Zechariah 13:1-9 -- National Cleansing for the Remnant of Israel
Central Theme: THE REJECTION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS TO A REFINING PROCESS WHERE THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL IS EVENTUALLY CLEANSED AND RESTORED TO ITS LOYAL COVENANT RELATIONSHIP
INTRODUCTION: What does the future hold for the nation of Israel? Many Christians believe that God is finished dealing with Israel as a nation. They would attribute some type of allegorical interpretation to passages like this - making reference to God's dealing today with His church. But the details revealed here must be given full weight and not spiritualized away. After Israel rejects her Messiah and the Good Shepherd has been pierced through with the sword, there will be a time of blindness and hardening upon the nation. But her setting aside will not be permanent. In the end times, the fountain of the Lord's mercy and forgiveness and cleansing will be abundantly opened for the remnant of the nation of Israel. There will be a painful process of refining in the crucible of God's judgment. But the end result will be restoration of the nation to its loyal covenant relationship.
I. (:1) SUMMARY: CLEANSING AVAILABLE FOR ALL ISRAEL = THE FOUNTAIN OF GOD'S MERCY
A. Anticipated Timeframe = Coming Day of the Lord
"In that day" = special emphasis in this whole section
B. Imagery of Abundant Cleansing
"a fountain will be opened"
- Fountain provided by the Lord; false fountains cannot cleanse
- Fountain available to all but the Lord must prepare the heart
- remove spiritual blindness
- initiate the response
- God's mercy and grace in forgiving and cleansing is abundant; endless supply
C. Target Beneficiaries = All of Israel
"for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem,"
D. Need for Cleansing = Filthy Transgression
"for sin and for impurity."
- No salvation apart from confessing sin and impurity; must call sin what it is
- No one excluded because they are too sinful; the fountain is sufficient
- Holy Spirit must convict of sin
II. (:2-3) RADICAL JUDGMENT OF ALL INIQUITY PURGES THE LAND
A. Anticipated Timeframe
"'It will come about in that day,' declares the Lord of hosts"
B. Radical Purging of Idolatry
"that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered"
C. Radical Purging of False Prophets
"and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land."
These were the two main areas of transgression for Israel = idolatry and false Prophecy
False doctrine always associated with unclean living
D. Radical Support from the Parents of False Prophets
"And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord'; and his father and mother who gave
III. (:4-6) THE ASHAMED FALSE PROPHETS TRY TO HIDE THEIR IDENTITY
A. Anticipated Timeframe
"Also it will come about in that day"
B. Despising Their Role as False Prophets
"that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies"
C. Denying Their Identity as False Prophets
1. Disguising Their Appearance
"and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive"
Cf. the mantle all the prophets wore around the neck = distinguishing characteristic
2. Denying Their Occupation
"but he will say, 'I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth'"
3. Lying About Their Past Participation
"And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'"
IV. (:7-9) PROVIDENTIAL REFINING PURIFIES A LOYAL REMNANT FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD
A. (:7) The Role of the Good Shepherd
1. Relationship to God the Father
"'Awake, O sword, against My shepherd,
And against the man, My Associate,'
Declares the Lord of hosts."
2. Rejection of the Shepherd and its Effect on the Nation of Israel
"Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered"
3. Rejection of the Nation of Israel for the Times of the Gentiles
"And I will turn my hand against the little ones."
Mackay: "little ones" = They are the Lord's "little flock" (Lk. 12:32).
The Lord is going to subject His people Israel to a time of rejection and blindness before the nation will be re-gathered, restored and cleansed.
B. (:8) The Remnant of Israel Protected from Destruction
"'It will come about in all the land,' declares the Lord, 'That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.'"
C. (:9s) The Refining of God's People = a Painful but Necessary Process
"And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested."
D. (:9b) The Reciprocal Loyalty Between God and His People
"They will call on My name, and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'"
The Final Cleansing Zechariah 13
Zechariah 12-14 comprises a God-breathed foreview of the great end-times drama that is at once unspeakably awful and inexpressibly blessed: awful because it focuses on the dreadful travail yet to befall the Jewish people (12:1-2; 13:7-14:2) and blessed because that time of travail is revealed as the time Yahweh will show Himself the powerful and gracious covenant keeping God of Israel (12:10-13:1; 13:9; 14:8-9, 16-21).The focus of chapter 13 is twofold. First, Zechariah described the ultimate cleansing God will provide for that nation (13:1-6). Then the prophet recorded, in brief but disturbing fashion, the chastening necessary to accomplish that cleansing (13:7-9).
A Fountain for Israel: The chapter opens with the glorious announcement, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness" (13:1). Because "the Spirit of grace and of supplications" will have been poured out on Israel (12:10) and because that nation will have looked on the one "whom they have pierced" (12:10) and every family mourned and repented (12:11-14), God will open such a fountain of cleansing to Israel. The term used for "fountain" never means a stagnant pool; it speaks of a spring of fresh water (cf. Prov. 18:4).
Ceremonial cleansing by water appears often in the Levitical system of worship (Ex. 30:17-21; Num. 8:5-7; cf. Num. 19:9; Ezek. 36:25). But here the picture is of a spring of water that bursts from the side of a hill with a never-ending supply of living water-a "fountain opened." The picture suggests a contrast: The waters provided for cleansing in the law were blessed; but "in that day" a fountain shall be opened whose waters will be sufficient to wash all of Israel from sin and uncleanness (cf. 12:10-14, where the titular phrase the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem [v. 10] clearly means the entire covenant-nation).
The hope and longing excited by such a promise was gloriously fulfilled in Jesus, who "gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity [i.e., cleanse from sin], and purify unto himself a people [i.e., cleanse from uncleanness]" (Ti. 2:14).
In verses 2-6, the prophet focused on the specific uncleanness from which the nation will be finally purified. First, idolatry-the sin that so often beset Israel in the Old Testament-will be so thoroughly purged that the names of the idols will not be remembered (God specifically forbids mentioning the names of false gods, v. 2; cf. Ex. 23:13; Ps. 16:4). Although the seventy-year captivity in Babylon rooted out Israel's tendency to go after idols, that wickedness will manifest itself again in the end-times drama (Rev. 9:20; 13:4, 15); and thus the promise of this verse awaits fulfillment.
An End to False Prophets: Second, false prophets will be eradicated from the life and land of Israel. Prohibitions against false prophets abound in the Hebrew Scriptures (Dt. 13:1-5; 18:20-22; Isa. 5:20; 8:19; 9:13-15; Jer. 6:13; Ezek. 14:9-10; Mic. 3:5-7), but the Israelites often succumbed to the temptation to embrace a lie (Num. 16; Jud. 18; 1 Ki. 22:1-28). Thus the blessedness of the promise that in the day of Israel's repentance (cf. the six uses of the phrase in that day in Zechariah 12), God will "cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" (13:2).
This is the only appearance in the Old Testament of the phrase unclean spirit (cf. Mt. 10:1; Rev. 16:13). The contrast is clearly to the "Spirit of grace and of supplications," whom Yahweh poured out on Israel (12:10). It is God's Spirit who compels and enables us to put away pride and cast ourselves on God's grace (Jn. 6:44; Acts 16:14). The unclean spirit compels us to reject God's provision and cling to our own righteousness.
The prophet then drew a dramatic picture of the desperate plight of false prophets in the day Yahweh determines to eradicate them. False prophets will be forsaken by their protectors (13:3). Every worshiper of Yahweh owes Him an allegiance that transcends all other relationships and loyalties (cf. Gen. 22; Ex. 32:27-28; Dt. 33:8-11), and this responsibility was made specific with reference to the near relatives of a false prophet (Dt. 13:6-11). But that ethic was seldom honored. Thus there is drama in this picture of parents indicting and then executing their son for speaking lies. And the drama is intensified because these parents seem to exceed what the law demands. The law demanded a judicial process, but Zechariah said the parents put their lying son to death "when he prophesieth"-in the very act of prophesying. Again, rather than stoning him (Dt. 13:10), they "thrust him through." These parents are so zealous for the truth they refuse to let another lying word proceed from the false prophet's mouth, even though he be their own son.
The false prophets also will be condemned by their own predictions (13:4). Moses established the standard for a true prophet: Every one of his predictive prophecies must come to pass precisely (Dt. 18:21-22; cf. 1 Sam. 10:1-9). Further, Yahweh had often insisted that it was He who "frustrateth the tokens of the liars" (Isa. 44:25; cf. Mic. 3:7). In the day of Israel's deliverance, Yahweh will order events so that the words of a false prophet will be quickly and unmistakably proven fallacious: "And it shall come to pass, in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed" (13:4). Ashamed speaks not only of emotional chagrin or embarrassment but of putting hope in what fails you. False prophets will experience a sudden commitment to "truthin-advertising" standards: They will refuse the rough garment so typical of Old Testament prophets (1 Ki. 19:13, 19; 2 Ki. 1:8; 2:13; Mt. 3:4) because they know that any pretense will be immediately unmasked.
And finally, false prophets will flounder in their perjuries (13:5-6). The picture is almost humorous. The false prophet-so dominant and influential within Israel in the day of her rebelliousness-will be reduced to telling the most insipid lies to escape the shame to be heaped on him if he is discovered. He will insist he has only been a farmer and a keeper of cattle (cf. Amos 7:14)-busy but humble occupations that would have afforded neither the time nor the opportunity to learn the arcane methods of the pretender prophet: "I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth" (13:5). The verb translated "taught" implies "to acquire, to buy." Thus he will imply someone "obtained me in order to use me in this fashion." This lie may include the claim to have been sold as a slave, strengthening his case against the idea that he could be a false prophet.
The charade becomes more complicated when the false prophet is asked, "What are these wounds in [Hebrew, "between," cf. 2 Ki. 9:24] thine hands?" The word speaks of fresh wounds. The reference is clearly to the selfinflicted chest wounds often detected on the bodies of false prophets who would cut themselves in a frenzied attempt to procure answers from their chimerical gods (1 Ki. 18:28; Jer. 47:5; 48:37). Yahweh had specifically interdicted such activity (Lev. 19:28; Dt. 14:1). Thus such wounds unveil the true identity of this liar. His attempt at an explanation only reinforces the impression that he is lying.
A Final Conflict: In 13:7-9, the prophet Zechariah focused on the means by which the covenant promises of Yahweh will become the possession of a redeemed and restored nation of Israel. The transition is not as abrupt as it may seem. Zechariah already described false shepherds (chapter 11) in order to contrast them to a faithful shepherd. Now he uses false prophets (13:2-6) as a backdrop for his portrait of the smitten Shepherd, who undoubtedly is Jesus. On the night of His betrayal and arrest, the Lord Jesus quoted this verse and applied it to Himself and His disciples (Mt. 26:31; Mk. 14:27).
It is Yahweh who calls on the sword-the symbol of judicial power (Rom. 13:4)-to smite the True Shepherd and cause the sheep to be scattered: Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones (v. 7).
This verse might cause one to infer that the Shepherd committed some awful wrong. But Isaiah's song centuries earlier portrayed the Lord's Servant as "smitten of God" (Isa. 53:4) because "the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6) and because "it pleased the LORD to bruise him" (53:10).
Most remarkable is the title assigned the smitten Shepherd: my fellow. This term is only used in Leviticus, and there eleven times, to refer to one's nearest kin. Bible scholar Charles Feinberg characterized the term as meaning "My Companion, My Associate, My Friend, My Confidant, the One united to Me, the One whom I have associated with Myself, My Equal, My Nearest of Kin." He then concluded, "It would not be possible to state in stronger terms the unimpeachable deity of the Messiah of Israel."1
Indeed, when Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30), He spoke in the context of His claim to be the good Shepherd who would lay down His life for His sheep. That statement of essential oneness with the Father may be taken as Jesus' commentary on Zechariah 13:7. The prophet anticipated Messiah's twofold nature: "the man who is my fellow" and the one smitten by God.
As a result of the awful smiting the Shepherd received, the sheep of Israel (cf. Zech. 11) would be scattered and God's chastening hand turned against them (13:7). The immediate and literal fulfillment of that prophecy is found in the apostles' flight on the night of Jesus' arrest (Mt. 26:31, 56).
But the importance of the prophet's words extends beyond that initial night to the dispersion of the nation of Israel as sheep who have deserted their Shepherd. There is a "blindness in part" that has been imposed on Israel (Rom. 11:25), but her covenant-keeping God has not deserted her. Though that shepherdless nation has suffered awfully, God has preserved and will preserve-a remnant (cf. 2 Sam. 8:2; Ezek. 5:2, 12; Isa. 6:13). Though that remnant will be refined through the fires of suffering, one glorious day it will call on His name. On that day the Jewish people will be heard by Him and once again be gathered into the care of their smitten but resurrected Shepherd to confess together, "The LORD is my God" (13:9).
Zech. 13:1-9 - T. Constable Exposition
The restoration of Judah ch. 13
"The connection between chapters 12 and 13 is so close that a chapter division is really uncalled for. The same people, the same subject, and the same time are in view in both chapters. The relationship between Zechariah 12:10-14 and Zechariah 13:1-6 is not only logical but chronological as well. Once Israel is brought to a penitent condition and is brought face to face with her crucified Messiah, then the provision of God for cleansing will be appropriate." [Note: Ibid., p. 236.]
v. 1: In that day God would open a fountain for the complete spiritual cleansing of the Israelites, both for their moral sins and for their ritual uncleanness (cf. Ezekiel 47). The figure of a fountain pictures abundant cleansing that would continue indefinitely. This will be the fulfillment of God's promise to forgive the sins of His people Israel in the New Covenant (Zechariah 3:4; Zechariah 3:9; Jeremiah 31:34; Ezekiel 36:25; cf. Romans 11:26-27). ▪ "The blood of Jesus . . . cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). The cleansing is available now, but God will cleanse multitudes of Israelites in the future, after they turn to their Messiah in faith (Zechariah 12:10-14). "The problem of sin is the central problem in the OT. It began in the garden of Eden and will not be eradicated until the final day of Yahweh." [Note: Smith, p. 280.]
Verses 1-6-Israel's cleansing 13:1-6
v. 2: At that time the Lord also promised to remove idolatry, false prophets, and unclean spirits from the land. There would be external cleansing as well as internal. The Jews would "no longer ascribe supernatural powers to mere things, nor worship them as divine" (cf. Zechariah 10:2-3; Jeremiah 23:30-32; Jeremiah 27:9-10; Ezekiel 13:1 to Ezekiel 14:11). [Note: Baldwin, pp. 195-96.] False prophets, as is clear from the context, would not mislead the people (cf. Matthew 24:4-5; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:15; Matthew 24:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4; Revelation 9:20; Revelation 13:4-15). The unclean spirits are the diviners, mediums, and demons who confused and afflicted the people in the past.
▪ "The reference to the banishment of the unclean spirits out of the land . . . is the only passage in Scripture which explicitly refers to the imprisonment of demons during the kingdom age. But since Satan is remanded to the abyss (the prison house of evil spirits) during this era, as is clearly declared in Revelation 20:1-3, it is a necessary corollary that his demon aids shall also share the same fate." [Note: Unger, p. 225.]
v. 3: If anyone would try to play the part of a false prophet, his own parents, those closest to him, would put him to death. This was what God had commanded the Israelites to do to false prophets (Deuteronomy 13:6-9). They would pierce the false prophets fatally as they had formerly pierced the Messiah fatally (Zechariah 12:10).
vv. 4-5: This dangerous situation for the false prophets would lead them to hide their identity as prophets. They would not identify themselves in traditional ways (cf. 2 Kings 1:8) but would deny that they were prophets. They would go so far as claiming to have been sold into slavery as field hands when they were only boys, so they could not possibly be prophets.
v. 6: Sometimes false prophets cut themselves to arouse prophetic ecstasy, to increase ritual potency, or to identify themselves with a particular god (cf. Leviticus 19:28; Leviticus 21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1; 1 Kings 18:28; Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 41:5; Jeremiah 48:37). If someone saw such marks on a false prophet's body in that future day, the false prophet might claim that he had received his injuries by accident in a friend's house. The modern practice of claiming, "I walked into a door," to avoid telling the real reason for an injury is similar.
Though some expositors believed this verse describes Messiah and His wounds, the preceding context and lack of any New Testament citation of the verse in relation to Messiah argue against this view. [Note: Ibid., pp. 228-30; and R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and D. Brown, Commentary Practical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, p. 865; were proponents of the messianic interpretation.]
▪ "This verse is best understood as an evasive reply of a false prophet in the last days. It carries on and concludes the subject begun in Zechariah 13:2. By no valid interpretation may it be referred to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no clear change of subject between Zechariah 13:5-6 such as exists between Zechariah 13:6-7. Christ would not claim that He was not a prophet (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15-18); He was not a farmer; He was not bought or sold from His youth. Zechariah 13:7 does speak of Christ, as Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27 attest." [Note: The New Scofield . . ., p. 975. Cf. Feinberg, "Zechariah," p. 910.]
▪ "As is always the case with genuine conversion, there are both negative and positive aspects. The positive consists of the restoration to fellowship that takes place when sin has been forgiven (Zechariah 13:1). The negative involves the removal of those habits and attitudes that occasioned the interruption of fellowship between God and His people in the first place (Zechariah 13:2-6)." [Note: Merrill, p. 328.]
v. 7: Zechariah now returned in a poem to the subject of the Shepherd that he had mentioned in chapter 11. He also returned to the time when Israel would be scattered among the nations because of her rejection of the Good Shepherd.
▪ Almighty Yahweh personified a sword, the instrument of violent death, which he commanded to execute His Shepherd, the royal Good Shepherd of Zechariah 11:4-14. This is a figure of speech called apostrophe: a direct address to an impersonal object as if it were a person. Yahweh further described this Shepherd as the man who was very close to Him, even His Associate.
▪ "The expression 'who stands next to me' is used elsewhere only in Leviticus (e.g. Leviticus 6:2; Leviticus 18:12) to mean 'near neighbour'; similarly the shepherd is one who dwells side by side with the Lord, His equal." [Note: Baldwin, pp. 197-98. Cf. John 1:1-2; 14:9.]
▪ "There is no stronger statement in the OT regarding the unimpeachable deity of Israel's Messiah, the Son of God." [Note: Feinberg, "Zechariah," p. 910.]
▪ In Zechariah 11:17 it was the worthless shepherd whom the Lord would strike, but here it is the Good Shepherd. The one doing the striking is evidently God Himself since "strike" is masculine in the Hebrew text and agrees with "the LORD of hosts." If so, Zechariah presented Messiah's death as God's activity (cf. Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23) as well as Israel's (Zechariah 12:10-14).
▪ The striking (death) of the Shepherd would result in the scattering of the Shepherd's sheep (i.e., Israel, Zechariah 11:4-14). The Lord Jesus quoted this part of the verse, claiming the role of the Shepherd, when he anticipated the scattering of His disciples following His death (cf. Matthew 26:31; Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:27; Mark 14:50).
▪ The last line of the verse is capable of two different interpretations both of which came to pass. Perhaps a double entendre was intended. God Himself would scatter even the young sheep and would extend mercy to them (cf. Mark 13:19; Mark 13:24; Luke 2:35; Revelation 11:3-10). New Testament scholar R. T. France believed that this passage influenced the thinking of Jesus, regarding His shepherd role, more than any other shepherd passage in the Old Testament. [Note: R. T. France, Jesus and the Old Testament: His Application of Old Testament Passages to Himself and His Mission, pp. 103-4, 107-9.]
▪ "The divine witness to the death and deity of the prophesied Messiah makes this verse one of the most significant in the entire Old Testament." [Note: Unger, p. 232.]
vv. 8-9-The smiting of the Shepherd and the scattering of the sheep 13:7-9
v. 8-9: The scattering of the sheep would result in two-thirds of the flock dying and one-third remaining alive. The Lord would refine the surviving one-third in the fires of affliction (cf. Zechariah 3:2; Ezekiel 5:1-12). This remnant must be the same group of Israelites, described in Zechariah 12:10 to Zechariah 13:1, who would turn to God in repentance. Evidently two-thirds of the Jews, the unbelieving, will perish during the Tribulation and one-third will live through it and enter the Millennium. This surviving remnant then must include the 144,000 Israelite witnesses of Revelation 7:1-8; Revelation 14:1-5. The one-third will call on the Lord's name in supplication for forgiveness (Zechariah 12:10). The Lord will respond to their cry by reaffirming His new covenant relationship with them, and they will agree to it (cf. Ezekiel 20:37).
Zechariah 13:1-9 - RICHISON EXEGESIS
1 "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. - God will cleanse the nation of Israel in a future day (Zech 13:1-6). Chapters 13 and 14 are a continuation of the second oracle that began in Zechariah 12:1. The second oracle sets forth times of trial (Tribulation) and blessing (the Millennium) for the nation Israel.
The first six verses of chapter 13 prophecy the future national cleansing of Israel.
v. 1a: "In that day a fountain [spring of flowing water] shall be opened--In a future day, the Day of the Lord, God will provide for the complete cleansing of the nation Israel. The nation will come to their Messiah like a flowing fountain that produces a flood. This flood will constantly cleanse the nation of Israel (1 Jn 1:7).
v. 1b: for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem,--The "house of David" probably refers to the political leaders of Israel. This phrase represents the entire nation of Israel.
v. 1b1: for sin--The Hebrew word for "sin" here denotes to miss the standard which God establishes. It is a word for transgression and implies an active role in violating God.
v. 1b2: and for uncleanness [Ceremonial impurity].--"Uncleanness" is the Hebrew word for impurity, which indicates the outcome of sin. Uncleanness breaches the relationship between the sinner and God. Old Testament ceremonies were types of the person of Christ and His sacrifice for sins. Israel did not accept the Antitype who would fulfill their ceremonies.
PRINCIPLE: There will come a day of spiritual cleansing for the nation Israel at the Second Advent of Christ.
APPLICATION: When the Holy Spirit convicts Israel of their true Messiah, there will be a cleansing of the nation. This cleansing is a further fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10. Israel will be cleansed by looking to One that they pierced (Heb 1:3). At the moment when Israel embraces Jesus as her Messiah, a great national cleansing will take place, making Israel ready to enter into the Millennial kingdom.
The Second Advent of Christ is when the nation Israel will finally embrace Jesus as their Messiah. They will accept His sacrifice on the cross to forgive their sin. God will not only cleanse the heart of the individual but the entire nation of Israel
Verse one speaks of a fountain that cleanses from sin. William Cowper based his hymn "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood" on this verse. The shed blood of Christ alone is sufficient for saving a soul; only that sacrifice satisfied God's justice (1 Jn 2:2).
God values truth and deals with it in a very serious way. When people lead others astray, it carries significant consequences. That is why the Lord will cleanse the land of idolatry and falsity.
v. 2a: "It shall be in that day," says the Lord of hosts,--"That day" continues to be an emphasis of Zechariah. Here the reference is to a coming day before the Second Coming of Christ where God will judge idolatry and cleanse Israel so that she will be ready for the coming of Christ.
v. 2b: "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered.
Idols will be cut off from the land so that there will be no memory of them. God will remove the image of the beast in the temple in Jerusalem (Dan 9:27; 11:31; Mt 24:15; 2 Th 2:4; Rev 13:4). This event will occur during the Tribulation.
v. 2c: I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.--The "prophets" here are false prophets. These false teachers, who have an unclean spirit, will be removed from the land of Israel. The spirit behind heresy is "unclean," that is, demonic activity.
v. 3a: It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, 'You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.'--God required the death penalty for those who engage in false teaching and idolatry (Deut 13:7-10; 18:20), especially the claim to speak in the name of the LORD.
v. 3b: And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.--Since the law of Moses required that the nation kill false prophets, families will execute capital punishment on their children. The truth about Jehovah will have higher value than natural family bonds. The national conversion of Israel will be so complete that all memories of false teaching will be obliterated.
PRINCIPLE: God abhors false teaching.
APPLICATION: One day God's people will put the Lord before anything else. Israel betrayed Jesus at His first coming, but there will come a day when Jews embrace Jesus as their Messiah. Then they will not tolerate false prophets or any teaching that violates the Messiah.
Verses 4 and following continue to demonstrate the genuineness of Israel's future conversion to the Messiah.
v. 4: "And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive.--The false prophet's shame will become apparent when they refuse to wear their prophet's uniform. When justice prevails, false teachers will disavow what they had taught. They will not wear the "robe of coarse hair" of a true prophet. They will carry shame for proclaiming a false "vision," that is, what he alleged to have seen in a vision. He will carry guilt for misleading and misdirecting people. They deceive by wearing sheep's clothing. They are not what they appear to be.
v. 5: But he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.'--
False teachers of the future will deny that they are prophets but that they are farmers. They do this because a new national cleansing will rule the nation of Israel. Thus, they seek to disassociate themselves from what is false. The idea of their claim was that they never were false prophets because they were farmers from their "youth."
v. 6a: And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?'--False prophets cut themselves during their idolatry worship in attempt to appease their gods. To them, it was proof of their devotion to their gods. However, they will deny that their self-inflicted wounds were from idol practices. The person who asks this question gets behind the deception of false prophets by interrogation.
v. 6b: Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'--This "answer" refers to those who wound the prophets in their pagan temples. False prophets claim that they received their injuries by accident in their friend's house.
PRINCIPLE: False teaching always attempts to deceive.
APPLICATION: When the Messiah comes in His Second Advent, false teachers will be seen for the deceives they are. This brings disgrace and shame upon them. Shame causes people to hide. One day false teachers will attempt to conceal their heresy, but it will not work. They will hate their former days of prophetic glory. They will exchange their robes of ministry for another garb. Everything about them is deception. They deceived
others during their ministry, and they deceived when exposed for what they are.
* I have encountered false teaching among evangelicals. They always attempt to hide their teaching so that an unsuspecting public will not know what they teach. I found this especially in the inerrancy of Scripture debate. They claimed that the Bible was without error by giving misleading statements that made them appear to be orthodox.
Verses 7-9 present the True Shepherd who stands in contrast to the false prophets of verses 4-6. He will restore the remnant of Israel.
v. 7a: "Awake, O sword [judicial power], against My Shepherd [the Messiah], Against the Man who is My Companion," Says the Lord of hosts [God the Father speaking].--This verse addresses an impersonal object-a sword. This is a personification of a sword as an instrument of war and even death. The LORD of armies will direct the death of His Shepherd, the Messiah (Jn 10:11,14; He 13:20; 1 Pe 5:4). God Himself determined the death of Christ to pay for sins. The Shepherd of this verse is Jehovah's "companion," a person close to the LORD. This closeness may indicate that Jehovah and the Shepherd are of the same essence, affirming the Messiah's deity.
v. 7b: "Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; --The Lord Jesus quoted this verse relating to His arrest (Mt 26:31; Mark 14:27). Jesus claimed that this prophecy pertained to Himself; it was a prophecy about His first coming. The LORD calls on the "sword" to strike the Shepherd (Isa 53:4,7,10). When the sword does this, the sheep will scatter (Mt 26:31, 56), the nation Israel will lose its Leader.
v. 7c: Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. --God will allow His sheep to go through a period of discipline. There are times when He did this during the Roman invasion in AD 70 and the persecution of the early church.
v. 8: And it shall come to pass in all the land," Says the Lord, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it:--The probable indication here is that there will be significant persecution during the Great Tribulation just before the Lord returns (Re 12:6, 13-17). Two-thirds of the nation of Israel will perish. There will, however, be a surviving remnant of Jews. Only one-third of the population of Jews will enter the Millennial reign of Christ.
v. 9a: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested.--God will allow one-third of the Jews to survive. He will refine them as silver and purify them by tribulation. He will prepare them for the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah.
v. 9b: They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The Lord is my God.' "--"My people" expresses the covenant relationship to Jehovah. This sentence may refer to the New Covenant dealing with national regeneration (Jer 31:31-34). This chapter ends in dramatic climax with Israel's restoration. The nation will invoke God's blessing and He will answer them.
PRINCIPLE: One day Jews will take a stand for Jesus as the Messiah.
APPLICATION: By the cleansing of the earlier part of chapter 13, God will restore Israel to a faithful nation. They will engage in believing that Jesus is the Messiah. Then the Lord will restore Israel, and more than restore, but to establish an entirely new kingdom under King Jesus, King of the world (Ro 11:26-27).
The Tribulation has two purposes: 1) to reject unbelieving Jews from entering the Millennial kingdom, and 2) to bring to faith those with positive volition toward the Messiah.
Review
Previously, we looked at Zechariah 12, which described all the world's nations united in their attack against Israel, and God's miraculous saving of His people. Jesus is going to appear to defend the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and when they see Him, there will be an intense time of mourning over this pierced only Son, Who is God Himself. Chapter 13 begins in the same time period, saying, "In that day..."
13:1 A Fountain For Sin And Impurity
During the same period of time that Jesus returns to earth to protect the Jews and judge the nations, a fountain is going to be opened for the Jews, a fountain for sin and impurity.
The Bible twice describes God as being the "Fountain of Living Water" (Jer. 2:13; 17:13). He is God Who alone can cleanse us from our sin and wash it way.
Because they cried out to Jesus for their salvation, He will wash away their sin and impurity.
13:2 Idols Cut Off And Forgotten
Until this reign of Christ begins on earth, there are three things which will continue in Israel and in the world: Idolatry, false prophets, and the "unclean spirit."
Idols Removed
There have been many times in Israel's history when the idols were removed from the land. King Asa burned them (1Kings 5), King Josiah removed them (2Kings 23); Even wicked King Manasseh was eventually convicted and got rid of them (2Chron. 33). But these reforms were never permanent. The people kept remembering their foreign gods and would turn to them, forgetting the Lord (Deut. 32:18-21; Isa. 57:11-13). But in Christ's kingdom, not only will the idols be removed, they won't even be remembered!
The Unclean Spirit Removed
During the earthly ministry of Jesus, He encountered a lot of unclean spirits. These were the demons that were inside of people, controlling their bodies and speaking through their mouths.
Jesus cast these terrible creatures out of many people. But here in Zechariah, there seems to be an unclean spirit who is singled out as "the unclean spirit." I believe that this is talking about the devil himself.
In that day, the unclean spirit will be removed from the land. John tells us how this will happen in the Revelation:
Rev. 20:1-3 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer...
The unclean spirit, satan, will be removed from the land.
The Prophets Removed
Thirdly, the prophets will be removed from the land as well. Paul told the Corinthians,
1Cor. 13:8-10 ...if {there are gifts of} prophecy, they will be done away; if {there are} tongues, they will cease; if {there is} knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
Some folks have determined that "the perfect" was the completion of the Bible, but I disagree. If you continue to read Paul's statement in chapter 13, you see that when "the perfect" comes, then we will see face-to-face. Also, we will know fully just as we also have been fully known. This clearly has not happened yet. John wrote in his first epistle,
1John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.
So "the perfect," I believe, is Jesus appearing, His perfect love coming to earth. When He comes, spiritual gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and the word of knowledge will be done away with. There will be no need for them, because the teaching, prophecy, and supernatural knowledge will be coming directly from God's mouth in those days. Isaiah wrote,
Isa. 2:3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Prophecy from man will be unnecessary - the prophets will be removed from the land. If that were the only information given, it would be plain and simple to understand. But that is not the case, because there is some more description given in these next few verses which makes this a terribly difficult passage...
13:3 Who Gave Birth To Him
Simon Peter told the multitudes, that Jesus was received into heaven...
Acts 3:21 ...until {the} period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
One of the names for Christ's thousand-year reign on earth, is "the period of restoration of all things." In other words, things will return to the way before the flood devastated the earth and . Animals will again be vegetarians and non-violent.
Isa. 65:25 "The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.
And human life spans will again be hundreds of years long. But people will still be born and people will still die. Isaiah said,
Isa. 65:20 "No longer will there be in it an infant {who lives but a few} days, or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be {thought} accursed."
During the Millennial Reign of Christ, people will be born, and people can be killed. They won't be killed by animals anymore. Remember,
Isa. 11:8-9 And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
People won't be killed by poisonous snakes, but one way that they will die is if they prophesy. That's right - since prophecy will be done away with, any word of prophecy spoken will be obviously false. And when someone speaks such a false prophecy, their parents will kill them.
13:4-6 The Prophets And The Prophet
This is where it gets difficult, and where I believe the commentators get off track. If you've read up on this, you many have thought, "How can Pastor Ron keep quoting verse six as being about Christ, when every commentary I read said that this verse does not refer to Jesus Christ, but to a false prophet saying that that he was beaten up, or who is lying about his scars of mutilation received in worship of false gods?"
The fact is, most commentaries do say, "This cannot be about Christ because of the context." While I can understand the confusion, I cannot go along with their interpretation.
I could be wrong, but I believe that Christ is exactly Who the passage is referring to. Let me explain why:
First of all, the very next verse is all about Jesus the Shepherd being stricken, which He Himself clearly explains in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27.
We have also just seen the description of God Himself as the Pierced One returning to earth (12:10). We have just seen the description of God Himself as the fountain for sin and for impurity (13:1). We have also just learned that there will be no more prophets in the land speaking the Word of God, because God Himself will be speaking His Word (13:2).
Who will have vision and prophesy? Jesus. Those who would be prophets will be put to shame by Jesus' prophecy and vision. They won't deceive people by their "prophet's uniform" of a hairy robe anymore. Instead, they will be ashamed of Jesus' vision when Jesus prophesies. I think the context is clear in that we are speaking of the prophets as plural, and Christ as "Him." Notice the pronouns in the text: the prophets are "they" and Jesus is the "He" and "His". (The NAS, KJV, and the NKJ get these pronouns right, but the NIV muddies it up, and the NLT misses it entirely.)
A Tiller Of The Ground
Those who would be false prophets if allowed will be ashamed of His vision when He prophesies. But Jesus will say, "Hey guys, I'm not a prophet, I'm a farmer. The seed I'm sowing on soil is the Word in men's hearts. So I'm not seeking attention for myself as I prophesy, I'm planting the Word in people's hearts."
Why is He describing Himself as a farmer planting seeds? Your understanding of that depends on the version you're reading.
Zech. 13:5 (NAS) "...for a man sold me as a slave in my youth."
Zech. 13:5 (NIV) "...the land has been my livelihood since my youth."
Zech. 13:5 (KJV) "...for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth."
Zech. 13:5 (AMP) "...I have been made a bond servant from my youth."
Zech. 13:5 (NKJ) "...The soil has been my means of livelihood from my earliest youth."
How can there be such divergent translations? Again, I believe it is because the Hebrew text doesn't make any sense unless you apply it to Jesus Christ. The Hebrew simply says, "Aw-DAWM kaw-NAW naw-OOR."
"Aw-DAWM" is "man" or "Adam."
"Kaw-NAW" is a verb that means "got, acquired, bought, or possessed." It is in a tense that denotes causing, making it mean, "he caused the buying of." "Naw-OOR means "youth," which can be anything from the beginning of life to early adulthood. And so literally the Scripture is quoting Jesus as saying, "Adam caused Me to be acquired as a youth."
It was the sin of Adam that brought about man's separation from God. It was Christ Who restored the relationship by being born of a virgin, sowing the seed of the Word, and dying in our place.
1Cor. 15:21-22 For since by a man {came} death, by a man also {came} the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
Jesus will be sowing the seed of the Word because human beings on earth will still be descendants of Adam - sinners who are in need of salvation. As they are born without knowledge of the crucifixion, they will need to be taught.
And it is they who will say to Him,
Zech. 13:6 ..."What are these wounds between your arms?" Then He will say,"Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."
The word translated "arms" here is "yawd," which never means arms. It is always "hands," or can sometimes refer to the wrist. So the proper translation here is, "What are these wounds between your hands, or within your wrists?"
I want to point something out to you here: When Jesus is asked about these wounds, He does not say He received them in the house of His friends. He says He was wounded with those wounds in the house of His friends. (Again, the NIV totally misses the boat here.)
You see, Jesus did not receive those wounds in the house of His friends. But He was wounded with those wounds in the house of His friends. Remember that when He rose from the dead, His friends did not believe Him. He was wounded in the house of His friends with those wounds. It was Thomas who said,
John 20:25 ... "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
Eight days later,
John 20:27 ...He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing."
My personal belief is that Jesus was more emotionally wounded by the unbelief of His friends than He was by the sin of the Jews who condemned Him and the Romans who crucified Him. Of them, He said
Luke 23:34 ..."Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing"...
But to His friends,
Mark 16:14 ...He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Now God decrees that these things will happen to His Son...
13:7 Strike The Shepherd
Jesus would be stricken, and the sheep would be scattered. This happened the night He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. After the Last Supper, Jesus took the eleven apostles with Him to the Mount of Olives before going to Gethsemane.
Matt. 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.'
Sure enough, the Roman cohort came with the officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, carrying lanterns and torches and swords and clubs. Jesus was arrested, and all the disciples left Him and fled. The Shepherd was stricken, the sheep were scattered.
13:8-9 A Third Part Through The Fire
Again we are given details of the final days. Two thirds of the Jews will be killed, but the third that is left will cry out to their Messiah and be saved.
Zech 13:1-9 - Extra Commentary
The prophet depicts in the last six verses (of chapter 12), of the great national repentance and sorrow of Israel over Him "whom they have pierced," as the result of the pouring out upon them of the spirit of grace and supplication.
Here we see how that same blessed Spirit, who shall have wrought in them this godly penitential sorrow on account of their great national sin, shall bring them into the experience of forgiveness, and open their eyes to the provision God has made for their justification and cleansing.
Zechariah 13:1 "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."
"House of David ... inhabitants of Jerusalem": The totality of cleansing is noted by its effect on both royalty and commoners.
"A fountain ... for sin and for uncleanness": A symbolic reference to the means of cleansing and purification through the atoning death of the pierced One (1 John 1:7). This had direct reference to the New Covenant of (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-32; Rom. 11:26-29).
So the storm that broke upon Israel for the crime of Calvary and has raged with unmitigated fury for long, tragic centuries; will suddenly end and salvation will turn sin into righteousness in the gladness and glory of the kingdom of Messiah Jesus.
"In that day", is the great day of Israel's national atonement when the iniquity of that land shall be removed in one day when the whole nation shall as it were, "to be born at once".
Suddenly the storm that came upon Israel for so many long tragic centuries for the crime of Calvary will end and salvation will turn sin into righteousness in the glory of the kingdom of the Messiah Jesus.
The fountain will be opened to the nation because "then the eyes of the blind shall be opened". For the first time to behold the Lamb of God, and to perceive the atoning value and efficacy of the offering which He once made for the sins of many.
Chapter 12:10b: "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn."
The fountain is introduced as a means of purification from sin and moral uncleanness which is for the whole nation. This is not for bodily or ceremonial uncleanness but for purification from the guilt and the moral defilement of sin of which bodily uncleanness is often used in the Bible as a figure.
In Ezekiel 36:25 we read: "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."
Verses 2-6: When Christ returns and cleanses Israel from her defilement, He is also going to cleanse the nation from the deception of false prophets and their demonic religion.
Zechariah 13:2 "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, [that] I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land."
"Unclean spirit": The agents of idolatry are false prophets, but the spiritual power behind it is demonic. The wicked spirits who energize false prophets are unclean because they hate God and holiness and drive their victims into moral impurities and false religion (Deut. 32:17; 1 Kings 22:19:23; Psalm 106:34-39; 1 Cor. 10:20).
The agents of idolatry are false prophets, but the spiritual power behind it is demonic. The wicked spirits who energize false prophets are unclean because they hate God and holiness and drive their victims into moral impurities and false religion.
This scripture can be taken literally so we will concentrate on the phrase "In that day".
The range of the prophetic vision in the last six chapters of Zechariah does not end in the near immediate future but finds its goal in the time of the end. This is when the great sins of idolatry and false prophecy shall reach their climax with the worship of the beast and his image, and in the "unclean spirits" which shall go forth upon the earth to deceive the anti-Christian nations.
Zechariah 13:3 "And it shall come to pass, [that] when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth."
Because of the salvation of God which has cleansed God's people and made them love Him and His truth, hatred of false prophecy will overrule normal human feeling, causing even a father and mother to put their own apostate child to death (Deut. 13:6-9; 12-15; Deut. 18:18-22).
This is a stern reminder of how God feels about and will eventually treat those preachers who misrepresent the truth.
Even if it should be their own son who should presumptuously "prophesy", either to entice them from their allegiance to Jehovah or to spread error in His Name, his own parents will not spare or pity him. But his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through (pierced).
Zeal for Jehovah and His law will be so strong as to overmaster even parental affection; the people themselves would stop short at nothing in order utterly to exterminate the evil, should it be possible once again to assert tself.
Verses 4-5: "A rough garment": Because of these stern measures, false prophets will cease wearing the traditional clothing of a prophet (2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4). They will adopt a clandestine approach to propagating their demon inspired lies (Jer. 22:22; Mica 3:7), and lie if they are asked whether they are prophets, claiming to be farmers.
Zechariah 13:4 "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:"
He shall be ashamed of the doctrines he has delivered, they will appear to all men so ridiculous and absurd. As the doctrines of merit, and the works of supererogation (the performance of more work than duty requires). And purgatory (in Roman Catholic doctrine), a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. Of pardons (the action of forgiving or being forgiven for an error or offense). Penance (voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong), etc.
"Neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive": Or, "a hairy garment"; such as the first and ancient inhabitants of the earth wore, who used the skins of beasts for covering, as Diodorus Siculus observes.
And Pausanias says of the first natives of Locris, not knowing how to weave and make garments, used to cover their bodies, to preserve them from the cold, with the undressed skins of beasts, turning the hair outward, as more becoming.
And such a hairy garment, or much like it, Elijah wore. Hence, he is called a hairy man (2 Kings 1:8), and John the Baptist, who came in the power and spirit of that prophet, appeared in a like habit, clothed with camel's hair (Matt. 3:4).
And in like manner good men, especially in times of distress and trouble, used to wander about in sheepskins and goatskins (Heb. 11:37), which seem to be the same sort of raiment.
And now, in imitation of such like good men, and true prophets of the Lord, particularly Elijah. The false prophets, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe, in order to deceive the people, and pass for true prophets, put on such rough and hairy garments, as if they were very humble and self-denying men.
Braunius thinks the prophet may have respect to a custom among the idolatrous prophets, who used to clothe themselves with the skins of the sacrifices. And lie on them in their temples, in order to obtain dreams, and be able to foretell future things (of which see Amos 2:8).
But it seems to have respect to the habits of the monks and friars, and of the different orders by which they are distinguished as religious persons, and gain respect and reverence among men. And under the guise of sanctity and devotion, and of a strict and embarrassed life, impose their lies and deceptions upon them. But now will lay their habits aside, as being ashamed of their profession and principles.
The rough garment may have been camel's hair or possibly had been made of un-tanned skins. This had been an outward show in olden days that he was a prophet.
This was not only the outward sign of "the strict course of life and abstinence from worldly pleasures". "The thriftiness alike in food and attire", which marked the true prophets of Jehovah. But also it was the symbol of grief and mourning for the sins of the nation, and the consequent judgments which they were commissioned to announce.
This is speaking of a time, when men will be afraid and ashamed to give a prophecy for fear the people would ridicule them. It also appears, they do not want to be recognized as a prophet, so they cease to wear the prophet's garment.
Zechariah having shown the opposition which would be exhibited by the Jewish nation to the false prophets. Who were the chief cause of Israel's national undoing in the past, is showing why the prophets will be ashamed.
First, by the hypothetical instance of a son who should venture to prophecy falsely, then being slain by his own parents (in verse 3).
Secondly by the general statement the pretended prophets would themselves be ashamed of their evil profession and seek in every way to avert suspicion that they ever had to do with such evil practices with a view to deceive the people. He then proceeds in the next two verses still more fully to illustrate the condition of the time.
Zechariah 13:5 "But he shall say, I [am] no prophet, I [am] a husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth."
"But he shall say, I am no prophet": That he is not of the Romish clergy, (relating to the Roman Catholic Church), or of any of their religious orders, having laid aside his habit.
"I am a husbandman": He shall put on the habit of a husbandman, and work for his bread. For he will not be able to support himself, as before, with the sale of pardons and indulgences, and by praying souls out of purgatory. For no man hereafter will buy of his merchandise (Rev. 18:11).
And he will be ashamed of his former calling and traffic, and will not own that he was ever concerned therein. But will affirm that he was never of the Romish clergy, but always a layman, and employed in husbandry.
"For man taught me to keep cattle from my youth": He will say he was brought up to husbandry, or in some mechanic business, from his youth. And never was in any convent or monastery, or of any religious order. It may be rendered, "for man made me to work from my youth"; and is not to be restrained to keeping cattle, or any particular employment.
Now the false prophet, when accused with exercising the functions of a prophet, utterly denies the charge by stating that he is not at all likely to have performed the functions of a prophet seeing that he is only a simple farmer from his youth.
Zechariah 13:6 "And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends."
"Wounds in thine hands": The phrase cannot refer to Messiah, but is a continuation of the false prophet's behavior (in verses 4-5). When the false prophet denies any association with pagan practices, others will challenge him to explain the suspicious wounds on his body.
False prophets would cut themselves to arouse prophetic ecstasy in idolatrous rites (Lev. 19:28; Deut. 14:1; 1 King 18:28; Jer. 16:6; 48:37), but they will claim the scars represent some attack they suffered from friends. When the false prophet denies any association with pagan practices, others will challenge him to explain the suspicious wounds on his body.
Such rites were sometimes observed even where Jehovah was acknowledged to be the highest object of adoration.
In the idolatrous court of Ahab there were hundreds of false prophets whose established custom was prophesying in the Name of Jehovah. Yet at the same court priests and prophets of Baal cut themselves with knives and lancets until blood gushed out upon them, in order to procure answers from the god."
Verses 13:7-9: Zechariah turned from the false prophets wounded in "friends" houses to the true prophet wounded in the house of His friends, Israel. He compressed events of both the First (13:7), and Second (13:8-9), Advents into this brief section. It spoke of Christ's crucifixion (verse 7), and the Jewish remnant at His second coming (verses 8-9).
Zechariah 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."
The "sword" is the symbol of judicial power (Rom. 13:4), and indicates the power that God has entrusted to human government.
"My shepherd" is a reference to Jesus, the Messiah. He is the true Shepherd, unlike the false shepherds on who God's wrath fell (11:8). In (11:17), it was the worthless shepherd who was to be struck; now it is the Good Shepherd (12:10), whose death was designed by God from before the foundation of the world (Isa. 53:10; Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 18:20).
"Sheep ... scattered" (see notes on Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27), where Jesus applies this prophecy to the disciples who defected from Him after His arrest (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50), including Peter's denial (Matt. 26:33-35; 69-75).
"The little ones": The same as the "afflicted of the flock" (11:7). The reference is to the remnant of believers, among the Jews, who were faithful to the Messiah after His crucifixion.
Turning God's hand "against" them could mean they would suffer persecution, which they did (John 18:18, 20; 16:2; James 1:1), or it could be translated "upon" and refer to God's protection of the faithful.
The Shepherd of Jehovah, whom the sword is to smite, is no other than the Messiah, who is also identified with Jehovah (in chapter 10:10). Or the Good Shepherd, who says of Himself, "I and My Father are One" (John 10:30).
The term "my fellow" means "my nearest one" implies much more than mere appointment to this office. God is speaking of the True Shepherd, that mighty Man who is His intimate associate, thus He identified Christ as His co-equal, affirming the deity of Christ.
"Smite the Shepherd" took place at Calvary at Christ's crucifixion. The immediate smiting of the Shepherd caused the sheep to be scattered. The flock that was scattered is not the human race nor the Christian Church as some would have us think, but it is the Jewish nation.
Those people which the Good Shepherd was appointed to feed, (according to chapter 11 verses 1-14), but who because of their willful adamancy, (meaning resoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexible), are designated "sheep of slaughter".
"The little ones": The same as the "poor of the flock" (in chapter 11:7). The reference is to the remnant of believers, among the Jews, who were faithful to the Messiah after His crucifixion. Turning God's hand "against" them could mean they would suffer persecution, which they did, or it could be translated "upon" and refer to God's protection of the faithful.
Zechariah 13:8 "And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein."
"Two parts ... third": Only a portion of the people of Israel will remain faithful to Christ and be alive in the end. The spiritual survivors will be the remnant who look upon Christ in repentance at His return (12:10 - 13:1). Which will include those who make up the 144,000 (Rev. 7:4).
The third will be the sheep of the sheep-goat judgment after Christ's return who enter the kingdom alive (Isa. 35:10; Jer. 30:11; Matt. 25:31-46).
"Two parts ... one part": Only a portion of the people of Israel will remain faithful to Christ and be alive in the end. The spiritual survivors will be the remnant who looks upon Christ in repentance at His return. These will be the sheep of the sheep-goat judgment after Christ's return that enters the kingdom alive.
The sad part of this is the fact that the two parts are speaking of the ones who do not accept Jesus as their Savior. The third would be speaking of those who are not depending on their birthright to save them. They could be Jew or Gentile who accept Jesus as their Savior.
Zechariah 13:9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God."
"They shall say": From the midst of their fiery refinement, the elect remnant of Israel will see Jesus Christ, their messiah and call on Him as their Savior and Lord. Israel will thus be saved and restored to covenant relationship with the Lord.
The "refining" and "trying," or "testing" of even "the third part" or little remnant refers to the remnant in the land at the time of the very end, immediately before their final glorious deliverance. God will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried and shall purge and purify them that they may offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.
From the midst of this fiery furnace of tribulation "they shall call on My Name and I will hear them. The covenant relationship between God and His people, so long interrupted though never broken, is restored again.
The national vow of Israel by which they had made a vow to Jehovah to be their God, to walk in His ways, and ever to hearken to His voice, is now renewed, never to be broken again.
