Zechariah 1:7

The Introduction to the Visions

1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius’ second year, ¹  the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:

Zechariah 1:12

1:12 The angel of the Lord then asked, “Lord who rules over all, ²  how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem ³  and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?” ⁴ 

Zechariah 14:8

14:8 Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, ⁵  half of them to the eastern sea ⁶  and half of them to the western sea; ⁷  it will happen both in summer and in winter.

¹ sn The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month…in Darius’ second year was February 15, 519 b.c.

² sn Note that here the angel of the Lord is clearly distinct from the Lord who rules over all himself.

³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁴ sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516 b.c., exactly seventy years after its destruction in 586.

³ sn Living waters will flow out from Jerusalem. Ezekiel sees this same phenomenon in conjunction with the inauguration of the messianic age (Ezek 47; cf. Rev 22:1-5; also John 7:38).

⁴ sn The eastern sea is a reference to the Dead Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

⁵ sn The western sea is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).