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EVERYONE is familiar with the story of Judas Iscariot, who for thirty pieces of silver delivered up his Master to the false shepherds of the Jews (Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50; 27:3-1014Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14‑16)
47And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. 50And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. (Matthew 26:47‑50)
3Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. (Matthew 27:3‑10)). But here in Zechariah’s prophecy, that occasion is anticipated, and we hear the blessed One Himself expressing beforehand through the prophet the value or “hire” at which He was estimated by His people when His years of service as a man on earth were ended.
“If ye think good, give My hire, and if not, forbear. So they weighed for My hire thirty pieces of silver.”
This was the value of a slave (Exodus 21:3232If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32); see also Leviticus 27). What thoughts must have occupied the minds of those wicked priests and Judas as they together discussed the sum to be paid for the betrayal of the Son of God!
No mention of a betrayer is here; only the value set upon the Man that is Jehovah’s Fellow, and the pieces of silver are cast in the temple to the potter, thus showing what would be done with the sum received by Judas. Now the staff, “Bands”, was cut asunder; the way to the reunion of the twelve tribes of Israel was closed when Christ was betrayed into the hands of sinful men and crucified (See His solemn words in Matthew 23, culminating in verses 33-39).
In the day of His coming in power and glory, the twelve tribes will all be regathered; first the two, and then the ten, and allotted their places in the Millennial kingdom, but all will be worshipers then, the unbelieving having been removed from among them.
Next (verse 15) the prophet is directed to take a very different part: Now he is to represent or impersonate the man of sin, of 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4,3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑4) the antichrist of 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:318Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18)
22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3); the second beast of Revelation 13:11,11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (Revelation 13:11) called “the false prophet” in chapters 16:13-16, and 19:20. This dreadful person is also referred to in the Psalms. A man of wickedness who comes in his own name (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)) he is evidently a Jew who by some means will become king of the restored (but largely unbelieving) nation in Palestine (See Daniel 11:36-3936And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:36‑39)). He will reintroduce idolatry, the old sin of Israel and Judah (Matthew 12:43-4543When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43‑45); Luke 11:24-2624When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. (Luke 11:24‑26)), and is here called the foolish shepherd, and the idol (or worthless) shepherd.
The Jews would not receive their own Messiah-King, and will receive a man. who is His very opposite in every quality —willful, characterized by sin, seeking his own honor, etc.; he will not visit those about to perish; nor seek that which is strayed away (so read “the young one” in verse 16); nor heal that which is wounded; nor feed that which is sound; but will have the characteristics of the wolf, though professing to be the shepherd of the flock. (See John 10). He deserts the flock afterward, and allies himself with the last Gentile empire (Rome) when the Jewish worship is caused to cease and idolatry is made compulsory. The end of this man of unsurpassed wickedness is pronounced here, but in Revelation 19:2020And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20) we are given to see him, in prospect, cast alive into hell.
ML 10/03/1937