The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  11:9 eat each other’s flesh. See note on 7:13. In this drama, Zechariah played the unnatural role of a shepherd who abandons his sheep and stops teaching and protecting them. Those who refused to believe were to be given over to pursue their own desires and left exposed to deadly enemies. In the Roman siege of A.D. 70, some of the starving inhabitants did resort to cannibalism (cf. Jer. 19:9).

  11:10 break the covenant. Apparently this refers to God’s promise to restrain the nations from decimating Israel if she would consistently obey (Deut. 28:1–14). God set aside His kind and gracious protection and His providential care for His people, allowing Rome to invade and destroy Israel (cf. Luke 19:41–44; 21:24).

  11:11 The believing remnant of Christ’s day knew God’s Word was being fulfilled. They knew judgment was coming, but avoided the long term consequences by faith in Christ.

  11:12 thirty pieces of silver. Zechariah carried on the drama by symbolically picturing Jesus asking those He came to shepherd what they felt He was worth to them. In a mocking response, the leaders offered 30 silver pieces which was the amount of compensation paid for a slave gored by an ox (cf. Ex. 21:32). This is exactly what Judas Iscariot was paid to betray the Great Shepherd (Matt. 26:14–16). The Jews of Jesus’ day who offered that amount were saying He was worth no more than a common slave.

  11:13 The prophet received further instruction in acting out the drama that pictures the rejection of Christ, namely to throw the 30 pieces into the temple. This was fulfilled when Judas Iscariot, laden with guilt, went back and threw the blood money on the temple floor. The priests gathered the money and used it to buy a field from a potter (cf. Matt. 27:3–10). princely price. This ultimate sarcasm from God greeted the ultimate insult from humanity.

  11:14 The breaking of the first staff (v. 10) preceded the Jews’ rejection of the Shepherd, while the breaking of this rod once symbolizing the nation’s unity (v. 7) followed His rejection, being fulfilled in the Roman breakup of the Jewish commonwealth. Josephus recorded that in the Roman conquering, the internal dissension among the people in their conflicting parties set Jew against Jew so that they struck each other as cruelly as the Romans struck them.

  11:15, 16 With the removal of the true Shepherd, the drama called for the prophet to play a foolish shepherd, who depicted the Antichrist of Daniel’s 70th week (cf. 2 Thess. 2:3; John 5:43; Dan. 9:27). Zechariah’s prophecy jumped from the first century A.D. to the last days before the second coming, omitting the present mystery of the church age (see notes on 9:9, 10; 9:10–15). This foolish (wicked) shepherd had a broken staff or club which he used to beat stubborn sheep into submission, something clearly inappropriate for a shepherd who thoughtfully and tenderly cared for his sheep. God permitted this wicked shepherd to arise, to destroy the sheep. Because they did not choose the Good Shepherd, Israel will receive a foolish one who will do absolutely the opposite of what is expected of shepherds, he will destroy the sheep (v. 16). This is exactly what Antichrist does (cf. Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15–22).

  11:17 his arm…right eye. Zechariah condemned the worthless shepherd, noting that his strength (“arm”) and his intelligence (“eye”) would be taken away from him (cf. Dan. 7:9–14, 24–27; 8:23–25; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:20; 20:10).

  Zechariah 12

  12:1—14:21 The second and final burden of Zechariah presents the familiar theme of Israel’s ultimate deliverance and salvation. In contrast to initial judgment, he now encourages God’s covenant people with a description of her restoration and blessing in the millennial kingdom, as true to His character and Zechariah’s name, “the LORD remembers.”

  12:1 burden…against Israel. See note on 9:1. The prophecy described a future siege against the nation, indicating that there would be significant devastation before there was repentance and conversion in Israel (cf. 14:1, 2). stretches…lays…forms. The God who performed the work of creation will ultimately do the work of consummation.

  12:2 cup of drunkenness. Jerusalem is pictured as a large basin from which the nations will figuratively drink with eagerness, only to find themselves becoming intoxicated, disoriented, and thus easy prey for divine judgment at the end of Daniel’s 70th week in the battle of Armageddon when nations gather to attack Jerusalem (cf. Ezek. 38:1–6, 14–16; Dan. 11:40–44; Rev. 9:13–16; 14:20; 16:12–16).

  12:3 will surely be cut in pieces. Like lifting a heavy weight, Jerusalem will “seriously injure” (lit.) any people that try to gain victory over it. This is due to divine intervention (cf. vv. 4, 5).

  12:4 Horses, ancient symbols of strength, emphasize God’s superior power over Israel’s enemies. Confusion, madness, and blindness are noted as curses on Israel in Deut. 28:28; here they are promised to Israel’s enemies.

  12:5 Knowing that God had chosen Jerusalem as the city of His special affection will give confidence to the “governors” (leaders) all over the land (cf. Ps. 46:5). This verse has overtones indicating the saving faith of the Jews in that day, since they are claiming to have trust in God.

  12:6 Two similes describe the operation of God’s power: a “firepan” used to carry hot coals to start a wood fire and a “torch” used to light dry grain. Thus will the power of God devour the armies that attack Israel in the latter days.

  12:7 Judah first. God will first deliver the defenseless country people before the well-fortified capital, demonstrating that the battle was not won by military might or strategy.

  12:8 The LORD will make the feeble like David, the greatest soldier in Israel’s history (cf. 1 Sam. 18:7). And the “house of David,” like the “Angel of the LORD,” are most likely references to the Messiah Himself, who will be the strength of His people.

  12:9 See note on 12:2 for important cross references.

  12:10 I will pour. God, in His own perfect time and by His own power, will sovereignly act to save Israel. This was prophesied by other prophets (cf. Ezek. 39:29; Joel 2:28–32), and by the Apostle Paul (cf. Rom. 11:25–27). Spirit of grace and supplication. The Holy Spirit is so identified because He brings saving grace and because that grace produces sorrow that will result in repentant prayer to God for forgiveness (cf. Matt. 5:4; Heb. 10:29). look on Me whom they pierced. Israel’s repentance will come because they look to Jesus, the One whom they rejected and crucified (cf. Is. 53:5; John 19:37), in faith at the Second Advent (Rom. 11:25–27). When God says they pierced “Me,” He is certainly affirming the incarnation of deity—Jesus was God. See note on John 10:30.

  12:11 Hadad Rimmon…Megiddo. The bitter mourning of that day is likened to the death of righteous king Josiah at Hadad Rimmon in the Megiddo plain (cf. 2 Chr. 35:20–24), located NW of Jerusalem (cf. James 4:8, 9).

  12:12–14 The royal (David and his son Nathan) and priestly (Levi and his grandson Shimei) lines, who in the past had set an evil example, were foremost in their contrition and mourning (cf. Num. 3:17–21; 2 Sam. 5:14). It is possible that Is. 53:1–9 comprises the content of their confession. This mourning and deep penitence is not some corporate emotion, but each person individually is brought to sorrow and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. See note on Rev. 11:13.

  Zechariah 13

  13:1 house of David…inhabitants of Jerusalem. The totality of cleansing is noted by its effect on both royalty and commoners. a fountain…for sin and for uncleanness. A symbolic reference to the means of cleansing and purification through the atoning death of the pierced One (cf. 1 John 1:7). This has direct reference to the New Covenant of Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–32; Rom. 11:26–29. So the storm that broke upon Israel for the crime of Calvary and has raged with unmitigated fury for long, tragic centuries, will suddenly end and salvation will turn sin into righteousness in the gladness and glory of the kingdom of Messiah Jesus.

  13:2–6 When Christ returns and cleanses Israel from her defilement, He is also going to cleanse the nation from the deception of false prophets and their demonic religion.

  13:2 unclean spirit. The agents of idolatry are false prophets, but the spiritual power behind it is d
emonic. The wicked spirits who energize false prophets are unclean because they hate God and holiness and drive their victims into moral impurities and false religion (cf. Deut. 32:17; 1 Kin. 22:19–23; Ps. 106:34–39; 1 Cor. 10:20).

  13:3 Because of the salvation of God which has cleansed God’s people and made them love Him and His truth, hatred of false prophecy will overrule normal human feelings, causing even a father and mother to put their own apostate child to death (cf. Deut. 13:6–9, 12–15; Deut. 18:18–22). This is a stern reminder of how God feels about and will eventually treat those preachers who misrepresent the truth.

  13:4, 5 a robe of coarse hair. Because of these stern measures, false prophets will cease wearing the traditional clothing of a prophet (cf. 2 Kin. 1:8; Matt. 3:4). They will adopt a clandestine approach to propagating their demon-inspired lies (cf. Jer. 22:22; Mic. 3:7), and lie if they are asked whether they are prophets, claiming to be farmers.

  13:6 wounds between your arms. The phrase cannot refer to Messiah, but is a continuation of the false prophet’s behavior in vv. 4, 5. When the false prophet denies any association with pagan practices, others will challenge him to explain the suspicious wounds on his body. False prophets would cut themselves to arouse prophetic ecstasy in idolatrous rites (cf. Lev. 19:28; Deut. 14:1; 1 Kin. 18:28; Jer. 16:6; 48:37), but they will claim the scars represent some attack they suffered from friends. See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges.

  13:7–9 Zechariah turned from the false prophets wounded in “friends’” houses to the true prophet wounded in the house of His friends, Israel. He compressed events of both the First (13:7) and Second (13:8, 9) Advents into this brief section. It spoke of Christ’s crucifixion (v. 7) and the Jewish remnant at His second coming (vv. 8, 9).

  13:7 My Shepherd…the Man who is My Companion. God spoke of the True Shepherd, that mighty Man who is His intimate associate, thus He identified Christ as His co-equal, affirming the deity of Christ (cf. John 1:1; 10:30; 14:9). Strike the Shepherd. In 11:17, it was the worthless shepherd who was to be struck; now it is the Good Shepherd (cf. 12:10) whose death was designed by God from before the foundation of the world (cf. Is. 53:10; Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:18–20). sheep…scattered. See notes on Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27, where Jesus applies this prophecy to the disciples who defected from Him after His arrest (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50), including Peter’s denial (Matt. 26:33–35, 69–75). the little ones. The same as the “poor of the flock” (11:7). The reference is to the remnant of believers, among the Jews, who were faithful to the Messiah after His crucifixion. Turning God’s hand “against” them could mean they would suffer persecution, which they did (cf. John 15:18, 20; 16:2; James 1:1), or it could be translated “upon” and refer to God’s protection of the faithful.

  13:8 two-thirds…one-third. Only a portion of the people of Israel will remain faithful to Christ and be alive in the end. The spiritual survivors will be the remnant who look upon Christ in repentance at His return (cf. 12:10—13:1), which will include those who make up the 144,000 (cf. Rev. 7:4). These will be the sheep of the sheep-goat judgment after Christ’s return who enter the kingdom alive (cf. Is. 35:10; Jer. 30:11; Matt. 25:31–46).

  13:9 each one. From the midst of their fiery refinement, the elect remnant of Israel will see Jesus Christ, their Messiah and call on Him as their Savior and LORD. Israel will thus be saved and restored to covenant relationship with the LORD.

  Zechariah 14

  14:1–21 Chapter 14 is an amplification of 13:8, 9. Prior to Israel’s national conversion (cf. 12:10—13:1), the Jews will make a pact with a false messiah (cf. Dan. 9:27), known as the foolish shepherd (cf. 11:15–17) or Antichrist. In the middle of that 7-year covenant, Antichrist will break his treaty with Israel and require the worship of him alone (Dan. 9:24–27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3, 4). When Israel refuses, the armies of the world will gather to do battle, climaxing in a great siege of Jerusalem and the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19). Following the LORD’s victory at that battle (cf. Rev. 19:11–16), will come the full restoration of Israel as anticipated in Hos. 14:4–7; Joel 3:18–21; Amos 9:13–15; Mic. 4:1–3; Zeph. 3:14–20.

  14:1 the day of the LORD is coming. The “Day of the LORD” is a technical term for God’s wrath unleashed against sinners. Here, Zechariah is looking at the Day of the LORD when His wrath is unleashed against the whole world of sinners, which results in the establishment of the LORD’s millennial reign on earth. See note on Is. 2:12 and Introduction to Joel: Historical and Theological Themes. spoil…divided in your midst. Jerusalem will be so overcome by the enemy that the spoil will be leisurely divided in the midst of the city, illustrating how completely Jerusalem will be overthrown. This atrocity then triggers the wrath of God against the world in the Day of the LORD.

  14:2 I will gather all the nations. God Himself will gather the nations, using them to purge, refine, and judge (cf. Rev. 16:13, 14, 16). Their presence results in an unprecedented time of national calamity. This is the climax of “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:5–7).

  14:3, 4 His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. To prevent the eradication of His remnant, the LORD will personally intervene to fight against the gathered nations. Just as He fought for His people in the past, so He will do in the future as the ultimate Warrior-King. Jesus will literally return to the Mt. of Olives, located E of the Kidron Valley, just as the angels announced at His ascension (cf. Acts 1:11). When He does, there will be a tremendous topographical upheaval (perhaps an earthquake), a phenomenon not uncommon when God announces His coming in judgment (cf. Mic. 1:2–4; Nah. 1:5; Rev. 16:18–21). The reaction of people is given in Rev. 6:15–17.

  14:4 the Mount of Olives shall be split in two. A valley running E and W will be created as the mountain is pulled northward and southward (cf. Mic. 1:2–4; Nah. 1:5; Rev. 16:18, 19).

  14:5 Azal. It is best understood as a place E of Jerusalem, marking the eastern end of the newly created valley. Though exact identification is unknown, it is possibly the Valley of Jehoshaphat or Valley of Decision (cf. Joel 3:12, 14) which will be for judgment of the nations and for the escape of the half who were not captured (v. 2). all the saints with You. This term could refer to angels, Jewish believers or Gentile Christians together (cf. Rev. 19:14).

  14:6, 7 As these Jews are fleeing through this newly created valley, the lights in the world will go out (cf. Is. 13:9, 10; 24:23; Joel 2:10; 3:14–16; Matt. 24:29, 30; Rev. 6:12–14) and be replaced by the light of Christ’s glory (cf. Is. 60:19, 20). Only the LORD knows the fullness of the plan for that day—when the lights go out and are lit again in the millennial kingdom (cf. Is. 30:26; Mal. 4:2).

  14:8 The highest elevation of the temple mount in Jerusalem is more than 300 ft. lower than the Mt. of Olives, but the topographical alterations described in vv. 4, 10 will allow the spring to flow toward the Dead Sea (E) and the Mediterranean Sea (W) (see notes on Ezek. 47:1–12). It will not dry up in summer, as most Palestinian streams do, but will flow all year, making the desert “blossom as the rose” (Is. 35:1).

  14:9 LORD is one…His name one. Cf. Rev. 11:15. There will be only one religion in the entire world during the millennial reign of Christ. Ruling with a rod of iron (cf. Rev. 19:15), Christ will have done away with all false religions spawned by Satan. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant providing a Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and the land given to Abraham; the Davidic Covenant which promised a king from the tribe of Judah and the line of David; and the New Covenant which held out the hope of spiritual redemption for Jew and Gentile. All of this will be fulfilled in and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

  14:10 All the land…into a plain. The term “plain” pictures the Jordan Valley, extending from Mt. Hermon (elevation 9,100 ft.) to the Gulf of Aqabah. Here the entire land, from Geba 6 mi. to the N to Rimmon in the S, would be leveled to become like the well-watered and fertile lowlands of the Jordan Valley (cf. Gen. 13:10), causing Jerusalem to be exalted above like a solitaire diamond on a ring. Jerusalem, havin
g been rebuilt according to these dimensions, will be exalted in both place and purpose, the prominent royal city containing the temple of God and the throne of Jesus Christ (cf. Ezek. 40–48). The locations of these landmarks would be the equivalent of meaning “all Jerusalem, E to W and N to S.”

  14:11 safely inhabited. Jerusalem, the city of peace, has been fought over more frequently than any other city on earth, and prayed for over the millennia (Ps. 122:6–9). As promised by God (2 Sam. 7:10–17; Ps. 2:6; Ezek. 37:24–28; Joel 3:16, 17), she will know permanent righteousness and with it peace, rest, and safety.

  14:12–15 The prophet, one final time, cycles back over the judgment that precedes the kingdom. God will strike the heathen forces gathered against Israel (vv. 1–3) with a supernatural plague similar to His judgment of the Assyrian army (Is. 37:36), causing a panic so great that they begin to attack one another (cf. Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:15–20; 2 Chr. 20:23), aiding in the escape of the half (cf. vv. 2, 5). God will enable His people to fight (cf. Is. 11:13, 14). Then He will send a widespread plague that even extends to their animals, preventing their use for military endeavors or escape. This depicts the thwarting of their efforts as God ultimately destroys them by the Messiah (Rev. 19:11–16).

  14:16–19 This very important passage reveals that some Gentiles will go into the millennial kingdom alive along with the redeemed Jews. A converted remnant from those heathen nations will make annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship the LORD and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles during the Millennium. Commemorating the time when God “tabernacled” with Israel in the wilderness, the feast represented the last of the 3 major pilgrimage festivals (Lev. 23:34–36), marked the final harvest of the year’s crops, and provided a time of rejoicing. In the Millennium, it will celebrate Messiah’s presence again dwelling among His people and the joyful restoration of Israel, including the ingathering of the nations. Those who refuse to go will experience drought and plague. Tragically, as the thousand years go on, there will be many people from all over the world who will reject Christ as Savior and King, joining in a final war against Him, only to be destroyed and cast into hell forever (cf. Rev. 20:7–15).