WHO WAS ZECH-AR-IAH?

The name means "God remembers."The name is mentioned many times in the Scriptures. Evidently it is a plea for God to remember His covenant with Israel and extend Divine Aid.
Time 1, as the name of a King in the Northern Kingdom, the son of Jeroboam II. He reigned only 6 months before he was assassinated. With his death the dynasty of Jehu came to an end, a fulfillment of the prophecy that it would rule only for four generations. 2 Kings 14,15.
Time 2, as the father of Abijah, the mother of King He-zek-iah. 2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 9.
Time 3, as the head of a family of Reubenites. 1 Chronicles 5.
Time 4, as a wise and prominent levitical gatekeeper during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 9; 26.
Time 5, as a Benjamite of Gibeon. His brother Ner was the father of Kish, the father of King Saul. At 1 Chron. 8, he is called Zecher without the ending.
Time 6, as a levitical musician who played the harp as the ark was brought into Jerusalem during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.
Time 7, one of the priestly trumpeters who led the procession as the ark was brought into Jerusalem.
Time 8, as a levite and son of Isshiah, a contemporary of David. 1 Chronicle 24.
Time 9, as a levitical gatekeeper at the time of David, son of Hosah the Merarite. 1 Chronicles 26.
Time 10, as the father of Iddo, one of David's officers who ruled over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. 1 Chronicle 27.
Time 11, as an official of King Jehoshaphat assigned to teach the Book of the Law in the cities of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17.
Time 12, as a Levite and father of Jahaziel (2Chron.20), who prophesied that Jehoshaphat would be victorious over the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.
Time 13, as son of Jehoshaphat slain by his brother Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 21.
Time 14, as a son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah publicly denounced Joash for his sin and was subsequently stoned to death by order of the king (2Chron,24). The murder was particularly heinous in light of the place that it occurred -the Temple Courtyard- and the kindness that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown to Joash. Because of this repulsive deed some of Joash's officials put the king to death. Jesus alluded to Zechariah's martyrdom when condemning the hypocritical religious leaders of his day. Matthew 23; Luke 11.
Time 15 as the Prophet to whom the Book of Zechariah is attributed (Zech.1). He was also a priest and a contemporary of the Prophet Haggai.
We can go on until we reach the name of the father of John the Baptist, a member of the priestly division of Abijah (Luke1). The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and informed him that his wife Elizabeth would bear an extraordinary child. Because of his unbelief, Zechariah was unable to speak until after the child was born. On the day the child was named, Zechariah's voice returned. He then uttered a beautiful prophecy concerning spiritual Israel's messianic hope.
The Book of Zechariah is largely in the form of visions, dealing with the restoration of the spiritual city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple, the purification of God's people and the messianic age to come.