Lesson #15

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 3:8

• READ ZEC 13:1-7
• “IN THAT DAY…” (1)
• TO WHAT DAY DOES ZECHARIAH REFER?
• THIS PROPHETIC PHRASE USUALLY REFERS TO THE END TIMES NEAR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. THAT IS TRUE HERE IN CHAPTER 13 AS WELL.
• IT ALSO REFERS IN CONTEXT TO CHAPTER 12 WHICH TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE JEWS WILL RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• READ REV 7:17
• “…THERE SHALL BE A FOUNTAIN OPENED TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID…” (1)
• THE HEBREW WORD FOR “FOUNTAIN” HERE MEANS = A PLACE DUG OUT.
• IN OTHER WORDS, SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING IT IS A WAY OF FORGIVENESS SUPPLIED SOLELY BY THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
• IMPLIED IN THE STATEMENT IS THAT THIS FOUNTAIN WAS PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TO THE JEWS. IT WAS CLOSED NOT BY GOD’S DOING, BUT BY THE JEWS’ REJECTION OF CHRIST AT HIS FIRST COMING.
• REMEMBER THAT ZECHARIAH WAS A PRIEST AS WELL AS A PROPHET.
• IN THE OLD TEMPLE AND IN THE TABERNACLE, THERE WAS A BRASS LAVER USED FOR THE CEREMONIAL WASHING OF PRIESTS.
• THIS EXTERNAL CEREMONIAL WASHING WAS TO INDICATE THE SPIRITUAL NEED FOR THE INTERNAL CLEANSING FROM SIN.
• THAT LAVER REPRESENTED JESUS CHRIST AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
• READ PSA 36:9 AND REV 21:6
• THIS FOUNTAIN IS THE FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL LIFE.
• READ JER 17:13
• THIS FOUNTAIN IS GOD HIMSELF.
• “…FOR SIN AND FOR UNCLEANNESS…” (1)
• TO WHAT SIN DOES ZECHARIAH REFER?
• IT REFERS TO ALL OF ISRAEL’S SIN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE NATION’S HISTORY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHEN THE JEWS HAD A TABERNACLE OR A TEMPLE, THEY OFFERED ANIMAL SACRIFICE FOR THEIR SINS. HOWEVER, THOSE SINS WERE NOT TAKEN AWAY BY THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS. (HEB 9:12) THEIR SIN WAS ONLY COVERED OVER WAITING FOR THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION THAT WOULD REMOVE THEIR SINS.
• HOWEVER, THE JEWS NEVER TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AT HIS FIRST COMING.
• THEN THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE ROMANS IN 70 AD AND THERE WAS NO MORE ANIMAL SACRIFICE.
• THEREFORE, THEIR FORGIVENESS FROM THE SINS ACCUMULATED OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS WAITS FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• ISRAEL’S TWO MOST PROMINENT SINS IN THEIR PAST AND IN THEIR FUTURE: (2)
• =1= IDOLATRY:
• GOD’S FIRST COMMANDMENT TO MOSES WAS, “THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME”. (EXO 20:3)
• A FAILURE TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD PLAGUED THE JEWS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND ALL THROUGH THEIR HISTORY.
• REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS THE PEOPLE SUFFERED THROUGH THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY WAS BECAUSE OF RAMPANT IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL. THEY EVEN SET UP IDOLS IN GOD’S TEMPLE.
• WHY DOES THIS CHAPTER TALK SO MUCH ABOUT THE IDOLS WHEN THE JEWS WERE HEALED OF THEIR IDOL WORSHIP BY THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY?
• IT IS EMPHASIZED HERE BECAUSE THEY NEVER ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE THEM OF THEIR IDOLATRY OF THE PAST.
• IT IS EMPHASIZED HERE AS A WARNING TO THE PEOPLE OF ZECHARIAH’S DAY.
• IT IS EMPHASIZED HERE BECAUSE THE JEWS WILL FALL INTO IDOLATRY AGAIN IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN THEY WILL WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH.
• =2= AN EVIL SPIRIT OF FALSE PROPHECY:
• BECAUSE THE JEWS FAILED TO BE FAITHFUL TO THEIR GOD, JEHOVAH, THEY WERE EASILY PERSUADED BY FALSE PROPHETS.
• THERE IS AN UNDERLYING, DECEPTIVE SPIRIT OF EVIL BEHIND FALSE PROPHECY. EVIDENTLY THIS EVIL SPIRIT PERVADED THE LAND OF ISRAEL THROUGH THEIR HISTORY.
• THIS EVIL MANIFESTED ITSELF IN THE FORM OF MANY, MANY FALSE PROPHETS AND FALSE MESSIAH’S.
• IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE JEWS WILL BE PERSUADED BY THE FALSE PROPHET TO ACCEPT THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH AND TO WORSHIP HIM.
• GOD WILL CUT OFF THE FALSE PROPHETS IN THE MILLENNIUM: (4-5)
• IN THE MILLENNIUM, FALSE PROPHECY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. OUT OF FEAR SOME MAY EVEN LIE OUT OF FEAR OF DEATH ABOUT THEIR PROFESSION TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT THEY ARE REALLY FALSE PROPHETS.
• “WHAT ARE THESE WOUNDS IN THINE HANDS?” (6)
• THERE ARE THREE POSSIBLE INTERPRETATIONS FOR THIS VERSE:
• =1= IF THE SUBJECT OF VERSE 6 IS THE SAME SUBJECT AS IN VERSES 4 AND 5, NAMELY THE FALSE PROPHETS, THEN THE VERSE REFERS TO FALSE PROPHETS WHO USED TO CUT THEIR HANDS IN PAGAN RITUALS FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCERNING THE FUTURE. (1KIN 18:28 1KIN 22:5-7, 11-12 JER 16:6)
• “I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS…” (6)
• ACCORDING TO THIS INTERPRETATION, THE WORD FRIENDS REFERS TO “LOVERS” OR IDOLS.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE IDOLS WHOM THE FALSE PROPHETS LOVED CAUSED THE CUTTING OF THE HANDS.
• =2= HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY WHO SEE VERSE 6 AS A CHANGE IN SUBJECT THAT REFERS BACK TO THE TRUE SHEPHERD MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, IN CHAPTER 12 AND FORWARD TO VERSE 7 OF THIS CHAPTER. VERSE 6 IS THEREFORE LINKED TO VERSE 7 IN ZEC 13.
• IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN THE WOUNDS IN THE HANDS REFER TO CHRIST’S WOUNDS ON THE CROSS SPOKEN OF IN ZEC 12:10.
• “…I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS.” (6)
• UNDER INTERPRETATION #2, THIS WOULD REFER TO THE BETRAYAL OF CHRIST BY JUDAS.
• =3= THIS THIRD INTERPRETATION IS A COMBINATION OF INTERPRETATION #1 AND #2.
• VERSE 6 IS SEEN AS A TRANSITION VERSE COMPARING THE FALSE PROPHETS (THE FALSE SHEPHERDS) TO THE ONE TRUE PROPHET JESUS CHRIST (THE TRUE SHEPHERD).
• THE FALSE PROPHETS WHO CUT THEIR HANDS TO PLEASE THEIR IDOL GODS WILL BE CUT OFF FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• THE TRUE PROPHET, JESUS CHRIST, WHO BEARS THE MARKS OF HIS REJECTION IN HIS HANDS, WILL FORGIVE HIS SCATTERED SHEEP OF THEIR SINS.

• READ ZEC 13:8-9 THE FINAL PURGING AND ITS PURPOSE
• “AWAKE, O SWORD AGAINST MY SHEPHERD, AND AGAINST THE MAN WHO IS MY FELLOW…” (7)
• WHO IS “MY SHEPHERD”?
• THE WORD “FELLOW” IN THE HEBREW HAS THE CONNOTATION OF EQUALITY WITH THE SPEAKER. THE SPEAKER IS GOD, THE FATHER, AND THE “FELLOW” OF EQUALITY WITH GOD IS JESUS CHRIST, THE SON. THEREFORE, JESUS IS “MY SHEPHERD”.
• THE OLD TESTAMENT TELLS US THAT JEHOVAH IS THE SHEPHERD. (PSA 23:1)
• IN EXO 3:2-6 IS MOSES’ EXPERIENCE WITH GOD AT THE BURNING BUSH.
• THE “ANGEL OF THE LORD” IS AN OLD TESTAMENT PHRASE THAT REFERS TO A PRE-INCARNATE APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST.
• HE TELLS MOSES HE IS THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.
• IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, JESUS REFERS TO HIMSELF NUMEROUS TIMES AS THE “I AM”, THE ONE IN THE BURNING BUSH.
• THEREFORE, “MY SHEPHERD” IS BOTH JEHOVAH GOD AND JESUS CHRIST. READ JOH 10:24-30
• THE SWORD AGAINST GOD’S SHEPHERD: (7)
• TO FULFILL GOD’S PLAN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD BE SLAIN FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE, GOD COMMANDS THE SWORD (A SYMBOL OF DEATH) TO BE FREE TO DO IT’S WORK IN THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE SCATTERING OF THE JEWS IN 70 AD.
• IN ZEC 12:10 THE GUILT FOR THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST IS LAID AT THE FEET OF THE JEWS. HOWEVER, IN ZEC 13:7, IT IS GOD WHO TAKES THE BLAME FOR THE CRUCIFIXION.
• READ ISA 53:10 AND MAT 26:31-32 AND REV 13:8
• “I WILL TURN MINE HAND UPON THE LITTLE ONES…” (7)
• GOD WILL TURN HIS HAND FROM A HAND OF CHASTISEMENT UPON THE JEWS (HIS LITTLE ONES) TO A HAND OF MERCY, FORGIVENESS, AND BLESSING.
• GOD’S HAND OF CHASTISEMENT HAS BEEN ON THE JEWS SINCE THEIR REJECTION OF THEIR MESSIAH AT JESUS’ FIRST COMING. THIS HAND OF CHASTISEMENT WILL REMAIN ON THE JEWS UNTIL THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON WHEN THEY WILL RECEIVE CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH. THEN HIS HAND WILL TURN TO FORGIVENESS WHEN THE FOUNTAIN IS OPENED.
• TWO THIRDS OF THE JEWS WILL DIE UNDER CHASTISEMENT.DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. (8)
• ONE THIRD OF THE JEWS WILL BE SAVED AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. (8-9)
• THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS THE FIRE THAT WILL REFINE THE JEWS AS SILVER AND AS GOLD.
• IDOLATRY AND THE EVIL SPIRIT OF FALSE PROPHECY WILL BE BURNED OUT THEM THROUGH THE EXTREME PRESSURES OF LIVING IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• 1/3, THE JEWISH REMNANT, WILL ENTER THE MILLENNIUM AS GOD’S PEOPLE.
• THIS IS PROBABLY NOT A SPECIFIC NUMBER BUT MOST LIKELY SYMBOLIZES A MINORITY OF PEOPLE, A REMNANT. (ISA 6:13 REFERS TO ONLY 1/10TH.)
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• GOOD WILL COME OUT OF THE EVIL OF CRUCIFIXION AND THE SCATTERING OF THE JEWS.
• THAT GOOD IS THE SALVATION OF MILLIONS OF GENTILE BELIEVERS DOWN THROUGH HISTORY.
• THAT GOOD IS THE FINAL SALVATION OF A REMNANT OF JEWS AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• WE MUST PRAISE GOD FOR HIS MARVELOUS PLAN THAT SENT JESUS CHRIST, OUR GOOD SHEPHERD, TO DIE FOR US THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN AND DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER.

HOMEWORK
ZECHARIAH 14
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ZEC 13
• PRAY FOR THE JEWS THIS WEEK THAT MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUAL JEWISH PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH DURING THIS AGE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.

• PREPARATION FOR ZEC 14
• READ ZEC 14:1-21
• WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM DURING THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON?

• WHAT CHANGES WILL OCCUR ON EARTH AS A RESULT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?

• READ MAT 17:1-5
• WHY WAS THE BUILDING OF BOOTHS OR TABERNACLES THE WRONG THING FOR PETER TO SAY ON THE MT. OF TRANSFIGURATION IN LIGHT OF ZEC 14?

• MEMORY VERSE: ZEC 14:9