Zacarias 13
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Zacarias 13
MacArthur adds that "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." (MacArthur Study Bible) Multiple passages in both the Old and New Testament parallel this prediction of a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins for the nation of Israel... Romans 11:26-29- and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER (MESSIAH, KING OF KINGS, THE STONE) WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” 27 “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” (See Jeremiah 31:31-34-commentary on the New Covenant) 28 From the standpoint of the Gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For more in discussion of this important passage see the following resources: Romans 11:26-29 In Depth Comments Romans 11:25-36 The Salvation of Israel - Tony Garland Romans 11 Does God Have a Future for Israel? by Gil Rugh - 46 page booklet The Jewish Problem - small book by Jewish believer David Baron (written in 1891-interesting!) Isaiah 12:2–3 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.
Zacarias 13
MacArthur - Isaiah’s readers doubtless thought of how God satisfied the physical thirst of their ancestors in the Wilderness of Sin (Ex 17:1–7). The same provision will apply for their descendants when the Messiah comes to deliver the nation (41:17, 18; cf. 30:25; 35:6, 7; 43:19; Ps 107:35). The NT amplifies this provision to include the supply of spiritual water for the thirsty soul (Jn 4:10, 14; 7:37; Rev 7:16, 17; 21:6; 22:17). (Study Bible) Isaiah 33:24 And no resident will say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell there (JERUSALEM IN MESSIAH'S MILLENNIAL KINGDOM-cf Isa 33:20) will be forgiven (Lxx =aphiemi) their iniquity. Isaiah 59:20-21 “A Redeemer (THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER OR GOEL, THE MESSIAH, THE SUFFERING SERVANT) will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob (FOR THE BELIEVING REMNANT, ONE-THIRD OF THE NATION - Zech 13:8-9-note),” declares the LORD. 21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD (See New Covenant in the Old Testament): “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” (AN EVERLASTING COVENANT - THE SPIRIT ABIDING ON HIS REMNANT FOREVER.) Isaiah 65:19 “I will (GOD IS SPEAKING) also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying (IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM). Ezekiel 36:25-32-note “Then (WHEN? SEE Ezek 36:24) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols (PARALLELS Zech 13:1). 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances (See New Covenant in the Old Testament). 28 “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 “Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness (PARALLELS Zech 13:1); and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 “I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 “Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations (DESCRIBED IN Zechariah 12:10-note). 32 “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!” Ezekiel 39:29-note “I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD. Criswell - Zechariah speaks symbolically of a never-ending "source of water" for spiritual cleansing and thus for eternal life (cf. John 4:14; 7:38; Rev. 21:6). That the rejection of the Messiah could result in the gracious provision for salvation is a mystery, but its universal application to the church should not blind us to its original context as a promise to Israel (Ro 11:11, 12, 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 26). (Believer's Study Bible) F Duane Lindsey - At the Second Advent of Christ, the fountain will be opened experientially for the Jewish nation. (BKC) Pusey - “The fountain shall be not simply opened, but shall remain open.”
Zacarias 13
MacArthur comments - Applying those words to Himself as the shepherd and to His disciples as the sheep, Jesus assured His followers that even their failings would not overturn the purposes of God. Their desertion had been foretold by the prophet Zechariah hundreds of years earlier. Jesus knew that He would be struck down while they scattered in fear, yet His resolve did not waver even in the face of abandonment and death. His undaunted courage stands in stark contrast to their disoriented cowardice. (Mark Commentary) Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them (NOTE THIS IS A PROPHECY [BY MESSIAH] THAT QUOTES A PROPHECY [RECORDED BY ZECHARIAH]!), “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ There are some commentators who think that Zechariah 13:7 is a reference to the false shepherds in the preceding context. And yes, if one relied only on the immediate context, that might be a reasonable interpretation. But remember that the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture itself (see Compare Scripture with Scripture) and in this particular passage we can obtain help from a notable Jewish Rabbi, the Messiah Himself! I agree with Dr MacArthur's logic in explaining Zechariah 13:7 (from his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew). MacArthur writes... Jesus’ comment for it is written (in Mt 26:31) referred to Zechariah 13:7, which predicted the desertion He had just mentioned. He then quoted part of that verse: “I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.” In quoting the Old Testament prophecy Jesus assured the disciples that their abandonment of Him, just as Judas’s betrayal, was part of the eternal plan of God. Without Jesus’ explanation, the Zechariah passage would have been impossible for the disciples to have understood correctly. Zechariah’s prediction was veiled, and its meaning could not have been discerned apart from the Lord’s own interpretation. Zechariah was speaking about idolatrous false prophets whom the Lord would remove from among His people, but some of whom would renounce their deceitful practices (Zech 13:2–6). But in Zech 13:7 the attention turns abruptly to a man the Lord calls “My Shepherd,...the man, My Associate.” “The man, My Associate” could be rendered “the mighty man of My union” or “the mighty man equal to Me,” clearly indicating that this person also was deity. It is against this divine Shepherd-Associate that God commanded the sword to be struck: “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered.” In the broadest sense, the sheep that would be scattered represented Israel. Because Israel as a nation rejected and crucified her Messiah, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. From that time (A.D. 70) the people of Israel were scattered throughout the world-where they have largely remained scattered for nearly 2,000 years. Even today, only a minority of them live in the state of Israel. But the sheep of whom Jesus spoke that night on the Mount of Olives were the disciples, the first group, as it were, representative of and picturing all those who would be scattered when He, the shepherd, was struck. Here is an example from the NET Notes representative of the comments that do not interpret this passage as a reference to the Good Shepherd's Crucifixion (and this is a resource I use frequently -- I just strongly disagree with their conclusion in this case and feel they have given little weight to the fact that Jesus Himself quoted this passage just after He had told them of the New Covenant in His blood!) - Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus' crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the LORD precisely so their flocks (disobedient Israel) can be scattered (cf. Zech 11:6, 8, 9, 16). It is likely that Jesus drew on this passage merely to make the point that whenever shepherds are incapacitated, sheep will scatter. Thus he was not identifying himself with the shepherd in this text (the shepherd in the Zechariah text is a character who is portrayed negatively). (NET Notes) (DISCLAIMER - I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THIS INTERPRETATION! ALSO HOW ABSURD WOULD IT BE FOR GOD TO CALL A FALSE SHEPHERD "MY ASSOCIATE"!) ESV Study Bible on Zechariah 13:7 - The disciples are scattered at the time when Christ the shepherd is crucified (Matt. 26:31). Hebrew Christian writer David Baron writes on scattered - It was primarily fulfilled when, after the crucifixion of our Lord, "the people of the prince that shall come" (Da 9:26-note), that is, the Romans destroyed the city and the sanctuary (70 A D), and brought about the new and more universal phase of the dispersal of the Jewish people among all the nations of the earth, which is continued to this day (Baron wrote in 1919). (Zechariah Commentary) Henry Morris in the Defender's Study Bible - his verse is quoted in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27 by Christ Himself. He, the Good Shepherd, would give His life for the sheep (John 10:11), but in the trauma of these world-changing events, His sheep would be "scattered" for a while. The "sword" would "smite the shepherd," and they would be scattered for 2000 years, but the time would come when they would return to Him, exactly as Zechariah had predicted. Charles Feinberg - Whereas verse 6 cannot possibly refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, verse 7 can refer to no other than to Him. The words apply exclusively to the sufferings of Christ. (See Mt 26:31, also the connection with Zech 11:4, 7, 10-14.) Christ referred this prophecy to Himself. The death of the Messiah is here viewed as God’s act. (Cp. Jn 3:16; Ac 2:23; 3:18; 4:28.) Charles Ryrie in the Ryrie Study Bible - A reference to the death of Christ and the scattering of the disciples (cf. Matt. 26:31). W A Criswell in the Believer's Study Bible - This verse applies exclusively to the suffering of the Messiah (Matt. 26:31). "My Companion" is used of a confidant, an associate, an equal, the nearest of kin (Lev. 6:2; 18:20), and thus it is a strong affirmation of the deity of the Messiah. The verse indicates that the Lord will be the ultimate and efficient cause of the Messiah's death. It also prophesies the disciples' abandoning Jesus (Matt. 26:31, 56), as well as the scattering of the nation after A.D. 70 and again in the Tribulation (cf. Rev. 12:6, 13-17). Thomas
Zacarias 13
MacArthur - Many perils symbolized by these words have confronted the Israelites through the centuries and will continue to do so until the nation’s final redemption, but the Lord promises the nation survival through them all. (MacArthur Study Bible)
Zacarias 13
MacArthur - Since Isaiah’s time, Israel’s testings have included the Babylonian captivity and present worldwide dispersion from her Land; unlike silver purged in the furnace, the purging of Israel is not complete, and they are not refined. But God keeps up the afflictions until they are, so His name is not defamed through the destruction of Israel. The nation will be purged (cf. Zec 13:1, 8-9). God’s plan is such that He alone, not man or man-made idols, will receive credit for Israel’s salvation (Isa 42:8; cf. Ro 11:25–27, 33–36). The adversaries of God are never to be given legitimate reasons for scoffing at God and His work. This theme of fires of affliction as a purifier is carried over into the NT, Peter writing In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7-note) These passages on fiery afflictions beg the question - Are you in the "fire?" As one has said, we are either in the fire, have just come out of the fire, or will soon be in the fire! Too truth! Through the fire - The implication is that the fire is not the end but is a part of the journey which the Jews composing the third must walk. It is also interesting that the metaphor of fire was used in Zechariah 12:6 to destroy the Gentile nations. And so while one fire destroyed the peoples from God, here in Zechariah 13, another "fire" served to purify a people for God. The fire is an apt metaphor for one can hardly read this description without recalling with horror the fires of the ovens in the concentration camps where millions of Jewish bodies were burned creating a snow like shower of ashes from the chimneys. Under Hitler, the satanically inspired Nazi holocaust (Gk word "holokautoma" is used in Lxx for the BURNT OFFERINGS [Hebrew word = 'olah]!) succeeded in removing one-third of the world's Jewish population, but here during the Great Tribulation the Antichrist achieves a removal of two-thirds! Michael, the great angelic watcher of Israel, will intervene to see that these Jews are brought through the fire of affliction in these last three and one-half years. (Da 12:1-note). MacArthur: 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. (Read MacArthur's sermon on "The Cleansing of Israel") Jamieson (one of the best, literal older commentaries - much better than Matthew Henry on prophecy) - It hence appears that the Jews’ conversion is not to precede, but to follow, their external deliverance by the special interposition of Jehovah; which latter shall be the main cause of their conversion, combined with a preparatory inward shedding abroad in their hearts of the Holy Spirit (Zec 12:10–14); and “they shall call on My name,” in their trouble, which brings Jehovah to their help (Ps 50:15). Baldwin on God the Refiner - The beauty of this picture is that the refiner looks into the open furnace, or pot, and knows that the process of purifying is complete, and the dross all burnt away, when he can see his image plainly reflected in the molten metal. The prophet Malachi asks “But who can endure the day of His coming? (ANSWER: THOSE WHOM HE BRINGS THROUGH THE FIRE BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY AND GRACE!) And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap." (Mal 3:2-note) MacArthur commenting on this passage writes "Instead of bringing rewards, His coming is likened to two purifying agents—fire to burn off dross and alkali to whiten—an indication of the true condition of their hearts. The fire will burn off the dross of iniquity; the soap will wash out the stain of sin. His coming will be one in which He removes all impurities. No one will escape this cleansing. Importantly, He will come purifying and cleansing, but not necessarily destroying (cf. Is 1:25; 48:10; Jer 6:29, 30; Eze 22:17–22). (Study Bible).
Zacarias 13
MacArthur - this return speaks of a worldwide regathering at the Second Advent of Christ. The return from Babylon cannot be in view also, since Israel had not been scattered to the W until the diaspora engineered by the Romans in the first century A.D. This refers to Israel’s national conversion, spoken of in Zech 12:10–13:1, and by Jeremiah 32:38–41 and Paul in Ro 11:25–27. George Klein - The bygone days when God declared Israel “Not My People” (lōʾ ʿammî; Hos 1:8–11) will transform into a new glorious day. In this wonderful day Judah will return to her former status as “My People” (ʿammî; Hos 2:23) in the estimation of the Lord....Verse 8 concludes with two added attributes characterizing the Lord’s relationship to his people. He shows himself to be “faithful and righteous.” In Isa 1:26 the same two terms also describe the future Jerusalem: “afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” (NAC) POSB - This verse is a reminder that, “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Ro. 10:13; see Ac. 2:21; Joel 2:32; Zep. 3:9). This is true whether a person lives in the Great Tribulation of the last days or in the fire of affliction today. This echoes a promise in Lev 26:12 ‘I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people." In Jeremiah as the remnant, the third enter into the New Covenant (Jer 31:31), God says that "this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jer 31:33-note; Heb 8:10-note; cf Ezek 36:28-note which will be fulfilled in the Millennium) NET Note - The expression I will say ‘It is my people,’ and they will say ‘the LORD is my God’ is reminiscent of the restoration of Israel predicted by Hosea, who said that those who had been rejected as God’s people would be reclaimed and once more become his sons and daughters (Hos 2:23). Charles Feinberg - Just as in Zech 11, the prophet advances from the rejection of the Messiah by the nation Israel to the judgment of God for this unbelief in the time of the Great Tribulation (Zech 11:15-17), so we have the smiting of the Shepherd followed by the time of Jacob’s trouble. A great gap of time exists between Zech 13:7 and Zech 13:8. In the hour of Israel’s national distress, two parts will be cut off by judgment in all the land and die; a third will remain. The third represents the remnant. Mathematical exactness is not in view here, we know, because the remnant is spoken of in Isaiah 6:13 as a tenth. (See Eze 20:34-38 for this remnant.) The remnant will be brought through trying circumstances and will be refined as silver and gold. This is not the annihilation carried out by the Romans, as some suggest, but the purging brought about by Israel’s time of trial when back in the land in the last days. The purpose of the refining is to purify and develop faith in the remnant. Physical deliverance will be followed by conversion. Thus will the new covenant be fulfilled. This will be the full and final renunciation of idolatry. (Note Jer 30:18-22; 31:33; Eze 11:19-20; and Hos 2:23.) Israel the people of the Lord and God their Lord—this is the climax and culmination of Israel’s history. (The Minor Prophets) George Klein notes that "For many interpreters, the cataclysmic destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 provides the fulfillment of 13:7–8. Despite how devastating it was, the survivors of Titus’s sack of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple did not come forth as a renewed people spiritually. Further, these remnants, with rare exception, did not evidence faith in the Messiah who had so recently suffered piercing on their behalf. Instead, these people persisted in their unbelief. Moreover, the universal scope of Zechariah’s prophecies in chap. 13 look to an eschatological fulfillment. Zechariah 13:8–9 gazes on a more remote period, just as Paul predicted: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliver will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins’ ” (Rom 11:26–27)." (New American Commentary) Klein adds that "The eschatological perspective of Zech 13 finds eloquent expression in the moving hymn written by Charles Wesley, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending”: Lo, He comes with clouds descending, Once for favored sinners slain; Thousand, thousand saints attending Swell the triumph of His train: Alleluia, alleluia! God appears on earth to reign. Ev’ry eye shall now behold Him, Robed in splendor’s majesty; Those who set at naught and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree, Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, Shall the true Messiah see. Now the Savior, long expected, See in solemn pomp appear; All who have not Him rejected Now shall meet him in the air: Alleluia, alleluia! See the day of God appear Steven