This week, we shall finish the study
of the book of Zechariah and begin the study of the book of Nahum in the Old
Testament.
This chapter contains a symbolic act in in which the prophet assumes the office of a shepherd over the flock as commanded by the Lord. In essence, it is the prophecy of Jesus Christ as He is identified with God clearly in v. 10:
11:1-3—The Wrath of God against Israel/Judah
(1) To which part of Israel is judgment directed? (v. 1)
(2) Why does the Lord also call on the juniper/pine trees and the oaks of Bashan to wail? (v. 2)
(3) How will the ruin of the land affect the shepherds and the lions? (v. 3)
(4) Since “Lebanon (is) the frontier of the Holy Land, and Bashan, the northern part of the territory of the Israelites to the east of the Jordan” (K&D, 589), what kind of judgment do these verses depict? (This section appears to be an elaboration of the judgment pronounced in 10:3 against the shepherds of Judah.)
11:4-14—The Good Shepherd
(5) A reality check for Israel (vv. 5-6)
a. How does the Lord depict the house of Israel? (v. 4 )
b. Who are the ones who sell them to be slaughtered by the buyers (the nations)? (v. 5)
c. What kinds of shepherd-leaders would you say they are? (you may consult Jn. 10:12-13)
d. The Lord appears to have given up on the people (v. 6)
i. At the time of this prophecy, what have the people of Israel gone through?
ii. What can they expect in the future according to this oracle?
(6) The command to shepherd them (vv. 7-8a)
a. As much as the flock has been marked for slaughter, what does the Lord ask the prophet (who symbolizes the future Shepherd) to make?
b. What does the staff of a shepherd symbolize?
c. In calling one “Favor”, the other one “Union”, what does the appointment of this new Shepherd signify?
d. One month obviously signifies a very short period of time and based on what follows, this Shepherd can only refer to Christ Jesus. What might the three (kinds of bad) shepherd-leaders refer to at the appearance of Christ?
(7) The rejection by the flock (vv. 8b-14)
a. How does the flock treat this new Shepherd? (v. 8b)
b. How has this prophecy been fulfilled in Christ Jesus? (Acts 3:13ff)
c. The Shepherd will revoke the covenant with all the nations “on that day” (vv. 9-11)
i. At the rejection of the flock (the Jews), what favor will God withdraw from Israel?
ii. What has the history of Israel (revealed after the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus) reflected the fulfillment of the words in v. 9?
iii. What should Israel have learned from this? (v. 11)
d. The getting rid of their Shepherd (vv. 12-14)
i. As they detest their Shepherd, what will they do to get rid of Him? (v. 12)
ii. Why does the Lord call the price they pay to get rid of Him as “the handsome price”? (see Exod. 21:32)
iii. How has this prophesy been fulfilled concerning Christ Jesus? (see Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10)
iv. At this, the Union staff is also broken:
1. What does it mean? (v. 14)
2. While the Shepherd no longer just holds a staff that belongs only to Israel and Judah, what kind of a Shepherd has He become? (Jn. 10:16)
11:15-17—The Foolish Shepherd
(8) At the rejection of the Good Shepherd, what will happen to the land (and people) of Israel?
(9) Again, what does the history of Israel after Christ’s ascension reveal about the fulfillment of the prophecy in v. 16?
(10) Does it mean that the Lord has given up on the people of Israel and is oblivious to their plight? (v. 17)
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
本週我們會完成研讀舊約的撒迦利亞書，並開始研讀那鴻書。請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
這默示中先知被吩咐承擔牧養群羊之職。從11:10所言，我們就曉得這默示其實是指耶穌基督而說的：
11:1-3—神對以色列/猶大的怒氣
(1) 這怒氣是向那地發出的？(11:1)
(2) 為何神也呼籲松樹和巴珊的橡樹去哀號？(11:2)
(3) 這些地方的毀壞如何禍及牧人和獅子？(11:3)
(4) “利巴嫩(既)是聖地的邊界，而巴珊是以色列北面的地區，位於約但河東” (K&D, 589)，這裡的審判是針對誰說的？(這段似是10:3對牧人審判的延續)
11:4-15—好牧人
(5) 以色列人的實況(11:5-6)
a. 神如何形容這群羊？(11:4)
b. 這賣羊給(列國)宰殺的是誰？(11:5)
c. 他們是怎樣的牧人/領袖？(可參約10:12-13)
d. 神不再憐恤 (11:6)
i. 在這默示的時刻，以色列已遭到什麼的經歷？
ii. 從這默示可以知道，他們的將來會如何？
(6) 牧養的吩咐(11:7-8a)
a. 雖然群羊將被宰，神仍吩咐先知怎樣做？
b. 牧羊的杖一般是什麼象徵？
c. 手拿的兩杖，一稱為”榮美/Favor”；一稱為”聯索/Union”：這牧者的委派表明了什麼？
d. 一個月是指很短的時間：“我”—下文顯示這好牧人是指基督耶穌—所除滅的是那三(類的)惡牧人？
(7) 憎厭好牧人(11:8b-14)
a. 這些將被宰的羊怎樣對待這好牧人？(11:8b)
b. 這預言怎樣應驗在基督耶穌身上？(徒3:13ff)
c. “當那日”好牧人要廢棄與萬民所立的約(11:9-11)
i. 當羊(指以色列)憎厭牧人，牧人就折斷榮美/Favor杖：這是什麼意思？
ii. 按以色列的歷史，當他們把主釘在十字架上後，他們一直所遭遇的是什麼？如何應驗了11:9的警告？
iii. 以色列當從這事有什麼領會（11:11)？
d. 賣掉牧人(11:12-14)
i. 既憎厭這牧人，他們欲怎樣除掉祂？(11:12)
ii. 神為何稱這除掉牧者的價銀為”美好的價值/handsome price”？（參出21:32）
iii. 這預言如何準確的應驗在基督耶穌身上？（見太26:14-16; 27:3-10)
iv. “聯索/Union”杖也同時被折斷：
1. 這是表明什麼？(11:14)
2. 牧人不再拿只屬猶大和以色列的杖，是否祂不再作牧人呢？(見約10:16)
11:15-17—愚昧的牧人
(8) 既憎厭並除掉好牧人，以色列將得到什麼遭遇？
(9) 基督耶穌升天後，這裡的預言怎樣應驗在以色列身上？(11:16)
(10) 這是表明神已完全放棄，不顧群羊的遭遇嗎？(11:17)
(11) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.” (Zech. 11:7)
One of the prophecies about the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament that has been fulfilled undeniably is the one about His betrayal by Judas for thirty pieces of silver.
This prophetic word is framed within the larger prophecy concerning the fate of the whole house of Israel (i.e. Judah and Israel together) who would continue to draw the wrath of God (11:1-3). Instead of giving up on them, the prophecy reaches its climax with the arrival of the new Shepherd who holds two staffs conveying one last opportunity to the whole house of Israel. The first one is called “Favor”, denoting God’s covenant with the nations to hold off their total destruction of Israel, and the second one is called “Union”, denoting God’s favor to shepherd them as one people under Him.
The resulting response from this flock is one of detestation and rejection of the Good Shepherd who is identified in v. 10 as God Himself. This is obviously referring to the Son of God who has come among His people and was rejected. As they detest Him, the prophecy foretells the price they are willing to pay to get rid of Him as “thirty pieces of silver” which is actually the amount to be compensated under the Law of Moses for the killing of a slave (Exod. 21:32). This reflects how the people would treat the Son of God, and this is fulfilled in the payment Judas got from the priests in his betrayal of his Lord Jesus (Matt. 26:15): “'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?'. So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”
The fulfillment does not stop there, as the prophetic words continue to say, “Throw it to the potter…at the house of the Lord” (11:13). This has been fulfilled to a tee as Judas sought to return the money when his conscience was pricked by the pronouncement of death of Jesus by the Sanhedrin, and he “threw the money into the temple…so they (the priests) decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.’ (Matt. 27:5, 7)
With undisputable prophecies like this, no wonder the Acts of Apostles reports that:
“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7)
「於是，我牧養這將宰的群羊，就是群中最困苦的羊。我拿著兩根杖，一根我稱為「榮美」，一根我稱為「聯索」。這樣，我牧養了群羊。」(亞11:7)
在眾多不能置疑成就在基督耶穌身上的舊約預言中，那有關祂被猶大以三十塊錢出賣的預言是最突出之一。
這段預言是根據以色列家仍會繼續觸動神的憤怒為主題的預言的一部份(11: 1ff)。但神卻沒有因此完全放棄他們，反而預言必有一位好牧人，要手拿兩杖來牧養他們。那二杖其實是神給予他們最後一次機會的象徵：一杖稱為榮美(意即Favor), 表示神要與列國立約，不立時把以色列毀滅到底；另一杖稱為聯索(意即Union), 表示神要牧養猶大與其他支派如一人，像從前一樣。。
可惜，這群羊竟然憎厭這好牧人—11:10就清楚指出這好牧人是耶和華自己；這就應驗神所差到他們當中的獨生子耶穌基督身上。預言說到他們憎厭祂到一個地步，為要除掉祂，要以“三十塊錢”作工價把祂賣掉。這價錢正是摩西律法所定，賠償奴僕的價錢(出21:32)。他們正是這樣的對待神的兒子，不但藉著猶大從祭司長手上接過三十塊錢來出賣耶穌(太26:15)，正應驗了撒迦利亞書這句話：“「你們若以為美，就給我工價；不然，就罷了。」於是他們給了三十塊錢，作為我的工價” (11:12)；更因猶大事後生悔意把錢退還祭司，“把那錢丟在殿裡”，促使祭司“用那銀錢買了窰戶的一塊田”(太27:5,7)，這就準確並完全的應驗了撒迦利亞對這牧人被憎嫌的預言：“我便將這三十塊錢，在耶和華的殿中丟給窯戶了”。(11:13)
像這樣準確地應驗有關基督耶穌的預言真是彼彼皆是，無怪使徒行傳就見證說：“神的道興旺起來，在耶路撒冷門徒數目加增的甚多，也有許多祭司信從了這道。”( 徒6:7)
The last message of the rejection of the Good Shepherd and the consequences of their rejection is now followed by a message of hope for Israel.
12:1-9—The Physical Deliverance of Israel
(1) Who the Lord is (v. 1)
a. How does the Lord address Himself?
b. What is the importance of this reminder of who He is?
(2) A summary of the message (v. 2)
a. What is the bad news about Jerusalem?
b. What is the good news?
(3) The first “On that day”(v. 3)
a. How serious will the siege of Jerusalem be?
b. How will Jerusalem be a cup to send the nations reeling?
(4) The second “On that day” (vv. 4-5)
a. How will God watch and protect Judah? (v. 4)
b. How will the clan of Judah interpret God’s deliverance?
(5) The third “On that day” (vv. 6-7)
a. How will Jerusalem be a cup to send the nations reeling? (v. 6)
b. Why will God save the dwellings of Judah first? (v. 7)
c. Why shouldn’t the house of David and Jerusalem be greater than that of Judah?
(6) The fourth “On that day” (v. 8)
a. Against such formidable armies of the nations, how can the people in Jerusalem not be fearful and weak?
(7) The fifth “On that day” (v. 9)
a. What will be the fate of these attacking nations?
12:10-13—The Salvation of Israel
(8) What kind of a spirit will be poured upon them on that day? (v. 10)
(9) What is the result of the pouring of such a spirit?
(10) Who is the one that they have pierced? (Isa. 53:5; Jn 19:34, 37)
(11) How bitter will the mourning and grieving be? (vv. 10-11; see 2 Chr. 35:24-25)
(12) What does it signify?
(13) Who else will be mourning? (v. 12)
(14) What does clan by clan and “their wives” signify? (see Note below)
(15) Eventually, will only the whole house of Israel look upon Him and mourn? (see Rev. 1:7)
(16) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“This universality of the lamentation is individualized in vv. 12-14, and
so depicted as to show that all the families and households of the nation
mourn, and not the men only, but also the women…Of the several families named,
two can be determined with certainty―namely, the families of the house of
David…and the families of the house of Levi…But about the other two families,
there is a difference in opinion.”
(K&D, 611-2)
Personally, I believe that the listing of clan by clan and the emphasis of wives as separate from husbands point to individual repentance rather than collective repentance.
請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
緊接上一章因厭棄牧人而遭審判的信息，是以色列復興的預言：
12:1-9—以色列地得拯救
(1) 首先神再表明祂是誰(12:1)
a. 神怎樣自稱？
b. 為何要這樣提醒以色列？
(2) 信息的扼要(12:2)
a. 先是惡訊：耶路撒冷要遭到什麼災難？
b. 後是什麼好消息？
(3) “那日”之一 (12:3)
a. 聚集攻擊耶路撒冷的是那國？
b. 結果怎樣？
(4) “那日”之二 (12:4-5)
a. 神怎樣保護看顧猶大家？(12:4)
b. 猶大家對所得的拯救有什麼看法？(12:5)
(5) “那日”之三 (12:6-7)
a. 神怎樣使用猶大的領袖？(12:6)
b. 為何先拯救猶大的帳棚？(12:7)
c. 為何大衛家和耶路撒冷居民的榮耀不能勝過猶大？
(6) “那日”之四 (12:8)
面對的是萬民、列國的聯軍，耶路撒冷和大衛家豈能不懼怕？
(7) “那日”之五 (12:9)
圍困耶路撒冷的敵人的命運如何？
12:10-13—救恩臨到以色列
(8) 在那日，神要澆灌怎樣的靈在他們身上？(12:10)
(9) 這靈的澆灌要帶來什麼結果？
(10) 這位被仰望的是誰？（見賽53:5；約19:34, 37）
(11) 這裡怎樣形容他們當時的悲哀？(12:10-11; 參代下35:24-25)
(12) 這樣的悲哀表示了什麼？
(13) 12:12的境內該指“全國/whole nation”(K&D, 611)
(14) 各家、男、女獨在一處是表明什麼？（可參下註）
(15) 至終是否只有以色列全家仰望他們所扎的嗎？（見啟1:7）
(16) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
註： “12:12-14將這普世性的悲哀個人化，是要指出世上各家、各族都悲哀，更是男的、女的分獨一處……這樣論到的各家，只有大衛家和利未家是我們能確知的……其他兩家是誰，則是意見紛紜的” (K&D, 611-2)。
“The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares.” (Zech. 12:1)
As Zechariah inches close to the end of the oracles that he receives from the Lord, the theme of his prophecies clearly goes far beyond the present rebuilding work of the temple of Jerusalem but reaches not only to the first coming of the Messiah but also to His second coming.
12:10 is quoted by the Apostle John to affirm the piercing of the side of Jesus on the cross by one of the soldiers as its fulfillment:
“Instead (of breaking Jesus’ legs), one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it (i.e. the Apostle John) has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of his bones will be broken', [Psalm 34:20] and, as another scripture says, 'They will look on the one they have pierced'.” (Jn. 19:34-37)
What the Apostle John means is that Jesus is the one whom they, the people of God, have pierced, though through the hand of this Roman soldier, as prophesied by the prophet Zechariah. However, the looking on the one they have pierced would have to wait till the End-time when Jerusalem will be surrounded by invading nations. In leading up to such an act of repentance by the people of Israel, the prophecy actually begins with these words: “The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares” (12:1). Such a “preamble” is important in that it shows:
- These are the words of the Creator of the heavens and earth and thus cannot be taken lightly for the following reasons:
(1) His words are firmer than His creation.
(2) He is the Almighty God who has absolute control over all His creation.
(3) His has a plan for all His creation, the existence of which is not accidental.- That as the One who forms not just the person but his spirit, He will not only hold them accountable, but will bring His plan of saving them to fruition.
As it turns out, the sending of His Son to be pierced and to die is not just for the salvation of Israel, but for the Gentiles as well, although Israel, in general, might lag behind the latter and would only turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in their final hours of history. Just the same, the end of this prophecy clearly signifies that repentance has to be personal and individual, as even each clan had to repent by itself, “with their wives by themselves” (12:12).
「耶和華論以色列的默示。鋪張諸天，建立地基，造人裡面之靈的耶和華說。」(亞12:1)
當撒迦利亞從神得的默示快將結束時，預言的內容明顯超越了針對要他們重建聖殿的鼓勵，進而論到彌賽亞基督兩次的降臨。
使徒約翰在目睹耶穌基督被釘在十字架時，就引用撒迦利亞書12:10來證明撒迦利亞預言的準確：
“唯有一個兵拿槍扎他的肋旁，隨即有血和水流出來。 看見這事的那人就作見證，他的見證也是真的，並且他知道自己所說的是真的，叫你們也可以信。這些事成了，為要應驗經上的話說：「他的骨頭一根也不可折斷。」經上又有一句說：「他們要仰望自己所扎的人。」” (約19:34-37)
約翰的意思是，耶穌正是神藉先知所說猶大要扎的那位，雖然是藉羅馬人的手而作的。不過，他們要仰望自己所扎的這方面的預言，尚屬將來在末期耶路撒冷被列國圍困時才得成就。不過，在論到這末期要發生的預言之先，神先作出聲明說：“鋪張諸天，建立地基，造人裡面之靈的耶和華”(12:1)。這個聲明是重要的，因為：
- 這是出自那創天造地的神的口，故此人不能輕看，因為(1)祂的話比祂創造的天地更穩固；(2)這全能的神完全掌管著一切被造的；(3)祂鋪張、建立天地一切並非偶然—全是祂計劃萬有的一部份；
- 而且，祂更是造人裡面的靈魂的那位—祂已為每一個要向祂交賬的靈魂預備了，並要成就救恩的大計。
如此確實的預言已藉耶穌的被釘、被扎，成就在我們眼前。這救恩原本就不是單為以色列人而預備的，也是為我們外邦人而設的。不過，猶太人(以整體而言)須等到他們歷史的末期才悔改，仰望耶穌基督，雖然那時“以色列全家都要得救” (羅11:26) ，撒迦利亞這段預言清楚的指出，他們的悔改、得救仍一定是個人性的，是每家獨自的，甚至是丈夫還丈夫，妻子還妻子的（12:12-14)。
The message of Israel’s salvation continues with the theme, “On that day”:
(1) A fountain will be opened (v. 1)—The house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem represent the whole house of Israel. (K&D, 613, Rom. 11:26)
a. What will this fountain do to them?
b. Who is that fountain that can cleanse people from sins? (1 Jn. 1:7)
c. Is it only open to them?
d. Why then will it be open to them “on that day”? (12:10)
(2) Total spiritual transformation “On that day” (vv. 2-6)
a. What are the things that will be totally exterminated on that day? (v. 2; see Note below)
b. Utter rejection of false prophets by the people (v. 3)
i. According to the Law of Moses, how should false prophets be dealt with? (see Deut. 18:20)
ii. How does this hyperbole illustrate the people’s utter rejection of false prophets?
c. Utter repentance of false prophets (vv. 4-6)
i. In this hyperbole, how do false prophets show their repentance? (vv. 4-6)
ii. What lesson can we learn from them in disassociating ourselves from our former sinful lives?
(3) The striking of the Shepherd (v. 7)—in order to provide the fountain for cleansing, something has to happen first:
a. What is the relationship between this Shepherd and the Lord Almighty? (v. 7)
b. What will happen when the Lord Almighty strikes the Shepherd?
c. How is this fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ? (see Matt. 26:31, 56)
d. Why should the Lord Almighty strike His Shepherd in order to open the fountain of cleansing? (Matt. 26:28; 1 Jn. 5:6)
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Idolatry and false prophecy “were the two principal forms in which ungodliness manifested itself in Israel” (K&D, 613). Revelation 16:13 testifies to the relationship between false prophets and unclean spirits.
請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
“那日”復興的信息的繼續：
(1) 打開泉源(13:1)—這裡大衛家和耶路撒冷是全以色列家的代表（K&D, 613; 羅11:26）
a. 這泉源有什麼功用？
b. 這泉源是誰？（見約壹1:7)
c. 是否單為以色列家而開？
d. 為何在“那日”才為他們而開？(參12:10)
(2) “那日”的更新（13:2-6)
a. 到那日，什麼會被徹底的除掉？(13:2; 參下註)
b. 百姓徹底除掉假先知（13:3)
i. 按摩西律法，他們該怎樣處置假先知？(申18:20)
ii. 這似帶誇張的描述怎樣表示百姓拒絕假先知的決心？
c. 假先知徹底的悔過(13:4-6)
i. 這似帶誇張的描述怎樣表示假先知悔改的決心？
ii. 這給我們什麼與罪斷絕關係的榜樣？
(3) 擊打牧羊的預言(13:7)—洗罪泉源的準備
a. 這牧人與耶和華的關係是怎樣的？(13:7)
b. 這牧人被擊打時，立刻會帶來什麼結果？
c. 這預言怎樣應驗在基督耶穌身上？（見太26:31, 56)
d. 為何要讓牧人被擊打才能開赦罪之泉源？（見太26:28；約壹5:6）
(4) 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
註：拜偶像與假先知“是以色列叛逆神的表現最主要的兩方面” (K&D, 613)。啟示錄16:13給我們看到假先知與污穢的靈之關係。
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” (Zech. 13:1)
The house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are used by the prophet to represent the whole house of Israel (Rom. 11:26) who will repent and look upon the one they pierced, the Lord Jesus Christ (12:10). It is interesting to read that “on that day”, the day of their repentance, “a fountain will be opened” to them. The truth of the matter is, according to Zechariah 12-14, this fountain, the blood of Christ, has been opened to all; it is just that the house of Israel, in general, has not chosen to repent and does not believe in their Messiah until shortly before the second coming of Christ. However, this speaks to a spiritual truth that is relevant to all.
No one can come to repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless God pours out the spirit of grace and supplication (12:10) on the person, because by ourselves, there is not even an ounce of goodness in us that draws us to God. In the words of the Apostle Paul, before we came to Christ “we were dead in transgression and sins” (Eph. 2:1). As a dead person, we could not respond to things spiritual; it is only when God’s Spirit awakes in the mind of man the acknowledgement of sin and guilt that spurs him onto repentance and belief. As a result, our salvation is by the grace of God through and through as the Apostle Paul puts it, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8)
Indeed, no one can boast of their faith in Christ, it is all grace (Eph. 2:9).
「那日，必給大衛家，和耶路撒冷的居民，開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與汙穢。」(亞13:1)
撒迦利亞在這裡以大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民作為以色列全家的代表（見羅11:26），指出他們終會悔改、仰望他們手所扎的耶穌基督(12:10)。這段繼續指出在他們悔改的“那日”，有一洗除罪惡與污穢的泉源會為他們而開。事實上，這泉源—耶穌基督的寶血—已為全人類打開，只是以色列家仍選擇拒絕相信他們的彌賽亞，耶穌基督；按撒迦利亞書12-14章所言，要等到基督再來之時，因神將那施恩叫人懇求的靈，澆灌在他們身上（12:10），他們才被洗於這早已打開的寶血泉。
這裡叫我們看到一個屬靈的真理：神若不施恩把那叫人懇求的靈澆灌在我們身上，沒有人能生悔改和相信的心。我們按自己，是壞到極處(耶17:9)，全無良善(羅3:12)能促使我們就近神的。就像使徒保羅所言，我們信主之前，是“死在過犯罪惡之中”的（弗2:1）。作為死人，我們對屬靈的事沒有回應；惟有神選擇在人的心中作喚醒的工作，我們才會知罪而悔改及相信。故此，我們能承受救恩，從始至終，都是神的工作。故此使徒告訴我們：“你們得救是本乎恩，也因著信。這並不是出於自己，乃是神所賜的”(弗2:8)。
As the whole book of prophecy by Zechariah is brought to a glorious close in chapter 14, the event that leads to the repentance of Israel, in which they will look upon the one whom they have pierced, is now made clear:
13:8-9—The Future Tribulation of Israel Foretold—the “whole land” apparently refers to the whole land of Israel as the rest of the prophecy makes clear:
(1) What will happen to two-thirds of its inhabitants? (v. 8)
(2) What will happen to the rest (i.e. remaining third)? (v. 9)
(3) What will be the result of this refining? (v. 9b)
14:1-2—More Details on the Refining
(4) What is this day of refining called? (v. 1)
(5) Who will be the oppressors of Israel? (v. 2)
(6) What “fire” will the remaining third go through? (v. 2)
14:3-5—The 2nd Coming of the Messiah/Christ
(7) Who will come and fight against the nations and how? (vv. 3-4; see Isa. 29:6; 66:15-16)
(8) Who in fact is the one being referred to? (Acts 1:9-12)
(9) What will happen to the Mount of Olives so that they may escape? (vv. 4-5; see Note below)
(10) Who will accompany the Lord at His return? (v. 5b; Matt. 25:31 )
14:6-9—The Consummation of Salvation
(11) How unique will that day be in terms of climate and natural order? (vv. 6-7)
(12) How does it resemble the eventual New heavens and new earth foretold in Revelation 21:22-26 and 22:5?
(13) It also affirms the vision of Ezekiel 47:1-12. What is the emphasis here about the Living Water? (See also how it resembles the Living Water in Rev. 22:1-2.)
(14) What has brought about these tremendous blessings? (v. 9)
(15) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
While it is not clear where Azel is, one early church father, Cyril, thinks that it is a city east of Mount Olives. The earthquake in the days of Uzziah is only alluded to in Amos 1:1.)
請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
以色列至終悔改，仰望他們所扎的，這事故現在就較清楚的被預言出來： 13:8-9—預言以色列的大災難—這 “全地”是指以色列地：
(1) 地上的三分之二要遭到什麼命運？(13:8)
(2) 其餘三分之一又會怎樣？(13:9)
(3) 這如火的試煉要帶來什麼結果？(13:9b)
14:1-2—火的試煉
(4) 這日子現被稱為什麼日子？(14:1)
(5) 攻擊耶路撒冷的是什麼人？(14:2)
(6) 其餘三分之一要受怎樣的熬煉？(14:2)
14:3-5—彌賽亞基督的再來
(7) 誰會出去為他們爭戰？(14:3; 參賽29:6; 66:15-16)
(8) 這裡說腳站橄欖山的是誰？（見徒1:9-12）
(9) 橄欖山會變成怎樣使他們能逃離？(14:4-5; 參下註)
(10) 誰會與主一同降臨？（14:5b; 太25:31）
14:6-9—救恩的成全
(11) 那日的天勢有什麼特別的地方？(14:6-7)
(12) 與啟示錄的新天新地有什麼相似之處？（見啟21:22-26; 22:5）
(13) 這裡的活水怎樣簡述以西結書47:1-12活水的異象？與啟示錄22:1-2的活水有什麼相似之處？
(14) 這些更新的主因何在？(14:9)
(15) 今天你得到的提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
註：我們不大清楚亞薩在那裡，不過第四世紀的教父Cyril說是橄欖山東面的一個城市。至於烏西雅年間的大地震在阿摩司書1:1有提到。
“I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city." (Zech. 14:2)
As I read the tribulation that is foretold in Zechariah 14, I cannot help but think of the destruction of Jerusalem in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the even more horrible destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 in the hands of General Titus of Rome as vividly described by the Jewish historian Josephus, and also the Holocaust the Jews suffered in the hands of Hitler. To read that they will at least go through one more equally tragic tribulation at the End-time sends chills down my spine. What is worse are the words spoken by our Lord Jesus concerning this particular suffering of the Jews:
“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matt. 24:21-22)
The sufferings of the Jews, especially during the Holocaust, have caused many to doubt if God is really a God of Love. Listen to the bitter objection of this older gentleman who wrote to challenge his son who sought to share the gospel with him:
“Do you know how easy it would have been for God to simply snuff out Hitler and save the lives of all those Jewish children? Why not just abort the bastard before he’s born? Or give him a fatal disease when he’s a kid? Hell, it happens all the time. Why not to him…Think how many millions of Jewish parents banged God’s ear off during the Holocaust? All they got was silence.”
To this, his wise son shared his own thoughts:
“But I thought at the time (of his own struggle over the same issue), the suffering of the world says that there can’t be a God. It all came to a head for me one cold February night as I was walking back from an astronomy class at the University of Minnesota. Thinking of the grandeur of the stars we had just been looking at, I was saying to myself, ‘there must be a God'. But thinking of the nightmarish suffering in Auschwitz, I was saying to myself, ‘there can’t be a God'. The two thoughts were battling with each other at hyperspeed. I was tormented.
“Finally, just as I approached my car, I looked up to the sky and cried out with a loud, angry voice—'The only God I can believe in is one who knows firsthand what it's like to be a Jewish child buried alive, and know what it’s like to be a Jewish mother watching her child be buried!’. And just then it occurred to me (or was it revealed?): That is exactly the kind of God Christianity proclaims. There is no other belief which does this. Only the gospel dares to proclaim that God enters smack-dab into the middle of the hell we create. Only the gospel dares to proclaim that God was born a baby in a bloody, crap-filled stable, that He lived a life befriending the prostitutes and lepers no one else would befriend, and that He suffered, firsthand, the hellish depth of all that is nightmarish in human existence. Only the gospel portrait of God makes sense of the contradictory fact that the world is at once so beautiful and so ugly…God was suffering with you, and me (referring to the death of his mother when he was a child). He cries too. And through His participation in our pain, He wants to redeem it. He wants to bring about whatever healing is possible to you, and to me, and to all involved. His healing strength is in His vulnerability to pain. He’s begun to bring about His healing in my life. He can do it in yours as well.” (Letters from a Skeptic, 72-77)
「因為我必聚集萬國與耶路撒冷爭戰，城必被攻取，房屋被搶奪，婦女被玷污，城中的民一半被擄去，剩下的民，仍在城中，不致剪除。」(亞14:2)
讀到撒迦利亞預言猶太人在末期所要遭到的熬煉時，我就想到在耶路撒冷被毀時，在尼布甲尼撒手下他們所經歷的可怕的殺戮；加上主後70年在羅馬提多將軍手下所遭遇極殘酷的屠殺(歷史家約瑟夫栩栩如生的報導)，更有近代在希特拉手下經歷的「大屠殺」，都是叫人不寒而慄！然而，他們在末期還要經歷更可怕的大災難。正如主耶穌所言：
“因為那時必有大災難，從世界的起頭直到如今沒有這樣的災難，後來也必沒有。 若不減少那日子，凡有血氣的總沒有一個得救的；只是為選民，那日子必減少了。” (太24:21-22)
猶太人在歷史中經歷的苦難，往往使一些人懷疑：神真的存在嗎？神豈是愛的神呢！就如一位老人家向他那信耶穌的兒子這樣的質問：
“你知道嗎？神要除掉希特拉是輕而易舉的事；這樣豈不是救回所有被殺的猶太人嗎！為何不叫這人胎死腹中？或讓他年幼就感染病毒而死？不少孩子豈不是這樣死亡的嗎？為何他卻……想想，上百萬的猶太父母在“大屠殺”時豈不懇切的向神祈求嗎？所得的只是（神的）緘默。”
這位很有智慧的兒子就這樣的回答：
“我也曾為此內心掙扎。世上的苦難宣告：無可能有神的存在！這掙扎在某一個二月的晚上達到頂點。我在大學的一堂天文學下課後，步向我的車子；想到剛才看到天上偉大的星際，我不禁的說：一定有神的存在。但當我想到猶太人所經驗的“大屠殺”，也就不禁的說：無可能有神的存在！這兩個思想在交戰、折磨著我。
“終於到達車子時，我望著天空，帶著憤怒大聲的說:「我只可以相信的神，是能親自了解那些猶太孩子被活生生埋葬的神，是能了解那些猶太母親眼眼看見自己孩子被埋葬的 神！」就在那時，我立時想到（或許是得到啟示吧？）：這正是基督教所傳講的神！世上沒有其他宗教是這樣宣講的。只有福音敢於傳講這位肯踏進我們人類自創的 地獄的神。只有福音敢於傳講這位降世生在充滿動物的血與糞的馬槽，然後長大，成為被人拒絕的娼妓和長痲瘋之人的朋友；最後親自受苦，親嘗人間如地獄般痛苦 的死亡。惟有福音叫我們領會到這個矛盾：同時在這美麗(又)醜陋的世界……神是與你和我一同受苦（作者是指他幼年喪母的經歷)。祂亦有哭泣。藉著參與我們的痛苦，祂要救贖我們。祂要給我們帶來可能的醫治—包括你、我和所有受影響的人。祂醫治的力量出自祂自己所受的痛苦。祂已在我生命中開始了祂的醫治，祂也能醫治你。”
(譯自Letters from a Skeptic, 72-77)
The consummation of God’s plan on earth also means the restoration of Jerusalem above all other nations:
14:10-11—Elevation of Jerusalem
(1) There will also be a geographical change concerning Jerusalem in that the whole land surrounding Jerusalem will be levelled into a plain, causing it to be elevated above its neighboring land. What does it signify? (see Note below)
(2) What will the city of Jerusalem become? (v. 11: Note, “never again will it be destroyed” is more literally translated as “there will be no more curse”.)
14:12-19—God’s Dealing with the Nations
(3) How will the Lord strike the nations that are mentioned in 14:1?
(4) Read the description of the plague carefully (vv. 12b-13, 15). What kind of modern-day warfare does it resemble with the same destructive power extended to animals?
(5) What will happen to those in the nations who survive such a plague? (v. 16)
(6) Why is the Festival of Tabernacles particularly mentioned here? (See Deut. 16:13-15. While commanded by the Lord during their wandering in the wilderness, it was obviously first celebrated upon their entrance into the Promised Land which marked the fulfillment of God’s promise.)
(7) Non-compliance of this future command would not happen during God’s complete reign on earth: What does such a warning, particularly against Egypt (the nation that symbolizes slavery to sin) serve to illustrate? (vv. 17-19)
14:20-21—All Things are Holy
(8) Where were the words “Holy to the Lord” originally commanded to be engraved on? (see Exod. 28:36-38)
(9) Where will these words be inscribed during God’s reign on earth? (v. 20)
(10) What does this signify?
(11) Within the house of the Lord (v. 20b)
a. Why should the sacred bowls in front of the altar be treated differently from the cooking pots?
b. What does it mean now that they will be treated equally?
(12) Outside of the house of the Lord (v. 21a)
a. Why would even common household pots be treated as holy as those used in the house of the Lord?
(13) There
will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord (v. 21b). Note:
The original Hebrew word "refers...sometimes to merchants" (TWOT,
446). Keil and Delitzsch opine that "The Canaanites are mentioned
here not as merchants...but as people laden with sin and under
cure" (see Gen. 9:25; Lev. 18:24-30; Deut. 7:2; 9:4).
a. Why were Canaanites prohibited in the house of the Lord in the first place? (see Gen. 9:25; Lev. 18:24-30; Deut. 7:2; 9:4)
b. What then does it mean by this statement?
(14) As we come to the end of the book of Zechariah, spend a bit of time going through your notes and take note of the following:
a. How important this book of prophecies concerning the first coming of the Lord is
b. How important this book of prophecies concerning the future of Israel and the world is
c. What is the most important message to you and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Land
surrounding Jerusalem:
With respect to the Benjamin gate,
請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
救恩的成全帶來耶路撒冷的改變：
14:10-11—耶路撒冷被抬舉
(1) 地理環境的改變：圍繞耶路撒冷的地成為平地，使耶路撒冷高過鄰近的地方。這要表明什麼？(可參下註)
(2) 14:11預言什麼改變？
14:12-19—神審判列國
(3) 神要怎樣對待圍困耶路撒冷的列國？(14:12)
(4) 請細讀神要施的災殃（4:12b-13, 15)：這裡所形容的臨到人和牲畜的災殃可使你聯想到現代什麼武器？
(5) 列國的生還者會怎樣？(14:16)
(6) 為何在此特別提到要守住棚節？（見申16:13-15。這命令雖然在曠野漂流時所吩咐的，卻有待他們進入迦南得應許地才正式守的）
(7) 這裡對不守節的警告用意何在，特別以埃及，這使人為奴之地為例？(相信在主掌權之下，沒有人敢不遵守)
14:20-21—凡物成聖
(8) “歸耶和華為聖”原是刻在什麼地方？（見出28:36-38)
(9) 現在連什麼也有這句話刻上？(14:20)
(10) 這是要表明什麼？
(11) 耶和華的殿內(14:20b)
a. 為何壇前的碗原與殿內煮食的鍋有別？
b. 現在都是一樣是什麼意思？
(12) 殿外(14:21a)
為何民用的鍋竟也歸耶和華為聖？
(13) 殿中不再有迦南人（14:21b）
a. 為何迦南人不可進殿？(見創9:25；利18:24-30；申7:2; 9:4)
b. 這句話的真正意思是什麼？
(14) 來到這預言書的結束時，請用點時間來思想：
a. 這書的預言對我們有關主耶穌第一次降臨的了解有多重要？
b. 這書的預言對我們有關主耶穌第二次降臨的了解有多重要？
c. 這書卷對你最主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
註：環繞耶路撒冷的地：迦巴是在其北（有3小時的路程）；臨門在其南（在別是巴之北約4小時）；亞拉巴是一平原。城市的邊界：由東至西—便雅憫門是北牆，有路通往便雅憫；朝東是第一門，朝西是角門。由北至南—哈楠業樓位於城的東北角(見耶31:38；尼3:1)；王的酒醡位於城的南面(見尼3:15)。 (K&D, 622)
“On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar." (Zech. 14:20)
The Law of Moses contains many regulations that guard against the mixing of consecrated things with the “common” or unclean in order to maintain the holiness of the temple. Sometimes, such offences could lead to death as was the case with the touching of the Ark by Uzzah, even though he was trying to prevent the ark from falling off the cart (2 Sam. 6:6-7).
However, Zechariah points out that on the day when “the Lord will be king over the whole earth” (14:9), the distinction between the “common” and the “sacred” will be completely wiped out.
Before, only the turban of the High Priest can bear the words, “Holy to the Lord” (Exod. 28:36) to denote the sacredness of his ministry in the Holy of Holies. And yet, in the future, things as common as the bells of the horses will bear such words. “On that day”, not only are cooking pots and sacred bowls equally holy within the house of the Lord, even pots used by common folks are said to be holy to the Lord Almighty (14:21). One wonders why?
The answer to this question is given in the very last verse of the whole book of Zechariah: “And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.” (14:21b).
No, it does mean that Gentiles, especially the Canaanites cannot enter into the house of the Lord; the term Canaanite is used to denote a people laden with sin and under the curse of God (Gen. 9:25; Lev. 18:24ff; Deut. 7:2; 9:4). What Zechariah means is that “the whole of the holy city, yes, the whole of the kingdom of God, will be transformed by the Lord into the holy of holies” (K&D, 627) and is void of sinners! It is the people who are holy that causes all things they use to become holy as well.
This reminds me of the saying of a servant of God in the 50’s, “There are no spiritual and carnal things, only spiritual people and carnal people. To a spiritual person, cutting an orange is a spiritual act.”
「當那日，馬的鈴鐺上必有「歸耶和華為聖的」這句話。耶和華殿內的鍋必如祭壇前的碗一樣。」(亞14:20)
摩西的律法充滿了條例務求把聖潔的與不潔的分開，特要保持聖殿的至聖。有時，干犯了這些條例會引至死亡的，就如烏撒，雖然是存心扶起約櫃，免其傾跌，卻立刻被神擊殺死亡（見撒下6:6-7)。
但是撒迦利亞卻指出，在耶和華作全地的王的那日(14:9)，聖潔與“俗”的分別再不存在了。
以前，「歸耶和華為聖」這句話，只能刻在大祭司冠冕前的金牌上，著此表明惟有大祭司才能到至聖所侍奉這至聖的神（出28:36）。但到了那日，連馬的鈴鐺，這些俗物也刻上這句話來。不但如此，神的殿中，煮食的鍋與用以獻祭的碗是一樣的（聖潔）；就是百姓家用的鍋也“必歸耶和華為聖”(14:21)。怎會如此呢？
答案在全本撒迦利亞書，最後的一節就有交代了：“ 當那日，在萬軍之耶和華的殿中必不再有迦南人。”(14:21b)
這句話並不是說外邦人，特別是迦南人，不許進神的殿。迦南人在此代表那些行神所憎惡的事的罪人，為神所咒詛的(創 9:25；利 18:24ff；申 7:2; 9:4)。撒迦利亞的意思是說：“整個聖城，對，整個神的國度會被神更新變成「至聖所」”(K&D, 627)，在這裡沒有罪，也沒有罪人。因裡面的人是聖潔的，故凡物也成聖了。
這個思想叫我想起50年代一位神僕的話：“其實，是沒有屬靈與不屬靈事物的分別，只有屬靈人和屬肉體的人的分別。若是屬靈人，連切開一個橙，也是屬靈的。”