The Book of Zechariah symbolises the stage in the individual's journey when the inner temple — awareness of being within — begins to be rebuilt after exile in a state of forgetfulness. It marks reconnection to imagination following a long captivity in belief in external power.
Return from Exile
Zechariah follows the return from Babylon, which represents the soul’s emergence from confusion — a state where man believes the outer world holds power over him. The rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple reflects the restoration of inner faith in imagination as the true creative force.
In Neville Goddard’s framework, Babylon symbolises the condition of inner disorder — thought turned outward. To return from Babylon is to bring awareness back within, to remember that “the Kingdom of God is within you.”
Not by Might, nor by Power
Zechariah 4:6
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of armies.”
This is the book’s central message. Creation and restoration do not come through effort or external action but by the quiet movement of Spirit — imagination. The Spirit rebuilds the inner temple when man turns inward and lives from his assumption of being.
The meaning of the "Spirit" is the mental posture you assume, moment to moment — Genesis 1:26
Zerubbabel represents the awakened directive self — the builder who lays the foundation of the new consciousness. The Temple symbolises awareness itself, and the Spirit is the imagination — the creative power that animates every form of life.
Visions of Awakening
Zechariah’s visions depict the stirring of divine imagination after dormancy:
- The Man among the Myrtle Trees – the divine observer awakening in the midst of humble beginnings.
- The Golden Lampstand – illumination and renewed clarity of inner thought.
- Joshua the High Priest – the cleansing of self-image, where “filthy garments” (false concepts of self) are removed and replaced with clean raiment — a new identity aligned with divine awareness.
- The Flying Roll – thought purified, lifted to its creative purpose.
The Coming King
Zechariah 9:9
“Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a loud cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you, upright and full of salvation, gentle, and seated on an ass.”
This prophecy — later mirrored in the Gospels — symbolises the entry of meek imagination into dominion. The King upon a donkey represents mastery that is inward, peaceful, and certain. Dominion here does not come through force but through assumed identity — imagination now ruling quietly within.
The Spiritual Message
Zechariah’s theme is rebuilding the inner temple through the Spirit of imagination. Every image — the lampstand, the temple, the priest, and the king — points to the restoration of divine awareness within man.
Where Haggai calls for the rebuilding of the temple in command, Zechariah provides the inner vision to sustain it. Together they mark the transition from obedience to illumined understanding.
Conclusion
Zechariah represents the awakening and rebuilding of divine imagination. It is the call to restore dominion within, to replace confusion with clarity, and to let Spirit — not effort — be the builder. The once-ruined consciousness becomes a living temple of the “I AM.”
In the progression of consciousness throughout scripture, Zechariah stands as the herald of full awakening — the rebuilding complete, the inner King soon to be revealed as Jesus, the embodiment of realised divine identity.