Zec 12-14 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Zech 12:1-14:21: 12:1–14:21 The theme of Jerusalem versus the nations binds the four messages of Zechariah’s second oracle together; the nations are gathered against Jerusalem at the beginning (12:1-9 ) and the end (14:1-15 ) of the oracle. Through the repetition of the phrase on that day , the oracle looks to the future day of the Lord. The picture it presents mixes judgment with blessing for Jerusalem. The oracle’s focal point is the cleansing of the people of Israel (13:1 ); it culminates with God’s universal Kingdom (14:16-21 ). These visions of the future encouraged the Judeans of Zechariah’s day to be faithful in spite of their seeming insignificance and helplessness.

Summary for Zech 12:1-14:21: 12:1–14:21 ^a The theme of Jerusalem versus the nations binds the four messages of Zechariah’s second oracle together; the nations are gathered against Jerusalem at the beginning (12:1-9 ^b) and the end (14:1-15 ^c) of the oracle. Through the repetition of the phrase on that day, the oracle looks to the future day of the Lord. The picture it presents mixes judgment with blessing for Jerusalem. The oracle’s focal point is the cleansing of the people of Israel (13:1 ^d); it culminates with God’s universal Kingdom (14:16-21 ^e). These visions of the future encouraged the Judeans of Zechariah’s day to be faithful in spite of their seeming insignificance and helplessness.
12:2 ^f intoxicating drink (literally bowl of reeling or cup of staggering): The cup of alcoholic drink is a metaphor for God’s judgment (Isa 51:17 ^g; Jer 25:15 ^h; Hab 2:16 ⁱ; Matt 26:39 ^j, 42 ^k; Rev 14:10 ^l; 16:1 ^m). Jerusalem would be instrumental in God’s judgment on the nearby nations.
12:3 ⁿ Jerusalem will be an immovable rock that cuts and gashes those who attempt to conquer and control it, because the city was founded by the Lord, who loves it more than any other city of Israel (Ps 87:1-2 ^o). In Zechariah, imagery involving a stone is associated with the Temple (Zech 3:9 ^p; 4:7 ^q; 10:4 ^r).
12:4 ^s Madness, blindness, and panic were among the curses threatened against Israel for covenant disobedience (Deut 28:28 ^t). The day of the Lord will witness a reversal as these curses are turned against Israel’s enemies (see 2 Kgs 7:6-7 ^u).

• watch over (literally open my eyes): The open eyes of God represent divine provision for those in desperate need (see Gen 16:13-14 ^v; 21:19-21 ^w).
12:5 ^x the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: This title emphasizes God’s irrepressible power (see study note on 1:3). The frequent repetition of this title in Zechariah’s second oracle (chs 12–14 ^y) assured his audience that the divine promises concerning Judah’s victory would certainly be fulfilled (12:7 ^z).
12:6 ^aa flame (literally firepan): Bronze or gold firepans were used to carry hot coals to and from the sacrificial altars of the Tabernacle and the Temple (Exod 27:3 ^ab; 1 Kgs 7:50 ^ac). God would set Israel among the nations like a burning firepan to destroy or purify them.
12:8 ^ad The angel of the Lord is here equated with God, represented as a Divine Warrior, rescuer, and protector (see 1:11 ^ae; 3:1 ^af; Exod 14:19 ^ag; 15:3 ^ah; Isa 59:15-20 ^ai; 63:1-6 ^aj). By divine enabling, the weak will be imbued with God’s power.
12:10 ^ak pour out: This word describes the outpouring of God’s spirit of prophecy upon Israel and all people on the day of the Lord (cp. Ezek 39:28-29 ^al; Joel 2:28-29 ^am) and God’s judgment upon the wicked (Lam 2:4 ^an; Hos 5:10 ^ao; Zeph 3:8 ^ap).

• a spirit of grace: God’s unmerited and unsought favor persuades God’s people to seek him in contrite and repentant prayer (see Ps 86:15-16 ^aq).

• me whom they have pierced: The New Testament understands the piercing of God as a reference to the piercing of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth (John 19:34-37 ^ar; Rev 1:7 ^as).
12:11 ^at The name Hadad-rimmon combines the names of two Syrian deities, the storm-god Hadad and the thunder-god Rimmon. The great mourning for these gods may be similar to the weeping for Tammuz, one of the rituals practiced in the Mesopotamian fertility cults.

• Joshua captured Megiddo (Josh 12:21 ^au), a major city on the southwest edge of the Jezreel Valley; it was allotted to the tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11 ^av). Megiddo controlled a key pass on the great highway from Egypt to Mesopotamia, and so was of great strategic importance. It was a district capital during Solomon’s reign (1 Kgs 4:12 ^aw). King Josiah was mortally wounded in a battle against Pharaoh Neco and the Egyptians on the plain of Megiddo (2 Chr 35:22-23 ^ax), and the mountain of Megiddo is the site of the great battle depicted in Rev 16:16 ^ay.
Summary for Zech 12:12-14: 12:12-14 ^az The clan of David ... Nathan ... Levi, and ... Shimei: Zechariah might be referring to the royal families (David and his son Nathan; see 1 Chr 14:4 ^ba) and the priestly families (Levi and his grandson Shimei; see Num 3:16-18 ^bb; 1 Chr 6:16-17 ^bc). Alternatively, the four families might represent the four principal classes of leadership in Old Testament times: the king (David, 1 Sam 16:1-13 ^bd; the prophet (Nathan, 2 Sam 7:2 ^be), the priest (Levi, Deut 33:8-11 ^bf), and the tribal leader (Shimei, 1 Kgs 1:8 ^bg; 4:18 ^bh). The first interpretation correlates with Zechariah’s emphasis on the Branch that will be both king and priest (see Zech 6:12-13 ^bi).

• each clan by itself: This separation depicts the depth and totality of Israel’s mourning.

‏ Zechariah 13

Summary for Zech 13:1-6: 13:1-6 ^bj The second message (13:1-6 ^bk) of the second oracle (chs 12–14 ^bl) focuses on cleansing from sin. 13:1 ^bm A fountain is a spring of pure, flowing water for cleansing and purification (see 14:8 ^bn; John 4:14 ^bo; Rev 22:1-2 ^bp).

• God’s cleansing of Israel will include leaders (represented by the dynasty of David) and all the people of Judah and Israel (signified by the people of Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the nation).

• to cleanse them: This cleansing, symbolized in the ritual washings of Old Testament worship (see Exod 30:17-21 ^bq), was provided in the new covenant as promised by Jeremiah (Jer 31:34 ^br) and Ezekiel (Ezek 36:25 ^bs; see Heb 10:1-22 ^bt).

• all their sins and impurity: The Hebrews would experience a complete moral and spiritual cleansing because of their sorrow over their sin (Zech 12:10-14 ^bu).
13:2 ^bv By cleansing Israel, God would erase their former penchant for idol worship, giving them a new heart and enabling them to worship God alone (Jer 31:33 ^bw; 32:38-40 ^bx; Ezek 36:25-28 ^by).

• In the biblical world, one’s name embodied one’s existence. When the names of the idols are forgotten, they cease to exist.

• The false prophets misrepresented God by fabricating divine revelations or by speaking in the name of other gods (Deut 13:5-11 ^bz; 18:17-22 ^ca). They led Israel astray by encouraging idol worship (Jer 23:13 ^cb, 25 ^cc) and would continue to do so (see Neh 6:12-14 ^cd; Mark 13:22 ^ce; 2 Pet 2:1 ^cf; 1 Jn 4:1-3 ^cg) until that day, the day of the Lord.
13:3 ^ch You must die: According to God’s law, a false prophet must be executed (Deut 13:5 ^ci, 10 ^cj; 18:20 ^ck). The Israelites had tolerated false prophets and killed the Lord’s true prophets. In the future, the situation would be reversed.
Summary for Zech 13:4-6: 13:4-6 ^cl God’s total cleansing of his people from their impurities will strike such fear among the people that false prophets will deny or conceal their identity, even lying about the nature and purpose of their activities that might be associated with the prophets of idolatrous cults. 13:4 ^cm ashamed to claim the prophetic gift (literally ashamed of his vision): The Old Testament prophet was sometimes identified as a visionary “seer” (see 1 Sam 9:9-19 ^cn; 2 Kgs 17:13 ^co), since divine revelation often came to them in dreams or night visions (e.g., Zech 1:7–6:15 ^cp).

• prophet’s clothes: A coarse cloak of camel or goat hair distinctively garbed the Old Testament Hebrew prophets (see 2 Kgs 1:8 ^cq; Matt 3:4 ^cr).
13:5 ^cs I’m a farmer: This might be a parody of Amos 7:14 ^ct.
13:6 ^cu wounds on your chest?: These wounds might be cuts or bruises that ecstatic prophets, especially in Canaanite religious circles, sometimes gave themselves (see 1 Kgs 18:28 ^cv). False prophets would make excuses for themselves, such as, I was wounded at my friends’ house!
Summary for Zech 13:7-9: 13:7-9 ^cw This message describes a coming day when God’s appointed shepherd of Israel would be struck down, and the sheep (the people of Israel) would be scattered. A portion of the nation would be given over to divine judgment, while part of the nation would experience spiritual renewal, fulfilling Zechariah’s vision of God once again among his people (see 1:16 ^cx; 2:5 ^cy, 10-11 ^cz; 8:3 ^da, 23 ^db). The Gospel writers connect portions of this passage (13:7 ^dc) to the scattering of Jesus’ disciples as a result of the events surrounding his arrest, trial, and execution by the Romans (see Matt 26:31 ^dd, 56 ^de). 13:7 ^df The sword is personified as a warrior being called to awake in battle, heightening its image as God’s servant, an instrument of death (see Isa 31:8 ^dg; 34:6 ^dh; 66:16 ^di).

• My shepherd signifies the Messiah, the coming leader of Israel (see Ezek 34:23 ^dj; 37:24 ^dk).

• My partner conveys the equality of the shepherd with God (see Matt 26:31 ^dl; Mark 14:27 ^dm).
13:8 ^dn Two-thirds ... one-third: The divine judgment would be catastrophic, but God would preserve a remnant and forgive their sin (see Isa 65:9 ^do; Jer 50:20 ^dp; Ezek 5:2-12 ^dq; Rev 9:15-18 ^dr).
13:9 ^ds Fire is a metaphor for God’s judgment (see Isa 66:15 ^dt; Jer 4:4 ^du; Ezek 36:5 ^dv; Amos 5:6 ^dw). God’s fire may either destroy the wicked or, as here, test and purify the righteous.

• refine them ... like gold: God is the divine metallurgist, using fire to burn the dross out of metal (Isa 1:25 ^dx; Mal 3:2-3 ^dy).

• These are my people ... The Lord is our God: The declarations of loyalty by God and Israel restore their broken covenant relationship (Zech 11:10 ^dz, 14 ^ea; see Exod 19:5 ^eb; Jer 30:22 ^ec; 31:33 ^ed; Hos 2:23 ^ee).

‏ Zechariah 14

Summary for Zech 14:1-21: 14:1-21 ^ef Zechariah closes with visions of judgment, salvation, and God’s universal kingdom. In the future, Israel would be besieged, teetering on the verge of total destruction, when the Lord himself would intervene and rescue his people (14:3-4 ^eg) and punish their enemies with a terrible plague (14:12 ^eh). Israel would be restored as God’s people, and Jerusalem would be exalted as the center of civilization (14:16-17 ^ei). God’s rule would be established over all the earth (14:9 ^ej), and the created order would be transformed (14:6-10 ^ek). Fittingly, God’s holiness would be the pervasive characteristic of his rule over all the earth (14:20-21 ^el). Zechariah’s message stimulates the people of God to hope in the Sovereign King of Israel, who will bring justice and restoration. 14:1 ^em The day of the Lord will bring judgment and deliverance and will reverse the fortunes of many (see Amos 5:18 ^en; cp. Matt 19:28-30 ^eo; Luke 13:23-30 ^ep).
14:2 ^eq The rest is the remnant of Israel that survived the sack of Jerusalem (see 13:8 ^er).
14:3 ^es fought in times past: An example would be the exodus from Egypt (Exod 14–15 ^et; see Isa 42:13 ^eu).
14:4 ^ev Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, and the angels’ message to Jesus’ disciples (Acts 1:11-12 ^ew) implied that he would return in a similar fashion.

• Zechariah envisions an earthquake that will split apart the Mount of Olives and create a valley running east and west through the fissure. This valley will become an escape route for Hebrews fleeing Jerusalem during the assault by the nations (Zech 14:5 ^ex). This event is probably connected to the return of Jesus at the end of the age (see Matt 24 ^ey; Rev 6:12 ^ez; 11:13 ^fa; 16:18 ^fb).
14:5 ^fc Some identify Azal (Hebrew ’atsal) as a district on the northeast side of Jerusalem inhabited by descendants of Azel (1 Chr 8:37-39 ^fd; 9:43-44 ^fe). Others emend the Hebrew to ’etsel, “alongside” or “the side [of it].”

• The date of the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah is unknown, but Amos began his ministry two years before it (Amos 1:1 ^ff).

• The holy ones are probably the multitude of angels that worship God and serve as his army (see Ps 89:5 ^fg, 7 ^fh).
14:7 ^fi continuous day: The day of the Lord will bring fundamental changes to the created order (see Isa 60:19-22 ^fj; Rev 21:22-25 ^fk). This promise emphasizes that the sun and moon are created by God and are not eternal deities—light does not originate with them.
14:8 ^fl The life-giving waters ... from Jerusalem symbolize God’s life-giving presence among his people (see Ezek 47:1-12 ^fm; Joel 3:18 ^fn; John 7:37-39 ^fo; Rev 22:1-2 ^fp).

• half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean: Divine blessings will extend both east and west, flowing continuously. They will never stop bringing healing (see Isa 30:23-26 ^fq).
14:9 ^fr the Lord will be king: Zechariah envisions the ultimate fulfillment of many psalms (see Pss 47–48 ^fs, 93 ^ft, 97-99 ^fu).

• there will be one Lord: This promise reaffirms Israel’s creed (Deut 6:4 ^fv) and signals a final end of all idolatry.
14:10 ^fw The towns Geba and Rimmon represent the north–south extent of the district including Jerusalem.
14:12 ^fx As divine Judge, God strikes those who rebel against him with a sudden and deadly plague (see Exod 9:14 ^fy; Num 14:36-37 ^fz; 2 Sam 24:10-25 ^ga; Jer 14:11-12 ^gb).
14:13 ^gc The day of the Lord will bring terror to God’s enemies (12:4 ^gd; see Isa 22:5 ^ge).
14:14 ^gf The day of the Lord is characterized by reversal: The capture of the wealth of the nations overturns the looting of Jerusalem announced earlier (14:1 ^gg).

• great quantities of gold and silver: The Lord’s Temple will receive “the treasures of all the nations” (Hag 2:7-8 ^gh).
14:16 ^gi enemies ... will ... worship the King: Another reversal will occur on the day of the Lord (cp. Phil 2:8-11 ^gj).

• The annual Festival of Shelters marked the beginning of the fall harvest season and commemorated Israel’s wilderness experience after the exodus from Egypt (see Exod 23:14-19 ^gk; Lev 23:33-43 ^gl; Num 29:12-40 ^gm; Deut 16:13-17 ^gn). The festival gave the worshiping community an opportunity to thank God for his provision. It encouraged social concern for the disadvantaged and reliance on God as pilgrims in this world. Thanksgiving will characterize worship in the messianic era (see Isa 51:3 ^go; Jer 33:11 ^gp).
14:17 ^gq come to Jerusalem to worship: Jerusalem, with God’s Temple, is envisioned as the center of God’s universal kingdom (8:20-22 ^gr; see Isa 56:6-7 ^gs; 66:19-23 ^gt; Mic 4:1 ^gu; Hag 2:7 ^gv; Rev 21:1-2 ^gw, 10-27 ^gx).

• no rain: This was one of the curses God pronounced against Israel for covenant disobedience (see Deut 28:22-24 ^gy). That curse extended to all the nations, as God’s rule extends over all peoples (cp. Zech 10:1 ^gz).
14:20 ^ha Holy to the Lord: See study note on 3:5. The priesthood was set apart for the Lord, as was the nation of Israel (Exod 19:6 ^hb; Lev 11:44-45 ^hc). That identity will be fulfilled in the messianic kingdom (Rom 11:16-17 ^hd; Eph 1:4 ^he; 5:27 ^hf; 1 Pet 1:15-16 ^hg). The inscription on the harness bells and the cooking pots shows how pervasive holiness will be in that day.
14:21 ^hh every cooking pot: The holiness of God’s kingdom will transform even mundane utensils into sacred vessels like those used in the sacrificial ritual of the Temple, eliminating all Old Testament distinctions between the sacred and the profane.

• traders (literally Canaanites): Commercial activity was associated with the Canaanites (see Hos 12:7 ^hi; Zeph 1:11 ^hj). The expression might be a euphemism for idolaters or another way of saying that under God’s rule, traditional ethnic boundaries will be dissolved. The passage may anticipate the work of Jesus in cleansing the Jerusalem Temple as a prelude to the greater work of cleansing the heart of those who believe in him by the Holy Spirit (see John 2:13-16 ^hk; 1 Cor 6:11 ^hl; Titus 3:5 ^hm).