Zechariah 13:7-9 Timeline
Posted by Matt Postiff October 17, 2014 on Matt Postiff's Blog under Bible TextsÂ
The sword awakes against the shepherd and strikes him. This is the crucifixion of Christ.
The sheep will be scattered after Christ's arrest and subsequent crucifixion. Some interpret this as the dispersion after 70 AD when the city was destroyed by the Roman general Titus. But Jesus applies it to the disciples (Matt. 26:31, 56; Mark 14:27, 50) and to Peter specifically (Matthew 26:33-35, 69-74; Mark 14:29-31, 54, 66-72).
The turning of God's hand against the little ones represents the time of the dispersion which continues until the present day, with many Jews still outside of the land, and many catastrophes befalling them. I cannot help but thinking of the Holocaust in this regard. God ultimately did permit this atrocity, at the hands of wicked Gentiles.
Two thirds shall be cut off and die but one third shall be left. This refers to the Tribulation, which is full of death for Jews as well as Gentiles. See Revelation 8:11, 9:15, 12:13, 13:7, 13:15, 19:21.
The one third will be refined through fire and will call on the name of the Lord. This remnant refers to the same group which we read about in 12:10-13:6 that will be saved en masse at the last day.
