Zechariah 13 Commentary
The later chapters of Zechariah describe the appearance of the Messiah in contrasting pictures. But the key themes remain unchanged. It would be a time of righteousness. It comes about because the LORD God would create a fountain to cleanse Jerusalem.
Salvation is an initiative of the LORD. We cannot clean ourselves. Only the LORD God has the means to cleanse us from our sin and impurity.
Prophecy will have come to an end. And why not? Prophesy for what and about what? The LORD Himself will have taken residence within Jerusalem. The rule of the Son will have begun in earnest.
But there is an interesting twist to the story. The good shepherd is suddenly stricken. The Servant is wounded and pierced (chapter 12), and the sheep scatters.
We shall shortly see the fulfillment of these events as we navigate the pages of the New Testament.
We can now see the connection. Yes, we have a good shepherd. No, we don’t have a good flock. The flock is only made good by cleansing. The wounds of the stricken Shepherd or Servant bring healing or cleansing to the flock.
Therefore, saints look back to Calvary as a moment when they received their cleansing. “But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed” Isaiah 53.
Calvary sets into motion another phase in the history of humanity. “Two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.” It is this third that is subjected to fire for refinement. Won’t the saint see that there is a refining process in progress?
The two-thirds would probably fit the description of the broad way that many have taken. The one-third describes the narrow path of the saints of the Most High God. The heat of temptations, the high levels of wickedness, the restricted space for godly activity, and the impossible conditions for righteousness are all refinery factors. Gold isn’t refined cheaply!
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