Zechariah 11:1

This chapter has a dramatic and sudden warning in shocking contrast to the glorious promises revealed in the previous two chapters, fully in keeping with the pattern in all the sacred writings of depicting blessing and punishment side by side, alternating from one to the other. The Saviour himself recognized and used exactly that same device. For example, the same chapter speaks of heaven and hell, blessing and cursing, light and darkness, etc.; and this invariable pattern appears in practically all of the prophets. Thus Zechariah is absolutely consistent in moving from the glorious promises just related to this sorrowful prophecy of the final overthrow and destruction of the Chosen People, the removal of their government, the destruction of vast numbers of their population, and the delivery of those that remained into the hands of the false shepherds they had preferred to the True Shepherd.

This is one of the easiest chapters in the Bible to interpret, due to the inspired Matthew having applied the central incident in the chapter to the betrayal of Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver by Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:3-10). With that as the key to the whole chapter, the whole passage unravels with remarkable boldness and clarity.

It is amusing that liberal commentators who cannot find Jesus Christ anywhere in this chapter are unanimous in their declaration that the chapter "is difficult," "no concensus is possible," "it is impossible to identify these," etc., etc. For example, in the case of the "three shepherds" removed in a month (Zechariah 11:8), more than forty opinions have been expressed by the greatest liberal scholars of this century concerning the interpretation of them. All such confusion merely demonstrates that when the obvious, central meaning of Zechariah 11 is ignored, the whole passage becomes impossible of any intelligent explanation. We are thankful for the clear vision and vital faith of many of the older commentators who do not hesitate to interpret the chapter as a reference to the rejection of Christ by Israel. Jamieson gave the whole chapter a single rifle: "The Destruction of the Second Temple and the Jewish Polity for their Rejection of the Messiah."[1] Amen! That is what every word of this chapter is about. Deane titled the three subsections of the chapter thus:[2]

"I. The Holy Land is threatened with judgment (Zechariah 11:1-3).

II. The punishment falls upon the people of Israel because they rejected the Good Shepherd (personified by the prophet) (Zechariah 11:4-14).

III. In retribution for their rejection of the Good Shepherd, the people are given over to a foolish shepherd who shall destroy them, but shall himself, in turn, perish miserably (Zechariah 11:15-17)."

Robinson summarized Zechariah 11 with one sentence: "Israel is to be punished for rejecting the shepherding care of Jehovah."[3] Feinberg's summary has this:

"The events of this chapter are set in the time of the earthly ministry of the Shepherd of Israel, and his rejection by them, with its consequences in 70 A.D. They speak of the dark hour of Israel's national history."[4]

We concur fully in such views of this chapter and find it incredible, really, that the hodge-podge of contradictory, foolish, unreasonable, and preposterous interpretations of critical scholars should be received as acceptable by any believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Denials of this chapter's reference to Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry, due to their phenomenal weakness, are not even effective crutches of infidelity.

Zechariah 11:1

"Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars."

The Jewish temple was made of cedars of Lebanon, and from this some have seen a reference here to the destruction of the Second Temple. Oddly enough, the Jews themselves so interpreted it. Josephus relates the story of how the massive doors of the temple "opened of their own accord at Passover,"[5] some forty years before the temple's destruction, corresponding exactly to the time of the Crucifixion; Maimonides, one of the Jewish authors, has an account of Rabbi Johannan's remark concerning that prodigy. He said:

"Now I know that the destruction of the temple is at hand, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, "Open thy doors, O Lebanon! that the fire may devour thy cedars."[6]

Now it must be freely admitted that Josephus' tales of several fantastic prodigies that occurred prior to the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans are not held to be reliable; still this particular one occurred forty years previously at the time of Jesus' crucifixion, and there is trustworthy evidence from the New Testament itself that "the veil of the temple was rent in twain" (Matthew 27:51) upon what might have been exactly the same occasion.

However one takes Josephus' story, there does not appear to be any good reason for denying Rabbi Johannan's reference to this prophecy as applicable to the temple. Certainly, this is as reasonable as any of the wild guesses about which kings, whether the Ptolemies, the Seleucids, the Romans, etc. are prophetically represented in this verse.

Whether the gate of the temple, the gate of Palestine through Lebanon, or some other "door" is spoken of here; the import of the message is tragic. Disaster is in store for Israel. Matthew Henry also mentioned the traditions we have cited and said,

"Open thy doors, O Lebanon! thou wouldst not open them to let thy King come in (He came to his own, and his own received him not); now thou must open them to let thy ruin in. Let the gates of the forest, and all the avenues to it be thrown open, and let the fire come in and devour its glory.[7]

These three verses (Zechariah 11:1-3) present in a vigorous picture a scene of complete judgment and devastation upon the land to which such fair things had been promised in Zechariah 9-10. To this literal understanding of the passage we ought to adhere."[8]

Marvelous and wonderful things concerning God's Israel had been depicted in the two preceding chapters; but now all of that is held up in abeyance; for Israel would reject the only One who could bring all of those beautiful things to pass. The wail of despair that goes up from these three verses is starkly clear in the howling of the false shepherds.