Zechariah Chapter 12
Mourning for the Pierced One
A. God Defends Israel Against Her Enemies
1. (Zechariah 12:1–4) God Supernaturally Defends Israel Against Attack
“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.”
This prophecy opens by declaring the creative majesty of God, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. By beginning with such a declaration, the Lord reminds His people that the same God who created all things has the power to sustain, defend, and deliver Israel from her enemies. The Creator is also the Covenant Keeper, and His authority extends over all creation.
The Lord declares that Jerusalem will become “a cup of trembling” to all the surrounding nations. This imagery of drunkenness portrays divine judgment and confusion. The nations that attempt to lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem will become intoxicated with their hatred and passion for the city, staggering under the judgment of God. Throughout history, and especially in modern times, Jerusalem has indeed become a focal point of conflict and controversy, exactly as foretold.
Muslim reverence for Jerusalem is built on tradition rather than Scripture. The Koran never mentions Jerusalem by name, and the supposed Islamic sanctity of the city was largely a political invention from the early twentieth century designed to stir Arab nationalism. The Dome of the Rock was not built because of the Koranic command but as a political measure to assert Islamic presence and to hinder any Jewish rebuilding of the Temple. The obsession with Jerusalem among surrounding nations, therefore, is indeed like drunkenness, without foundation in truth, and driven by spiritual blindness.
In contrast, the Jewish claim to Jerusalem is firmly rooted in divine revelation. The city is mentioned over eight hundred times in Scripture and is uniquely chosen by God as His dwelling place. Psalm 132:13–14 declares, “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” Psalm 122:6 commands, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” God has placed His name there forever (2 Chronicles 6:6; 33:7), and the future heavenly Jerusalem will continue this divine plan (Revelation 21:2).
God further declares, “I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.” This symbolizes an immovable, insoluble problem. All who try to lift or move it will be injured. Every nation that meddles in the fate of Jerusalem finds itself frustrated and divided. This prophecy remarkably reflects the modern political landscape, where global powers struggle and fail to bring peace to Jerusalem. The city has become a prophetic stone of stumbling for the nations, proving the truth of Scripture.
Finally, the Lord promises, “I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.” The horse represents military might, and its confusion signifies the divine disruption of the enemies’ plans. God Himself will defend His people, opening His eyes in favor toward Judah while blinding and confounding those who come against her. This will find ultimate fulfillment in the great Battle of Armageddon, yet the stage for this prophecy’s fulfillment is already being set in the modern world.
2. (Zechariah 12:5–9) God Supernaturally Empowers His People
“And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
God promises to not only defend but also empower His people. The governors and leaders of Judah will recognize that their strength comes from the LORD of hosts, not from their own resources or alliances. God will make them like a fiery furnace in the midst of wood, consuming the enemies that surround them. This symbolizes an unstoppable divine empowerment, where even the smallest flame from God consumes entire armies of opposition.
The Lord will save the “tents of Judah first,” meaning He will deliver the common people before He delivers the elite, ensuring that none will boast or exalt themselves. This order of salvation highlights God’s justice and humility, showing that He is no respecter of persons.
“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” God’s defense will be so complete that the weakest among them will be as mighty as David, the shepherd-king who conquered giants and enemies by faith. The house of David, representing the leadership of Israel, will be “as God,” meaning their actions will reflect divine authority and protection through the Angel of the LORD—an appearance of Christ Himself.
The passage concludes with the Lord declaring that He will personally seek to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem. This is a direct divine intervention in human affairs, pointing to the final deliverance of Israel in the last days when the Messiah returns to establish His kingdom.
B. God Gives Israel a Spirit of Humble Repentance
1. (Zechariah 12:10) Mourning for the Pierced One
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
The prophecy continues with one of the most profound revelations in all of Scripture. After God defends Israel militarily and confounds her enemies, He turns His attention to the hearts of His people. The Lord declares that He will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem “the spirit of grace and of supplications.” This outpouring is not of wrath or destruction but of grace and repentance. It will be a divine awakening that softens the hearts of the Jewish people and opens their eyes to the truth of the Messiah they once rejected. This marks a national spiritual revival, a fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Israel.
The phrase “the spirit of grace and of supplications” indicates both divine favor and the human response it produces. Grace is the unmerited favor of God that leads to forgiveness, while supplication reflects the heartfelt prayer of repentance and pleading for mercy. When God’s Spirit moves in grace, He also stirs up prayer, humility, and contrition among His people. This same Spirit of grace that regenerates the Church during this age will one day be poured out upon the nation of Israel as they finally come to faith in Christ.
The verse then declares, “they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.” This is a clear and direct prophecy of Jesus Christ, fulfilled first at Calvary and to be fulfilled again when Israel recognizes Him at His second coming. His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were pierced with nails, and His side was pierced with a Roman spear (John 19:34–37). The Lord here speaks in the first person—“they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced”—identifying Himself as Yahweh. This is an undeniable revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ, for it was Yahweh who was pierced at Calvary through the incarnation of the Son.
When the people look upon Him, they will not merely see a crucified figure but will understand the significance of His death and their own guilt in rejecting Him. This act of looking involves faith and recognition. It mirrors the words of John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” Looking to Christ precedes repentance, for when the sinner perceives what the Lord has done on his behalf, his heart is broken in humility and love.
Charles Spurgeon insightfully explained that the natural order of salvation is not to first mourn and then believe, but to first look and then mourn. When the sinner beholds the Savior crucified for him, the conviction of sin follows naturally. “The eye which looks to the pierced One,” Spurgeon said, “is the eye which weeps for Him.” It is faith in the finished work of Christ that gives birth to genuine repentance.
The mourning described here is deep and personal: “as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” The grief will be profound, reflecting both personal sorrow and national repentance. The reference to the “only son” and “firstborn” underscores the depth of love and loss being expressed. For Israel, this will be the realization that for centuries they rejected and opposed the very Messiah who came to save them.
This mourning fulfills the promise of Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Before Christ’s return to establish His kingdom, the Jewish people will, by the Spirit’s outpouring, come to faith in Him nationally. This repentance will occur in connection with Israel’s deliverance from her enemies during the end-time siege described in this chapter.
Finally, the repeated use of personal pronouns—“they shall look upon Me… and mourn for Him”—beautifully portrays the mystery of the Trinity. The Father sends the Spirit to move the hearts of the people so that they will look upon the Son, who is Himself the incarnate Yahweh. This is a powerful testimony to the Triune nature of God revealed through redemption.
2. (Zechariah 12:11–14) The Great Mourning of Repentance
“In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.”
When the Spirit of grace and supplication is poured out, the result will be a wave of national repentance so intense that it will resemble a time of deep mourning. The text describes it as “a great mourning in Jerusalem,” the city that once rejected and crucified her Messiah. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of the Day of Atonement—a time not merely of ritual but of genuine brokenness before God. The nation will finally recognize her sin and be reconciled to her Redeemer.
The reference to “the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon” recalls the national lamentation over the death of King Josiah, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 35:24–25: “And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day.” Josiah was a righteous king who led a spiritual revival in Israel, and his death brought profound grief upon the people. Zechariah uses that historical mourning to illustrate the even greater sorrow that will accompany Israel’s repentance at the return of Christ.
The description that “the land shall mourn, every family apart” shows that this repentance will be both individual and collective. Each family will grieve personally for their sins, while the entire nation mourns corporately. The text names four representative families: the house of David (the royal line), the house of Nathan (the prophetic line), the house of Levi (the priestly line), and the house of Shimei (a lesser Levitical family). Together these represent all levels of society—leaders, prophets, priests, and common people. No one will be exempt from the conviction and sorrow of that day.
The detail that each family mourns “apart, and their wives apart” signifies the depth of personal contrition. This will not be a superficial or public display of sorrow but genuine repentance before God, experienced individually. The grief of this national revival will be both intimate and total, touching every heart.
Spurgeon described this coming event with awe: “We know of a surety, because God has said it, that the Jews will be restored to their own land… but better still, they shall be converted to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall see in Him the house of David restored to the throne of Israel.” This is the glorious hope of Israel’s future—their physical restoration to the land and their spiritual restoration to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
This chapter reveals the compassionate heart of God toward His covenant people. After centuries of rebellion and rejection, God will not utterly forsake Israel. Instead, He will bring them to repentance and salvation through the Spirit of grace, turning their mourning into joy and their bitterness into everlasting peace under the rule of their Messiah.
