Question 1

What does God mean by saying, "Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you"?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you,” He is calling the people to come back to Him with their hearts and lives. Their fathers had ignored His words and suffered for it. Now God is giving a fresh chance. Turning to Him means leaving “evil ways” and “evil doings” and choosing to listen and obey. God promises that when they do this, He will draw near in mercy, help, and blessing. It is not God who has moved away, but the people, and He invites them to return.

Question 2

Why does Zechariah remind the people about their fathers and the old prophets?

Accepted Answer

Zechariah asks, “Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?” to make the people think about history. Their ancestors are gone, and even the earlier prophets have died, but God’s words and commands have “taken hold” and come true. The judgments that were warned about really happened. This reminder is meant to wake them up so they will not repeat the same sins. It shows that human lives pass quickly, but God’s word remains and will surely be fulfilled, both in warning and in promise.

Question 3

What is the vision of the man on the red horse among the myrtle trees about?

Accepted Answer

Zechariah sees a man on a red horse standing among myrtle trees in a low place, with other horses behind him. The angel explains that these are those whom the Lord has sent to walk through the earth. They report that “all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.” This picture shows that God is watching over the whole earth, even when things seem quiet. The myrtle trees in the low valley hint at God’s people in a humble, dark situation, yet He is present in the midst of them. Nothing in the world is outside His notice or reach.

Question 4

Who is the angel of the LORD, and why does he ask, "How long"?

Accepted Answer

In this passage the angel of the Lord stands among the myrtle trees and speaks to God, saying, “O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah?” He is pictured as an intercessor who cares deeply for God’s people and pleads for their relief after “threescore and ten years” of anger. This shows God’s heart of compassion, because even within His own plan of discipline, there is a plea for mercy and restoration. The prayer, “How long,” gives voice to the pain of waiting, yet it leads into God’s “good words and comfortable words.”

Question 5

What does Zechariah 1 teach about God’s anger and mercy toward His people?

Accepted Answer

The chapter begins with God saying He has been “sore displeased” with their fathers, and speaks of seventy years of indignation against Jerusalem and Judah. Their sins were real, and His discipline was serious. Yet, in the same chapter God says He is “jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy” and that He has “returned to Jerusalem with mercies.” He promises that His house will be rebuilt and that He will comfort Zion again. So we see both: God’s anger against sin, and His strong love that moves Him to restore those who turn back to Him.

Question 6

Why is God displeased with the nations that are "at ease"?

Accepted Answer

God says He is “very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease,” because He was only “a little displeased” with His people but those nations “helped forward the affliction.” In other words, God used other nations to discipline His people, but they went beyond what was fitting, treating His people harshly and taking advantage while they themselves sat in comfort. This shows that God notices how others treat His people. Even when He allows hardship for a time, those who proudly harm or oppress are not excused and will face His justice.

Question 7

What is the meaning of the promise, "My house shall be built in it"?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “My house shall be built in it,” He is talking about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The people had returned from exile, but the work on the temple had stalled. Through this promise God assures them that He has come back to Jerusalem with mercy and that the temple will rise again. A measuring line will be stretched over the city, showing careful rebuilding and planning. This promise would encourage the people to take up the work, knowing that God Himself supports the rebuilding of worship in their midst.

Question 8

Who are the four horns and the four craftsmen in Zechariah’s vision?

Accepted Answer

Zechariah sees four horns and is told they are the powers that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, so that no one could lift up their head. Horns picture strength and proud power. Then he sees four craftsmen, or smiths, and is told they have come to “fray” and cast out these horns of the nations. The idea is that God has instruments ready to break the strength of those who harmed His people. However strong an enemy seems, God has a “hammer” to shatter it. This vision is meant to comfort the people that their oppressors will not have the last word.

Question 9

How does Zechariah 1 speak to people who feel discouraged today?

Accepted Answer

The people in this passage were back in their land but still weak, with the temple unfinished and enemies around. God speaks into that discouragement. He calls them to turn to Him, reminds them that His word always stands, and shows visions of His active care over the earth and His plan to rebuild and comfort Jerusalem. For someone discouraged today, this passage shows that God sees both sin and sorrow, calls for repentance, and at the same time promises mercy, presence, and future hope. Our situation may look small or dark, but God is still working.

Question 10

What was happening in history when Zechariah received these visions?

Accepted Answer

These visions came in the second year of the Persian king Darius, after the people of Judah had been taken to Babylon and then allowed to return. They were back in their land but under foreign rule, and the temple in Jerusalem was not yet rebuilt. The community was small and facing opposition and discouragement. Into this setting God sent His word through Zechariah. The timing reminds the people that even under a foreign king, God still rules, speaks, and has plans for His house and His city. Their story is not over just because they are weak and under empire.

Zechariah 1:1

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

A Call to Repentance

The Vision of the Horses

The Vision of the Horns and the Craftsmen

A Call to Repentance

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Zechariah 1:1

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

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A Call to Repentance

The Vision of the Horses

The Vision of the Horns and the Craftsmen

A Call to Repentance

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