Zechariah (zeh-kuh-RYE-uh) was a Jewish prophet who encouraged people rebuilding Jerusalem’s temple after exile. A prophet delivered God’s message to the community. His work combined hope for renewal with a call to change how people treated each other.
Birth year: Unknown.
Death year: Unknown.
Known ministry dates: About 520–518 BC, possibly longer. BC means “before Christ”; BCE, “before the Common Era,” uses the same years.
Main setting: Jerusalem under Persian rule.
Main passages: Zechariah 1–8; Ezra 5–6.
A community rebuilding
Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and deported people from the region. After Persia conquered Babylon, returning Jewish families began rebuilding their community and temple. Zechariah spoke into that setting. The earliest date in his book falls in 520 BC (Zechariah 1:1).
His work and relationships
Zechariah worked alongside another prophet to encourage the builders (Ezra 5:1–2). He addressed Zerubbabel (zeh-RUH-buh-behl), the governor, and Joshua, the high priest. This Joshua lived many centuries after the leader who followed Moses.
The book describes a series of visions using pictures such as a lampstand and olive trees. Zechariah 4 connects the rebuilding to God’s Spirit and promises that the governor who laid the foundation will complete the temple. Ezra 6:14–15 records the building’s completion.
More than a building
Zechariah urged people to return to God (Zechariah 1:3). He also repeated the call to justice and mercy, including care for widows, children without fathers, foreigners, and people in poverty (Zechariah 7:8–10). His message concerned the community’s conduct as well as its worship.
What we do not know
His birth and death years are not established. The dates 520–518 BC describe recorded messages, not his lifespan. The book’s later chapters, 9–14, are undated, and scholars debate their authorship and date. His actual appearance is unknown; the portrait is a historical illustration.
Many biblical people share his name. This profile concerns the prophet associated with rebuilding the temple, not John the Baptist’s father or the earlier man killed in the temple court in 2 Chronicles 24.
Explore the temple site on a modern map of Jerusalem.
Read further
Zechariah 1–8, NIV; Ezra 5–6, NIV; BiblicalTraining: Book of Zechariah.