Bible Commentaries
Zechariah

Zec ZECHARIAH. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. ( Introversion .) Zechariah 1:1-6 . LITERAL PROPHECY. Dated (The Second Year of Darius). Zechariah 1:7 - Zechariah 6:15 . PROPHECIES WITH SYMBOLS. Eight Visions. Zechariah 7:1 - Zechariah 8:23 . LITERAL PROPHECY. Dated (The Fourth Year of Darius). Zechariah 9:1 - Zechariah 10:12 . LITERAL PROPHECIES. First Burden. Zechariah 11:1-17 . PROPHECY WITH SYMBOLS. Zechariah 12:1 - Zechariah 14:21 . LITERAL PROPHECIES. Second Burden. For the Canonical order and place of the Prophets, see Appdx-1, and p. 1207 For the Chronological order of the Prophets, see Appdx-77. For the Inter-relation of the Prophetic Books, see Appdx-78. For the Formula of Prophetic utterance, see Appdx-82. For the References to the Pentateuch by the Prophets, see Appdx-92. For the Inter-relation of the Minor (or Shorter) Prophets, see p. 1206. ZECHARIAH''S first prophecy dated (Zechariah 1:1 ) "in the eight month in the second year of Darius" (Hystaspis) (410 B.C.); sixteen years after the Decree of Cyrus. It thus comes midway between Haggai''s second and third messages. See notes on p. 1277. His last date is in the fourth year of Darius (Zechariah 7:1 ). The Temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius, and was dedicated in Adar (Appdx-51), 405 B.C. The first Passover, and the last Feast of Tabernacles were in 404 B.C. (see p. 617, Appdx-58, and Nehemiah 9:0 ). This marks the close of Zechariah''s dated Prophecies; but, as Zechariah really closes the O.T. (see Appdx-77 9), his prophecies would extend to and cover the latest date in the O.T., which is the eighth year of Darius Hystaspis in the year 403 B.C. (see Ezra 10:17 and Appdx-58). The whole period therefore covered by the book of Zechariah is seven years, 410-403 B.C. (Appdx-77).