Introduction
The book of Zechariah is of tremendous prophetic importance in viewing history from the time of Zechariah to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most significant prophetic events is the rise of an individual commonly known as the Antichrist. Although that it is not specifically his title in the Old Testament, it certainly fits him well. The apostle John said there were many antichrists present in his day (1 John 2:18), but spoke of one who would be the most vehement adversary of God to ever live, apart from Satan himself (1 John 4:3).
As we come to Zechariah 11:15-17, we come face to face with this being. He’s not a demon or a fallen angel, but an evil person whom the prophet identifies as a foolish shepherd (v. 15). In verse 17, he is called an impostor (KJV, “idol,” archaic for “pretender”). He is a false shepherd, a contrast to the true Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostle John, writing in the first century to a wide circle of believers, said, “Little children … ye have heard that antichrist shall come” (1 John 2:18). So the coming of the Antichrist was common knowledge.
A. His Coming
1. Spoken of by the apostles
The apostle Paul wrote specifically about the coming of this individual: “That man of sin [will] be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3).
2. Alluded to by the Lord
In John 5:43 Jesus says, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” Jesus was echoing the theme of Zechariah 11: that Israel would reject the true Shepherd and accept a false one. In Matthew 24 Jesus associated the Antichrist as the one responsible for the abomination of desolations, which will occur in the middle of the seven-year covenant he will establish with Israel (vv. 11-15; cf., Dan. 9:27).
3. Foretold by the prophets
One such prophecy is the text we’re studying in this chapter, Zechariah 11:15-17. It reads, “The Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd; for, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit those that are cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which standeth still, but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws [hoofs] in pieces. Woe to the idol [false] shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be completely dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” That is one of several Old Testament passages referring to the Antichrist.
B. His Conspiracy
1. Evidence of satanic conflict
God and Satan have been at war ever since Satan fell. Before the world began, Satan sought to be God’s equal, saying, “I will ascend into heaven … I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:13-14). So God threw him out of heaven and a host of the angels followed him. Since that time Satan and the other fallen angels have continued in their rebellion against God. The particular attack Satan has been concentrating on most since the Fall of man has been directed toward the seed promised in Genesis 3:15. That verse promises that a redeemer would fatally wound Satan, symbolized by the serpent. Therefore Satan has been doing everything he can throughout history to stop that seed, who is the Messiah, from arriving. Because God chose Israel as the nation through which the Messiah would come, Satan has always tried to destroy Israel to prevent Him from establishing the Kingdom. As the Messiah who has promised to return, Jesus Christ is still the object of Satan’s attacks; and Israel, as the future recipient of many of God’s promises, is still persecuted in our day.
a) The “sons of God”
Satan’s first attempt to stop the messianic seed from coming was to try to corrupt the human race so that a sinless Messiah, needed to redeem a sinful human race, could never be born. Genesis 6:2 says that “the sons of God” (demons) cohabitated with “the daughters of men” (human women). Satan tried to produce a half-breed race of demonic humans. But Satan’s attempt failed when God drowned that entire race in the flood, saving only Noah and his family.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
