August 25, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Zechariah? Here’s today’s reading:
Zechariah 11 (NIV)
1 Open your doors, Lebanon,
so that fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan;
the dense forest has been cut down!
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are destroyed!…..Continue Reading
The first part of this chapter 1-14 is about the rejection of the True and Good Shepherd the Messiah and the final verses 15-17 are about the false shepherd or the Anti-Christ. The lamentation portrays the destruction that would take place from the rejection of the Messiah. The references to the cedars of Lebanon—oaks of Bashan, and lush thicket of the Jordan suggest devastation of the entire land of Israel from the north to the south, including of course it`s inhabitants. —-Even lions who lived in the thick woods around the Jordan River would roar because of the destruction of their living areas. [The Bible Knowledge Commentary ] This destruction is believed to have happened in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem. We know that Jesus was betrayed by 30 pieces of silver. In verses 12,13 is the prophecy of that event. In Matthew 26;14-16; 27;3-10 is when it was fulfilled. The statement by God ; I will no longer have pity on the people of the land. According to the reference source is because of the people`s rejection of their True Shepherd- Messiah. The false shepherd the Anti-Christ will not have concern for the people. In verse 17 according to the my reference source the arm represents strength and the eye represents his intelligence. But we know that when Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords He will conquer the Anti-Christ. Here is an example of the prophet talking about two different times in history. Two Advents of Christ. One as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. John 1;29b [ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.] And the second Advent would be as King. Revelation 19. In this chapter Jesus is referred to ; sat on a white horse, He is Faithful and True, eyes as fire, many crowns, Word of God, and KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Just to name a few things about Him. There is more in Rev, 19. God bless us all.
Zech. 11 I see four shephards mentioned, and an anonymous reference, vss 3 to 5, shepherds who harm the poor flock. I think these are spiritual leaders in Israel, and they harm, rather than lead or heal.
Zech’h says there were three shepherds cut off in one month, who they were by name, I know not, verse 8.
And the Lord raises up a shepherd, without care, compassion, and will devour others. Not a healer, or feeder, nothing like Peter, admonished to feed Christ’s flock. Wounded in the arm and right eye by sword, verses 16 & 17.
I won’t doubt the last shepherd points to end times, could very well be!
God knows the shepherds, now, then, and yet to be. May Pastor Pete find peace and prosperity leading us, and the special blessing that only comes to pastors from Christ! Keep up the encouragement, Pete! -gy
Thank you, Gordon!
Zechariah has some awesome prophecies of the Lord starting in chapter 9.10 11 Love the way it’s all worded. 520 years before Christ is born
Zech. 11 BTW Dennis, I belive in two Advents of Jesus Christ. One has past, one yet to come.
If you can accept this perspective, in the end, Jesus comes back and shall stand on earth. He rides a white horse. There will be joy among the saints, as we gather to join Him, and welcome Jesus as conquering KING and LORD, at His trumphal entry, descending from the clouds. The dead in Christ see life in the first resurrection too. We all will subsequently reign on earth for a millennium, till the resurrection on the last day. When Jesus returns with trumpet sound, the kings, rulers, mighty men, beast, and false prophet will be defeated instantly, and there will be a feast of birds on their carcasses. Evil reigns now, but it is but for a short time. Peace, -gy
Zechariah 11
As much as God loves His people Israel and will bless and restore them in the future, they have been a disobedient people and so Zechariah’s prophesy includes the discipline that will also be on the Jews as God’s people. God will both judge the bad leaders that have shepherded the people poorly as well as use the poor leaders as a means of discipline upon them. How sad that they would cause God to break His covenant with them as well as no longer foster the unity between Israel and Judah. God had eliminated some of the bad shepherds but then at the end calls Zechariah to take on the mantle of a foolish shepherd because at times the people deserve the leaders they get. May we all learn from the negative example found here to be the people that God has called each of us to be…
Zechariah 11
Zechariah 11
“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.”
Some interpret this as a prophesy that the Anti-Christ will have a withered arm and be blind in his right eye. From the head wound that he survives.
Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. …..
12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.