•The remainder of the book consists of two sections of about equal length, chs. 9-11 and 12-14,
each of which has an inscription. (1) In the first section he threatens Damascus and the seacoast
of Palestine with misfortune, but declares that Jerusalem shall be protected. (2) The second section
is entitled “The burden of the word of Jehovah for Israel.” But Israel is here used of the nation at
large, not of Israel as distinct from Judah. Indeed the prophecy which follows concerns Judah and
Jerusalem, in this the prophet beholds the near approach of troublous times, when Jerusalem should
be hard pressed by enemies. But in that day Jehovah shall come to save them an all the nations
which gather themselves against Jerusalem shall be destroyed. Many modern critics maintain that
the later chapters, from the ninth to the fourteenth, were written by some other prophet, who lived
before the exile. The prophecy closes with a grand and stirring picture. All nations are gathered
together against Jerusalem, and seem already sure of their prey. Half of their cruel work has been
accomplished, when Jehovah himself appears on behalf of his people. He goes forth to war against
the adversaries of his people. He establishes his kingdom over all the earth. All nations that are
still left shall come up to Jerusalem, as the great centre of religious worship, and the city; from
that day forward shall be a holy city. Such is, briefly, an outline of the second portion of that book
which is commonly known as the Prophecy of Zechariah. Integrity. -Mede was the first to call
this in question. The probability that the later chapters, from the ninth to the fourteenth, were by
some other prophet seems first to have been suggested to him by the citation in St. Matthew. He
rests his opinion partly on the authority of St. Matthew and partly-on the contents of the later
chapters, which he considers require a date earlier than the exile. Archbishop Newcombe went
further. He insisted on the great dissimilarity of style as well as subject between the earlier and
later chapters and he was the first who advocated the theory that the last six chapters of Zechariah
are the work of two distinct prophets.
Zedad
(mountain side), one of the landmarks on the north border of the land of Israel, as Promised by
Moses, (Numbers 34:8) and as restored by Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 47:15) A place named Sudud exists
to the east of the northern extremity of the chain of Anti-Libanus, about fifty miles east-northeast
of Baalbec. This may be identical with Zedad.
Zedekiah
(justice of Jehovah).
•The last king of Judah and Jerusalem. He was the son of Josiah by his wife Hamutal, and therefore
own brother to Jehoahaz. (2 Kings 24:18) comp. 2Kin 23:31 His original name was Mattaniah,
which was changed to Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried off his nephew Jehoiachim
to Babylon and left him on the throne of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was but twenty-one years old when
he was thus placed in charge of an impoverished kingdom, B.C. 597. His history is contained in
a short sketch .of the events of his reign given in (2 Kings 24:17; 2 Kings 25:7) and, with some
trifling variations in (Jeremiah 39:1-7; 62:1-11) together with the still shorter summary in ( 1
Chronicles 38:10) etc.; and also in Jere 21,24,27,28,29,32,34,37,38 and (Ezekiel 16:11-21) From
these it is evident that Zedekiah was a man not so much bad at heart as weak in will. It is evident
from Jere 27 and 28 that the earlier portion of Zedekiah’s reign was marked by an agitation
throughout the whole of Syria against the Babylonian yoke. Jerusalem seems to have taken the
lead, since in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign we find ambassadors from all the neighboring
kingdoms—Tyre, Sidon, Edom and Moab—at his court to consult as to the steps to be taken. The
first act of rebellion of which any record survives was the formation of an alliance with Egypt, of
frankie
(Frankie)
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