Shabbat Shalom. Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 13. And I'm going to read from verse 2 to the end of the chapter. It's a shorter chapter, and it is really a continuation of what we have already covered in the twelfth chapter of the restoration of the people of Israel. Let me read Zechariah 13, 2. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the name 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.

And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that beget 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 beget him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision. When he has prophesied, neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive. But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a husbandman, for men taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

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. 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. 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. 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. Isn't it a wonderful chapter? Beautiful just to read it and listen to it and to see what the Lord has in mind for the coming future that is soon to be revealed when Israel, the nation, will be restored. I would like to link this chapter 13 with the previous chapter, because chapter 12, 13, 14, really deal with the second coming of Israel's Mashiach, the Messiah of Israel, and the regeneration of Israel, the nation, when not only they are physically to be going to the promised land, but they will be regenerated spiritually.

They will acknowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah. And as you remember in the previous chapter, especially chapter 12, verse 10, I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourner for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Chapter 13, verse 1, which was part of the previous message, In that day there shall be a fountain, in Hebrew makor, open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin, that has to be with judicial guilt, and for uncleanness, that had to be with the moral guilt, And God is going to produce, to provide a regeneration for the nation of Israel.

Now, as we enter into the remaining portion of chapter 13, the Spirit of God developed before us how this is going to turn about. If Israel is going to be spiritually regenerated, a saved nation, there must be an evident of their salvation and regeneration in the coming days. Now, we know that the Bible said that a nation will be born in a day, we know that Israel, the nation, is going to be regenerated and redeemed at the end of the seven-year tribulation, but we do not know how it will develop before the entrance into the Messianic kingdom. And so here we have an additional information that will prove the regeneration of the nation of Israel, because in the next verses, beloved brothers and sisters, in chapter 13, verses 2 to 9, there will be a cleansing of the land of Israel.

And of course, we know it will extend to the rest of the nations of the world, but the context deal with Israel, the Jewish people in a future day. So what we learn here from these remaining verses of chapter 13 of the cleansing of the land. Now, for us to realize this, for example, when you and I became believers, we received new life. We have been regenerated but we still have what we know very well this old sin nature that we will only get rid of it when we leave this scene in the eternal order there will be no more sin whatsoever and every one of us that have accepted Yeshua the Messiah at the rapture of the church at the snatching up of the heavenly company we are going to be transformed and we are going to receive a glorified body never ever to sin anymore but now Israel is going to receive the Messiah and they're going to begin to enter into the messianic kingdom at the end of the tribulation period and so before they're going to be entering into the millennial age to the messianic kingdom there will be a necessity to clean the land from all sorts of abomination, idolatry of that which occurred during the tribulation period.

So in the remaining verses of this chapter, we have two important themes being mentioned. First of all, verses 2 to 6, we have the truths concerning the land of Israel that it will be cleansed, practically cleansed from that which is against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, against the Messiah Yeshua. And from verses 7 to 9, we have the smitten shepherd presented before us, and the remnant of Israel ultimately will remain in order to enter into the Messianic kingdom. So, let's look over these verses, and I think it is systematically looking verse by verse that this passage will help us to understand what the Lord has in mind for us.

The first thing that we have here in verse 2 is the expression, again, and it shall come to pass in that day. I'm going to re-emphasize this. You notice that this expression, in that day, by Yom Ahu in Hebrew, it's expressed many times in those chapters. You remember we already pointed out, chapter 12, verse 3, and in that day. Chapter 12, verse 4, in that day. Chapter 12, verse 6, in that day. Verse 8, in that day. Verse 9, in that day. We even read in chapter 13 and verse 1, in that day. In the day where God is going to restore Israel, in a day at the end of the tribulation period, where God is going to restore Israel.

In that day, when the fountain, as verse 1 says, had been opened, and Israel had been regenerated. The fountain speaks about the source of blessing. The Hebrew word for fountain is the word makor. Makor means source of. The source of Israel's blessing. Just the same like when we have a fountain in some of the places here in our cities. You have water flowing, gushing out of that source. And the source of Israel's blessing is none else but God through Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. So the fountain will be opened. The house of David will enjoy to receive that fountain of grace that had been opened for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

God will deal with their sin and with their uncleanness. And now we get the development in verse 2. Look at this. What needs to be necessary to happen to have an evident of a true regeneration of the nation of Israel. Notice verse 2, in that day says the Lord of Hoth that I will cut off, what he's going to 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, these are the false prophets, And the unclean spirits, this is demonic activity, to pass out of the land. Now notice the word land, in Hebrew the word is Haaretz, has to do with the land of Israel.

You know, we who are Jewish, when we say to someone, you know, when was the last time you have been in the land? We always have a reference to Israel. Are you going Laaretz, to the land? For us, Israel, Jerusalem, the place where God has chosen for himself, is the land. And God is intending not only to cleanse them internally, but to clean the land. To clean all the land from that which dishonored him for such a long time. And specifically to clean the land from the idolatry, from the false prophets, and from the unclean spirits that have been during the tribulation period in the land of Israel.

Now, this is not new, beloved brothers and sisters. God has always expected Israel, the nation, his own people, to separate themselves from idolatry. In fact, do you remember it was in Exodus chapter 20, when God expected from Israel to put away any idolatry. In other words, notice that, let me read that it's in the Decalogue, in the Ten Commandments, in Exodus chapter 20, verse 2 and 3. I am the Lord your God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. You shall have no other gods with the small letter G before me. And that is the thing that haunted Israel throughout Israel's history.

Why? Because again and again we find Israel allowed themselves to fall into influence of the nations that they were surrounded by. If you remember, it was King Shlomo, Melech Shlomo, the King Solomon, who because he did not submit to the God of his father later on in his life and allowed himself to be influenced by so many of the women of the nations. If you remember, we read of him in the book of Kings, 1 Kings chapter 11, how he ended up following after other gods. Can you imagine? The men, Shlomo, the wisest men on earth, you might say, have allowed himself to be influenced by the gods of the nations of the world.

This we read in 1st King chapter 11, we find out that it says in verse 3 about Shlomo, he had 700 wives, and then we read, and 300 concubines, and his wife turned away his heart. And we read in verse 4, and it came to pass that when Solomon was old, in his older age, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father. And you notice what it says here, verse 5, for Solomon went after Ashtarot, the goddess of the Tzidonites, and after Milkom, the abomination of the Ammonites, and then he began to do all sort of things, build an altars and so on in the land.

Can you imagine the land that God had given his forefathers, the land that he was to maintain for the glory of God? And he ended up to be drawn away by those that have led him astray after other gods. Well, that was something that God expected from Israel not to follow after, but when the time of spiritual decline, they have ended up following after that which is contrary to the God of Israel but now in the future God is going to remove notice how it says in our chapter in Zecharia chapter 13 and verse 2 God is going to cut off not only these idols but the names of these idols we talked about moloch we talked about all sort of idols names that have been mentioned in old testament time he is going to cut off totally the names of those idols those little gods you might say that the nations of the world have introduced to the people of Israel he wants his people for him he wanted people not only regenerated and saved and forgiven but also the land that.

Will be totally influenced by him and not by any idolatry that is existing in the world and so we find out that is what's going to happen in the future there where Jehovah himself will do so but not only idols beloved brothers and sisters you notice the second and the third thing that we read in verse 2 it says and there shall be no more in remembrance before him as it says in verse 2 and i also listen cause the prophets and the unclean spirits this is demonic activity to pass away out of again the land haaretz me haaretz so apparently beloved brothers and sisters There would be those that needed to be totally removed, false prophets, Nevi'ei Sheker, those who claim to be serving God, those who claim to speak for God, they needed to be totally removed from the land because God wants to be the central portion and the Messiah himself of his very own people, the people of Israel.

Now, notice that it says the unclean spirits now are an exact opposite of what we read in chapter 12 and verse 10. I will pour upon the house of Israel, the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. That's the Holy Spirit of God, the true Holy Spirit of God. So if the true Holy Spirit of God is going to take his place in leadership among the nation of Israel, everything that is false spirit had to be totally removed from among the nation of Israel, including the false prophets. Now, I would like to kind of belabor this a little bit today in this ministry meeting, the false prophets.

Beloved brothers and sisters, false prophets have been risen throughout the ages, including Israel, the nation, including in the church age in which we live in. You and I that were saved by grace out of bondage to sin out of this world, we have been brought into a relationship with the Lord. How many times in the Brit HaChadasha in the New Testament were exhorted to be very careful from false prophets? It is not only applied historically to Israel and in the future as they ended the tribulation period, but even today in the present church age, we are to be very careful for those who claim to speak for God and does not speak as it is indeed based upon the written word of God which we have in our hands.

Let me just for a few minutes look at some verses in the Brit HaChadasha. Turn with me to the epistle of John, 1 John chapter 4. John warns the earlier saints with respect to false prophets. 1 John chapter 4, the epistle says, Beloved, he's talking to the brothers and sisters whom he loved. He called them loved ones. Beloved ones, believe not every spirit, But test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know we the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses not that Yeshua, the Messiah, has come in the flesh and is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Yeshua, the Messiah, has come in the flesh is not of God.

And this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already it is in the world. He's already saying to these early believers, he says, listen, you have to be very careful where you are being exposed to those who claim to speak for God. He says there are many, notice that, many false prophets are gone out into this world. He is not talking at all to Israel as a nation. He is talking to believers, just like you and I today. Already in the earlier days of the church age, false prophets have entered into the world. They claimed to speak for God, but they were really false prophets.

They were not really speaking for God, but they were influencing believers and twisting them and turning them away from the A, B, C of the Word of God, of Scripture. And he gives them a warning here, the Apostle John, in the earlier part of the church age. Go back to 2 Peter, chapter 2. And again, listen, talking about false prophets. 2 Peter, chapter 2, verse 1. But there were false prophets also among the people. Even, verse 1b, even if there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of and so here we can see now this time it's Peter in his second epistle he's saying to them you know there were false prophets among the people of Israel but there will definitely will arise false teachers among you and brothers and sisters this is not talking about the year in which we live in now 2,000 years later, he is speaking about that which have already occurred and happened some 2,000 years ago at the foundation of the assembly, of the ecclesia, of the church of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Let me show you another verse, please. Turn to Matthew chapter 7, verse 21, 22, and 23 as well. Listen to this. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, again, he's talking about the day at the end of the tribulation there, before the coming kingdom. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied, here is the false prophet, in your name? And in thy name we have cast out demons? And in thy name we have done many wonderful works?

Look what Yeshua is telling them in verse 23. Then he said, I will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. He said to them, I never knew you. There was never a relationship with you whatsoever. I never knew. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. There is a day coming when he will expose the false prophets in the future day. And so, he's giving a clear warning to the believers, whether it is John, or whether it is Paul, or whether it is Peter. They give a warning to the earlier part of the church, just the same like the Lord had given warning to our people Israel.

But now we are in Zechariah chapter 13, and the Lord is saying that He, verse 2, and I'm back to our chapter, He will cut off all the idols, the names of the idols in the land, that they will be no more remembered, and I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to pass out of the land. Why? Because he wants to have a beginning kingdom where all that is contrary to him will be totally removed. And the Messiah, Yeshua, is going to reign over the land, over Israel, and over the remaining people in this world. So, now notice what's going to happen. Turn back now in verses 3.

Notice in our chapter. In verse 3, there will be a punishment to false prophets by their very own family when they will claim to speak for God. Look at verse 3. And it shall come to pass that when any, any false prophet, any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that beget him shall say unto him. Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of Jehovah. And his father and his mother that beget him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. Apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, there will be those that perhaps will still claim to speak for God. And what we see that their very own family.

Notice it says here that the mother of one that he claiming to speak for God, when they will know that he's really not speaking for God, they will discipline him. They will, as it says here, they will say to him, you will not live. They will discipline, they will act in judgment upon one who claimed to speak for God. And eventually it says here really in verse 3 at the end, They will thrust him through, and then he will ultimately die. Because the word dakruhu is the very same word that we read earlier in chapter 12. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, asher dakruhu.

Speaking about Israel going to look upon him, but here we see that the parents will really have what you call a self-judgment upon even their own family member who claim to speak for God. That was a very serious thing that the Lord demanded from the people of Israel to do. And again, I want to say it is not new, because in Old Testament time, long before the tribulation, long before the church was born, God said this to Israel, the nation. Is somebody going to rise in your midst and you're going to claim to speak for God? In Deuteronomy chapter 13, there they are to stone him even unto death.

You read Deuteronomy chapter 13, verse 6 to verse 11. They were called to judge him even unto death by stoning him. But here, they go even beyond that. Here, they are thrusting him through when he prophesied, when he claimed that he is speaking for the God of Israel. You remember, it reminds me of a man by the name of Pinchas, or Pinchas, we call him in Hebrew. In Numbers chapter 25 when Israel have gone astray and followed after other gods and God began to judge his people Israel it was Pinchas he was a priest he took a javelin and he went after this one man another woman from the Midianite and he killed both of them with the javelin this speaks of self-judgment when sin is being allowed to continue on And once he killed that man and woman, then God's judgment upon Israel has ceased.

Numbers chapter 25, the first eight verses, it can be read. Interesting how God is going to remove totally idolatry from the people of Israel. And from us, beloved brothers and sisters, it is very much the same. Even though we are saved, and we are forgiven, and we are going to go to heaven. But idolatry false prophets as it says here in this verse of chapter 13 that which is an unclean spirit a demonic activity that which is not of God is not fit among the people of God and God demand for that to be removed from among his people you remember what he says in first John chapter 5 at the end of the chapter he says little children keep yourselves from idols why because idol replace the person of Yeshua in the life of the believer and therefore idolatry has to be removed if Israel is going to enter into the messianic kingdom not only judicially being cleansed but the land has to be totally cleansed in order for the Messiah to be pleased with his own people but now is the next verses apparently some again we can see that there were things that were still going to be going on before the messianic kingdom will happen because immediately notice in verses 4 and 5 of our chapter there are some of the false prophets will be exposed.

To their lie to their own people look at that what it says here in verse 4 and it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed everyone in his vision when he has prophesied neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive apparently there were those who would be exposed by the spiritual nation of Israel they will be exposed in that day those false prophets when they will still appear as if they are speaking for God. And so they will be now ashamed because of the vision that they have claimed to speak for God. And when they will be prophesied, they will now be exposed and they will try to hide themselves.

And what they're going to do, they are not going to wear this rough garment to deceive anymore because now they are being exposed. And you know, it is interesting because the word for rough garment, the Hebrew word Adere Tzear, it's a garment of skin, it's a hairy garment. And you remember, it was Yohanan Hamadbil, John the Baptizer, in the Gospel of Matthew, who had this kind of clothes in the third chapter. He was a true prophet. The prophet would wear a suitable, you might say, kind of a garment that will identify him as the prophet of Israel. Elijah had a special garment when he was prophesying among the people of Israel.

John the baptizer in the Brit HaChadasha, Elijah in the Old Testament, it's identifying him as the true prophet. So some apparently were covering themselves with a garment, looks like the real prophet, but they were really not a true prophet. And they will be exposed by those who will discern it. And in that day, he says, those prophets, there will be a shame, everyone, of his vision, when he has prophesied, neither they shall wear anymore this rough garment to deceive. And look what it says here in the next verse. But he shall say, oh, no, I'm not a prophet. I'm a farmer, a husbandman, for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

In other words, they will lie to say, oh, no, no, I'm really not a prophet. I'm just a farmer. When I was young, they've taught me to work the ground, and I'm not really a prophet. They have been exposed now, and they're trying to cover their false pretension that they are prophets, and they will be exposed in that time. He will try to deceive, yet he will be exposed. Now, this is interesting. I want just to point out to the government here, If you don't mind to turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 19 for a second. This has to do with Elijah, 1 Kings 19 and verse 13. It says about Elijah, And it was so, when Elijah heard it, in connection with Jezebel, that he wrapped his face in his mantle.

That's the word Adrato. Adrato means his mantle, his garment. And he went out, and he stood in the entering into the cave, and so on. Here is Elijah wearing his very own garment that showed that he was a prophet of Israel. 2nd King, chapter 1, and verse 8, it says, And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loin, and he said it is Elijah the tishvat how would they identify the prophet by the garment that he will wear a girdle of leather about his loin it was a hairy garment and we find it in Matthew chapter 3 and verse 4 that Yohanan John the baptizer himself wore the same kind of garment well apparently there will be those who will pretend to speak for God they will pretend to be prophets but they will be exposed because God wants to clean the land to remove any idolatry from the land of Israel idolatry anything any false prophets and any unclean spirits have to be totally removed from the land of Israel and ultimately from the rest of the nations of the world and it will surely going to happen in the future day so verse 2 Jehovah will cut off idolatry uncleanness and the false prophets verse 3 there will be a punishment of the false prophets.

Even by his own family verse 4 and 5 there will be an exposing of false prophets now we need to be also careful beloved brothers and sisters every one of us today we need to be extremely careful because it is not too much different today than what have happened in earlier days of the church. You find false prophets today claim to speak for the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. You'll find them on television, on the radio, on the internet, in a newspaper, magazine, all sort of things that you will find those who claim to speak for Yeshua the Messiah. And we must be discerning if it is truly indeed the word of God we have to be like the Bereans who search the Scripture daily to see if what Paul said indeed it is the word of God so we I encourage you to be very very careful in the days in which we live in and if we are not going to be careful we're going to find ourselves being deceived into that which is unbiblical and we'll find ourselves at the end losing out the enjoyment of being simply occupied with Yeshua the Messiah and so this is applied to us as well today but now let's move on in our chapter and here is an interesting verse beloved brothers and sisters in verse 6 there is a verse that is being used by both views some use this verse to apply to Yeshua to Yeshua the Messiah and others use this verse to say no that does not apply to Yeshua the Messiah but that's applied to the false prophet that we just have the whole.

Context speaking about false prophets and look at this it says in verse six 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 now many times i read this verse and many times i heard this verse being mentioned that when Israel going to look at the Messiah in a future day and they're going to ask him Yeshua what are these wounds in your hand and he will say to them those are the wounds which i was wounded in the house of my friends now it is true that Israel the nation is going to look upon him whom they have pierced as we read in chapter 12 and verse 10 where he will show his wounds and his wounds are token of his love of his grace of his provision for redemption for the sin of the nation of Israel and the nations of this world but i would like to suggest in this context.

In which we are studying Zechariah chapter 13 that that does not speak about the wounds of the Messiah but it does speak about that which this false prophet will say as he will be asked and again I would like you to reread this verse with me in context let me read again verse 4 5 and 6 together and it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed everyone in his vision when he has prophesied neither shall they wear a rough garments to deceive and he shall say i am no prophet i am a husband man for men taught me to keep cattle for my youth 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. I would like to suggest, because of the context, that the context relate this verse 6 to that which have just presented before us. First of all, I want. You to notice that one will ask him that him is a false prophet. Somebody will ask him when he will expose him and he will try to deceive and hide the fact that he was not a true prophet they will ask him and say what are these wounds in thine hands now the Hebrew word here in thine hands is not really in thine hand is in between your hands not upon your hands or your arm but in between your hands you remember we just read earlier that he will not anymore in verse 4 will wear these rough garments that will give the appearance that he was a prophet and when he will take these rough garments off and not wear this anymore apparently he will be exposed and there will be so-called these wounds that are being exposed on his body now the word for wounds here again very important the word is makot it's not necessarily cutting through with a knife or something but makot it's simply like some beating that one have received so he will be asked what.

Is the wounds that you have between your hands then he will answer he says those with which i was wounded in the house of my friends now again i would like to suggest that the reference here is to the previous context, the false prophet, rather than to the Messiah himself, because the Messiah was not wounded in his own home. He was wounded, he was beaten, and he was pierced on a Roman cross. He was not beaten and wounded and pierced through by his own family. It happened to him on the Roman cross the soldier in John chapter 19 pierce his side when they hung him on the cross whether it is this way or this way they put the nails through his hands and his feet Psalm 22 16 say they pierced my hands and my feet they have pierced his hand and his feet when they crucified him on the cross.

And so I'm giving you by way of presentation, you will take it as it is before. The Lord, you study the passage, and you will make this decision. But again, I say, listening to believers, the Bible teachers who teach this passage, some believe that he has a reference to the Messiah, and others believe that he has a reference to the previous person, the false prophet that we have here in chapter 13 turn to the gospel of John for a moment please just for a second John chapter 19 and verse 18 we read they crucified him and two others were with him on either side one and Yeshua was in the midst verse 34 but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith there came out blood and water he was pierced in his side and he was crucified on a cross with the nails going through his hands and feet go to chapter 20 verse 24 the second time Yeshua appeared in the upper room to his disciples it says in verse 24 but Thomas one of the twelve called Didymus he was not with them when Yeshua came the other.

Disciples therefore said unto him we have seen the Lord but he said unto them except I shall see in his hands not between his hands in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side i will not believe and after eight days again the disciples were within and thomas was with them then came Yeshua and the doors being shut and he stood in the midst and he said shalom alechem peace be unto you then says he to thomas reach hither thy finger behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing thomas answered and said unto him my Lord and my God And he recognized that this was Yeshua, the Messiah, who died on the cross.

His hands were pierced, his legs were pierced to the cross, and his side was pierced through with the Roman soldier who pierced his side with a sword. And what I emphasize here, that in this verse 6, it has a reference to the false prophet who before dressed like he was a real prophet but in reality he was exposed and by exposing himself he tried to hide the fact that he was not a true prophet and therefore he was saying oh no he said i was wounded by the house of my friends And then, as it says here in the earlier verses, I am not a prophet, I am a husbandman, for men taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

I am not a prophet. He will lie, but his lie will be exposed, and ultimately he will be removed, just like the Lord said it in the earlier verses. He says in verse 2 again, In that day the Lord of hosts 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 spirits to pass out of the land. Why? Because he's preparing the land for the reign of the Mashiach Yeshua and the nation of Israel. So, verses 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the land of Israel will be totally cleansed in the coming days in preparation for the kingdom.

And now let's move on to the last three verses, beautiful verses here in the next verses, the end of chapter 13. We have those three verses and now we are shifting from the one who pretended to be a prophet and had to be removed totally to the one who is truly the one that redeemed Israel and the true shepherd of Israel, the Savior of the world. And how do we know that verse 7 applied to Yeshua and verse 6 does not apply to Yeshua? Because Yeshua quoted verse 7 when he was anticipating his death on the cross. Otherwise, if you wouldn't have said it, we would not be able to quite understand it clearly.

So look what it says in verse 7. It says here, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, Jehovah is saying, and against the man that is my fellow, says Jehovah of hosts. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones. In this verse, beloved brothers and sisters, we learn something that is very, very important. Sometimes we accuse men, sometimes they accuse the Jewish people for killing Jesus. I heard it many times. In fact, I said one Russian Jewish man knew that he was a Jewish man. And he told me that many years ago when he immigrated from Russia to Israel, from Israel to Canada.

I remember him and his family came often to our own home and we used to go to meetings together. And he told me, you know, Brother Gideon, the only way I know that I'm Jewish, I knew that I was Jewish in Russia, is by people saying to me, you killed Jesus. That's how I knew that I'm a Jew. Amazing, yeah? In other words, the rest of them were fine, but he killed Jesus. Now, he was not 2,000 years ago when Jesus died, but he killed Jesus according to who have told him. And by the way, those who told him were probably atheists who didn't even believe in the gospel.

But beloved brothers and sisters, we learn here in this verse that even though we are guilty all of us in placing the Messiah Jewish people and non-Jewish people we are all guilty in the death of the Messiah verse 7 teaches us the other aspect of the work of the Messiah that it's really not men who first did what he did he was being used in other words he was allowed his wickedness allowed to be carried on but it speaks about the plan of God in eternity past that God in his wisdom knew that if man is going to be redeemed he has to provide a way of escape he will have to provide a Redeemer a Savior and that's why it says here notice it says in verse 7 awake or sword against mine notice it's expression my shepherd roi my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow the Hebrew word for my fellow means amiti roi amiti that's two Hebrew words my shepherd who is a man but he's also my.

Fellow amiti as it says here my fellow now the Hebrew word for fellow amiti is much more than merely a friend it really has to do with my equal what we really learn here in this verse that this one that the sword will rise up against him will be number one a man notice it says here against the man that is my equal in this verse we see the humanity of the Messiah and the divine nature of the Messiah he is both God and man in one John 1 says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God all things were made by him and without him nothing was made which was made in him was life for the life was the light of man speaking about the Messiah verse 14 said and the word became flesh and dwelt among us he became a man God the eternal word became a man the humanity and the divine nature of the Messiah is clearly seen here in.

This verse awake or sword against my shepherd who is a man but he is also mine equal amity and then it says says Jehovah of hosts now this is amazing beloved brothers and sisters in the plan of God he knows that it is necessary for him to judge this sinless one in order that others such as you and i who are sinful can be forgiven and receive eternal relationship with the Lord this is very important I was amazed now when I read again and again Isaiah 53 there is a verse that you must read with me turn back to Isaiah 53 where Isaiah is reciting what Israel is going to say in the future day when they will accept the Lord but notice what it says in verse 10 of Isaiah 53 it is the famous chapter it's called the forbidden chapter because oftentimes this is not being read in the synagogue among our people in the synagogue because it is too much speaking of Yeshua of Jesus from Nazareth but notice what it says in verse 10 it says it pleased Jehovah.

To bruise him have you thought about that what does that mean it pleased Jehovah to bruise this man that is mentioned here in Isaiah chapter 53 what does that mean the Hebrew word for please is hafetz hafetz means Jehovah wanted to bruise him why did he want to bruise him because had he not been bruised on the cross on the tree you and i would have no hope of salvation so Jehovah wanted the death of the Messiah in order to provide redemption for sinful men the Hebrew word again here means that he wanted but he didn't want it because he found pleasure in the death of his son but the death of his son brought him glory brought him honor made men who is sinful suitable to be able to be in a relationship with him that's why God so much wanted that one will become a sacrifice on behalf of others that's why it says here it pleased Jehovah to bruise him he had put him to death who put him to death Jehovah himself.

God himself placed the Messiah on the cross on the tree so it is amazing to see the divine truth the divine aspect. Yes, we are all guilty when we have placed the Lord on the tree. Yes, Israel as a nation is responsible in the rejection of the Messiah Yeshua and handing over to Pilate. And then Pilate, the Romans, took him and placed him on the cross. We are all guilty in the death of the Messiah. But nevertheless, had not the Lord allowed himself to go to send his son into this world what would we have what future we would have one of the famous verses that we have in the Bible John 3 16 that we all must memorize for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son God gave his beloved son he gave him over that's the beauty of the gospel that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life now here's another verse in the new testament turn.

To act chapter 2 and verse 22 Peter is speaking to his own brethren in Jerusalem and he's saying to them ye men of Israel verse 22 hear these words Yeshua from natseret a man here is his humanity approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye yourself also know now listen brothers and sisters to verse 23 him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God God delivered him and he determined it to be done and it was planned and arranged in eternity past the foreknowledge of God that's God's side then look at the human side verse 23b you have taken and by wicked hand have crucified him and slain him see here is the divine side verse 23a and the human side in verse 23b so we can learn from this that in the purpose and plan of God he purposed that his son will die in order to redeem a people for himself and that's.

Why we read awake or sword against my shepherd and against the man that is mine equal my fellow my amity says the Lord of all smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered and i will turn mine hand upon the little one now how do we know that that speaks about Yeshua the Messiah and not about the false prophet because in Matthew chapter 26 Yeshua pointed out himself to this that apply it to himself it says here in Matthew chapter 26 verse 30 and when they had sung him they went out into the Mount Of Olives verse 31 Yeshua is saying unto them look how beautiful he said all of you shall be offended because of me this night for it is written well Yeshua know what he wrote it is his Bible it is his book it is the Spirit of God who wrote about the Messiah using the prophets of Israel including Zechariah to speak about the Messiah who is going to come it is written I will smite the shepherd.

And the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad and indeed beloved brothers and sisters indeed it happened when Yeshua died on the cross everyone was scattered in about 30 AD the Messiah died and it began with the disciples being scattered by the time that 70 AD came and the temple was destroyed by the Romans, the Jewish believers of early first century were scattered abroad, and they were gone from place to place preaching the gospel, but being the sheep of the flock have been scattered abroad. And that's what happened when the Messiah died, when Jehovah laid upon him all the sin of this world when he paid for our sin and sins then salvation had been provided and God's people have been scattered and as they have been scattered they were preaching the message of the gospel that it reached you and i today here in this country and elsewhere in the world as they were scattered and i will turn my hand upon the little one even the little one even.

The young believers just like a shepherd have a little lambs they also have been scattered the believing people of Israel have been scattered abroad and as they have been scattered they shared the word of God how wonderful to know that this is applied to our Lord Yeshua the Messiah let's remember this that God's sword against sin had to be laid upon God's son as men he must be judged he must suffer so you and i will never have to suffer that's what makes the difference between us who believe in the Messiah's work and any other religious group who believe in their own merit in their own works.

It's not what we do for God, but it's what God has done for us. And in response to what he has done for us, we want to live for him. We want to serve him. We want to sing about him. We want to worship him because of what he has done for us. Smite the shepherd. The shepherd have been smitten every sin that we have committed was laid upon him on the cross Jehovah pleased to bruise him because he could provide redemption for us and so in conclusion of this chapter in the end of this chapter look at these last verses in the last two verses of this chapter we have Israel's final redemption and how will that happen brothers and sisters, it's not going to be just like that.

Israel is just going to accept the Messiah and everything going to be fine and dandy. There will be some trial. There will be persecution of the Jewish people. Many, many, many of our own people, according to these verses, will suffer loss and death here in this world before they will become believers in Yeshua. This is what we call the holocaust of the holocausts this is the climax this is taking us to the tribulation period. When the climax of the hatred of Israel will rise to the top as it were where the cup will be filled all the way to the rim with hatred towards Israel and the destruction that men will seek the Antichrist and his military the armies will do against Israel and even God in his judgment against the nation whom he loves so much he will have to discipline his own people and we read listen to this it says and it shall come to pass that in all the land listen again the word land we are talking about the land of God the land of Israel in all the land sayeth the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and die two parts but the third shall be left therein verse 8 said in other words imagine two-thirds two parts will be cut off of every three individuals you might say two parts two of them will be cut off and die you know had the didn't preserve our people at the time of the holocaust some 60 something years ago where would.

It be Israel of today? Do you know that Hitler wanted to destroy every Jew that ever lived near him, that he could hold on to him? Do you know that Haman, the accuser, the hatred of the Jews, read the book of Esther, he wanted to destroy every Jewish individual, not to leave one if he could. He was an Amalekite who wanted to destroy the Jewish people. But God has a plan. He has a plan for his people. He has a purpose to use Israel as a blessing to this world. But Israel must be a regenerated nation, a forgiven nation, a nation that is occupied with their own Messiah, who is the shepherd that had been smitten by the sword of God's righteous indignation against sin.

They should have accepted him but those that will refuse him God will have to discipline and to judge them and so we read two parts beloved brothers and sisters when you have a chance read Revelation chapter 12 when Satan is going to be cast to this earth in the middle of the. Tribulation he's called in Revelation chapter 12 the accuser of the brethren the achim the brethren are the Jewish brethren of Yeshua the Messiah whom he was accusing all the time and he's also accusing the believers in Yeshua the Messiah of this present day of the church age the hatred that will happen during this time against the people of Israel Satan who will come down will be cast out to this earth the counterfeit Messiah who will seek to take the place of the Messiah the false prophets who will lead the people astray and so on all these triune counterfeit triune God going to be against the people of Israel and they will seek to destroy the Jewish people entirely but by the grace of God we see that God will preserve a remnant for himself turn back a couple of chapters back to the prophet Sephaniah for a moment very interesting verses sad verses but speaking about the tribulation period it says in verse 14 of cephaniah chapter.

1 the great day of the Lord is near it is near and hasteness greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord the mighty men shall cry there bitterly that day is a day of wrath is a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fence city and against the high towers and I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath but the whole land notice the word land the whole land shall be devoured by the power of his jealousy for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

All those who rejected him, who rejected Yeshua, the Messiah. Now this is the tribulation period. That we have here in chapter 13 of Zechariah in verse 8. And so we have a third part that will remain. The third part that will remain here is what the Apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 11, where he was speaking about all Israel shall be saved. Now the all Israel that shall be saved in Romans 11 verse 25 and 26 is the all Israel that will remain at the end of the tribulation period in fact this third part that will remain is the all Israel of the future day that will enter into the blessing and relationship with Yeshua in the kingdom age and he conclude here in verse 9 here is Jehovah will restore Israel to himself it says here and i will bring the third part now this third part this remnant that will remain they will have to go through fire they will have to be refined says here i will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold.

Is tested and 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. That's what God is looking for when Israel in the future they will be restored not only that he will refine them that he will take them through a refining fire will produce a nation for his glory and for his honor they shall call as he says here on my name and i will hear them as they experience the suffering during the tribulation they will cry to him and they will call on his name and he will say it is my people that he would want me my people and they will say the Lord is my God the Lord will say they are my people and they will say the Lord is my God what a day is awaiting for the nation of Israel when Israel as a nation shall be restored And so, beloved brothers and sisters, spiritual regeneration will also mean that it's necessary for the land itself to be totally cleansed.

And in chapter 13, there will be a cleansing of the land and refining of the people in preparation for the Messianic kingdom. May the Lord bless his word and encourage us all. And let's continue to follow the Lord because it's worthwhile following Yeshua the Messiah.