Israel will again be restored back to their Messiah Yeshua, but it will only come through a refiner’s fire at the end of the age.
Zechariah 13:
1 "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.
Idolatry Cut Off
2 "And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.
3 And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.
4 "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive,
5 but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.'
6 And if one asks him, 'What are these wounds on your back?' he will say, 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.'
The Shepherd Struck
7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"
Things to think about…
1. Zech 13 has both past and future fulfilment with respect to the ministry of Christ. Jesus has opened up the way not only for the Jew but also the Gentile to cleanse them from sin Zech 13:1. The fountain that opened up of course started by the pouring out of His blood at the crucifixion and assured through the resurrection of Jesus, and has continued ever since. In Zech 13:2, the Lord says He will cut off the idols in Israel. The Holy Spirit being poured out at Pentecost was certainly a type of fulfillment of this prophecy with many Jewish leaders coming to Christ, Acts 6:7, and thousands getting converted to the gospel of Christ, Acts 2:41; 4:4. But today Israel is by and large a secular nation. At a future point in history Jesus (Yeshua) will show them that He is their true Messiah by opening their eyes through those who witness Christ to them – especially converted Jews Zech 13:3-6. These will be ordinary people, not false prophets who deceive by wearing the hairy garments of a prophet, but everyday people who witness Christ. This is all those from the time of Christ’s resurrection who were slaves but also Christian, right up to the present day who have secular jobs, and are working - to pay off debt Zech 13:5. This end time’s revival will not come from the religious hierarchy in Israel.
2. Zech 13:2,3 refers back to the law that required parents to stone their children if they prophesied against the law and spoke false prophesies usually in the name of the Lord, Dt 13:1-18; Dt 18:1-22. There will be a time where it says Jewish parents will say of children who proclaim a false god, “You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD”. Seems hard to believe this will be the case in current secular Israel. Especially if these parents are following Christ. But here is one of those difficult passages we need to wrestle with simply because it is part of scripture.
3. Even false prophets, Zech 13:4-6 will be ashamed to prophesy in the end days revival that will occur in Israel. They will go into hiding or take up secular employment (Eg become farmers, vs 5) and even be happy to say that the marks of the beating he received for being a false prophet was from his friends. This verse does not speak of Christ. He of course was never a false prophet and those who beat Jesus were certainly not his friends. It speaks of those who followed a life of rebellion, idolatry and false teaching and converted to Christ. The one who received the wounds from the beating calls them friends, vs 6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, Prov 27:6, especially when the soul is restored back to Christ.
4. Zech 13:7-9 is a prophecy of Christ being taken (struck) in the Garden of Gethsemane and his disciples being scattered as a result of Christ’s arrest. Christians (as were Jews) were marked for destruction up to and beyond AD70 by the Romans. The Lord’s hand was turned against the little ones – Christ’s disciples. The land of Israel would be desolate until he called them back – not just literally, but spiritually when they say “The Lord is my God”, vs 9. This was true until 1948 when Israel became a nation again. But one day Paul’s words will finally be true for the Jew that “All Israel will be saved”, Rom 11:26, 27 when it seems the whole nation will stop following the false shepherd and follow the Good Shepherd.
5. Zech 13:8,9 are verses that speak of the horror that will be inflicted upon the Jewish people at the end of the age. I agree with David Guzik who comments on this passage when he says “This seems to suggest that only one-third of the Jewish people will survive the Great Tribulation. If this is the case, no wonder these years are called the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), and why Jesus said the Great Tribulation will be the most horrific time in human history (Matthew 24:21),” and Mt 24:22 where it says “if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” will certainly be true for the Jewish people.
6. The last phrases of this chapter, Zech 13:9 “They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.” David Guzik says, “They will call on My name, and I will answer them: This prophetically refers to the Jewish people who survive the Great Tribulation, come to salvation in the second half of that final period and welcome Jesus in the name of the LORD. This group – which includes the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, but is not limited to that number – will make up the core of a restored Israel as Jesus establishes His millennial rule over the earth.”
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups on break over Easter and school holidays
Prayer Points
1. That the contacts made over Easter and the Family Fun Day will be maintained and that strong connections and discussions may draw people to Christ.
2. Been a big term for our teachers pray Rosie and our teachers get a good rest over these next 2 weeks.
3. Pray for Chuwar Youth and Jarrod’s ministry. Pray as he meets with youth at Westside, Ipswich and Bundamba high schools as well as developing senior leaders.
4. How you can serve in ministry this year.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for our Easter services. A number of visitors came to CBC over the weekend.
2. Graham’spreaching on Friday and Jarrod’s leading and the worship team on Sunday.
3. Kids@Church and Youth ministries are a great blessing. Keep praying for Rosie and Jarrod as they rest and recuperate for next term.
4. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Chuwar Youth and Kids@Church on break over Easter and School holidays.
2. Remember to check your duty rosters.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for April...
Q. 7. In how many persons does this one God exist? A. In three persons.
