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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
April 28, 2024
◘Armageddon: Judgment, Rescue, Purging
Zechariah 12 & 13
Introduction
While we have already examined many passages in Zechariah’s prophecies that are important to our understanding of what will take place in the future, but it is these final three chapters, 12-14, that will be the most important in our future study of Revelation. It is because the prophecies of Zechariah are either ignored or interpreted outside of its historical and grammatical context that much misunderstanding of Revelation occurs. Today we will examine chapters 12 & 13, and next week will look at chapter 14 and conclude our study of this book.
◘The Second Oracle – Zechariah 12:1
Verse 1 begins, 1 “The oracle of the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.” This is the second oracle that Zechariah received from Yahweh. The term “oracle” is also translated as “burden” because it is a message which has a burdensome element. Oracles are almost always a prediction of threatening or admonitory character, and both of the oracles given to Zechariah are of that nature. We already examined the first oracle recorded in chapters 9-11 that told of the coming destruction of Israel’s enemies and then God enabling Israel to overcome their enemies. ◘This second oracle concerns what is commonly referred to as Armageddon in eschatology, and along with it are the future purging of Israel and the establishing of the remnant as Messiah’s kingdom.
Neither of these oracles is dated, but its location at the end of the book and their subject matter suggest Yahweh gave these to Zechariah late in his ministry. Their purpose of the first oracle was to encourage the remnant to remain steadfast in the worship of Yahweh and following Him in light of His promised protection from their enemies and prophecies of a glorious future. ◘The purpose of this second oracle was twofold. First was a warning of God’s wrath to come that would destroy Israel’s enemies and also purge the ungodly among them. Second was to instill hope to the godly by describing details of the future kingdom of Messiah. A kingdom that would be secure, without curse, and holy to Yahweh.
◘ Verse one continues with a description of Yahweh’s power displayed in what He has done and does. This description affirms that Yahweh is able to carry out all the actions that will follow. “Thus declares Yahweh who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.” The declaration points back to what God did in the beginning as recorded in Genesis, yet the use of three participles give the sense that God continues related actions in the present. ◘ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), yet Psalm 104:2-4 describes God “covering Himself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a curtain, laying the beam of His upper chamber in the waters, making thick clouds His chariot and walking on the wings of the wind.” ◘In the beginning the Lord laid the foundation of the earth (Hebrews 1:10) establishing them so that the earth will not be moved (Psalm 104:5). ◘God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life so that he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7), and that life continues as long as the breath of God is in him (Job 27:3; Psalm 146:4; Eccl. 12:7). ◘It is Jesus that “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). Without this continuing action of God, everything would fly apart. The God that created all things and holds all things together is able and will carry out what He decrees throughout this oracle. These three chapters contain 80 declarations of what will happen in the future (9 in ch. 12, 21 in ch. 13, 49 in ch. 14).
◘Gathered Enemies – Zechariah 12:2-3
Yahweh begins with a divine invitation that cannot be turned down. 2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples all around. Now the one in siege against Jerusalem will also be against Judah. 3 “But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
◘ The Cup of Reeling – Zech. 12:2. The first declaration in verse 2 places the focus on Jerusalem as the magnet by which God will draw the nations into one area so that He might judge them. The phrase “cup that causes reeling” refers to God’s wrath being poured out on the wicked. The cup or basin is used as an analogy of wine in a container representing the wrath of God being stored up against the wicked which will be poured out at the proper time (Deuteronomy 32:34-35; Romans 2:5). ◘The root word translated here as “reeling” refers to being shaken, agitated resulting in staggering in this context. A cognate of it is used in Isaiah 51:17 which expresses the same idea, “Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of His wrath; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.” Isaiah 63:6 also connects God’s wrath and the people responding as if drunk. “I trod down the people in My anger and made them drunk in My wrath.” Jeremiah 25:15–17 gives an even more detailed description using this same analogy, 15 For thus Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 “They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.” 17 Then I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and made all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me drink it.” This same analogy continues to be used in Revelation (14:10; 16:19; 18:6).
◘ The nations of the earth will lay siege against Jerusalem and Judah, but the end result will not be in accord with their purpose. As we shall see later in this oracle, while their virulent anti-Semitism will cause horrible suffering, in the end they will not have victory and will instead suffer God’s wrath being poured out upon them.
◘ The Heavy Stone – Zech. 12:3. Notice that in verse 3 God also makes Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. ◘ In this analogy the siege is described as the effort to lift up this heavy stone resulting in severe injury to themselves. As one commentator described this, Jerusalem gives the peoples coming against it hernias.
◘ Who are these peoples? The end of the verse states all nations will be gathered against it. Anti-Semitism becomes world-wide, so the current expressions of that developing are not a surprise to us. The purpose statements of Hamas include the annihilation of Israel, and their actions last October 7 of pillaging, destruction, hostage taking, murder, rape and mutilation from the elderly to infants brought their warfare into the open. Though it is proper for any nation to defend itself and defeat its enemies if possible after such an attack, even within our own nation there has been much support for Hamas, the perpetrators of the atrocities who have vowed to continue them when possible. Never be surprised how easy it is for agitators to get ignorant people to form a mob that will do stupid things including violence.
◘ Feinberg points out that various prophecies concerning this future union of nations against Jerusalem and Judah will consist of 1. The revived Roman empire (Daniel 2 & 7, Revelation 13 & 17), 2. The Assyrian power (Daniel 11), 3. The Northern confederacy (Ezekiel 38-39), and 4. The kings of the East (Revelation 16). They will in the end find that they are fighting against God. In the next section of the oracle Yahweh declares He will take six specific actions in four categories.
◘Protection by Divine Intervention – Zechariah 12:4-9
4 “In that day,” declares Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will open my eyes to watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 “Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through Yahweh of hosts, their God.’ 6 “In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a fiery laver among pieces of wood and a fiery torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem will again be inhabited in its own place—in Jerusalem. 7 “Yahweh also will save the tents of Judah first so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. 8 “In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who stumbles among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Yahweh before them. 9 “And it will be in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
◘ Military Dumbfounded – Zech. 12:4. The references to horse and rider is to the military. Calvary was an extremely important part of military might in the ancient world. Yahweh takes direct action to cause every horse to be bewildered, confused, stupefied. The end of the verse 4 specifically cites blindness as a reason for this. Yahweh also strikes the riders of the horses with madness, a wild and helpless panic (BDB). Deuteronomy 28:28 lists these same three plagues of bewilderment, madness and blindness of what God would do to those that would not follow His commandments.
◘ A problem seen throughout military history is failure of equipment (horses in this case), and soldiers and commanders that panic and start reacting spontaneously instead of thoughtfully in carrying out the battle plan. What was true in ancient warfare is still true today and will remain true in the future even though the means of warfare are more sophisticated.
◘ Jewish Defense – Zech. 12:4-6. In contrast to Yahweh’s actions against His enemies are His actions enabling Jewish defense. While Yahweh blinds the enemy He keeps His own eyes open to watch over the house of Judah (vs. 4). God will lead and empower His people to have victory. In verse 5 the clans of Judah will acknowledge that their God, Yahweh of hosts, is the one that is supporting them. The term “host” is a military reference to an army. ◘Verse 6 describes Yahweh making Judah a mighty military force enabling them to defend themselves and destroy the enemies that have surrounded them. A laver is the basin or pan in which embers were carried to ignite fires in other places, a fire pot. Remember, there were no matches or lighters in the ancient world. The easiest way to start a fire was to carry burning coals from an existing fire to ignite it. A fiery torch would quickly set on fire sheaves of small grain. Yahweh will enable the Jews to be like a fire that will consume their enemies on both the right and left that are surrounding them. This will be expanded upon in verse 8. The result is that after defeating their enemies, the Jews are able to regather in Jerusalem which will remain their capital.
◘ Yahweh Defends – Zech. 12:7-8. Verse 7 describes Yahweh’s further intervention in defending the nation. First, He “also will save the tents of Judah.” ◘The outlying areas are very vulnerable to invaders since “tents” offer no defense and a scattered population would be overwhelmed by an enemy army, so rural areas relied on the walled cities for defense. In this case, God intervenes to physically save the outlying areas first so that Jerusalem and the glories related to it are not magnified above the rest of Judah. All will recognize that Yahweh has brought about the victory. All glory belongs to Him!
It should be noted that at the time Zechariah receives this oracle Jerusalem is still largely in ruins with its walls needing to rebuilt. That would not happen until 444 B.C. which would be another 50-60 years. In addition, though at that time Zerubbabel is a descendant of the royal line in the house of David and the governor, he is not king and there will not be a Davidic king until Messiah’s reign. This is a confident declaration of what God will bring about in the future.
◘ Verse 8 gives the detail of how Yahweh will defend Jerusalem. The “one who stumbles among them in that day will be like David” is a reference to David as a mighty warrior. God will enable even the weak, the feeble and the cowardly among them to be mighty warriors. In like manner, He will make the house of David like God, specifically, the angel of Yahweh before them. Since David’s relatives were the commanders of the army, in this context this is likely a reference to the military men. Whereas the feeble are made to be like might warriors, those who are warriors become like the angel of Yahweh, and 2 Kings 19:35 records that the angel of Yahweh slaughtered 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.
◘ Yahweh Destroys – Zech. 12:9. For the fifth time Yahweh marks that His actions will take place “in that day” which began when He made Jerusalem a cup that will cause reeling. Day here is not be taken as a 24 hour time period, but as the period of time marked by the events of God’s judgment, the “day of the Lord.” The final declaration in this section is that Yahweh “will seek to destroy all the nations that came against Jerusalem.” ◘The nations that sought to destroy Judah and Jerusalem will instead by destroyed, demolished, eradicated by Yahweh. This not a reference to all people of all nations around the world since Zechariah 14:16-19 cites nations coming to Jerusalem from year to year to worship Yahweh of hosts. It does mean that none of the peoples that had gathered to lay siege will escape, and the extermination of a nation’s military will result in political changes for those that remained at home that would result in a different political entity for that nation.
◘Spiritual Repentance – Zechariah 12:10-14
The remaining verses in Zechariah 12 describe a deep spiritual repentance among the Jews as a result of Yahweh’s actions. 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 “And the land will mourn, each family alone; the family of the house of David alone and their wives alone; the family of the house of Nathan alone and their wives alone; 13 the family of the house of Levi alone and their wives alone; the family of the Shimeites alone and their wives alone; 14 all the families that remain, each family alone and their wives alone.
◘ The repentance occurs because in contrast to Yahweh’s enemies upon whom He poured out His wrath, He pours out on His chosen people “the Spirit of grace and of supplication.” Grace is unmerited favor, and supplication is petitioning for such favor which is the reason for the mourning described in the rest of the passage. As throughout the Scriptures it is God’s actions that brings about the change. As pointed out in Psalm 14 and repeated by Paul in Romans 3, there are none that do good, and none that understand or seek after God for all turn aside. ◘The Spirit does His work in bringing them to conviction about their sin and specifically “they will look on Me whom they have pierced.” John 19:34-37 describes the soldier piercing Jesus’ side and cites this as the fulfillment of this verse.
To this point in time, there have been only a small percentage of Jews that will look to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the atonement for sin, repent and believe to be saved. In the future there will be a profound change that will end up affecting the entire remnant of the population, and that change begins with acknowledging that Jesus the Messiah died due to their own sinful actions resulting in profound mourning for Him. ◘It is described as mourning as for an only son, weeping bitterly for a firstborn, and like the mourning of Hadarimmon in the plain of Megiddo. That is a reference to the death of King Josiah and the lamenting that was done for him when his body was returned to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 35:22-27).
◘ The personal nature of the mourning is emphasized in verses 12-14 as each family and group and the individuals within them are noted as mourning by themselves. Deep grief seeks seclusion. The houses of David, Nathan, Levi and Shimei are noted representing royalty, prophets, priest and the lowest Levite clan that carried the physical aspects of the Tabernacle, but now had almost nothing to do since the Temple replaced the Tabernacle and there was nothing to carry.
◘Spiritual Renewal – Zechariah 13:1-6
Chapter 13 continues with a description of the spiritual renewal that will occur with three specific events occurring “in that day.” These are the opening of a purifying fountain, cutting off idolatry and false prophets, and prophets hiding their identities.
1 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. 2 “And it will be in that day,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass away from the land. 3 “And it will be that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of Yahweh’; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies. 4 “And it will be in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy mantle in order to deceive; 5 but he will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth.’ 6 “And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds struck here between your arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was struck in the house of my friends.’”
◘ Verse 1 speaks of a fountain opened in that day. Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13 both refer to Yahweh as the fountain of living waters that the people had rejected in favor of cisterns they had built for themselves which could not hold water. The analogy in those passages is a reference to the Lord being the source of life springing up that never runs dry. The fountain in verse 1 is specifically for cleansing from sin and for impurity and so is more likely an allusion to Levitical ceremonial cleansing from sin and defilements. Such ceremonial washing was to be done with water that is flowing – such as from a fountain – and not with stagnant water such as from a cistern. Those who mourn over sin will pursue actions reflective of setting aside the things of the world and pursuing holiness.
◘ This fountain is in keeping with the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:25-28 that God would sprinkle clean water on them and they would be cleansed from their uncleanness and idols. They would be given a new heart and spirit within so that they would walk in God’s statutes and be careful to do His judgments. ◘This is a fountain that would emanate from Jerusalem, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it is His blood that cleanses from sin (1 John 1:7). 1 Peter 1:18-19 specifically cites that our redemption was purchased with the blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:13-14 ties the blood of Christ with cleansing. Ephesians 5:25-27 backs up the command for husbands to love their wives with the example of Christ’s love for the church for which He sacrificed Himself 26 “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless.” Titus 3:5-7 also speaks of this cleansing work of Jesus who “saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
◘ Verse 2-3 describe the next action of Yahweh in cutting off the names of idols from the land so that they are no longer remembered and also in removing false prophets and unclean spirits. It has been pointed out that after the exile the worship of the ancient idols ceased. Perhaps so, but new false religions have arisen since then including secularism and there has been a resurgence of older false religions so that in Israel today there is very little worship of the true God, maker of the heavens and earth. Who knows how much worse it will be when the day of the Lord arrives? But when it does, idolatry in all its forms will be cut off along with the false prophets and teachers and the unclean spirits – demons – that empower them. From that it would appear that when Satan is bound during the Millennial reign of Messiah (Revelation 20:2), the demons are also restricted.
◘ This spiritual revival is so strong that supreme value is placed on the proper worship of God to the exclusion of any falsehood. While verse 3 seems extreme in parents bringing about the execution of a son that gives false prophecy, that has always been the proper standard according to the commands in Deuteronomy 13:6-11. Jesus was direct in Matthew 10:37 that “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Tragically, too often professing Christians demonstrate a greater love for their sinful children than for God by their toleration and acquiescence to the sin of their child. Don’t do that. ◘ Yes, we will love our children even if they do not walk properly with the Lord or know Him. However, we are to love God more, and for the sake of our child’s soul, we are to speak the truth in love to them even if they do not like it, falsely accuse us or even reject us. Be like the father of the prodigal, always looking and praying for the repentance and return of his son (Luke 15).
◘ An additional result of this revival pointed out in verses 4-6 is that those that had been false prophets will do everything they can to hide that fact. They will be ashamed of the visions they have had or have. They will no longer dress like a prophet, which had been one of the ways in which they deceived people. They will deflect accusations of having been a prophet with claims to be a farmer and to have been sold as a slave in youth which would eliminate that possibility. As pointed out in 1 Kings 18:28, a common practice among the prophets of idols was cutting themselves which would leave scars. If those scars are pointed out as evidence of having been a false prophet, they will make up stories about the source of the scars even if they are outlandish and improbable such as being wounded by friends.
◘Striking the Shepherd – Zechariah 13:7
The previous verses and the ones that follow speak of the day of the Lord which is still yet to come, but verse 7 is a reference to what happened at the first coming of Messiah. “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd And against the man, My Associate,” Declares Yahweh of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.”
◘ Earlier in Zechariah 12:10-14 the death of Messiah was attributed to Israel, but in this verse the divine decree is revealed. The redemption of mankind required God the Father to have God the Son put to death as the payment for sin that Jesus might be the just and justifier of all who will believe (Romans 3:26). In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” But there was no other way and it was the Father’s will that Jesus yield up His life to redeem sinful mankind.
◘ But in smiting the good shepherd, there would be a consequence to the sheep. They would be scattered. On the night Jesus was betrayed, His disciples scattered. Eventually persecution would also scatter the church around the world, but that was according to what they were supposed to do in spreading the gospel. As for the Jews in Israel, they also were eventually scattered. Their rebellion against Rome resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70 scattering the Jews that survived, and the Bar Cochba rebellion in A.D. 135 resulted in the remaining Jews also being scattered. They migrated all over the world and eventually even to the Americas.
◘ Even the “little ones,” the remnant that survived the Roman conquest, God’s hand would be upon them “to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time” as prophesied in Daniel 11:35. The last two verses in chapter 13 describe that future purging.
◘Purging the People – Zechariah 13:8-9
8 “And it will be in all the land,” Declares Yahweh, “That two parts in it will be cut off and breathe their last; But the third will be left in it. 9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire And refine them as silver is refined And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’”
◘ This is a shocking passage the first time you read it. Chapter 12 makes it seem like the Lord’s defense of Jerusalem results in none or very few being harmed by the invading armies. The reality is that two thirds will be cut off and perish and only one third will survive. The invading armies have an initial victory in carrying out the Yahweh’s work of purging His people before they themselves are destroyed. ◘This is one of those passage that those who want to replace Israel with the church balk. They want the blessings promised to the nation of Israel as God’s chosen people, but they do not want the curses, purging and refinements. The focus of this oracle is Yahweh’s actions related to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
◘ The refinement described in verse 9 is also described in Ezekiel 22:19–22, 19 “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 ‘As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will lay you there and melt you. 21 ‘And I will collect you together and blow on you with the fire of My fury, and you will be melted in the midst of it. 22 ‘As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out My wrath on you.’” Matthew 24:22 describes this period of time as being so bad that if the Lord did not “cut short those days, no life would have been saved.” But for sake of the elect, those days were cut short and the refinement process yielded a purified people (Malachi 3:2-4). The refinement both removes the impurities and proves the pure. ◘This is the remnant Paul speaks of in Romans 11:26–27, 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” That is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34.
After this refinement and testing the remnant calls on the name of Yahweh and He declares them to be His people and they declare that Yahweh is their God. That fulfills Leviticus 26:44-45; Ezekiel 11:19-20; 37:37-38 and other prophecies of a final restoration of Israel in which they fulfill the purpose for which God originally called them.
◘Conclusions
Armageddon, from a term that means “mountain of Megiddo,” comes from Revelation 16:16 referring to the place in which the armies of the world gather to wage war during the Tribulation period. The prophecies we looked at today in Zechariah 12-13 describe what will take place then and there when the armies of the world lay siege to Jerusalem in a final act of the effort to annihilate the Jews because of their supreme hatred for God. However, God intervenes and it is those armies that are annihilated, but not until after they have completed the work which God had given them to do in purging and refining His people so that yes, in reality, all Israel shall be saved.
There is a horrendous amount of evil that is coming in the future. The evidence is mounting that it may come sooner than any of us would like, ◘yet on the other side of it is an incredible blessing of a world that we have a hard time imagining – the coming world of Messiah’s kingdom in which righteousness reigns. If is for that reason that we can face the future with confidence and say, come what may, maranatha, even so, come Lord Jesus.
Sermon Notes – 4/28/2024
Armageddon: Judgment, Rescue, Purging – Zechariah 12 & 13
Introduction
The Second Oracle – Zechariah 12:1
This oracle concerns the destruction of Israel’s enemies, Israel’s __________, and Messiah’s future kingdom
This oracle warns of God’s wrath to come & instill ______in a future kingdom that is secure, blessed & holy
Yahweh displays His _________in what He has done as evidence He can and will fulfill His declarations
Stretching out the __________- Gen. 1:1; Psalm 104:2-4
Laid the foundations of the ________- Gen. 1:1; Heb. 1:10; Psalm 104:5
Made man and give him the __________of life – Gen. 2:7; Job 27:3; Psalm 146:4; Eccl. 12:7
Jesus presently and actively _________all things together – Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3
Gathered Enemies – Zechariah 12:2-3
The Cup of Reeling – Zech. 12:2
Jerusalem is the magnet by which God draws the nations into one area & His ______________is poured out
Reeling is ______________as if drunk due to God’s wrath being upon them – Isa. 51:17; 63:6; Jer. 25:15-17
The nations lay siege to Jerusalem & Judah, but in the end they suffer God’s __________upon them
The Heavy Stone – Zech. 12:3
The result of trying to lift this stone is a _________
Anti-Semitism will become _____________, so don’t be surprised by its current development
This is a world-wide _____- Revived Roman Empire, Assyrian power, Northern Confederacy, Kings of East
Protection by Divine Intervention – Zechariah 12:4-9
Military Dumbfounded – Zech. 12:4
The horse & rider refer to strong military – horses bewildered, blinded & riders struck with ___________
Historical, present & future military problems: equipment failure, commanders & soldiers who __________
Jewish Defense – Zech. 12:5-6
Yahweh blinds the enemy but keeps His _________________to watch over the house of Judah
Yahweh making Judah a mighty military force enabling them to _______themselves & destroy their enemies
Yahweh Defends – Zech. 12:7-8
Outlying areas are more vulnerable to invasion, but God saves them __________to His own glory
The weak & feeble become __________warriors & the military become beyond human
Yahweh Destroys – Zech. 12:9
In that day refers to the __________________________
Those that sought to destroy Israel are ______________ destroyed
Spiritual Repentance – Zechariah 12:10-14
In contrast enemies upon whom He pours out His wrath, He pours out the _________of grace on His chosen
God acts to bring them to ______________, repentance & mourning over Christ’s sacrificial death
It is ____________mourning – as if an only son, a firstborn – the laments for Josiah in 2 Chron. 35:22-27
Profound _______________mourning – each individual alone in each family & group
Spiritual Renewal – Zechariah 13:1-6
Yahweh opens a fountain of ___________ – those who mourn over sin will pursue holiness
This fountain is in keeping with ____________ 36:25-28.
Jerusalem is the site of Jesus’ ________which what cleanses from sin – 1 Jn 1:7; 1 Pt. 1:18-19, Eph 5:25-27
Yahweh _____________Idols, false prophets & unclean spirits from the land
Supreme value is placed on ____to the exclusion of any falsehood even by family – Deut. 13:6-11; Mt. 10:37
We love even our wayward child, but we are to love God more & tell them the _______for their soul’s sake
The false prophets will do everything they can to __________that fact
Striking the Shepherd – Zechariah 13:7
This verse attributes Messiah’s death to the action of _________- it was required for man’s redemption
Smiting the shepherd results in the sheep being _________- Jesus disciples first. All of Israel after A.D. 70
God’s hand would be on the “little ones” – the _____________, even as prophesied in Daniel 11:35
Purging the People – Zechariah 13:8-9
God uses the invading armies to cut off 2/3 with only _________ surviving before He destroys those armies
Replacement theology wants the blessings prophesied for Israel, but not the _____________
This purging and refinement is also described in ___________22:19-22 and other passages
__________will be saved (Rom. 11:26-27) in fulfillment of Jer. 31:31-34, but it is only the 1/3 remnant left
Conclusions
Horrendous evil will occur in the _______________period, but God uses it to accomplish His own purposes
On the other side of it is Messiah’s kingdom in which righteousness reigns – _________________
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help.
Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many times the word God is mentioned. Talk with your parents about the actions He takes to both redeem man and punish the wicked.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What is the purpose of this second oracle? How does God make Jerusalem a “cup of reeling” to all nations? In what ways does God protect Jerusalem & Judah from the invading armies? What are His direct actions and what are His actions through others? What is the nature and degree of spiritual repentance that occurs in that day? What is its source? What is the fountain opened for sin and for impurity? What demonstrates the genuine nature of the spiritual renewal of that time? Why is the shepherd struck? What has been the result? Why does God purge & refine His people? How does God use the invading armies to do that? What is the relative size of the remnant left? What is the evidence that the remnant is genuinely saved?
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