 Glorious Benefits of Restoration to God  10:6 I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them.In these three chapters, we find a glorious description of God's promised future blessings upon the nation of Israel. This will be fully realized at Christ's return when He establishes His kingdom on the Earth during the seven-year tribulation period as described in Revelation 20:1-10. This description of Israel putting their faith in their Messiah parallels the experience of those today who discover a relationship with God through their faith in Jesus Christ. We find grace through Christ, but we also find mercy that removes the horrible impact of living in alienation from God. Our sin no longer leaves us cast aside (v. 10:6). The veil that separated us from God and kept us from the unequalled pleasure of intimacy with Him has been torn away. Now we may boldly come to God for help, mercy, and love at any time and in any situation (Heb. 4:16-17, John 17:23-26). Having access to God results in our hearts rejoicing in the redemption and increase He has given us in Christ (10:7-8). God becomes our defense against the forces that seek our destruction. The devil, sin, and the current fallen world that once ruled our souls must all now deal with our defender Jesus Christ. Our new rallying cry becomes, "If God is for us, who can be against us" (12:8, Rom. 8:31). In Christ we find that God gives us a spirit of grace and prayer that seeks to be restored to Him through heartfelt repentance. We can see now what our sin cost God. Because of His limitless love, He gave His life on the cross for our sin; He was pierced and crucified as a substitute for what is due us. And His goodness to us in giving Christ as our substitute has led us to repentance (Rom. 2:4, 12:10). God has given us grace to see ourselves in light of His supreme sacrifice. We truly love Him who first loved us (1 John 4:19). This is God as He will be to Israel when they return to Him. This is also God as He is known by all who will return to Him now. Today is the day of salvation. Make it your aim to live in its riches. | |||
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Zechariah 10:1-12:14  Restoration of Judah and Israel 1 Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone. 2 For the idols speak delusion; The diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; They are in trouble because there is no shepherd. 3 "My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the goatherds. For the LORD of hosts will visit His flock, The house of Judah, And will make them as His royal horse in the battle. 4 From him comes the cornerstone, From him the tent peg, From him the battle bow, From him every ruler together. 5 They shall be like mighty men, Who tread down their enemies In the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the LORD is with them, And the riders on horses shall be put to shame. 6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the LORD their God, And I will hear them. 7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will whistle for them and gather them, For I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. 9 "I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return. 10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, Until no more room is found for them. 11 He shall pass through the sea with affliction, And strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart. 12 "So I will strengthen them in the LORD, And they shall walk up and down in His name," Says the LORD. Zechariah 11 Desolation of Israel 1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars. 2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the thick forest has come down. 3 There is the sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins. Prophecy of the Shepherds 4 Thus says the LORD my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich'; and their shepherds do not pity them. 6 For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand." 7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. 8 I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, "I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh." 10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 And the LORD said to me, "Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. 17 "Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded." Zechariah 12 The Coming Deliverance of Judah 1 The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. 7 "The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Mourning for the Pierced One 10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall 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; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves. | |||
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| Zechariah 10:1-12:14 v. 1 Ask – God tells the Israelites to ask for things that He might prove His faithfulness (John 16:23-24). Latter rain – This refers to the springtime rain in late February or March, which was essential for the summer harvest. It could be that the term "latter" is symbolic here as well, letting hearers of this prophecy know that the things written would come in latter days. Showers…grass for everyone – This shows God's willingness to give abundant provision to all of His people. v. 2 Idols speak delusion – God is here contrasting Himself with idols: He provides good things for those who ask; the false gods give nothing but lies. Their prophets may promise rain and a good harvest, but they cannot deliver on these promises. Diviners – men that engage in superstitious rituals and pagan practices to discern the future False dreams – These diviners say they can tell the future, but their prophecies are nothing but lies. Wend – to wander aimlessly No shepherd – These sheep wander unprotected, going in the wrong direction. This implies that they will make decisions that will lead to their own demise. v. 3 Anger kindled – It is hard to say in what particular context this is speaking. It might be speaking broadly of all the false prophets and priests throughout Israel's history, some of which would certainly have been around in Zechariah's day as well. The tendency is to think that things were going well in Israel at this time, as Zerubbabel and Joshua, the civil and spiritual leaders in the land, were such faithful and blessed men, and the great prophets Haggai and Zechariah were preaching to the people. But, even in their day, many men went astray and many false prophets and priests blasphemed the Lord. Consider that many of Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment came while Josiah, the greatest of the Jewish kings ruled (Jer. 3:6). Shepherds – This refers to any of the leaders, spiritual and civil, in Israel. Goatherds – This is simply used as a parallelism, a repetition in thought used for emphasis, for shepherds and is also speaking of leadership in Israel. Visit – Metaphorically speaking of God defending and providing aid to His people. Specifically, He is telling them that He will protect and free them from these false leaders. v. 4 Cornerstone – The Lord uses a building metaphor to convey that he is the one that builds, keeps, and protects the nation. The idea of the cornerstone would have been vivid to the people living in that day as it would speak to them of the building of the Temple. God had already declared that He truly built the Temple (Zech. 4:6). Tent peg – This people would have spent much of their lives in tents as they made their long trek back from Babylon, and would have been forced to live in them while building their homes. This is a reminder that God provides their dwelling. Battle bow – It is God that grants victory in battle. Every ruler – God that appoints every ruler. This means that He is able to preserve him or bring him down, if He should so desire. v. 5 They – the people of Israel Tread down – Literally this means "to walk upon" and is used metaphorically to mean that the Israelites will be victorious and rule over their enemies. Shall fight – speaks of the victories they would have in battle Riders on horses – In antiquity, the strongest component to an army was the cavalry. This phrase refers to the cavalry of Israel's enemies, and says that even the strongest enemy will be defeated. v. 6 Judah…Joseph – After Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two nations. Judah refers to the Southern Kingdom that remained under the rule of the house of David, while Joseph refers to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Here we see that the entire nation of Israel will be saved. Bring them back – The Northern Kingdom of Israel was defeated by the Assyrians in 722 BC and scattered throughout their empire, whereas the Southern Kingdom of Judah had been taken by Babylon in 586 BC. This tells us that Jews scattered all across the world would return to their home. v. 7 Ephraim – Ephraim was the youngest son of Joseph and the forefather of the largest and most influential tribe in Israel besides Judah. The term "Ephraim" here, as "Joseph" in the previous verse, refers to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Wine – refers to the celebratory and joyful experiences of Israel as they return home v. 8 Whistle – Lord is using a metaphoric image of a man whistling for his horse, calling it to himself. The Lord is the man whistling, while the horse is Israel. Redeem – This means to purchase back something that had once been lost. These last two verses refer to the God's promise to bring back the northern tribes of Israel to the land. It should be noted that there is no historical record of the northern tribes returning en masse from captivity. History teaches us that these tribes are "lost" and are often called the "ten lost tribes of Israel." We can reconcile the difficulty in this passage in a couple of ways. This passage is not necessarily speaking of the actual people that went into captivity to the Assyrians, but emphasizing the fact that both nations would be united and the old distinction between the two done away with. This happened, as there never again would be two distinct nations of Israel. Also, the ten tribes of the north were not truly "lost"; for, after Solomon's death, many that lived in the Northern Kingdom moved to the south, thus preserving the lineage of all of the tribes of Israel (2 Chron. 11:13-17). It is also probably that, although there wasn't a mass exodus of Israelite captives from Assyria, as there was with Babylon, it cannot be doubted that many of the captives did eventually return to their homeland. v. 9 Sow – This means to plant. Here the Lord is referring to many of the Jews that had been uprooted and removed into foreign countries. God would preserve the Hebrew culture, spirituality, language, and sense of nationality, in spite of being separated from their countrymen. This prophecy was fulfilled after each of the various scatterings (Assyria in 722 BC, Babylon in 586 BC, and Rome in 70 AD) of the Jews, as Jewish communities thrived in their different regions all over the face of the world. Live together with their children – the growing, thriving Jewish communities spread throughout the world They shall return – When this prophecy was written, the first wave of Jews from Babylon had already come back. This might speak of successive waves, but is really more general in nature. It is simply saying that, ultimately the Jews, regardless of how long they may dwell in foreign territories, will come back to the land. v. 10 Egypt and Assyria – These are two nations that had at one time held Israel as slaves within their borders. Here they represent every nation that would oppress and enslave the Jews in captivity. Gilead and Lebanon – Gilead was a part of the land of Israel to the northeast, while Lebanon bordered Israel to the Northwest. This means that the land of Israel will be so full of its people that its borders will expand to the farthest reaches. No more room – the land would be full of its people v. 11 Sea – The sea commonly symbolizes Gentile nations, but here, given the context, represents Egypt specifically. The prophet is saying that the Jews will suffer affliction in captivity, but will survive and make it home. The River – This refers to the Euphrates River, which flowed through Assyria and Babylon, and here represents Assyria. Scepter – This was a rod overlaid with gold, embedded with jewels, and wielded by a king. It symbolically represents kingly power and authority and here speaks of the demise of the Egyptian monarchy. Zechariah 11 v. 1 Lebanon – the region that bordered Israel to the northwest Doors – Invaders would likely pass through Lebanon to get to Israel. The chapter that follows bespeaks judgments upon Israel that would come long after the historical events of Zechariah. Fire – symbolizes judgment and trial Cedars – Lebanon was known of its many cedar groves, which yielded trees that provided some of the finest wood available in that day. The burning of cedars speaks of the cutting off of economic and political strength. Because this chapter is speaking of judgment upon Israel, it probably uses the imagery of cedars to let them know this judgment comes from the Northwest and will devour the strong in their land. v. 2 Cypress – This is a certain type of fir tree that produces weaker wood than that of cedar. Wail…cedar has fallen – If even the mighty cedar has fallen, how much more should the weaker cypress tree worry about the judgment to come. This is saying that the poor and weak of the land should fear, because the mighty, the rich, and the powerful in the land are going to be destroyed. The judgment foretold in this chapter seems to have come from the Romans in 70 AD. Oaks – This was another tree that produced high quality strong wood found plentifully in the northeast region of Israel. Bashan – Part of Israel on the northeastern side of the Jordan River; well known for its oak groves. Again the tree imagery is used to speak of the destruction of the mighty, the princes, the rulers, and the rich of the land. v. 3 Wailing Shepherds – These are the leaders that will be condemned under this judgment. These are the cedars and the oaks spoken of in the earlier verses. Glory – This speaks of the brightness or grandeur something possesses. The ruin of glory in this case means the loss of wealth, fineries, and status. Lions – the ones invading and enacting judgment; most likely, the Romans. Jordan – This, along with Bashan, tips us off that these prophecies have been against Israel. Jordan is the principle river of Israel that divides the land in half, running north/south. v. 4 Feed flock for slaughter – In what follows, Zechariah is buying sheep from traders in the marketplace for the purpose of preparing them for slaughter. In doing this, he becomes a living metaphor to the children of Israel, foreshadowing what God is going to do the nation. This image culminates in prophecies about the coming Messiah and the Roman invasion in 70 AD. The image here is that of fattening up sheep for slaughter. Metaphorically, this pictures Israel hardening its heart and growing more and more depraved as it hears the word of the Lord from the prophet. Their sins are getting more grievous and they're falling further away. This compounding of sin intensifies the necessity that they be judged. v. 5 Owners feel no guilt – Those owners that sell or slaughter their sheep to make profit feel no guilt because their sole purpose was profit. These owners are symbolic of the leaders of Israel that do not care for the welfare of the sheep, but only use them for their own purposes. I am rich – These owners feel no guilt because they got paid; so too with the rulers of Israel. v. 6 No longer pity – God has allowed peace and prosperity in Israel, not because of their faithfulness, but because of His mercy. This will change once the full measure of the nations' sin has come and is ready for judgment. Neighbor's hand…king – The "neighbor" mentioned here is a foreign invader; in this case, it is most likely the Romans, who would destroy the nation 500 years later. v. 7 Fed the flock – In what follows, the prophet is literally doing what is described as symbolic of the Lord and His dealings with the nation. Here he begins feeding the sheep he bought in the marketplace. Feeding is symbolic of delivering God's word to the people (Matt. 4:4). The Poor – The prophet takes special care to feed the weak sheep because they are the ones the need the most fattening before they'll be ready for slaughter. This symbolizes the Lord speaking especially to the poor and downcast. Because His people refused to receive it, this act of speaking actually compounded the judgment that would come. If they had received the word, they would have been saved. Staffs – The shepherd used a staff for the purpose of guiding and leading his sheep. If a sheep was rebellious, he might strike it to teach it obedience; if it was ignorant he would use the staff to guide it in the right direction. Beauty – This word could be translated in a few different ways and implies kindness or favor. This is saying that God gave good things to the Israelites, to make them prosper, and show kindness to them, in the hopes that they might learn. In spite of His great mercies, they rejected Him and refused to heed His word. Bonds – God also used strict discipline to train His children in the way they should go. He allowed them to suffer at the hands of foreign invaders and oppressors, He withheld the rain, and caused the nation to languish. Nonetheless, they did not heed His word under these conditions. I fed – God is using the prophet as a metaphor to tell the people that He has done everything He could have to prepare them to follow Him, but they would not listen. This makes judgment inevitable. In this metaphor, "feeding" represents God's word. Dismissed the three shepherds – This refers to the removal of the three kinds of authority in Israel: prophet, priest, and king. There were no more kings after the Babylonian invasion, and no more priests and prophets after the Roman invasion. One month – This is not literal, but represents a very short period of time. v. 8 My soul loathed – This does not mean that God actually had feelings of despite for them, nor that He wanted them to fail, die and be judged (Eze. 18:23, 32). It implies that He has rejected them and removed them from their position (Mal. 1:2-3). v. 9 I will not feed – Because the people will not hear the word of the Lord, God stopped sharing it with them. This parallels the cutting off of priests and prophets, as their primary responsibility was to share the word of the Lord with the people. Eat each other's flesh – He let the people do what they wanted, because they would not heed His voice. v. 10 Broke in two – This symbolizes the fact that God was going to stop dealing with Israel by mercy and start using discipline. This is fulfilled historically with the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus came and spoke kindly, with favor to the people, but when He was rejected, the armies of Rome came in and conquered. The breaking of "beauty" pictures the death of Christ and the end of God dealing favorably with Israel. v. 11 Poor…watching me…knew…the word of the Lord – This again has a fulfillment in the time of Jesus Christ as it was the poor and downtrodden that had been watching the Lord, remained faithful to Him, and believed the gospel. v. 12 Agreeable – Literally, this is describing Zechariah's actions. Having given up on feeding the sheep, he went back to the owners and asked them to pay him for shepherding the flocks in the time that he had. Thirty pieces – This is the same sum paid to Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus. v. 13 Throw it…princely price – The prophet asked the owners to determine what price was fair. The price they gave was decidedly low for the work Zechariah had done, and the Lord looked at this price as symbolic of the fact that the rulers of Israel had taken advantage of the people and gained very little by doing so. This shows their low valuation of human life and dignity. Also, in using these phrases God is using sarcasm or irony. The price is not princely at all, but of very low value and should be thrown to the potter. On me – The Lord uses this whole picture to point prophetically to Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Christ (Matt. 26:15). Here the Lord is saying that the payment was taken "on Me," meaning in exchange for His own life. As in the previous verse, the amount of money Judas was paid was very small for what it cost him. Threw them into the house of the Lord – Zechariah took the money and, out of contempt for the low sum he had been paid, threw the silver on the floor of the Temple. Judas would do the exact same thing, throwing the money down on the Temple floor when the Jews refused to take it back. He offered it to them out of a grief-stricken conscience (Matt. 27:4-5). v. 14 Brotherhood – Having joined Israel and Judah together again as one nation, He now says He will divide them again. He does not do this by breaking them into two separate nations, as He had done before, but by scattering them over the face of the world after the Romans took them. v. 15 Foolish shepherd – Having acted the part of a wise shepherd that tried to fatten his sheep, Zechariah would once again play the part of the shepherd, but this time he would act like one that cared not for the welfare of the sheep. v. 16 Shepherd…will not care for the sheep – Much of the previous prophecy spoke of Christ and how He spoke kindly to the people, calling them to repent, and how He dealt harshly with the people in judgment. Both of these actions were in the best interest of the people, but this verse speaks of another shepherd who would not do what was best for the people, but would only seek his own profit. Eat the flesh…tear the hooves – This imagery tells us that he will take from the people to meet his own ends. This prophecy speaks of the one that is called the "Antichrist" in 1 John 2:18, the "Beast" in the book of Revelation, and "The Man of Sin" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In the future, Israel will mistake this man for their messiah and will subject themselves to him, but he will use his power to abuse and destroy them. His reign will usher in a period of time referred to as The Great Tribulation. v. 17 Arm shall wither…eye blinded – This calls to mind a prophecy in Revelation 13:13, which describes a wound suffered by the Beast. Zechariah 12 v. 1 Burden – This is commonly used by prophets to describe the weight of the message God had given them to tell the people. The idea here was that God told them to say something, and they felt a burdensome desire to speak that message. Stretches…lays…forms – This is an affirmation of God as the creator of all kinds of things: sky, earth, and man. v. 2 Drunkenness – The metaphor of drinking is often used when speaking of conquest in battle. The image that the authors are trying to call to mind is that of the invader drinking the blood of his enemies. Here Zechariah says that the conquering armies will get drunk on the spilled blood of the Israelites. His purpose in saying this is twofold. On the one hand this speaks of the sufferings Israel would have to endure throughout its history, but on the other hand it indicates that the conqueror would overdo it and bring judgment upon themselves. Lay siege – This is talking of the Roman siege of Jerusalem, which would take place over a four-year period from 66-70 AD, some 500 years after this prophecy. v. 3 That day – The term "day" here is used to specify a particular era of time. This era is the one that began with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD and would continue through to the rapture of the church. It is referred to by Jesus as "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). Heavy stone…for all peoples – Again this is a metaphoric description. The picture here is that of people trying to scatter pebbles, but they find that instead of little pebbles, they're trying to throw a giant stone. This speaks of the fact that throughout the period described in the previous note, the nations of the earth would do everything in their power to annihilate the Jews, but would find it impossible to do so. This is exactly the testimony of history, as, for 2,000 years, different nations have tried to systematically wipe out the Jewish race, culture, language, and religion and have completely failed. All…will be cut in pieces – This speaks of the nations that have tried to destroy the Jews. They not only will fail, but they themselves will ultimately be judged by God for their crimes against His people. v. 4 In that day – In the several verses that follow, God is going to use this same phrase to introduce a series of judgments that He would bring upon the world. When He uses the phrase "in that day" here, He is referring to a particular series of events that will take place in the days of the Great Tribulation. These passages refer to the conquests of Israel's enemies by Jesus Christ Himself. He will lead the Jews into battle and will judge the nations that oppressed them. These battles are also discussed in Revelation 19:11-21, and will culminate with Christ's victory and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom. v. 4 Strike…strike – Both of these attacks by the Lord will be against Israel's enemies. This is saying that those who try to organize an attack against God's people will be unable to accomplish their goal, because their every attempt will be thwarted. Open my eyes on the house of Judah – This is an idiomatic saying indicating that the Lord will look favorably upon Judah and will keep watch over it to protect it. v. 5 Governors – Prior to Christ's return, governors, not kings, will rule Israel. Strength – Although this verse is oddly worded in the New King James version, it is essentially saying that the rulers will recognize that it is the Lord that is enabling their people to win victory on the battle field. They are not taking the credit for themselves. v. 6 Firepan…woodpile…fiery torch…sheaves – This is a simile used to explain that Israel will gain complete and devastating victories over their foes. Jerusalem shall be inhabited again – Ironically, Jerusalem was inhabited when Zechariah was giving this prophecy, but he foresaw the Roman destruction that was to come, and he saw that afterwards, the people would return to the land. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1948 AD, 2,500 years after it was given. v. 7 Tents – This represents the poor and impoverished of the land that would not be able to afford houses. First – God will not show favoritism in His salvation. He will save the poor and the rich alike. Greater – Those of the household of David and those living in Jerusalem will not receive special privileges. v. 8 Feeble…David…like God – This is saying that everybody in the land will fight valiantly and do great deeds in war. The weakest will fight better than David, and the noblest will be like gods in battle. v. 9 Destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem – This description is of the final battles against a conglomeration of the nations of the world that will try to fight Israel (Rev. 19:11-21). v. 10 Spirit of grace and supplication – For the last 2,000 years, the Jewish nation, in general, has rejected her Messiah, failing to recognize that Jesus Christ was their King and Savior. This indicates that at this point, the nation of Israel will receive the grace of God as a whole and will begin to seek their God again. They will look on me whom they have pierced – The term "pierced" refers to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He is here telling them that, whereas they had crucified Him with their sins and rebellion, things would now change greatly. The term "look" here has a two-fold meaning. The first is that the inhabitants of Israel will place their faith in Jesus Christ and turn to Him en masse. The second meaning is far more literal, as Jesus Christ Himself will actually return to Jerusalem and lead the armies in battle against their enemies. Mourn…grieve – The people will grieve that it was their sin and rebellion that crucified their Savior, and they will repent of their stubborn refusal to accept Him for so long. v. 11 Like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon…Megiddo – This is a reference to the mourning that filled the land of Israel when the greatest of the kings of Judah, Josiah, was killed in battle with the Egyptians in the plains of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:20-25). Megiddo – This is a large plain outside of Jerusalem that is conducive to fighting a pitched battle. Many battles were fought in this place and one of the last great battles ever will be fought here at the end of time (Rev. 16:16). This Hebrew word is transliterated into Greek as "Armageddon." v. 12 Nathan – probably refers to one of David's sons, the forefather of Jesus Christ ( Luke 3:31) v. 13 Levi – The descendants of Levi had the job of taking care of ministry in the Temple of God and the priests were descended from their line. In specifically mentioning the families of David and Levi, God is pointing out that the priestly and kingly line will repent along with everyone else. | |||
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| "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them." –Zechariah 10:6 How faithful and forgiving You are, Lord, to show such kindness and mercy to us. We pray today, Lord, for hearts that long to love You and keep You at the center of our every moment. | |||
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Restoration to God ~ Bob Caldwell
Chapel Missions India
