ZECHARIAH, BOOK OF

Zechariah was a companion prophet with Haggai. The latter sternly admonished the Hebrews to rid themselves of self-interest and to complete work on the temple in the post-Babylonian captivity period. At the same time, Zechariah was admonishing them to rebuild the structure of their spiritual lives. Against this backdrop, there is a tremendous emphasis on the blessings associated with the promise of the coming Messiah, who would serve simultaneously as both a king and a priest in the new age, i.e., the Christian dispensation (6:12-13). The book is characterized by several symbolic visions.