Bible History
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7. Expounded by Christ as referring to Himself
(Mt 26:31, 32).
Thus it is a resumption of the prophecy of His betrayal
(Zec 11:4, 10, 13, 14),
and the subsequent punishment of the Jews. It explains the mystery why
He, who came to be a blessing, was cut off while bestowing the
blessing. God regards sin in such a fearful light that He spared not
His own co-equal Son in the one Godhead, when that Son bore the
sinner's guilt.
Awake--Compare a similar address to the sword of justice personified
(Jer 46:6, 7).
For "smite" (imperative),
Mt 26:31
has "I will smite." The act of the sword, it is thus implied, is
GOD'S
act. So the prophecy in
Isa 6:9,
"Hear ye," is imperative; the fulfilment as declared by Jesus is future
(Mt 13:14),
"ye shall hear."
sword--the symbol of judicial power, the highest exercise of which
is to take away the life of the condemned
(Ps 17:13;
Ro 13:4).
Not merely a show, or expression, of justice (as Socinians think) is
distinctly implied here, but an actual execution of it on Messiah the
shepherd, the substitute for the sheep, by God as judge. Yet God in
this shows His love as gloriously as His justice. For God calls Messiah
"My shepherd," that is, provided
(Re 13:8)
for sinners by My love to them, and ever the object of My love, though
judicially smitten
(Isa 53:4)
for their sins
(Isa 42:1; 59:16).
man that is my fellow--literally, "the man of my union." The Hebrew for "man" is "a mighty man," one peculiarly man in his noblest ideal.
"My fellow," that is, "my associate." "My equal"
([DE
WETTE]; a
remarkable admission from a Rationalist). "My nearest kinsman"
[HENGSTENBERG],
(Joh 10:30; 14:10, 11;
Php 2:6).
sheep shall be scattered--The scattering of Christ's disciples on His
apprehension was the partial fulfilment
(Mt 26:31),
a pledge of the dispersion of the Jewish nation (once the Lord's
sheep,
Ps 100:3)
consequent on their crucifixion of Him. The Jews, though "scattered,"
are still the Lord's "sheep," awaiting their being "gathered" by Him
(Isa 40:9, 11).
I will turn . . . hand upon . . . little ones--that is, I will
interpose in favor of (compare the phrase in a good sense,
Isa 1:25)
"the little ones," namely, the humble followers of Christ from the
Jewish Church, despised by the world: "the poor of the flock"
(Zec 11:7, 11);
comforted after His crucifixion at the resurrection
(Joh 20:17-20);
saved again by a special interposition from the destruction of
Jerusalem, having retired to Pella when Cestius Gallus so unaccountably
withdrew from Jerusalem. Ever since there has been a Jewish "remnant"
of "the little ones . . . according to the election of
grace." The hand of Jehovah was laid in wrath on the Shepherd that His
hand might be turned in grace upon the little ones.
JFB.
| Zechariah Images and
Notes The Book of Zechariah Zechariah 12:9-10 - And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. Zechariah 13:6-7 - And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. The Old Testament - A Brief Overview Bible Survey - Zechariah
Zechariah, like Haggai and Malachi, was a prophet of the Persian period. He prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile around 520 BC when the Persian Empire was ruling the world. Each of these prophets encouraged the Jews to continue the work of God and rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah begins his message reminding the Jews that the captivity had been a result of their own disobedience, and God rebuked their fathers as well. Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed his plan for the history and future of the world, showing that he is ultimately in control and he will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham. The city of Jerusalem is seen as a city so wonderful and prosperous that it needed to be enlarged in order to contain all the people (Zechariah 2). In the vision of Joshua the high priest Zechariah saw him in filthy rags, which was no doubt the nation of Israel repenting and receiving their Messiah and being cleansed of their sins (Zechariah 3). Other visions reveal the coming judgment of God, and his victory over sin, and everything is about the Messiah and his coming. Zechariah prophesied about the nations that oppressed Israel, there be a time of destruction and later they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets, except the prophet Isaiah. There is one fabulous prophecies of Zechariah reveals about the Messiah's death: - The above text is © Rusty Russell - Bible History Online and must be sourced for use on a website. "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 have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zechariah 12:10Zechariah was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo (Zechariah 1:1, 7). He was born in Babylon and had returned to Jerusalem in the group led by Zerubbabel sixteen years previous to the time of his ministry (Nehemiah 12:4, 16). He was a contemporary of Haggai and began to prophesy two months after Haggai in 520 BC. The work of rebuilding the temple was already in progress. Zechariah preached at least two years longer than Haggai (Zechariah 7:1) and possibly even longer. The situation was the same as described in the introduction to Haggai. The purpose of Zechariah's preaching was to strengthen the people in the reality of their calling, their history, and their future, as well as that of the nations. Zechariah also joined Haggai in the task of encouraging the construction of the temple and to see it through to its completion. Zechariah reproved the people, he gave them encouragement and exhortation, as well as the promises of God's blessing and spoke much about the Messiah and what would happen to the Jews and the nations when He comes. The contents of the book may be analyzed further as follows : Outline of the Book of Zechariah The book is divided into two parts: Zechariah 1-8, concerned mainly with the rebuilding of the temple, and Zechariah 9-14, dealing with future events, notably the coming of Messiah and the glory of His reign. Zechariah begins his book (Zechariah 1) with a reminder that the captivity had been a result of disobedience. He continues by relating a series of visions designed to show that God is in control of history and will bring a glorious blessing to the faithful remnant of His people. Jerusalem is pictured as so prosperous it is having to be enlarged to hold the people (Zechariah 2). The vision of Joshua the high priest, clothed in filthy rags (Zechariah 3) seems to be a definite prevision of the atonement of Christ. Other visions in the book point to the certainty of God's judgment and ultimate victory over sin, culminating in the coming of the Messiah.
Zechariah Resources
The Divided Kingdom The Book of Zechariah
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