Zechariah Bible Trivia: 28 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 28 Zechariah Bible trivia questions cover the prophet's strange and wonderful night visions, the rebuilding of the temple, and the famous prophecies Jesus fulfilled -- with answers and verse references after every question. They're sorted into easy (ages 5-8), medium (ages 9-12), and hard (teens and adults) rounds.

Zechariah is the minor prophet kids should know best at Easter time, because Palm Sunday runs right through it: "See, your king comes to you... lowly and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). Flying scrolls, a woman in a basket, horses among the myrtle trees -- this book reads like a dream journal, and that makes it unforgettable trivia.

What Is the Book of Zechariah About?

The book of Zechariah is a message of encouragement to the Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon, urging them to finish rebuilding God's temple and promising that God's King -- the Messiah -- was coming. Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, began prophesying in the second year of King Darius of Persia (Zechariah 1:1), around 520 BC, at the same time as the prophet Haggai (Ezra 5:1).

The book falls into two halves. Chapters 1-8 center on eight vivid night visions -- horsemen among myrtle trees, a gold lampstand, a flying scroll -- all aimed at getting the temple finished under Governor Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest. Chapters 9-14 look further ahead to a coming King, and the New Testament quotes them again and again: the donkey, the thirty pieces of silver, the pierced one, the struck shepherd. For a book most families have never quizzed on, Zechariah shows up at the crucifixion more than almost any other prophet.

What Was Happening in Zechariah's Time?

Zechariah preached to a discouraged construction crew. Decades earlier, King Cyrus of Persia had set the exiles free to go home and rebuild the temple, but opposition and discouragement had stalled the work for years. In 520 BC God sent two prophets at once -- Haggai to say "start building" and Zechariah to say "God is with you and something far bigger is coming." The one-two punch worked: "the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah" (Ezra 6:14), and the temple was finished about four years later.

That's why Zechariah's most famous line lands the way it does. To a tiny province with no army, rebuilding on a shoestring, God said: "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6). Kids who know the story of rebuilding the temple will recognize the moment -- and kids who know Palm Sunday will meet Zechariah again at the triumphal entry, five centuries down the road.

Easy Zechariah Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. What was Zechariah's job -- what kind of messenger was he? A prophet (Zechariah 1:1)

1. What big building did Zechariah encourage God's people to finish? The temple in Jerusalem (Zechariah 4:9; Ezra 5:1-2)

1. Which other prophet preached at the same time as Zechariah? Haggai (Ezra 5:1)

1. In Zechariah's famous prophecy, what animal does the coming king ride into Jerusalem? A donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

1. Who fulfilled that prophecy by riding a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? Jesus (Matthew 21:4-5)

1. Finish God's famous words to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by my ___." Spirit (Zechariah 4:6)

1. What did Zechariah see flying through the sky in one of his visions? A giant scroll (Zechariah 5:1-2)

1. Did Zechariah's eight visions come to him during the day or during the night? During the night (Zechariah 1:8)

Medium Zechariah Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. Who were Zechariah's father and grandfather? Berekiah his father and Iddo his grandfather (Zechariah 1:1)

1. In the second year of which Persian king did Zechariah begin to prophesy? Darius (Zechariah 1:1)

1. Who was the governor leading the temple rebuild in Zechariah's day? Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:9)

1. Who was the high priest Zechariah saw standing before the angel of the LORD? Joshua (Zechariah 3:1)

1. What was Joshua the high priest wearing in the vision, and what was he given instead? Filthy clothes, replaced with fine clean garments (Zechariah 3:3-4)

1. Who stood at Joshua's right side to accuse him? Satan (Zechariah 3:1)

1. In the first night vision, among what kind of trees did the horseman stand? Myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8)

1. What stood on either side of the solid gold lampstand in Zechariah's vision? Two olive trees (Zechariah 4:2-3)

1. How many night visions did Zechariah see in all? Eight (Zechariah 1-6)

1. What surprising thing was sitting inside the basket in Zechariah's seventh vision? A woman, called Wickedness (Zechariah 5:7-8)

Hard Zechariah Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. How many chapters does Zechariah have, making it the longest of the twelve minor prophets? Fourteen (Zechariah 1-14)

1. What did Zechariah see representing the nations that had scattered Judah -- and who came to terrify them? Four horns, and four craftsmen (Zechariah 1:18-21)

1. What was the man with a measuring line setting out to measure? Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:1-2)

1. What plant-name does God give the coming Messianic servant in Zechariah? The Branch (Zechariah 3:8; 6:12)

1. On whose head did Zechariah place a crown -- an unusual honor for a priest? Joshua the high priest (Zechariah 6:11)

1. How many pieces of silver was the shepherd paid, and where were they thrown? Thirty pieces of silver, thrown to the potter in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 11:12-13)

1. Who in the New Testament was paid exactly thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus? Judas Iscariot (Matthew 26:14-15)

1. Finish the prophecy quoted at the cross: "They will look on me, the one they have ___." Pierced (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37)

1. Finish the prophecy Jesus quoted on the night of his arrest: "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be ___." Scattered (Zechariah 13:7; Mark 14:27)

1. In the vision of the four chariots, what were the two mountains made of? Bronze (Zechariah 6:1)

How to Use These Questions

Start with the donkey (question 4) -- almost every kid knows Palm Sunday, and discovering that a prophet called the donkey five hundred years early is the "whoa" moment that sells the whole book. Run the easy round at dinner, use the vision questions as a draw-what-you-hear game for artsy kids (a flying scroll and a woman in a basket beg to be drawn), and save the thirty-pieces-of-silver thread for teens at family Bible trivia night -- it's a straight line from Zechariah 11 to Judas.

Sunday school teachers can pair this set with our Haggai trivia questions, since the two prophets preached to the same crowd in the same year. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids follow the same watch-then-quiz rhythm if your kids want more, and our Old Testament trivia for kids covers the big picture from Creation to the exile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Zechariah?

The book was written by the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo (Zechariah 1:1), who began prophesying in 520 BC, in the second year of Darius king of Persia. He preached to the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile, alongside the prophet Haggai (Ezra 5:1).

How many chapters does Zechariah have?

Zechariah has 14 chapters, making it the longest book of the twelve minor prophets. Chapters 1-8 contain the eight night visions and messages about rebuilding the temple; chapters 9-14 contain prophecies about the coming King and the day of the LORD.

What is the most famous verse in Zechariah?

Zechariah 9:9 is the book's most famous prophecy: "See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey." The Gospels quote it directly when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:4-5). Zechariah 4:6 -- "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" -- is a close second.

What are the eight visions in Zechariah?

In one night, Zechariah saw a horseman among myrtle trees, four horns and four craftsmen, a man with a measuring line, Joshua the high priest in filthy clothes, a gold lampstand with two olive trees, a flying scroll, a woman in a basket, and four chariots (Zechariah 1:8-6:8). Together they promised that God had returned to Jerusalem and would finish what he started.

How does Zechariah point to Jesus?

Zechariah is quoted throughout the passion story: the king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-5), the thirty pieces of silver thrown to the potter (Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 26:15), the pierced one (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37), and the struck shepherd whose sheep scatter (Zechariah 13:7; Mark 14:27). Few Old Testament books show up at the cross more often.

What age can kids start learning the book of Zechariah?

Kids as young as 5 can learn the donkey prophecy and "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" -- both are short, vivid, and easy to memorize. The night visions work well for ages 8 and up as a listen-and-draw activity, while the prophecies about the pierced shepherd are best for teens who can connect them to Good Friday.