Zacarias 12
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Zacarias 12
Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" Behold (02009)(hinneh) is an interjection used almost 1000 times in the OT and conveys the meaning behold or look. See or listen with attention. Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! Uses of Hinneh in Zechariah - Zech. 1:8; Zech. 1:11; Zech. 1:18; Zech. 2:1; Zech. 2:3; Zech. 2:9; Zech. 2:10; Zech. 3:8; Zech. 3:9; Zech. 4:2; Zech. 5:1; Zech. 5:7; Zech. 6:1; Zech. 6:12; Zech. 8:7; Zech. 9:4; Zech. 9:9; Zech. 11:6; Zech. 11:16; Zech. 12:2; Zech. 14:1 I am going to make - God is speaking and God is orchestrating the events in chapter 12 as emphasized by the "I am" here and the repeated use of "I will" in Zech 12:3, 4, 6, 9, 10). The sovereign God is in total control (cf "stretches...lays...forms" in Zech 12:1) declaring that He is going to accomplish His ends (I am...). John MacArthur exhorts us to "remember that all the history of the world is the enacting of the sovereignty of God to one direct degree or another. God is involved in the flow of history and if this attack is to come on Israel, then it is God who makes it happen....God is making a promise. God is directing a prophecy. It's a prophecy of siege but it's also a prophecy of salvation. And God is behind the whole thing. And the reason this is emphasized is that the people who hear this prophecy will have the confidence to believe that it will come to pass. It doesn't depend on men. It depends upon an unchanging immutable God, a God who doesn't make plans and scuttle them, a God who isn't thwarted by some other power. When God says it and God plans to do it, it will be done. And this is why there is such emphasis on God." (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance) God will in essence allow the horrible anti-Semitism that has been smoldering for millennia to come to a head as the world sets its sights on the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem. How interesting that as I am writing these notes (December, 2017) President Donald Trump has ordered the U S Embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which he will recognize as the legitimate capital of Israel. I would predict some "fireworks" from all the peoples around! Am I saying this is a fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy? No, but it could be a precursor events. Current events are interesting but should never be used to interpret Bible prophecy. This is the antithesis of what one's approach should be! Keep your eyes focused on the Word of Truth and then you will be able to discern the signs of the times using God's Word of Truth on prophecy. Related Resource: What is the cause of all the anti-Semitism in the world?
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Spurgeon writes "This is a promise of God’s abounding mercy to His Chosen People Israel. When he comes to their aid, they shall be a cup of trembling to their enemies. Those enemies will try to swallow them, but they will find that they are drinking a cup of poison, which will cause their own death. Oh that the day might soon come when God would remember his ancient people, the Jews, and bring them back to their own land, as he certainly will do in the fullness of time (NOTICE THAT SPURGEON BELIEVED THAT PALESTINE WAS ISRAEL'S LAND AND THAT GOD WOULD BRING THEM BACK AS HE DID BY RE-BIRTHING THE NATION ON MAY 14, 1948 - read of this miracle), and when he has done it, then it shall come to pass that all who fight against them shall find His people to be as a cup of trembling to them. This promise, which is to be literally fulfilled to God’s Chosen People, the seed of Abraham, is also spiritually true to all believers. Christian, your enemies cannot really hurt you. If they could drink you up, as men drink a cup of wine, you would be a cup of trembling to them, they would find that they had taken in more than they wanted. All the persecutors of the Church of God, in smiting this stone, have themselves been broken on it. They have found that they have undertaken a task which has ended in their own destruction. Woe unto the man who fights against the Church of the living God! Victory must always come to the Lord’s people, for greater is he who is with them than all that can be against them."
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Spurgeon - When God comes to defend his own, then, however despised the people may be, however despised Israel may be, God will make it to be a cup of trembling to them. He will make it to be a burdensome stone which they cannot endure, and they will be glad to be rid of it. I remember a story in one of the legends of the old saints concerning a holy woman who was taken away from her place of retreat by the ungodly, with a view of forcing her into sin. The legend runs that as they carried her, she was quite unable to resist their power, but she became heavier and heavier, so that they could not carry her and were obliged to set her down and then she went back to where she was; and I believe that the legend pictorially sets forth what happens when a true child of God is carried captive by temptation and sin. Bye-and-bye, God comes and makes them to be a burdensome stone, and they are obliged to lay them down. The apostle John describes the incredible carnage to all the peoples in Revelation 19:15-21-note From His (THE MESSIAH, THE SAME ONE WHO POURS OUT THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATION ON ISRAEL) mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it - This confederacy represents a global ganging up of Gentiles against the tiny nation of Israel. All the nations is mentioned again in Zechariah 14:2-note which describes the same event. This global gathering against Israel will transpire in the last half (last 3.5 years) of Daniel's Seventieth Week, also known as the Great Tribulation, a tribulation which is triggered by the abominable event in Matthew 24:15-note. Other synonyms are Jeremiah's phrase the "Time of Jacob's Distress," (Jeremiah 30:7-note) and Daniel's phrase a "Time of Great Distress" (Daniel 12:1-note). The prophet Joel describes what will transpire in that day, a fearful day writing Blow a trumpet in Zion (play), And sound an alarm on My holy mountain (TEMPLE MOUNT)! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the Day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near, 2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people (THE COMBINED FORCES OF THE ARMIES OF ALL THE WORLD); There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. 3 A fire consumes before them and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run. 5 With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle. 6 Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; and they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths. 8 They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. 9 They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief. 10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. 11 The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The Day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? (Joel 2:1-11-note) Henry Morris on heavy stone - For many centuries, Jerusalem and its people have been "an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations" (Deuteronomy 28:37), "a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places" (Jeremiah 24:9). But "in that day," it will become "a burdensome stone" to all these peoples, and God will judge the nations in relation to their treatment of Israel. Many such nations have already been judged (ancient Assyria, imperial Rome, Czarist Russia, Nazi Germany). The kingdom of the Beast will have its turn as well." (Luther Works, Volume 20). As mentioned earlier, one needs to be very cautious reading commentaries on predictive prophecy as the following comments by Martin Luther make plain (thankfully he gave up and did not even attempt to explain Zechariah 14!). Luther wrote that the heavy stone is "Another metaphor, which means the same thing. The apostles are to be a heavy stone or a rock of oppression for all nations; that is, Christianity shall not be crushed; but all who try to crush it shall themselves be crushed, some by grace, others by disfavor." Notice how Luther replaces Israel (to whom this is clearly addressed in Zech 12:1) with Christianity (aka, the church), taking this figure of speech totally out of context! Remember that even when a phrase is clearly a figure of speech, it still has a literal meaning (sometimes easy to discern from context, sometimes not so easy) and is never to be used as a license to let one's imagination run wild with non-contextually accurate interpretations of the text! It is also important to note that in his later years, Martin Luther became frustrated that the Jews would not receive the Gospel. As a result Luther wrote a few books against the Jewish people entitled Against the Sabbath Keepers, Against the Judaizers, and On the Jews and Their Lies. In the final work, Luther denounced them completely by advocating for “burning down synagogues in every town and forcing Jews to convert or die.” (See Martin Luther and Anti-Semitism) Guess who picked up on this German icon's message? You guessed it, Adolph Hitler in Mein Kampf, using Luther's vitriolic writings to support his satanically inspired "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". The message is clear when reading commentaries on Zechariah 12-14 (including the one you are reading now!) - Be a Berean (Acts 17:11-note). Perowne has an interesting note on heavy stone (or "burdensome stone") suggesting Jerusalem will have this name in the end times "because, as it immediately follows, it proves too heavy for every one who attempts to lift it, and slipping from his grasp wounds and lacerates him. There may possibly be a reference to the custom, if indeed it existed so early as the time of Zechariah, which Jerome describes as prevailing in Palestine in his days. “It is the custom,” he says, “in the cities of Palestine, and to the present day throughout all Judea the ancient practice is observed, that in villages, towns and forts round stones of very great weight are placed, at which the youth are wont to exercise themselves, and according to their differing strength to lift them, some to the knees, others to the navel, others to the shoulders and head; some exhibiting the greatness of their strength, raise the weight above their head with both their hands straight up.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) Fausset says, "The Jews fell on the stone of offense, Messiah, and were broken; but the stone shall fall on Antichrist who 'burdens himself with it' and grind him to powder." Jerome who lived in Palestine said that it was a local custom to test the strength of young men by having them lift a HEAVY STONE. Those who would crush the CITY OF GOD & GOD'S PEOPLE will be crushed as was Sennacherib seige in 701BC. 2 Kings 19:35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out, and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. A TIMELINE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD Heaven & earth fled away (Re 20:11-note) || V Pre-Tribulation Rapture The Tribulation 70th Week of Daniel (Da 9:27-note) (2) Day of Lord 2Pe 3:10-note > Great White < Throne (1a) Day of the Lord begins > Mid-Tribulation (1b) Day of Lord begins v 1000 Years The Millennial Reign of Christ (Re 20:4,5,6-notes v4; 5; 6) New Heaven New Earth (Re 21:1-note) 3.5 Years 3.5 Years When does the Day of the Lord begin? You will read descriptions in some commentaries that state the Day of the Lord follows the rapture of the church (1a) ("pre-tribulation rapture"- see discussion of when the rapture occurs) (1Th 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), the event which most evangelicals feel immediately precedes the last seven years of Seventy Weeks of Daniel, and is popularly known as the Tribulation, although nowhere in Scripture is this seventieth week of 7 years specifically designated "the Tribulation" (let me know if you find a passage that contradicts this conclusion - remember that "the Great Tribulation" only refers to the last three and one-half years of this seven year period). The alternative inception date is Mid-Tribulation (1b). First, we must understand the basic timing of this last "Seven Year Period" (Daniel's Seventieth Week) which can be divided into two 3.5 year segments, a conclusion based upon study of Da 9:27 (see notes). Daniel records the following prophecy he received from the angel Gabriel in answer to fervent prayer… And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the Jews/Israel) for one week (one seven year period), but in the middle of the week (after 3.5 years) he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering (in the rebuilt Jewish temple) and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Da 9:27-note) The Lord Jesus quoted from Daniel 9 as He explained the timing of the events immediately preceding His triumphant return because He wanted the Jews (and all mankind) living during the tumultuous time of Daniel's Seventieth Week to have an easily identifiable event that would indubitably signal the beginning of the the Great Tribulation which represents the final outpouring of God's wrath during the last 3.5 years of the Seventieth Week of Daniel… Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (referring to the Antichrist or some desecrating action he makes) which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet (reference to Da 9:27-note, also in Daniel 11:31, 12:11), standing in the holy place (indicates the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, cf Re 11:1, 2- see notes Re 11:1; 11:2) (let the reader understand)… there will be a Great Tribulation, (a specific 3.5 year period synonymous with the "Time of Jacob's Distress" in Jer 30:7-note, click other synonyms) such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall… but immediately after the tribulation (the Great Tribulation) of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (Sign = the Lord returning on the clouds), and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." (Matthew 25:15-31) Now keeping in mind the timing of this dramatic event described by Daniel and Jesus, read Paul's second letter to the saints at Thessalonica where he addresses the false teaching that the persecution the Thessalonians were now experiencing was part of the great tribulation. He references the same crucial historical event as Daniel and Jesus in order to assure these fearful saints… "Now we request (plead, implore, beg of) you, brethren, with regard to the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him (Paul refers not to two events but one event - the rapture he had written about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure (literally "mind") or be disturbed (frightened) (false teaching about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord appears to have had a devastating impact on the Thessalonian saints) either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (a very specific presumably identifiable time of rebellion against God) comes first, and the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is revealed (apokalupto = literally has the veil removed exposing to open view what he had before hidden regarding his evil character. The aorist tense points to a definite time, a specific historical event), the son of destruction (apoleia = ruin not annihilation), who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God (which Jesus referred to as "standing in the holy place"), displaying himself as being God." (2Th 2:1-3.4-note) When does Paul state that the Day of the Lord will begin? First, he says "the apostasy" will occur. Then he states when and where "the man of lawlessness" will be revealed. Specifically he states that the revelation of the Antichrist must precede the Day of the LORD. Although many favor the Day of the Lord beginning at point (1a) in the above diagram (after the pre-tribulation rapture), when one compare Scripture with Scripture, there is certainly support for considering the beginning for the Day of the Lord at the midpoint of the 7 Year period of Daniel (1b). Zechariah 12:4 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness In that day: Zec 12:3,6,8,9,11 Isa 24:21 I will smite: Zec 10:5 14:15 De 28:28 2Ki 6:14,18 Ps 76:5-7 Eze 38:4 39:20 I will watch over : Zec 9:8 1Ki 8:29 2Ch 6:20,40 7:15 Ne 1:6 Isa 37:17 Jer 24:6 Da 9:18 Ac 17:30 MESSIAH' SECOND COMING BRINGS JUDGMENT AND REDEMPTION In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness - This description parallels and amplifies "Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling." I will strike is Messiah's prophetic promise to Israel that He will directly intervene with supernatural power in this final showdown with Israel's enemies in the future Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7-note) . Charles Feinberg notes that "Since cavalry always formed a large part in Eastern warfare, the enemy will be well supplied; but God will incapacitate them, turning this source of strength into a detriment and weapon of destruction. The horses of the enemy will be smitten with terror then with blindness (to lead their riders to their doom), and the horsemen will be struck with insanity. Such will be the confusion and tumult created by God in the midst of the enemy, while His eyes will be turned toward Jerusalem and her people with great favor and compassion. Little do the nations of earth realize how they incur the wrath of God against them when they touch Israel for harm, let alone seek to wipe them completely from the face of the earth." (The Minor Prophets) Spurgeon - The chief strength of Jerusalem’s enemies lay in horses and chariots; but God bids his people not to fear them, for he knows how to overcome all power, whether it be the power of cavalry or the power of infantry. He knows how to smite every horse with astonishment, and every rider with madness, for, “as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever,” and he can protect them against the most powerful foes that may assail them. Every horse with bewilderment - Have you ever ridden on a horse that was spooked? I have and was thrown off into a thorn patch! Bewildered horses are not good in battle! In the ancient world cavalry and horses were the most powerful and feared instruments of warfare, but here we see that Messiah neutralizes this aspect of the Gentiles' armed forces. "This intervention by God on behalf of His people is reminiscent of His action during (1) the Exodus; (2) conquest and settlement of Canaan; and (3) the fall of Mesopotamian capitals." (Utley) There is an interesting parallel between Zechariah 12:4 and Deut 28:28 in the curses of the Jews, for both of these passages have 3 rare words in common - blindness (ivvaron from avar = to make blind) and bewilderment (timmahon from tamah = to be astounded or dumbfounded),) are only used twice in the OT and madness (shiggaon) is only used three times (2 Ki 9:20 being the third use). I am not sure what the significance of this unusual repetition of rare words is, but in each case, what was formerly given as a curse to Israel (in Dt 28:28) is here in Zechariah prophesied to be a curse to the Gentiles (or their horses). Bewilderment includes a sense of fear...nothing worse than a spooked horse...he cannot be controlled and is virtually useless. This is followed by blindness and on the steep slopes of Jerusalem and Judah the horses undoubtedly will lead many riders to their death as they ride over cliffs and fall into the deep wadis. One might ask if horses here refers to literal horses or is meant to symbolize modern warfare? The simple answer is one cannot be dogmatic, but is certainly possible Zechariah is referring to literal horses. The LORD - This is Yahweh or Jehovah and specifically is the Messiah Who will strike Israel's enemies. The Septuagint translates Jehovah with the phrase "kurios pantokrator" which literally reads Lord Almighty. Pantokrator is a significant Name for the Messiah as in the New Testament, and with one exception (2 Cor 6:18), it is restricted to the book of the Revelation, which fittingly describes Messiah's final and complete victory over His enemies and the enemies of Israel - Rev. 1:8; Rev. 4:8; Rev. 11:17; Rev. 15:3; Rev. 16:7; Rev. 16:14; Rev. 19:6; Rev. 19:15; Rev. 21:22. In Revelation 1:8-note we see the identity of the Pantokrator, for Jesus Himself declares “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (pantokrator).” The verb strike is used twice in this passage and both times in the Septuagint is translated with the Greek verb patasso, which is the very verb used by John in His description of the returning victorious Messiah writing that "From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike (potasso) down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (pantokrator). (Rev 19:15-note) Tony
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Spurgeon - It looked as if the Lord had been asleep, but now he says, “’I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,’ (Zech 12:4KJV)— I will look at them, and note their sufferings, pity their griefs, plan for their good, and come forth for their defense.” Watch over (KJV = "I will open Mine eyes," NET = "I will pay close attention")(06491) (paqach) means to open especially in reference to one's eyes (either literal or figurative opening) and once to ears (Isa 42:20). The first use of paqach is figurative where the devil tempted Eve with the promise "your eyes will be opened" (Ge 3:5, 3:7). God figuratively (supernaturally) opened Hagar's eyes to see a well (Ge 21:19). God used Elisha to bring a dead lad back to life so that he literally opened his eyes (2 Ki 4:35). Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be figuratively (supernaturally) opened to see chariots of fire (2 Ki 6:17) and later he literally opened eyes of men blinded (2 Ki 6:20). Hezekiah prayed to God to open His eyes regarding his enemy (2 Ki 19:16, Isa 37:17). To open one's eyes is an idiom meaning to pay attention, to be watchful, to notice what is going on (2 Ki. 19:16; Dan. 9:18; Zech. 12:4); or to bring judgment on someone (Job 14:3). In Daniel 9:18 the prophet asked God O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open (paqach) Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. It is reasonable to consider that the words in Zechariah 12:4 (written in 520-518 B.C.) represent Jehovah's answer to that prayer offered some 15 years earlier by teh godly prophet Daniel (written in about 537 B.C.). Zechariah 12:5 "Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.' Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts: Zec 12:6 Judges 5:9 Isa 1:10,23,26 29:10 32:1 60:17 Jer 30:21 33:26 Eze 45:8,9 the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Zec 10:6,12 Ps 18:32,39 20:6,7 46:1 68:34,35 118:10-14 144:1 Isa 28:6 41:10-16 Joe 3:16 2Co 12:9,10 NET Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God, the LORD who rules over all.' Then - see expression of time - then - When? What has Zechariah just stated? That God will in effect "open His eyes on the house of Judah." This marks the battle turning against the nations. As an aside Zechariah mentions Yahweh's eyes four times in his prophecy - Zech 3:9, Zech 4:10, Zech 9:8 and Zech 12:4. This reminds me of Pr 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
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Spurgeon - The literal prophecy is that the seed of Israel shall go back to their own land and shall prevail over their adversaries. NET Note - On that day (referring to the day of the LORD) the Davidic monarchy will be restored and the LORD's people will recognize once more the legitimacy and divine sanction of David's dynasty. But there will also be a democratizing that will not give Jerusalem and its rulers undue priority over the people of the countryside (Zech 12:7). Recall that Zechariah 12-14 is a unit, basically a "single" prophecy with subparts ("sub-prophecies" if you will) and we should not be surprised to encounter additional descriptions of this same battle/invasion by the nations (NB: not additional invasions) in Zech 13:8-9 (where 2/3's of the Jews will die before the Lord intervenes) and Zech 14:1-6. I will make the clans (chieftains, leaders) of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves- I will make signifies that this will occur only at God's initiation and with the provision of His supernatural power (cf Zech 4:6, in NT see 2 Cor 3:5-6-note). Notice how often in Scripture we see the juxtaposition of divine sovereign will (providing desire and power) intimately and to me mysteriously integrated with human will and responsibility (cf this pattern of divine/human in Ps 127:1 and in NT the classic verses Php 2:12-note and Php 2:13NLT-note). Wikipedia explains a firepot - Given the time-consuming nature of early firestarting, humans eventually began to use earthenwarevessels, or fire pots, in which slow-burning fires could by kept alight indefinitely by using small quantities of fuel. Nomadic people could carry these small fires with them, using them to start larger fires for their evening camps. Judah will be made by God to supernaturally be like one of these firepots and in effect "burn" the armies of the nations. And the picture of a flame immediately igniting a sheaf of grain and what does fire do but devour what is placed in it. That is what Judah will do to the Gentile armies. Kaiser picks up on the metaphor commenting "With the sudden realization that Yahweh is their God, Judah will turn on her enemy like a fire igniting dry tinder or ripe sheaves (v. 6). Judah will be “like a firepan in the woodpile” (v6a)." (Ibid) Like a firepot...and a flaming torch - The Spirit moves Zechariah (2 Peter 1:21-note) to record two similes which help paint the picture of the absolute certainty of Israel's final, full victory over the hostile Gentile nations. Notice again that clearly Israel is enabled by God ("I will make...") to have such a total victory. I am reminded of the rebirth of Israel in May 14, 1948, when the nations surrounding Israel prepared their forces on the borders (Syria and Lebanese armies on the north, Jordanian and Iraqi armies on the east and Egyptian armies on the south - watch this dramatic event in Israel Birth of a Nation Documentary), with far superior manpower and equipment. There the enemies waited, encircling the tiny nation of Israel, which was poorly equipped for defense. They waited for Israel to proclaim her statehood, certain that they would utterly defeat Israel on that day. Well, the rest of the story is history as they say. The Arabs were soundly defeated and repulsed by the Israelis, and without a doubt in my mind I believe there was divine intervention in that battle against all odds! Notice that both figures of speech relate to fire that wreaks the devastation inflicted by Israel on the Gentile armies. The devouring power of fire is well know especially among sheaves. We see this "fire power" in the story of Samson in Judges 15:1-5-note and with Absalom in 2 Sa 14:28-30+. Firepot (03595)(kiyyor from kur = smelter's furnace for the refining of metal, figuratively in Dt 4:20, 1 Ki 8:51, Jer 11:4 ~"affliction") is a pot or basin and is used most often in the OT to describe "the laver of bronze to be placed between the Tent of Meeting and the altar." Each laver of Solomon's Temple contained about 300 gallons so they were relatively large. In 2 Chronicles 6:13, it refers to a platform on which King Solomon stood and knelt in order to pray. The Septuagint translates kiyyyor in Zech 12:6 with the noun dalos which is a firebrand, a piece of blazing wood and in some uses even signified a thunderbolt! Gilbrant - A loanword from Akkadian, this noun is in turn is a loanword from Urartian. It also appears in Middle Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic. It denotes a type of "pot" or "basin" in Biblical Hebrew, although only the latter nuance is attested in other languages. Kîyôr refers to a "cooking pot" in a single biblical context (1 Sa 2:14). It occurs in the narrative of the abuses by the sons of Eli in regard to their roles as priests. They would have a servant take offerings for the priests from each boiling vessel by shoving a fork into the meat, quite apart from ritual demands. It may well be that the inclusion of a basin as a cooking vessel in this passage may underscore the lack of regard which the sons had for the sacred implements. They may have taken a vessel consecrated as a basin and turned it into (in essence) a common cooking pot. It may be that the Biblical Hebrew meaning for kîyôr is consistent with its usage elsewhere. The noun is used to denote sacred basins, used ritually (Lev. 8:11). These basins could be movable (1 Kings 7:30). In one context, Solomon builds a bronze kîyôr, from which he addresses the people and Yahweh during the dedication ceremony of the Temple. It may simply have been an unfilled basin, providing an elevated platform from which to speak. (Ibid) Kiyyor - 23x in 20v - basin(6), basins(5), firepot(1), laver(9), pan(1), platform(1).Exod. 30:18; Exod. 30:28; Exod. 31:9; Exod. 35:16; Exod. 38:8; Exod. 39:39; Exod. 40:7; Exod. 40:11; Exod. 40:30; Lev. 8:11; 1 Sam. 2:14; 1 Ki. 7:30; 1 Ki. 7:38; 1 Ki. 7:40; 1 Ki. 7:43; 2 Ki. 16:17; 2 Chr. 4:6; 2 Chr. 4:14; 2 Chr. 6:13; Zech. 12:6 Feinberg explains that "The chieftains of Judah are likened to a pan of fire among wood or a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will consume the enemy on every side. The figures convey the thoughts of the ease and completeness of their victory, as well as their irresistible might under God. The result for God’s people will be that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be enabled to dwell again in safety in their own city of Jerusalem." So - This gives the logical conclusion of the figure of the clans of Judah likened to fire which destroys. They will consume the enemy thoroughly. They will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples - Like fire consumes, Judah will bring about complete devastation of all the surrounding peoples. The Gentile armies laying siege and surrounding Jerusalem will be obliterated, even as fire destroys what it touches. While the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem - The tide of the battle has shifted and the city can again be indwelt by the Jews. The city will remain intact and will not be moved.
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Spurgeon - God will begin by saving the most defenseless. The tents of the people were easily swept away by their powerful foes. “Therefore,” says the prophet, “the Lord shall save the tents of Judah first.” As for the people in the strongly defended city of Jerusalem he would protect them, but he would do it in such a way that they should not take the glory to themselves. God is always very jealous of his own honour. He will save us, but it will be in a way that shall prevent our pride from glorying in it. He will never allow one saved soul to be able to say, “I saved myself,” or “I contributed to the merit which has brought me to heaven.” No; God must have all the glory, — every jot and tittle of it; and all his people are glad that he should have it. Saves (delivers) (03467)(yasha') (See also yeshua from which we get our word "Jesus") is means to help, to save, to deliver, to move from distress to safety. The one who brings deliverance is known as the "savior." The root in Arabic is "make wide" which underscores the main thought of yasha' as to bring to a place of safety or broad pasture in contrast to a narrow strait which symbolizes distress or danger. The Septuagint translates yasha' with the verb sozo which means to save, deliver, rescue, restore to wholeness. Yasha' is the same verb used to describe Jehovah's deliverance of Israel from Egypt - "Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore." (Ex 14:30) Similarly here in Zechariah 12-14 we see that once again Jehovah saves Israel from the Gentile forces that sought a complete and final holocaust of the Jews! The prophet Zephaniah used yasha' in the prediction of Israel's deliverance in the end times God Himself promising “Behold, I am going to deal at that time (same time described here in Zechariah 12-14!) with ALL your oppressors, I will save (yasha') the lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In all the earth (In the Millennial Reign of Messiah). (Zephaniah 3:19-note). Zechariah uses yasha' 6 times Zech. 8:7; Zech. 8:13; Zech. 9:9; Zech. 9:16; Zech. 10:6; Zech. 12:7 and five refer to the future day when Israel will be delivered from the age long Gentile oppression and a remnant of the nation will be saved. Zechariah 8:7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;
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Spurgeon - What a blessed thing it is when the Lord strengthens all his people, so that the weakest amongst them are as strong as that ruddy-faced youth who smote Goliath, and the strongest of them are like the swift-winged angels of God (ED: AS NOTED THIS IS NOT JUST ANY ANGEL BUT THE Angel of the LORD), ready to do his bidding! Zechariah 12:9 "And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will set about to destroy: Zec 12:2 Isa 54:17 Hag 2:22 DIVINE DESTRUCTION OF ALL ISRAEL'S ENEMIES! This is divine payback to all the nations who sought to destroy Israel. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem - Here we have a summary of verses 1-8 but the question is What day? Some commentaries refer this to the time of the Maccabees, this that event does not even remotely fit the context. This is clearly the last days because all the nations have never in the history of the world come against Jerusalem and Israel as this passage literally describes. Dods almost gets it correct writing "We look in vain for any historical occurrences in which the letter of this prophecy has been fulfilled to Israel after the flesh, unless it be the Maccabean period." MacArthur on I will set about (KJV = I will seek) - The term "will seek" is a term that is used of a marksman who bends his bow with his eye focused on the target. He wants to hit the bullseye and nothing distracts him. The cup of iniquity is full and God comes in judgment. Read Revelation 16:1-21 and Revelation 19:1-21 and see how God begins to come in judgment, how Jesus splits the heavens with His coming, comes in glory and power with a flaming victory at hand with a sword dipped in blood and He comes to conquer. In summary, the first nine verses of the twelfth chapter describe prophetically Israel's great deliverance and the destruction of the armies of the world gathered against her. That's political salvation which prepares us for the next part which is spiritual salvation....In the political victory, what's the one thing that stands out? In my mind it is that they are going to recognize God at work. That's the beginning and makes an easy transition to Zechariah 12:10. (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance) Feinberg correctly states "we place the entire passage in the time of the Great Tribulation and more specifically in the War of Armageddon, when the nations of the earth will make their last frantic effort to blot Israel out of existence, only to be met by crushing defeat at the hands of the LORD of hosts Himself." (from God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah) Indeed this passages summarizes the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:3 where He declared "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." History has shown it is not a good thing to curse Israel, but it will be obvious that the nations of the world are either ignorant of the facts or disbelieve God's promise. Fructhtenbaum - The order in which this judgment takes place is that God will first rescue the Jews in Bozrah or Petra, destroying many of the armies there; this is the sixth stage of the Campaign of Armageddon (see stage 6 above). Secondly, He will then rescue the Jews of Jerusalem; this is the seventh stage of the Campaign of Armageddon (see stage 7 above). As a result, He will destroy the final portions of the armies just outside Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This destruction of all the nations that come against Jerusalem will comprise the sixth and seventh stages of the Campaign of Armageddon. Stephen Ger - In order to reach Jerusalem, the nations will also have to assault the surrounding territory, Judah. The Lord will supernaturally energize the defenders of Judah, beginning with the outlying Judean settlements, and Jerusalem, enabling them to defeat their enemies. The people’s natural capabilities will be supernaturally heightened as they are energized by the Lord to do battle (Zech 12:5–9). For one final time, the devastating fruit of the Abrahamic promise of divine retribution toward the enemies of the Jewish people (Gen. 12:3) will be harvested. (Zechariah: Minor Prophet With A Major Message - Conservative Theological Journal 03:8 Apr 1999) Destroy (demolish, exterminate) (08045)(shamad) is a verb meaning "be destroyed, decimated, perished, overthrown, exterminated, i.e., pertaining to being in a totally ruined state, which can include death of a person or extinction of an entity." (Swanson) The destruction depicted by shamad usually involves a rather sudden catastrophe such as warfare or a mass killing. The Septuagint translates shamad with the verb exairo which means to remove or drive away. This meaning reminds me of the words of Daniel's prophecy (the wind carried them away) in the description of what will happen to the Statue (representative of the nations of the world) when it is struck by the Stone (Messiah at His Second Coming)... You (King Nebuchadnezzar) continued looking until a Stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the Stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Messiah's Millennial Kingdom) (Da 2:34-35-note)
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Spurgeon - This is a promise concerning Israel. Long have the Jews rejected the Christ, but the day is coming when they shall acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Messiah. In that day, this promise will be fulfilled. God must always give “the spirit of grace” ere men will pray aright; and wherever grace is given, there is always true prayer. Cole on the Spirit of grace and supplication - God promises to pour out on the Jews “the Spirit of grace and of supplication.” This is a reference to the Holy Spirit (Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 39:29; Joel 2:28-29). Jesus told Nicodemus that the new birth is effected by the Spirit (John 3:5-8). “It is the Spirit who gives life” (John 6:63). Unless the Spirit of God convicts us of sin, righteousness,and judgment (John 16:8) and imparts new life to us, we remain dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1, 5), excluded from the life of God because of our hard hearts (Eph. 4:18). Salvation, like the original creation, requires the sovereign power of God (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). He is called here “the Spirit of grace and of supplication.” Grace means God’s undeserved favor. The Jews who pierced their Messiah do not deserve God’s favor, and neither does any sinner. Grace means that we do not have to clean up our lives or accumulate good works in order to qualify for salvation. Those things follow salvation, but they do not precede it to prompt God to act. The “Spirit of supplication” means that when He graciously intervenes in a sinner’s heart, that sinner cries out to God, “Save me, Lord, or I perish!” All subsequent prayer stems from God’s gracious Spirit of supplication moving us to cry for help. If you recognize that you are a sinner in God’s sight and you have cried out to Him to save you, it is because He has poured out His Spirit of grace and supplication on you. If you know Christ as Savior, but you lament the hardness of your heart, and you are crying out, “God, soften my heart towards You,” it is because His Spirit of grace and supplication is working in you. Matthew Henry on the Spirit of grace and supplication - One would think that it should follow, "And they shall look on him whom they have believed, and shall rejoice" (and it is true that that is one of the fruits of the pouring out of the Spirit, whence we read of the joy of the Holy ghost), but it follows, They shall mourn for there is a holy mourning, that is the effect of the pouring out of the Spirit, a mourning for sin, which is used to quicken faith in Christ and qualify for joy in God. It is here made the matter of a promise that the Jews shall mourn, for there is a mourning that will end in rejoicing (cf Ps 30:5) and has a blessing entailed upon it. This mourning is a fruit of the Spirit of grace, an evidence of a work of grace in the soul, and a companion of the Spirit of supplication, as it expresses lively affections working in prayer hence prayers and tears are often put together, 2 Kings 20:5. Jacob, that wrestler with God, wept and made supplication. But here it is a mourning for sin that is the effect of the pouring out of the Spirit. Feinberg quotes Dods who "observes, “The former of the two words is commonly and rightly rendered favour or grace, and if used in this sense here it must refer to a new disposition towards God springing up in the people, a spirit of relenting, of contrition for rejecting God, of willingness to accept Him, in a word, of love, but of love that has in it the element of tender compunction about its past treatment of God. The second word refers rather to the expressions of love, the trustful cries for help and acknowledgements of dependence which accompany this relenting." In short, the spirit of grace is the Holy Spirit who, when poured out upon Israel, will awaken their hearts to supplication for the bestowal of God’s favor upon them. (Exegetical Studies in Zechariah: The Second Burden, 12-14 .. Israel’s Conflict and Deliverance, 12:1-14) Grace (favor) (02580)(chen/hen from verb chanan = to favor) means favor (acts which display one’s fondness or compassion for another), grace (acts of kindness displaying one’s pleasure with an object, which benefit the object of pleasure), acceptance. The idea is that a person finds favor in the sight of another person or acceptance by the person, in this case favor in the sight of God. This word plays a major role in helping us understand God's relationship with sinful men as shown in the first use in Genesis 6:8 with those wonderful words "And Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord." The result of this favor was that he was delivered by God from His judgment of the world through the Flood. In a similar vein, the nation of Israel was granted by God to receive "favor in the sight of the Egyptians." (Ex 3:21, 11:3, 12:36). Zechariah's only other use of chen is Zech 4:7 "‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’” Supplication (08469)(tachanun from chanan = extending favor which is neither expected nor deserved) is a masculine noun that describes one asking for favor. In Daniel's great prayer in chapter 9, he seeks the Lord God by "prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Da 9:3) and in Da 9:23 we see his supplications were heard immediately. In the first use Solomon prays "And listen to the supplications of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, from heaven; hear Thou and forgive." (2Chr 6:21) In the psalms supplications reflect a plaintiff cry on one hand (Ps 28:2, 86:6, 130:2, 140:6, 143:1) and a gratitude for divine answer on the other (Ps 28:6, 31:22, 116:1). Proverbs speaks of the sense of humility of the one making supplication (Pr 18:23). In Jer 3:21 Israel is making supplication because they are beginning to feel the wrath of God's displeasure. Zechariah 12:10 was discussed above -- notice that both Jer 31:9 and Zechariah 12:10 use this same noun. The Holman Standard version (and others) translate tachanun with more variety than the NAS (all uses in NAS = supplication) and so renders it as pleading, plea for mercy, appeal for mercy, cry for help. Supplication (Latin supplex ~ entreating for mercy; plead humbly, kneel down) - describes the the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly. The idea of pleading conveys the sense of making an emotional appeal. So that - This is purpose clause, one of the more profound purpose clauses in the entire Bible, especially if you are Jewish! Whenever you encounter a purpose clause consider the "5P's" - Pause to Ponder the Passage then Practice it in the Power of the Spirit. As noted this is one of the "richer" purpose clauses you will encounter in Scripture. ISRAEL'S NATIONAL DAY OF ATONEMENT This prophecy (they will look upon Me) was partially fulfilled in Jesus' first coming when He was crucified and pierced and His Jewish brethren bore witness (looked upon Him), but the final fulfillment awaits His Second Coming when not only will the Jews see Him, but the entire world will look upon He Who was pierced! In his Gospel John has a description of Jesus' crucifixion in which he quotes Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 showing that in the Crucifixion this Messianic prophecy (the piercing) was fulfilled. The ultimate fulfillment of John 19:37 will be at Christ’s Second Coming (His "parousia"), when the repentant remnant of Israel will mourn over rejecting and killing their Messiah. And do not miss the incredible truth in this prophecy (remember it is the pre-incarnate Christ Who is speaking in context of Zechariah 12:10) -- Do not miss the fact that God said “they will look on Me Whom they have pierced” which was also a prediction that Jesus would be incarnated and would be crucified. In other words, Zechariah 12:10 alludes to the future incarnation and Manhood of the Messiah (He had to be a Man to be pierced). And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.” (John 19:37) But in the Revelation John records the future, final fulfillment of this prophecy writing... BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (Rev 1:7-note) Comment: Note that Jesus' coming on the clouds is exactly what the angel in Acts 1:9-11 affirmed when he stated " will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." In other words His Second Coming would be an actual event that was literal (not hidden or invisible), physical (literal body), and in the clouds. The Greek verb for pierced is ekkenteo (from ek = out or an intens. + kentéō = to sting, stab, prick, pierce. Means to dig out, pierce. Used trans., meaning to pierce through)(1574) is used only in John 19:37 and Rev 1:7 in the NT (6x in Septuagint - Num. 22:29; Jos. 16:10; Jdg. 9:54; 1 Chr. 10:4; Isa. 14:19; Jer. 37:10). Comparing Zechariah 12:10 with this verse, we see that Jesus is identified as God! The prophet Isaiah also describes the piercing of Messiah... Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. Comment: The Hebrew verb for was pierced in Isaiah is chalal (Used 6x in OT = Job 26:13, Ps 109:22; Isa 51:9, 53:5; Ezek 28:9, 32:26) not daqar as in Zech 12:10 and might be better translated "He was wounded for our transgressions." The Septuagint translates chalal with the verb traumatizo which means to wound or cause to be wound. This Greek word of course gives us our English words such as trauma, traumatic, etc. Feinberg has an interesting comment on Isaiah 53 and suggests that Isaiah's words may indeed be Israel's confession in that day Let us remember that Isaiah 53 is the inspired confession that repentant Israel will voice on this important occasion (Referring to Zech 12:10). (Feinberg goes on to paraphrase Isaiah 53:1-8 from a Zech 12:10 perspective) "If Calvary be the tragic hour of Israel’s age-long history, then this national Day of Atonement will be the hour of their penitent sorrow to be followed by rejoicings ineffable. In that hour, with enlightened hearts and broken spirits, they will inquire of one another, “Which ones of us believed the report made to us? To which ones of us did the mighty power of God disclose itself? So few of us, because He appeared so lacking in promise; He had no outward attraction that our carnal hearts could then delight in. So we desired Him not, with the result that He was despised and cut off from our company, knowing only griefs and pains, as we went our way turning our gaze from Him. But marvel of it all, He was bearing and enduring our sorrows and our griefs, and all the while we thought He was being stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted because He was so sinful and we so good. No, He was smitten because we were so sinful, for He was wounded because we had transgressed the law and will of God; He was crushed to death because of our iniquitous ways; the scourge of God was upon Him so that we might have spiritual healing and peace with God. We all went senselessly on in our sins, deliberately and wilfully, and God caused to come upon Him as an avalanche the sins of us all. What oppressions and merciless treatment He suffered, yet He endured them so patiently and submissively. And yet we did not lay it to heart that He was suffering all this because it was due us.” As unbelieving Thomas they will not believe until they see the prints in His hands. (John 20:24-29). (Exegetical Studies) They will look on Me whom they have pierced - Who is "they"? He tells us these are Jews, and from other Scriptures we know that they are those Jews who are living in the days of the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble. And who is "Me?" This is none other than the Messiah speaking to Israel even before He was crucified, which of course is what pierced refers to. Did the Jews literally drive the nails in His hands and pierce His side with a spear? Of course not, for that part the Romans are also culpable and responsible. But when Pilate was trying to release Jesus (Lk 23:19), the Jewish crowd "kept on calling out, saying "Crucify, crucify Him!" (Lk 23:21,23, Mt 27:22-25 Mk 15:13 Jn 19:15). Walter Kaiser has an interesting note on some important technical aspects of Zech 12:10 writing that "Probably no text in the Old Testament speaks more directly to the question of whether there are going to be two comings of the one Messiah than does verse 10. But, even aside from the question of whether this text points to one or two Messiahs, the hardest fact for most Jewish interpreters and readers to face is that “Me” and “Him” both refer to the same person. Most Jewish interpreters would prefer to have the Gentile nations look to God, whom these nations have attacked indirectly by inflicting suffering on His people Israel. But each of these novel translations is problematic. Each ignores the fact that the subject of both the verb “to look” and the verb “to pierce” is the same in Hebrew. Therefore, those who pierced the One who will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication in that day, belong to the same national group that will “look” and “mourn” over the pierced One like one mourns over the loss of a firstborn. In the debate over verse 10, interpreters argue that it is impossible to pierce God, since He is spirit and not flesh and blood (Is. 31:3; John 4:24). But that is the point; it was Christ’s flesh that was pierced, and the One who was pierced is at the same time One in essence and being with the God who speaks in this text. Note also that whenever the first person pronoun appears elsewhere in this chapter (Zech 12:2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 = "I am...I will...I will...I will. I will...I will") it refers to the Messiah. Zechariah had just referred in chapter 11 to the Good Shepherd who had been rejected by Israel, and whose rejection was followed by a terrible punishment. Only the Messiah fits all the details here. His piercing must have come in an earlier advent, for certainly when He comes again it will be with the victory promised in this section." (Ibid) NET Note on they will look on Me Whom - Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many Manuscripts read אַלֵי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ale ’et ’asher, “to the one whom,” a reading followed by NAB, NRSV) rather than the MT’s אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ela ’et ’asher, “to me whom”). The reasons for such alternatives, however, are clear—they are motivated by scribes who found such statements theologically objectionable—and they should be rejected in favor of the more difficult reading (lectio difficilior) of the MT. Kaiser amplifies the NET Note by addressing why there is such controversy over this text - One of the greatest problems centers around a translation problem. The New Jewish Publication Society translation of the Tanakh (Old Testament) in 1988 rendered it: “But I will fill the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem with a spirit of pity and compassion; and they shall lament to Me about those who are slain,wailing over them as over a favorite son and showing bitter grief as over a first-born.” The 1896 Jewish translation in an Appendix to the Revised Version read, “And they [i.e., the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem] shall look up to Me because of Him whom they [i.e., the nations which came up against Jerusalem] have pierced.” A more ancient Jewish interpretation understands this prophecy to refer to Messiah ben (“son of”) Joseph, a separate individual from Messiah ben (“son of”) David. But the creation of these two Messiahs, one who would suffer (ben Joseph) and the other who would be glorified (ben David) finds no support from the Tanakh itself. (See also The Jewish Tradition Of Two Messiahs) S Lewis Johnson has some additional insights on the Jewish approach to Zechariah 12:10 - I have a commentary on the Old Testament written by some Jewish scholars, it’s not a bad commentary in many ways, and I find a great deal of help. I notice the explanation that they gave of the 10th verse of the 12th chapter. It was something like this: They shall look unto me, because THEY, the nations, have thrust Him through. They shall look unto me because they the nations have pierced him through. And I looked in my Hebrew text to discover how this rendering of the text was possible. It is impossible (JOHNSON WAS A PROFESSOR OF OT AND FLUENT IN BIBLICAL HEBREW). Will you look at the text carefully, it says, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. There ("HOUSE OF DAVID...INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM") is the “THEY” of the text, not the nations. The nations have been mentioned in the 9th verse. But since that mention, there has only been the mention of the Jews in verse 10! And so surely the normal interpretation of the 10th verse is, “And they”, that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, about whom I’ve just been speaking. “They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced”, the “THEY” must refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (The Conversion of Israel) (ED: APOLOGIES FOR THE TECHNICAL DETAILS IN SEVERAL OF THE PREVIOUS NOTES, BUT THIS SUBSTANTIATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CLEARLY THE HEBREW TRANSLATORS ARE TRYING TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE SO TO SPEAK! VERY INTERESTING, BUT IT IS NOT SURPRISING!) Will the nation of Israel actually see Messiah's scars? I think so for it is certain that the wound marks are still on our Lord's glorified body, for they were visible in His resurrected body (John 20:27, cf Lk 24:39-note) and thus will mark Him forever. In Revelation 5, three times John uses the Greek verb sphazo to described his vision of the glorified Jesus (Rev 5:6-note, Rev 5:9-note and Rev 5:12-note), indicating that our Lord's wounds are still visible in heaven. What might be the significance you asked? While there may be other answers, certainly one of the most significant aspects is that His wounds are the marks of His cutting of a blood covenant with those who have placed their faith in Him on earth. His wounds will forever be the marks of the New Covenant in His blood, and will testify throughout eternity that this covenant will never be broken. This is an amazing truth, and one that we will surely ponder with gratitude and wonder throughout eternity! Thank You Lord Jesus for taking the piercing that should have been done to me. Amen. Spurgeon - “It is a beautiful remark of an old divine, that eyes are made for two things at least; first, to look with, and next, to weep with. The eye which looks to the pierced One is the eye which weeps for him.” In the prophet Joel in the context of the Day of the Lord just as here in Zechariah 12-14, we read these words from Jehovah... “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13-note) Comment: In Zechariah 12:10, it is as if Jehovah answers His own plea to His Chosen People. Steven
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Spurgeon - “The land will mourn (cf Jer 4:28), every family by itself.” True repentance is the distinct act of each individual. It cannot, as a rule, be performed in the mass. There is a general repentance that, like that of the Ninevites, has a special excellence about it because it affects a whole city or nation, but that is not the kind of repentance that is described here. In this case the sharpness of personal conviction of sin cuts and wounds the conscience of each individual, and a bitter cry is uttered by each one as if he were the only sinner in the world. How sincerely you and I would repent if we felt as if we were the only ones who had ever broken God’s law! Yet such repentance as that is necessary if we would be personally forgiven. From Spurgeon's sermon "Apart" on Zechariah 12:12-14 - TRUE repentance is always accompanied by sorrow. It has been said by some of those of modern times who disparage repentance that repentance is “nothing but a change of mind.” These words sound as if there was merely some superficial meaning to them; and so, indeed, they are intended by those who use them, but they are not so intended by the Spirit of God. Repentance may be and is a change of mind; but what a change it is! It is not an unimportant change of mind such as you may have concerning whether you will take your holiday this week or the next, or about some trifling matter of domestic interest; but it is a change of the whole heart, of the love, of the hate, of the judgment, and of the view of things taken by the individual whose mind is thus changed. It is a deep, radical, fundamental, lasting change; and you will find that, whenever you meet with it in Scripture, it is always accompanied with sorrow for past sin. And rest you assured of this fact, that the repentance which has no tear in its eye, and no mourning for sin in its heart, is a repentance which needs to be repented of, for there is in it no evidence of conversion, no sign of the existence of the grace of God. In what way has that man changed his mind who is not sorry that he has sinned? In what sense can it be said that he has undergone any change worth experiencing if he can look back upon his past life with pleasure, or look upon the prospect of returning to his sin without an inward loathing and disgust? I say again that we have need to stand in doubt of that repentance which is not accompanied with mourning for sin; and even when Christ is clearly seen by faith, and sin is pardoned, and the man knows that it is forgiven, he does not cease to mourn for sin. Nay, brethren, his mourning becomes deeper as his knowledge of his guilt becomes greater; and his hatred of sin grows in proportion as he understands that love of Christ by which his sin is put away. In true believers, mourning for sin is chastened and sweetened, and, in one sense, the fang of bitterness is taken out; but, in another sense, the more we realize our indebtedness to God’s grace, and the more we see of the sufferings of Christ in order to our redemption, the more do we hate sin, and the more do we lament that we ever fell into it. I am sure it is so, and that every Christian’s experience will confirm what I say.....Another special characteristic of this mourning described by Zechariah, which also distinguishes genuine repentance for sin, is that it is personal, the act of each individual, and the act of the individual apart from any of his fellows. The watchword of true penitence is this word “apart.” How it rings out in the text (in the King James Version the word "apart" occurs 11x in Zech 12:12-14KJV)....Sham repentance can do its work in the mass; it talks about national sin and national sorrow, which generally means the mere notion of sin and the notion of repentance. But when it comes to a true work of the Spirit of God, and men do really mourn for sin so as to obtain pardon, it is a thing in which each individual stands in a personal solitude, as much apart from everybody else as if he had been the sole man that God ever made, and was without father and without mother and without descent, and had himself alone so sinned that the whole anger of God for sin had fallen upon him. A man in this condition gets alone, he bears his sin apart, quitting the company of his fellows, and all the charms that once lured him to destruction; and his lamentation on account of sin is his own sole act and deed. It wells up from his own heart, it is not borrowed from others; but, by the effectual working of the grace of God, everything about it is of himself. The land will mourn, every family by itself - It is a general public mourning, but more importantly a private, personal mourning. Not only the capital of Jerusalem, but the whole land shall mourn, and this not only in mass but especially individually, every family and every subdivision of a family by itself. Kenneth Barker says "The expressions “each clan by itself” and “their wives by themselves” (v.12) are doubtless intended to emphasize the sincerity of the mourning as true repentance. This is no purely emotional public spectacle. Nor are professional mourners involved. Individually and corporately, this is the experience of Leviticus 16 (the Day of Atonement) and Psalm 51 (a penitential psalm) on a national scale." (Expositor's Bible Commentary) The family of the house of David by itself - Royalty will mourn. And their wives by themselves - five times we see this phrase in Zechariah 12:2-14! This mourning will be so intense as to transcend even the closest ties on earth, those between husband and wife. Each will want to be alone with God in that hour. Feinberg on wives by themselves - Five times it is mentioned that their wives will mourn apart. It has been suggested that the reference is to the Jewish custom for wives to live in separate apartments as well as to worship separately. This is to miss the inner meaning of the passage. The prophet means that the mourning will be so intense as to transcend even the closest ties of earth, those between husband and wife. Each will want to be alone with God in that hour. The family of the house of Nathan by itself - Nathan would be representative of the prophets, but Feinberg notes "Some identify this Nathan as the prophet (2 Sa 7:2) while others think it is the younger son of David (2 Sa 5:14). If the former is intended, then the royal office and prophetic are included; if the latter is the meaning, then the highest and lowest in the royal house are in view. We cannot prove either view with finality." And their wives by themselves - see Feinberg above. Warren