27 Dec. Zechariah prophesies the coming of a new king
“Rejoice greatly, people of Jerusalem! Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem! Your king is coming to you. He does what is right, and he saves. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey.”
“I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the [war] horses from Jerusalem. The bows used in war will be broken. The king will talk to the nations about peace. His kingdom will go from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”
“As for you, because of the blood of the [covenant] agreement with you I will set your prisoners free from the dry pit. You prisoners who have hope, return to your place of safety. Today I am telling you that I will give you back twice as much as before.”
“I will use Judah like a bow and Ephraim like the arrows. Jerusalem, I will use your men to fight the men of Greece. I will use you like a warrior’s sword.”
“Then the LORD will appear before them, and his arrows will shoot like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and he will march in the storms of the south. The LORD All-powerful will protect them; they will destroy the enemy with catapults. They will drink and shout like drunkards. They will be filled like a bowl used for sprinkling blood at the corners of the altar.”
“On that day the LORD their God will save them as if his people were sheep. They will shine in his land like jewels in a crown. They will be so pretty and beautiful. The young men will grow strong on the grain and the young women on new wine.”
(Zechariah 9:9-17)
In Chapter 5 of his prophesy, Zechariah was instructed to make a silver and gold crown for Joshua, the High Priest. Zechariah was instructed to tell Joshua: “A man whose name is the Branch will branch out from where he is, and he will build the Temple of the LORD. One man [Zerubbabel, the Governor] will build the Temple of the LORD, and the other [Joshua, the High Priest] will receive honour. One man will sit on his throne and rule, and the other will be a priest on his throne. And these two men will work together in peace.” (Zechariah 6:12-13) (see Ezra 3:1-2)
In Chapter 7, the LORD condemned insincere fasting and mourning for the destruction of the Temple. He confirmed that Jerusalem had been overthrown because the people oppressed widows, orphans and foreigners: "Do what is right and true. Be kind and merciful to each other. Don't hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; don't even think of doing evil to somebody else." (Zechariah 7:9-10)
In Chapter 8, the LORD promised to return to Jerusalem and live there: "Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem's streets, each carrying a cane because of age. And the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing." (Zechariah 8:4-5)
God then asked his people to do something different: "So don't be afraid. These are the things you should do: tell each other the truth. In the courts, judge with truth and complete fairness. Do not make plans to hurt your neighbours, and don't love false promises." (Zechariah 8:15-17)
Next, the LORD promised to restore Jerusalem to its former glory: “Many people from many cities will still come to Jerusalem. People from one city will go and say to those from another city, 'We are going to pray to the LORD and to ask the LORD All-powerful for help. Come and go with us.'” (Zechariah 8:20-21)
In Chapter 9, Zechariah prophesied that the LORD would judge the surrounding nations. The cities of Syria - Damascus, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon, and those of Philistia - Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and Ashdod - would be destroyed.
In today’s passage, the LORD promised to send a new king to the people of Judah: “Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem! Your king is coming to you... He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
In the New Testament, Matthew’s gospel tells us that this prophesy was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on ‘Palm Sunday’ on the back of a donkey: “As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem… Jesus sent two of his followers and said to them, ‘Go to the town you can see ahead of you. When you enter it, you will quickly find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, say that the Master needs them, and he will send them at once.’ This was to bring about what the prophet had said, ‘Tell the people of Jerusalem, “Your king is coming to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey.”’” (Matthew 21:1-5)
The photo (by Joe Freeman) shows the old city of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus.
You can read more from Zechariah’s prophesy (Chapters 9-11) @ The Bible Journey | Prophesies about the coming of the Messiah