Chapter 4 - YHWH Has Returned to You

Summary

The scribes who assembled the Book of Zechariah reiterate that the prophet Zechariah received a word from YHWH (1:1 and 1:7b), but the next series of oracles (1:7–6:15) portray Zechariah as an ecstatic prophet, who receives a series of visions and who is taken on a series of “spirit journeys.”¹ This series of visions elevates the status of the prophet but not because of the ecstatic experience itself. Rather, the prophet’s ecstatic experiences imply that YHWH granted the prophet access to the divine court, not only to see its goings on, but also to serve as the divine messenger to the people. Just as entering the king’s presence in Persia was restricted, likewise the access to the divine court was not granted to just anyone. The scribes of the Book of Zechariah seek to assure the audience that Zechariah’s words are the words of a divine courtier, an authorized messenger who brings YHWH’s word.²