Teaching Notes Book of Zechariah - Chapters 11 and 12
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Quarantine Day 79. Riots in downtown Atlanta, GA. A great way to celebrate Quarantine.
Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia
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Zechariah 11
New International Version
11 Open your doors, Lebanon,
so that fire may devour your
cedars!
2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan;
the dense forest has been cut
down!
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are
destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;
the lush thicket of the
Jordan is ruined!
Two Shepherds
4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for
slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them
say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For
I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I
will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will
devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”
7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the
oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the
other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three
shepherds.
The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not
be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who
are left eat one another’s flesh.”
10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the
covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so
the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the
Lord.
12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep
it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price
at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them
to the potter at the house of the Lord.
14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond
between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish
shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not
care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy,
but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his arm be completely
withered,
his right eye totally
blinded!”
Zechariah 12
New International Version
Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed
12 A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the
earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 2 “I am going
to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah
will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.
3 On that day, when all the nations of
the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for
all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I
will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the
Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses
of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people
of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a
woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the
surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her
place.
7 “The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor
of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than
that of Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem,
so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will
be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. 9 On that day I will
set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Mourning for the One They Pierced
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem a spirit[a] of grace and supplication. They will look on[b] me, the
one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only
child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On
that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad
Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself,
with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives,
the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of
Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest
of the clans and their wives.
Footnotes
Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
Zechariah 12:10 Or to
Messianic Previews in the Book of Zechariah
By Wayne Jackson
Follow Wayne Jackson here
"The kingdom of Judah continued to dredge itself into apostasy until a
day of calamity was inevitable. In a series of three invasions by the
Babylonians (606 B.C., 597 B.C., and 586 B.C.) the nation was devastated. The
land was ravaged, Jerusalem was destroyed, and some seventy thousand Hebrews
were taken into captivity.
Jeremiah had prophetically proclaimed that the captivity period would
be a full seventy years (25:12). When Cyrus, the Persian monarch, conquered
Babylon (ca. 536 B.C.), he issued an edict permitting the Israelites to return
to their homeland (Isaiah 44:26-45:6). It is estimated that approximately one
hundred twenty-five thousand Jews came back to Canaan in three campaigns, led
by Zerubbabel (536 B.C.), Ezra (457 B.C.), and Nehemiah (444 B.C.).
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel some fifty thousand Hebrews returned
home. Among these were two prophets of considerable importance—Haggai and
Zechariah.
The Jews began rebuilding their temple, but soon became discouraged and
the work fell idle—and remained so for fourteen years. It was Haggai’s
appointed task to stir up the people to complete the temple project (see Ezra
5:1; 6:14; the book of Haggai). Zechariah, a companion prophet who began his
ministry about two months following Haggai, was chosen to motivate the Hebrews
to repentance and a deeper level of spiritual dedication (see Zechariah 1:1-6).
Major Divisions of Zechariah
The book of Zechariah falls into two major segments. Chapters 1-8 deal
principally with Judah’s spiritual restoration. Chapters 9-14 primarily express
a concern about Israel and her Messiah. This article will chiefly deal with the
Messianic emphases that are prominent in this Old Testament narrative.
While Isaiah is generally characterized as the “Messianic” prophet,
there is a significant Messianic emphasis in Zechariah’s document as well. In a
period of history that was rather dark, it was Zechariah’s chore to declare
that even though Israel no longer had a king (only a foreign-appointed
provincial governor), the Messianic torch had not gone out. The glorious day of
the coming Ruler was on the prophetic horizon. Let us reflect upon some of the
glimpses of the coming Christ in this remarkable document.
Messianic Prophetic Flashes
The Branch (3:8; 6:12-13)
The prophet Isaiah had spoken of a “branch” that would come out of the
stock of Jesse, father of David (Isaiah 11:1-5), and Jeremiah echoed the happy
refrain, telling of the “righteous Branch” who would reign as king, and who is
himself divine, “Jehovah our righteousness” (23:5-6; cf. 33:14-17).
Through Zechariah the Lord proclaims: “[B]ehold, I will bring forth my
servant the Branch” (3:8). The promise is expanded in 6:12-13 where the Branch
is identified as: (a) a human person; (b) one who would “grow up” from
childhood (cf. Isaiah 53:2; Micah 5:2); (c) he would build the temple of
Jehovah, a figure for the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Ephesians
2:21-22; 1 Peter 2:5); (d) the Branch would be glorified (cf. Luke 24:26), and
then simultaneously serve as a king and priest, with perfect harmony prevailing
between these offices—a refrain echoed in the book of Hebrews (cf. 1:1-4). (See
also Zechariah 6:12-13 – The Royal Priest.)
The Humble King (9:9)
Surely it constituted a shocking picture that a king should approach an
impending coronation riding on a donkey. While royal persons might travel in
such a fashion during a time of emergency (cf. 2 Samuel 16:2), such was far
from the norm. From the time of Saul (1 Samuel 8:11), then David and Solomon,
the kings of Israel line had employed the majestic horse as a war implement,
and to demonstrate their grandiose stature.
Jehovah had forbidden his people to “multiply” horses, i.e., trust in
these powerful animals as defense mechanisms instead of him (Deuteronomy 17:16;
cf. Joshua 11:6, 9), but David used horses for his chariots (2 Samuel 8:4). Additionally,
Solomon marshaled a considerable depository of horses (cf. 1 Kings 4:26—though
forty thousand appears to be a transcription error for four thousand; cf. 2
Chronicles 9:25).
How strange, therefore, that the greatest ruler who ever claimed the hearts
of men, the King of kings, should make his final entry into Jerusalem on the
back of a donkey — especially one that never had been ridden. In the midst of
an excited crowd, “an unbroken animal remains calm under the hand of the
Messiah who controls nature ([Matthew] 8:23-27; 14:22-32)” (Carson 1984, 438).
The entrance into the city was intended to be symbolic.
A key term in the passage is “meek.” The Greek words, praus (an
adjective) and prautes (a noun) were employed in a variety of senses in antiquity.
In classical Greek they could be used of taming an animal or of a conquered
barbarian. The terms suggested a calm, soothing disposition that easily yields
to reconciliation. In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) prautes was applied to
Moses (Numbers 12:3), and to David (Psalm 132:1 LXX); it hints of an attitude
of “religious quality involving radical submission to God and modesty in
dealings with other people” (Spicq 1994, 167).
Thus meekness has both a vertical and horizontal dimension. And this
superb quality finds its ultimate expression in the great King who entered
Jerusalem en route to the cross. As noted already, meekness reflects a
submissive attitude of the soul towards God. It beautifully pictures the
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus in leaving heaven and through obedience becoming a
servant on our behalf (Philippians 2:5-8). It accurately describes the
faithfulness of Christ during the third of a century he was on earth (John
8:29). And the term denotes the benevolent demeanor of him who invites all men
to “learn of” him, for he is “meek and lowly in heart,” and offers “rest” for
the weary soul (Matthew 11:29). (For a magnificent discussion of this meekness,
see Findlay 1909, 159-161.)
Betrayed (11:12-13)
Zechariah 11 is an ominous chapter in that it deals with a projected
“slaughter” of Jehovah’s “flock,” designated as the “flock of slaughter” (vv.
4, 7). Most scholars are convinced that this is a prophetic preview of the
Roman invasion of the Jewish people in A.D. 70. The reason for the prophesied devastation
lies in Israel’s rejection of Jehovah’s true Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
The treachery involved in the betrayal of Christ is vividly portrayed
in verses 12-13. Consider some of the details.
The prophecy suggested there would be a haggling of terms in connection
with the betrayal of Jesus. “If you think good, give me my hire; and if not,
forbear.” Matthew records Judas’ words as follows: “What are you willing to
give me, and I will deliver him unto you?” (Matthew 26:15).
The prophet specified the metallic composition of the coinage by which
the transaction would be made. It was neither gold nor copper, but rather
“silver” (Matthew 26:15).
The precise number of coins was prophetically declared — thirty pieces
of silver. The amount is not incidental. Thirty pieces of silver, under the
Mosaic law, was the price paid to remedy the damage done to a slave that had
been gored by a neighbor’s ox (Exodus 21:32). Christ went to the cross as the
“servant” of God (doulos — a slave; Philippians 2:7).
Zechariah’s prophecy indicated that the money would be returned to the
Jewish leaders, the custodians of “the house of God.” Matthew’s record reveals
that Judas, in a swoon of regret, brought back the coinage to the chief priests
and elders. But they would have none of it.
The ancient prophet indicated that in some way the silver coins were to
be “cast” (thrown) into the “house of Jehovah.” Zechariah has perfectly
depicted the act of the betrayer. Judas “cast down the pieces of silver into
the sanctuary” (Matthew 27:5).
Finally, Zechariah suggested that the ultimate destination of the
“goodly price” would be to “the potter.” Matthew explains this enigmatic
expression. The chief priests took the money and purchased a “potter’s field,”
which would serve as a burial place for strangers. At the time Matthew penned
his Gospel record (some twenty to thirty years after Christ’s death), the place
was still known as “the field of blood” (27:8; cf. Acts 1:18-19). (For further
study, see Zechariah’s Amazing Prophecy of the Betrayal of Christ.
Mourning in Jerusalem (12:10ff)
The prophet speaks of a coming “day” when there would be great
“mourning” in Jerusalem. This is not a mourning over Jerusalem’s fall (11:1ff),
but a mourning on the part of many Jews because of the realization that they
had crucified their Messiah. They were not to despair in hopelessness. The Lord
would “pour out” (signifying abundance) a “spirit of grace and supplication”
(cf. the repetitious “spirit of...” in Isaiah 11:1ff).
The term “grace” points to the generous gift of Jesus as the atoning
sacrifice for the sins of the world, i.e., for those who access God’s favor by
means of obedience to Christ (Romans 3:24-26; 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus
3:4-7; Hebrews 5:8-9).
“Supplication” suggests a petition that solicits God to supply his
favor in the forgiveness of sin. The fulfillment was seen on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff) when the good news (gospel) was announced to the
penitent Jews. In spite of the fact that they crucified their own Messiah (in
conjunction with the “lawless” Gentiles—2:23), they are promised that
“whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (2:21). This was
not a repetition of the so-called “sinner’s prayer” (for which there is no
biblical precedent), but a response to the divinely specified plan for
obtaining pardon (2:38; cf. 22:16). The term “saved” (v. 21) is the equivalent
of “remission of sins” (v. 38); hence, “call” (v. 21) corresponds to “repent
and be immersed” (v. 38). Calling is obeying!
Many of the Hebrews would reflect deeply upon him whom they “pierced”
(a prophecy of the bloody mode involved in Christ’s death), and as a result
they would “mourn.” Their mourning is reflected in the term “pricked” (Acts
2:37), a metaphor depicting sharp pain associated with anxiety and remorse.
Such could be relieved only by forgiveness. Jesus himself promised that those
who mourned would be comforted (Matthew 5:4). The apostle John suggests that
the effect of seeing Jesus crucified was at least a partial fulfillment of Zechariah’s
prophecy (John 19:37).
One might observe as well that there will be a mourning on the part of
all who reject Jesus as Savior, as they reflect upon their foolish and wasted
lives, having “pierced” him in principle (cf. Hebrews 6:6), if not in physical
reality. There will be a mourning in judgment (cf. Revelation 1:7; Matthew
25:30; Romans 14:11-12).
The Cleansing Fountain (13:1)
The prophet declares that “in that day,” i.e., at the commencement of
the Messianic era, “there shall be a fountain opened.” The tense denotes
progressive duration, i.e., it is opened and remains open (cf. Lamentations
3:22). The expression “fountain” suggests a fresh, steady supply, in contrast
to a cistern or well. It is a source adequate for all needs. The efficacy of Jesus’
death was so powerful that, potentially, it could have atoned for the sins of
every human being in the entire history of the world — both past, present, and
future! This is a reality much too wonderful for sinful humans to fathom.
The fountain symbolizes the shedding of the blood of him who has been
“pierced” (12:10). The fountain was “opened” for sin and uncleanness. The
former term derives from a root suggesting “to miss the mark” (cf. “not
miss”—Judges 20:16), and it emphasizes that sin is a violation of divine law
(cf. Romans 4:15; 1 John 3:4), whether by commission or omission, knowingly or
in ignorance. The term “uncleanness” reveals the effect of sin. It leaves the
sinner filthy and repulsive. The residue of sin is removed, not by earned human
merit, but only by divine forgiveness accessed through humble obedience
(Hebrews 5:8-9).
The Shepherd Slain (13:7)
Through his prophet “Jehovah of hosts” (found fifty-two times in this
book) speaks. This descriptive for God suggests that the Lord has limitless
resources to employ for the good of his people. Jehovah figuratively addresses
the “sword” (a symbol for an instrument of death), as though it has been
slumbering while awaiting the eventual and inevitable death of the shepherd.
The object of the sword (instrument of judgment) is “my shepherd.”
Christ took the fatal blow that was due all who have earned the “wages of sin”
(Romans 6:23). Note that even though the Shepherd is to be killed, he still is
acknowledged as “my” Shepherd.
Further, he is identified as a man. He is the “seed of woman” who
became “flesh” and dwelt among men (John 1:14; cf. 1 Timothy 3:16). And yet, he
also is described as the one who is “my fellow.” The expression derives from an
original term meaning “to connect, to join, to bind together.” It implies an
equality of nature (John 10:30), thus a unity between the Persons of the sacred
Godhead.
The term “shepherd” cannot but bring to mind the affirmation of Christ:
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep”—quite in contrast to the “hirelings,” who were the leaders of the Jewish
community (John 10:1ff). Furthermore, the Shepherd would lead and care for “one
flock” (v. 16)—an idea much antagonistic to the modern, fragmented world of
“Christendom.”
There is another prophetic declaration in connection with the slaying
of the Shepherd: the “sheep shall be scattered” (7b). On the night before his
death the Lord referenced this prophecy: “Then Jesus said unto them, ‘All of
you shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, I will smite the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad’” (Matthew
26:31).
Observe that the Savior acknowledged the authority and prophetic force
of the Old Testament Scriptures, though many today, who profess to follow him,
do not.
Conclusion
The concluding chapter of Zechariah is a source of great encouragement,
when understood correctly. Punctuated with a variety of marvelous symbols,
borrowed largely from Old Testament images, this section previews the glories
of the gospel dispensation, from Pentecost until the Lord’s return.
Those who interpret these “word pictures” in a literal fashion, as
premillennial writers do, perpetrate a great injustice upon the material. For a
review of that theory in connection with this chapter, see our article,
Dispensationalism and Zechariah 14.
Works Cited
Carson, D. A. 1984. Matthew. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Frank E.
Gaebelein, ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Findlay, A. F. 1909. Meekness. A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels.
Vol. 2. James Hastings, ed. Edinburgh, Scotland: T. & T. Clark.
Spicq, Ceslas. 1994. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. Vol. 3.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
Scripture References
Isaiah 44:26-45:6; Ezra 5:1, 6:14; Zechariah 1:1-6; Isaiah 11:1-5;
Isaiah 53:2; Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Ephesians 2:21-22; 1 Peter
2:5; Luke 24:26; Zechariah 6:12-13; 1 Samuel 16:2; 1 Samuel 8:11; Deuteronomy
17:16; Joshua 11:6, 9; 2 Samuel 8:4; 1 Kings 4:26; 1 Chronicles 9:25; Numbers
12:3; Psalm 132:1; Philippians 2:5-8; John 8:29; Matthew 11:29; Zechariah 11;
Matthew 26:15; Exodus 21:32; Philippians 2:7; Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18-19;
Isaiah 11:1; Romans 3:24-26, 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews
5:8-9; Acts 2:1; Acts 2:37; Matthew 5:4; John 19:37; Hebrews 6:6; Revelation
1:7; Matthew 25:30; Romans 14:11-12; Lamentations 3:22; Judges 20:16; Romans
4:15; 1 John 3:4; Romans 6:23; John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 10:30; John
10:1; Matthew 26:31; Zechariah 14
Cite this article
Jackson, Wayne. "Messianic Previews in the Book of
Zechariah." ChristianCourier.com. Access date: May 29, 2020".
©2020. All rights reserved. ISSN: 1559-2235.
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Overview: Zechariah
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Zechariah is specific about dating his writing (520–518 BC).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Zechariah
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Dead Sea Scrolls Bible Translations
http://dssenglishbible.com/scroll4Q80.htm
Commentary on Zechariah 11
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/kdo/zechariah-11.html
Commentary on Zechariah 12
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/kdo/zechariah-12.html
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How to Read the Bible: The Prophets
Bible Project
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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament is a derivative of a public domain electronic edition.
Keil, Carl Friedrich & Delitzsch, Franz. "Commentary on Zechariah 7:8". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/kdo/zechariah-3.html. 1854-1889.
Jackson, Wayne. "Messianic Previews in the Book of Zechariah." ChristianCourier.com. Access date: May 29, 2020". ©2020. All rights reserved. ISSN: 1559-2235. Publisher
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"Hugh C. Wood", "Hugh Wood", King Darius, Peachtree Church, Zechariah 11, Zechariah 12, 4Q80, 4Q76, The Worthless Shepard, 30 Pieces of Silver, Look on the one that they pierced.
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