Introduction to Zechariah chapter 11
The Good
Shepard Sold
Here
the nation is presented with the Good Shepherd, who is
then sold for 30 pieces of silver. This fulfills the picture of
the Servant Messiah, who will die as our sacrifice
(Isaiah 52:13-53;12/
In Zechariah 11, the destruction of Jerusalem and Temple is
foretold, following the rejection of the Good Shepard.
Zechariah, then jumps forward to the end of days, as he
foretells the coming of the Worthless Shepherd, the
Antichrist, which the nation will accepts. He will devastate the
nation, at the end-of-days, because he does not care for the
flock.
This prepares the nation of the return of their King, the
Suffering Messiah, who returns in the 12th
chapter as Israel is surrounded by the nations. The nation will
look upon the one pierced.
Desolation of Israel
Zechariah 11
1 Open your
doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars.
2 Wail, O
cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the mighty trees are
ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the thick forest has come
down.
3 There is the
sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There
is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in
ruins.
Zechariah 11:1-3
(1)Open
your doors: The first three
verses deal with the results of verses 4-14, the rejection of
the Good Shepard. When Israel as a nation rejects the Messiah,
the nation was judged, the Temple and Jerusalem both destroyed.
Zechariah refers to the “Flock for slaughter”, which is
the result of the Roman invasion after Messiah is “Cut off”.
Before Zechariah, Daniel foretold the destruction of Jerusalem
and the Temple following Messiah’s death.
26 "And
after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with
a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Daniel 9:26
Josephus
who was an eyewitness of the event describes in detail how the
Romans devastated the land of Judah and Israel, removing the
forests to lay siege to Jerusalem. According to Josephus, all
the trees around Jerusalem for 100 furlongs (20 Kilometers) were
removed.
NOW when Caesar
perceived that the upper city was so steep that it could not
possibly be taken without raising banks against it, he
distributed the several parts of that work among his army, and
this on the twentieth day of the month Lous [Ab]. Now the
carriage of the materials was a difficult task, since all the
trees, as I have already told you, that were
about the city,
within the distance of a hundred furlongs, had their branches
cut off already, in order to make the former banks. The works
that belonged to the four legions were erected on the west side
of the city, over against the royal palace; but the whole body
of the auxiliary troops, with the rest of the multitude that
were with them, [erected their banks] at the Xystus, whence they
reached to the bridge, and that tower of Simon which he had
built as a citadel for himself against John, when they were at
war one with another.
Lebanon: The Cedars of Lebanon, famous throughout the world for their
beauty and majesty, were used to build Solomon’s Temple in
Jerusalem. (I Kings 5:6). According to Jamieson Fausset
Brown, the Rabbis saw this verse as referring to the
impending destruction of Temple.
Forty years before the destruction of the temple, the tract
called "Massecheth Joma" states, its doors of their own accord
opened, and Rabbi Johanan in alarm said, I know that thy
desolation is impending according to Zechariah's prophecy.
Rashi also writes in his commentary, this refers to the
destruction of the 2nd Temple.
for the pride of
the Jordan has been spoiled The pride of the Jordan, which is
the place of the young lions and the old lions. Our Sages (Yoma
39b) explained “Open your doors, O Lebanon,” as the prophet
prophesying about the destruction of the Second Temple; that
forty years prior to the destruction, the doors of the Temple
proper would open by themselves. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai
rebuked them. He said, “Temple, how long will you terrify
yourself? I know that you will eventually be destroyed.
Zechariah the son of Iddo has already prophesied concerning you:
'Open your doors, O Lebanon, etc.’”
Cedars: An
alternate view of these first verses, understands the tress,
(Cedars, Cypress and Oaks) referred to here, as referring to the
three shepherds (Verse 8). Daniel 2, refers to the King of
Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar as a great tree (Daniel 4:21-22).
Ezekiel also refers to the king of Babylon, as a Cedar of
Lebanon (Ezekiel 17:3,) (See also Isaiah 14;8, 2 Kings 14:9,
Amos 2:9)
(2)
Cypress: Also known as Fir trees, another variety of tree found
in the land. Here the tree is told to wail for the Cedar tree.
As the Roman Legions approached the land of Judah from the
north, the cities were destroyed one after another, the last
strong hold was Masada, is remembered today in Israel.
Oaks of Bashan: Bashan is an
area known today as the Golan Heights, this area was
famous for its oaks. (See Isaiah 2:3, Ezekiel 27:6) The third
variety of tree, mentioned here, indicating the complete
devastation of the land with the invading armies of Rome.
(3)
Wailing shepherds: The wailing
shepherds refers to the priesthood and leaders in Judah,
following the rejection of the Good Shepherd, the land is
destroyed (Zechariah 10:3, 11:8). When the armies of Rome
destroyed the Temple, the priesthood is also destroyed. The
Temple and all its glory burned, stone by stone the burned
Temple was broken apart, as the Romans searched for melted
Gold. Jesus foretold this coming destruction of the Temple, in
Matthew 24:1-2,
1 Then Jesus
went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up
to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said
to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to
you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall
not be thrown down." Matthew 24:1-2
Prophecy
of the Shepherd
The flock for slaughter
4 Thus says the
Lord my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter,
5 "whose owners
slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say,
'Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich'; and their shepherds do not
pity them.
6 "For I will no
longer pity the inhabitants of the land," says the Lord. "But
indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor's hand and into
the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not
deliver them from their hand."
7 So I fed the
flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took
for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I
called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
8 I dismissed
the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and
their soul also abhorred me.
9 Then I said,
"I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is
perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's
flesh." Zechariah 11:4-9
(4) Feed: The responsibility of the shepherd was to lead the flock, to
make sure they could eat from the lands and drink water, so they
might be a fruitful flock. Feeding the flock in scripture
represents the responsibility of the shepherd to make sure
spiritual nourishment takes place. Jesus implores Peter to feed
His sheep, meaning Peter was responsible to make sure the sheep
(people) receive “Righteous” instruction and direction. (Ezekiel
34:23-24, Isaiah 40:9-11)
15 So when they
had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of
Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes,
Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My
lambs."
16 He said to
him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"
He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said
to him, "Tend My sheep."
17 He said to
him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter
was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love
Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know
that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. John
21:15-17
Flock
for slaughter: Refers to the
flock, which is slaughtered following the rejection of the Good
Shepherd who is sold for 30 pieces of silver. The Good Shepherd
paid particular attention to the “poor of the flock” vs.
7. The flock is the generation which was destroyed by the
armies of Rome.
In A.D. 70, over 1 million Jews perished in the destruction of
Jerusalem and the Temple. Following this, another 580,000 Jews
perished in A.D. 132-135, during the rebellion of Bar Kochba,
when the armies of Hadrian smashed the rebellion. Jerusalem was
leveled, and the city of Jerusalem was renamed, Aelia
Capitolina after Hadrian’s wife family name, no Jews were
permitted to enter the new city. Hadrian renamed the area,
Palestine after the Philistines, the enemies of the Jews.
This is in contrast to Zechariah 9:8, when the Lord preserved
his flock from destruction by the armies of Alexander the Great,
thus allowing Israel the opportunity to see their Messiah enter
the city on a donkey. Zechariah 9:9
(5) Owners:
The owners of the flock were those given the responsibility to
feed the flock. The owners rather then caring for the flock,
used the flock for their own wealth. The priesthood had become
corrupt, like in the days of Jeremiah. The priesthood was
interested in their own wealth, rather then the flock which they
were given responsibility over.
1 "Woe to the
shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says
the Lord.
2 Therefore thus
says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My
people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not
attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of
your doings," says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:1-2
Slaughter them: The Priesthood and leaders in order to preserve their position sold the
nation to the Romans by selling their Messiah for 30 pieces of
silver.
I am
rich: The leaders and
priesthood became focused on money rather then the shepherding
the flock. Jesus rebuked the Priesthood for their focus on
money.
12 Then Jesus
went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought
and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money
changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said
to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of
prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' " Matthew
21:12-13
They saw
wealth in itself, as a blessing from God, rejoicing in their
sins. The shepherds (the priesthood) did not have compassion
for the sheep (the people). The goal of the priesthood and the
Pharisees was to be highly regarded by men, not relying on the
power of the spirit. The shepherds conspired with the Romans,
who installed the High Priest and tried to maintain the status
quo, rejecting the claims of Jesus as Messiah.
13 "No
servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
14 Now the
Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these
things, and they derided Him.
15 And He
said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men,
but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men
is an abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 16:3-15
(6) I will…no longer pity: The point of judgment had arrived, since the shepherds sold
the flock, the Good Shepherd would focus on the poor of the
flock, whom He would feed. Following the Messiah’s being “Cut
off” (Daniel 9:26, Isaiah 52:13-53:12), the Lord would not
withhold judgment. Jesus in fact spoke of Jerusalem destruction
and His longing for their salvation, not only in His day, but
even before His birth in the world, He long to gather Jerusalem.
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!' " Matthew 23:37-39
Following
these verses, Jesus then outlines the destruction of the Temple
(Matthew 24:1-2), how one stone would not be left upon another.
Almost 600 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, Zechariah
foretold its fall, following the rejection of the good Shepard,
who was sold for 30 pieces of silver.
neighbor's hand: Josephus
reported the treachery of every mans neighbor during the siege
of Jerusalem, who the various factions fought among themselves,
while the city was being besieged by the Roman armies. The city
of Jerusalem was divided into three factions, with the Temple
and its surroundings used as base, for Jews to fight fellow Jews
while the armies of Rome attacked the city.
WHEN
therefore Titus had marched over that desert which lies between
Egypt and Syria, in the manner forementioned, he came to
Cesarea, having resolved to set his forces in order at that
place, before he began the war. Nay, indeed, while he was
assisting his father at Alexandria, in settling that government
which had been newly conferred upon them by God, it so happened
that the sedition at Jerusalem was revived, and parted into
three factions, and that one faction fought against the other;
which partition in
such evil cases may be said to be a good thing, and the effect
of Divine justice.
hand of
his king: The people
were given over their king, who was their king? During the trial
of Jesus, the Jewish priesthood rejected Jesus and appealed to
Caesar as their King.
14 Now it
was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth
hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 But they
cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate
said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests
answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
John
19:14-15
Tiberius
Caesar (A.D. 14-37) was the Roman Emperor during the time of
Christ, his successors during the destruction of Jerusalem was
Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) followed by Titus who was the general who
led the armies of Rome in the conquest of Jerusalem in A.D. 70,
later to become the Emperor, succeeding his father Vespasian.
I will
not deliver: Jerusalem
was nearly completely destroyed by the Roman armies one part of
the wall was left standing which the Roman legions used as a
defensive wall, and shelter.
Now of those
that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious,
and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable; for if so much
as the shadow of any kind of food did any where appear, a war
was commenced presently, and the dearest friends fell a fighting
one with another about it, snatching from each other the most
miserable supports of life. Nor would men believe that those who
were dying had no food, but
the robbers
would search them when they were expiring, lest any one should
have concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited dying;
nay, these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling and
staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the doors of
the houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great
distress they were in, rush into the very same houses two or
three times in one and the same day. Moreover, their hunger was
so intolerable, that it obliged them to chew every thing, while
they gathered such things as the most sordid animals would not
touch, and endured to eat them; nor did they at length abstain
from girdles and shoes; and the very leather which belonged to
their shields they pulled off and
gnawed: the
very wisps of old hay became food to some; and some gathered up
fibres, and sold a very small weight of them for four Attic
Josephus
records the extent of the famine was so great the population
came to a point of cannibalism, where a mother ate her own
child, to the horror of both Romans and Jews.
(7) So I
fed the flock for slaughter: Seeing the
flock was destined for slaughter, the Good Shepherd fed or
nurtured the flock. Like David in the Psalms, Zechariah speaks
for the Lord, first person. “ I fed the flock”. Jesus referred
to Himself as the Good Shepherd, who cared for the flock.
11 "I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12 "But a
hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the
sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and
the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 "The
hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about
the sheep.
14 "I am the
good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15 "As the
Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My
life for the sheep.
John
10:11-15
the poor
of the flock: Jesus came to
the poor, the sick, those who needed. He was rejected by those
in authority, but He ministered to the poor. (See also Luke
4:18, Matthew 5:3)
4 Jesus
answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which
you hear and see:
5 "The blind
see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel
preached to them. Matthew 11:4-5
two
staffs: The Messiah, as the shepherd with two staves, Psalm 23:4, “thy
rod and thy staff comfort me”. Jesus was the good shepherd,
who cared for the flock. He came to minister to Israel, as the
shepherd comes to His flock. The two staffs represent the glory
of the covenant relationship with the nation, both Judah and
Israel.
Beauty (~[nNo`am)
meaning, kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, beauty, favor.
The nation of Israel had God’s favor, as a chosen people,
protected from the those who would do them harm, Alexander the
Great,(Zechariah 9:1-8), Antiochus Ephianes (Daniel 8:11-12).
All who would have harmed the Temple were prevented, waiting the
arrival of the Good Shepherd, Zechariah 9:9.
Bonds: The unity between Israel and Judah, they were a unified
nation, during the ministry of the good shepherd.
I fed
the flock: The Lord Himself, fed the flock, particularly the poor.
(8 )I
dismissed the three shepherds: There is a
debate, who or what the three shepherds represent, the shepherds
could represent the High Priesthood here. Some feel the three
shepherds, others see the offices of Prophet, Priest and King.
The meaning relates to the leadership of the nation, during the
time of the Good Shepherd, who is cut-off. There are over 40
different interpretations of the 3 shepherds identiy.
(9) "I
will not feed you: The rejection
of the Messiah, cost the land as the land was left to desolation
as foretold in Daniel 9:26, following the death of the Messiah.
The nation was left to itself, and to this day, the Jewish
people, rely on the traditions of the preserved in the
Mishna, Talmud, and Midrash (Commentaries of the
elders) more then they do on the Torah (5 books of Moses)
and Tanakh (Old Testament), which is the Word of the
Lord.
eat each
other's flesh: In the siege of
Jerusalem, this is exactly what happened as preserved by
Josephus who recounts the story of Mary the daughter of
Eleazar, who came to Jerusalem for refuge from a surrounding
village.
4. There was a
certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was Mary; her
father was Eleazar, of the village Bethezob, which signifies the
house of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and her wealth,
and had fled away to Jerusalem with the rest of the multitude,
and was with them
besieged therein
at this time. The other effects of this woman had been already
seized upon, such I mean as she had brought with her out of
Perea, and removed to the city. What she had treasured up
besides, as also what food she had contrived to save, had been
also carried off by the rapacious
guards, who came
every day running into her house for that purpose. This put the
poor woman into a very great passion, and by the frequent
reproaches and imprecations she east at these rapacious
villains, she had provoked them to anger against her; but none
of them, either out of the indignation she had raised against
herself, or out of commiseration of her case, would take away
her life; and if she found any food, she perceived her labors
were for others, and not for herself; and it was now become
impossible for her any way to find any more food, while the
famine pierced through her very bowels and marrow, when also her
passion was fired to a degree beyond the famine itself; nor did
she consult with any thing but with her passion and the
necessity she was in. She then
attempted a most
unnatural thing; and snatching up her son, who was a child
sucking at her breast, she said, “O thou miserable infant! for
whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and this
sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our
lives, we must be slaves. This
famine also will
destroy us, even before that slavery comes upon us. Yet are
these seditious rogues more terrible than both the other. Come
on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these seditious
varlets, and a by-word to the world, which is all that is now
wanting to complete the calamities of
us Jews.” As
soon as she had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted
him, and eat the one half of him, and kept the other half by her
concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and
smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that
they would cut her throat immediately she did not show them what
food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very
fine portion of it for them, and withal uncovered what was left
of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and
amazement of mind, and stood astonished at the sight, when she
said to them, “This is mine own son, and what hath been done was
mine own doing! Come, eat of this food; for I have eaten of it
myself! Do not you pretend to be either more tender than a
woman, or more compassionate than a mother; but if you be so
scrupulous, and do abominate this my sacrifice, as I have eaten
the one half, let the rest be reserved for me also.” After which
those men went out trembling, being never so much atfrighted at
any thing as they were at this, and with some difficulty they
left the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which the whole
city was full of this horrid action immediately; and while every
body laid this miserable case before their own eyes, they
trembled, as if this unheard of action had been done by
themselves. So those that were thus distressed by the famine
The
covenant broken
10 And I took my
staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the
covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
11 So it was
broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were
watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Zechariah
11:10-11
(10) Beauty… cut it in two.. The glorious relationship (Beauty) between the Lord and His
people was cut, the nation, which was preserved from her enemies
by Lord was stopped. The Temple would be destroyed, and the
people scattered fulfilling the words spoken by the prophets.
After the Temple was completed, the Lord blessed the building,
but promised if the nation should turn away, then the Temple
would be destroyed, as a sign of the Lord’s displeasure.
19 "But if you
turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I
have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship
them,
20 "then I will
uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house
which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight,
and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2
Chronicles 7:19-20
The Lord would
allow His wrath to fall on the nation, even Titus could not
prevent the destruction of the Temple, which his legions tore
apart searching for melted gold (Matthew 24;1)
(11)
that day:
Either the day of the Temple and Jerusalem’s destruction (A.D.
70), or the period following Messiah’s rejection.
the poor
of the flock, who were watching me, knew. The poor,
accepted Christ, the tax collectors, lame, blind, harlots,
diseased) saw him as Messiah and welcomed Him as King, crying
out “Son of David” meaning Messiah. They were the ones who
understood the message of the suffering Messiah.
In addition, when the city fell in A.D. 70, the Christians fled
the city to the mountains listening to the words of Jesus, who
told of the 2nd Temple’s destruction. Jamieson
Fausset Brown write the following regarding this verse.
The humble, godly remnant knew by the event the truth of the
prediction and of Messiah's mission. He had, thirty-seven years
before the fall of Jerusalem, forewarned His disciples when they
should see the city compassed with armies, to "flee unto the
mountains." Accordingly, Cestius Gallus, when advancing on
Jerusalem, unaccountably withdrew for a brief space, giving
Christians the opportunity of obeying Christ's words by fleeing
to Pella.
Sold for
30 pieces
12 Then I
said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and
if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces
of silver.
13 And the Lord
said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-that princely price they
set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them
into the house of the Lord for the potter.
14 Then I cut in
two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood
between Judah and Israel. Zechariah 11:12-14
(12)Then
I said: Zechariah, speaking through the Spirit, speaks for the Lord,
asking for wages, which he was valued by the nation. The nation
had the option to accept or reject the shepherd, who fed the
flock.
my
wages; and if not, refrain: What value did
the nation place on the Good Shepherd? What was His work from
Abraham to the incarnation valued at? The High Priests,
Caiphas and Annas valued the life of Jesus of Nazareth at 30
pieces of silver.
14 Then one
of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief
priests
15 and said,
"What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And
they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. Matthew
26:14-15
my
wages thirty pieces of silver: This amount of
money was paid to the owner of a male or female servant. This is
an amazing prophecy of the rejection of the Servant Messiah,
who was gored through (pierced) by the Romans. The same word
used in Exodus for servant is the same word used in Isaiah
52:13, and 53:11, regarding the righteous servant, who is
rejected, and dies for the sins of the nation. The Romans are
referred to as Bulls of Bashan in the 22nd Psalm.
32 "If the
ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master
thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. Exodus
31:32
The value
of Messiah was the price of a gored servant, paid to the
master.
(13)
Lord said to me: Zechariah
speaking for the Lord, in the Spirit, Zechariah prophecies what
would happen to the money, which was paid for the Messiah’s
betrayal.
"Throw
it to the potter": The priesthood
used the money, which Judas threw into the Temple (The Lord’s
House) to buy a field, from the potter. This field would be used
to bury the dead strangers. This field is known today as
Aceldama, meaning in Aramaic “Field of blood”.
princely
price they set on me: A sarcastic
comment for the Prince of peace, who was valued at the price of
a servant.
2 And when
they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to
Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then
Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was
remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and elders,
4 saying, "I
have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What
is that to us? You see to it!"
5 Then he
threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and
went and hanged himself.
6 But the
chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful
to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of
blood."
7 And they
consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to
bury strangers in.
8 Therefore
that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was
fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And
they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was
priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, Matthew
27:2-9
I took: The
Lord Himself was behind Judas taking the money and throwing it
into the Temple, the blood money of the Messiah, who was the
sacrifice in the Temple.
(14)
Then I cut …Bonds: The Roman
advance caused the Jewish nation to be scattered to the nations,
fulfilling the words of Deuteronomy 28:64. The nation will
scattered and thus their unity eliminated.
The
worthless shepherd
15 And the Lord
said to me, "Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish
shepherd.
16 "For indeed I
will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those
who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are
broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the
flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.
17 "Woe to the
worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be
against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall
completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded."
Zechariah 11:15-17
(15) Me:
Zechariah is again speaking for the Lord, about still future
shepherd, which will not have the interest of the people at
heart.
Foolish
shepherd: This could be
the Antichrist, who will come in the end of days, and be
accepted by the nation. According to Daniel, he will make a
covenant with the nation, allowing the Temple to be
reconstructed at the end of days. He will come in his own name,
and lead Israel into a false sense of security.
42 "But I
know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 "I
have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if
another comes in his own name, him you will receive. John
5:42-43
(16) I will:
The Lord will allow the “False shepherd” to come to past, who
will in the end turn on the nation, and desecrate the newly
rebuilt Temple, the 3rd Temple.
1 Behold, the
day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in
your midst.
2 For I will
gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city
shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half
of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the
people shall not be cut off from the city. Zechariah 14:1-2
Eat the flesh: The day of the foolish shepherd will be worse, then following the days
of the rejected Good Shepherd. Jesus warns, those day will
unequaled in the history of humanity.
21 "For then
there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the
beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 "And unless
those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the
elect's sake those days will be shortened. Matthew 24:21-22
(17) Woe to:
Judgment of the Good Shepherd, will bring an end to the
worthless shepherd. See Revelation 19:19-21.
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