The eleventh chapter is very instructive. It begins with a Gentile invasion (verses 1-3) of the land of Israel, when the Jews will be settled there again in unbelief. See Isaiah 18, which foretells both the mass return of the nation (a yet unfulfilled prophecy, notwithstanding the constant emigration of Jews to Palestine of late), and the taking away of their peace and prosperity when they are about to enjoy them.
The enemy who will despoil the Jews at this tune is the “king of the north” of Daniel 11:40-45,40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45) the invader of Isaiah 5:2626And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: (Isaiah 5:26); Joel 2:1-171Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? (Joel 2:1‑17); Psalms 79 and 83, called “the king of Assyria” or “the Assyrian” in Isaiah 8:7-107Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: 8And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. 9Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:7‑10) and 10:1-14, 24-34. Daniel 8:23-2523And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23‑25) tells more of this enemy, and Isaiah 28:14-2014Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. 20For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. (Isaiah 28:14‑20) calls him the “overflowing scourge.”
The stately and strong trees of verses 1-2 are figures representing the leaders or shepherds of Judah who will suffer from the invasion. The marginal note referring to the last clause of verse. 2 is a more accurate rendering than is given in the text. The “pride of Jordan” (verse 3), is a term used to express the resources and power of the nation.
In verses 4-14 the prophet speaks for Christ. At the time of the end, the believing remnant of the Jews will be hated by the unbelieving majority; they are the flock of slaughter (verse 4). Their feelings at this time are expressed in many of the Psalms; see Psalms 10-12, 28, 42, 56, 60, 71, 79. But the flock of slaughter, the poor of the flock, will be spared and cared for (verse 7), though the sword goes through the land.
Two staves express the authority committed to Christ: “Beauty”, to bring the world into blessing through Israel; and “Bands”, to bring together as one nation Judah (the two tribes we know as the Jews) and Israel (the long lost ten tribes). Who or what were the three shepherds is not revealed in Scripture; they must necessarily be heads of the Jews; but Matthew’s, Mark’s, Luke’s and John’s Gospels show very plainly the fulfillment of the latter half of verse 8: “And my soul loathed” (or more correctly translated, “was vexed, or grieved with”) “them”—the shepherds of the Jews when the Lord was on earth— “and their soul also abhorred Me,” Their ways repelled Him, and, besides, they hated Him, without a cause.
The unbelieving mass of the Jews He therefore gave up to the immediate result of their course—the siege and capture of Jerusalem by the Romans which were marked by fearful scenes (verse 9). Consequently the staff, “Beauty,” was broken the promise of blessing: to the Gentiles must wait for another day, when the state of the Jews will be such before God that He can bless both them and the Gentiles. See Genesis 19:1010But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. (Genesis 19:10); both there and in verse 10, the word should be peoples, not “people,” —referring to the nations.
The present work of God in grace among the Gentiles is but dimly forecast in the Old Testament and is not referred to in Zechariah’s prophecy.
Verse 11: “the poor of the flock” who give heed to the Word of God have intelligence in divine things.
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.
Antichrist – The Man of Sin
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.