Hope for Israel Amidst Rising Battlefront

God tells us in Zechariah 12:1-3 that a time will come when Israel will be in great distress and the center of attention – when the nations of the earth will rise against her. Sound familiar?

We have recently seen attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah from Lebanon (backed by Iran) and the Houthi rebels in Yemen (also see War on Israel – Ezekiel 38 & 39), and this is probably only the beginning of a much worse conflict. Israel’s current state of distress is beginning to fit perfectly with this text in Zechariah of a final battle. The eternal God predicted in past times what the eyes of 21st-century mankind are watching in real-time!

But when God allows His people to experience hardship, He provides comfort and hope.

During Zechariah’s days, the Israelites were also troubled. They were attempting to rebuild the temple, but amid their distractions, it was not progressing as they had hoped, and they were very discouraged.

God comforted them by telling them that He would send a Deliverer, the Messiah, who would come and build the temple of the Lord!

This was the most wonderful news for the Israelites – and the most wonderful news for the modern nation of Israel and the world. We will see how so in this article!

Both King and Priest – The Branch

The prophet Zechariah (among the first wave of Jewish exiles returning to Judah under Zerubbabel and Joshua in 538 BC (see Ezra 1:1-4; 3:8; Nehemiah 12:4)) was instructed by God in Zechariah 6:11-13 to do something unusual. He was told to place a crown on the head of Joshua, the High Priest, and tell him that a man, the Branch, will come who will not only build the temple of the Lord; but also sit upon God’s throne!

There are a few items of significance here. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yeshua (from Yehoshua), meaning “the Lord our righteousness!” Placing the crown on Joshua’s head foreshadows the crown placement on the head of this future Branch – who will Himself be the righteousness for His people!

Also noteworthy is that this coming Branch will be both King and Priest! Until this point, these two offices/functions within Judaism had always been separate, with one man occupying one or the other. But now, they would be combined in this ONE PERSON – whom the Jews were expecting – their Messiah. God’s Ruler over His people would now also function as their Intercessor!

This brings us to mention a man named Melchizedek, who is another foreshadowing of the Branch. Before Israel was a nation, back in Genesis 14:1-20, Melchizedek, the King of Salem (Jerusalem/Zion – see Psalm 76:1-2), served as king and priest. Melchizedek means “my King is Righteousness” (or “King of Righteousness”) and Salem means “peace, secure, safe” (The King of Peace). The coming Messiah will be THE King of Righteousness and Peace! King David also likens the Messiah to Melchizedek in the “Messianic Psalm,” Psalm 110:1-4, where the Messiah is seated at the Lord’s right hand, as a ruler/king; and it says He is a priest, like Melchizedek – only He is a forever and exalted one!

Servant, Stone, Endowed with Salvation

In Zechariah 3:8-9, we read of a vision where Joshua the high priest is with other priests sitting before him. These priests were temple priests who offered sacrifices in addition to other ministering priests from the tribe of Levi. Altogether they represent this one, the Branch, who is then referred to as “My Servant” (see Isaiah 42, 52, 53) and described as a stone (see Daniel 2:35, 44-45) with seven eyes, symbolic of one who sees all things (omniscience). And, it says this Branch can remove all iniquity in a single day! That is only possible via the shedding of the blood of the sacrifice – Leviticus 17:11.

In Zechariah 9:9 it says this King who will come to Zion and Jerusalem is triumphant! Unlike many of their previous wicked kings, this One is a righteous and just ruler who brings salvation to His people. Yet, He is humble and lowly as He is presented to His people.

Israel’s True Shepherd – Initially Rejected

When we come to Zechariah 11, we read of great calamity which God will bring forth on His people. False shepherds had been leading them astray, so Zechariah became a representative of God as His true shepherd (Zechariah 11:4,7). In past times, shepherds often carried two staff: one to ward off predators and one to guide and retrieve sheep going astray. We see here that Zechariah has two staff, Union and Favor.

1. Union Staff: Represents The Appointed Shepherds & Falsehood

Those who functioned as supposed shepherds for God’s people had no interest in doing the true job of shepherding (ie. warding off predators and guiding and retrieving sheep going astray). Thus, they had no real interest in Zechariah’s ministry and despised him. The result was internal conflict among God’s people, the majority of whom were not interested in being under a true shepherd. Zechariah breaks the staff, Union, into pieces (Zechariah 11:14), as a visible display of this conflict.

2. Favor Staff: Represents A Broken Covenant and Its Results

God now sets aside His covenant protection of His people who have rejected Him as their shepherd by not following His commands (see Deuteronomy 28). This truth is expressed in Zechariah breaking the staff, Favor (Zechariah 11:10).

Then, Zechariah requests his final “paycheck” from the people in Zechariah 11:12-13. Do you think they valued his ministry? They weighed out for him the insulting sum of 30 pieces of silver, the price paid to the master of a slave who was gored by an ox (see Exodus 21:32). It was thrown to the potter in the house of the Lord expressing, in a sarcastic way, how the people rejected God’s true shepherd. Since Zechariah is representative of THE Shepherd who is to come, wouldn’t that Shepherd also experience Israel’s rejection? But of course.

Israel’s One and Final Savior

Zechariah doesn’t stop with the fact that this Branch is coming and His characteristics. We see in Zechariah 12:1-3, 9, that at the very end of the age, the nations of the world come against Jerusalem and Judah! Israel’s very existence will be the cause of great hatred and animosity by a world that rejects the God of Israel. Amid this great disturbance, God will turn the Israelites to Himself (Zechariah 13:1, 7-9).

Notice in Zechariah 12:10 that God speaks as the One who is pierced, but also as the One who is observing/mourning over that One who was pierced! (There were earlier prophecies of this event long before Zechariah revealed it such as Isaiah 53:4-6.) Though He was pierced through for transgressions, God did not allow this sin-bearer to remain in the grave but raised Him from the dead (Psalm 16:10)!

So even though God will ultimately deliver His people at the end of the age, it will not be without first taking them through a very rough time. But we see God’s watch-care over His own during some incredible events at the end of the age (Zechariah 14:2-4, Zechariah 14:9, and Zechariah 14:16-17). God identifies with His sheep very personally through a man, His Associate, whom He calls My Shepherd!

As stated, the current situation in Israel and the world fits perfectly with the content of Zechariah. It is the stage set for the coming of the forever and exalted Priest. Remember that Joshua’s name was ‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew? In Greek, the name is ‘Jesus.’ Jesus came into this world born of the virgin Mary, suffered and died as the sacrifice for sin, was raised, and is seated at the right hand of God. Be sure you are ready. His feet that once stood on the Mount of Olives in times past, will come on the clouds of heaven and once again stand upon that same Mount – as King and Judge! Are you ready? Is Jesus YOUR Savior?

For More on Promises of Future Events

End Time Events: A Brief Overview – David Sheldon