Pastor Barry Forder

In these incredible chapters the answer is given as to why God has not yet poured out on Israel the blessings that were foretold and promised back in chapter 10. “This Chapter explains why the blessings and promises of the previous chapter are in abeyance for Israel. By rejecting their true Shepherd-Messiah at his first advent, they will experience rejection themselves, climaxing in their accepting of the false shepherd in the time of their greatest woe”. – Dr Chuck Missler Zechariah reveals that, following the Babylonian captivity, rather than repenting and turning to God, Israel’s ‘shepherd’s (their national leaders) had continued the same unjust and corrupt behavior that brought judgment on the nation before. So, in the same manner, there will be a time of woe and desolation for the Nation before the time of blessing (already foretold in this book) will begin. God had made a covenant with Israel to keep the gentile nations restrained so long as Israel walked with God. But if they forsook that covenant God would forsake them and scatrter them among the nations of this world – but even then His grace and mercy would hear their cry, when in their anguish they repented and called out to Him. See Lev 18:24-30 / Deut 4:26-31 / Deut 28 Chapter 11 opens with the declaration that judgment was coming from the north (vs 1-3), not this time from the Babylonians, but rather from Rome. In verse 4 however, prior to the judgment coming, God calls for the Messiah, Israel’s Shepherd, to feed the flock, even though they would reject His words. The Shepherd depicted by Zechariah can only be the Messiah. The reason they were called “the flock of slaughter” sprang from the fact that slaughter was their irrevocable destiny, just so long as the Jews preferred their own evil shepherds to the True One. Zechariah’s instruction here to “Feed the flock” refers to Christ himself coming into the ranks of the Chosen People to instruct and lead them in the paths of righteousness. “Last of All“* God sent his Son in the hope of averting their self-motivated dash to destruction” – James Coffman# Verses 6-11 then proceed to lay out the coming judgment where Israel will be handed over to the gentiles. In verse 12-13 we see the prophecy of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah at the hands of Judas, for 30 pieces of silver – the price of a slave. The tragic irony of this is that, not only did Israel reject their true Shepherd, they will embrace a false shepherd – Antichrist. Jesus Himself said: “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive”. (John 5:43) Verse 15-17 introduce us (again) to this false-shepherd who will come in his own name, and seek to devour the sheep! – so much so that Israel will face the greatest affliction in their history at the hands of Antichrist during the coming time of Tribulation (referred to by Jeremiah as the ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’ – Jeremiah 30:7). May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

Pastor Barry Forder

In this study we look at the last of a series of eight visions that the prophet Zechariah had in one night. Each vision unveiled a little more of God’s plan to restore and rebuild the nation of Israel following the Babylonian captivity. The scope of these visions takes us from 518 B.C. when Zechariah had these visions, to the time ahead of us when Jesus will return to establish His kingdom >ZECHARIAH CH9-10

Pastor Barry Forder

Pastor Barry Forder

In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul speaks of the 'Mystery of Israel'. David Torrance said: “Despite wars, persecutions and repeated attempts to obliterate them, they have kept their peculiar identity. They have remained a people apart from the other nations of the world, a testimony to the preserving hand of God. “For I the Lord do not change therefore , you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed” (Mal 3:6). “The very existence of the Jews in history, together with all that has happened to them in their long turbulent history, is proof that there is a God present and active, through His Holy Spirit, in history. By all normal laws of geography, history and ethnography, they ought as a distinct race to have disappeared long ago!”. Most books on 'systematic theology' cover every major area of doctrine except one: the calling, purpose and future of the Nation of Israel. Yet 5/6ths of the Bible are devoted to the family of Abraham, and God's unconditional promises to them. Sadly, the erroneous doctrine that God has somehow finished with Israel has swept through the Christian church, leaving many unaware of just how important Israel are in God's plan of redemption, salvation and restoration. In this study we look at the Biblical origins of the nation of Israel, God's unconditional covenants with them regarding the Nation, the Land, the Monarchy and the city of Jerusalem. May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

Pastor Barry Forder

Chapters 7 & 8 are an historical interlude in the book of Zechariah, between the prophetic visions of the first six chapters and the prophetic climax to the book, from chapter 9-14. In chapter 7 we see two individuals sent down from Jerusalem to Bethel (The House of God), to ask whether they should continue to keep the fasts they had been observing in the fifth month. It was on the 5th month (from the 5th to the 10th day) that the Babylonian army of Nebuchadnezzar has destroyed and burned the temple and city of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. During their time in Babylon, the Jews had commemorated this time by fasting and mourning for the city and temple. But now they were back in the land the question is asked, do they need to continue this practice, after all, it wasn’t like the Feast of Moses that they were instructed to keep. God’s response through Zechariah was to question why they had kept the fasts in the fist place. Was it for God they had done it? Or was is it for themselves? What was their motive? God them reminds them of the Nation’s history that had led up to the captivity in the first place. It had been characterised by injustice, cruelty, and the leaders of the nation, in particular, had hardened their hearts toward God, not wanting to hear His Law or Prophets. God now asks in effect, are your hearts still hard? Are you concerned about your ways or my ways? When you ‘celebrate’ your fasts, in the 5th month (when the city and temple were destroyed), or in the 7th month (when Gedaliah, the governor of Judah was assassinated), or in the 10th month (the anniversary of when the siege of Jerusalem had begun), are you celebrating with your thoughts on God? Or are you merely following a ritualistic practice, thinking that in some way, this makes God pleased?

Pastor Barry Forder

Zechariah was part of the new generation of Jews born back in the land following the Babylonian captivity. On night, God gave Zechariah a series of visions to encourage and strengthen the hearts of the people, and to reveal to them what their future would be; and even though the Devil himself would stand against them, God was on their side. God had chosen Jerusalem and see that His chosen people would eventually prosper and be at peace when their Messiah would one day establish His kingdom, not only over Israel, but over the whole earth. In this 4th vision, Zechariah sees his friend and co-worker, Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the throne of God. Satan is there accusing him, tying to discourage him and pointing out his unworthiness – and in type, Israel’s unworthiness to stand before God. But God intervenes and silences Satan. God has chosen Jerusalem; Joshua’s sin is taken away and Joshua’s filthy robes are replaced by clean and perfect garments. As Joshua stands before God on behalf of his people, he is crowned with a mitre. The word mitre derives from the Greek mitra, which signifies a headband or diadem (royal crown). For Joshua’s faithfulness and obedience God promises him that he will “judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zech 3:7), in other words, be given the rule over the people and over the whole land. This is the vision, and no doubt, it was a great encouragement to Zechariah, Joshua and the returned exiles; but this was more than just a vision of the present. It was a vision of what will be for the Nation of Israel, and for the whole world. The Hebrew name ‘Joshua’ (Yeshua) means ‘The Lord Saves’; and when translated into Greek, is the name Jesus! Thus, this whole vision depicts Jesus standing before the throneon Earth. In this eighth vision Zechariah sees two ‘mountains’ in juxtaposition, as if squaring up for battle. These may well represent the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of this world, for we see that in the midst of them come riding four horsemen and chariots that bear a striking resemblance to the four horsemen we see in Revelation chapter 6. These are angelic beings that are ushering in a time of judgment, after which Israel’s enemies will be silenced and our King & high priest will be crowned. May you be blessed and encouraged by this teaching.