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ZECHARIAH 12
The book of Zechariah
has THREE points of focus.
1. The period of the restoration of Judah from the Babylonian captivity during
the 2nd to 4th year of the reign of Darius (520-518 BCE/3605-3607 AH).
Zechariah 1:1; 7:1.
A. Encouragement to the Jews concerning the building of the
temple in Jerusalem, which will be accomplished in just a few
years (516 BCE).Verse 1:16-17, “I will return to Jerusalem with
compassion;
My house will be build in it, declares Yahweh of Hosts.”
“My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh
will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”
B. Promise of judgment on the nations that oppressed Israel
during their time of discipline.
Zechariah 2:6-7
“Ho there! Flee from the north, for I have dispersed you as
the four winds of heaven. Ho Zion! Escape you who are living
with the daughter of Babylon.
For thus says Yahweh of Hosts,
After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder
you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
For behold, I will wave My hand over them, so that they will be
plunder for their slaves.
Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me.”
This will occur in just
two years (in 518 BCE) when Babylon is devastated after revolting against
Darius.
2. The first advent of
the Messiah.
Before there can be a SECOND coming, there must be the FIRST coming.
Zechariah 9:9, the first advent
Zechariah 9:10, the second advent and kingdom.
Zechariah 11:1-14, Messiah’s arrival, betrayal and the judgment on the
temple
(Verses 15-17, the false prophet during the tribulation)
3. The second advent of
the Messiah and the Armageddon campaign
Zechariah 2:10-13, Arrival and kingdom
Zechariah 3:9-10, Restoration and kingdom
Zechariah 8:3-8, Restoration and kingdom
Zechariah 10:8-12, Re-gathering and kingdom
Zechariah 12-14, Second advent, Armageddon and Kingdom.
As with all the prophets, the FOCUS shifts from contemporary issues to the
second advent, with quite often, only a subtle indication that the shift has
been made.
Chapter 12
looks to the end-times at the end of the 70th week of Daniel when
Israel will be invaded by many nations seeking material resources.
The switch
to prose from the previous section provides a natural break, and a change of
focus.
Chapter
11:1-3 looks to a yet future destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
This seems
the best understanding, even though Zerubbabel’s temple is still 4 years to
being completed. It is written in poetry and is separated from chapter 10 by a
natural break, even though chapter 10 is also in poetry.
Chapter
11:4-16 shifts to prose
and gives us a change of focus.
Verses 4-7
look to the destruction of the nation at the hands of Rome in 70 AD.
Verses
8-11 look to the divine rejection of the nation of Israel during Messiah’s
first advent. The “three shepherds” might very well refer to the three bodies
of religious authority in the nation; the Pharisees, the Saducees and the
Scribes.
Verses
12-13 refer to the nation’s rejection of God’s messenger to them; the Messiah.
It provides a prophecy of the nation’s failure and destruction. Mat. 27:9-10.
Verse 14
states the future destruction of the nation and dispersion of the people.
Verses
15-17 then skip over the entire time of the world-wide dispersion and looks to
the man who will be instrumental in deceiving the nation during the great
tribulation and the time of Jacob’s distress; the false prophet.
There is
another shift from prose to poetry at verse 17 to indicate a unique change in
focus. Verses 15-16 are in prose, but seem to find application only to the
future time of Jacob’s distress. And it seems that the shift to poetry in
verse 17 is designed to jar the reader into making that future application.
Zechariah 12:1
”The burden of the
word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out
the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man
within him.”
The prophet gives us three
aspects of God’s creative power that focus not only on THAT POWER, but also on
the creator AUTHORITY that the power gives Him over His entire creation.
God has the POWER of having
created the heavens, the earth, and the life essence of man. And by virtue of
that power and act, He likewise has TOTAL AUTHORITY over all three.
See Topic:
God’s Power
See Topic: God’s sovereignty
ZECHARIAH 12:2-8
THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM
There are three STAGES to the
second coming of the Messiah.
(1) His arrival in the clouds
of the sky with power and great glory: This arrival will be in the sky ONLY.
From his position in the clouds or ON THE CLOUD (Rev. 14:14) He will pour out
the judgments from God’s wrath through the trumpets and bowls recorded in the
book of The Revelation. There four phases to it.
(A) The SIGNS phase. Joel 2:30-31; Mat. 24:29-31; Rev. 6:12-14; Isaiah
13:10, 13;
(B) The arrival phase.
Mat. 24:30;
16:27; Rev. 6:15-16;
Isaiah 30:27-30; 60:1-2; Ps. 96:13.
(C) The rapture phase.
Matthew 24:31-44; John 14:1-3; 1Thes. 4:14-17; 1Cor. 15:51-52
(D) The judgment phase. Rev. 6:15-17; 1Thes. 5:1-2.
(2) The second stage is His physical descent TO the earth at which time He
will personally confront the armies of the world that are gathered into
Palestine to loot and destroy the people of Israel. Through His physical
descent to the earth He will rescue the Jews and prepare for His earthly
kingdom.
There are four phases to it.
(A) The descent to Edom. Isaiah 34:6; 63:1-6; Hab. 3:3
(B) The descent to Jerusalem. Isaiah 63:1; Zech. 14:4; Joel 3:16.
(C) The descent to the Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon). Joel 3:9-16;
(D) The separation phase: when all unbelievers will be removed from the
earth
and only believers will be left alive to dwell on the earth in
Christ’s kingdom.
Ezek. 34:17-22; Mat. 25:31-46.
(3) The KINGDOM stage when Jesus sets up His 1000 year earthly reign.
There are four phases to it.
(A) The cleansing phase: Ezek 39:9-16.
(B) The building phase: Isaiah 60:4-11; 61:4; Ezek. 43:10-18; Dan.
8:15-26.
(C) The reigning phase: Isaiah 9:7; Jer. 23:5-6; Ezek. 37:24-28; Dan.
7:13-14.
(D) The completion phase: 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:7-10.
The Old Testament prophets viewed the second coming and the arrival of the DAY
OF THE LORD as having one starting point. They
did not make a distinction between the Messiah’s initial arrival IN THE CLOUDS
and His subsequent PHYSICAL descent to the earth. They viewed the second
coming as a physical descent to the earth that will begin the Day of the Lord.
Sometimes the prophets
focused on the inception of the day of the Lord; sometimes on some aspect of
the judgment that will happen DURING the day; and sometimes on the kingdom
blessing that follows the judgment.
The reader/interpreter needs to
be very diligent to recognize the context in each of the passages.
But it is not until the New
Testament teaching by Jesus and the apostles that we learn that Jesus will
FIRST arrive in the clouds of the sky.
Verse 2
"Behold, I am going to make
Jerusalem a cup that
causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against
Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.”
Toward the end of the 70th
week of Daniel and during the DAY OF THE LORD judgments, there will be an
advance of the king of the North throughout the world and into Palestine. This is portrayed
at the 6th trumpet judgment of Revelation 9:13-21.
The Northern alliance will be
comprised of many nations as listed at Ezekiel 38:2-6.
This invasion of Palestine and specifically
the city of Jerusalem by the king of the North, will be an attempt to gain
economic resources since the judgments from God will have prevented the king
of the west from fulfilling the terms of beast worship and operation “mark.”
Ezekiel 38:10-12; Revelation 13:15-17.
The movement of the king of
the North will trigger the gathering of the other nations into Palestine. This will then
lead to the final confrontation in the valley of The Verdict, when Jesus will
destroy all the invading armies at Armageddon.
The advance of the King of
the North is described at
Jeremiah 25:15-38;
Joel 2:1-11 and Ezekiel
38-39.
The gathering of the other
nations into Palestine
is described at Joel 3:2, 9-14; Revelation 16:12-16 and Revelation 19:17-19.
Verse 2 is looking
specifically to the invasion into the city of Jerusalem and sets the stage
for THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM.
Verse 3
“It will come about in that
day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples;
all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth
will be gathered against it.
The
term, “in that day” refers to the general time period of the second coming.
The specific event in view is determined by the context.
At verses 3, 4, 6, and 8, the context is the battle of Jerusalem.
At verses 11 and 13:1-2 and 4, the context is life in the Messiah’s kingdom.
The phrase, “all the nations”
is hyperbole, but indeed, it will be the large majority of nations that gather
at that time in order to gain for themselves economic security in view of the
devastating effects the day-of-the-LORD judgments will cause.
There will be,
FIRST: The king of the North
and the nations aligned with it. Ezekiel 38:1-12.
SECOND: The kings of the East will gather. Revelation 16:12-16
THIRD: The king of the West, which will already have a presence there, will
move to protect itself. Daniel 11:40-45.
FOURTH: The king of the South
“will collide with” the king of the West in the Palestinian area. Daniel
11:40.
Specifically, in and around
Jerusalem, the armies
of the Northern
Alliance will afflict
the people. It is stated in more detail at chapter 14:2.
“For I will gather all the
nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and the
houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city will be exiled, but
the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.”
But at
some time during this invasion, the king of the West will set up his camp
between the Mediterranean Sea (the seas) and the city of Jerusalem (the
beautiful holy mountain). Daniel 11:45a
"And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the
beautiful Holy Mountain."
This
effectively splits the Northern army into 2 sections according to Joel 2:20.
And in this condition the invading troops in the city will perish as Israel
fights against them in the battle of Jerusalem.
"But I
will remove the northern {army} far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the western sea.
And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things."
The half
that is driven west will likely be among those who gather in the Valley of the
Verdict at Armageddon (Joel 3:9-14). There they will be destroyed by the power
of Jesus as He pours down upon them “a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire,
and brimstone.” (Ezek. 38:22). Ezekiel 39:4, 17-20; Revelation 16:21; 19:21.
And the
foul smelling corpses will be food for all the birds of prey.
Revelation 19:17-18; Ezekiel 39:4, 17;
The half
that is driven east will be in Jerusalem at the north end of the Dead Sea
(“the eastern sea”). These will be defeated by the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and the clans of Judah.
Shortly
after the king of the west divides the northern army, Jesus will descend to
the Mount of Olives, causing it to split down the middle and form an East/West
valley extending for 6 miles West of Jerusalem to Azel (Zech. 14:4). As a
result the Northern army will be greatly restricted and be unable to escape.
The
physical descent of Jesus onto the Mount of Olives will also produce a huge
earthquake that is mentioned in other passages that deal with this judgment on
the nations. Ezekiel 38:18-20; Revelation 16:17-18.
This arrival of the Lord will
serve as a catalyst for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the clans of
Judah, outside the city, to fight the invaders.
The battle of Jerusalem can be put together
by combining the information in chapters 12 and 14.
Verse 5
"Then the clans of
Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants
of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.'
Verse
14:14
”Judah
also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.”
The gathering of the plunder
will be explained at verse 14:1.
Verse 12:4
"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment
and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of
Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.”
IN THAT DAY: The context is
still the battle of
Jerusalem.
Verse
14:12-15
”Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples
who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while
they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their
tongue will rot in their mouth. It will come about in that day that a great
panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand,
and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another.
So also like this plague will be the plague on
the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in
those camps.”
The
exact nature of this plague cannot be determined with certainty, but it
appears to be some kind of biological weapon, since it will affect the animal
life in the area as well, as seen at verse 14:15.
”So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the
camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps.”
It also
seems to be selective, since there will still be many who will be fighting
even though many will be blind and panic-stricken.
Verse 12:6
"In that day I will make the
clans of Judah like a
firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will
consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while
the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.
IN THAT DAY: The context is
still the battle of
Jerusalem.
Verse 12:7
"The LORD also will
save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the
glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.
It appears that the plague
will first affect the invaders who are outside the city, so that the clans of
Judah will be able to
defeat them and move into the city to rescue it from the invading troops that
are still there.
Verse 12:8
"In that day the LORD will
defend the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like
David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD
before them.
IN THAT DAY: The context is
still the battle of
Jerusalem.
The clans of Judah will move into the city
and be the Lord’s instruments of victory as they fight like David the warrior.
Verse 12:9
"And in that day I will set about to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
IN THAT DAY: The context goes
beyond the battle of
Jerusalem and looks to the end result of the entire period of the second
advent.
It introduces a summary
statement to indicate the final result of the invasion of Palestine.
Revelation 19:21
“And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who
sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
Verse 10
The prophet
SEEMS to jump immediately
into the kingdom.
If that is the case, then -
The unbelievers have all been removed via
1. The separation of the fat and lean sheep of the Jews: Ezekiel 34:17-22.
2. The separation of the sheep and the goats of the Gentiles:
Matthew 25:31-46.
Only believers will be alive
to go into the Messiah’s kingdom, and the blessings promised to Abraham
concerning both his seed and the Gentiles will be fully realized. Genesis
12:2-3; 2 Samuel 7:16
HOWEVER
As with much of prophetic revelation, the message of Zechariah at verse
12:10 has a double application.
1. It looks to the Messiah's first advent and God's provision of salvation
for the nation of Israel.
2. It looks to the Messiah's second advent and the message of salvation that
will be proclaimed to the nation prior to Christ's arrival in the clouds of
the sky with power and great glory.
Zechariah jumps from the battle of Armageddon at verse 9 and looks to three
key factors concerning the person and work of the Messiah.
THE FIRST ADVENT
The first two factors refer directly to God's salvation provision through
sending Christ the Savior.
Factor 1: The ministry of Christ that brings A spirit of grace and
forgiveness.
Since, according to John 19:37, the next factor is specifically referenced
as fulfilled at the crucifixion, "they shall look on Me whom they pierced,"
it seems that this first factor should refer to that which preceded the
crucifixion.
Pour out: shAphach. This refers to a spiritual "bombardment" of salvation
information through the teaching of Jesus.
Although there will be a pouring out of the Spirit on believers during the
mil kingdom, there is good reason to see THIS as something different.
On the Jewish people: Jesus presented himself to the Jewish nation first and
foremost. (Rom. 1:16).
Mat. 1:21, "for it is He who will save His people from their sins."
Luke 1:77-78 (John's part), "to give to His people the knowledge of
salvation through the forgiveness of sins because of the tender mercy of our
God."
1. House of David: focus on the Messianic family.
2. Inhabitants of Jerusalem: Jerusalem as the capital of the nation
represents the entire nation.
Thus ALL of Israel is in view and the promise of "whoever believes" extends
to all.
A spirit: ruach occurs without the definite article (the) and refers then to
a "breath" or an influence.
of Grace: This refers to the salvation provision. The merit less forgiveness
of sins through faith in the person and work of Jesus.
It is described at Isaiah 11:2.
First is stated the fact that the Holy Spirit will rest on Jesus.
Then is stated the INFLUENCE that will come upon the hearers as the Holy
Spirit works through Jesus.
And this will elicit "the fear of the Lord" which will result in faith that
calls upon His name for forgiveness of sins
and spiritual life.
"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord."
Acts 10:36, "the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming peace
through Jesus Christ."
John 1:16-17, "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
Acts 20:24, "the gospel of the grace of God."
Acts 20:32, "the word of His grace."
and supplication: This refers to the required response to God's grace
provision. It is an appeal to God that ACCEPTS by faith the grace provision
of salvation. The word is tachenun in the plural but is used as an abstract,
thus translated as a singular ro refer to the PRINCIPLE of appealing to God
for favor. In this case, the favor of forgiveness of sins and restoration to
spiritual life with God. The supplication is an expression of ACCEPTING the
provision by faith.
It fulfills, "call upon" the name of the Lord and you will be saved. Joel
2:32.
Romans 10:12, "abounding in riches for all who call upon Him."
Acts 22:16, "wash away your sins by calling on His name."
Factor 2: The nation's rejection of the Messiah at the crucifixion.
Verse 12:10b, AND they will look on Me whom they have pierced. The verb is
dAkar = to pierce through.
(This should not be translated
as “so that” as with the NASB.
It is another simple connective (and, wav in the Hebrew), and should be
translated as an additional thing that will happen. It is misleading to translate
it “so that,” because that implies that it is the result of the "spirit" or
influence that is mentioned.)
The mention of "piercing" looks to the frame of reference of Psalm 22:16,
"they pierced My hands and My feet,"
Although a different verb is used. Kur, qal perfect, 3ppl.
And perhaps to Isaiah 53:5, where chAlAh is used.
Is. 53:5, "He was pierced through for our transgressions." (verb is chAlAh =
to pierce or to wound).
This is fulfilled at the crucifixion when the "nation" as represented by the
Jewish leaders and the people present, look in rejection and judgment upon
the Messiah. John 19:6-15, "we have no king but Caesar."
John 19:36-37
"And these things came to pass that the Scripture might be fulfilled, not a
bone of him shall be broken. (Ps. 34:20; 22:17; Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12)."
And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they have
pierced."
Factor 3: the mourning of the people at the crucifixion.
After Jesus proclaims "it is finished," and delivers his spirit into the
hands of the Father, and upon experiencing the great earthquake, the great
multitude of people who had proclaimed "we have no king but Caesar," finally
realized what they had done and expressed great remorse. This remorse was
not FAITH in Christ, but recognition that they had crucified an innocent
man. Luke 23:48
"And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching
what had happened, began to return home, [a]beating their chests."
It might also look to Acts 2:37. About 3000 Jews who heard Peter's message
on the day of Pentecost reacted. "Now when they heard this they were pierced
to the heart."
THE SECOND ADVENT
Factor 1: the ministry of the church and the two witnesses prior to the
arrival of Jesus.
It is the same message as at the first advent; grace provision and the
supplication of calling on the name of the Lord.
The church: Mat. 10:16-23; Mat. 24:14; Mat. 28:18-20
Acts 1:8; Dan. 11:35
Two witnesses: Rev. 11:3; Mal. 4:5-6
Hosea 5:14-6:3 with Isaiah 53:2-10
Isaiah 62:6-11
Factor 2: Rev. 1:7a,b, c. When Christ arrives, every eye will see Him, EVEN
those who pierced Him."
Those of Israel who have been prepared to recognize Jesus as Savior will
trust in Him upon His arrival.
These are the 144k of Rev. 7:1-8 (14:1-7).
Factor 3: The mourning of all the tribes of the earth.
Zech 12:10c, "and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only
son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a
firstborn. This seems to be a painful type mourning.
1. First it includes the mourning in fear as at Rev. 1:7d, "and all the
tribes of the earth will mourn over Him."
And as mentioned at Mat. 24:30, "and all the tribes of the earth will
mourn."
2. Second, it probably includes some INITIAL mourning by the 144k just
before they accept Jesus as Savior.
3. Third, at Zech 12:11-14, the mourning in view is the FORMAL memorial
mourning by Israel at the start of the kingdom in recognition of the past failure to recognize Jesus at His first coming.
Verse 11-14
"In that day there will be
great mourning in
Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
"The land will mourn, every
family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives
by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by
themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by
themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by
themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself and their
wives by themselves.
IN THAT DAY:
The general time period of the day of the Lord. But here the focus is on the
time after the battles of verse 9 and looks to life in the newly established kingdom of
the Messiah.
The reference to Hadadrimmon
refers to the mourning for King Josiah after his defeat and death in the
battle of Charchemish. He was such a righteous and popular king that the
people mourned greatly at his death. 2Chron. 35:20-27.
This
national mourning will not happen prior to the kingdom. There is no “time” or
“opportunity” for the formal mourning of the nation, as is described by
Zechariah, to occur prior to the defeat of the invaders and the establishment
of the nation as secure on its own land.
Chapter 13:1-6 continues with
information about life in the kingdom.
The structure is still prose
until verse 7 and there is no break in the subject from chapter 12:13.
Once again, the term, “in
that day” refers to the general time period of the second coming. The specific
event in view is determined by the context.
Verse 1: personal sin must
still be dealt with as everyone will still have an sin nature.
Verse 2: All idolatry will be shut down. All idols will be removed. All the
false prophets will be removed. And all the demons will be removed from the
earth.
Verses 3-6: As time goes by, many of the people born will grow up as an
unbeliever and return to false doctrine and become false prophets. The
society will deal with these false teachers as they are discovered.
Verses 7-9: This section
looks to the first coming of the Messiah, the nation’s rejection of the
Messiah, and the judgment from God that results from that rejection.
This section is separated
from the previous 6 verses by shifting back to poetry.
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