You know it’s summer in Chicago when the Buckingham Memorial Fountain in Grant Park turns on. One of the largest fountains in the world, it shoots water to a height of 150 feet. A fountain is often used as a metaphor for an unfailing or inexhaustible supply. In Zechariah 12, we saw how in the last days Israel would turn to the Lord in repentance. They would realize they had pierced God and mourn over their sin (v. 10). Those tears of mourning would be replaced by a cleansing fountain.

In a remarkable act of grace, God will provide them a cleansing from sin they could not achieve on their own. Earlier, God had told the High Priest Joshua that He would, “remove the sin of this land in a single day” (3:9). That promise is fulfilled in chapter 13. No sin is too great, no impurity too defiling for this fountain.

Specifically, God promises that on that day He would banish three things: idols, false prophets, and impurity (v. 2). Idols and false prophets often go together in Scripture (10:2). We are often tempted to worship other gods. In ancient Israel, it was the gods of the Canaanites and their prophets. Today false gods go under different names, but they have compelling spokespersons. They tell us that the most important things in life are pleasure, wealth, or personal happiness—or any other number of idols. One of the blessings of the millennial kingdom is that these false prophets will be silenced.

True cleansing from sin is possible because of the work of Jesus in His death and resurrection. As Jesus proclaimed, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37–38).

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