Full Description
This book investigates the nature of the hope for the house of David in the final form of the book of Zechariah. It focuses particularly on the following themes: the roles of Joshua and Zerubbabel; the nature and identity of the Shoot; the coming King; the Shepherd; and the Pierced One.
It challenges the scholarly consensus, going back to the thesis of Julius Wellhausen, that the high priest took over the role and prerogatives of the pre-exilic monarch in the early post-exilic period. Instead, Zechariah merely envisages Joshua the high priest being reinstated to the temple duties that were undertaken before the exile. Furthermore, Zechariah does not identify Zerubbabel as the promised future Davidic king ("Shoot"). Rather, Zechariah demonstrates a hope for the restoration of a Davidic king who will have a key role in temple building after the time of Zerubbabel.
The belief that Zechariah 9-11 and 12-14 are oracles that seek to reinterpret prophecies that have become problematic is also challenged. There is no strong evidence that the hope for the house of David in Zechariah 9-14 contradicts the presentation of Zechariah 1-8. This thesis shows how these later chapters continue and develop many of the themes related to the Davidic hope in Zechariah 1-8.
The picture of the Davidic hope that emerges from the book of Zechariah is consistent with the expectations of earlier prophets and confirms that the book, when read as a whole, provides a strong impetus for later messianism in the post-exilic period.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. The thesis
2. Setting and date of the book of Zechariah
3. Method and justification
4. Procedure
Chapter 2: The Hope for the House of David in recent scholarship
1. A Lack of Consensus
2. Scholarly Views of the Hope for the House of David in the Book of Zechariah
a) Zerubbabel as failed restorer of the Davidic monarchy with the Davidic hope recast
b) No hope for the restoration of the house of David in Zerubbabel's day or the future
c) No hope for the restoration of the monarchy in Zerubbabel, but a clear hope for a future king
3. Summary
Chapter 3: Joshua and Zerubbabel
1. Introduction
2. The Role of the High Priest Joshua
a) Composition and Structure of Zechariah 3
b) Joshua Accused and Defended (Zechariah 3:1-3)
c) Joshua Cleansed and Commissioned (Zechariah 3:4-7)
3. The role of Zerubbabel
a) Zerubbabel outside Zechariah
b) Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4
c) Composition and Structure of Zechariah 4
d) The Vision Report (Zechariah 4:1-5)
e) Two Words of Yahweh Explaining the Overall Vision (Zechariah 4:6-10a)
f) Further Details of the Vision Identified (Zechariah 4:10b-14)
4. Joshua and Zerubbabel and the Hope for the House of David
Chapter 4: The Shoot
1. Introduction
2. Background to the term "Shoot"
3. Signs of the Coming Shoot (Zechariah 3:8-10)
4. The Significance of Zechariah 3:8-10 for the hope held for the house of David
5. The Crowning of Joshua and the Coming Shoot (Zechariah 6:9-15)
a) Composition and Structure
b) A Symbolic Crowning (Zechariah 6:9-11)
c) An Oracle Concerning the Shoot (Zechariah 6:12-13)
d) A Memorial Established (Zechariah 6:14-15)
6. The identity of the Shoot
7. An Assessment of Rose and Pola
8. The Shoot and Forgiveness
9. The Shoot and the Hope for the House of David
Chapter 5: The Coming King
1. Introduction
2. The King of Zechariah 9
a) Structure of Zechariah 9
b) The Restored Land (Zechariah 9:1-8)
c) The Restored King (Zechariah 9:9-10)
d) The Restored People (Zechariah 9:11-17)
3. The Coming King and the Hope for the House of David
Chapter 6: The Shepherd
1. Introduction
2. Background to the Shepherd imagery of Zechariah
3. Shepherd Leadership in Zechariah 10:1-11:3
a) Content and Structure
b) Shepherds under judgment (Zechariah 10:1-2, 3; 11:1-3)
c) A Shepherd for Joseph and Judah - Psalm 78
d) An alternative leadership (Zechariah 10:4-5)
e) Summary of Shepherd Leadership in Zechariah 10:1-11:3
4. Two shepherd sign-actions (Zechariah 11:4-17)
a) Structure
b) Two Sign-Actions (Zechariah 11:4-17)
c) Review of Zechariah 11:4-17
d)
