Messianic Prophecy Study of Book of Zechariah - Chapters 11 thru 14 (Messianic Literary Corner) - Messianic Literary Corner

a.  references: Pr.1:6, Hos.12:10, Mt.13:10-15, 34, Mk.4:34, Jn. 10:6 ,   (please note: these references give us a biblical foundation for  figurative speech throughout the scriptures . )

b.  Zech. 11:1-3 "Open your doors, 0 Lebanon, so that fire may devour your  cedars, Wail 0 pine trees, for the cedars have fallen. The stately trees  are ruined. Wail 0 oaks of Bashan the dense forest has been cut down.  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.

  i.  The cedars of Lebanon (a proud, renowned, but rebellious figure of the  shepherds of Israel); ref. ; Ez. 31:1-9, 10-15, Is.19:33-34 )

  ii.  pine and oaks are lesser trees than the cedars (A figure of those  shepherds or leaders of Israel who are the most numerous, but not having  the most authority.) ref.: Ez. 27:3-6)

  iii.  lions are figures of Israel's predator enemies, moving in for the kill,  once God's divine barrier of protection is removed, (ref.: Ps.10: 9,  17:12, 22:13, 21.)

a.  A parable of two shepherds is presented by the faithful shepherd  (representing the Messiah Yeshua!) in first person singular. The  unfaithful shepherd then carries first person, starting in verse 7  through 14.

c.  Zech.11:4-6 "For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land  declares the Lord. They (the worthless shepherds) will oppress the land  and will riot rescue them from their hands, (references: Jer. 25:34;  50:7, Ez. 34:2-3, Is. 9:19-21, Lam. 2:21, 5: Mic. 5 : 8, 7:2-6)

d. Zech. 11:7-17 (The worthless shepherd and Judas Iscariot)

   i.  We see here a parable of the worthless shepherd. Judas Iscariot  symbolized Israel's unfaithful shepherds. But he was more! He actually  was the man chosen to fulfill the prophesy of the worthless shepherd  personally in his betrayal of Yeshua. He became Israel's representative  in it's annulment of it's covenant "with God. (ref. Zech.11:10)

  ii.  Zech.11:12-13 "So they paid me thirty shekels. And the Lord said to me,  Throw it to the potter - the handsome price at which they priced me! So  I took the thirty shekels and threw them into the house of the Lord to  the potter. (ref.: Mt. 26:15, Mt. 27:1-10)

e. Zech. 11:14-17 "Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! (ref. Jer. 23:1 , Ez. 30:21-22, Is. 13:1)

a. Verses 1 thru 9 are an oracle of destruction for Israel's enemies upon the great and terrible day of the Lord.

b.  Zech. 12:1-3 "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup , that sends all the  surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as  Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered  against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all nations."

  i .  This, is a prophecy of the future, when Messiah Jesus is about to  return. The text indicates that all the nations will turn against  Israel. Why? I believe the scriptures give us a reasonable answer,  (references: Dan.9:27, Mt 24:15-16, 2Thes.2:l-4)

 ii.  From the references we have read, it appears that the future siege of  Jerusalem will be primarily due to the rage of the nations for Israel  retaining Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel and not partitioning it  with its Palestinian neighbor.  Also for the rebuilding of the temple  and the re-institution of sacrifice. Prophecy also indicates this action  will be led by a Satanic world leader known as the "anti-Christ", who  will claim to be God incarnate (as Yeshua rightfully did) and defile the  temple with an unclean sacrifice. Israel will forcefully reject him-  and the siege will begin.. (Note: This future event of "the abomination  of desolations" is a repetition of historical events, repeating the  desolation of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanies in 160 A.D.)(Refer to 1  Maccabees)

iii. We find reference to all the nations of the earth gathering against Jerusalem in: Zech. 14:2, Is. 66:18

c.  Zech. 12:4-5 "0n that day I will strike every horse with panic and it's  riders with madness declares the Lord.... Then the leaders of Judah  will say in their hearts; the people of Jerusalem are strong because the  Lord Almighty is their God." (reference: Zech. 10:5, Ps. 2:1-9)

d.  Zech 12:6 "They will consume right and left all the surrounding  peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place, (ref.:  Is.10:17-23, Zech. 14:10, Is.17:1-7, Ob.1:15-18)

e.  Zech.12:7-9 "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 before them.  On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack  Jerusalem, (ref. : Jer.30:16-20, Joel 3:10-17, Micah 7:8-11)

a.  Zech.12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the  inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of grace and supplication. They will  look on me, the one the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for  him as one mourns for an only child and grieve for him as one who  grieves for a first born, (ref. : Is. 53:11, 54:5-8, Jer. 50:4-5, Mt.  24:30, Rev. 1 : 7) (definitions: grace = unmerited mercy, supplication =  humble request)

a.  We find two central themes in Zech.13 , Israel's cleansing from sin  upon the Messiah's return (Zech.13:1-6) and the scattering of the sheep  by the striking of the shepherd, with an end time prophecy of judgment  and refinement, relating to the striking of the shepherd.

b.  Zech.13 : 1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house David  and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity.  (Ref. Ez . 36:25, Zech.14:8, Joel 3:18, Rev.22: 1-6 )

c.Zech.  1.3:2-3 "On that day I will banish the names of the idols from the land  and they will be remembered no more", declares the Lord Almighty. "I  will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land,"  (Ref.: Ez. .36:25-27, Hosea 2:16-17, Micah 5:7-15, Jer.23:33-40,  Deut.13:6-11)

d.  Zech.13:4-6 "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic  vision. He will not put on a prophet's garments of hair in order to  deceive. (Ref. ; Mt.3:4-6, 2K1.1:7-8, Amos 7:14-15, 2Peter 2:1-3,  2  Tim.4:3-5)

e.  Zech.13:7 "Awake 0 sword against my shepherd, against the man who is  close to me!" declares the Lord Almighty, "Strike the shepherd and the  sheep will be scattered. And I will turn my hand against the little  ones. (This prophecy is specifically related to Yeshua's betrayal and  atoning sacrifice. We see the reference "strike the shepherd" in Zech.  11:4-6, Is.53:4-6 and Mt.26:31-32)

f.   Zech.13:8-9 "In the whole land declares the Lord, "two thirds will be  struck down and perish, yet one third will be left in it. This third 1  will bring into the fire, I will refine them like silver...

  i.  This prophecy is most likely one of Israel's last judgment upon the  Messiah's return. Two thirds will be cut off & one third will be  refined. (Ref. ; Daniel 11:33-35, Zech. 14:2)

g.  Zech. 13:9 "They will call on my name and I will answer them." I will  say "They are my people" and they will say "The Lord is our God". (Ref.  :  Is. 4:2-4, Is. 54:7-10)

a. Zech.14:1-5 Jerusalem's Siege & The Lord's Defense Of Jerusalem

   i. Zech.14:1 "A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided among you." (Joel 1:15, Mal. 4:1)

  ii.  Zech.14:2 "For I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem, to fight  against it, the city will be captured, the houses ransacked and the  women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the  people will not be taken from the city."(Is. 2:3, Zech. 12:3, Zech.  13:8)

  iii.  Zech.14:3-4 "Then the Lord will fight against those nations as when he  fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount  of Olives east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives shall be split in  two from east to west by a valley... (Is. 8:9, Zech. 12:9, Luke  24:50-51,  Acts 1:10-11)

  iv.  Zech.14: 5 "You will flee by mountain valley for it will extend to  Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquakes in the days of  Uzziah King of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy  ones with him. (Mt.24:29-31, Rev.20:1-3)

b. Zech.14:6-20 The Messiah Subdues The Nations And Reigns As King Over All The Earth.

  i.  Zech.14:6 "On that day there will be no light nor cold or frost, It  will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime -a day known to the  Lord. When evening comes there will be light." (Zech.2:5, Is.60:19,  Rev.22:5)

  ii.  Zech.14:8 "On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half  to the eastern sea, half to the western sea in summer and  winter."(Ez.36:25, Zech.13:1, Ez.47:1-2, Joel 3:18, Rev.22:l-6)

  iii.  Zech.14:9 "The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day  there will be one Lord and his name the only name. (Is.45:24, Rev.11:15,  Hab.2:I4, Eph.1:19-22, Ob.1:21, Ps.22:2S)

  iv.  Zech.14:10 (Jerusalem will be raised up!) The whole land from-Geba to  Rimmon south of Jerusalem will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem  will be raised up and remain in its place... (physical - Is.2:2,  spiritual -Jer.30:18)

  v.  Zech.14:12-21 (All the nations of the earth will be called to worship  the Lord in Jerusalem) Zech.14:12-15 (A plague will strike those who  attack Jerusalem) (Is.11:4)

c.  Zech.14:16-19 (The Feast of Tabernacles, "Succoth", will be an  international Holy Day for all nations to celebrate in Jerusalem.)

d. Zech.14:20-21 (The "common" shall become "holy" and the unrighteous will never again enter Jerusalem.) (Jer.31:40, Ez.44:9)