Zechariah 12:1–14 (August 19, 2025)

The Lord Will Give Salvation

12:1 The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. 4 On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.’

6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

7 “And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, going before them. 9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Him Whom They Have Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land shall mourn, each family[a] by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Footnotes

Zechariah 12:12 Or clan; throughout verses 12–14

Zechariah 12Brian Lee

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Summary

Zechariah 12 shifts the focus to a climactic, eschatological battle where all nations surround Jerusalem. The LORD promises to make His people victorious, to establish their security, and to pour out His Spirit of grace, leading to deep repentance.

This chapter unfolds in three movements: Jerusalem’s Restoration, Jerusalem’s Invincibility, and Jerusalem’s Mourning.

Jerusalem’s Restoration (vv. 1–5)

The LORD, Creator of heaven and earth, declares that He will make Jerusalem a “cup of staggering” to the nations and a “heavy stone” too burdensome to lift. Every nation that comes against her will be wounded. The clans of Judah will say:

Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.’ (v. 5)

God Himself restores His people’s confidence by His presence.

Jerusalem’s Invincibility (vv. 6–9)

On that day, God will make Judah’s leaders like a blazing pot and flaming torch among the sheaves, consuming the nations all around. The LORD will defend Jerusalem, making even the weakest like David, and the house of David like God, like the angel of the LORD (v. 8). No enemy can ultimately prevail, for God promises:

“And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (v. 9).

Jerusalem’s Mourning (vv. 10–14)

The climax is not military but spiritual. God says:

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (v. 10).

This anticipates the cross, where Christ was pierced, and the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, bringing repentance and faith. The mourning is personal, profound, and communal, extending to every family in Israel (vv. 11–14). True victory comes not through human strength but through God’s grace leading to repentance and renewal.

Who is God?

God is the sovereign Creator who directs history. He restores His people (vv. 1–5), makes them invincible against the nations (vv. 6–9), and brings them to repentance (vv. 10–14). He is both Warrior and Redeemer, Judge and Savior. Most profoundly, He is the pierced One, fulfilled in Christ crucified, who turns mourning into salvation.

What is Our Guilt?

Our guilt lies in resisting God’s shepherding, depending on worldly strength, and rejecting His pierced Son. We often trust in political, economic, or human means for security, forgetting that only the LORD makes His people stand. Like those who pierced Him, we despise Christ when we minimize His grace or pursue false saviors.

How Does Grace Shine?

Grace shines in God’s promise to pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication (v. 10). It shines in the pierced Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore our guilt and now brings us to repentance and faith. It shines in God’s covenant love, making His people strong as David and safe forever in His protection. Grace transforms despair into hope, mourning into joy, and weakness into Spirit-empowered strength.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We praise You as the Creator who restores, the Warrior who protects, and the Redeemer who saves. Forgive us for trusting in our own defenses and for wounding Your Son by our sin. Thank You for pouring out the Spirit of grace, so that we may look on Christ crucified and be saved. Strengthen us by Your presence, guard us from fear, and unite us in repentance and hope until Christ returns.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.