Zechariah 13:1-6

At the end of Zechariah 12, we witness a stunning transformation for Israel: spiritual regeneration. God sends Jesus Christ to defeat all their enemies, pours out His Spirit on them, and causes them to mourn for Christ as one mourns for an only child.

Chapter 13:1-6 continues the description of the renewed nation of Israel.

1 “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity. 2 On that day” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — “I will remove the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will banish the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. 3 If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You cannot remain alive because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.’ When he prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through. 4 On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. 5 He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for a man purchased me as a servant since my youth.’ 6 If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ — then he will answer, ‘I received the wounds in the house of my friends.’”

Note the phrase on that day appears three times in this passage. This divides the prophecy into three major events that will happen after Israel receives their Messiah.

First, verse 1 declares that Israel will receive immediate forgiveness and purification. God will  “wash away sin and impurity” from the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem. “Washing away sin” means that as Israel mourns its sin, God forgives completely. “Washing away… impurity” means that God cleanses them, enabling them to draw near to worship Him.

This fulfills God’s gracious promise in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This promise extends to all who are willing to confess their sins to God.

Second, verses 2-3 describe Israel’s renewed dedication to God. All idols will be removed from the land and forgotten. False prophets and demons will be banished. Families will take personal responsibility to execute false prophets from within, as required by the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 6-11). False teaching, prophecy, and idols will no longer be tolerated in Israel. There will no longer be a need for prophecy because Messiah will dwell personally on earth.

Third, verses 4-6 show how false prophets will respond to these changes. They will be ashamed of their visions, deny their role, and even lie about the pagan marks on their bodies.

This passage is crucial for understanding the kingdom of the Messiah. Verses 2-3 reveal that mortals who enter Christ’s kingdom will have children. Some of these children will grow up and rebel against Christ, even though He reigns on earth. Some will become false prophets. The existence of these false prophets and unbelievers helps us understand how Satan will later gather an army for one final assault on Jerusalem, as described in Revelation 20:7-10.

Yet Christians today have much to look forward to. Christ Himself will protect and keep us throughout His kingdom because we trust in Him. Though Satan will deceive many when he is released after his 1,000-year prison term, Christ will ultimately defeat Him.

Pastor David