Zec 13:9 | KingComments | STEP | cover the period from the cross to the millennial realm of peace, with a large gap in time between and . looks back on the death on the cross of the Lord Jesus and its consequences for His own, His sheep. looks forward to the future. “Two parts” is the ungodly mass of the people. They perish in the final judgments. “The third” part is the remnant, the little ones of . The remnant, “the third” part, will come into “the fire” of testing, which is the great tribulation ( ). Refined they will come out of the great tribulation and then enter the realm of peace. Gold and silver are melted because only then can these metals be cleansed from the unclean, leaving pure silver and pure gold from which the blacksmith can make something beautiful ( ). It can only be purified when it is melted. In the fires of trial a purification process takes place that is completed by the Lord Himself at His coming ( ). Peter uses this picture in his first letter for the purification of faith and that in view of the revelation of the Lord Jesus ( ; ). Out of the distress of the trial they shall call upon the name of the LORD, and he will hear them. Then the result of the cleansing process is achieved, the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. The LORD will acknowledge them again as His people ( ; ; ) and they will acknowledge that the LORD is their God.

‏ Zechariah 13:9

Two Parts and a Third Part

Zec 13:7-9 cover the period from the cross to the millennial realm of peace, with a large gap in time between Zec 13:7 and Zec 13:8. Zec 13:7 looks back on the death on the cross of the Lord Jesus and its consequences for His own, His sheep. Zec 13:8 looks forward to the future. “Two parts” is the ungodly mass of the people. They perish in the final judgments. “The third” part is the remnant, the little ones of Zec 13:7.

The remnant, “the third” part, will come into “the fire” of testing, which is the great tribulation (Zec 13:9). Refined they will come out of the great tribulation and then enter the realm of peace. Gold and silver are melted because only then can these metals be cleansed from the unclean, leaving pure silver and pure gold from which the blacksmith can make something beautiful (Pro 25:4). It can only be purified when it is melted.

In the fires of trial a purification process takes place that is completed by the Lord Himself at His coming (Mal 3:2-3). Peter uses this picture in his first letter for the purification of faith and that in view of the revelation of the Lord Jesus (1Pet 1:7; Psa 66:10).

Out of the distress of the trial they shall call upon the name of the LORD, and he will hear them. Then the result of the cleansing process is achieved, the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. The LORD will acknowledge them again as His people (Hos 1:9; Jer 30:18-22; Eze 11:19-20) and they will acknowledge that the LORD is their God.