Chapters 9-11
The Conquests of Alexander the Great
Chap. 9:1-8—Zechariah, who lived during the reign of the Medes and the Persians, prophesied here of the sudden rise of Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire which would succeed the Persian Empire in world dominance. In these verses, the prophet lists a number of Alexander’s conquests. Though these conquests were still in the future when Zechariah gave this prophecy, we are not aware of these things having any end-time application.
“The burden of the Word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach and Damascus” (vs. 1) should read, “concerning,” rather than “in” (E. Dennett, Zechariah the Prophet, p. 101). Zechariah was not in Hadrach when he received this divine communication. Alexander’s overthrow of the cities listed here was really the judgment of the Lord. Alexander was merely the Lord’s instrument, as verse 4 indicates. The KJV renders verse 1 as though the eyes of men and the tribes Israel were “toward the LORD,” but really, the verse should read the other way around—“for Jehovah hath an eye upon men (the Gentiles), and upon all the tribes of Israel.” This means that He sees all and takes account of all, and thus, executes judgment and dispenses blessing accordingly.
Following Alexander’s famous rout of the Persian army at Issus in 333 B.C., he proceeded to subjugate Syria, Phoenicia, and Philistia, as recorded in this prophecy. “Hadrach,” “Damascus,” and “Hamath” were the principle cities of Syria. Their overthrow speaks of the subjugation of that kingdom (vss. 1-2a). Likewise, “Tyrus,” and “Zidon” were the principle cities of Phoenicia, and their defeat signaled the judgment of that Lebanese kingdom (vs. 2b-4). Again, “Ashkelon,” “Gaza,” “Ekron,” and “Ashdod,” were the chief cities of Philistia, and their destruction points to the subjugation of that kingdom (vss. 5-7).
Having conquered the above nine cities, Alexander stretched out his hand against Jerusalem. However, the Lord was there, and He protected it from being assaulted. Zechariah mentions this in verse 8, stating: “I will encamp about Mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen [it] with mine eyes.” According to the historian Josephus, when Alexander came to Jerusalem, he demanded the payment of tribute which the Jews customarily paid to the Persians, but the high priest (Jaddua) wouldn’t break his agreement with the Persians and refused. In the night, God appeared to the high priest in a dream, telling him to go out to Alexander wearing his garments of glory and beauty (Ex. 28) with the other priests dressed in their white robes. Encouraged by the dream, they threw open the gates of the city the next morning, and the high priest clad in his priestly robes with the other priests in his train, went out to Alexander. When Alexander saw the procession, he fell on his face and worshipped! When asked by his men the reason for his obeisance, he said that he had seen the very same procession of priests in a dream! He was so impressed that he accepted the event as divinely-given and spared the Jews, both on his way down into Egypt and on his way back, as the prophecy indicates.
The First Advent of the Messiah in Roman Times
The prophecy then steps forward in time to the coming of Christ (His first Advent) when the Romans ruled the earth. Zion is called upon to welcome with exultation her King: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (vs. 9). All four of the New Testament Evangelists speak of this prophecy as being fulfilled in the Lord’s so-called “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem, when He formally presented Himself to the nation as their King (Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38; John 12:12-15). He came to them in “lowly” grace (Matt. 11:29; 2 Cor. 10:1; Phil. 2:5-8), but sadly, they saw “no beauty” in Him (Isa. 53:2). Jerusalem rejoiced, but it was for a fleeting moment; soon, the people’s adulation turned to cries for His death! It is significant that the words, “having salvation,” are not quoted by any of the Evangelists, because, though He had salvation for them, they wouldn’t get it at that time on account of their rejection of Him.
The Lord’s Promise to Deliver and Restore the Nation
Chapters 9:10–10:12 give the Lord’s promise to restore and bless the nation of Israel—if the people received Him. He would deliver them from their subjugation under the rule of the Gentiles (the Romans) by judging those powers and establishing world peace. “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle-bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen [nations]: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river (Euphrates) even to the ends of the earth” (vs. 10). The prophet’s use of “and,” at the beginning of this quote, connects this promise with the fore-going—the Lord’s first coming. Thus, what is before us in this next series of verses concerning the deliverance and restoration of the nation would have occurred at that time, had they received Him as their Messiah.
“Ephraim,” in this verse, is not referring to the ten tribes as it usually does in the writings of the Prophets, but to the northern region of the land where the ten tribes once dwelt—Samaria, Galilee, etc. The ten tribes were not in the land at the time of the Lord’s first Advent. (See J. N. Darby, Collected Writings, vol. 5, p. 210; Letters, vol. 3, p. 359.) Thus, the Lord would rid the land of its oppressors and make it safe to dwell in. He would honour His “covenant” with His people and bring them out of their bondage to the Gentiles (vss. 11-12). They were “prisoners of hope” in a “pit wherein is no water.” Under subjection to the Gentiles in a dry existence (spiritually), they waited in hope for their Messiah to come and deliver them. The exhortation to them was to turn to “the stronghold” (the Lord Himself) and He would bless them with a “double” portion in their land (Isa. 61:7).
Moreover, the Lord would restore the two parts of the nation—“Judah” (the southern kingdom) and “Ephraim” (the northern kingdom)—which at the time of the Lord’s first advent had been apart for 1000 years. Being restored as such, the Lord would use Israel to enforce righteousness in the earth, as God had originally planned for them (Jer. 51:20-22; Mic. 5:5-9). He would help them miraculously in this work (vss. 13-16). (There is an allusion here to the “exploits” of the Maccabees – 175-163 B.C. See also Daniel 11:32-33.) The grand result would be that the Lord would be glorified, and His “goodness” and “beauty” would be manifest throughout the earth (vs. 17).
In chapter 10, the prophet continues to speak of what the nation would have if the Lord were to be received as their Messiah. In being restored to Him, they could expect to have Him look after all their temporal needs. They could go to Him in prayer and He would supply their needs. The prophet proceeded to give a practical example: “Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds [lightnings], and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field” (vs. 1). In that day, they would know the worthlessness of praying to “idols,” and thus, would not be tempted to turn to them for help (vs. 2a).
The mass of the nation at the time of the Lord’s first visitation had “gone away as a flock” and were “in distress because there was no shepherd” to lead them in the way of righteousness (vs. 2b). This grieved the Lord deeply (Matt. 9:36) and He promised that He would deal with the leaders of the nation (the unbelieving chief priests, scribes, elders, etc.) who were responsible for the disarray. “Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for Jehovah of Hosts visiteth His flock, the house of Judah, and maketh them as His majestic horse in the battle” (vs. 3). Thus, the great Shepherd had come to His shepherdless people, and if received by them, He would convert them into a useful instrument in His hand through which He would rule the nations of the world (Psa. 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15).
Thus, the Lord was everything that they needed in their Messiah. The prophet mentions four things in particular: “From him (Judah) shall come forth the Cornerstone, from him (Judah) the Nail, from him (Judah) the Battle Bow, from him (Judah) every Exactor [Ruler] together” (vs. 4).
As a “Cornerstone”—He would be a stable influence upon the nation.
As a “Nail” (that holds household utensils)—He would be One on whom they could depend.
As a “Battle Bow”—He would be victorious over their enemies.
As an “Exactor [Ruler]”—He would be trustworthy to follow.
Under the Lord’s reign, the nation of Israel would be “as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the (enemy) riders on horses shall be confounded [put to shame]” (vs. 5). Thus, they would be all that God intended them to be as “the head, and not the tail” of the nations (Deut. 28:13).
In the latter part of chapter 10, the Lord enlarges upon His promise to effect a return of the ten scattered tribes and to have them restored to happy relations with the two tribes (the Jews). “I will strengthen the house of Judah (the two tribes), and I will save the house of Joseph (the ten tribes), and I will bring them again to place them; for I [will] have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. And they of Ephraim (the ten tribes) shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD” (vss. 6-7). Thus, the nation (all twelve tribes) would be happily restored.
The Lord then explains how He would work in the dispersed tribes of Israel to bring them back to Himself and to their land. He says: “I will hiss [whistle] for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. And I will sow [in] them among the peoples (the Gentiles) and they shall remember Me in far countries; and they shall live with their children and return” (vss. 8-9). Thus, the Lord would initiate a spiritual work in their souls whereby they would hear His voice calling them (John 10:3-4, 27). He would do this by sowing the precious seed of His Word (Luke 8:11) in their hearts by the Spirit, and they would be born anew (Ezek. 36:25-27). As a result, their thoughts would be turned toward the Lord and they would “remember” Him in the “far countries” to which they have been scattered. “They shall live (possessing divine life) with their children, and turn again” (Ezek. 37:5-6, 9, 14).
In gathering the ten tribes of Israel, the Lord promised that He would remove every obstacle that would hinder their restoration. He would go before them and clear the way for them to come back. “And He shall pass through the sea with [of] affliction, and shall smite the waves [billows] in the sea, and all the deeps of the river [Nile] shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away” (vss. 10-11). When the kingdom of Christ would be established, the redeemed remnant of the twelve tribes of Israel would have the distinguished privilege of walking “up and down” through the earth in the Lord’s name (vs. 12). They would be famous among men (Isa. 61:9).
Sadly, all of the above blessings were forfeited by that generation of Jews through their refusal to receive the Lord Jesus Christ for who He truly was—the Son of God and King of Israel. The blindness of their unbelief led them to make the most dreadful mistake in the history of mankind—they crucified their King and Messiah who had come to save them!
The Destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Roman Army
In chapter 11, the prophet turns to describe a frightening desolation of the land of Israel by an invading army under the figure of a massive forest “fire.” What army is this, and why would God allow it to come in and devastate the holy land? It could be none other than the Roman army under Titus (A.D. 66-70). F. A. Tatford quotes Smith as to this, stating: “A ruthless army, who knows no pity, who delights in destruction, murder, and oppression, is advancing against Judah and Jerusalem. As the vultures gather from afar around the carcass, so the enemy forces are seen gathering about Jerusalem. Since the context refers to the days of the Messiah [His first Advent] (vs. 12), the reference is to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and devastation of the entire land by the armies of Rome in A.D. 70” (Zechariah—the Prophet of the Myrtle Grove, p. 128). M. F. Unger says that it is “the impending devastation of the land due to the rejection of the Good Shepherd” (Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 2, p. 2028).
The fire is viewed as raging unchecked as it moves through the land from the north to the south. It would take down the “cedars,” the “fir [cypress] tree,” and the “oaks” in the land. Trees are a figure of men in Scripture (Psa. 1:3; 37:35; 92:12-13; Isa. 7:2; 65:22; Amos 2:9; Matt. 7:15-20, Mark 8:24, etc.), and hence, the population would be decimated. The fire would begin in “Lebanon,” and then sweep southward to the grassy plains of “Bashan,” where the shepherds tended their flocks. It would continue southward to the lower “Jordan” valley, devastating that area too. In the end, Judah and Jerusalem would be decimated and the temple destroyed (Matt. 24:2).
The Cause of the Judgment—the Rejection of the Messiah-Shepherd
Verses 4-17 furnish us with an explanation of the cause of the frightful devastation by the Romans in verses 1-3. It is the direct consequence of the heinous crime committed by the Jews of rejecting and crucifying the Messiah—the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, it is God’s judgment upon the guilty nation (Matt. 22:1-7). As this 11th chapter shows, the Jews will be guilty of two great sins in connection with the Messiahship:
The rejection of Christ, the true Messiah (vss. 4-14).
The reception of the Antichrist, the false messiah (vss. 15-17).
The Lord foretold this, saying: “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I 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 5:40-43). There will be about 2000 years between these two great national sins. Nevertheless, in a coming day the Jews will have to confess the nation’s guilt as to both of these sins before blessing will flow from God. The prophet is now led to focus on this in verses 4-17, and thereby, lay the guilt at their door.
Two shepherds come before us in this chapter. There couldn’t be a more glaring contrast between them: the Lord Jesus is seen as “the good Shepherd” (John 10:11) caring for the flock (vss. 4-7) and the Antichrist is seen as a “foolish” and an “idol [worthless] shepherd” exploiting the flock (vss. 15-17).
The prophecy begins with the Lord Jesus receiving His commission from God to minister to the nation. He was to “feed the flock of slaughter.” They are called such because the mass of the nation was destined for slaughter under God’s hand in judgment on account of their unbelief (vs. 4). Their “possessors” (the Roman Empire under whose yoke they were at that time) held themselves as “not guilty” in their mistreatment of the Jews in the land and used the opportunity to make themselves “rich.” Their “own shepherds” (the chief priests, the scribes, and elders, etc.) were content to not “rock the boat,” and thus did nothing to help the state of the nation (vs. 5). Consequent upon the people being marked by unbelief, there would come a time when the Lord would “no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” but put them into the hand of the “king” (“Caesar” – John 19:15) and his people (the Romans) who would “smite the land,” and He would not deliver them out of their hand (vs. 6). This judgment has been described in verses 1-3.
The Good Shepherd’s Two-fold Messianic Ministry Cancelled
In the meantime, the Lord fulfilled His ministry—“So I fed [pastured] the flock of slaughter.” This was the mass of the nation. He adds, “even you, O poor of the flock” (vs. 7a). These were the remnant of believing Jews—the disciples. The Lord spoke of the two aspects of His Messianic ministry under the figure of “two staves” which a shepherd would use to tend his flock. They pointed to what the Lord would do for Israel if the people received Him. He called one “Beauty,” because under His Messiahship, the nation would be beautified by the millennial blessings He would pour upon it. The other stave He called “Bands,” because He would heal the breach between the two tribes and the ten tribes (“Judah and Israel” – vs. 14) and would bind them together into one (Ezek. 37:15-28). The Lord “fed [tended] the flock” with these objectives before Him, but there, sad to say, was no appropriate response from the people because they were faithless (vs. 7b).
Being “vexed” with their unbelief, when challenged, the Lord “destroyed three shepherds in one month” (vs. 8). This is a reference to His exposure of the three leading sects in the nation—the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees—when they confronted Him in the temple (Matt. 22:15-46). He actually did it in one day of one month. The Lord resolved to “not feed” the flock any longer (vs. 9). Hence, the nation would be bereft of divine protection and exposed to its enemies. In the siege and fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the dying would die, and the perishing would perish through starvation, and the rest of the people would be reduced to cannibalism to try to stay alive!
As for the staff called “Beauty,” the Lord would “cut it asunder,” signifying that His Messianic ministry to bless the nation was being called off (vs. 10). Consequently, the “covenant” promise (not the Mosaic covenant) to bless the Gentile nations (“all the peoples”) through Israel would be postponed. The staff would be “broken,” but not thrown away. In the ways of God, there would be a coming day when the Lord would take up that ministry again and a repentant remnant of the nation brought into blessing. In the meantime, “the poor of the flock that gave heed” to the Lord (the faithful Jews) would be given an understanding of this suspension in His ministry (vs. 11). (See Matthew 13:11-17.)
In concluding His Messianic ministry, the Lord said (metaphorically) unto the responsible leaders of the nation: “‘Give Me My price’ for the work which I have done”—i.e., the 3½ years of teaching, preaching, and shepherding of the people (vs. 12). The leaders valued Him at “thirty pieces of silver.” (This was done through Judas.) It was a total insult, for that was the price of a dead slave! (Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:14-15). This showed the depth of the depravity to which the nation had fallen. Jehovah told Him to “cast it unto the potter” (vs. 13). This, we know from Matthew 27:3-10, was done through the hands of the priests. Judas cast the money down in the temple, and they put it out to the potter. Using irony, the Lord called it “a goodly [lordly] price,” and proceeded to “cut asunder” the “other staff, even Bands” (vs. 14). This meant that the Lord would not heal the breach between “Judah and Israel” at that time. Like the first staff, it was not cast away.
Thus, the two staves were broken, signifying the termination of the Lord’s Messianic ministry toward Israel. The fact that they were broken separately indicates His reluctance to dissolve His connections with Israel. However, after much long-suffering patience (40 years from the cross to A.D. 70), God gave the nation up to a judicial action that brought the Roman armies in to destroy the city and the sanctuary, and to deport the people.
The Worthless Shepherd
In the latter verses of chapter 11, the prophet directs our attention to Israel’s last days and to the false shepherd and messiah who will reign over the Jews as their king—the Antichrist (vss. 15-17). In doing this, the prophecy passes over the present period of 2000 years wherein God is visiting the Gentiles with the gospel of His grace and taking out of them those who believe, and thus, making them part of the Church (Acts 15:14). This present work of God is not mentioned here by Zechariah—nor is it mentioned anywhere else in the Old Testament—because the truth of Christ and the Church (called “a great Mystery” – Eph. 1:8-10; 3:2-13; 5:32; Col. 1:25-27) forms no part of the Old Testament revelation. Thus, the prophecy passes on to Israel’s last days, and doing so, steps forward some 2000 years.
Zechariah is told to portray “a foolish shepherd” before the people depicting him whom the nation would one day receive as their false messiah—the Antichrist (vs. 15). As part of the Lord’s judgment for rejecting Him, when the Jews are found in their land again in a coming day, He will providentially deliver them into the hand of the Antichrist, who will reign over them as their “king” (Isa. 8:21; 30:33; 57:9; Dan. 11:36). There is no mention here of this false shepherd having a care for the sheep, as was the case with the good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. Several needs of the flock are mentioned, but he will have no concern for their welfare (vs. 16).
When the King of the North attacks the land of Israel (Dan. 11:40-41), this worthless shepherd “leaveth the flock” (vs. 17). The Lord explained his character, stating that when “he that is an hireling, and not the Shepherd” sees “the wolf coming” (such as the King of the North), he “leaves the sheep and flees.” The Lord said that he is such that “serves for wages” (for what he can get out of the flock for himself) “and is not himself concerned about the sheep” (John 10:10-13). Such are the ways of the Antichrist; he will leave the apostate mass of the Jews at the moment of their greatest need—when under attack from the King of the North (Isa. 8:21-22). This false shepherd’s “arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” This means that he will have no power to deliver the flock, nor the discernment, and thus, he is truly a “worthless” leader (vs. 17). As mentioned, the nation will be given over to this false Christ because of its rejection of the true Christ, and all but a remnant will be cut down by those invading armies. This closes Zechariah’s first prophetic burden.