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A sceptical Bible reading of the book of Zechariah 11-14

Chapter Eleven

This chapter starts with a quite lyrical poem taunting Lebanon on its impending doom at God’s hands for having been one of Israel’s oppressors.

By Verse Four, the dream of a renaissance in Jerusalem begins to turn sour. The messianic but secular State King set up by God earlier is going to prove to be very popular, too popular. People will start to appreciate their new material wealth and riches too much. God will realize that he has given them too much luxury. This is extraordinary. God is already deciding the happiness he gives, as a reward will be taken away in a future beyond the initial future prophesised. He is just playing a cruel game with his followers here, giving and taking at will, and on a whim.

God takes a staff called ‘Beauty’ and destroys it in front of the Prophet’s eyes, as a statement that his new Covenant with the Jews he has become so pleased with again after so long, is now null and void once more.

Zechariah is then to be offered the job as a replacement King, though even God tells him that he won’t be exceptional in the role.

That Christians see The Branch references as alluding to Jesus even though The Branch will ultimately fail in his leadership seems rather odd to say the least.

Chapter Twelve

The collapse of order in Jerusalem after them being set up as a shining example to the World will see them vilified and hated by most of the World. There will be a great war, in which another messianic leader (possibly the immediate successor to Zechariah), will be killed in the fighting, and the shocking news of this will itself unite the World again, in mourning for his passing. (This is also picked up upon as an allusion to Jesus, and especially to the crucifixion, but there have been several olive tree Branches and messianic figures referred to, so picking references out of context to see picture fitting your own later religion is clearly a practice Christians are guilty of.

Chapter Thirteen

God will now erase all human memory; record and knowledge of any false gods and idols from the World and no more prophesies will be permitted. If anyone even tries to predict the future from that moment on anyone can kill him or her, including his or her own parents.

Why can’t God erase the skill of creating false prophets, prophecies and religions now? . Why did he ever allow it in the first place? And isn’t threatening execution to anyone speculating on the future a bit extreme?

Chapter Fourteen

The World will try to attack Jerusalem one last time (despite having made peace with it over the death of the Messianic King in Chapter Twelve). Jerusalem will fare badly at first (hardly surprising in fighting the entire planet), but God will intervene and save his Chosen people. Their attackers will die horribly. Eyes will rot in their sockets. (Yeuch). Tongues will wither in mouths. Even animals and livestock owned by the attackers will perish. Jerusalem men will take the spoils of war, silver, gold, land, etc, in effect, all the good things on Earth. Survivors will only those who show God the most love.

Nations not loyal to God face eternal drought. Egypt is named as one such nation. The Canaanites won’t face such drought as God plans to eradicate them entirely from the planet.

In Jerusalem, even pots, pans and other kitchenware will be holy.

Certainly the most unusual of the Minor prophesies in its extraordinarily vivid vision imagery, quite beautiful and more optimistic of the long-term future for humanity than most of the Minor Prophets, most of who just take pleasure in destroying whole cities and nations. The erratic behaviour of God is quite simply insane, and the role of the messianic kings (there is more than one0 being hijacked as indications of the coming of Christ are very odd, as that is plainly not what Zechariah is talking about.

The full text of Zechariah online – http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Zechariah+1

Arthur Chappell

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