CHAPTER II
ABOUT three months after the introductory address l which, as we have seen, was mainly a call to repentance, the series of eight visions, followed by the very significant symbolical transaction of the crowning of the high priest Joshua, the son of Josedech, was given to the prophet. In this case the exact day of the month is indicated, most probably because it was a day of special significance and of sacred association to the restored remnant. It was " in the twenty and fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, in the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius" On that very day just five months before, the spirit of Zerubbabel and of Joshua, and " of all the rest of the people," being stirred up by God through the preach ing of Haggai, commenced to work again in the rebuilding of the Temple (Hag. i. 14, 15).
On the same day also just three months later that is, a month after Zechariah's introductory address the same prophet delivered his last two stirring messages, the first ending with the promise, " From this day will I bless you," and the second containing the announcement that God would shake the heavens and the earth, and overthrow the thrones and kingdoms of the nations all with a view to the restoration and exaltation of the Davidic House, which was then represented by Zerubbabel (Hag. ii. 10-23); 2 so
1 The exact day of the month is not given to the introductory address, but the omission is probably meant to imply that it was on the first day, or on the Feast of the New Moon, that it was delivered.
2 It was also on the 24th of the month that Daniel, after having previously fasted and mourned for three full weeks, had received the vision of the things noted in the Scripture of truth (Dan. x. 4-21).
