Zechariah 13 A Shepherd Saviour.

These words would have an application in the prophets time (Cf. Ex. 23:13; Hos. 2:17; Jer. 23:14-15; Amos 7:14).However, the day which the prophet has been writing about is the day a fountain would be opened “for sin and for cleansing” (v. 1, 6 Cf. Ps. 36:9; Is. 4:4; Acts 10:43; Heb. 9:14; I Jn. 1:7). Again, as with 9:9-10, this refers to the first coming of Christ. Here we see the focus of His ministry being that He would be the offering for sin and cleansing. He would also ‘cut off the names of the idols,” and He would bring an end to prophecy, that is, with the Messiah’s coming, and eventual ascension to reign at the right hand of the Father, the canon would come to a close (vv. 2-3). In fact, anyone claiming to be prophesying after the close of the canon would be cut off from his own family.

“It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophecies” (vv. 3-5 Cf. Dt. 13:6-11 18:20; II Kgs. 1:8; Is. 20:2; Ezek. 14:9; Mt. 3:4; 10:37; II Pet. 2:1). The Shepherd would be stricken, and the sheep scattered (v. 7 Cf. Is. 40:11; Ezek. 34:24-25; 37:24; Mic. 5:2-4; Mt. 26:31, 56, 67; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 12:32; Jn. 10:30; I Pet. 5:4; Rev. 7:16-17). Only a remnant of a third would be saved (v. 8 Cf. Is. 6:13; Ezek. 5:2-4, 12; Rom. 11:5), and they would be refined, or sanctified, like silver and gold, and in them the covenant would be fulfilled (v. 9 Cf. 12:10; Ps. 50:15; Is. 48:10; Jer. 30:22; Ezek. 20:38; Hos. 2:23; Zeph. 3:9; Mal. 3:3; I Pet. 1:6-7).