Zec 13 | MHM | STEP | Evangelical Predictions; The Destruction of False Prophets This section shows how Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world and the church. The Son of God came to remove our sins ( He appeared to take away sins (1 John 3:5 )). Here, the prophecy describes how God will both forgive sin and remove idolatry and false teaching from among his people. v. 1 : In the gospel age, God opens a fountain for the house of David and the people of Jerusalem to wash away sin and uncleanness . This fountain is Jesus’ sacrifice. By his blood, those who are sorry for their sins can be forgiven and cleansed ( The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7 )). Everyone is made unclean by sin, but this fountain is open to all who believe, both great and small. Through faith in Jesus, we are washed and made new (1 Corinthians 6:11; Revelation 1:5-6 ).

‏ Zechariah 13

Evangelical Predictions; The Destruction of False Prophets

This section shows how Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world and the church. The Son of God came to remove our sins (He appeared to take away sins (1 John 3:5 ^a)). Here, the prophecy describes how God will both forgive sin and remove idolatry and false teaching from among his people.

v. 1: In the gospel age, God opens a fountain for the house of David and the people of Jerusalem to wash away sin and uncleanness . This fountain is Jesus’ sacrifice. By his blood, those who are sorry for their sins can be forgiven and cleansed (The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7 ^b)). Everyone is made unclean by sin, but this fountain is open to all who believe, both great and small. Through faith in Jesus, we are washed and made new (1 Corinthians 6:11; Revelation 1:5-6 ^c).

v. 2: God promises to remove idols and false prophets from the land . Idolatry will be forgotten, and even the names of the idols will be erased. This happened when the Jews returned from exile and also when people became Christians and turned away from worshipping anything other than God (Hosea 2:17 ^d). God will also drive out the unclean spirit that inspires false prophets, so that lies and evil teachings can no longer spread among his people (Matthew 24:11 ^e).

v. 3: False prophets will be punished, even by their own families . If anyone claims to speak lies in God’s name, his parents will not protect him but will act according to God’s law (Deuteronomy 13:6-11 ^f). This shows how serious it is to lead people away from God. True love for God comes before even family ties (Luke 14:26 ^g).

v. 4: False prophets will be ashamed of their lies and will stop pretending to be prophets . They will no longer wear the rough clothes that true prophets wore to look holy. When people see that their predictions are false and no longer respect them, they will admit their mistakes and stop trying to deceive others. True repentance means being honest about past wrongs and turning away from them.

v. 5: The person who once claimed to be a prophet will now say, I am no prophet; I am a farmer, for I was taught to take care of animals since I was young . He will return to honest work and admit he was never truly called by God. This shows genuine repentance—leaving behind false ways and returning to what is right (Acts 19:18 ^h).

v. 6: If someone asks about the wounds on his hands, he will answer, I received these wounds in the house of my friends . These wounds may have come from discipline by those who cared for him, helping him see his mistake. Some interpret this as a picture of Jesus, who was wounded by his own people, the Jews, even though he came to save them (John 1:11; Proverbs 27:6 ⁱ). Either way, it teaches that correction from true friends can bring people back to God.

Sufferings of Christ Predicted

This section is a prophecy about the suffering of Jesus Christ, the true Shepherd. It explains how God allowed his Son to be struck for the sake of saving people. The passage also describes what happened to Jesus’ followers and the Jewish nation, and how God would keep a faithful group of believers safe, even through hard times.

v. 7: God calls out, Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd . This means God allowed his justice to fall on Jesus, his Son, who is also called his “fellow” because he is equal with God (Isaiah 53:4, 10 ^j). Jesus is the Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep (Zechariah 11:7 ^k). The sword is not just for punishment, but for sacrifice, because Jesus had no sin of his own. He was killed so that others could be saved (Acts 20:28; Daniel 9:26 ^l).

The prophecy also says, Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered (Zechariah 13:7 ^m). Jesus said this was fulfilled when his disciples ran away after he was arrested (Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27 ⁿ). They left him alone, just as sheep scatter when their shepherd is struck (John 16:32 ^o). But God promised to care for the “little ones,” meaning he would bring his followers back together and protect them, even if they were afraid or scattered (Numbers 14:31 ^p).

v. 8: The prophecy warns that most of the people would be destroyed because they did not believe. In all the land, two parts shall be cut off and die . This happened when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and killed many Jews. It also points to the end of old ways of worship, so that faith in Christ would remain.

v. 9: But God promises to save a faithful group, called the “third part.” The third part shall be left (Zechariah 13:9 ^q). These believers would go through hard times, like gold being tested by fire, but God would make them pure and strong (1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7 ^r). God would answer their prayers and call them his people, and they would say, The Lord is my God. This shows the close relationship between God and his faithful people, who trust him even in difficult times.