Many excellent brethren tell us that Israel is to be converted by looking upon the Lord Jesus Christ visibly when He returns from heaven to the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period. As proof of the position, this passage is cited. Their reason for thus interpreting this passage is found in the King James Translation which tells us that they shall "look upon" Him whom they have pierced. This prepositional phrase is interpreted literally as meaning that the Jews actually will look upon Jesus physically when He returns to the earth to establish His kingdom. Is this the meaning of the passage? The Revised Version, which follows the Hebrew Text accurately, throws a different light upon this most important question. The rendering appearing in it is "and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced." This same idiom appears in Isaiah 45:22: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." From the context of this verse we see that this is an invitation which God gives to the people of the earth who are in the midst of the great Tribulation to look unto Him and be saved. The circumstances of the case and the invitation shows that they are to put their trust in Jehovah in order that they might be saved. Such is the ordinary significance of our phrase. Such is also the meaning of the phrase as it appears in Zechariah 12:10. That this is its meaning becomes apparent to the one who realizes that God's plan to save people is by the preaching of the gospel. "For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God ... For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:18-21). Paul declared that God had committed unto him the word of reconciliation and was therefore pleading with men to be reconciled to God (II Cor. 5:18-21). The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). Has God a different plan for saving Jews from that for saving Gentiles? The apostle declared that there is no distinction now in this respect. "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:11-14). From this passage we can see that it is God's plan to save the Jews by the preaching of the gospel the same as the Gentiles.

That Israel is thus to be converted to God by the preaching of the truth is seen from a careful study of such passages as Isaiah 62. In verse 6 of this chapter the prophet was speaking to those who are "Jehovah's remembrancers" prayer-warriors, we call them. Then in verse 11 he tells of God's proclamation which He has sent to the ends of the earth saying, "Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. And they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken" (Isa. 62:11,12). This passage when viewed in the light of the context shows that God has sent a proclamation to the four corners of the earth to the people who believe in prayer, commanding that they tell the Jews about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His reward and with His salvation. This is authority from high heaven to every praying Christian to do his utmost to give the message of redemption to Israel. This command focuses attention upon the second coming of our Lord, for to lay emphasis upon the second coming is also to emphasize the first coming in order to make the message intelligible.

There are many other passages which show that the truth must be given to Israel the same as to any other race in order that she might look unto Him whom she pierced, to the end that she might be saved. Since the believers are the ones who have the truth relative to our Lord and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, it is the duty, the responsibility, and the privilege of the believer to preach the gospel to all Israel in order that she might turn to God.

Having seen from other passages that Israel is to be converted by the preaching of the gospel, we may assume here that the truth is given to her by faithful witnesses and that in the time of her greatest extremity toward the very end of the Tribulation she will turn to the Lord and He will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication the Holy Spirit who causes this in the life of the penitent believer and they shall look in absolute trust and confidence toward Jesus whom they, nineteen hundred years before, pierced.

When Israel is thus brought under conviction by the preaching of the gospel and by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, she will put her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The sense of her guilt will be overwhelming. There will be a mourning over the national sin of the rejection and execution of Messiah such as has never been known in the annals of world history. It is quite probable that the revival which will result in the complete conversion of Israel will begin at Jerusalem. This may explain why the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are mentioned in particular.

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness" (13:1). In reality the fountain was opened nineteen hundred years ago when our Lord was crucified upon Calvary, but Israel as a nation did not see that fact. Not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God, they fulfilled those predictions which foretold His execution (Acts 13:27). This situation I might illustrate by Hagar and Ishmael. They were out in the desert ready to perish because of lack of water. In desperation Hagar gave up. Finally the Angel of the Lord came to her, opened her eyes, and she saw that but a very short distance from her there was a fountain of water. It had been there all the time but she did not know it. Her eyes were holden so that she did not see it. The fountain for sin and uncleanness for Israel was opened nineteen hundred years ago, but because of her rejection of Messiah her eyes were holden or blinded so that she could not see it. When, however, in the Tribulation the gospel message is fully given to the nation, the faithful remnant will give heed to the truth, will accept the message, come to this fountain, drink, and thus have eternal life.

From Zechariah 13:2-6 is a prediction that, when this revival begins in Israel, the sentiment will swing positively against all spiritism, which we know will be prevalent in the latter days. In this passage the land of Palestine is especially in view. Whenever anyone will then be accused of spiritism or prophesying, he shall be put to death. There will be cases, as we learn from the prophecy, in which young men will be accused of prophesying. They will deny it, affirming that they are not prophets at all but tillers of the soil. In some instances the accusers will call attention to some wounds on their bodies, between their arms, and will imply that these were self-inflicted in their fits when under the influence of an evil spirit. Immediately they will reply that they did not receive them while engaged in prophesying but that friends had injured them when they were associating with them. Very unfortunately, Zechariah 13:6 has been understood as a prediction of our Lord's crucifixion, but this interpretation is impossible when one looks at the entire context. The facts show that the prophet was speaking of those who will be accused of being in league with demons and prophesying falsely.

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

This verse is undoubtedly a prediction concerning the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ because He is called "my [God's] shepherd" and He is a man and at the same time God's "fellow" or equal, as the Hebrew indicates. This verse was literally fulfilled by our Lord's crucifixion nineteen hundred years ago. When the true Shepherd was smitten, the little flock the apostolic company was scattered. But God's protecting hand was over them and took care of them. Finally, on the day of Pentecost, they were welded into a spiritual unity by the coming of the Spirit of God. On that memorable occasion the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ they gave forth the corporate testimony concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of our adorable Lord. God took care of them, is now protecting His people, and will continue to guard His own until Jesus comes.