Zechariah 13:7 – “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
We now come to the final portion of Zechariah chapter 13. In our last post, we noted that a time will come when false prophets and teachers will be 
exposed for their lies and removed from their positions of power and influence. These false prophets bear shameful scars in their flesh as the result of being ‘pierced’ and/or ‘wounded’.
The prophet now gives a dramatic contrast between these false prophets/teachers and the true spiritual shepherds of God.
Zechariah begins this abrupt transition by referring to a particular shepherd. In our translation (English Standard Version) this shepherd is described as ‘standing next to’ the Lord. Your translation may describe this shepherd as an ‘associate, fellow, neighbor or friend’ of God. In these cases, the word refers to someone who is connected or united with the Father. Other translations use the word ‘kindred or kinsman’ meaning one of the same blood or tribe.
Because this shepherd is described as being united, related or associated with God, we know he is not one of the worthless shepherds described in Zechariah 11. He is an honest and true shepherd of the Lord.
Generally speaking, this can collectively refer to all true shepherds/ministers which the Lord has provided for his people. Let me explain.
Deuteronomy 18:15 – The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen.
When Moses spoke to the children of Israel back in the book of Deuteronomy, he mentioned that God would give his people ‘a prophet’ who would lead them to God. At first glance, you might be tempted to think that Israel only had one spiritual leader.
However, the phrase ‘a prophet’ is symbolic of the whole order of men and women which God sent to Israel throughout history. In every age, God demonstrates care for his people by providing them with prophets who speak the truth and comfort Israel with the knowledge that God is with them. These men and women speak by the power of Holy Spirit, assuring the people that God will provide salvation and deliverance for the nation.
Of course, as we know, Jesus Christ was the culmination of this true prophetic order. At the time appointed by the Father, Jesus the Messiah came to earth and clearly explained the gospel/plan of salvation to the Jews, which would deliver them from the bondage of sin:
Hebrews 1:1-2 – Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things….
Furthermore, Jesus can be correctly described as the ‘man standing next to the Lord’, because in the flesh he is a kinsman of the Jews and in the spiritual realm he is united to God:
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 10:30 – I [Jesus] and the Father are one.
Zechariah goes on to prophesy that this true shepherd will be struck with a sword. The term ‘sword’ generally refers to affliction, violence and sorrow.
Again, this is applicable to the general order of true prophets and ministers. History tells us that the Jews persecuted and executed many of the true prophets sent to them by God.
We know it refers to Jesus as well, because he specifically uses this verse to describe himself:
Matthew 26:31 – Then Jesus said to them [the disciples], “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”
Regarding the specific case of Christ, the sword of affliction/violence/sorrow is the sword of divine justice, which requires a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin (Hebrews 9:22). 
The sword of divine justice is free to pursue mankind, because we are all guilty of sinning against God’s holy laws. But notice that was not the case for Jesus. God had to command or call this sword to awaken against Christ, because he was/is sinless!
It is significant that Father God is the one who awakens or calls this sword into action because it proves that the death of Christ occurred with the full foreknowledge and approval of God, at the exact time determined by his divine will.
Zechariah then prophesies that when the shepherd is struck, the sheep of the flock will be scattered. As we noted in Matthew 26:31, Jesus applies this prophesy to himself; it refers to the scattering of the 11 disciples at the time of the crucifixion (Matthew 26:56).
However, the scattering of the disciples was only a partial fulfillment of this prophesy.
The entire flock or nation of the Jews was scattered in the destruction of Jerusalem shortly after Jesus was crucified. From that day until the end of this age, they are still scattered sheep, waiting to be gathered by Christ once they acknowledge him as Lord and Savior (Isaiah 40:9-11).
The scattering is/will be a time of trial which can’t be avoided. However, God promises that during that time he will ‘turn his hand upon the little ones’.
Who are the ‘little ones’?
In this case, ‘little’ refers to those who are few in number and insignificant in their own estimation. They are fearful and of little faith; they are contemptible in the eyes of the world. In other words, they were/are Jews who accepted the gospel message and became humble followers of Christ, like the apostles. In Zechariah chapter 11, they are referred to as the ‘poor of the flock’.
From the inception of the Jewish nation to the end of this age, God always maintains a group of ‘little ones’ or a remnant of Jews who believe in him and stay true to his word.
God promises that he will ‘turn his hand upon’ this remnant of Jews. The meaning is that God is going to put his hand of protection, favor and grace upon the Jews who accept the gospel message.
This was clearly evident in the case of the disciples. Jesus protected his disciples from both the Romans and the unbelieving Jewish religious leaders. He filled them with the power of Holy Spirit, who enabled them to understand the scriptures and deliver the full gospel message to the world. He gave them success in establishing the church and he preserved their lives until they had accomplished the work he set before them.
As we mentioned, the scattering of the disciples was not the only scattering that occurred in the history of the Jews. For example, in 70 AD the unbelieving Jews were also scattered during the destruction of Jerusalem. This was a direct result of their rejection of the Shepherd/Messiah. Verses 8-9 give us more of the details of this scattering. Let’s take a closer look.
Zechariah 13:8 – “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.”
In a general sense, this verse is not at all difficult to understand – at the time of the scattering, two-thirds of the people will die (be cut off) while one-third will live. 
However, the specifics are much harder to determine. For example, what is meant by the ‘whole land’? Some feel this refers to the entire world, while others say it refers to Judah or Jerusalem. Other controversies arise over the timing of these events. Here are a few possible scenarios:
* One theory says that the whole land refers to the nation of Israel. This theory also says the prophesy was literally fulfilled in AD 70. At that time, a remnant of the Jews (the one-third that believed in Christ as the Messiah) fled from Jerusalem and thus preserved their lives. Meanwhile, the rest of the Jews (the two-thirds who did not believe) remained in the city and were slain either by famine, disease or the result of war.
* Another theory interprets this in a spiritual sense. This theory maintains that while the majority of Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah, God has all along maintained a remnant according to the election of grace (Romans 11:5). This number will increase exponentially when the Jews realize that Christ was the Messiah.
* Others believe this prophesy will be fulfilled at the end of this age, when the antichrist (head of the revived Roman Empire) declares war against the Jews. They believe this time of tribulation is the one referred to by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 12:1).
* Another interpretation claims that the two-thirds which are destroyed are the heathen and the Jewish unbelievers; the one-third refers to Christians (both Jew and Gentile). This belief is based on the fact that traditional Jewish worship came to an end when the temple was destroyed and pagan idolatry was eliminated when Christianity spread through the world after the death of Christ.
* Other theories claim that the ‘whole land’ refers to the entire world. In this case, the two-thirds represent a combination of unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. Those who hold this theory believe this group includes those who deny Christ outright, as well as false worshipers who adhere to religious rites without having a true relationship with Jesus (Luke 13:27). Under this theory, the one-third is made up of a combination of Jewish and Gentile believers (the church).
Obviously, there are many differences of opinion on the exact meaning of the two-thirds/one-third. But one thing that everyone agrees on is that the one-third will be preserved or saved from destruction, both physical and spiritual, although they will experience a time of testing.
Zechariah 13:9 – “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ’They are my people’, and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
For the purposes of our study (and based on the context of chapters 12 and 13), we will assume the one-third refers to a portion of the Jewish nation who will receive Christ as the Messiah at the end of this age. 
The prophet tells us that this group of Jewish Christians will be refined like silver and gold. When precious metals are refined by fire, whatever is impure is burned away, leaving a product that is free of imperfections or defilement and more valuable than before.
In the same way, God will refine his Jewish sons and daughters by allowing them to experience fiery trials or difficult circumstances. While this process may be painful, it will result in good because it burns sin and corruption from the lives of the Christian Jews, making their faith even more precious than gold tried with fire.
These trials will result in purer worship and praise, greater Christian discipline, uncorrupted teaching/preaching of the gospel and more holiness in the lives of God’s people.
During (and after) these times of trial, the Christian Jews will become increasingly aware that God never fails; he is always faithful to his promises and he can be fully trusted in every situation. Therefore, the Jews can (and will) seek God in prayer over every situation in their lives.
And, hallelujah, God will both hear and answer their prayers:
Psalms 65:2 – O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
God will make it plain to the world that the Christian Jews are his special, peculiar covenant people. He will do this by answering their prayers, showing them his favor, protecting them, and giving them his Spirit.
For their part, the Jews will know God as their covenant God and Father. They will publicly declare their allegiance to him and enjoy their relationship with him.
Psalms 144:15 - …Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Those who choose to serve the Lord will never regret their decision, because a relationship with God is the greatest joy that we can ever experience.
Let me offer you some encouragement:
In the book of Zechariah, God has a lot to say about false and true shepherds.
If you are attending a church that is being led by a true shepherd of God who cares for your spiritual growth and development, you have a lot to be thankful for! I strongly encourage you not to take your pastors for granted.
Take the time to send them a text or give them a call and tell them how much you appreciate them. Thank them for being ‘on call’ 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
If their sermon gave you new spiritual insight, challenged you, or encouraged you in your Christian walk, tell them! Let them know that you appreciate their spiritual advice and sound council.
Pray for them, encourage them, and bless them whenever you can!
Let me offer you some relief and some strength:
As a Christian, you might be tempted to think that something is wrong when you experience a difficult trial. But actually, the opposite is true – trials are evidence that God is working in your life. Consider this:
Trials draw you closer to God – As a Christian you know that God is the source for everything you need. He is your healer, your deliverer, your provider, your leader, etc. So when you find yourself in the midst of a trial, you will automatically turn to him. You will find yourself in the secret place with him, as you seek his wisdom and mercy. Thus, you are drawing closer to him.
Trials increase your faith – As you commune with God in the secret place and he speaks to your situation, you will speak, plan and act upon what Holy Spirit reveals to you. As you do, your faith in him will stretch and grow.
Trials create testimony – The trial you experience WILL be a testimony. Remember the narrative of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha? When Lazarus died, it was a terrible trial for the two sisters. When Jesus finally came to their home, they expressed their continued faith/trust in him, regardless of the situation. Shortly after, Lazarus was raised from the dead, which created a testimony. As a result, many people came to Christ:
John 11:44-45 - And he that was dead [Lazarus] came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
Think about that for a minute… if you knew the trial you faced today would result in a testimony that would bring lost sinners to salvation tomorrow, wouldn’t you admit it was a useful thing? Hint: We need to start viewing all of our trials through that lens!
Trials prompt you to get into the word – We all know the importance of being familiar with the scriptures, yet sometimes we still fail to spend time in the word. But as soon as a trial comes along, where is the first place you find yourself? That’s right: in the word!
Trials prompt us to weed sin out of our lives – As mentioned in today’s post, the furnace of affliction and trial purges sin from our lives, making us purer vessels to be used in the kingdom (II Timothy 2:20-21).
So the next time a trial comes your way, don’t gripe and complain. Instead, seek the Lord and allow him to use the situation for his glory and your good.