Lesson 158

Zechariah 9–14

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Remove any potential distractions. Try to be calm and put all worries and troubles aside. This will help you invite the Holy Ghost to help you learn.

Begin your study with prayer.

Why do you think everyone should have the opportunity to be baptized?

Listen to President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency as he explains how baptism is made available even to those who have passed on.

The Triumphal Entry

This picture shows an event called the triumphal entry. When Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem, He fulfilled a prophecy given by the prophet Zechariah hundreds of years earlier.

Zechariah 9:9 discusses Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and is one of the most widely quoted prophecies about the Messiah in the Bible.

As recorded in Zechariah 9:1–8, Zechariah prophesied of a time when the enemies of Israel would be destroyed.

Read Zechariah 9:9, looking for the reason the people of Jerusalem would rejoice during Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry.

The Messiah

During New Testament times, “many Jews were looking only for a deliverer from the Roman power and for a greater national prosperity” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Messiah,” scriptures.lds.org). When Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem, many Jews cheered for Him as a messiah, or a political deliverer, but not necessarily as the Messiah, or the one who would bring them eternal salvation. The title Messiah means “the anointed Prophet, Priest, King, and Deliverer whose coming the Jews were eagerly expecting” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Messiah”). Riding on a donkey was a symbol of Jewish royalty. The Jews in Jerusalem would have recognized this symbol as a declaration of Jesus’s royal lineage and right to the throne.

What might have been significant about Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem riding a donkey (a symbol of royalty) rather than a large, majestic horse (a symbol of war)?

“The Heathen” and “Prisoners of Hope”

Although some people believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, many others were disappointed that He did not overthrow the Roman rule. Some of the Jewish leaders envied Him and rejected Him as both a messiah and the Messiah, so they plotted His death. They persuaded the multitude at Pilate’s court to demand that Barabbas be released instead of Jesus Christ, which resulted in the Savior’s Crucifixion (see Matthew 27:17–20).

Read Zechariah 9:10–12, looking for what the Lord said He would do for the individuals described in these verses as “the heathen,” or people who were not part of the Lord’s covenant people, and also described as “prisoners of hope.”

The Reaches of Jesus Christ’s Power

Think about the extent of Jesus Christ’s power to save. He can save and free not only people who are bound by sin in mortality but also people who are bound in the spirit world. In Zechariah 9:11 we learn how it is possible for these prisoners to be freed.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the meaning of Zechariah 9:11 and how these prisoners can be saved:

“‘By the blood of thy covenant’—that is, because of the gospel covenant, which is efficacious because of the shedding of the blood of Christ—‘I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.’ (Zech. 9:11–16.) ‘Wherein is no water’—how aptly and succinctly this crystallizes the thought that the saving water, which is baptism, is an earthly ordinance and cannot be performed by spirit beings while they dwell in the spirit world” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 241).

Those who have died without having been baptized and who are bound in spirit prison can be delivered from their sins through ordinances performed by people living on earth in temples of the Lord.

In your own words, how would you summarize the truth we learn from Zechariah 9:11?

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

From Zechariah 9:11 you may have identified a truth similar to this: Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, salvation is available to all mankind, and those who have died without having been baptized can be freed from spirit prison.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how Jesus Christ made it possible for those who die without the gospel to be delivered from spirit prison:

“While yet in life, Jesus prophesied that He would also preach to the dead [see John 5:25]. Peter tells us this happened in the interval between the Savior’s Crucifixion and Resurrection [see 1 Peter 3:18–19]. President Joseph F. Smith [1838–1918] witnessed in vision that the Savior visited the spirit world and ‘from among the righteous [spirits] … organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness. …

“‘These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, [and] the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands’ [D&C 138:30, 33]. …

“… Jesus Christ is the divine Redeemer of all mankind. His grace and promises reach even those who in life do not find Him. Because of Him, the prisoners shall indeed go free” (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 9, 11).

1. Answer the following questions:

• What feelings have you had as you have done family history and temple service? If you have not yet participated in family history and temple service, how do you feel knowing that you have the opportunity to help your deceased ancestors receive saving ordinances?

• How can you help your deceased ancestors receive saving ordinances?

Prophecy of the Second Coming

As recorded in Zechariah 10–11, Zechariah prophesied that the Lord’s people would be scattered over the centuries and then gathered in the last days. Zechariah also prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed for “thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12). This prophecy refers to the Apostle Judas’s betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver during the final week of the Savior’s mortal life (see Matthew 26:14–16). Zechariah also saw that as part of this betrayal, Jesus Christ would be smitten, or slain, and His followers would be scattered (see Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31).

After prophesying about the Lord’s mortal ministry, Zechariah prophesied about the Second Coming.

As you study Zechariah 12–14, consider how the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be different from His first coming into mortality and His mortal ministry.

The Battle before the Second Coming

Zechariah 12 records Zechariah’s prophecy of a great battle (the battle of Armageddon) that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Read Zechariah 12:2–3. Who will all nations gather against in this battle?

The Battle of Armageddon

To learn more about the battle of Armageddon, take the quiz and read the scripture passages to answer the questions.

Quiz 1

1. What will the Lord do for the people of Jerusalem? (See Zechariah 12:8–9.)

   1. He will forsake them.

   2. He will destroy them.

   3. He will defend them.

2. What will happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem before they are delivered? (See Zechariah 14:2.) Select all that apply.

   1. The Jews will travel to Egypt to seek refuge.

   2. All nations, in one way or another, will join in battle against Jerusalem.

   3. The walls of Jerusalem will be reinforced in preparation for the battle.

   4. Jerusalem will be taken, houses will be looted, and half of Jerusalem’s inhabitants will become captives.

3. What will happen that will allow the people of Jerusalem to be delivered? (See Zechariah 14:3–5.) Select all that apply.

   1. The inhabitants of Jerusalem will surrender to their enemies.

   2. The Lord will fight against the group of all nations seeking to destroy the people of Jerusalem.

   3. The Mount of Olives will be split in two, providing a way of escape for the Jews at Jerusalem.

4. According to Zechariah 13:6, what is one thing that the Jews at Jerusalem will notice about Jesus Christ’s appearance when He comes to deliver them from their enemies?

   1. The Jews will see that Jesus Christ will be riding on a donkey.

   2. The Jews will note that Jesus Christ will be wearing red clothing.

   3. The Jews will discover the wounds in Jesus Christ’s hands.

The Jews at Jerusalem

Modern revelation confirms and clarifies the prophecy in Zechariah 13:6. Read Doctrine and Covenants 45:51–52, looking for what the Jews will realize about Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

From Zechariah 13:6 and Doctrine and Covenants 45:51–52 we can identify the truth that at the Second Coming, the Jews at Jerusalem will recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

What do you think this moment will be like for the Jews?

The Millennial Messiah Revealed

We read in Zechariah 12:10 that the Jews will realize that the man who they rejected and who their forefathers persecuted and “pierced” is truly the Messiah that they had waited for for so long. The word pierced as used here refers to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ (see John 19:37).

Read Zechariah 14:6–9, looking for events that will take place as part of the Lord’s Second Coming.

What truth can we identify about Jesus Christ in verse 9?

King over All the Earth

We can identify the following truth in Zechariah 14:9: During the Millennium, Jesus Christ will reign as King over all the earth. (See footnote a.) You may want to mark this truth in your scriptures.

Zechariah 14:10–19 records that the battle of Armageddon will end, many of those who have fought against Jerusalem will be destroyed, and those who remain will “worship the King, the Lord of hosts” (verse 16) or suffer droughts and plagues.

2. How can it help you now to know that one day Jesus Christ will reign over all the earth?

“Every Knee Shall Bow”

As you read the following statement by Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, think about what you can do to prepare for the time when the Savior comes again:

“If you sense that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, why not do so now? For in the coming of that collective confession, it will mean much less to kneel down when it is no longer possible to stand up!” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Why Not Now?” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 13).

Consider writing your thoughts in your study journal or in your Notes on LDS.org.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) c; (2) b, d; (3) b, c; (4) c