ZECHARIAH LESSON 12


     We will begin this lesson in Zechariah 12:1 "The burden of the
word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth
the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the
spirit of man within him."

     Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul." John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:2 "The same was
in the beginning with God." John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made."  Physical Israel
had broken covenant with God, when they rejected Jesus. Spiritual
Israel is formed of all who believe in Jesus {every nationality}.

     Zechariah 12:2 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling
unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both
against Judah [and] against Jerusalem."

     Jerusalem will be protected of Almighty God. The heathen nations
that come against Jerusalem are fighting against God. The heathen
nations will fear Jerusalem, because they are actually fearing
Jerusalem's God.

     Zechariah 12:3  "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a
burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it
shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered
together against it."

     This is speaking of the great armies of the heathen who come
against God's people, and Jerusalem in particular. They will gather
around to destroy, and will be destroyed themselves by God. It will
appear the whole world is against them, but God's people will win the
victory. Their battle is fought by God against those who oppose His
people.

     Zechariah 12:4 "In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every
horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open
mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the
people with blindness."

     This supernatural act against the forces of evil will be
maddening. They will not know where to run, or who to fight. They
will, in fact, begin fighting each other.

     Zechariah 12:5 "And the governors of Judah shall say in their
heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem [shall be] my strength in the LORD
of hosts their God."

     Suddenly, the governors of Judah realize that God is fighting for
them. This is supernatural protection from God on His people. When
they see these enemies being confused and killing each other, they
will know that the God of Jerusalem is their very present help.

     Zechariah 12:6  "In that day will I make the governors of Judah
like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a
sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right
hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her
own place, [even] in Jerusalem."

     The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church {Zion}.
Jerusalem is God's. We read in an earlier lesson, how the LORD placed
a wall of fire to protect them from all enemies. Zechariah 2:5 "For I,
saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will
be the glory in the midst of her." Zechariah 9:15 "The LORD of hosts
shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling
stones; and they shall drink, [and] make a noise as through wine; and
they shall be filled like bowls, [and] as the corners of the altar."

     Zechariah 12:7 "The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah
first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the
inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify [themselves] against Judah."

     We see in this, that no one will have any way to brag about this
victory over another. It is God that fights for His people, and
destroys their enemies. The tents of Judah will be nearer the battle,
but they do not have to fight. God fights for them.

     Zechariah 12:8 "In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants
of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as
David; and the house of David [shall be] as God, as the angel of the
LORD before them."

     The strength of God's people will be as David's strength was,
when he came against the giant. I Samuel 17:45 "Then said David to the
Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with
a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God
of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."  David's strength,
and theirs, was actually the strength of the Lord in them. I
Corinthians 1:25 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

     Zechariah 12:9  "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I
will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

     This is, possibly, speaking of the time when the armies of many
nations come against Jerusalem. God fights the battle, and only 1 out
of 6 of Gog in the land of Magog survive this battle. God, Himself,
destroys these nations.

     Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of
supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and
they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his]
firstborn."

     The only thing about Jesus that is made with human hands are the
holes in His hands. This is speaking of Jesus coming to the earth as
King of peace. He will pour out His grace and love on all of those who
have accepted Him. Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and
every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all
kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.  Even so, Amen."

     Zechariah 12:11 "In that day shall there be a great mourning in
Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."

     King Josiah lost his life here, and this could be speaking of
that mourning. It compares that to the mourning that went on in
Jerusalem over the crucifixion of Christ. All Christians will remember
that forever. The sad thing is the fact, that those who asked for His
crucifixion will never forget it either. Their mourning over their
sins is great. They crucified the Lord of all the earth.

     Zechariah 12:12 "And the land shall mourn, every family apart;
the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the
family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;"

     During the time of mourning the men and women did not come
together. The mention of the families show us that all mourned from
the king to the poorest person.

     Zechariah 12:13 "The family of the house of Levi apart, and their
wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;"

     This speaks of the priestly family mourning, as well. They had
plenty to mourn for, because they had a great deal to do with the
crucifixion of Jesus.

     Zechariah 12:14 "All the families that remain, every family
apart, and their wives apart."

     This just shows the responsibility of every human alive for the
crucifixion of Jesus. We all were responsible for the crucifixion,
because our sins actually nailed Him to the cross.














                       Zechariah 12 Questions


1.  Quote Genesis chapter 1 verse 1.
2.  God formed man of the _______ of the earth.
3.  What caused man to become a living soul?
4.  Quote John chapter 1 verses 1, 2, and 3.
5.  When did physical Israel break covenant with God?
6.  Who will protect Jerusalem?
7.  What causes their enemies to tremble?
8.  Who is verse 3 speaking of?
9.  What supernatural thing is done, in verse 4, to confuse them?
10. What does it cause them to do?
11. What does the governor of Judah suddenly realize?
12. The gates of ____ shall not prevail against the church {Zion}.
13. Quote Zechariah chapter 2 verse 5.
14. The LORD of hosts shall save the tents of ___________ first.
15. He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as __________.
16. What is this speaking of?
17. Quote 1 Samuel chapter 17 verse 45.
18. The foolishness of God is _________ than men.
19. How many of Gog in the land of Magog survive the battle?
20. What is verse 10 speaking of?
21. Quote Revelation chapter 1 verse 7.
22. What was the mourning of Hadadrimmon for?
23. What are all the people mourning for?
24. How high in government does the mourning go?
25. Why is the priestly family mourning?
26. Who is really responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus?