In the prediction quoted above we have one of the most glorious and comprehensive oracles concerning Messiah's reign found in the Tenach. It will be necessary in this connection to notice only the salient points of the prediction.

1. The Lord יְהוָה reigns in Zion

In verse eight of the quotation the Lord of hosts declares: "After glory hath he sent me unto the nations which plundered you." This statement does not tell who does the sending. It only informs us that the Lord of hosts is commissioned by another to go to the nations persecuting the Jews. Who has the authority to send the Lord of hosts צְבָאוֹת יְהוָה? To whom will He, the Lord of creation, submit and become a servant? Certainly not to a man. Neither can one think that any angel has the authority to dispatch the Lord of hosts on an errand. The desired information is found in the last clause of verse nine: "and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me." It is to be remembered that this statement is found in the oracle introduced by the usual formula, "For thus saith the Lord of hosts." In view of this fact, it is evident that the Lord of hosts is the one sending the Lord of hosts. How can the Lord send the Lord? The answer to this most important question is to be found in an understanding of the doctrine concerning the plurality of personalities who subsist in the one Divine Being. In the first book of this series we saw that Moses gave Israel the solemn exhortation שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃ "Hear, 0 Israel: the Lord our Gods is the Lord a Unity." This passage, as we have already seen, is intelligible only in the light of other messages found both in the Torah and the Prophets concerning the triune nature of the God of Israel.

In vs. 10 the prophet quotes the Lord of hosts as saying to Zion: "for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee"; and in vs. 11 again, "and I will dwell in the midst of thee (Zion), and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee."

When we allow these divinely inspired statements to give their messages without addition or subtraction, it is evident that the prophet foretold the time when one of the divine personalities will, in compliance with the wish of the others, come and dwell in Zion as her King and Redeemer.

2. The Lord vindicates and displays the glory of the Divine Being

The statement, "After glory אַחַר כָּבוֹד hath he sent me has been the occasion of much controversy. The developing thought of the oracle leads one to conclude that this expression refers to the vindication and the display of God's glory; first, by executing wrath upon His and Israel's enemies; and, secondly, by exhibiting His grace in delivering the nation from its sorrows and by restoring it to fellowship with Himself. On this verse I wish to quote the explanations given by two profound Hebrew scholars.

The passage "means to vindicate and to display the glory of God, first in the Judgments which He is to inflict on the nations who have oppressed Israel, and then in the exhibition of His grace in the deliverance and salvation of His own people, and also in the blessing which is to come to the Gentile nations after Israel is restored, and Mount Zion becomes not only the seat of Messiah's governmental rule over the nations, but the center of the true worship of God on earth" (David Baron). After mentioning several difficulties concerning the passage, Keil and Delitzsch in their commentary on Zechanah give us the following illuminating explanation: "All these difficulties vanish if the Lord's words commence with אַחַר כָּבוֹד (after glory), in which case שְׁלָחַנִי (He hath sent me) may be very simply explained from the fact that the address is introduced, not in a direct form but indirectly: the Lord says, He has sent me after glory. The sender is the Lord, and the person sent is not the prophet, but the angel of the Lord. אַחַר כָּבוֹד: behind glory, after glory; not however after the glory of success' (Hitzig, Ewald, etc.), still less 'with a glorious commission,' but to get glory upon the heathen through the judgment by which their power is broken, and the heathen world is made to serve the people of God."

3. He conquers the enemies of Israel

He who blesses Israel shall be blessed and he who curses her shall be cursed. No weapon fashioned against the Jew shall prosper for, declared the Lord to Israel, "he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." Hence when the Lord of hosts comes he will shake his hand over those who plundered Israel and will make them the servants of the delivered nation. Therefore, according to this prediction, those nations that are animated by anti-Semitism will be punished and will become servants to Israel when she accepts her Lord and deliverer.

4. Judah and Jerusalem become the Lord's

The prediction concludes with the promise that the Lord will accept Judah and Jerusalem as His inheritance in the holy land. This oracle simply means that the Jewish nation will at that time sustain a special relation to God. The same thought, only in the reverse order, was made by the Lord to Abraham in the following statement: "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Gen. 15:1).

In this prophecy Zechariah simply stated the facts that have already been given. From a study of the passage it is evident that the Lord of hosts is sent to Zion by the Lord of hosts. Hence the One who is sent is equal to Him who does the sending. When He comes He will restore Israel to her proper relation both to her God and to the nations. At that time she shall be the head of the nations instead of the tail (Deut. 28:13), as at the present day.

B. Zion's Shepherd Rejected

"So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. And it was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of the Lord. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house of the Lord. Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel" (Zech. 11:7-14).

In the verses preceding this quotation (4-6) the prophet informs us that he received a commission to feed the flock of slaughter whose possessors slay them and whose shepherds have no pity upon the defenseless sheep. In the light of the context and the historical situation as it later developed, one may be certain that the possessors referred to were the Romans and that the shepherds were the spiritual and political leaders of Israel who, caring little for the welfare of the nation, were seeking their own interests.

In obedience to his commission the prophet enacted the role of a shepherd. Unlike Isaiah in his impersonation (Isa. 48:1-16), which is graphically presented in the present tense in order to show beforehand the nation's indifferent attitude toward Messiah, Zechariah first went to the temple and in the presence of the officials dramatically played the part of Israel's true shepherd, whose coming the earlier prophets had foretold.

Ezekiel delivered a scathing message from the Lord against the hireling shepherds of the nation, who fail to perform their duty toward their flock (34:1-10). The context indicates that the flock is the house of Israel and that the leaders are the shepherds. Since in his day they had utterly failed to minister to the needs of the flock, the Lord foretold that the time would come when He Himself would appear in person and become the shepherd of Israel. "For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I myself, even I, הִנְנִי־אָנִי will search for my sheep, and will seek them out! As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day" (Ezek. 34:11,12). The psalmist previously had foreseen the Lord's coming as the shepherd of His flock and prayed: רֹעֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל | הַאֲזִינָה נֹהֵג כַּצֹּאן יוֹסֵף יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים הוֹפִיעָה׃ Give ear, 0 Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest above the cherubim shine forth" (Ps. 80:1). The leaders of Israel in the days of Zechariah doubtless were well-acquainted with these promises. Also the Jewish apocalyptical writings from the earliest period of this type of literature reflect this hope.

When he finished the impersonation, Zechariah related, for our learning, what he had said and done and how the officials of the nation had reacted to his message. His words and actions show unmistakably that he was playing the role of the Lord when He appears in His glory as King Messiah. This fact is evident from the following quotations which foretell deeds that God only can perform: first, "I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me"; secondly, "And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples"; and thirdly, "And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them." No human being ever did perform the action foretold in the first quotation; no person could possibly make a covenant with all nations in the sense of this second statement. The third passage in the light of the preceding verse shows that the sentiment of the authorities toward the prophet was not simply their personal dislike for him but rather their indifferent, stoical attitude toward the future Messiah whom he was impersonating.

The revelation in vss. 4-14 was made progressively during the action. At first the prophet was simply told to feed the flock of slaughter. In compliance with the divine instructions he procured two staves (possibly the shepherd's staff and crook). Having done so, he appeared before the temple authorities as shepherd of God's flock, which they were supposed to feed. This action immediately aroused their jealousy and indignation. The poor of the flock, that is, those of the common people present, being familiar with the former predictions, instantly recognized the dramatic and prophetic character of the action and message. Having completed his impersonation, Zechariah turned to the temple officials, saying, "If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear." Being insulted by his boldness, and understanding that the dramatized oracle was a condemnation of themselves, these leaders displayed their indignation by weighing for him thirty pieces of silver, the price of a gored slave (Ex. 21:32). In the excitement of their rage they flung this insult at Him whom the prophet was impersonating, the Lord Himself. This fact is beyond dispute. Had the authorities not understood that the prophet was impersonating Messiah, they never would have weighed the thirty pieces of silver for him. He could not demand any money from them for delivering his message. Their actions show that they took the message to heart and were indignant concerning the matter. Hence the facts establish the thesis that the authorities understood the symbolic, prophetic, and messianic import of his action. This position is confirmed by the revelation which the Lord made to the prophet after they gave him the price of a slave: "And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them." Thus the Lord said that the officials valued Him at the thirty pieces of silver which they weighed to the prophet.

Will the leaders of Israel actually reject King Messiah and treat Him with such contempt as is indicated in this oracle? Is such a situation conceivable? In reply I wish to state again that the interpretation given above is the plain teaching of this prediction. All of the prophecies which have related to things in the past have been literally fulfilled--to the very letter. This fact should lead us to the conclusion that this prediction likewise was to be fulfilled with the same exactness. We may not see how thinking men can reject the divine-human Messiah as here foretold, but, when we realize that the will, the affections, and the personal interests frequently warp the judgment, close the eyes to evidence, and lead even good men to do irrational and inconceivable deeds, we may not be surprised at the content of this prediction. Since the prophet impersonated Messiah, on this occasion, it is certain that the leaders of Israel, in fulfillment of this oracle upon His appearance in their midst, reject Him and treat Him with the same contempt as is indicated in the prediction.

C. The Lord's Fellow עֲמִיתִי Smitten

חֶרֶב עוּרִי עַל־רֹעִי וְעַל־גֶּבֶר עֲמִיתִי נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת הַךְ אֶת־הָרֹעֶה וּתְפוּצֶיןָ הַצֹּאן וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי יָדִי עַל־הַצֹּעֲרִים׃

"Awake 0 sword against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones" (Zech 13- 7)

1. Summons to the sword

In a graphic manner the prophet foretold the death of Messiah in the form of a command to the sword. Foreseeing that the civil powers would execute Him, Zechariah, like other prophets, expressed his prediction in a unique manner in order to grip the reader's attention. For instance, the psalmist put his oracle concerning the vain ragings of the nations (Ps. 2:1) in the form of a question. He knew why they would tumultuously assemble (see marginal reading A.R.V.) against God and His Messiah but put his prediction in the form of rhetorical questions for the sake of emphasis. Another example of this method of gaining attention is found in Isaiah 6:10. Here the prophet is commanded to make the hearts of Israel fat and their ears heavy, and to shut their eyes, lest the people might see the truth and turn. The exhortation to deliver the message of God is expressed in terms of the results of the preaching when it is not received into good and honest hearts. Many examples of this gripping method of expression could be adduced but these will suffice.

2. The Lord's Shepherd

Isaiah looking into the future exhorted the heralds of good news to tell Zion and the cities of Judah that their God would come to them. According to this forecast, when He comes He will not only recompense punishment to His enemies but will play the role of a shepherd to His downtrodden people, Israel. Ezekiel sounded the same note. Having foretold in 34:11 that the Lord in person would become the Shepherd of Israel, he declared in vss. 23, 24 that the Lord would set up one shepherd over His flock. "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken it." All of the facts presented in the passage must be allowed their full weight. In the first quoted verse the Lord foretells the time when He will assume the form of man and become the shepherd of Israel. In the second the Lord God is speaking of the Lord who becomes the personal shepherd of the flock. These facts are easily understood in the light of the triune nature of the Eternal God as we have already learned in the first book of this series. This teaching evidently was well-known to Zechariah.

We have seen in the discussion of chapter 11 that Zechariah impersonated Messiah when he comes to feed the flock of slaughter. The leaders of Israel reject him, considering him no more than a gored slave. The passage now under consideration presupposes the information given in this former message. Hence the only additional information to be given pertains to the carrying out of the decision of rejecting Him. This dramatic apostrophe calling upon the sword to execute this divine-human Shepherd is a realistic method of foretelling that the civil powers would perform this most heinous of all crimes.

3. The human nature of Messiah

The Lord in calling upon the sword to execute His Shepherd speaks of Him as גֶּבֶר a man. We have already seen in previous discussions that the Messiah, who is the Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, is to be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; 9:6) and to sustain a unique relation to the nation. These and many other predictions found in Tenach show that though Messiah is a man, the seed of David, He is also God.

His human nature is presupposed in the prediction found in chapter 14 of this book. In the day of the Lord when all nations will gather against Jerusalem and the city will be destroyed, "then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives" (Zech. 14:3,4).

4. The Divine nature of Messiah

Though this Shepherd of the Lord is a man גֶּבֶר He is at the same time עֲמִיתִי the Lord's fellow, His equal. On this point I will quote from my book. The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and to Lost Humanity.

"He is עֲמִיתִי 'my fellow', says God. This latter word occurs ten times in the Hebrew Scriptures--in this passage and nine times in the book of Leviticus. In the nine occurrences in Leviticus it is used as a synonym for אַח brother which refers either to a blood relative or to one who is living nearest to another. Since a man's brother is of the same nature and essence as himself, the man whom God thus speaks of as עֲמִיתִי 'my fellow' is of the same divine nature and essence as God Himself. That this interpretation is correct is seen from the fact that Jewish commentators have also attached the same significance to it."

The testimony of Zechariah concerning the Messiah is in perfect harmony with that of all the prophets, namely, that He is both divine and human.

הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָכִי וּפִנָּה־דֶרֶךְ לְפָנָי וּפִתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֶל־הֵיכָלוֹ הָאָדוֹן אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים וּמַלְאַךְ הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם חֲפֵצִים הִנֵּה־בָא אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת׃

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts" (Mat. 3:1).

The passage given above is the only definite prediction of Messiah's coming found in the last prophetic message. We shall see in the third book of this series that there are two comings of the one Messiah: first, to suffer; second, to purge the nation of all sin and to reign in glory. A casual perusal of this passage shows that Malachi is speaking of the time when Messiah comes in His glory to purge the nation and to restore it to fellowship with God.

The oracle begins with a prediction that the Lord will send a messenger before His face to prepare His way. Isaiah had already spoken of this event (40:3-5). From the last two verses of Malachi we learn that this messenger is Elijah the prophet. The purpose of his coming is to restore the family relation. This latter prediction presupposes the destruction of the home and natural ties. The family life must be restored or it will be necessary for the Lord to smite the earth with a curse. But in order to avoid this calamity, the Lord will send Elijah the prophet.

When the way has thus been prepared for His coming, the Lord, who speaks of Himself as the Angel of the Covenant, will suddenly come to His temple. This passage presupposes the reconstruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. When He appears in fulfillment of this oracle, He will purge the nation of all sin.

In this investigation we have learned that the one who is called מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה the angel of the Lord is the Lord Himself and that in ancient times He appeared to His servants for the purpose of making a revelation which met the existing situations. These occasional visits demonstrated the possibility of His making a more prolonged stay if the welfare of His people and His eternal plans demand it. Likewise we have seen from the rapid survey of the most important messianic predictions that the future King of Israel is none other than this Angel of the Lord, the Lord Himself, who enters the world by virgin birth. Hence Isaiah foretold the birth of this divine-human Hero and Saviour.

In the third book of this series we shall see the redemptive career of Messiah as outlined by the prophets of Israel; in the fourth, the political conditions that obtain at His first coming and the exact time of this appearance; and in the fifth, the historic fulfillment of this hope that has always sustained Israel.

In conclusion, may I suggest, by way of anticipating the message of the fifth volume, that this ancient hope of Messiah's appearance has been fulfilled in the historic birth and life of Jesus the Hebrew Messiah? The infallible records of His life are contained in the volume which is commonly known as The New Testament. May I again suggest, dear truth-seeker, that you procure a copy of this Book after having studied carefully the contents of the present volume; that you ask the Eternal God to enable you to see His truth; and that He will give you moral courage to take your stand upon it regardless of consequences?

According to Isaiah's prediction Messiah is to be God's salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6). By faith one accepts Him, for it is written, "but the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab. 2:4). The one who accepts Him may take his stand upon the promise, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee" (Isa. 26:3). In times of danger he need not fear, for "he that believeth shall not be in haste" (Isa. 28:16).

Now may the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless and guide each of us into a clearer understanding of His Word and into a fuller enjoyment of fellowship with Himself is the writer's prayer.