Zechariah 1:17-21

The call for God's covenant people, in Zechariah 9:12, ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope’, is the key verse for this series. The hope that Zechariah proclaims is hope in God as King, hope that God has come to dwell with us, and hope that the covenant between God and God’s people will be restored. This is the sure hope that holds us captive.

Like Haggai, Zechariah prophesies during the post-exilic period as Israel began resettling in the Promised Land. Zechariah encourages Israel to remain faithful and prophesies of a coming righteous King who will bring salvation to His people (Zechariah 9:10). This book reminds us that we too must be to what God has called us to, always hopefully anticipating when God Himself “will be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).

This Advent Guide comes from students, faculty and staff at Belmont University. Advent is that season of waiting that carefully and purposefully helps us to realign our priorities and to glimpse, anew, our place before God. Our humble hope is this guide helps people focus more fully on Jesus Christ through the Advent season.

In the beginning was the Word … but what came next? This plan is for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Bible. It provides a chronological reading program that endeavors to place all biblical passages in their date order. Part Nine of this twelve-part one-year reading plan is titled ‘From Exile to Rebuilding Jerusalem: 587 BC–410 BC’.