Zechariah 12-13
These chapters form the last burden of our Prophet. It tells us of “the day of the Lord,” or of that great action which is to introduce the kingdom. It begins very significantly, celebrating God in three characters of glory— the stretcher out of the heavens, the layer of the foundations of the earth, the power of the Spirit of man. For these three characters are such as the kingdom is destined to display. For then, the God of grace and of glory will be seen as having furnished the heavens, as having established the earth, and as having renewed man. And the details of the prophetic burden that follow this introduction, give witness of these things.
It is, as I said above, “the day of the Lord” which is delineated here, in various virtues and features of it.
The confederated enemies of Jerusalem shall be broken under the walls of Jerusalem in that day; and this shall be done after a manner and method which is to have respect to certain moral results. But if the hand of God work amid the circumstances of that day, the Spirit of God shall work with the people of that day also.
This is blessedly delineated here. The Spirit will begin His work with them in the power of conviction. They are brought to remember their sin against Jesus, and to mourn bitterly. Then, they are led to discover by faith, the remedy for sin in that very Jesus whom once with wicked hands they crucified and slew. Then, they consider their ways, and with Levite zeal, purify themselves; according to Deuteronomy 13, nothing is spared, though dear as near kindred. Then they hold communion with Jesus about those very wounds which once they themselves inflicted. This communion may be introduced (after the zeal of Zech. 13:44And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: (Zechariah 13:4)) by the Lord Jesus Himself breaking in, in Spirit, and saying, “I am no prophet, but an husbandman, for man has acquired me as a slave from my youth,” for such is said to be the translation of Zechariah 13:55But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. (Zechariah 13:5).
The hand of the Lord shall then work in company with His Spirit, the fire of persecution or of discipline (the purging of the floor, as John the Baptist speaks) taking its course, and then Judah shall be acknowledged again by the Lord, and again the Lord shall be acknowledged by Judah, according to the pattern or precedent of Deuteronomy 26:17-1917Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: 18And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; 19And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken. (Deuteronomy 26:17‑19). This leads to the close of Zechariah 13.