The Book of Zechariah
Pastor James J. Barker
IN THAT DAY THERE SHALL BE A FOUNTAIN OPENED - Part 2
[ Lesson 21 ]
I mentioned last week that the events of chapter 13 follow the great prophecy of 12:10. Because God will pour out His Spirit upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (signifying all of Israel), there will be
I. REMOVAL OF FALSE PROPHETS, IDOLS, AND DEMONS
II. RECOGNITION THAT JESUS IS THEIR TRUE MESSIAH
III. REFINING OF THE FAITHFUL REMNANT THAT WILL PASS THROUGH THE TRIBULATION
I. RECOGNITION THAT JESUS IS THEIR TRUE MESSIAH
1. Zechariah 13:6 is a popular Messianic prophecy, but many Bible teachers claim that it is not.
2. There seems to be several reasons for them doing so. First, they criticize the KJV text and claim that it should be rendered “wounds between thy arms.” This is unacceptable. The great O.T. scholar, Merrill Unger wrote: “Various attempts to make ‘between thy hands’ to mean something other than, correctly translated, ‘in thy hands’ (KJV) have not been successful.”
3. Secondly, they argue that verse 6 cannot be Messianic because of the immediate context. However, there is no question that verse 7 is a Messianic prophecy, since our Lord quoted it in reference to Himself in Matt. 26:31.
4. Therefore, the context is not violated at all. Another objection is that our Lord was not wounded in the house of His friends, but by His bitter enemies. John 1:11 answers that argument – “He came unto His own, and his own received him not.”
5. Zech. 13:2-5 is a parenthetical passage describing the spiritual cleansing that will take place at the second coming of Christ. Zech. 13:6, 7 describe the “Cleanser.” The “wounds” in 13:6 brings us back to 12:10, and connects with 13:7.
6. Zech. 13:7 refer to the death of Christ and the deity of Christ:
A. THE DEATH OF CHRIST – the “sword” is often used in the Bible to represent death (cf. II Sam. 12:9; Rom. 13:4).
B. THE DEITY OF CHRIST – “the man that is my fellow,” indicating a close association or relationship. Charles Feinberg says the term ‘my fellow’ “has reference to persons united in law, rights, and privileges. The word comes from a verb to ‘bind together’…God is speaking of One as ‘My Companion, My Associate, My Friend, My Confidant, the One united to Me…My Equal, My Nearest of kin. It would not be possible to state in stronger terms the unimpeachable deity of the Messiah of Israel.” (cf. John 10:30 – “I and my Father are one”).
7. Zech. 13:7 demonstrates the sovereignty and providence of God in several ways:
A. The death of Christ was a sovereign act of God, carried out in accordance with His eternal purpose. It was not merely the culmination of satanic wickedness and human treachery. The people involved were guilty and yet at the same time it was done through the divine will of God (cf. Isa. 53:10; Acts 2:23; 4:28).
B. The dispersion has been according to God’s plan – “and the sheep shall be scattered.”
C. Persecution and martyrdom are also of the Lord – “and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones” (cf. Matt. 24:9; Luke 21:12; John 15:20; II Tim. 3:12).
II. REFINING OF THE FAITHFUL REMNANT THAT WILL PASS THROUGH THE TRIBULATION (13:8, 9).
1. These verses are plain enough and need little commentary. God is going to bring the Jews back into the land of Israel and judge them (cf. Ezek. 20:33-38).
2. Those who reject a literal, premillennial interpretation of these verses try and teach that these things have already happened. This is impossible – verse 9 says that “they shall call on my name” and “the Lord is my God.” This has never happened.
3. But it will happen at the end of the tribulation when Zech. 12:10 is fulfilled. Until then, they will be cast into the tribulation. “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7).
4. they will be deceived by the antichrist (Rev.13), double-crossed by the antichrist (Dan. 9:27), and persecuted by the devil (Rev. 12:13-17).
5. Two-thirds of the Jewish people will die during the tribulation and the remaining one third shall be saved physically and spiritually.
6. This is what our Lord meant when He said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13).
CONCLUSION:
1. One of the greatest of all English writers was William Cowper. He was a brilliant scholar as well as a great poet. For example, he translated Homer’s works into English. He was also a lawyer, though he did not pursue a career as a lawyer.
2. He worked closely for many years with John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace.” Their combined talents produced the famous “Olney Hymns” hymnbook, named after the town in England they lived in.
3. Undoubtedly, Cowper’s most popular hymn was “There is a Fountain,” based upon Zech. 13:1 –
“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.”
4. Perhaps we can sing that beautiful hymn after we pray, but let me ask this important question – have you been “plunged beneath that flood”? Have you lost all your guilty stains?