Zechariah Sermon Series: Sermon 32
3-30-24 – Jerry Mongello
Here is the revised version with proper formatting, punctuation, and grammar:
Zechariah 11 Part 4
University of Richmond Queer Bible Course
Northern Irish Pastor Prosecuted for Preaching John 3:16
Palestinians Finally Protest Their Hamas Terrorist Leadership
Prayer
[Zechariah 11:15-16 NKJV]
15 And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd.
16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.”
Take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd:
Now Zechariah plays out the role of the foolish shepherd who does not care for the sheep the way a shepherd should. This foolish shepherd is symbolic of the Anti-Christ. I don’t want to play “pin the tail on the Anti-Christ” because as Christians, we should not be looking for the Anti-Christ, but rather looking for Jesus Christ. However, God has put this in His word for a reason, and we know that all scripture is beneficial for the Church.
[2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV]
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I believe it will be profitable for us to examine the difference between the foolish shepherd and the Good Shepherd. Additionally, we should examine the Anti-Christ to enlighten unbelievers on what this future global dictator will look like.
The Foolish Shepherd vs The Good Shepherd:
- The foolish shepherd will not care for the sheep that are cut off, but the Good Shepherd seeks the lost. [Luke 15:4-7 NKJV]
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” - The foolish shepherd will not seek the young, but the wise and Good Shepherd knows that the young need to come to the LORD as much as older people do. [Luke 18:16 NKJV]
16 “But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.'” This is why our school ministry is so important. Pastor Martin changed how the church and school interacted. They once were two separate entities, but Pastor Martin, with the Elders and the school administration, combined school and church into one. - The foolish shepherd will not heal those who are broken, but the wise and Good Shepherd looks for the brokenhearted and mends them with God’s love and Word. The Good Shepherd came to heal the brokenhearted and the broken spirit. [Isaiah 61:1 NKJV]
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” - The foolish shepherd will not feed those who still stand, but the wise and Good Shepherd will faithfully feed the sheep. Remember, before Jesus fed the five thousand with bread and fish, He fed them with the Word of God! [Mark 6:34 NKJV]
34 “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”
[John 6:35 NKJV]
35 “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'”
[Zechariah 11:17 NKJV]
17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
The word worthless in Hebrew is “[‘ĕlîl = el-eel’],” meaning of nought, good for nothing, worthless, especially in the context of false shepherds and false gods. The Anti-Christ is the seed of Satan, whose purpose is to eliminate, eradicate, and annihilate the Jewish people and nation to prevent the second coming of Jesus and to rule as a god.
[Genesis 3:14-15 NKJV]
14 “So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.'”
The Jewish nation will accept the Anti-Christ after rejecting Christ.
[John 5:42-45 NKJV]
42 “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
43 “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
44 “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
45 “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—the one you trust.”
[Daniel 9:27 NKJV]
27 “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”
God will have a twofold agenda: one is to bring the Jewish nation to their knees, turning to Jesus, and the other is the judgment of the unbelievers.
[Jeremiah 30:5-7 NKJV]
5 “For thus says the LORD: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”
[Matthew 24:21-22 NKJV]
21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened.”
The Anti-Christ is an instrument of God’s judgment.
[Revelation 6:1-2 NKJV]
1 “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’
2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
He is described as the little horn.
[Daniel 7:19-26 NKJV]
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
20 “And the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
22 “Until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
26 ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever.'”
[Revelation 13:1-18 NKJV]
1 “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.”
[Daniel 2:44-45 NKJV]
44 “And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 “Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”
