The tension between the already and the not yet has not existed only for those believers who live between the two comings of Jesus Christ. Old Testament saints, particularly those who lived after the Babylonian exile, faced a similar struggle. All of the Old Testament saints experienced some of the blessings of the covenant, and they all had to await the arrival of the Messiah. The postexilic community, however, faced a spiritual situation quite similar to ours. They witnessed the preliminary stages of fulfillment of the prophets' glorious promises of restoration, but they did not live to see David's greater Son inherit the throne of Israel.

Indeed, the willingness of the Persian government to free the Jews and even to underwrite the cost of rebuilding the temple were understandably taken as signs of the imminent arrival of the messianic age. To the postexilic community, God was bringing about a second exodus, which would be accompanied by all of the mighty displays of divine power that accompanied the first exodus out of Egypt. The Messiah would soon appear, and the Persians would be subdued like the Egyptians.

As we know from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews returned to a hard state of affairs. Jerusalem was in ruins and without walls for protection. Firmly entrenched in Palestine, the Samaritans tempted Israel to mix foreign religious practices with the true worship of God. Work on the temple proceeded at a slow pace until it stopped completely. As envisioned by the populace, the messianic dream became progressively dimmer and less cherished; consequently, the "failure" of the Messiah to appear demoralized the community so that many became practical atheists. Although the members of the postexilic community spoke orthodox words and mechanically followed the rituals, they were more concerned about remodeling their homes and turning a profit.

At this moment in history, God sent Haggai. Zechariah and Malachi to admonish his weary, complacent people. Zechariah 9-14 especially addressed the misconstrued hopes of the community, but it contained a number of ostensible contradictions. Whereas the people were waiting for a conquering hero to step forward as the Messiah, Zechariah spoke of a coming shepherd/king who would die and still be victorious. His flock/nation would be scattered and lost; yet, a remnant would be refined and saved. According to Zechariah 14, Jerusalem would suffer another invasion – not by one nation, but by an allied world army. Typical war atrocities would occur, and the survivors would have to flee the city. Nevertheless, the Lord would intervene and put the foreigners to flight.

Was Zechariah talking out of both sides of his mouth? How can a king die and be victorious? How can a group of dismayed returnees find hope in the promise of further invasion and scattering? How can a city be razed and then delivered? From his Old Testament vantage point, Zechariah did not know that the Messiah would come twice, first to die for the sins of his people and second to consummate history with a final judgment. From our New Testament perspective, we know that Zechariah's prophecies have required at least 2,500 years to unfold.

Like Zechariah's audience, we live between the inauguration of prophetic fulfillment and the consummation of it. Even as Zechariah warned his compatriots to persevere through the slow movement of history, so the New Testament encourages us to remain faithful to Christ in these last days. History runs according to God's appointed schedule. If it seems to move too slowly, that is so because God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish.