Zechariah review

 First, we see that Zechariah was called by God to proclaim God's truth.  We as Christians are called by God to proclaim His word of truth to the world today.  Zechariah did not always immediately understand what God was saying to him, and when he didn't, he asked for help in understanding what God was saying.  If we do not know what God is saying to us today, all we need to do is go to Him in prayer and ask.  God will not leave us confused about His word to us if we are truly followers of Christ.  God spoke to Zechariah by visions of ordinary things that God gave a special meaning.  In Jesus' day, a man dying on a cross was an ordinary event, but the death of Jesus was given an extraordinary meaning, and if we only see a man dying on a cross, we miss God's salvation that came through the death of Jesus Christ.  God called on the people of Judah and Jerusalem to return to Him and follow His commands in all that they did.  God did not just suddenly decide that the people of Judah and Jerusalem were going to be forgiven no matter what they did, and He will never do that with people today.  If we are to be saved then we must come to God through faith in Jesus Christ.  We will never be pronounced forgiven by our own merit.  God told His people that He expected them to use all that He blessed them with for the advancement of His kingdom and to bring glory to Him.  I believe this is still true today.  God said that as the Creator of the universe that He would stand with those in Israel and Judah, all of His chosen people, when they were faithful to their covenant with Him, and He would likewise stand against all who refused to enter into that covenant relationship with Him.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a covenant relationship with God by which He secures our salvation, and until we do, we will never be a part of God's people.  God fights for His people and against those who oppose them.  He has already secured the victory.  Next, we will look at the book of Malachi.

Zechariah 14:12

 Zechariah 14:12 says, And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.  God basically said that those who fought against Jerusalem would ultimately face a horrible death.  When God's judgment comes, all those who fought against or even denied salvation through Jesus Christ will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse thirteen adds, And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.  God said that when this judgment came that neighbors would be fighting neighbors.  Without God's guidance, people tend to want what is best for themselves without any real concern for their neighbors.  Verse fourteen declares, And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.  Even Judah, those who were supposed to be God's people, would fight against Jerusalem, God's holy city, to claim some of the riches there.  Those called God's people would destroy themselves out of greed.  When someone pretends to follow God, but does so simply for material reasons,  then they will find themselves at war with others who do the same.  Verse fifteen adds, And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.  God said that the plague that He was going to send would affect not only the people, but their animals as well.  Nothing is going to escape God's coming judgment.  Everything that a person owns will fall under God's judgment, and anything gained outside of obedience to Him will be destroyed.  Verse sixteen states, And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.  All those that were left would continue to worship God, because they had been redeemed by their faith in Him. This is the church today.  We are to daily worship God and be faithful to His calling.  Verse seventeen adds, And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.  God said that those who did not come to worship Him would have the rain cut off from them.  Though we do not come to God to be materially blessed, if we do not put our faith in Him one day we will be cut off from all the good things in life.  Verse eighteen continues, And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.  God said that if the withholding of rain did not bring people to worship Him that He would send a plague on them.  If mild suffering does not bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, then one day we will suffer the everlasting plague in hell.  Verse nineteen declares, This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.  God was now going to pronounce His punishment on all who did not come to truly worship Him, and we know what the ultimate punishment will be for those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior today.   Verse twenty adds, In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.  Verse twenty-one concludes, Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.  God said in that day everything would be consecrated to Him.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, everything we have should be consecrated to Him.

Zechariah 14:1

 Zechariah 14:1 says, Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.  Zechariah said that the day of the LORD was coming, and the people of Jerusalem were going to be divided into those who put their faith in God and those who didn't.  We today as followers of Christ know that the day of the LORD is coming, and the world will be separated into those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who don't.  Verse two adds, For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  The people of Jerusalem were going to suffer defeat because they did not obey God.  Being God's people in name only was not enough, just as being a Christian in name only is not enough today.  Verse three declares, Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  Those nations that defeated Jerusalem would not escape the wrath of God.  Just because God allowed other nations to defeat His rebellious people did not mean that they were going to escape His punishment.  Verse four adds, And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  Matthew Henry says this refers to Jesus Christ taking away the division between the Jews and Gentiles when He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all on the Mount of Olives.  We know that God will stand in judgment of all people one day.  Verse five continues, And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.  Matthew Henry says this valley is the gospel church.  Verse six states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: Verse seven adds, But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the time between when Jesus Christ first came and when He returns.  His light is always there, but it is not accepted by all, so therefore is not as bright as it will one day be.  Verse eight says, And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.  God said that the living water, Jesus Christ, would flow out of Jerusalem into all the world.  This began when the Holy Spirit led and empowered the apostles, and it continues today through those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and proclaim His gospel to the world.  Verse nine adds, And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.  This refers to when God's judgment comes on the world.  People will then realize that there truly is but one God, and He will rule over all the world.  Verse ten states, All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.  Verse eleven adds,. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.  God was going to restore His land with those that put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  This day is coming, so we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ until it does. 

Zechariah 13:1

 Zechariah 13:1 says, In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  God said that in that day, after Jesus Christ came, that there would be a fountain to wash away the sins of the people.   This was done by the blood of Jesus Christ.  We must be washed clean by His blood to have salvation from our sins.  Verse two declares, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.  God said that when people were washed clean of their sins and lived by faith in Jesus Christ that all idols would be removed from their life, as would the false prophets.  If we truly follow Christ, we will never worship idols nor be drawn away from God by false prophets.  We will know the truth of God's word.  Verse three adds, And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.  God said that the parents of those who prophesied false prophecies would kill them.  This would mean that the parents had put their faith in Jesus Christ and knew His word, and points out the severity of claiming lies in the name of God.  Verse four states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:  When Jesus Christ came, those false prophets who accepted Him as their Savior and Lord would be ashamed of their false prophecies and would hope that no one remembered them.  We, as Christians, should pray that any false ideas that we may have proclaimed about God before accepting salvation through Christ will be forgotten.  These false prophets would no longer wear the garments associated with prophets.  Verse five adds, But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.  The false prophets would no longer proclaim themselves to be prophets, but would declare themselves to be simply men making a living.  These false prophets, once they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord would admit that they had never been called by God to prophesy.  Verse six says, 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.  Matthew Henry says that this referred to the false prophets having been beaten in order to get them to renounce their false prophecies so that they would not be killed, but I don't believe that people can be beaten into accepting God's truth.  They must come of their own free will.  I believe this is a reference not to false prophets, but to Jesus Christ whose hands were pierced by the Jews, those who were supposed to be His friends.  Verse seven declares, 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.  This is a reference to the coming suffering of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind.  He took on the punishment for all of humanity so that we might be restored to God.  Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, we are restored as little ones to God because of His sacrifice.  Verse eight adds, And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  God said that the people were to be separated into those who believed in Jesus Christ and those who didn't, with more not believing than those who did believe.  There will always be more people who deny God, and Jesus Christ in particular, than those who put their faith in Him, but this does not relieve us of the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the world.  Verse nine declares, And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.  God said that He would save those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  He would be their God and they would be His people and He would keep them safe through all the trials of life.  This is still God's promise to those who follow Christ today. 

Zechariah 12:7

Zechariah 12:7 says, The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.  God said that He would save those who lived in tents in Judah first.  These were the poorer, less powerful people of God.  Then He would save the people of Jerusalem, who were more powerful and protected physically.  God said He would save the people of Judah first so that the people of Jerusalem would have no ability to look down on them.  God will always look out for the weakest first.   As we grow stronger spiritually, we still will never have a reason to feel superior to any other Christian.  Verse eight declares, In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.  God said that He was going to defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and that even when they felt feeble that He would make them as strong as David had been.  God also said His angel would protect them.  When we feel our weakest, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God will be with us to strengthen and protect us.  Verse nine adds, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  God said that in that day, either the day that Jesus Christ first came or when He returns, that God would destroy all the nations that came against Jerusalem.  Spiritually they were defeated when Jesus first came, and physically and spiritually they will be defeated when He returns.  As followers of Christ, we are winners either way.  Verse ten states,cAnd 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.  God said that one day the inhabitants of Jerusalem would mourn the fact that they had crucified Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.  Whether they do that before the return of Christ or not will make all the difference.  Verse eleven adds, In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.  God said that in the day that Christ returns there will be great mourning in Jerusalem.  They would mourn like people had for King Josiah, because they would realize that their sins had kept them from receiving the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  One day, all those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will go away to everlasting mourning.  Verse twelve states, And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;  Verse thirteen adds,The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;  Verse fourteen concludes,  All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.  God said all the people of Israel who had rejected Jesus Christ would mourn, and so will every person throughout history and in the world when Christ returns who has not accepted His salvation. 

Zechariah 12:1

Zechariah 12:1 says, The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.  The God of all creation, the only true God, said he was burdened for Israel.  God does not allow people to go to hell without being grieved, which is why He sent His only begotten Son to die so the people could avoid that fate.  Still, it is up to each individual to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord personally.  Verse two states,  Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. God said that He would protect Judah and Jerusalem, His chosen people when they were obedient to their covenant with Him,and anyone who attacked it would be left trembling.  Verse three adds, And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.  God said that even if all the people in the world were gathered against Jerusalem, that they would not be successful in defeating God's people who lived there.  Likewise, if all the lost people of the world today unite against God's church, those people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they will not defeat it.  Verse four says, In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.  God said that He would strike down anyone who came against Jerusalem, and this is still true for those who are at war w8th the church today.  God has secured our victory already.   Verse five adds, And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.  God also said that those in Jerusalem would say in their hearts that their strength was in the LORD, and not in their own power or abilities.  We need to give God credit for our victory over sin in the world today.  We can not be victorious over sin by our own strength and abilities.  Verse six declares, In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.  God said in that day, when He restored Jerusalem, that no one could stand against them, because God was with them. As long as we are following God's will as Christians, no one will ever defeat us spiritually. 

Zechariah 11:9

 Zechariah 11:9 says, Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.  God said He was no longer going to protect the people of Judah and provide for their needs.  This also applies to all who rejected or will reject the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Verse ten adds, And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.  God said that when the people who had entered into a covenant relationship with Him failed to keep their part of the covenant with them, He no longer was going to keep His covenant with them.  We have to realize that God is in charge, and we do not determine the conditions of our covenant with Him.  Verse eleven adds, And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.  The rich and powerful did not understand God's covenant, but the poor and lowly did.  This does not mean that someone must be poor to obey God's commandments and keep His covenant, but too often the rich and powerful put their faith in the things of this world instead of putting their faith in God.  Verse twelve continues, And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.  God said that He told the people of Judah that if they thought of Him as being good, then they should pay Him what He asked for His blessings.  If they didn't think God was worth His wages, then they could pay Him what they wanted and He would be on His way.  They paid Him thirty pieces of silver, the sum paid to Judas to betray Jesus and a slaves wage.  Now, we really cannot buy God's good graces, but the question really is how much do we value God's gift of salvation.   Do we only look to God for blessings and send Him away if we get what we want?  Verse thirteen declares, And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.  God instructed Zechariah to give the thirty pieces of silver to the potter.  If God's people value their relationship with God so little as to attempt to buy Him with the price of a slave, He says they might as well give what they were offering Him to the potter.  It was of no use to God, and if we attempt to give as little as possible to God today, we will see that it is unacceptable to Him.  God expects us to give Him our best and our all if we have accepted salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fourteen adds, Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.  God said He had already broken His staff called Beauty, and now He broke the one called Bands.  The first had denoted their ruin of the church by polluting their covenant with God and the second denoted the breaking of the brotherhood between God's people.  If we allow sin to rule our lives, we break our covenant relationship with God and with our fellow believers.   Verse fifteen states, And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.  God told Zechariah to take away the instruments of the foolish shepherds, and if we fail to use the gifts that God has given to us today for His glory, He may take them away from us.  Verse sixteen adds, For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.  God said that He would set a harsh shepherd over them who would make life almost unbearable.  If God's shepherds do not follow His will, they will put unnecessary burdens and restrictions on His people, as the scribes and Pharisees did in Jesus day.  God did not instruct them to do these things, but He did allow them the free will to do so.  Verse seventeen concludes,  Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.  God pronounced woe on the false shepherds, and those today who claim to be God's shepherds who do not even put their faith in Him will one day feel the woe of the judgment of God.