30. Zechariah, Malachi, and What “Restored” Really Means in the Bible

Zechariah and Malachi close the Old Testament, showing what it truly means to be restored by God.

What does it mean to be restored, according to the Bible? This episode closes out the Old Testament with Zechariah and Malachi, two short books written after the people returned from exile in Babylon. Dr. Cory Driver, Director of Research at the Center for Life at Miami University of Ohio, joins hosts Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Dr. Kristofer Phan Coffman to explore what restoration actually looks like. It turns out to be about more than rebuilt walls and a rebuilt temple. It’s about a people learning what it means to follow God again, for the first time.

Dr. Driver walks through Zechariah’s eight strange and beautiful night visions, the promise of a humble shepherd king, and the two anointed leaders who point forward to something greater. Then the conversation turns to Malachi’s raw, honest argument between God and the people, including the hard passages on divorce and the promise that Elijah will return before the day of the Lord. Along the way, listeners will hear how both books shape the story of Jesus in the New Testament, setting up a hopeful and fitting close to the Hebrew Bible.

Bible Bingo

Visions
Humble shepherd king
Messiahs
Relationship
Day of the lord

7-Word Summary

Zechariah: If you’re ready, let’s start again today.
Malachi: Working for a healthy relationship, but you first.

Resources Mentioned:

Ezra and Nehemiah — referenced as companion historical context for the post-exilic period and the debate over intermarriage
Book of Numbers — mentioned as Dr. Driver’s favorite book of the Bible and referenced for the Baal of Peor narrative
Book of Jeremiah — referenced as the source of the “branch” imagery echoed in Zechariah
Rashi — 11th-century French rabbinic commentator mentioned for his interpretation of the divorce passage in Malachi 2; noted as widely available in English translation online
Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) — mentioned in connection with scholarship on the olive oil and piping technology in Zechariah’s fifth vision
Gospel of Matthew — referenced as the next book in the podcast series and connected directly to Malachi’s closing prophecy about Elijah and the “sun of righteousness”

Featuring

Cory Driver

Cory Driver is the Managing Director for the Center for L.I.F.E. (Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship) at Miami University. He serves as an adjunct professor at Luther Seminary and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. He is the author of God, Gender and Family Trauma: How Rereading Genesis can be a Revelation, as well as Life Unsettled: A Scriptural Journey for Wilderness Times.

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Hosted By

Kathryn Schifferdecker

Kathryn M Schifferdecker is Professor and Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2001, Schifferdecker was associate pastor for five years at Trinity Lutheran Church, Arkdale, Wisconsin, before coming to Luther in 2006. Schifferdecker is a frequent contributor to Working Preacher, Word & World, and the author of "Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job" (Harvard University Press, 2008). She is currently writing a commentary on the book of Esther.

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Kristofer Phan Coffman

Kristofer Phan Coffman is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Religion and Cultures at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Kristofer is, to the best of his knowledge, the first Cambodian to receive a doctoral degree in any aspect of biblical studies or the study of the ancient world. He brings his own experience as a first generation Cambodian-American to his readings of the biblical text in an effort to help readers reframe their reading of ancient texts as a cross-cultural interaction, hoping to build skills both for the reading of the biblical text as well as the modern task of relating to people from cultures different than their own. In addition to his work in the New Testament, Kristofer writes on food, farming and sustainability. His first book, Harrowing the Gospels: A Cambodian (American) Rereading of Agriculture in Mark and Matthew will be published in the Brill Biblical Interpretation Series in Fall 2025, and he is currently writing a book on reading the Bible with cultural sensitivity for Baker Academic.

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About The Bible in a Year Podcast

This podcast guides you on a journey through the books of the Bible, providing insights on how Scripture can shape your life today. Each episode focuses on one or two books of the Bible in fun, engaging, and authentic conversations between Luther Seminary faculty and guest Bible scholars who are experts on the book(s) in question. Join us as we make our way through the Bible in a year — new episodes drop every Wednesday in 2026!