Zechariah 13:1

The Christian dispensation continues to be the focus of the revelation in this brief chapter. This is indicated by the triple recurrence of "in that day" (Zechariah 13:1,2,4), by Peter's indication that part of the chapter applies to Christians (Zechariah 13:9), and by Jesus' own identification of himself with the smitten Shepherd (Zechariah 13:7). Part of Zechariah 13:5,6 are difficult of interpretation.

Zechariah 13:1

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."

"In that day ..." in the times of the blessed Messiah.

"A fountain opened ... for sin and for uncleanness ..." This is the fountain of the blood of Christ, the only fountain in all history that ever afforded cleansing from sin and uncleanness. That fountain may also be understood as the fountain of living water (John 7:37).

"To the house of David ... inhabitants of Jerusalem ..." These expressions denote the "true Israel of God" in the times of the New Covenant; and, although that Israel is by no means restricted to racial Jews, or literal descendants of Abraham, neither is any one of them (or any other person) excluded:

"And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will (Whosoever will), let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

Robinson titled this chapter: "A remnant of Israel (shall be) purified, refined, and saved."[1] It is a gross error to suppose that the "cleansing" here is primarily a reference to the procurement of "ritual purity for the people of Jerusalem."[2] The text indicates that the cleansing is from sin. "This was a cleansing unknown in the pre-Christian era."[3] Of course, there were a number of Old Testament prophecies looking forward to the forgiveness of sins in the days of Christ. Jeremiah 31:31-35; Ezekiel 36:25; and Zechariah 3:4,9, where Joshua the High Priest received clean linen clothes, are among such prophecies. Of particular interest is Ezekiel 36:25 -

"And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you."

Keil explained this thus:

"By this water we have to understand not only grace in general, but the spiritual sprinkling-water, which is prepared through the sacrificial death of Christ, through the blood that he shed for sin, and which is sprinkled upon us for the cleansing away of sin in the gracious waters of baptism."[4]

As for the fantasy that "sprinkling" of any kind is visible in Zechariah 13:1, it must be declared that: although sprinkling of water and the ashes of a red heifer were a legitimate ritual under the law of Moses, there is no "sprinkling of water" connected in any way with Christianity, certainly not in Christian baptism, which is not and never was a "sprinkling," but an immersion. There is a "sprinkling of the blood of Christ" (Hebrews 10:22), a sprinkling not of water and not of our bodies, but as the passage says, "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Thus "in that day," when the fountain for sin is opened, hearts are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and bodies are washed with pure water. Sprinkling water on "bodies" is nowhere mentioned as a Christian ordinance. We are a bit surprised that several commentators gave lip service to this old, discredited and worn-out argument for sprinkling as a form of baptism.

"Cleansing for sin and uncleanness ..." Ah, here is the crying need of all men. What a glory of Christianity is inherent in such a promise as this! In all of the history of the universe, there is no such thing as the forgiveness of sins, until one comes to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. No forgiveness of sins was available for the angels who kept not their first estate; no forgiveness has ever been seen in the operation of God's natural laws (gravity, etc.); nature exhibits no such thing as forgiveness; and, even under the law of Moses, there was a remembrance made of sin, "every year." The unique glory of the Christian faith is that it embraces "the fountain opened for sin."

"Sin and uncleanness ..." "These two terms together comprise all guilt and pollution."[5] As Gill said, "An entire volume could be written identifying this `fountain' as the blood of Christ."[6]