9:1-17 The last six chapters of the book are two messages delivered late in Zechariah’s life. These messages point to the Messiah and his second coming. Some of these prophecies were fulfilled before the Messiah came, perhaps by Alexander the Great; others were fulfilled during the Messiah’s time on earth; and others will be fulfilled when he returns. Those who oppressed Jerusalem—Syria, Philistia, Phoenicia—would be crushed. Zion’s promised King would come—first as a servant on a donkey’s colt, later as a powerful ruler and judge.
9:5-7 Zechariah mentions four key cities in Philistia: Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron would be destroyed, and Ashdod would be overtaken by foreigners. This would happen because of their great evil and idolatry. But those left in the land would be adopted into Israel as a new clan, as the Jebusites were. (When David conquered Jerusalem, he did not wipe out the Jebusites, but absorbed them into Judah.)
9:8 Several centuries after Zechariah’s day, Antiochus IV Epiphanes would invade Israel; and in A.D. 70, Titus, a Roman general, would completely destroy the Temple. This promise, therefore, may have been conditional upon the people’s obedience. The day will come, however, when God’s people will never again have to worry about invading enemies (Joel 3:17).
9:9 The triumphal entry of Jesus riding into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) was predicted here more than 500 years before it happened. Just as this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus came to earth, so the prophecies of his second coming are just as certain to come true. We are to be ready for his return, for he is coming!
9:10 When we view two distant mountains, they appear to be close together, perhaps even to touch each other. But as we approach them, we can see that they are, in fact, far apart, even separated by a huge valley. This is the situation with many Old Testament prophecies. Verse 9 was clearly fulfilled in Christ’s first coming, but verse 10 can now be seen to refer to his second coming. At that time all nations will be subject to Christ, and his rule will extend over the whole earth. In Philippians 2:9-11, we are told that at that time every knee will bow to Christ and every tongue will confess him as Lord.
9:11 Covenants in Old Testament times were sealed or confirmed with blood, much as we would sign our name to a contract. The old covenant was sealed by the blood of sacrifices, pointing ahead to the blood Christ would shed at Calvary, his “signature” that confirmed God’s new covenant with his people. Because God had made a covenant with these people, he delivered them from the “pit wherein is no water,” the cistern-like prison of exile.
9:13-17 Ephraim is another name for the northern kingdom of Israel. After Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was divided into the northern kingdom (called Israel or Ephraim) and the southern kingdom (called Judah, with Jerusalem as the capital). This prophecy says that all Israel, north and south, will someday be reunited. The first part of this chapter tells how God will help his people avoid war; here God explains that he will come to help his people when war is inevitable. Verses 14-16 explain how the Jews will win over the Greeks, but it is also a figurative picture of the ultimate future victory over evil by God’s people.