What a sweet time of Bible study with you as we focus on chapters 12-14 of Zechariah in light of the 3 fall feasts of Israel! Those who follow have seen the first 4 sessions of our study and we have a few more to go. Feel free to review:
So far, we have unpacked the meaning of the 7 feasts of Israel, and cemented the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of them all. Then, through the eyes of Zechariah the prophet, we filled in some details regarding the fall Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, which just past a few days ago. The Feast of Tabernacles commences tonight at sundown, but before we get to that, we’ll finish Zechariah 13.
Read the entire chapter (9 verses) to get the full context, then focus on Zechariah 13:7-9.
The first thing to notice is a mention of a Shepherd…capital ‘S,’ referring here to Jesus. The context tells us that, and we find further evidence in passages such as Matthew 26:31-32 undeniably describing Jesus as the Shepherd. But notice in Zechariah 13:7 that it is God the Father Himself calling for the Shepherd to be struck!
Zechariah is not the only prophet to imply such a thing. Read Isaiah 53:10. We know Isaiah 53 to be a prophecy of Jesus’ substitutionary death for sinners, so the context is Jesus’ suffering for all. But what does the first phrase of verse 10 tell you?
Yes, both Zechariah and Isaiah emphatically state that God the Father ordered the suffering of His own Son on behalf of all sinners (the whole world). Jesus was not a victim of circumstance or opposing military or political power. The crucifixion of Jesus was planned and ordained by God the Father and prophesied by both Zechariah and Isaiah hundreds of years before it happened! This was God’s victory over sin and only the Passover Lamb could accomplish it!
The idea of “My Companion” in that verse describes someone much more intimate than a friend. This is one who dwells side by side as an equal. This reflects the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son. They were both on the same page, knowing what sacrifice would be required to wash away the sin of all mankind.
For emphasis, Jesus quoted Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31 in reference to the scattering of His disciples when He was arrested and taken to the cross. In a sense, the disciples represented all of Israel in their scattering, and it is for all of Israel that Jesus will come again to save them! That is Yom Kippur!
Let’s finish off the final two verses (8-9) to find out more about those who are scattered and who will be saved at Yom Kippur. If you have followed our previous sessions of Zechariah 12-14, you know the 3 fall feasts follow the tribulation, also known as Jacob’s trouble in Jeremiah 30:7. The prophet Jeremiah echoed similar warnings uttered by Zechariah and Isaiah, and chapter 30 of Jeremiah clearly speaks of a cleansing and restoration. Yet, Jacob’s trouble (tribulation) will be the most horrific time in human history (Matthew 24:21).
Thus, Zechariah 13:8-9 warns that two-thirds of Israel will be cut off and will die during the tribulation. The Lord will bring one-third through the fire, refining them as silver and testing them as gold. Then and only then, they will call upon His name and He will hear them. These are Jewish people who survive the great tribulation, see Jesus as the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, and welcome Jesus in the name of the Lord.
Let’s close our time together in Matthew 23:37-39. These are some of Jesus’ final words before the day He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, put through multiple illegal trials, and taken to the cross to bear the sins of the world. What was most important to Jesus in this moment? Read the words:
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Dear friends, Jesus wept over Jerusalem that day, longing to gather His people under His wings, but they were unwilling. As a whole, they have been unwilling ever since. But Jesus left the door open for them to invite Him back! One day the Jewish people will say, “Baruch haba B’shem Adonai” ….” Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” At that invitation, Jesus will come to save them.
That is Yom Kippur!
Yom Kippur is now past on this year’s calendar, but on that day following the tribulation and the Feast of Trumpets, they will indeed invite Him back…and He will be there to save that remnant who made it through the tribulation.
How glorious that will be. But even more glorious it would be if Jewish people turn their hearts to Jesus the Messiah today and bypass the tribulation altogether! They come to Jesus the same way we come as Gentiles, by repenting of sin and putting full faith in Jesus. As long as we have breath, it is never too late to pray! Let’s join together in prayer for open hearts and eyes to see the Messiah!
Stick around! We finally get to Zechariah 14 in our next session, and you don’t want to miss it!
