Chapter 8 - On That Day

Summary

As the narrative in Zech 11:4–17 ends, YHWH hands the people and land over to a worthless shepherd, and the book turns toward the future. The phrase “in that day” (bayyôm hahûʾ) occurs only five times in Zechariah 1–11 but seventeen times in Zechariah 12–14. In the overall argument of the book, the promises and visions of 1:1–11:3 seemed always just on the horizon, if only the people would return to YHWH. But the governors, elites, and the peoples consistently refused to obey the prophet’s call across generations. So the final oracles look toward “that day,” in the future, when YHWH will act decisively to finally renew Yehud and Jerusalem as YHWH intended all along.