(3)
Scripture Reading: Zech. 11
In this message we will consider the prophecy in chapter eleven of Zechariah.
The prophecy in Zechariah 11 covers the living of Israel under the oppression of the Roman Empire. As we will see, in this chapter there is evidence which proves that it is concerned with the tyranny of the Roman Empire.
Verses 1 through 3 reveal the destruction carried out in the neighborhood of Israel by the Roman Empire. The fire in verse 1 refers to the coming of the Roman Caesar to devastate Lebanon and Jordan.
Israel's living under the tyranny of the Roman Empire is seen in verses 4 through 6. The children of Israel fell into their neighbors' hand and into the hand of their king. The neighbors mentioned in verse 6 refer to the subordinate kings and governors of the Roman Empire, such as Herod and Pilate, in the region of Palestine. The king in verse 6 is Caesar.
In verses 7 through 11 and 14, we see Jehovah as Jesus shepherding the afflicted of the flock of Israel. Verse 7a says, "I fed the flock of slaughter, and thereby the afflicted of the flock." The I here refers to Jehovah, as indicated by the previous verse. Jehovah as Jesus came to feed His people, who were about to be slaughtered, the afflicted of the flock.
Verses 7b through 11 say, "And I took to myself two staffs; one I called Favor, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. Then I destroyed the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also detested me. Then I said, I will not feed you. What is to die will die, and what is to be destroyed will be destroyed, and those who are left will each eat one another's flesh. And I took my staff, Favor, and I broke it in pieces so as to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. And it was broken in that day; and thus the afflicted of the flock, who watched me, knew that it was the word of Jehovah." Here we see that Jehovah as Jesus brought two staffs — Favor and Bonds. Favor means grace, and Bonds means to be bound into oneness. Then Jehovah as Jesus set aside the three shepherds — the priests, the elders, and the scribes. He destroyed them, and their souls detested Him. The Lord Jesus as the proper Shepherd was rejected, leaving the children of Israel as a flock without any shepherd (John 10:11). With respect to Israel's being without a shepherd, Matthew 9:36 says, "Seeing the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and cast away like sheep not having a shepherd." Furthermore, He broke the staff, Favor (Zech. 11:10). This indicates that He broke the covenant which God made through Moses, leaving the people without a covenant to cover them. He thus took away the grace (Favor).
Verse 14 goes on to say, "Then I broke my second staff, Bonds, in pieces, so as to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." This indicates that the binding love was also taken away. As a result, the nation was divided and full of inner fighting (v. 9). From the day of Christ's crucifixion, there has not been any oneness among the Jews. Although those in the northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom, Judah, were brothers, the brotherhood among them has been broken because the binding love has been broken. This took place as they were living under the oppression of the Roman Empire.
Zechariah 11:12 and 13 reveal that the Messiah, as the proper Shepherd of Israel, was detested, attacked, rejected, and sold for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Exo. 21:32). What is prophesied here was fulfilled in the Gospels. The Lord Jesus was sold under the reign of the Roman Empire, and He was judged by the Roman rulers.
Zechariah 11:12 and 13 say, "I said to them, If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, do not bother. So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said to me, Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price that I am priced with by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter, into the house of Jehovah." This clearly indicates that Christ was detested, attacked, rejected, and sold. In order to understand these verses and know who provided the silver and who threw it into the house of Jehovah, we need to study the four Gospels.
The priests, the elders, and the scribes were all annulled, and Jesus was crucified, rejected to the uttermost. The children of Israel were therefore left to the foolish and worthless shepherds, who would not take care of them (vv. 15-17). This means that after the crucifixion of Christ, there was no proper leadership among them. They fought with one another, devouring one another. The foolish, worthless shepherds who rose up among them caused them further suffering. This kind of situation allowed Titus to come in to devastate the entire country of Judah.
This chapter surely refers to Israel's living under the tyranny of the Roman Empire. The Lord Jesus Himself lived under the reign of the Roman rulers; He lived under the reign of Caesar, the highest ruler, and also under the reign of Herod and Pilate, who were subordinate rulers. Under this reign, He, the real and proper Shepherd, was detested, rejected, attacked, sold, and crucified. Concerning this, Matthew 26:31, a quotation of Zechariah 13:7, says, "I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." When Christ, the Shepherd, was put to the cross, all the sheep of His flock were scattered.
Chapters nine through eleven of Zechariah unveil Christ in a very intimate way. The center of the prophecies in these chapters is Christ as the rejected Messiah. In chapter nine Christ came and entered into Jerusalem as the King in a lowly form. Then chapter ten reveals this kind, intimate, and gentle One as the Shepherd coming in His loving visitation to Israel. When He was thirty years of age, He came forth to shepherd the people. During the three and a half years of His ministry on earth, He ministered the spiritual supply to God's chosen people. The time of His ministry was a time of shepherding, and many were helped by His shepherding. However, because His help became so popular, the elders, scribes, and priests became jealous. In their jealousy they arrested Jesus through Judas's betrayal of Him. Following this, He was judged first by the high priest according to God's law and then by the rulers of the Roman government, Herod and Pilate, according to Roman law. The Lord Jesus was altogether justified. Pilate told the Jews that he could not find anything wrong with Jesus (John 18:38; 19:4), but they would not listen to him, and their voices overcame him. "When therefore the chief priests and the attendants saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify! Crucify! Pilate said to them, You take Him and crucify Him, for I do not find fault in Him" (John 19:6). Instead of acting justly, Pilate delivered Jesus into the hands of the Jews. They then took Jesus and led Him away to a place called Golgotha, and there they crucified Him. They rejected their King to the uttermost.
The Messiah came in a gentle, intimate way to visit His people Israel as their King. If they had been ready, they would have welcomed Him. Then the kingdom of the heavens would have been set up on earth, and the time of restoration would have come. It should have happened in this way, but because of Israel's rejection of Christ, it did not. If we realize this, then we will understand what is revealed concerning Christ in Zechariah 9—11.
More details regarding Christ are revealed in Zechariah than in Daniel. Daniel mainly reveals that Christ is the One who has gone to God to receive power, authority, and the kingdom. Having received the kingdom, He will come to earth as the smiting stone to smash the great human image, that is, to crush human government entirely. Zechariah intimately unveils Christ as the coming Savior, the coming Redeemer. At first, He was welcomed by the people, but later, under the influence of the elders, priests, and scribes, they changed their mind and detested Him. The Lord Jesus was sold, judged, sentenced, and put on the cross to die. Thus, the Messiah, who was welcomed temporarily, was utterly rejected. As a result, the people of Israel were divided, persecuted by the Roman Empire, and scattered throughout the earth.
