Zechariah 13:3 – “And if anyone again prophesies his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.”
Chapter 13 is a continuation of chapter 12. Thus far, we have seen that Israel will be beset on all sides by her enemies, possibly at the end of this age. Once they are in that situation, the Lord is going to open their spiritual eyes to the truth of the gospel.
At that point the Jews will repent with great zeal and embrace salvation. As a result of their spiritual awakening, they will abandon all of the false idols they used to serve. Furthermore, false prophets and unclean spirits will also cease to exist in the nation.
Verse 13 continues the subject of false prophets and teachers. It essentially says that on ‘that day’, when Holy Spirit opens the minds of the Jews to salvation, there will be such a passionate pursuit of spiritual truth and sound doctrine, that the Jews will not tolerate anyone who teaches or prophesies falsehood.
Intolerance for false prophets and teachers is nothing new; it was a part of the Old Testament law. In Deuteronomy 1:6-10, the Lord commands his people to denounce anyone (including friends and family) who attempts to lure them into serving an idol/false god.
Under the Law, the person who is promoting idolatry shall be stoned for their crime with the first stone being thrown by the people they tried to ensnare or lead astray (see also Deuteronomy 13:1-5).
But on ‘that day’, the Jews will no longer be under the law. They will have entered the age of grace. With that change in mind, how are we to interpret the phrase ‘his father and mother… shall pierce him through’?
One theory claims that ‘thrusting him through’ is symbolic for a sharp rebuke/reproof with words. As we know, words are often compared to swords, because they can cut or pierce people mentally, emotionally and spiritually:
Proverbs 12:18 – There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
The main point of this theory is that the parents of the false teacher will strongly rebuke their child, possibly in a public manner. Because of their severe ‘tongue lashing’, the child will forsake the path of falsehood.
A second theory claims that the mother and father are issuing a warning to their wayward child by making a comparison: If the false prophets of the past were subject to physical death for their sin, present day false prophets (their child) would also be doomed to death for their sin – only this time (under the new covenant) it would be spiritual death.
In this scenario, the parents are not passing a binding judicial judgment of death upon their child. They are merely trying to show their child the danger of the path he or she is on.
Yet another theory maintains that the verse should be interpreted literally. In this case, the false prophet or teacher is identified and punished, perhaps by whipping or other means.
This interpretation also allows for a sentence of death for the false prophet/teacher, just as it was under the law. However, critics of this theory point out that Old Testament law calls for stoning, 
not thrusting the individual through with a blade.
Furthermore, under the New Testament covenant of grace, death would not be an option at all. Plus, there is a question of whether or not people would be able to put someone to death without due legal process.
Which theory do you think is most likely?
Zechariah 13:4 – “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive…”
During the time of Israel’s great revival, the false prophets and teachers will be ashamed of their lies, deception and false doctrines. Their shame will come from one of two sources.
One possible source of shame is the now spiritually enlightened people around them. As more and more Jews receive Christ, they will be acutely aware that these false prophets/teachers were lying about speaking for God. The man-inspired doctrines and scriptural interpretations of the false teachers will be recognized as absurd and foolish. People who formerly listened and supported these teachers will now publicly scorn and reject them, which will cause them to be ashamed. (Their own parents may be in this group.)
The second possible source of shame comes from their own consciences. In other words, it is possible that even these false prophets and teachers will turn to Christ and experience salvation. (This is the outcome I am hoping for!) In that case, they will be ashamed of themselves for speaking falsely and leading people astray with their lies.
Zechariah tells us that as a result of their shame, they will no longer put on the ‘hairy cloak of deceit’. What does that mean?
In order to understand the meaning, let’s turn to the world of textiles. Today’s clothing is made from a wide variety of materials. For example, we have soft clothing made from silk or cashmere. Because these materials are highly desirable and somewhat difficult to obtain, they are very expensive.
We also have clothing made from cotton or polyester. These fibers are versatile, durable and commonplace, which makes them a popular and affordable option for most people.
Coarse, heavier weaves such as canvas or wool, are commonly used to make outerwear which protects or warms the wearer.
The men and women of ancient Israel also had a variety of materials to choose from when fashioning clothes. As we would expect, the rich people of that day opted for soft, luxurious garments (Matthew 11:8), while the common people most often wore wool or linen.
There was also a class of woven garments made from very rough or scratchy fibers such as camel’s hair or goat’s hair. These were the least comfortable and least desirable garments. Sack cloth, which was worn by the ancients when they were in mourning or states of repentance, falls into this class. The clothing in this category is collectively referred to as ‘hairy garments’ (your translation may say ‘rough garment’ or ‘hairy mantle’).
Although there is no evidence to suggest that every prophet always wore this type of clothing, we do know that prophets often dressed in sack cloth as they gave the people warning of judgment or issued a call to repentance. They encouraged others to put on sack cloth as well (Jeremiah 4:8, Joel 1:13, Isaiah 32:11, etc).
In some cases, the prophets wore sack cloth for lengthy periods of time. In fact, there were at least two nationally recognized prophets who exclusively wore hairy garments or cloaks: Elijah and John the Baptist.
II Kings 1:7-8 – He (King Ahaziah) said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
Mark 1:6 – Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
Thus, ‘hairy garments’ became a badge or symbol of a prophet. 
Now let’s return to our text. Reading between the lines, we assume that the false prophets and teachers which Zechariah speaks of will wear some kind of unique clothing/garments (possibly robes or a uniform of some kind) which are commonly worn by or associated with true ministers and teachers. The false prophets and teachers wear these garments for the purpose of making themselves (and their messages) seem legitimate.
But in reality, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing; their goal is to enrich and honor themselves rather than feeding God’s flock (Zechariah 10:3):
Matthew 7:15 – Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Thankfully, when Holy Spirit brings a great revival to the Jewish nation, these false prophets and teachers will be exposed, and people will no longer be deceived by them.
At that time, the false prophets/teachers will remove the robes (hairy garments) and cast them aside because they can no longer fool people, or because they themselves have experienced repentance.
Zechariah 13:5 – “…but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’”
As these false prophets/teachers accept the gospel message and repent (or are simply exposed as liars), they will recant their former claims to be true ministers.
If they are questioned by anyone, they will freely admit that they are actually ‘workers of the soil’ or common laborers. Being ‘sold in their youth’ indicates that they were once indentured servants, former slaves/bondsmen or apprentices.
The bottom line is that these formerly false prophets are now admitting that they had no prophetic or teaching call upon their lives (I Corinthians 12:28), nor did they have the education or training required of true ministers.
They will now abandon their deceptive offices/positions and return to their own true vocations in life. They will become honest, hardworking men and women in the secular realm.
Notice that Zechariah mentions two particular things about these false prophets: One, they will give up the positions which are not rightfully theirs and two, they will start earning their income through honest means.
Many scholars believe this indicates that these false prophets/teachers will truly repent and receive salvation in Christ. They base their belief on the apostle Paul’s description of a repentant sinner:
Ephesians 4:18 – Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
They picture a situation where the former false prophets are now hard at work in the secular realm. However, having been formerly known as a false prophet/teacher, they are still questioned by people from time to time to ensure they do not try to return to their former scams.
The response of the former false prophet/teacher indicates that they are so busy with their current occupations they have no time or inclination for further deceptions.
Although these actions seem odd to us, they will be perfectly normal at that time. They are a reflection of the zealous righteousness that will be found in Israel after the Jews find Christ. In fact, this passage suggests that the members of each individual household will hold their own sons/daughters/relatives accountable for sin, chastising them if necessary.
Furthermore, as private citizens, they will each do their part to keep those around them (neighbors and friends) on the paths of righteousness. They will no longer ‘turn a blind eye’ when they discover sin; they will call it out and have it removed from society.
Zechariah 13:6 – “And if anyone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’”
In order to understand this verse, we need to review some ancient customs. 
When the idolatrous priests and prophets wanted to get the attention of their god, they often cut or slashed their own flesh and spilled their own blood to entice the god to answer or pay attention to their requests.
Scripture records a vivid account of just such a practice in I Kings chapter 18. As you recall that chapter details the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The idolatrous priests and prophets prepared an offering for Baal. All day long they danced and cried out to Baal but there was no answer. At that point, they took things up a notch and began to cut themselves, hoping their god would notice:
I Kings 18:28 – And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
Back in that day, it was also common practice for the heathen nations to cut themselves as a token of grief and mourning for their dead friends and relatives:
Jeremiah 48:37 – “For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth.”
Finally, we need to take a closer look at the literal translation of verse six. We want to pay particular attention to the word ‘back’. In the original Hebrew, the word means ‘between the hands’. Obviously, that could be (and has been) translated in a number of different ways:
- The King James version uses the word ‘hands’.
- The ESV (English Standard Version) uses the word ‘back’.
- The ASV (American Standard Version) uses the phrase ‘between thine arms’.
- The Complete Jewish Bible uses the phrase ‘between your shoulders’.
- The NLT (New Living Translation) uses the word ‘chest’.
Now let’s circle back to our text. In verse five, we noted that the former false prophets and teachers will return to working jobs in the secular realm. However, they will still be frequently questioned by members of the community in regard to their former ways.
The people questioning them may be doing so because they know the former false prophet by name or reputation. But there will be another way to identify them as well – by scars on their bodies.
The scars are probably on visible portions of their skin, likely the hands and arms. However, if the people in question are out on the beach or working a labor-intensive job outside, the public might also catch a glimpse of their backs or chests which would almost certainly be scarred as well.
The God-fearing zealous Jews will challenge the person bearing these marks or scars, accusing them of returning to their former ways and actively trying to recruit worshipers for their false gods/idols.
The former false prophet will reply that he (or she) received the marks in the ‘house of their friends’. There are three possible explanations for this answer.
One, the former false prophet/teacher is flatly denying that the marks were the result of worshiping idols. They will claim the marks are the result of cutting themselves in a state of grief over dead relatives.
The second explanation is that the former false prophet/teacher is admitting that the marks were inflicted by their friends and relatives as a corrective punishment for false prophesy. However, the implication is that they are now reformed/redeemed and have not returned to their old ways.
The final possibility is that the former false prophet is being vague; in an effort to deflect attention away from themselves, they simply claim that the visible scars had nothing to do with spiritual matters; they were just the result of an accident at the house of a friend.
In any case, the former false prophet/teacher will be anxious to confirm that he or she is no longer trying to deceive people with false teaching or prophesy.
Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:
One of the striking things about today’s study is the boldness of the new Jewish converts. 
Clearly, they will be diligent in their own commitment to Christ. They will also, under the anointing of Holy Spirit, be equipped to deliver the gospel message and fight evil with great boldness.
Notice that in that day the Jews will not be afraid to confront their friends, relatives or children about their relationship with Christ. They will not be afraid to call out evil in the public realm.
The world we live in could use some of this Holy Spirit boldness! However, we must be careful – if we are acting outside the leadership of the Spirit, we are nothing more than annoying religious zealots. If we are not careful, we can hurt the spread of the gospel instead of promoting it.
Scripture tells us that the apostles received Holy Spirit boldness through worship and prayer (Acts 4:23-31). After having a confrontational encounter with the religious leaders of the day (who were denying that Jesus was the Messiah), the apostles met together with their friends and fellow believers. The group cried out to the Lord giving him glory. Then they specifically asked him to grant them boldness, and to confirm his word with signs and wonders:
Acts 4:29-30 – And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Time and time again we find the apostle Paul boldly proclaiming the gospel as well (Acts 9:28, Acts 13:46, I Thessalonians 2:2, etc).
How did Paul acquire this boldness? He too received it from Holy Spirit, through prayer:
Ephesians 6:18-19 - …praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…
If the apostles, including Paul, needed to pray and seek the Lord for Holy Spirit boldness, my guess is that we do too! Honestly, this is not something that I ordinarily pray for myself or for others, but I am going to start. Would you like to join me?