Zacharias prophesied that the with the birth of John the Baptist, and by inference with the coming of the Christ who was born soon afterwards, God was bringing completion to the prophecies of the Prophets and to the promise to the patriarchs.
The Old Testament prophecies included the themes of God visiting his people, redeeming his people, saving them through a descendant of David, delivering them from the enemies, enabling them to serve God peacefully, and performing the mercy and covenant promised to the fathers.
Often Old Testament prophecies touched on the higher theme of the Christ, while dealing with their more immediate concern, which very often was their enemies.
In promising deliverance from their enemies so they could again serve God peacefully, the Prophets were also inspired to go beyond that theme and mention the Christ, and even mention the salvation of the Gentiles.
But the parts about being delivered from their enemies, and restored to their land, and again serving God under Moses' Law peacefully - were fulfilled soon after the prophecies were spoken, at the return from captivity in Babylon.
The parts of the prophecies about the Christ were as-yet unfulfilled. The promises to the forefathers were also as yet unfulfilled. The sense of Zacharias' prophecy is that the remaining parts of those prophecies and promises were now being fulfilled, in his own time.
Zacharias didn't mean Israel was to again be delivered from its enemies at that time, for that would mean his prophecy failed.
Nor did it mean that part of Zacharias' prophecy will be delayed until the future.
I wondered whether it could refer to the deliverance that is to occur at the second coming. But it's awkward, because Zacharias says the purpose of the deliverance was so that they could serve God peacefully all the days of their life. But our resurrection happens at the coming of Christ, so you wouldn't really describe the time following your resurrection as "all the days of our life".
Then I wondered whether it could refer to some Millennial reign after the return of Christ. But that's awkward too, because many of the other prophecies about this deliverance from their enemies include Old Covenant themes - so they must have been fulfilled during the Old Covenant.
But certainly there is a great redemption coming, at the return of Christ. It's the blessed hope of the church.
But I don't think Zacharias wasn't issuing a new prophecy. He was referring to existing Old Covenant prophecies, and the parts of those existing prophecies which had predicted their deliverance from their enemies had already been fulfilled. Zacharias was declaring, under inspiration from the Holy Spirit, that the time of the fulfilment of what was lacking in those prophecies was even right then upon them.
Isaiah 49 is another example of this. It touches on Messianic themes and the salvation of the Gentiles (verses 1-6); but also deals with the more immediate concern Israel was facing, which was their enemies, since Syria had carried many of them away captive.
Isaiah promised their eventual reinstatement into their land. Which happened. It mentions their "walls" which dates that part of the prophecy to a time when the walls still existed, rather than to a time in modern Israel's future.
In that setting - having been restored to their land, and serving Him again under Moses' Law - Christ was to come and fulfil the rest of the prophecy, and fulfil the promises made to the fathers.
And it all came to pass exactly like that.
The Old Testament prophecies included the themes of God visiting his people, redeeming his people, saving them through a descendant of David, delivering them from the enemies, enabling them to serve God peacefully, and performing the mercy and covenant promised to the fathers.
Often Old Testament prophecies touched on the higher theme of the Christ, while dealing with their more immediate concern, which very often was their enemies.
In promising deliverance from their enemies so they could again serve God peacefully, the Prophets were also inspired to go beyond that theme and mention the Christ, and even mention the salvation of the Gentiles.
But the parts about being delivered from their enemies, and restored to their land, and again serving God under Moses' Law peacefully - were fulfilled soon after the prophecies were spoken, at the return from captivity in Babylon.
The parts of the prophecies about the Christ were as-yet unfulfilled. The promises to the forefathers were also as yet unfulfilled. The sense of Zacharias' prophecy is that the remaining parts of those prophecies and promises were now being fulfilled, in his own time.
Zacharias didn't mean Israel was to again be delivered from its enemies at that time, for that would mean his prophecy failed.
Nor did it mean that part of Zacharias' prophecy will be delayed until the future.
I wondered whether it could refer to the deliverance that is to occur at the second coming. But it's awkward, because Zacharias says the purpose of the deliverance was so that they could serve God peacefully all the days of their life. But our resurrection happens at the coming of Christ, so you wouldn't really describe the time following your resurrection as "all the days of our life".
Then I wondered whether it could refer to some Millennial reign after the return of Christ. But that's awkward too, because many of the other prophecies about this deliverance from their enemies include Old Covenant themes - so they must have been fulfilled during the Old Covenant.
But certainly there is a great redemption coming, at the return of Christ. It's the blessed hope of the church.
But I don't think Zacharias wasn't issuing a new prophecy. He was referring to existing Old Covenant prophecies, and the parts of those existing prophecies which had predicted their deliverance from their enemies had already been fulfilled. Zacharias was declaring, under inspiration from the Holy Spirit, that the time of the fulfilment of what was lacking in those prophecies was even right then upon them.
Isaiah 49 is another example of this. It touches on Messianic themes and the salvation of the Gentiles (verses 1-6); but also deals with the more immediate concern Israel was facing, which was their enemies, since Syria had carried many of them away captive.
Isaiah promised their eventual reinstatement into their land. Which happened. It mentions their "walls" which dates that part of the prophecy to a time when the walls still existed, rather than to a time in modern Israel's future.
In that setting - having been restored to their land, and serving Him again under Moses' Law - Christ was to come and fulfil the rest of the prophecy, and fulfil the promises made to the fathers.
And it all came to pass exactly like that.
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