"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. On that dayThis phrase is a prophetic marker often used in the Old Testament to denote a significant future event, usually associated with divine intervention or fulfillment of God's promises. In the context of Zechariah, "that day" refers to the eschatological future when God will act decisively in history. The Hebrew term "yom" (day) is used here, emphasizing a specific time appointed by God. This phrase sets the stage for a transformative event, highlighting the certainty and divine orchestration of what is to come. a fountain will be opened
The imagery of a "fountain" suggests an abundant and continuous source of cleansing and life. In Hebrew, the word "maqor" (fountain) conveys the idea of a spring or source of water, symbolizing purification and renewal. This metaphor is rich with theological significance, pointing to the cleansing power of God's grace. The opening of the fountain signifies the accessibility and sufficiency of God's provision for cleansing from sin. Historically, fountains were vital for sustaining life in arid regions, underscoring the necessity and preciousness of this divine provision. to the house of David
The "house of David" refers to the royal lineage of King David, from which the Messiah was prophesied to come. This phrase underscores the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises to David, as seen in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The mention of David's house highlights the messianic hope and the restoration of the Davidic kingdom. It signifies that the cleansing and renewal promised by God are intimately connected to the messianic mission and the establishment of God's kingdom through the line of David. and the residents of Jerusalem
This phrase expands the scope of the promise to include not only the royal lineage but also the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, as the spiritual and political center of Israel, represents the people of God. The inclusion of the residents signifies the communal aspect of God's redemptive work. It emphasizes that the cleansing is not limited to a select few but is available to all who dwell in the city, symbolizing the broader reach of God's salvation to His people. to cleanse them from sin and impurity
The purpose of the fountain is explicitly stated: "to cleanse them from sin and impurity." The Hebrew word for "cleanse" is "taher," which means to purify or make clean. This cleansing is both moral and spiritual, addressing the deep-seated issue of sin ("chatta'ah") and impurity ("niddah"). The dual mention of sin and impurity highlights the comprehensive nature of God's redemptive work, which not only forgives transgressions but also purifies from defilement. This promise points to the ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who provides the means for true and lasting purification for all believers. Persons / Places / Events 1. House of DavidRefers to the royal lineage of King David, symbolizing the leadership and messianic promise associated with David's descendants. 2. Residents of JerusalemRepresents the people living in Jerusalem, often symbolizing the broader community of God's people. 3. FountainSymbolizes a source of cleansing and purification, often associated with spiritual renewal and forgiveness. 4. Sin and ImpurityRepresents the moral and spiritual defilement that separates humanity from God, necessitating cleansing. 5. On that dayA prophetic phrase indicating a future time of divine intervention and fulfillment of God's promises. Teaching Points The Promise of CleansingGod's provision of a fountain signifies His commitment to purify His people from sin and impurity. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice offers complete cleansing. The Role of RepentanceAccess to the cleansing fountain requires acknowledgment of sin and a turning towards God. Repentance is a necessary step in experiencing God's forgiveness and renewal. The Hope of RestorationThe opening of the fountain points to a future hope where God's people are fully restored and purified. This hope encourages believers to live in anticipation of God's ultimate redemption. The Universality of God's GraceWhile the prophecy specifically mentions the house of David and Jerusalem, the cleansing fountain is available to all who come to Christ in faith, highlighting the inclusivity of God's grace. Living as Cleansed PeopleBelievers are called to live in the reality of their cleansing, pursuing holiness and reflecting God's purity in their daily lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of a fountain in Zechariah 13:1 enhance our understanding of God's provision for cleansing from sin? 2. In what ways does the promise of cleansing in Zechariah 13:1 find its fulfillment in the New Testament, particularly in the life and work of Jesus Christ? 3. How can we apply the concept of repentance in our daily lives to access the cleansing and renewal promised by God? 4. What does the opening of the fountain "on that day" teach us about God's timing and the fulfillment of His promises? 5. How can we, as believers, live out the reality of being cleansed from sin and impurity in our interactions with others and in our personal spiritual growth? Connections to Other Scriptures Ezekiel 36:25-27This passage speaks of God sprinkling clean water on His people, cleansing them from impurities, and giving them a new heart and spirit, paralleling the cleansing fountain in Zechariah. John 19:34The piercing of Jesus' side, from which blood and water flowed, can be seen as a fulfillment of the cleansing fountain, symbolizing the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 9:14Discusses the cleansing power of Christ's blood, which purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God, echoing the theme of purification in Zechariah. Revelation 22:1Describes the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, symbolizing eternal cleansing and life, akin to the fountain in Zechariah. People David, ZechariahPlaces JerusalemTopics Cleanse, David, Family, Fountain, Impurity, Inhabitants, Jerusalem, Open, Opened, Purification, Sin, Spring, Sprinkling, Unclean, UncleannessDictionary of Bible Themes Zechariah 13:1 4236 fountain
4324 dross
7906 baptism, in Gospels
8326 purity, moral and spiritual Library The Open Fountain
"Wake, harp of Zion, wake again, Upon thine ancient hill, On Jordan's long deserted plain, By Kedron's lowly rill. The hymn shall yet in Zion swell That sounds Messiah's praise, And thy loved name, Immanuel! As once in ancient days. For Israel yet shall own her King, For her salvation waits, And hill and dale shall sweetly sing With praise in all her gates." Having said thus much, however, we shall now take our text as belonging to ourselves in common with Israel, for in the gospel no promise is …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871The Twenty-Second Psalm.
The Cross of Christ. THE Twenty-second Psalm contains a most remarkable prophecy. The human instrument through whom this prophecy was given is King David. The Psalm does not contain the experience of the King, though he passed through great sufferings, yet the sufferings he speaks of in this Psalm are not his own. They are the sufferings of Christ. It is written in the New Testament that the prophets searched and enquired diligently about the coming salvation. The Spirit of Christ, which was in …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory Messiah Unpitied, and Without a Comforter
Reproach [Rebuke] hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. T he greatness of suffering cannot be certainly estimated by the single consideration of the immediate, apparent cause; the impression it actually makes upon the mind of the sufferer, must likewise be taken into the account. That which is a heavy trial to one person, may be much lighter to another, and, perhaps, no trial at all. And a state …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament
THE Parables of the Ten Virgins' and of the Unfaithful Servant' close with a Discourse on the Last Things,' the final Judgment, and the fate of those Christ's Righ Hand and at His Left (St. Matt. xxv. 31-46). This final Judgment by our Lord forms a fundamental article in the Creed of the Church. It is the Christ Who comes, accompanied by the Angelic Host, and sits down on the throne of His Glory, when all nations are gathered before Him. Then the final separation is made, and joy or sorrow awarded …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Warning
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou today, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting "Seek First the Kingdom of God," &C.
Matt. vi. 33.--"Seek first the kingdom of God," &c. It may seem strange, that when so great things are allowed, and so small things are denied, that we do not seek them. The kingdom of God and his righteousness are great things indeed, great not only in themselves, but greater in comparison of us. The things of this world, even great events, are but poor, petty, and inconsiderable matters, when compared with these. Yet he graciously allows a larger measure of these great things relating to his kingdom …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ Judas' Betrayal and Peter's Denial Foretold.
(Jerusalem. Evening Before the Crucifixion.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 21-25, 31-35; ^B Mark XIV. 18-21, 27-31; ^C Luke XXII. 21-23, 31-38; ^D John XIII. 21-38. ^b 18 And ^d 21 When Jesus had thus said, ^b as they sat and were eating, ^d he was troubled in the spirit, and ^b Jesus ^d testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ^b even he that eateth with me. ^c 21 But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. [The foreknowledge of Judas' crime …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Christian's Peace and the Christian's Consistency
PHILIPPIANS i. 21-30 He will be spared to them--Spiritual wealth of the paragraph--Adolphe Monod's exposition--Charles Simeon's testimony--The equilibrium and its secret--The intermediate bliss--He longs for their full consistency--The "gift" of suffering Ver. 21. +For to me, to live is Christ+; the consciousness and experiences of living, in the body, are so full of Christ, my supreme Interest, that CHRIST sums them all up; +and to die+, the act of dying,[1] +is gain+, for it will usher me in …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Zechariah 13:1 NIVZechariah 13:1 NLTZechariah 13:1 ESVZechariah 13:1 NASBZechariah 13:1 KJV
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