and intercessors that He has set into place to contend for the birthing of the ultimate victory
and blessing that comes to Israel in the eighth chapter as well as chapters 12-14. The prayer and worship movement
throughout history – culminating with the generation the Lord returns – plays a significant role in God’s plans for the
restoration of Israel and the establishment of His kingdom from Jerusalem.
B. The theme of the book and the prophetic visions that flow through it all share the same theme – God’s great zeal and
passion for Jerusalem. Whether it be His sovereign leadership that settles the nations to initiate His reestablishment of the
House of Prayer in the past or His eschatological deliverance of Jerusalem under siege, Zechariah shows us how many of
God’s divine activities involve His jealous zeal to establish Zion as His eternal dwelling place.
C. The emotions of God are the revealed motivator of these activities. He is not distant and angry over Jerusalem’s
spiritual condition, but intimately involved and orchestrating global events to bring about His desired end for this
geographic location. It is critical that we connect with and have a deep understanding of God’s zeal not just for the
Jewish people but also for this physical location that is the place in which He will dwell with men.
D. The culmination of the first part of the book reveals the reason for this great zeal – Jerusalem is revealed to be the
place in which He will dwell, and it will be a great blessing to the entire earth. The worship and prayer movement will find
its “capital” in Jerusalem under the leadership of Jesus and the spiritual atmosphere of the city will be one of joyful, safe,
and prosperous for all who dwell there with Him. It is this “fullness” that the church at the end of the age shares a role in
birthing in prayer.
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to
jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means
I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the
dead? (Romans 11:11-15)
1. Paul is speaking in these chapters from a place of deeper understanding of the destiny of Israel in God’s plan rather
than sharing from a place of sentimental identification. He genuinely longs for that which God has planned to be birthed
on the earth. The fullness of Israel and the manner in which the nations of the earth will be blessed is expressed in part
by Zechariah.
2. Paul understands – and wants the Gentiles at the church in Rome to also understand – that great blessing has
come to the earth already through the stumbling of Israel to reject her messiah. Through their rejection the way was opened
for salvation to come to the Gentiles – this salvation is more than salvation from sin and death – but salvation into “riches”,
the riches of blessing through Christ both now and in the age to come as we can now participate in the ancient promises
of God to Israel – Israel’s promised salvation is now our salvation as well.
3. What many do not understand is that all we now enjoy and will enjoy through Christ due to Israel’s fall cannot compare
in Paul’s understanding to that which the earth will enjoy when she comes into her fullness. It is this fullness that Paul is
contending for even in his day, as he works for some to get saved; this labor is a “down payment” looking for the day in
which all Israel is saved in the plan of God. The “fullness” of Israel expressed in the salvation of the entire nation will be
the context for Israel to be what she was meant to be – a great light and blessing to the whole earth.
E. A dynamic part of that blessing will be Zion itself in all of its intended glory as a dwelling place for Israel’s King – the
Son of David and the “Branch” who will “branch out” from His place and bring the whole earth into the glory of the Lord:
Then speak to him, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the
BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD; yes, He shall build
the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest
on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’ (Zechariah 6:12-13)
F. Even as Jesus branches out from Jerusalem as His leadership and government brings the earth into a great
restoration, the nations of the earth will flow to Jerusalem to learn from Him as well – to then also flow out and take the
heart of God to every aspect of society and family life throughout the nations:
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall
come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He
will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of
the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4)
II. THREE INITIAL VISIONS: ZECHARIAH 1:7-21
A. First two visions: The Great Zeal of the Lord Motivates His Divine Activities
1. The first two visions share the same theme – there is a time of unprecedented “rest”, or peace on the earth. In the
first vision, the earth is “resting quietly” due to the peaceful reign of the Persian king; in the second, all the previous
threats to Israel have been dealt with. The Persians are enjoying peace because of the activities of the sovereign God.
a. This peace has been orchestrated for a purpose – to comfort the people of Zion who are building the house of
prayer. They do not have to worry about the threat of war or invasion in their generation. The Lord Himself has dealt
with these threats.
2. He has done so in order for them to build with confidence without fear. The rage of the nations is momentarily
quenched, but the quiet does not mean that the Lord has forgotten their zeal to ravage Israel. All of the activity of the
earth revolves around God’s great zeal for Zion, whether it is the present peace that enables the people to labor in safety;
or the coming judgment of the nations that moved against that city.
3. All of the activity of the earth orchestrated by the Lord, whether positive or negative, happens for one reason that
they must never forget – the Lord has chosen Jerusalem in His mercy to be the place where His house shall be; which is a
key source of prosperity and comfort for them. Their prosperity and comfort must be derived from a root system that rests
in the knowledge of His great zeal, or His fiery emotion and passion for them which motivates His divine activities.
B. Third Vision: The Manifestation of His Great Zeal
1. Upon measuring the width and length of Jerusalem, it is plain that the present dimensions will not contain future
growth and prosperity – the multitude that will dwell there will far surpass any walls of protection that could be built in
anticipation. The city planners have no way of building wisely. (v. 1-4)
2. The third vision reassures them that they will have no need of walls for protection: the great zeal or intense passion
of the Lord for them will manifest itself in one sense as a “wall of fire.” His manifest zeal leads to His manifest presence –
the very glory of God in their midst (v. 5).
3. This manifestation of His zeal should be cause for great singing and rejoicing – He Himself is coming to dwell with
them and take possession of His inheritance in the Holy Land. The very thought of this coming reality arouses His great
III. ZECHARIAH 8:1-23 – THE GREAT ZEAL OF THE LORD FOR ZION MANIFEST ON EARTH
Again the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with
great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.’ “Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in
the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the
Holy Mountain.’ (Zechariah 8:1-3)
A. Again the Lord affirms His great zeal and fervor for Zion, and His desire to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Why?
Because He longs to dwell in the City of Truth – a city completely unlike Babylon in chapter 5:11, cleansed of falsehood
and authentic in the expression of godly lifestyle.
B. This authentic expression is the worldwide prayer movement with joyful prayer and fasting at its core. The deepest
desires of the heart of God are expressed as He reveals what His highest expression of life will be like for those who live
in relationship to His Manifest Presence.
C. The culmination of the safety, fellowship, and prosperity is that the peoples shall come from around the earth to
pray before the Lord and seek the Jewish God – this vision from the Lord was given thousands of years ago to empower
prayer, fasting, and the building of the house of prayer unto that end. God gave this passage to intercessors, that they
might be encouraged into the highest purposes of the Lord to birth His dream on earth.