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| "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." John 1:11 |
| At the time of Messiah's coming, Israel would have unfit leaders. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:4-6a " 4 Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." | Matthew 23:1-4 " 1 THEN spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on mens shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." Matthew 23:13-14 Matthew 23:23-24 |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 3:7, 5:20, 12:22-45, 13:10-15, 15:1-9, 16:6, 16:21, 23:1-39, Mark 7:5-13, 12:38-40, Luke 7:30, 11:15, 11:42-54, 12:1, 16:14-15, 19:45-46, 20:45-47, John 8:44 9:30-34, 9:39-41 |
While much of the book of Zechariah looks forward to a time of restoration and blessing still to come to the nation of Israel, Zechariah chapter 11 describes a dark period of Jewish history that was to come before this promised time of splendid prosperity. Written approximately 500 years in advance of the events, Zechariah chapter 11 is a remarkable passage of scripture that describes Israel's rejection of their Messiah, and the subsequent judgement that befell them because of it. A prophetic parable with vivid imagery, Zechariah 11 poetically speaks of a nation brutally ruled by Gentiles, lead astray by their own leadership, and ultimately forsaken by God. Verses 1-3 paint a picture of the judgement that most Bible scholars believe occurred in 70 C.E. with the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. 1 Verses 4-14 describe the reason for the judgement, the rejection of the Messiah at the hands of the bad shepherds, Israel's leaders. The passage ends with verses 15-17, which deal with the false Messiah to come. Zechariah is instructed to play the part of a good shepherd. The acting out of a parable was not a totally uncommon method for God to communicate forthcoming events. This approach is used many times with Ezekiel, such as when God directed Ezekiel to lay on his left side and right side in a symbolic act of bearing Israel's and Judah's judgement (Ezekiel 4:4-8). So here with Zechariah, who is told to assume the role of a good shepherd. Who is this good shepherd Zechariah is representing? It is Jesus, the True Shepherd who in John 10:11 says, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." A Graphic View of The Judgement, Zechariah 11:1-3 Verses 1-3: This is a picture of God's judgement of Israel, with an invading army that would sweep through the nation like a blazing fire, destroying everything in its path. "Lebanon" and "cedars," Solomon's temple was built with cedars from Lebanon (see Kings 5:1-11) and so the phrase "Open they doors" is thought by some to mean the temple. Others associate the cedars, towering proudly above all the rest of the trees in the forest with royalty (the house of David is likened to a lofty cedar in Ezekiel chapter 17) and the religious leadership in Israel. The cypresses in verse 2 can be connected to the common people, who cry out in fear because if the mighty cedars have fallen what hope do they have of surviving. Even the strong oaks from the fertile land of Bashan east of the Jordan river would be devastated. No one will withstand the judgement. "Lebanon," "Bashan," and "Jordan" can be understood to mean the entire land of Israel, encompassing everything from Israel's northern border (Lebanon) to its eastern side (Bashan) to its southern section (Jordan Valley). Verses 4-6a: Even though these sheep are destined for slaughter, Zechariah, playing the role of the good shepherd is to "feed" them. The phrase "the flock of the slaughter" refers to the people of Israel. Even though Jesus knew that Israel would ultimately reject Him and fall under judgement, He fed the flock of with the good news of salvation. Just as Jeremiah was tasked to present the word of the Lord to a people who would not listen, so with Messiah. But as always, there was still a remnant who did hear and heed the word of God (see Zechariah 11:7, "The Messiah would have a ministry to the "poor," the believing remnant."). In Matthew 15:24 Jesus says, "... I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The phrase "Whose possessors slay them" in verse 5 refers to the Romans in their occupation of Israel, and their ruthless reign over the Jewish people. These possessors (or "owners") have no remorse for their actions, and feel that their success is a validation of God's blessing upon them. But even though God gave the nation of Israel into the hands of the Romans, He did not find them guiltless for their evil actions against His chosen people (Genesis 12:3) and like Babylon and the other great world powers that once ruled Israel, Rome fell. The phrase "and their own shepherds pity them not" refers to the religious leaders, who not only had religious rule, but some civil authority as well. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes were the primary leadership to the Jewish people in Jesus' day.2 (These groups were part of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jewish nation, sometimes referred to as the "council" or "rulers" in the New Testament). Unfortunately, at that time these groups had become intensely legalistic, overly focused on ritual and ceremony, rather than righteousness and truth. These self-serving, irresponsible shepherds are also described in Ezekiel chapter 34, "...Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flocks?"(Ezekiel 34:2). Throughout His ministry, Jesus had constant confrontation with the religious leadership. In Matthew chapter 12 He called the Pharisees a "generation of vipers" and condemned them for their unpardonable sin of claiming His miraculous healing of a man demon possessed, blind, and dumb was from Satan when they knew it was of God. Matthew chapter 23 records Jesus' most extensive denouncement of the hypocrisy of the religious leadership. At the time when Israel should have been embracing their Messiah, their shepherds were leading them astray, and ultimately to their destruction. 1. Some try to associate Zechariah chapter 11 with the Babylonian invasion, but unless it is explained directly within the text, metaphorical language used in parables in the Hebrew Scriptures is normally used to describe a future event, and not to record what has already occurred and the specifics of which are already well known. Symbolic language is employed by God in prophecy in order to preserve the meaning its message throughout time. Another view says the bad shepherds in Zechariah 11 are Gentile oppressors, such as the Romans. But this position is weak because verse 3 speaks of the shepherds themselves crying out as they are swept away in the judgement of Israel. In addition, the scriptures often use the figurative name of "shepherds" when describing the unprincipled and poor Jewish leaders. (See Jeremiah 50:6). 2. The Scribes are sometimes associated with the Pharisees but modern scholars believe the Scribes were not Pharisees, but non-ordained teachers of the Law who were not authorized to introduce new interpretations or rulings. Some point to this as the reason that the people were astonished (John 7:28-29,Mark 1:22) with the new concepts that Jesus delivered in His teaching, because Jesus was not a priest associated with any of the religious parties of the day. | |
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| The Messiah's brothers would disbelieve him. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Psalm 69:8b "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mothers children." | John 7:3-5 " 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | |
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| The Messiah would be the "stone" rejected by the Jews. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Psalm 118:22 "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." | Matthew 21:42-43 " 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lords doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, John 1:11, Acts 4:10-12, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-8 |
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| The Jews would have a hardened heart against the Messiah. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 6:9-10a " 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." | John 12:37-40 " 37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: ... 39 Therefore they could not believe that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples John 1:11, 7:16-17, Acts 7:56-57, Romans 1:28, 11:7-8, Ephesians 4:18 |
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| The Messiah would be a "stumbling stone" for the Jews. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 8:14 "And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." | Matthew 21:43-44 " 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Luke 20:18, Romans 9:32-33, 1 Peter 2:7-8 |
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| The unbelief of Israel's leaders would force the Messiah to reject them. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:8a "Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me." | Matthew 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Matthew 16:6 Mark 12:38-40 |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 3:7, 5:20, 12:22-45, 13:10-15, 15:1-9, 16:6, 23:1-39, Mark 3:22-30, 7:5-13, 12:38-40, Luke 11:42-54, 12:1, 16:14-15, 19:45-46, 20:45-47, John 8:44 9:39-41 |
Throughout His ministry, Jesus had continual confrontation with the religous leaders of the day. As the good shepherd, Jesus fed and nurtured the flock with the words and works of God, and yet the religous leaders who in their position had more "light" given to them, and therefore more responsiblity to properly guide the people, rejected Him. John 15: 24 records Jesus saying; "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus called these bad shepherds "hypocrites," "blind guides," "fools and blind," "whited sepluchers," "serpents," and a "generation of vipers." Not only would the religous leaders of the flock be held accountable for their actions, but also those of the flock who witnessed the wonderous works of Jesus, those who were exposed to the "true Light" of God, His grace and His truth, and yet still rejected Him (see Matthew 12:38-45). Matthew 15:14 records Jesus speaking of the religous leaders and their followers; "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Also see Matthew 23:13-15). While Jesus does not want anyone to perish, and gave His life for all, those who willfully reject God's plan of salvation will be lost. "Three shepherds" 1. Charles Feinberg, "The Minor Prophets" page 327 | |
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| The Messiah would stop ministering to the those who rejected Him. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:9 "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." | Matthew 13:10-11 " 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Matthew 15:14 |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 12:38-39 |
The shepherd fed and nurtured the flock, and yet their willful rejection of what they knew was from God left Messiah no choice but to leave them in their sin. 1 Matthew chapter 12 outlines a key turning point in Jesus' ministry when after He healed a man demon possessed, blind, and dumb, 2 the Pharisees said "... This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils" (Matthew 12:24). The Pharisees knew in their hearts that Jesus was from God, and yet still called the miracle which the Spirit of God had demonstraed before their very eyes an act of Satan. In Matthew 12:32 Jesus called this blasphemy by the Pharisees an unpardonable sin, "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." It should be noted that Jesus' condemnation was in reference to the people of that day ("this generation," Matthew 12:39) only. Ultimately judgement would fall upon the generation that had the very Son of God dwell among them, and yet they rejected Him and His message. In 70 C.E. the Roman army would come and devastate Jerusalem, as Jesus predicted in Luke 19:41-44. After the religous leader's deliberate rejection of what was plainly from God, Jesus spoke in parables, instructed those he healed to keep silent, and was less proactive in openly promoting his Messiahship to the masses. Jesus' speaking in parables in order to keep God's revelation from the unbelivers can ve viewed as an act of judgement, and an act of mercy. To those who had hardened their hearts with obstinate unbeleif of God's truth, His judgement was to leave them in the sinful state that they desired to be in. John 3:19 says, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."If we are responsible for the light we are given, then this "blinding" (speaking in parables) of those whose would never accept God's plan salvation can be seen as an act of mercy, for otherwise their judgement would be greater. "and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another." 1. Reference Psalm 81:11-12, "11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust: and they walked in their own counsels." Also see Proverbs 1:28. 2. In his work, "Highlights from the Life of Christ," Dr. Arnold Fruchtembaum says that within the framework of Judaism it was impossible to cast out a demon from someone who was dumb - however the rabbis taught that when Messiah came, He would be able to cast out this type of demon. In Matthew chapter 12 Jesus clearly demonstrated His Messiahship by healing a man demon possessed, blind, and dumb, and yet the religous leadership was not willing to accept it. | |
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| The Messiah would be distressed over the Jews unbelief. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 49:4a "Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God." | Luke 19:41-42 " 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 23:37-39, John 1:11, 5:43, Acts 7:51 |
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| The Messiah's own people would not believe he was the Christ. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 53:1 "WHO hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" | John 12:37-38 " 37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 13:53-58, 26:65, Mark 14:63, John 5:37-40, 7:47, 10:33, Romans 10:16 |
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| The Messiah would be rejected. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:12-13b " 12 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. 13 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." | Matthew 26:14-15 " 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they convenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | |
Thirty pieces of silver (approximately 12 ounces) was the price one would pay in remuneration for the death of a slave (Exodus 21:32). The religous leaders valued Jesus' life as no more worthy than a common slave, clearly a expression of disdain and rejection. E.W. Hengstenberg callled the small reward of thirty peices of sliver "a figurative designation of the blackest ingratitude and the highest contempt" on the part of the Jewish leadership.1 1. E.W. Hengstenberg, "Christology of the Old Testament" | |
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| The Messiah would be rejected. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 53:3b "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." | Matthew 27:21-23 " 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Mark 6:3, 15:9-15, Luke 23:18, John 1:11, 5:43, 7:5, 18:40, Acts 3:14-15 |
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| The Messiah would rejected by the Jews. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Psalm 69:8a "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mothers children." | John 1:11 "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 13:53-58, 26:65, Mark 14:63, John 5:37-40, 7:47, 12:37-38, 10:33, Romans 10:21 |
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| The Messiah would be rejected by the Jews. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Isaiah 49:4b "Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God." | John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not..." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 13:53-58, 26:65, 27:21-23, Mark 6:3, 12:10, 14:63, 15:9-15, Luke 4:28-29, 17:25, 20:17, 23:18, 23:21, John 1:11, 5:16, 5:37-40, 7:5, 7:47, 8:52, 10:33, 12:37-38, 15:24-25, 18:40, 19:6, Acts 3:14-15, 4:10-12, Romans 10:16, 10:21, 1 Peter 2:6-8 |
Isaiah 49:1-7 paints a picture of a dialog between Messiah and God. The scene depicted appears related to the time frame near the end of Jesus' ministry at His first coming. The disappointment expressed by Messiah in Isaiah 49:4 is in regard to His rejection by the Jewish people. While both the Jewish people and the Gentiles rejected Jesus, it is of the nation of Israel that the Messiah speaks of here. The Messiah's mission was to "restore Israel," to bring them back to God. InMatthew 15:24 Jesus says, "... I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." It was Israel that was God's chosen people, and it was Israel that desperately yearned for their ultimate deliverer, the Messiah. Even though Messiah was also to be a "light to the Gentiles," it Abraham that God chose and it was though his seed that the Messiah would come so that all nations of the earth would be blessed. Israel had pre-eminance in God's plan, and in the Messiah's mission.John 1:11 records, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Isaiah 49:7 also speaks of Israel's rejection of Jesus. Of course not all Jewish people rejected Jesus, the disciples were Jewish, and there were some in the religious leadership (such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea) that embraced Him, but the Jewish nation overall did not. | |
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| The Messiah would be rejected in favor of another king. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:4-6c " 4 Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." | John 19:13-15 " 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King. 15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | |
The words "...into the hand of his king" in Zechariah 11:6 points to the Jewish people rejecting their true King, Jesus in favor of a false king (Caesar) who would ultimately lead them into destruction. John 19:15 records the response of the people (being greatly influenced by their religious leaders, see Mark 15:11) when Pilate presented Jesus to them as their king, "... We have no king but Caesar." It's ironic that the Roman conquest (and the removal of the religious leaders' position of authority) that the Pharisees, Saducesees, and Scribes sought to avoid by rejecting Jesus as Messiah should come upon them anyway. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the leaders still refused to acknowledge that He was Messiah, and plotted to kill Him. John 11:47-50 captures their dialog, " 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them,50 Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." John goes on to say that Caiaphas did not realize the profoundly prophetic nature of his remarks, that yes, one man was in fact going to die in place of the whole nation, this being God's sovereign will and plan of salvation for all mankind. | |
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| The Messiah would be rejected. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:12-13b " 12 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. 13 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." | Matthew 26:14-15 " 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they convenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | |
Thirty pieces of silver (approximately 12 ounces) was the price one would pay in remuneration for the death of a slave (Exodus 21:32). The religous leaders valued Jesus' life as no more worthy than a common slave, clearly a expression of disdain and rejection. E.W. Hengstenberg callled the small reward of thirty peices of sliver "a figurative designation of the blackest ingratitude and the highest contempt" on the part of the Jewish leadership.1 1. E.W. Hengstenberg, "Christology of the Old Testament" | |
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| The Messiah would be rejected by Gentiles. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Psalm 2:1 "WHY do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" | Acts 4:25-28 " 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Luke 17:25 |
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| The Messiah would be rejected. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 12:10c "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." | John 1:11 "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." John 5:40 |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 13:53-58, 26:65, 27:21-23, Mark 6:3, 12:10, 14:63, 15:9-15, Luke 4:28-29, 17:25, 20:17, 23:18, 23:21, John 1:11, 5:16, 5:37-40, 7:5, 7:47, 8:52, 10:33, 12:37-38, 15:24-25, 18:40, 19:6, Acts 3:14-15, 4:10-12, Romans 10:16, 10:21, 1 Peter 2:6-8 |
While Luke 23:48 records the mourning of the people immediately after the crucifixion of Jesus, Zechariah 12:10 looks forward in time to His second coming. The intense grief being displayed by the Jewish people in this future event is over the fact that collectively, the nation Israel had rejected and crucified Jesus at His first coming. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts that were once so hardened. "We see the Lord pierced, and then the piercing of our own heart begins. When the Lord reveals Jesus to us, we begin to have our sins revealed. We see who it was that was pierced, and this deeply stirs our sorrow." 1 This verse is one of the sections of scripture that caused the ancient rabbis to believe that there would be two Messiahs, one "Messiah ben Joseph" who would suffer and be killed, and the other "Messiah ben David," who would be a victorious kingly Messiah. But God had a different plan in mind, instead of two Messiahs, there would be one Messiah that came twice. 1. C.H. Spurgeon, "Christ in The Old Testament" | |
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| The Messiah's rejection would cause God to remove His protection of Israel. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:4-6b " 4 Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." | Luke 19:41-44 " 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6, 21:24 |
Abused by Gentile possessors, abandoned by their own shepherds, and yet the worst is to come as verse 6 says the Lord will no longer "pity" (to spare from judgement) the people of Israel. 1 God is long-suffering, but he is also Holy and righteous and at some point He must judge sin. The phrase "I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand" speaks of the internal strife that would befall the Jewish people as history records the bitter fighting amongst themselves after the rejection of Jesus and before the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 19:41-44 records Jesus' anguised prediction of the coming devastation that occured in 70 C.E. when the Roman army laid siege to Jerusalem. When the city was crowded with people having come from all over Israel to observe Passover, the Roman General Titus surrounded it, cutting off all food and supplies and systemactically conqurered Jerusalem over a period of five months. The temple was completely destroyed and over 1 million Jewish people were killed in the war. 1. When dealing with the subject of judgement, the Hebrew scriptures frequenty associtates not having "pity" with not "sparing" as in not sparing from some type of punishment or suffering (see Deuteronomy 13:8-9, Isaiah 13:18, Jeremiah 13:14, Ezezkiel 7:4) | |
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| The Messiah's rejection would cause God to remove His protection of Israel. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 11:10-11a " 10 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. 11 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." | Luke 19:41-44 " 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6, 21:24 |
The word "people" in Zechariah 11:10 comes from the Hebrew "am" which has a root meaning of "a unit," or "a tribe." 1 Most interpret this to mean Israel, the elect people. This verse points to removal of God's protection of Israel because they did not receive the "good shepherd," Jesus. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Roman general Titus in 70 C.E., approximately forty years after Jesus was crucified. Jesus foretold of the destruction of the temple as recorded in Matthew 24:1-2. Over one million Jewish people were killed during the 70 C.E. invasion of Jerusalem. Ultimately, Israel will accept their rejected Messiah (see Zechariah 12:10 and Zechariah 13:6) and God will fulfill his promise to Abraham (see Genesis 12:2-3). "... the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord." 1. Because the word for "people" is plural in the Hebrew, the covenant of protection is understood by some to be one that God made with the Gentile nations (peoples) on behalf of Israel. | |
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| Israel would be scattered as a result of rejecting the Messiah. | |
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
| Zechariah 13:7d "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." | Matthew 26:31-56 " 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. ... 56 Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled." |
| More Prophecies From This Book | Additional Fulfillment Examples Mark 14:27, 14:50, John 16:32 |
"Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" A flock without a shepherd will scatter. Because the Jewish people rejected Jesus, the Good Shepherd, they would be shepherdess - being exposed to danger, and would lose their way. Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 to the disciples in Matthew 26:31 shortly before they fled after He was apprehended by the Roman soldiers. The statement Jesus made to the disciples can be seen as either an application of the scripture to the situation - the disciples would be "scattered," confused and afraid after their shepherd was taken to be smitten, or it can be viewed as the initiation of a progressive fulfillment that would be fully realized in 70 C.E., at the destruction of Jerusalem and the great dispersion of the Jewish people. In either event, the ultimate fulfillment of the scattering depicted in Zechariah 13:7 is the dispersion of the Jewish people that occurred in 70 C.E. at the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans. It's interesting to note that Jesus said the that the flock would be "scattered abroad," speaking of the Jewish migration to countries throughout the world. The scattering or dispersion spoken of in Zechariah 13:7 is directly associated with the rejection of the Good Shepherd in Zechariah chapter 11, and specifically with the judgement of the breaking of the brotherhood between Judah and Israel in Zechariah 11:14. "and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." | |
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