Exegetical Studies in Zechariah Part 14 -- By: Charles Lee Feinberg

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 101:401 (Jan 1944)
Article: Exegetical Studies in Zechariah Part 14
Author: Charles Lee Feinberg


Exegetical Studies in Zechariah
Part 14

Charles Lee Feinberg

(Continued from the October-December Number, 1943)

IV. The Future of the World Powers, Israel, and the Kingdom of Messiah, 9-14.

A. The First Burden, 9-11.

3. The King’s Mission in Relation to Israel, 9:11-17.

Zechariah turns from the blessings of peace for the world under the reign of the Messiah to address Zion once more, and to reveal what His coming will mean for her. To her he says, “As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water” (v. 11). The last verses of this chapter give in greater detail the benefits of Israel in the appearing of her Messiah. Most expositors refer the war-like period noted in these verses to a time nearer than the one just outlined in verses 9 and 10; that is, they refer the events to the Maccabean age. While in full agreement with this position we should like to add that the passage, as in so many others in the prophetic writings, goes from a nearer future to a far distant future. In short, the prophet has not only the time of the Maccabees in mind, but the time of the end of things for Israel. Ironside has stated it well: “Again we have to notice a secondary application of a part of this prophecy. Verses 13 to 16 seem to refer in measure to the Maccabean contest with Antiochus Epiphanes, type of the Antichrist of the last days.... But undoubtedly the fuller interpretation is that which refers these words to the conflicts of the great tribulation.”1 The words גם את, addressed to Zion who was mentioned in verse 9, are emphatic by their position at the head of the sentence, a nominativus pendens. The force of the

expression is: “Even though you are in such a forlorn condition, seemingly lost, yet I have mercy in store for you.”2 The blood of the covenant referred to is to be taken as the blood of the Mosaic covenant of Exodus 24:8 (so Pusey, Baron, Chambers, Wright, and others). Dennett (in loco) prefers to understand the covenant as the new covenant of Matthew 26:28. This would necessitate taking the verb שׁלחתי as a prophetic perfect and explaining the ver...

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