Prophet Zechariah & Jesus: See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

The prophet Zechariah was a minor prophet who began preaching during the reign of Darius in the Middle East, after the destruction of the Babylonian Empire. The book Zechariah wrote begins with an oracle calling the descendants of Abraham to repentance. It then continues with a series of visions similar to those of the prophet Ezekiel. The first part of the book, at this point, becomes obscure and difficult to understand. Like all the prophets, Zechariah was not concerned with the observance of rituals but with justice and mercy (compassion, gentleness, benevolence) toward orphans, widows, and the most destitute members of society. Zechariah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and likely assisted in the rebuilding of the Second Temple.
But then the second part of this prophet's book begins, and it is here that the words of the prophet Zechariah become associated with Jesus and Christianity. Zechariah prophesied the arrival of a king and Messiah who would bring peace and salvation with these words: "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" Zechariah 9:9.
This prophecy is cited in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 21:5) and John (John 12:15) as the triumphant arrival of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem. Zechariah did not depict Jesus riding a horse, like a conqueror, but rather a humble donkey, a symbol of humility, patience, and hard work. Donkeys in the Old Testament are deeply associated with wisdom; Solomon was carried on a mule to be crowned king, as recounted in 1 Kings 1:33.
Zechariah was a prophet with great influence on Christianity, along with Isaiah. Another of Zechariah's prophecies seems to refer to the arrest of Jesus on the Mount of Olives and the persecution of the Church and Jesus' disciples (Zechariah 13:7). Zechariah concluded his book prophesying about times yet to come, and in an apocalyptic style, he referred to the Lord's arrival in a new Jerusalem, purified and consecrated to him.

For more information, check out my profile, follow the link, and download my ebook.