The Vision Of Things To Come
(God’s violent judgment on the powerful and prominent leaders of this world.)
“Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.”
(Amos 3:7/NASU)
“To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings [torah- “law, direction, instruction”] which He set before us through His servants the prophets.”
(Daniel 9:9-10/NASU)
“…do not despise [“to make of no account; to treat with contempt, i.e. with mockery”] prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good…”
(1 Thessalonians 5:20-21/NASU)
12-27-20 (Sunday morning) - This morning, while getting into the Bible in our home with my wife and youngest daughter, we were led to the following revelation. My wife said she had reread George Washington’s Vision after thinking about Zechariah, chapter eleven, which refers to his cutting into pieces two staffs, one called “Favor” and the other “Union.” It was the word “Union” that caused her to think of Washington’s vision. We began by reading it together. (Please read it on the internet before going further in this study.)
George Washington’s Vision
If you search this on the internet you will soon find those who claim that it is a “work of fiction,” or “a hoax.” It was published by Charles Wesley Alexander in 1861. He recorded that an old soldier who served under General Washington in our battle with England for independence shared this with him, at the age of ninety nine, on the fourth of July, 1859, in Independence Square. The soldier was said to have been serving under the command of Washington at Valley Forge in 1777 when he overheard Washington sharing his vision with an officer.
In an article entitled “Washington’s Vision” on the site ushistory.org, they claim that Alexander published numerous allegorical stories featuring famous American figures (linking you to a Snopes fact checking article who I believe is not trustworthy). They say, “It is a work of fiction created nearly a century after the winter at Valley Forge.” Although true of when it was written, if it was not from Washington originally then Charles Wesley Alexander prophesied because what he wrote regarding “The Third And Most Fearful Peril,” which had not yet occurred on our soil, is now occurring.
Personally, as I read it for the first time a few years ago, my spirit was stirred. Besides, anything presently that our ungodly and untrustworthy media declares to be false makes me think it most likely is true. You will have to decide for yourself. Like anything else in our information overload era, you must have discernment to know what is from God and what is not, that which is truth and that which is false. As Paul wrote, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good…” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Zechariah 11:1-17 – The Lord then led us through this passage which I have broken up into four sections.
Part 1: God’s Judgment On The Powerful, Mighty, And Famous (v. 1-3)
Zechariah 11:1-17 – The first three verses speak of God’s violent judgment on the powerful, prominent, and mighty people who are wicked, and their associations, by “another’s power” and “the power of his king”, who is the head of the kingdom, such as a president. In verses 4-6 God tells Zechariah to shepherd the flock doomed to slaughter. Verses 7-11 speak of Zechariah annihilating three shepherds and the breaking of the first staff which is called “Favor.” Verses 12-13 are a prophecy of thirty shekels of silver being thrown to the potter in the house of the Lord which refers to Judas’ betrayal of Christ. Verses 14-17 describe the breaking of a second staff called “Union,” and the foolish shepherd who doesn’t care for the sheep.
1 Open your doors, O Lebanon [3844- “white mountain” (from its snow) or “whiteness”, a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel; from a word that means “the heart, the mind”], that a fire may feed on [398- “devour, consume, kill, destroy”] your cedars [730- represents strength; something firm, strong].
2 Wail, O cypress [1265- “a noble tree, used of stateliness (figurative for mighty men)], for the cedar has fallen [5307- “to be cast down”; see Isaiah 9:10], because the glorious [117- “powerful, mighty, famous, noble, stately one”] trees have been destroyed [7703- “to deal violently with, to devastate, to ruin, to destroy”]; Wail, O oaks [437- “a great or strong tree”] of Bashan [1316- “fruitful”; a smooth and fertile land; a district east of the Jordan River known for its fertility which was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh”; figurative of prominent men], for the impenetrable [1210- “vintage” (Merriam/Webster: “a collection of contemporaneous (“existing, occurring, or originating during the same time”) and similar persons or things”; the Battle Hymn Of The Republic: “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored…”] forest has come down. [NIV- “…the dense (thick) forest has been cut down.”]
3 There is a sound of the shepherds' wail, for their glory [155- “cloak, mantle, splendor, magnificence”] is ruined [7703]; there is a sound of the young lions' [3715- “a young lion, a village”] roar, for the pride [1347- “exaltation, majesty, pride”] of the Jordan is ruined [7703].
Part 2: Pasturing the flock doomed to slaughter (v. 4-11)
4 Thus says the Lord my God, "Pasture [7462- “to shepherd, used of a ruler, to feed”] the flock doomed to slaughter. [See Revelation 3, the Lord’s rebuke of the Laodicean church’]
5 "Those who buy [7069- “to acquire, to buy, to possess”] them slay [2026- “to kill, to murder, to destroy”] them and go unpunished [816- “not held guilty”], and each of those who sell them says, 'Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich!' [See Revelation 3; the Laodicean church.] And their own shepherds [7462] have no pity on them.
The Living Bible translation for verses 4 and 5
4 Then said the Lord my God to me, "Go and take a job as shepherd of a flock being fattened for the butcher.
5 This will illustrate the way my people have been bought and slain by wicked leaders, who go unpunished. 'Thank God, now I am rich!' say those who have betrayed them-their own shepherds have sold them without mercy. [Not only have our government leaders done this with us, but, even worse, so have the church leaders! As the church goes so goes the world. Our national government is a reflection of our church government.]
6 "For I will no longer have pity [2550- “to spare, to have compassion on”] on the inhabitants of the land," declares the Lord; "but behold, I will cause the men to fall, each into another's [7453- “a friend, a companion, a fellow, another person”] power and into the power of his king [4428- “the head of the kingdom”]; and they will strike [3807- “to bruise or violently strike, to beat or crush fine”] the land, and I will not deliver [5337- “to rescue, to save”] them from their power."
7 So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted [6041- “poor, weak, afflicted, humble, wretched” (see the definition below); from 6031, see the Bible study Samson And The Binding Of God’s Anointed] of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor [5278- “kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, beauty, favor, splendor or grace”] and the other I called Union [2256- “a cord, a rope, a band or company, union”]; so I pastured the flock.
8 Then I annihilated [3582- “to hide, to cut off, to cut down, to make desolate”] the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient [7114- “to be short, to be impatient, to be vexed, to be grieved”] with them, and their soul also was weary [973- “to loathe, to abhor, to feel loathing”] of me. [To loathe is “to feel intense dislike or disgust for.”]
9 Then I said, "I will not pasture [7462] you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh [see Jer. 19:9]."
10 I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
11 So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted [6041] of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord.
OT:6041- "poor; weak; afflicted; humble." This word, which also appears in early Aramaic and post-biblical Hebrew, occurs in biblical Hebrew about 76 times and in all periods.
This noun is frequently used in synonymous parallelism with ebyon ("needy") and or dal ("poor"). It differs from both in emphasizing some kind of disability or distress. A hired servant as one who is in a lower (oppressive) social and material condition is described both as an ebyon and ani: "Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee" (Deut. 24:14-15). If wrongly oppressed, he can call on God for defense. Financially, the ani lives from day to day and is socially defenseless, being subject to oppression. In its first biblical occurrence the ani is guaranteed (if men obey God's law) his outer garment for warmth at night even though that garment might be held as collateral during the day: "If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shall not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury" (Ex. 22:25). The godly protect and deliver the "afflicted" (Isaiah 10:2; Ezekiel 18:17), while the ungodly take advantage of them, increasing their oppressed condition (Isaiah 58:7). The king is especially charged to protect the ani: "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:9).
Ani can refer to one who is physically oppressed: "Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine" (Isaiah 51:21).
Physical oppression is sometimes related to spiritual oppression as in Psalm 22:24: "For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him...." Outward affliction frequently leads to inner spiritual affliction and results in an outcry to God: "Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted" (Psalm 25:16). Even apart from outward affliction, the pious are frequently described as the "afflicted" or "poor" for whom God provides: "Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor" (Psalm 68:10). In such cases spiritual poverty and want are clearly in view.
Sometimes the word means "humble" or "lowly," as it does in Zechariah 9:9, where it describes the Messiah: "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass..." (cf. Psalm 18:27; Proverbs 3:34; Isaiah 66:2).
Related to ani is the noun oni, "affliction." It appears about 36 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. Oni represents the state of pain and or punishment resulting from affliction. In Deuteronomy 16:3 the shewbread is termed the bread of "affliction" because it is a physical reminder of sin, the cause of "affliction" (Psalm 25:18), the hardship involved in sin (especially the Egyptian bondage), and divine deliverance from sin (Psalm 119:50).
Ani is also related to the word anawah, "humility, gentleness." This word occurs only 5 times, setting forth the two characteristics gained from affliction. Applied to God, it represents His submission to His own nature (Psalm 45:4).
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
(The following note is from the Bible study Samson And The Binding Of God’s Anointed.)
Bound And Afflicted Christians
Judges 16:4-6 – See the note below regarding the tactics of the devil used against every Christian.
4 After this it came about that he [Samson] loved a woman in the valley of Sorek [“choice vines”], whose name was Delilah [“languishing”, “feeble”; taken from a word that means, figuratively, “to be oppressed”].
5 The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."
6 So Delilah said to Samson [“sunlight”, “like the sun”], "Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you."
NASU
…The last phase, and the ultimate goal of the devil in the church, is “to afflict” us, keeping us chained in a useless state of spiritual paralysis, without sight and hopeless under his oppressive occupation. Our final Hebrew word of this evil strategy is `anah (aw-naw') which is interpreted as "to afflict." The definition for it is, “to be occupied, to be busied with, to oppress, to humble or be humiliated, to be afflicted, to be bowed down, to be depressed, to be downcast, to weaken oneself.” It is through this simple scheme that the enemy of our souls has effectively weakened and “occupied” the church, imprisoning multitudes of God’s people throughout the ages behind demonic barriers. This satanic occupation among the hearts of God’s people is the reason that so many of our number have now fallen away from Christ with an apostate heart.
When a person breaks the law they forfeit their rights and are locked up. Where justice prevails in a society, lawlessness is confronted. The law breaker then faces a loss of their freedom. When a man or woman chooses to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ (become a Christian), under His government rule, and then continues to walk in rebellion against God’s will, it is inevitable that they will become bound and afflicted. They have forfeited the grace of God shown toward them, like Samson, and are then lawfully given over to the power of the jailer, the devil.
The good news, though, is that the devil does NOT have the last word on earth. In the dawning of a new day, the Lord has begun to shake the prison house of the enemy, with the intent to set His captives free for one last time before His return (see the Bible study 2020 The Dawning Of The Light).
In His rebuke of Israel for their spiritual harlotry, the Lord declared through the prophet; “I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:9/NASU) The Lord disciplines His wayward children with the intent that we would return to Him with a repentant heart. Without repentance, many in the church in America, like Samson, will feel a depth of suffering the likes of which we have never experienced.
The psalmist declared;
“The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”
(Psalm 102:19-20/NIV)
There is a groaning among the church that has begun and will only increase as the pressure of the Lord increases in our nation. Some will not repent but will curse God and die. As we’ll see in type through Samson, others will remember God and repent causing Him to remember and restore them.
(End of note from Samson And The Binding Of God’s Anointed.)
One of the definitions for the Hebrew we interpret as “afflicted” in Zechariah 11:7 and 11 is “wretched.” There are two verses in the New Testament that use this word. The first is Paul in Romans 7:24 in his discussion of the battle within him between his new and old nature; “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (NIV) The Greek for wretched is talaiporos (tal-ah'-ee-po-ros) which means “enduring trials and troubles, afflicted, wretched.” Merriam Webster Dictionary defines wretched as “deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind; extremely or deplorably bad or distressing; being or appearing mean, miserable, or contemptible; very poor in quality or ability.”
The only other verse in the New Testament that uses this Greek word is Revelation 3:17, the letter of Jesus to the Laodicean church. He said to them in His rebuke; “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (NIV) This sounds very similar to what those who were selling the flock doomed to slaughter said in Zechariah 11:5. The shepherds/rulers who had no pity on them were also getting wealthy from them. To make matters even worse, they were not being held guilty or accountable for their actions. It is the same today within the church government and our federal government. Many are getting away with murder, some literally, without any pity or compassion for those whom they rule over. The Lord is about to step in and deal with what we would not.
The difference between the Laodiceans and Paul is that Paul realized and confessed his “wretched” state, desiring to be set free. The Laodicean church had no idea of their true state, much less a desire to be set free. In their lukewarm condition they believed they were in need of nothing. I think that what the psalmist declared in Psalm 107:17 applies to all who act like them; “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.”
Thankfully the Lord knows the hearts of His people, of those who desire to be set free and those who have no thought or outcry of being rescued from “this body of death.”
(The following note is from the Bible study Binding And Loosing.)
Psalm 105:16-20 – See the note below. This is a picture of those who, like Paul, will be “released” from their bondage to the flesh.
16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them — Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved [6884] him true.
20 The king sent [7971] and released [5425] him, the ruler of peoples set him free [6605].
NIV
Psalm 105:16-20
16 And He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. [See Zech. 11:5 and Acts 7:9.]
18 They afflicted [6031- “to afflict, oppress, humble”] his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons;
19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested [6884] him.
20 The king sent [7971] and released [5425] him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free [6605].
NASU
Psalm 105:20
20 The king sent [7971] and loosed [5425] him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free [6605].
KJV
OT:6884 tsaraph (tsaw-raf')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to fuse (metal), i.e. refine (literally or figuratively):
KJV - cast, (re-) fine (-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to smelt, to refine, to test
a) (Qal)
1) to smelt, to refine
2) to test
3) to test (and to prove true)
4) a smelter, a refiner, a goldsmith (participle)
b) (Niphal) to be refined
c) (Piel) to be a refiner; a refiner (participle)
OT:7971 shalach (shaw-lakh')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):
KJV - any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to send, to send away, to let go, to stretch out
a) (Qal)
1) to send
2) to stretch out, to extend, to direct
3) to send away
4) to let loose
b) (Niphal) to be sent
c) (Piel)
1) to send off or away or out or forth, to dismiss, to give over, to cast out
2) to let go, to set free
3) to shoot forth (used of branches)
4) to let down
5) to shoot
d) (Pual) to be sent off, to be put away, to be divorced, to be impelled
e) (Hiphil) to send
OT:7971 shalach (shaw-lakh') - "to send, stretch forth, get rid of." [It also means “to let loose, to shoot forth (used of branches).] This verb occurs in the Northwest Semitic languages (Hebrew, Phoenician, and Aramaic). It occurs in all periods of Hebrew and in the Bible about 850 times. Biblical Aramaic uses this word 14 times.
Basically this verb means "to send," in the sense of (1) to initiate and to see that such movement occurs or (2) to successfully conclude such an action…
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
OT:5425 nathar (naw-thar')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to jump, i.e. be violently agitated; causatively, to terrify, shake off, untie:
KJV - drive asunder, leap, (let) loose, make, move, undo.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) to start up, to tremble, to shake, to spring up
a) (Qal) to start up
b) (Piel) to leap
c) (Hiphil) to cause to start up
2) to loose, to let loose, to undo, to be free, to be loose;
(Hiphil)
a) to unfasten, to loosen
b) to set free, to unbind
OT:6605 pathach (paw-thakh')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:
KJV - appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave (-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open (-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) to open
a) (Qal) to open
b) (Niphal) to be opened, to be let loose, to be thrown open
c) (Piel)
1) to free
2) to loosen
3) to open, to open oneself
d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself
2) to carve, to engrave
a) (Piel) to engrave
b) (Pual) to be engraved
Joseph was a slave who was falsely accused and placed in prison. While there he interpreted a dream where He remained for a while, even after the word of the Lord given to him came true, proving him right. God’s word has a way of stirring up the demonic realm, exposing the darkness and revealing where the strongholds of the enemy exist in the hearts of others.
It not only exposes the darkness in others but also within God’s servant. The Bible tells us that, “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him [Joseph].” The Hebrew for “tested” is tsaraph (tsaw-raf'). It’s defined as “to fuse (metal), to smelt, to refine, to test (and to prove true).” From my own experience of receiving a word from the Lord, and the time in between before it comes to pass, I understand this. Thoughts of whether or not I heard from God, or myself, will run through your mind. It forced me to check my heart and decide. When I come to the point of saying no to doubt it results in my being even more determined to hold my ground and wait for the Lord’s timing.
While waiting upon the Lord, Satan will try to tempt the one who has been told something by God to bring it into existence through human effort thereby creating an Ishmael. Creating doubt of whether or not you really heard from God, or of what God really meant, has been his modus operandi since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4-5).
At this very moment we are hearing some of those who are well known within Christian circles backing off in doubt and unbelief regarding what they and others prophesied concerning Trump. They begin to leave themselves, through their words, a possible escape route, just in case. The waiting period exposes everyone’s hearts. The longer the Lord waits the less there are of those who will stand firm until the end. Those who do continue to walk in belief will be God’s leaders in the revival that will soon occur.
In God’s timing, a Divine opportunity occurred for Joseph to be suddenly released; “The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free.” If we will remain faithful through our time of testing and proving, eventually the King of kings will stretch forth His hand and loosen His faithful ones from their imprisonment. As Jesus proclaimed from Isaiah, He came “To proclaim liberty [1865- “freedom”] to captives and freedom to prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:2) (See the Bible study Jubilee.)
Acts 16:22-26 – See the note below. (This was taken from the Bible studies Shaking, and 2020 The Dawning Of The Light.)
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. [NAS- “…tore their robes [outer garments] off them…”; see the Bible study The Inner Tunic]
23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison [5438- “to guard or watch, imprisonment”; a place of bondage; see Rev. 2:10], and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully [806- “securely”; see Matthew 27:65-66].
24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell [NAS- “inner prison”] and fastened [805- “to make firm, to make secure”] their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight [Matthew 25:6] Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was such a violent [3173] earthquake [4578] that the foundations of the prison were shaken [4531]. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose [447].
NIV
NT:4531 saleuo (sal-yoo'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:4535; to waver, i.e. agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively, to disturb, incite:
KJV - move, shake (together), which can [-not] be shaken, stir up.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a. properly, of the motion produced by winds, storms, waves, etc.; to agitate or shake (Matthew 11:7)
b. to shake down, overthrow, i.e. tropically, to cast down from one's (secure and happy) state (Acts 2:25)
NT:447 aniemi (an-ee'-ay-mee)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:303 and hiemi (to send); to let up, i.e. (literally) slacken or (figuratively) desert, desist from:
KJV - forbear, leave, loose.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to send back; to relax; to loosen Acts 16:26
Within this passage we see why the Lord is going to shake things up. It is for the good of His people, as well as the lost who are near them, to set us free from that which has imprisoned us, that which has bound us and kept us from walking as we ought to, in the same manner as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6, Eph. 4:1, 22, Phil. 1:27, Col. 1:10, 1 Thess. 2:12)…
The carefully guarded intent of the enemy of our souls, who always works in the cover of darkness, is to once again, as we were before turning to the Lord, place and keep God’s servants in the shackles of bondage within the “inner prison” of our spirit. Like Paul and Silas whose feet were fastened in the stocks, we cannot move in the will and desire of God from there. The shaking that is coming at the end of this age will be so great that it will loose those who can be loosed from all their bondages. This is the completion of our faith, the final perfecting of the Saints.
The great shaking will either destroy us, as in the days of Noah, or loose us. Only that which cannot be shaken, that which has been built upon the sure foundation of truth by the Spirit of God within us through our working together with Him (2 Cor. 6:1), will remain. All else will be cast down, never to rise up again. [Remember the distinction discussed earlier between the two types of hearts that were said to be “wretched.”]
The good news is that the enemy’s “carefully” guarded strongholds will be cast down. His chains of oppression within those of God’s people who truly desire to be fully released will once and for all be completely leveled! This is our hope of glory, of finally being loosed from the bondage of this mortal flesh, of this mortal putting on the immortality of Christ (1 Cor. 15:50-58).
At the end of this age when Christ appears, all those whose walk with God is “well-pleasing” in His sight will be translated/transformed/changed (Heb. 11:5-6). John said;
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
(1 John 3:2-3/NASU)
Again, as what happened with Paul and Silas, there is a violent and severe shaking that is coming on earth in the midnight hour of this age (Matthew 25:5-6) that will shake the foundation of our place of bondage. It will be used to wake up God’s people that have a “spirit of deep sleep” over them, breaking them loose them from their bondage to “this body of death” that Paul refers to in Romans 7:24 (see the Bible study The Sleeping Bride which is about Jonah sleeping as he was running from God’s call), whether that be the prison of our physical body, the spiritual body we stubbornly cling to, or both if necessary. To resist this final shaking is to resist God’s last offer to the church (see my book 911; God’s Last Offer To The Church).
As it was per the first coming of Christ, we are being warned from heaven in this midnight hour through the forerunner ministry like John the Baptist to “prepare the way of the Lord” within us, purifying our hearts by faith so as to be a people made ready for the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords. May we hear what the Spirit is saying to the church in this critical moment of history [and then be a “doer” of His word with the help of the Holy Spirit].
Colossians 1:24 - Christ’s afflictions are our afflictions. See 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 which speaks of the afflictions/sufferings that are ours in abundance in Christ, and the comfort of God which is also ours in abundance.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
NASU
Part 3: Thirty shekels of silver and the potter (v. 12-13)
Zechariah 11:12-13
12 I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.
13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter [3335- “to form, to fashion, to frame, mold”] in the house of the Lord. [***See the note in James 1:12 below which refers to the Septuagint version of this verse.]
Matthew 26:14-16
14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15 and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.
16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.
NASU
Matthew 27:3-10
3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!"
5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood."
7 And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers.
8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN SET by the sons of Israel;
10 AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER'S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME."
NASU
Exodus 21:28-32 – In this passage the laws for an ox that gores someone are described. The last one has to do with a slave that was gored. The owner was to give their master 30 shekels of silver. This was the price of a slave. Jesus was called God’s slave/servant in Acts 3:13, 26, and 4:27, 30.
28 "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.
29 "If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
30 "If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.
31 "Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
32 "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
NASU
James 1:12 – See the definition below for “approved” [1384] from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. It refers to Zachariah 11:13 as interpreted in the Septuagint. I was unexpectedly led to this in the section “Crowns” In The Bible in the Bible study Perpetual Priesthood while searching verses about “the crown of life.”
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres [5278] under trial [3986]; for once he has been approved [1384], he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
NASU
NT:5278 hupomeno (hoop-om-en'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:5259 and NT:3306; to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere:
KJV - abide, endure, (take) patient (-ly), suffer, tarry behind.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. to remain i. e. tarry behind (Acts 17:14)
2. to remain i. e. abide,
a. to persevere: absolutely and emphatically, under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ (Matthew 10:22)
b. to endure, bear bravely and calmly: absolutely, ill-treatment (1 Peter 2:20)
NT:3986 peirasmos (pi-ras-mos')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3985; a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity:
KJV - temptation, try.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
an experiment, attempt, trial, proving
a. universally, trial, proving (Galatians 4:14)
b. specifically, the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy, etc. (1 Peter 4:12)
c. "temptation" (i. e., trial) of God by men, i. e. rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as it were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves (Hebrews 3:8)
NT:1384 dokimos (dok'-ee-mos)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:1380; properly, acceptable (current after assayal), i.e. approved:
KJV - approved, tried.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. properly, accepted, particularly of coins and metals (Genesis 23:16)
2. accepted, equivalent to acceptable, pleasing (Romans 14:18)
[NT:1384] dokimos - akin to dechomai, "to receive," always signifies "approved"; so the RV everywhere, e. g., in James 1:12 for KJV, "when he is tried." The word is used of coins and metals in the Septuagint; in Genesis 23:16, "four hundred didrachms of silver approved with merchants"; in Zechariah 11:13, in regard to the 30 pieces of silver, "Cast them into a furnace and I will see if it is good [approved] metal." [see the verses right below]
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Zacharias 11:11-13 (Septuagint/Greek O.T.)
11 And it [My covenant] shall be broken in that day; and the Chananites, the sheep that are kept for me, shall know that it is the word of the Lord.
12 And I will say to them, “If it be good in your eyes, give my price, or refuse it.” And they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Drop them into the furnace, and I will see if it is good metal, as I was proved for their sakes.” And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the furnace in the house of the Lord. [The refiner’s fire, Malachi 3:2-3]
(This note is from the Bible study The Test.)
As with Revelation 2:10, James also refers to the necessity of the Christian to persevere in order to receive the crown of life. To persevere is “to remain, to persevere, to endure, to hold fast to one's faith in Christ (Matthew 10:22).” It is “the word of My perseverance” (Rev. 3:10), all to be “approved” by God in order to receive the crown of life.
It is the testing of our faith that produces endurance; “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance [“steadfastness, endurance, a patient enduring, cheerful or hopeful endurance”]. And let endurance have its perfect [“complete, perfect, finished”] result, so that you may be perfect and complete [3648], lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4/NASU) (See The Perfect Result in my book The Resurrected Bride, p.61-67)
To be “complete” [3648] is by definition “complete in all its parts, in no part lacking or unsound, complete, entire, whole.” The same Greek word is used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 in describing our being sanctified “entirely” which means “complete to the end, wholly.” He continues, saying; “may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete [3648], without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (See the Bible study Noah; A Sign Of The End.)
Jeremiah 32:6-15 – The right of possession/redemption, judgment then restoration (see the Bible study The Right To Possess)
Part 4: Breaking the second staff called Union (v. 14-17)
Zechariah 11:14-17
14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union [2256], to break the brotherhood [264- “fraternity”] between Judah and Israel.
15 The Lord said to me, "Take again for yourself the equipment [3627- “something prepared, vessel, receptacle, clothing, instrument, armor or weapon”] of a foolish [196- “silly, foolish; hence (morally) impious (not showing respect or reverence)”] shepherd.
16 "For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.
17 "Woe to the worthless [457- “good for nothing, vain”] shepherd who leaves [5800- “to loose, to forsake, to abandon”] the flock [hirelings! John 10:11-13]! A sword will be on his arm [a symbol of strength] and on his right eye! His [right] arm will be totally withered [3001- “to be ashamed, confused, or disappointed, to dry up or wither”; see the Bible study The Withered Hand Restored] and his right eye will be blind [3543- “to be weak, to be dim, to be darkened”; see 1 Samuel 3:2, 4:15- the Eli priesthood]."
NASU
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