Zechariah 10

The return of Judah (vs. 1-12)—The last few chapters of Zechariah are quite difficult, among the most challenging in the Bible. They appear to be Messianic, but it’s not always clear. There are some verses in chapter 10 that point to the church age, and I will look at them as I precede through this chapter. But I’m not going to be dogmatic about anything because of the obscurity of the material.

IF we assume the church age is meant, then all the material here must be understood spiritually. Does the term “in the latter rain” mean the “last days,” i.e., Christian dispensation. Possibly. Regardless, blessings flow from the Lord (v. 1); idols (worldly things) are useless, and false prophets “tell false dreams” and “comfort in vain” (v. 2). Those who lead His people astray make the Lord angry, but He will “visit” His flock, the “house of Judah” (the church?), and will give them strength “in the battle” (against sin and our enemies). Verse 4 in one which leads me to believe this is a Messianic passage: “From him [Judah] comes the cornerstone,” a term elsewhere used for the Christ (cf. Isaiah 28:16). And indeed, the Lord did come from Judah. It is possible that the first three verses apply to the Jews before Christ, leading into the “cornerstone” of verse 4. It’s just not terribly clear. Regardless, once that cornerstone is set, we shall “be like mighty men,” and we “shall fight because the Lord is with us” (v. 5). In other words, He will give us the victory. He will also provide strength and restoration (v. 6). The thought in that verse, “I will bring them back” (the house of Judah and the house of Joseph, i.e., all of Israel) is another clue that we might be dealing with the church age here. God had already brought the Jews back from captivity, so in this case, we are “brought back” from the captivity of sin. He will hear our prayers (v. 6). There will be rejoicing and peace (v. 7), redemption (v. 8), fellowship (v. 9), and salvation from sin and captivity. The references to Egypt and Assyria have to be figurative, representing bondage and captivity, and are used in Messianic passages elsewhere in the Old Testament (see Micah 5 for an example). While the Lord provides all these blessings for His people, He will plague His enemies: “all the depths of the River [Euphrates] shall dry up” (v. 12). The Assyrians were totally dependent upon that river for their existence; if it dried up, so would they. That’s what happens to those who live ungodly lives. And again, the Lord will strengthen us and be our God (v. 12). This is pretty typical language in the prophets for the Messianic period and that’s why I believe such is what Zechariah is writing about.