The Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah - foretold the destruction of Phoenicia and Damascus and the Jews passing a test of courage and perseverance. He predicted the glory that shall come upon Jerusalem after rebuilding the [Second] Temple, as well as prophesying that all people will embrace the Jewish faith (Today, Christianity and Islam share many of the same core beliefs as Judaism). Zechariah is possibly a revered prophet in the Islamic Qur'an.

Zechariah was considered a prophet in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and traditionally is considered the author of the Book of Zechariah. He is the eleventh of the Twelve Minor Prophets. This particular prophet was from the Kingdom of Judah, and, like the prophet Ezekiel, was probably of priestly extraction (also known as the Kohen). 

According to Ezra 5:1 and Ezra 6:14, the father of the prophet Zechariah was Iddo, however according to Zechariah 1:1, Berechiah was the father of this ancient prophet, and Iddo was his grandfather. According to The Interpreter's Bible,

This discrepancy is best explained on the supposition that the words 'the son of Berechiah' did not form part of the original text of 1:1 - had they done so, it is very improbable that they would have been omitted in the Ezra passages - but that they are an insertion on the part of someone who identified the prophet Zechariah with Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, who is mentioned in Isaiah 8:2, Berechiah in Zech. 1:1 being a corruption of Jeberechiah.

And yet a third possibility is Jehoiada [the priest] was his father:

"Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said," ~ 2 Chronicles 24:20

There is not any documentation about Zechariah’s life other than what may be inferred from the holy book. It has been speculated that Iddo was the head of a priestly family who returned with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:4), and that Zechariah may himself have been a priest as well as a prophet. This is supported by Zechariah's interest in the Temple and the priesthood, and from Iddo's preaching in the Books of Chronicles.

Regardless of his mysterious beginnings, shortly after the Babylonia exile and King Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry. He encouraged a spiritual renewal, imploring the people to turn from their evil ways and embrace the righteousness of God.

He was also instrumental in motivating them to rebuild the sacred Second Temple by revealing to them God's future plan for Israel. His instruction was met when the reconstruction of the [Second] Holy Temple was completed five years later in Jerusalem. 

He also foretold the destruction of Phoenicia and Damascus with precision. 

"The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord." ~ Zechariah 9:1

According to some Jewish rabbis, Hadrach was a place near Damascus. The prophecy is thought to relate to Alexander the Great conquering Syria, Damascus and all of King Darius’ treasure, which was laid up there and delivered into Alexander's hands. Christian scholars attest that Zechariah was foretelling the restoration of the land of Israel and the future appearance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem in Chapers 9-14.

There is also a possibility of martyrdom where Zechariah is concerned. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is quoted as stating that Zechariah, son of Barachiah, was killed between the altar and the temple:

"That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." ~ Matthew 23:35

Although there is an indication in the Targum of Lamentations (Aramaic Bible) that "Zechariah, son of Iddo" was killed in the Temple, many scholars generally understand this as a reference to the death of a much earlier figure, Zechariah ben Jehoiada. As Abel was the first prophetic figure killed in the Hebrew scriptures, and Zechariah ben Jehoiada was the last figure killed in those scriptures, which conclude with 1 and 2 Chronicles, they represent the full historical scope of prophetic martyrdom. But whether this is the same Zechariah is still a debate among the theologians.

In Islam, the Qur'an mentions only 25 prophets by name, including a different Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Muslims believe that many prophets were sent to mankind to spread the message of God, including many not mentioned in the Qur'an. Therefore, although this particular Zechariah is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, some scholars, including Abdullah Yusuf Ali have suggested that Qur'anic verses mentioning the martyrdom of prophets and righteous men are a reference to the slaying of [among others] Zechariah, son of Berechiah.

Zechariah is the ancient prophet who famously quoted, in reference to the End Times, the following words of God:

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." ~ Zechariah 12:2-3