zechariah 13 and 14

Read Zechariah 13 and 14 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions

Zec 13:7-9 {p} The Shepherd struck, the sheep scattered/ two-thirds cut off, one-third purified by fire
Zec 14:1-11 {s} The nations gathered against Jerusalem, YHVH will defend her/ YHVH will descends with His saints
Zec 14:12-21 {p} The plague against nations/ the remnant of the nations will worship YHVH at Jerusalem

7TH PROPHETIC MESSAGE: Zec 12:1-14:21 chiastic structure

1a) Zec 12:1-4, The nations gathered against Jerusalem/ YHVH will open His eyes upon Judah;

1a) Zec 12:1-2, Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all surrounding peoples, when they besiege Judah + Jerusalem;
central axis) Zec 12:3, Jerusalem a heavy stone/ all who heave it cut down, though all nations gathered against it;
2a) Zec 12:4, Confusion, madness, blindness for the warriors of the nations/ YHVH will open His eyes on Judah;

1b) Zec 12:5, Judah’s governors will say: YHVH of Hosts is the God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

1c) Zec 12:6-9, The governors of Judah like a firepan/ YHVH will save Judah + defend Jerusalem;

1d) Zec 12:10-14, The repentance of the house of David/ mourning for Him whom they pierced;

central axis) Zec 13:1-2, “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land;”

2d) Zec 13:3-6 {p} The repentance of the false prophets/ shame + wounds from family, friends;

2c) Zec 13:7-9a, The Shepherd struck + the sheep scattered/ two-thirds cut off, one-third purified through fire;

2b) Zec 13:9b {p} They will call upon YHVH + say that YHVH is my God;

2a) Zec 14:1-21 {s+p} The nations gathered against Jerusalem/ the nations will open their eyes upon YHVH.

The A pair: I believe they both refer to the same event in time, yet future to us but coming soon, when all nations will gather themselves against Jersualem. YHVH Himself will defend her, and it will be the point of His return upon the Mount of Olives.

The C pair: It doesn’t seem as if they pair. The 1C pair deals with Judah, the 2C pair with, I believe, Ephraim: those sheep who acknowledged Yeshua their Shepherd from the time of His first advent. The repeating themes are Messiah’s advent, fire and salvation: in the 1C pair, the setting is the 2nd advent of Messiah returning to conquer and reign; in the 2C pair, the setting is the first advent of Messiah – striking the Shepherd. In the 1C pair, Judah becomes like a firebrand, burning those of the nations who attempt to handle him. In the 2C pair, the one-third remnant of Yeshua’s sheep go through the fire which purifies them as gold and silver is purified. In the 1C pair, YHVH defends Judah and saves him when the nations come against him. In the 2C pair, Yeshua’s sheep are saved in the very act of striking the Shepherd.