limpses at the final consummation in the latter days.
They are generally understood to predict the conquests of Alexander the
Great (9:1-8), the conflict of the Jews with their enemies in the
Maccabean age (9:13-16), the advent of Christ (9:9), the corrupt and
rapacious character of the Jewish rulers at that era, their rejection of
Christ, and the consequent rejection of the nation by God (chap. 11).
They also contain a prediction of the final reunion and restoration of
"the house of Judah" and "the house of Joseph" (ch. 10). The remaining
three chapters are occupied with the great and decisive conflict of the
last days, which is to usher in the era of millennial glory.

22. The prophecies of Zechariah, containing as they do a portraiture of
the destiny of God's people to the end of time, and comprehending so
many mighty events which yet await their fulfilment, present to the
interpreter many difficulties, some of which have hitherto been found
insoluble, and will probably remain unsolved till the mystery of God
contained in them shall have been fulfilled. One thing, however, they
clearly reveal to us: that the future triumph of God's kingdom is
certain, and that all the great movements in the history of the nations,
however unpropitious they may seem at the time, are parts of the mighty
plan of divine providence which shall end in making the kingdoms of this
world the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

In Matt. 27:9, 10, there is a quotation for substance of the
words of Zechariah 11:13, but they are ascribed to "Jeremiah the
prophet." Of this discrepancy various explanations have been
proposed. Some have suspected an early error in the manuscript
of Matthew's gospel; but of this there is no satisfactory proof.
Others have thought that the part of our present book of
Zechariah which contains the prophecy in question actually
belongs to Jeremiah; but upon this hypothesis it remains a
mystery how it should have been attached to the writings of
Zechariah.

Upon the ground of diversity of style and other alleged internal
marks, it has been maintained by some biblical scholars that the
whole of the last part of Zechariah belongs to an earlier age;
but the validity of this conclusion is denied by others. To give
even a summary of the opposing arguments would exceed the limits
of the present work. The internal proofs being very nearly
balanced agains