King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Monday, September 22, 2025
Chapters: Zechariah 10-14
Message: Zechariah: Israel Will Be Restored
Hello My Friend,
As we cone to the end of the reading of Zechariah we learn of more prophecies, including of Christ’s crucifixion and when He returns not only to reign as King, but for vengeance on His blood shed. As I was thinking about this, this passage came to mind, [John 19:10-11 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.]
Think about it, every person who rejects or denies Christ are no different than the ones who cried, “Crucify Him!” and He will have vengeance on all of them. For the first time after reading this passage and what we read today, I learned something, God, does not want evil of any kind to take hold of us, but He allows it for one reason, to refine His faithful, [Isaiah 48:9-11 For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.]
You see when saved, born again Christians stand before Jesus, they will not receive the same judgment as those who are not because they are covered under the blood of Christ through their faith in Him. However, that does not mean that they are not put through the fire while they are here, not only to purge them from sin, but to make sure that their faith is Christ is not vain. Jesus, said it this way, [John 15:1-3 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.]
The branches that are cut off from the Vine are the ones that never accepted Christ, it is a reminder that none of our works can save us. When Christ returns, we who are saved will all be united as one, but the foolish prophets, church leaders, which God calls under-shepherd’s, will have the shock of their lives when they find themselves in hell for teaching their lies as truth. Now, when the Jews were in Babylon, many of them died before seeing an end to their captivity, but rested on the promise that God would restore Israel. Now, God foretells of that day.
[Zechariah 10:1-5 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. 2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. 3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. 4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. 5 And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.]
Why would God want us to ask Him for things that have already been given to us? He wants us completely dependent on Him at all times, not just when we do not have what we are in need of or get lax about it when we do have it. If there is one thing that I have learned about trusting in what we have it is that eventually it runs out, gets lost, or breaks, and if we are not asking God for them regularly we will end up in these famines. Oddly, the more we ask Him for, even when we have what we need at the time, He will bless us with so much more, [John 14:12-13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.]
Christ, is the beautiful and precious cornerstone, KING JESUS Himself, ascending from the tribe of Judah, and all believers will come to Zion in a spiritual manner. Christ, gives glory to the Church, and is in fact the foundation who joins and unites together men and angels, Jews and Gentiles, and Old and New Testament saints, and that is when all of Israel shall be saved, [Romans 11:25-28 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.]
The riders on the horses refers to the ones who contributed to Christ’s death and interfered with those who would come to Him. When we have no one to turn to to help us, that is when we find Jesus, and truly understand that we are sinners, who need the Saviour from more than just hell. And now God goes on to describe the glorious day when He will gather all of Israel together.
[Zechariah 10:6–8,12 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. 7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. 12 And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.]
Until we know Christ as our Saviour we are cast off, distanced from God because we are unable to stand before Him covered in sin. Even one sin will separate us from Him, but ONE SAVIOUR will unite us all as one people of Israel, [Romans 11:29-32 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.]
God, often sees people as sheep. Why? Sheep, are lovable, meek, and kind, but are also absent minded creatures. That is why they need a shepherd to guide them or they tend to wander off and become prey to their predators. Sadly, there are many foolish shepherds out there and that is why so many sheep have gone astray, but God is keeping count of them all. Now, God, foretells of when He will place judgment upon them.
[Zechariah 11:3-7 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. 4 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. 7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O 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.]
This is actually referring to the priests, Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and doctors among the Jews who sent not only their souls, but their followers souls straight to hell with them. They ruined so many lives with their poisonous doctrines, commandments of men, and their traditions, by which Jesus Himself calls them out, [Matthew 23:13,16 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!]
Beauty, represents the privileges of the Jewish nation in their national covenant with God. They chose to cleave to false teachers, which followed the breaking of the covenant between God and them. God, explains why He separated them, [Zechariah 11:10-13 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.]
Wow! We here have the incredible prophecy of the day that Christ’s life would be bought for thirty pieces of silver, and this was fulfilled when Judah Iscariot went to the Pharisees, [Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And 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. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.]
Bands, represents the harmony that united Israel as the flock of God until it too was divided when they broke their covenant with God, [Zechariah 11:14-17 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.]
God, having shown the misery of these people in their being justly abandoned by the Good Shepherd for their disbelief, shows the further misery on the unbelievers in being shamefully abused by a foolish shepherd. It is clear, you can choose to believe in Christ and receive Him as your Saviour, and God will save you, but if you do not, then it will be to your own death to your soul. God, often begins by calling the poor and despised to His Son, even the feeblest will resemble David, and be wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and as strong as Christ can carry them. Now, God, gives some amazing insight to His first and second coming, including His crucifixion.
[Zechariah 12:8-11 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.]
All who look to the One they pierced will be saved. When the Lamb of God shall be offered up as a sacrifice for all mankind, and the Gospel shall be preached, that is when the foolish shepherds will be exposed, in particular one, the false prophet. God, goes on to describe this liar who even had his own hands wounded in order to mimic Christ.
[Zechariah 13:1-3,6 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. 2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. 3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. 6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.]
This is actually not Jesus, this is referring to the false prophet, referencing, however, Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He suffered and died on the cross because He loves us too much to let us end up in hell. Praise God! There is one reminder, one sign to show what Jesus did for us that we will see when we meet Him face to face, and that is the scars in His hands and feet where the nails were driven into them, [John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.].
Christ, was indeed wounded for our transgressions, He suffered and died on the cross because He loves us too much to let us end up in hell. Praise God! Let me tell you, the burdens of life make us weak, they literally drain every bit of strength that is in not only our physical body, but mental and spiritual as well, but when we are weak, that is when Christ is strong in us, [2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.]
Now God, speaks of the glorious day when Israel will finally recognize Christ as the Messiah, but also gives details of why we suffer as Christians, [Zechariah 13:7-9 Awake, O 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 mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.]
Sometimes is seems like no matter what we do we who are faithful are the ones being chastened or punished by God. Well, God uses affliction to refine us, to make us not only depend on Him for everything, but that we might endure it through the strength that only Christ can bring us. One day all the suffering will be over and God will get vengeance on all those whom afflicted us. Well, God goes on to reveal this glorious day.
[Zechariah 14:1-3,5 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.]
God’s saints are the saved, born again Christians who received Christ as their Saviour after His passion and also those who believed in Him before. You see, they too died, not having received this promise, but having faith in it. It was their faith in the same promise that we live by today that saves us, [Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.]
Yes, we who are faithful, saved, and born again, actually do desire a better country and are not ashamed to proclaim Christ. Many have died and most of us too will probably die before Christ returns for us, but we who remain in our faith until we take our last breath in the flesh all die having not seen the promise, but having faith in it. God, also reveals the day that all His saints will come rise up together and join Him in Jerusalem where Christ will reign as KING.
[Zechariah 14:8-9,11-12 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.]
The living waters is none other than Christ Himself, and His living water is ever lasting life to our soul, [John 4:10-11,13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.]
Can you imagine a blast so strong that their eye balls will melt out if their eye sockets? I am so glad that Christ’s saints will not be in or even witness any of this. We will be up in the clouds when all this takes place, [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.]
Jerusalem shall be a spring of living waters to the world, it was made so when the Spirit would be poured out upon the apostles, and the Word of God would diffuse itself to the nations. Those that do not die in the battle, nor fall by the hand of their brethren, shall be destroyed by famine, or consumption. God, goes on to tell of this.
[Zechariah 14:16-17,20-21 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.]
Gospel worship is represented by the keeping of the feast of tabernacles. Every day of a Christian’s life is a day to keep the feast of tabernacles. It is just for God to withhold the blessings of grace from those who do not attend the feast. In fact, it is a sin that is its own punishment for those who forsake the duty, forfeit the privilege of communion with God, [1 Corinthians 11:26-30 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Saved or not, we all have burdens in life, thankfully, we who know Your Son as our Saviour can overcome them through Him. He is not only the living water that sustains our soul, He is what gives us the strength to deal with every burden. Lord, Help us not to resent the trials and afflictions of life or be fearful of their effects, for they are meant to purify our hearts and minds and make them as gold. Fill us with Your power, mercy, and grace, let it overflow us as a fountain, and cover us with Your protective wings so that we can endure all things through His strength. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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