ZECHARIAH 13

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 a 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.

Verse 1
"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.”

This probably refers to the continuous provision of forgiveness for the nation of Israel, based on the Messiah’s successful sin sacrifice at His first coming. The context is still the kingdom age. I cannot see any reason to shift to a first advent context for verse one. It is true that the shift to the first advent and the rejection of the Messiah is made at verse 7, but that is based on the change from prose to poetry. Here, the term, “In that day” follows from its usage in chapter 12, and has a specific end-times focus.

It appears to me that this “fountain” for forgiveness of sin is for the sins that will be committed by the people during the kingdom age. All the people who enter into the kingdom will be saved before they enter rather than after.

It is possible that the prophet has in view, the source of forgiveness (the Messiah’s sin sacrifice) being available to the people DURING the Jerusalem conflict of the end-times, and their salvation during that time, but still prior to any entrance into the kingdom.

This is related to the timing for verses 12:10-14; the pouring out of the Spirit and the FORMAL time of mourning for the tribes Israel.  As indicated in chapter 12, this FORMAL time of mourning seems to take place after the start of the kingdom for there is no “context” for it occurring while the armies are all fighting in and around Jerusalem. This is especially true in view of the nature of the invasion as described at chapter 14:2.

Verse 2
"It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered ; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.

This is describing the spiritual environment at the start of the kingdom age.
Idolatry will be ended and the idols totally removed.
The false prophets who promoted the idolatry will be gone since only believers will be allowed entrance into the kingdom.

All the demons; the unclean spirits will be removed from the earth. They will probably be placed in the abyss along with Satan. Revelation 20:1-3.

Verse 3

"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 birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies.

Apparently, some of the believers who enter into the kingdom will have functioned as false prophets in times past. Of course, a false prophet can be a believer as well as an unbeliever.

This is talking about FALSE prophets/teachers and not genuine teaching, for after the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the Israelites according to Joel 2:28-29,

“Your sons and daughters will prophecy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.”

So later, if any of the people attempt to return to idolatry via their false prophet activity, the first course of punishment will be through the parents. They will actually put the false prophet to death by piercing him through as he attempts to teach the false doctrine.

Verses 4-5

"Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive; 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.'  

In some cases, some of these FORMER false prophets will attempt to continue to engage in their false teaching. It is certain that they will still be engaged in this activity for the language indicates, that they “will each be ashamed of his vision WHEN HE PROPHECIES.”

However they will be “socially” ashamed and need to be DEFENSEIVE about their activity.

They will not put on the hairy coat, which was normally characteristic of the dress of the prophets in general. And if anyone recognizes them from their past activity before the kingdom began, they will have to deny any accusations.

They will claim to be a farmer rather than a prophet, and this will be because they will have been sold into slavery as a youth.

Verse 6

"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.'

But the false prophet will still be engaged in their false teaching and idolatrous practices which includes self-mutilation in various forms. Accordingly, people will see the marks of this practice and remember the customs of the past. This will be part of the accusation directed against the false prophet. Accordingly, the false prophet will continue to lie and simply say that the marks were accidents that happened in the house of his friends or loved ones.

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 immediate context by a device called Hebrew poetry.  It is not clear in most translations, but very clear in the Hebrew text – and the NASB preserves the distinction.  For the best understanding of Zechariah (as well as the other prophets) it is imperative to treat the many “poetic” sections as separate from the “prose” sections. Again, this will be perfectly obvious in the Hebrew text and in the better English translations.

This shift always indicates some change in focus. It might be a major change or a minor change, but the shift from poetry to prose, or from prose to poetry grabs the attention of the reader and requires some kind of change in focus. The change, of course, will be determined by the context.
 
Chapter 12:1-14 and 13:1-6 is all one “prose” section.
All of chapter 14 is “prose.”
In between is a short piece of poetry; verses 13:7-9 which must be viewed in detail in order to understand it.
1. First of all, we can establish the context from the quote of verse 7
   which is found at Matthew 26:31, “strike the shepherd that the sheep
   may be scattered.”  There should be no doubt here that the Spirit is
   telling Zechariah about the Messiah’s crucifixion.
2. Verse 7, awake O sword:  This refers to the violence and oppression directed against Jesus through the 6 illegal trials he endured and then the actual crucifixion. (a good summary can be found at Psalm 22).
3. against My Shepherd, against the man, my associate: Jesus the
   Messiah at the 1st advent.
   A. “MY shepherd” indicates that this person is God’s chosen one to
      gather His elect through the sacrifice of His own life.
      John 10:11-18
   B. Against the man: This is an emphasis on the Messiah’s humanity.
      The title “The Son of Man” was used by Jesus quite often to
      stress the humanity aspect of the Messiah’s person.
   C. My associate: The Hebrew is Amiyth. It occurs only here and 11 times in Leviticus. It has the idea of friend, companion, fellow countryman, or neighbor. It indicates an equality factor since the fellow countrymen are brethren. In this context, Yahweh is saying that this “the man” is a “companion” or friend, who shares equality factors with Him.
John 1:1; 5:19-27; 10:30.

4. Strike the shepherd: refers to the death of Jesus on the cross.
5. That the sheep may be scattered:  all those who had believed in
   Jesus during His ministry became disillusioned and afraid and they
   scattered each to his own home. John 16:32.
6. And I will TURN AGAIN (Hebrew, shubh. Not turn against, but turn
   again or return) my hand UPON: reference to special care and
   attention returned to those who have been intimidated.
7. upon the little ones:  this refers to the disciples who come
   under the special resurrection ministry of the Lord for
   40 days. (Acts 1.1-3)
   At Matthew 26:31, where this is quoted, it is followed in verse 32
      with just such a promise to the disciples, “But after I have
      been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
8. So Jesus will have a very clear “extension” ministry to the disciples after his resurrection. But, Jesus also gave some specific
prophecies to the nation which rejected Him.
   A. Mt. 21:43, “therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will
      be taken away from you and be given to a nation producing the
      fruit of it.”
   B. Mt. 23:38, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate.”
   C. Mt. 24:2, “do you not see all these things? Truly I say to
      you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will
      not be torn down.”
   D. Luke 21:24, “and THEY will fall by the edge of the sword, and
      will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be
      trampled under foot by the Gentiles unto the times of the
      Gentiles be fulfilled.”
        (Notice - 2 categories of THEY - dead and taken captive)


Zechariah 13:8

“And it will come about in all the LAND: Palestine
   This is not a reference to the sheep who were scattered, but the
   people of the nation of Israel who have rejected the Messiah.
1. That 2 parts IN IT will be cut off and PERISH:  that is fulfilled by
    the prophecy of Jesus at Luke 21:24, fall by the sword.
2. And the third will be left in it:  obviously, this means ALIVE.

Verse 9a

See Topic: Israel’s National Discipline

And I will bring the 3rd part through the fire: This refers to the extreme judgment on the nation, which is designed ultimately, to refine and examine.
1. The rest (1/3) who remain alive in the land will then be taken
      captive and scattered throughout the Roman Empire and then
      world wide, where they remain at this very hour.
2. This is a fulfillment of Deut. 4:25-31 (among many others)
   Verse 25, after a LONG TIME in the land - - do that which is evil
           in the sight of the LORD your God-(Messiah rejection?)
   Verse 26, perish quickly - - - be utterly destroyed. ONE GROUP
   Verse 27, scatter you among the peoples   SECOND GROUP
   Verse 28, idolatry: anything that rejects the true worship of God
   Verse 29, they will seek God: But they will not find Him unless
      they search for Him with all the heart and all the soul.
   Verse 30
   A. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon
      you, IN THE LATTER DAYS: The “latter days” begins with
      God’s rejection of them after they reject Messiah.
   B. You will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.
      (The Babylonian captivity was a precursor to this,
       but not the ultimate fulfillment)       
 3. Deut. 28:49-68; Lev. 26:27-45  (amplification)

Verse 9b

They will call on my name, and I will answer them.
    This is Israel’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.

They call upon Him DURING the Day-of-the-Lord judgments.

Those who believe BEFORE the arrival of the Lord after the SHORTENED “tribulation of those days” (Mat. 24:29), will of course become members of the universal body of Christ and be raptured when He comes back (Mat. 24:31).

Once the SIGNS occur, many will call upon the name of the Lord, but it will be too late to be considered part of the universal church. These will of course, be saved, but will remain on the earth for the duration of the 70^th week plus 75 days. It is these who will be answered by the Lord as He judges the unbelievers and eventually descends to the earth to destroy the armies that are gathered in Palestine.
   A. Joel 2.30-32, warning of the Day of the LORD judgments
     1. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
     2. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem: This refers to the nation of
        Israel as verse 3:1 indicates, “for behold in those days and at
        at that time, when I restore the captivity of Judah and
        Jerusalem . . .  on behalf of my people and my inheritance
         Israel.”
     3. There will be those who escape,
        As Yahweh has said,
        Even among the survivors whom Yahweh calls.

     4. “And thus all Israel will be saved,” as Paul writes at Romans
        11:26.

God will never forsake Israel. He made promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that will never be broken. Romans 11:1-2
”I say then, God has not forsaken His people, has He? Definitely not!
God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew.”

Romans 11:29
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

 Romans 11:26
”And thus, all Israel will be saved; just as it is written”

Paul refers to the Old Testament to indicate HOW it will happen that “all Israel will be saved.”

Isaiah 59:20. It will happen because –

(1) The Messiah will come.
(2) And because the Messiah will cleanse the people so that the only ones left will be believers. “He will REMOVE ungodliness from Jacob.”

Paul wrote, “The Deliverer will come from Zion,” which is a reference to Isaiah 59:20.

The preposition in the Hebrew at Isaiah 59:20 is LE. It basically has the idea of FOR or CONCERNING, rather than TO.  If the intent was to communicate TO ZION, then the preposition would be EL. Thus the better rendering is FOR Zion.
Paul used the preposition, EK, to indicate the idea of OUT FROM, BUT his intent is not to indicate a LOCATION, but the SOURCE.

Thus, there is no conflict between the Hebrew and Paul’s reference.
Isaiah is saying that the Messiah will come FOR THE BENEFIT OF ZION.

Paul is saying that the Messiah will BE from Zion.

This is a general statement concerning the second coming of the Lord.
And it has in view only ONE of the items on the Messiah’s agenda.

Paul is only interested in telling us that when the Messiah comes, He will conduct a process of cleansing Israel from sin so that only believers will be left to go into the kingdom.

Specifically, the cleansing process will occur as many Jews trust in Christ after His arrival in the clouds of the sky at the 6^th seal, and during the Day-of-the-Lord judgments that follow.

Then, after Armageddon, all the Jews will be gathered into Palestine where Christ will remove the unbelievers (fat sheep) from the earth. The only ones left will be the believers; the “lean sheep” of Ezekiel 34:17-22.
(Jeremiah 31:7-9; Isaiah 27:12-13; 43:5-7; 60:4-9; Ezek. 20:33-44).

Paul continues at Romans 11:26, “He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

And Isaiah says, “And FOR those who turn from transgression in Jacob.”

Once again, there is no conflict.
Paul is saying that the Messiah will cleanse the people and remove the wicked ones.

This is an action that is FOR THE BENEFIT of the nation for THEN, “all Israel will be saved.”

Isaiah says that the Messiah is coming FOR THE BENEFIT of the ones who have turned away from their sins and embraced the Messiah.

Thus, when the Messiah comes He will “trigger” many conversions and will accomplish His judgment and kingdom agenda for the benefit of those who are converted.

And eventually, He will REMOVE all transgressions – He will remove the unbelievers from the earth so that all who remain will be “all Israel saved.”

According to Ezekiel 34:17-22, He will come FOR the lean sheep and He will REMOVE the fat sheep.

At Romans 11:27 Paul continues to document the future salvation of ALL ISRAEL.
“And this is My covenant with them
When I take away their sins.”

It seems that Paul has correlated three Old Testament FACTORS rather than passages. He is not quoting any particular passage in its entirety, but referring to the CONCEPT of the covenant with God through the forgiveness of sins.  And he mentions these factors by referencing Isaiah and Jeremiah.

The two main ideas are “the covenant” and the “removal of sins.”

(1) And this is my covenant with them: This is from Isaiah 59:21, and follows reasonably from the reference to 59:20 at Romans 11:26.  However, Paul CORRELATES Isaiah with Jeremiah.

At Isaiah, the covenant refers to the presence of the Holy Spirit WITH the nation of Israel, and the permanent ministry of God’s word within the nation.
Isaiah 59:21
”And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, says Yahweh: My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring, says Yahweh, from now and forever.”

Of course, this blessing will and can only be realized after a person has become a believer; that is, after the sins have been removed.

Thus, in our passage at Zechariah 13:9, at the start of the Messiah’s kingdom, He will say, “They are My people, and they will say, Yahweh is my God.”

The covenant relationship IS the removal and forgiveness of sins.

This is brought out by Jeremiah in 31:33-34.
”But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yahweh, I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people . . . for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

(2) The second FACTOR then, is removal of sins. It is possible that Paul has in mind Isaiah 27:9a, “Therefore, through this, Jacob’s iniquity will be forgiven,” in the Hebrew.
And the last part of the verse in the LXX, “And this is their blessing, when I take away their sins.”
This passage also relates the future kingdom Blessing that will come upon Israel.

However, it seems more likely that Paul is making a reference to the covenant of Jeremiah 31. He quotes the first part of Isaiah 59:21, “and this is My covenant with them.”

And that reminds Him of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34, and the fact that this salvation covenant is based on “I will forgive, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Thus, Paul is saying that the COVENANT of “all Israel will be saved” is based on the fact of a complete judicial forgiveness of sins. We have to add some details, for it should be obvious that the establishment of this covenant on a personal level comes only when a person has trusted in Jesus Christ as the Messiah/Savior.

The covenant in view is an extension of the salvation covenant established by Jesus through His sacrifice and victory on the cross (Heb. 10:12-18); “the everlasting covenant – the grace provisions of David.”

Isaiah 55:3
“Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you – the grace provisions of David.”
(Jeremiah 33:14-16).

This is the new covenant of salvation from sin was established by Christ on the cross, and confirmed through His death and resurrection. Hebrews 10:5-18.

The “grace provision” of salvation is available to all, “for there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him.”
(Romans 10:12).
”For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men.” (Titus 2:11).

When ALL Israel is SAVED Israel, then they will all be under the new covenant of salvation from sins as promised at Jeremiah 31:31-34.
“I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah and with the house of Israel . . .  for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

According to Romans 11:25, this will occur some time AFTER “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” This refers to God’s plan to bring a maximum number of Gentiles into the body of Christ through faith in Christ. In God’s perfect timing, He will send Jesus back to arrive “in the clouds of the sky with power and great glory;” “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will show at His own time.” (1 Tim. 6:14-15).

It is at this time that the church body, comprised of all saved Jews and Gentiles, will be resurrected and taken out of the world to meet the Lord in the air. 1Thes. 4:14-17; Mat. 24:31 (the rapture).

(The fullness of the Gentiles is not the same thing as “the times of the Gentiles.)

(The two witnesses of Revelation 11:1-12 have a unique and specialized ministry during the second half of Daniel’s 70^th week. They are the only believers who will not be go up at the rapture. When their testimony is over at the end of the week, they will be caught up to join the rest of the raptured saints.)

Then, when all Israel is saved, then all the world will recognize the unique relationship that Israel has always had with the God of the universe. Isaiah 62:12.
“And they will call them, The holy people,
The redeemed of the LORD."

SUMMARY

What all these passages establish then, is that in AD 70, 40 years after the nation rejected the Messiah, God brought upon that nation all these prophecies of the OT and what Jesus Himself had said would happen.
Zechariah 13:8, does not refer to the church, or any fanciful reference to the bride of Christ.
There are 2 groups here - 2/3  and 1/3 = 3/3.
     2/3 = die;     1/3 = scattered.
   
Compare with Ezekiel 5:1-12.

Specifically verse 12: Again, we should be careful not to make 3 groups here.
    1/3 dies by plague or famine = death
    1/3 dies by sword = death = 2/3 refers to one group that dies.
    1/3 scattered = 1/3 who are scattered throughout the world.

The testing of the ONE THIRD takes place throughout the church age and ultimately during the time of Jacob’s trouble.
There are two “stages” to this time of testing.
(1) The time from the cross until the Day of the Lord return of Jesus.
Throughout the church age, any of Israel who trusts in Jesus becomes part of the church and the veil of blindness is removed (2 Cor. 3:14-16).
This time of DISPERSION and of TESTING is seen at Daniel 11:33b-35,
and at Daniel 12:10.

(2) The time from the return of Jesus until the end of Armageddon.
These are the ones in view at Matthew 23:39 and Romans 11:25-39.
The time of Jacob’s trouble might need to be viewed as having TWO parts:
(a) from the inception of the tribulation until the day of the Lord.
(b) from the day of the Lord until the end of Armageddon.

The ONE THIRD of Zechariah 13:7-9 is different from 14:2 because there it is ONE HALF that is “exiled” (chased out of the city or designated by their captors as ones who will be exiled into slavery).

11. Zechariah 13:9, “I will say, ‘they are my people,’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’” refers to the status of Israel when “all Israel will be saved” and should probably be seen as the beginning of the Millennial kingdom since prior to that there will be both believing AND unbelieving of Israel on the earth (Ezek. 34:17-31). The process of removing the fat from the lean takes place DURING the Day of the Lord judgments in general, and specifically after Armageddon when Jesus will personally remove the unbelievers from the earth.

 

Questions and comments are always welcome

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