There are many prophecies in the book of Zechariah which Jesus fulfilled. Seven of them to be exact. Here are those prophecies and how they correlate with their New Testament fulfillment. For further study of the book of Zechariah, check out this article “The Book of Zechariah: an Overview“.
The Messiah
Just as Ezekiel depicted in his prophecies the image of the shepherd-king (34:23–31; 37:24), Zechariah also “mixes in the hues of that imagery with those of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) to paint the portrait of the Messiah on His apocalyptic canvas.”
The Branch
Zechariah 3:8–10 introduces “My servant, the Branch.” This Branch will come and remove Israel’s sin and will let them dwell in peace. Zechariah’s imagery of the Branch brings together Isaiah’s imagery of the branch and root (4:1–6; 11:1–10; also Jeremiah 23:1–8), the servant passages (Isaiah 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12), and Micah’s imagery of the vine (Micah 4:4; c.f. John 15:1–11). Joshua’s connection within Zechariah’s vision ties the Branch to the priestly line which David spoke of being through the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4).
Zechariah 6:12–13 connects the Branch to the building of the temple. The work of Joshua and Zerubbabel are that of a forerunner which points to the future Davidic heir who will unite the priestly and royal offices. His temple will be more glorious then the current one being built. Such a message would have encouraged the people of their future hope within God’s kingdom and His plans for Zion. This Davidic heir, the Branch, was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, God’s son. He is the mediator for sin and now sits on His throne as the high priest forever (Hebrews 1:1–4; 6:13–7:28).
The Humble King
Zechariah 9:9–10 speaks of the future Davidic king who will bring peace to the nations. Horses were meant for war and if a king rode on one he was ready for battle. This future king was prophesied to ride in on a colt, the symbol of humility and peace. What is unique about this passage and its correlation with Jesus, is that Jesus requested a colt which was untamed (Matthew 21:1–11; John 12:12–19). Jesus not only entered Jerusalem in this prophetic way to symbolize His peaceful first coming—as compared with His second coming on a horse (Revelation 19:11–21)—but Jesus demonstrated His power over nature by taming the untamed animal (c.f. Mark 4:35–41; Colossians 1:15–17).
The Cornerstone
Zechariah 10:4 points out an important observation about what will come out of Judah. He mentions a cornerstone will come. This is the part of the building which the rest of the stones are compared and supported by. Jesus speaks of Himself as being the stone which was rejected (Luke 20:17, c.f. Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14). This is the cornerstone which His Church will be built upon. It is the temple not made with human hands (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6).
The Betrayal
Zechariah 11:12–13 depicts an interesting correlation with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16; 27:3–10). With the LORD breaking away His care for the sheep who were rejecting His shepherding, He cuts up His staff of Favor (Zechariah 11:10). He asks for His wages for ending His shepherding, if they thought it was good to do so (vs. 12). They counted out thirty shekels of silver which is what they deemed to be the “expensive” price of getting rid of the Shepherd.
This is the same price which Judas received to betray Jesus, the payment which cut off the Shepherd. As Zechariah portrays, the money was thrown to the potter in the house of the LORD (vs. 13). This is what Judas did (Matthew 27:5). The chief priests bought the Potter’s Field with it which is a burial site for strangers. It is now called the Field of Blood (vv. 6–8).
The Shepherd Slain
Jesus’ crucifixion was the catalyst for the events told in Zechariah’s final prophecies (12:10–13:9). Just as Zechariah prophesied about the people, the Gospels tell of Jesus being pierced on the cross with others standing by mourning for Him and believing in who He is (Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 27:27–56; John 19:16–42; c.f. Isaiah 53; Revelation 1:7). Both the shepherd in Zechariah and the suffering servant in Isaiah show that the Davidic ruler is righteous yet smitten by God. By effecting sorrowful repentance and divine forgiveness through His death, He brought along a believing remnant. However, the event of the shepherd being slain caused the sheep to scatter just as Zechariah prophesied (13:7). This is what Jesus said would happen with His disciples before His crucifixion. He would go to Galilee after His resurrection and see them again (Matthew 26:31–32; Mark 14:27–28).
The Future Temple
The Psalmist asks the question, “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” (15:1). The answer is “he who walks with integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart” (vs. 2). Because of this, Zechariah also urges the people to practice justice, compassion, and care for the widow, orphans, and the foreigner (Zechariah 7:9–10). The people had hardened their hearts toward the LORD’s words, but He is still jealous for Zion. He has set her apart for His name’s sake (Deuteronomy 12:5–6, 11; Zecheriah 8:2). Zechariah prophesies about an eschatological temple in which God promises to dwell in with all the nations (vv. 3–4). This city of Truth, Zion, is the tabernacle of God which comes out of the new heaven and onto the new earth where the LORD of hosts will forever dwell with the nations (Revelation 21:2–3).
The title “the Lord of hosts” is not a name which the Pentateuch, Joshua, or Judges uses of God. It is a name which is favored among the prophets and more heavily used by the postexilic prophets. Zechariah alone uses the title 53 times out of the 297 occurrences in the prophets. The Lord of hosts not only sought to dwell in the midst of His people, but His desire is for all the nations to dwell with Him (Zecheriah 2:10–11). This is the amazing thing about the incarnation of Jesus because He is the one who came to dwell on the earth with mankind and made it possible for man to be part of God’s kingdom (John 1:14, the same Greek verb related to the Hebrew word “dwell” is used).
Bibliography
(This list contains links to Amazon which I receive a small commission if you choose to check out a book.)
Aharoni, Yohanan. The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography. (Buy on Amazon)
Benware, Paul N. Survey of the Old Testament. (Buy on Amazon)
Bullock, C. Hassell. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. (Buy on Amazon)
Gerhard Von Rad. Old Testament Theology, vol. 2. Translated by D.M.G. Stalker.
House, Paul R. Old Testament Theology. (Buy on Amazon)
Kaiser, Jr., Walter C. Quest for Renewal: Personal Revival in the Old Testament. (Buy on Amazon)
Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. (Buy on Amazon)
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, www.Lockman.org