Zechariah 12 (Contemporary English Version)
- This is a message from the LORD about Israel: I am the LORD! I stretched out the heavens; I put the earth on its foundations and gave breath to humans.
- I have decided that Jerusalem will become a bowl of wine that makes the neighboring nations drunk. And when Jerusalem is attacked, Judah will also be attacked.
- But I will turn Jerusalem into a heavy stone that crushes anyone who tries to lift it. When all nations on earth surround Jerusalem,
- I will make every horse panic and every rider confused. But at the same time, I will watch over Judah.
- Then every clan in Judah will realize that I, the LORD All-Powerful, am their God, and that I am the source of their strength.
- At that time I will let the clans of Judah be like a ball of fire in a wood pile or a fiery torch in a hay stack. Then Judah will send the surrounding nations up in smoke. And once again the city of Jerusalem will be filled with people.
- But I will first give victory to Judah, so the kingdom of David and the city of Jerusalem in all of their glory won't be thought of more highly than Judah itself.
- I, the LORD God, will protect Jerusalem. Even the weakest person there will be as strong as David, and David's kingdom will rule as though my very own angel were its leader.
- I am determined to wipe out every nation that attacks Jerusalem.
- I, the LORD, will make the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem feel deep sorrow and pray when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their first-born.
- On that day the people of Jerusalem will mourn as much as everyone did for Hadad Rimmon on the flatlands near Megiddo.
- Everyone of each family in the land will mourn, and the men will mourn separately from the women. This includes those from the family of David, and the families of Nathan,
- Levi, Shimei,
- and all other families as well.
The first 4 verses speak of a siege against Jerusalem. It seems that all nations of the earth are drawn to this siege. For some reason the Gentile nations seem compelled to rise up against the city. Although we may not know the circumstances compelling this drive against Jerusalem, we know the Lord is behind it. And the Lord says, regarding those who are a part of the siege, that He will make Jerusalem "a cup that causes staggering for the peoples who surround the city." The Lord will be fighting this battle on behalf of Israel. It will not be Israel's military might that causes this staggering of those surrounding the city. For the Lord will "strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah but strike all the horses of the nations with blindness." The mention of horses here raises the question of whether the passage is speaking figuratively or literally. There are commentators on both sides of this question. Though our curiosity seeks to know which is true, the point is that God will throw into confusion those who lay siege to Jerusalem.
This siege apparently serves to unify Judah and Israel. It seems possible in verse 5 that in the beginning of this siege Judah is among those surrounding Jerusalem. But as she sees God's intervention on behalf of Israel she unites with Israel. Then it seems that God makes Judah the prominent force against those surrounding the city. On that day He will make even the weakest among them as strong a warrior as David in his day, resulting in the destruction of all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
What comes next may be the most amazing part of these events. Once the nations laying siege against Jerusalem are defeated the Lord will "pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced." This will bring a tremendous mourning among the people and leaders in Jerusalem. The cause of their mourning will be their previous rejection of the Messiah. What a great day that will be!
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