The exiles are home, but the temple lies in ruins while they build their own houses. Haggai tells them to consider their ways. Zechariah's night visions encourage them, and his later prophecies describe the coming King: riding on a donkey, sold for thirty pieces of silver, pierced, and finally reigning over all the earth.
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Study guide
These prophets speak to people rebuilding after disaster. Zechariah's later chapters also describe the Savior in surprising detail.
How to read this week
Remember the story so far. Babylon destroyed the temple in 587/586 BC. Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC and let the Jews return. They laid a foundation, faced opposition, and stopped. Haggai and Zechariah got them building again (Ezra 5:1–2).
Read Haggai as four dated sermons. Each begins with a date (1:1; 2:1; 2:10; 2:20). The whole book covers about four months in 520 BC.
Treat Zechariah 1–6 as visions in one night. Horsemen, horns, a measuring line, a high priest's garments, a lampstand and more. Each answers a worry of the returned exiles.
Read chapters 9–14 with the Gospels open. The lowly king on a donkey (9:9), thirty pieces of silver (11:12–13), the pierced one (12:10) and the struck shepherd (13:7) all reappear in the story of Jesus's last week.
Watch for “in that day.” It repeats more than 15 times in chapters 12–14, pointing to the Lord's final victory and reign.
Rebuilding the temple
539 BC — Cyrus of Persia conquers Babylon
538 BC — Cyrus's decree; the first exiles return under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–2)
536 BC — The temple's foundation is laid; the old weep and the young shout (Ezra 3:10–13)
c. 536–520 BC — Opposition stops the work (Ezra 4:24)
520 BC — Haggai and Zechariah stir the people to build again (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1)
515 BC — The second temple is dedicated (Ezra 6:15–16)
AD 30s — Jesus fulfills Zechariah's prophecies in His final week (Matthew 21; 26–27)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Hag 1:6
A bag with holes
Effort that never adds up when God isn't first.
Hag 2:23
The signet ring
Zerubbabel, of David's line, chosen as the Lord's seal. God's promises to David are not forgotten.
Zech 1:8–11
Horsemen among the myrtles
The Lord's watchers patrol the earth. He knows Judah's situation.
Zech 2:1–5
A city without walls
Jerusalem protected by the Lord Himself, a wall of fire.
Zech 3:1–5
Filthy garments replaced
Forgiveness and cleansing: sin removed, a new robe given.
Zech 4:1–14
Lampstand and two olive trees
A light that never runs out of oil, because God supplies it: “by my spirit.”
Zech 9:9
King on a donkey
Royal humility. Jesus fulfilled it on Palm Sunday.
Zech 11:12–13
Thirty pieces of silver
The insulting price put on the Lord's shepherd, and later on Jesus.
Zech 13:1
A fountain opened
Cleansing from sin and uncleanness.
Zech 14:20–21
Holiness on bells and pots
Every part of life consecrated to God.
Restoration connections
D&C 45:47–53 — The Lord on the Mount of Olives, showing His wounds to the Jews (compare Zechariah 12:10; 13:6; 14:4).
D&C 95 — The Lord chastens the early Saints for delaying the Kirtland Temple, much as Haggai did.
D&C 133:20 — The Lord will stand upon the Mount of Olives.
Temples today — “Holiness to the Lord” is inscribed on Latter-day Saint temples, echoing Exodus 28:36 and Zechariah 14:20.
Questions for the week
Haggai's people weren't against the temple; they just kept postponing it. What important things are you postponing (1:2–5)?
When have you felt the Lord replace “filthy garments” with clean ones in your life (Zechariah 3:3–5)?
Where do you need to remember “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit” (4:6)?
Which of Zechariah's prophecies of Christ (9:9; 11:12–13; 12:10; 13:6–7) means the most to you, and why?
What would it look like to write “Holiness unto the Lord” on the ordinary parts of your life (14:20–21)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.