Zechariah 12

God’s Wrath Upon The Nations

A prophecy: The word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: Zechariah 12:1

The word “prophecy” (Heb. Mas-sa ) refers to a burden or oracle as we saw in 9:1 (cf. Mal. 1:1). Pfeiffer & Harrison comment: “The final burden, comprising the last three chapters, is full of vital prophetic truth concerning the consummation of Israel’s history.” [1] We need to first stop and decide what the prophet means with the word “Israel.” The word has a natural meaning of the Jewish people just as it has today. However, the word is also heavy with spiritual meaning. Pett comments: “But what was Israel? We must recognize that it was not just a nation comprising direct descendants of the twelve Patriarchs. Indeed, it never was… all through her history, peoples of many nations were adopted into Israel and became ‘true Israelites’ on the basis of the covenant with YHWH, tracing their ‘descent’ back to the patriarchs. Thus, Uriah the Hittite was almost certainly ‘a true Israelite’ (2 Samuel 11:3 onwards).” [2] Of course, Ruth the Moabite was one too.

The Bible makes it very plain that Gentiles from the time of Jesus can become a part of Israel through God’s grace and through their faith in his Messiah. Simply, the Gentiles are “grafted” into Israel and become part of the true people of God through Jesus the Messiah (Rom. 11:17-28; Gal. 3:7, 28-29; 6:15-16; Eph. 2:11-22; 1 Pet. 2:5-9). [3] We need to make it plain that the church is not independent of Israel but is a part of the nation.

There are many Christians today who do not believe this but who hold to a doctrine called Replacement Theology or Supersessionism. This doctrine claims that the church has replaced Israel entirely and that the church has become the Chosen People. Generally, these folks see no continuing purpose for a natural Israel. This idea was very prevalent in the early centuries of the church and continues on mightily today. One popular commentator says: “It is vital to any understanding of this chapter to identify the ‘Israel’ of which the prophet spoke. It must not be understood in any way as a discussion of the fleshly, racial kingdom of the Jews, either before or after the first advent of Christ.” [4] Many more commentators have this approach although they may not state it so forcefully. It causes them to miss the deeper meaning of this chapter.

The prophet is intent on perfectly identifying the God who is speaking. He is the one who created the heavens and the earth (Psa. 104:2-5; Isa. 44:24; Amos 4:13; 5:8). Today many scientists and other intelligent folks deny this. They feel that the whole creation began with an impersonal Big Bang. Now other scientists are realizing that there had to be a cause for the Big Bang. For instance, Owen Gingrich, Harvard Astronomy professor & senior astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory says: “A common sense and satisfying interpretation of our world suggests the designing hand of a superintelligence.” [5] English astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle says a similar thing: “…that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology…” [6]

The God who has made the universe has also made the human spirit within each of us. Through that spirit, the redeemed person is able to fellowship with God who is Spirit (Jn. 4:24).

“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem” (12:2). Often in the Bible the image of the cup stands for the judgment of God (e.g. Psa. 75:8; Isa. 51:17, 21-23; Jer. 13:13; 25:15-28; 49:12; Ezek. 23:31-33; Hab. 2:16; Matt. 20:22; 26:39, 42; Lk. 22:42; Jn. 18:11 Rev. 14:10; 16:19; 18:6;). This cup is pictured as a cup of strong wine that makes people drunk and causes them to stagger (Jer. 25:15-16). It is a cup of reeling – a cup of God’s judgment. We note that the surrounding peoples are particularly affected by this judgment. In modern times the surrounding Moslem nations have suffered terribly as they have repeatedly attacked modern Israel. Although they are much better armed and more powerful than Israel, they have repeatedly been sent reeling.

However, it is generally agreed that this passage is speaking of the last-day battle of Armageddon, which will certainly affect Jerusalem. [7] The city of Jerusalem is scarcely 50 air-miles (80 km.) from the Megiddo region. Any modern attack would easily spread over this whole area. In the 14th chapter, we will see the extent of the attack on Jerusalem. Half the city will be captured and taken into exile before God arises to deliver the nation (14:2-3). Pfeiffer and Harrison state that, “the prophetic passages compel us to place it before the visible return of Christ on earth.” [8] In Joel 3:2 God says: “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.”

For some reason the city of Jerusalem is driving the nations crazy. Jerusalem is a reminder of God and of his rule over the whole earth. It is a reminder of God’s law in our lawless societies. It is a reminder that there is eternal truth in our truthless world. Finally, it is a reminder of God’s coming judgment. We can understand by this why wars have raged against the country of Israel for the last hundred years and why they will continue to the end.

Of course, at the heart of pagan attacks on Jerusalem and Israel is the fact that the God of the universe has chosen Jerusalem as his dwelling. In Psalm 132:14, the Creator says: “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it” Jerusalem is called the throne of the Lord (Jer. 3:17). In Ezekiel 43:7, God calls Jerusalem “the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever.” God has inscribed Jerusalem on the palms of his hands and he continually watches over its walls (Isa. 49:16 ). It is clear that when people touch Jerusalem, they have touched the apple or pupil of God’s eye (Zech. 2:8). They have stuck their fingers in God’s eyes.

“On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves” (12:3). The reference here is to the Day of the Lord when all nations on earth will gather together to solve the “Israel” and “Jerusalem” problems once for all. Perhaps the nations will gather under the auspices of the UN. On June 9, 1991, a Jerusalem Post editorial marveled that although Israel was only one-thousandth of the world’s population, she had managed to occupy 30 percent of the UN Security Council meetings and to be the subject of a third of its resolutions. The editorial went on to say that since the establishment of the UN, that organization has spent more time and energy seeking to condemn and delegitimize Israel than it has spent on any other agenda item.

Here we are promised that all who come against Jerusalem will injure themselves. The ancient church father Jerome, who lived in Bethlehem, reported that young men at that time tested their strength by lifting a weighty stone. [9] The injury here is likely a reference to a rupture. Quite simply, any nation that comes against Israel will get hurt. We have seen abundant evidence of this in the many Moslem wars against Israel. These nations have repeatedly ravaged and destroyed themselves in their insane attacks. It was the Jew Albert Einstein who said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.

After World War I Britain was given the mandate to assist Israel in its resettlement of her land. However, Britain royally messed up her golden opportunity. Almost her first act was to take 75 percent of the eastern portions of the country and assign it to Arab Transjordan (today’s Jordan). Britain then did its best to hinder Jewish settlement in the rest of the land. Finally, in 1948, the British were forced to turn the sticky problem of the Jewish homeland back over to the United Nations. Britain was then forced to withdraw her once proud forces from Palestine in shame. Britain not only quit its Mandate but she also quit Iran in 1951, and Sudan in 1953. She then quit Egypt in 1954-56, Jordan in 1957, Iraq in 1958 and Aden in 1967. [10] The once mighty, world-wide British Empire began to unravel. Her mistake was that she tried to move the rock and was injured.

Utley points out that all history is moving toward a climactic moment in the confrontation with evil (cf. Psa. 2; Isa. 8:9-10; 17:12-14; Ezek. 38-39; Dan. 9:24-27; 11:36-45; Joel 3:9-17; Zech. 12:3; 14:2; Rev. 16:14-16; 19:17-19). [11] Plainly, that confrontation will happen in Israel and it will focus on Jerusalem.

“‘On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.’” (12:4). The prophet continues to speak of the Day of the Lord. Pfeiffer & Harrison say: “Supernatural panic, madness, and blindness will overtake both horses and riders in the attack…” [12] The strongest weapons of the day, the horses and chariots, will be of no benefit in this battle. We might compare this to our best jet fighters and most advanced tanks of today. In all this, the Lord will watch over the Jews. Thus, we see that the whole battle will be supernatural in its nature. [13]

“Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God’” (12:5). In modern times the people of Israel have not always given the glory to God for their victories. Often, they have praised their own bravery and military prowess. In this great battle, they will praise the Almighty God for their deliverance. It will be obvious that they were supernaturally empowered. It seems that the radical conversion spoken of later will be the result of this miraculous deliverance from the attack by all nations. [14]

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place” (12:6). The various translations choose between “clans of Judah” and “governors or leaders of Judah.” Regardless of how we translate it, we will realize that Judah will become inflammable to the nations and their armies. A flaming torch can bring dreadful disaster to a field of grain (Jud. 15:4-5). We note that despite all the warfare, Jerusalem will remain in its place. This reminds us of Psalm 125:1 which assures that Jerusalem will abide forever. In truth, Jerusalem is the one and only Eternal City.

“The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah” (12:7). Pfeiffer & Harrison say: “he will rescue the outlying, less heavily defended areas of the land before he delivers the capital city.” [15] Some commentators see an implied tension or hostility between Judah and Jerusalem, but this might not be the case.

“On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them” (12:8). On the Day of the Lord, even the most-feeble in Jerusalem will become mighty like David. In two biblical passages, David is compared to the angel of the Lord (cf. 1 Sam. 29:9; 2 Sam. 14:17,20; 19:27). [16] Because of the help of the Lord, King David was unconquerable. Even the weakest will be like him. We see in the Bible that David’s house, like Jerusalem, will also abide forever (Psa. 89:37).

“On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem” (12:9). Barnes says, “Woe indeed to those, whom Almighty God shall ‘seek to destroy!’” [17] We might ask why Jerusalem is so important. As Christians we need to understand that Jerusalem is the center of God’s great redemptive program on earth. After all, our gospel went out from the city. After the great battle of Armageddon Jerusalem will begin to be the center of world government. We see in Isaiah: “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3). From Jerusalem, the Messianic government will rule over the whole world. Jerusalem will become the spiritual center of the world. For such reasons we are all instructed to pray for Jerusalem (Psa. 122:6). Actually, we are all requested to “bug God” until he makes Jerusalem the praise of all the earth (Isa. 62:7).

Mourning Over The Messiah

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Zechariah 12:10

Since its early centuries, the practice of Christianity has been to look upon Israel askance because they rejected the one who was obviously their Messiah. We have not carefully considered the passage in Ezekiel 36:24-28. In this scripture it is clear that the Jewish people will only believe in Jesus as a nation after they have returned to their land (cf. Ezek. 20:41-44; 28:24-26). For such a day the Psalmist cries out: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” (Psa. 14:7). The Jews have been returning to their land since the 1880s, so we may be nearing the time for this glorious event to take place.

In this passage, we are told that God will instigate this great conversion by pouring out a spirit of grace and supplication upon his returned people. Apparently, it will come in relation to the world-wide invasion of their land. Maybe at such a time Israel will repent as they have never repented before and they will call upon the Lord who is mighty to save. At this point, God will institute his New Covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:31-34). Feinberg states: “Nothing in Israel’s past history can be interpreted as the fulfillment of this passage…” [18] Pfeiffer & Harrison comment: “This is Israel’s future national Day of Atonement…” [19] This is none other than a classic nation-wide revival for the Jewish people. We see evidences of this great move in several other scriptures such as Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29 and especially Joel 2:29. If the Lord could pour out his Spirit on the Gentile church in the great revivals and the Charismatic Movement of the 20th century, it should certainly be no problem for him to do the same with his beloved Israel.

This whole movement is focused on Jesus. All Israel will look upon him and realize that they pierced and crucified him (Psa. 22:16; Isa. 53:5). The nation will stand aghast. A great wailing and mourning will arise among the people, like the mourning over the death of a firstborn son. Pett says here: “The idea here is of true repentance and submission to God.” [20] After all, “the physical deliverance of Zech. 12:2-9 is not complete without the spiritual deliverance of Zechariah 12:10!” [21]

“On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo” (12:11). Israel is no stranger to mourning. She well knows that her nationhood has come about at a great cost. On Israel’s Memorial Day ( Yom HaZikaron ), which happens in the late spring, Israelis express sadness over their fallen soldiers and terror victims. When the siren sounds it is customary for all traffic to stop and all individuals stand at attention and have a moment of silence. Another day of mourning also in the spring is Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Israelis mourn the loss of six million Jews in the Nazi Holocaust.

The day spoken of in this verse will be much greater than any day of mourning heretofore. It is compared in this verse to the weeping of Hadad Rimmon. This seems to be a reference to a surviving Canaanite practice of deep mourning. [22] Perhaps it is akin to the mourning for Tammuz mentioned in Ezekiel 8:14. What certainly seems to be involved in this verse is the deep mourning for good King Josiah who was killed at Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29-30 and 2 Chronicles 35:20-27). We know that the prophet Jeremiah wrote some special dirges on this occasion. [23] Good King Josiah was like the last ray of hope for a dying nation.

“The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives,” (12:12). This speaks of a national mourning that reaches to the kingship. Pfeiffer & Harrison state: “All strata of society will be bowed down with the universal grief, whether king, prophet, priest, or laity.” [24] The physical division of men and women in religious services is a common thing during the Western Wall prayer times and in many synagogues today. This practice may have evolved from the Jewish interpretation of this verse. [25]

The prophet continues, “the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives” (12:13-14). We need to understand just how soul-shattering this mourning will be. Feinberg says: “The prophet means that the mourning will be so intense as to transcend even the closest ties of earth, those between husband and wife.” [26]

What we have here is the dramatic conversion of all Israel to Jesus the Messiah. It will change everything and will no doubt bring an instant union between Israel and true Gentile Christians. Unfortunately, it will probably cause great panic in satanic ranks and bring about the fierceness of the Armageddon/Jerusalem attack from the antichrist and the armies of the whole world.

Footnotes

1. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 908.

2. Pett, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 12:1.

3. Ibid.

4. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, v. 12:1.

5. Lee Strobel, The Case For A Creator (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 128.

6. Gerald L. Schroeder, God According to God, A Physicist Proves We’ve Been Wrong About God All Along, (NY: Harper Collins, 2009), p. 62.

7. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1519.

8. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 908.

9. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 331.

10. Gerrish, Does God Play Favorites?, pp. 223-224.

11. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 12:3.

12. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 909.

13. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 331.

14. Guzik, Enduring Word, Zechariah, pp. 5-9.

15. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 909.

16. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 12:8.

17. Barnes, Notes On The Whole Bible, Zechariah, v. 12:9.

18. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 332.

19. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 909.

20. Pett, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 12:10.

21. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 12:10.

22. Ibid.

23. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 333.

24. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 909.

25. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 12:12.

26. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 334.