Zechariah 10 Summary Handout

By PastorAdmin | 09/28/2019

First burden oracle: The LORD will bring back, gather, and bless.

 

Summary of chapter 10

Yahweh God, the Messiah King and cornerstone, will whistle for Israel to return from the nations (restoration). He will give Judah and Joseph (Israel) victory in the great coming battle (Armageddon) and rule in the Millennial Kingdom.

 

Zechariah 10 outline

  1. Zechariah 10.1. More predicted blessing when the LORD their God saves his people in that day.
  2. Zechariah 10.2-5. The LORD is angry with the false shepherds, and so he will lead Judah in battle, and the LORD will come as the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and the ruler.
  3. Zechariah 10.6-12. The LORD will whistle for the houses of Judah and Joseph, will bring them back from where he scattered them, and they will rejoice in the LORD and walk in his name.

 

Summary explanation of each section

  1. Zechariah 10.1. More predicted blessing when the LORD their God saves his people in that day. This verse continues the blessings that will be “in that day” of chapter 9. They will ask for rain for the crops and it will come. Spring rain is the last heavy rainfall in Palestine and occurs in March and April.
  2. Zechariah 10.2-5. The LORD is angry with the false shepherds, and so he will lead Judah in battle, and the LORD will come as the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and the ruler.
    1. Zechariah 10.2. The people have no spiritual leadership and so rely on teraphim and diviners for direction. God had forbidden teraphim and diviners (Deuteronomy 18.9-12; 2 Kings 23.24; 1 Samuel 15.23; Jeremiah 23.32; 27.9-10), but they appeared in Israel’s history (Genesis 31.19, 34; 2 Kings 21.6; 23.24). Teraphim are small household images used for advice. Diviners are those people who predict the future. They imitate biblical prophecy, sometimes by cutting up the liver of a bird or an animal and examining it for finding the god’s will (e.g. King of Babylon, Ezekiel 21.21; Balaam, Joshua 13.22; Philistines, 1 Samuel 6.2). These idols and false prophets gave no answers and no comfort. The people wandered like sheep without a shepherd (rulers and prophets). Sadly, there are many churches which by shallow teaching foster the same results. And then there are many in the church who claim to be apostles and prophets. They are false and lead believers and non-believers astray (Examples are Latter Rain, Manifest Sons of God, Kansas City Prophets, International House of Prayer, Bethel Church of Redding CA, Elijah List, New Apostolic Reformation, Joel’s Army, Word-Faith Movement are some of these movements (see Berean Call newsletter, October 19 and 26, 2018).
    2. Zechariah 10.3. The LORD is angry with the shepherds and male goats. These are false prophets and priests in Israel and possibly foreign leaders (Jeremiah 12.10-17;  50.17-20). Ezekiel 34 speaks of similar conditions surrounding the Babylonian exile. The LORD of hosts will use Judah as the majestic battle horse. The flock will be turned into a war horse to defeat the false leaders. This is future as the following verses show.
    3. Zechariah 10.4-5. “From them” actually reads “from him” (both the Masoretic text and the LXX) and refers to Yahweh LORD, the coming Messiah. Three titles are now given. The cornerstone (pinnah) here refers to Messiah (Psalm 118.22; Isaiah 28.16; NT Luke 20.17; Ephesians 2.20; 1 Peter 2.6), and can also be used to refer to rulers as in Isaiah 19.13. The tent peg is a hook or peg that keeps things secure and strong (Isaiah 22.23 and the context, Ezekiel 15.3). The battle bow indicates military conquest (2 Kings 13.17; Revelation 6.2; see Revelation 19.11) which the LORD will bring about through Judah. The ruler refers to oppressive dictators (Isaiah 14.2, oppressors) whom the LORD Messiah will defeat and expel from Israel. The final defeat of the enemies of Israel will come from the LORD through the cornerstone, Messiah; from the LORD who will give security; from the LORD who will give military conquest; and from the LORD every despotic ruler will flee. In verse 5, the LORD will lead Judah to complete victory, probably during the tribulation in relation to his second coming to earth.
  3. Zechariah 10.6-12. The LORD will whistle for the houses of Judah and Joseph, will bring them back from where he scattered them, and they will rejoice in the LORD and walk in his name.
    1. Zechariah 10.6-7. The LORD has compassion and regathers Israel as a whole before the second advent. Judah was the southern kingdom; Joseph refers to Israel, the northern kingdom (Ezekiel 37.16; Amos 5.6); and Ephraim (the largest Joseph tribe, northern kingdom, Numbers 1.10; Joshua 16.4) will be regathered to the land God gave them (Genesis 15.18; Numbers 34.1-5; Joshua 15.1-4). Even the children are included. They all will rejoice in the LORD.
    2. Zechariah 10.8. The LORD will whistle, pipe to his people Israel, and call them back to their promised land. Whistle is sharaq (Judges 5.16; Isaiah 5.26). He has redeemed them. This refers not only to redemption from Egypt, but to redemption through their Messiah (2 Samuel 7.23; Isaiah 35.9-10; 53.4-6). This refers to more than a return from Babylon, but from all over the world. Furthermore, at that time they will be a large population like they became in Egypt (Exodus 1.8-10). Israel has been under attack for most of her history, but the LORD shall increase her population by the time he calls them back (see Hosea 1.10).
    3. Zechariah 10.9. Though the Lord scattered them throughout the world, there will be a time when they will remember the LORD. This in context seems to indicate a renewed belief in the LORD along with the return to their land. This will occur at the time of Christ’s return to earth and the fulfillment of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31.31-37; Ezekiel 36.22-38). Jeremiah 33.14-26 and Ezekiel 37-38 also teach that the LORD will reestablish one Israel forever.
    4. Zechariah 10.10. The LORD will bring back (hiphil of shub, and gather piel of qabatz) indicate that the LORD will actively do this. They will come from throughout the world. Important places at that time in Israel’s history were Egypt and Assyria (see Isaiah 11, especially Isaiah 11.11-16). Gilead and Lebanon are larger parts of Palestine. The great population will fill the land.
    5. Zechariah 10.11-12. The LORD will protect them and make their return successful as in Exodus 14.21-32 and Joshua 3.14-17. The LORD will strengthen them in himself. They will walk around in his name (hithpael, walk around, go back and forth) indicates they now believe in the LORD and follow him (Micah 4.5). The LORD declares this, affirms this. It is true.

 

So what? Application

  1. As Israel was vulnerable to follow false prophets, priest, and leaders, so we in the church are vulnerable to following false teachers. The church needs strong and compassionate leaders who accurately communicate God’s word (see Ephesians 4.11-16 and Acts 20.17-28).
  2. The LORD will judge these false leaders in Israel.  Today, in the church, God puts teachers under a stricter judgment (see James 3.1).
  3. There is a future time when the LORD will whistle for Israel to return to their promised land and at that time they will believe in him and follow him, their Messiah and God. The LORD will protect them in this return and ensure it is successful.
  4. The LORD will come at his second coming to earth as the Messiah, the true shepherd ruler. He will be the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and will defeat every oppressive ruler. The Millennial Kingdom will then begin with Jesus the king of the whole earth (Zechariah 14.9).
  5. God always keeps his word. He has in the past, and now, and will throughout all history.