Redemption Baptist Church

11/09/2026

The Coming “Day of the Lord”

Part 1—The Fake Epistle and the Troubling Message

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

In the three short weeks when the Apostle Paul was in the city of Thessalonica (in A.D. 53), he taught the brand-new church of Thessalonica the doctrine of the coming of the Lord; and the people received this doctrine (as well as all the other doctrines that Paul taught them) with great enthusiasm (Acts 17:1-9). However, after Paul left them under the pastoral care of one of his missionary co-workers, and moved on to the city of Berea, the believers in Thessalonica still some questions about the coming of the Lord. Particularly, they weren’t sure of what the status of their already-deceased brethren in Christ would be on the resurrection day. Thus, Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians to clear up their questions. In that epistle, Paul gave this beautiful description of the “catching up” (what we often call “the Rapture”) of believers, which will occur at the end of this church age:

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Paul’s words were clear enough: one day, Christ will suddenly appear in the clouds of Heaven; and all who were “in Christ” (saved) during this present church age will be resurrected, and caught up in the air to meet the Lord. Those who are “asleep in Jesus” (those who had died, and whose bodies are “sleeping” in their graves) will be resurrected to life, re-united with their spirits (which had been with the Lord in Heaven), and will be caught up in the air, to meet the Lord; and immediately afterward, those who are still living, and who are “in Christ,” will also be caught up in the air, to meet the Lord. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” every true believer in Jesus Christ (both those who were dead, and those who are still living) will receive glorified, immortal, incorruptible bodies, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58. Paul had already taught all these things to the Thessalonian believers; and in his first epistle to them, he confirmed them in these truths.

However, the people still had questions. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul once again had to address a doctrinal issue in regard to the coming of the Lord. Apparently, someone claiming to be the Apostle Paul had written a forged letter to the church of Thessalonica (verse 2); and in this letter, the author claimed that the “day of Christ” had already arrived. In other words, this person was saying that they had now entered into the Tribulation period.
Whoever wrote this letter was flatly denying what Paul had taught the Thessalonians. Paul had taught them “the pre-Tribulation Rapture” (the doctrine that the Rapture, or “catching up” of the saints, will happen just before the Tribulation). In stark contrast, this forger had taught the Thessalonians that that the Rapture of New Testament saints will happen just after the Tribulation. Needless to say, the Thessalonians were greatly “shaken in mind” and “troubled” because of this forger’s words! Paul had clearly taught them that they would be “caught up” in the clouds just before the start of the Day of the Lord, and that they were “not appointed unto wrath” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:3, 9-10); but now, someone else was telling them that New Testament believers must go through the terrible “day of the Lord.”

Now, it is important to remember that Paul used the term “day of Christ” instead of “Day of the LORD.” There is a slight difference of emphasis between the two. These two terms refer to two different aspects of Christ’s coming. The “day of the LORD” (“yom Jehovah,” as it is called in Hebrew) is a term that is used many times in the Old Testament; and it is translated into the New Testament as “the day of the Lord” (using the Greek word Kuriou, for “Lord”). The “day of the LORD” is not a 24-hour day, but rather a future period of 1,007 years. It includes the seven-year Tribulation period, the return of Christ to earth at the end of the Tribulation, and the 1,000-year Kingdom that follows (Zechariah 14:1-21; Daniel 9:26-27; Revelation 20:1-6). The Day of the LORD might be described as “a period of history when the LORD completes His work of judgment on the wicked, and the deliverance of His people.”

What, then, is the “day of Christ”? The “day of Christ” is a New Testament term which refers to the same seven-year period of time as the “day of the LORD.” However, the difference is that “the day of Christ” refers to what will be happening in Heaven, while the “day of the Lord” is in progress down on earth. The “Day of Christ” includes the Rapture of New Testament saints, followed by the Judgment Seat of Christ for New Testament believers in Heaven (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 4:1-11). While New Testament age Christians are in Heaven being judged and rewarded in the “day of Christ,” the unsaved will be experiencing the horrors of “the day of the LORD” down on earth.

With this in mind, you’ll notice that Paul appealed to the Thessalonians “by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” First, Paul appealed to them “by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “coming” is translated from the Greek word parousia, which simply means “coming,” or “presence.” This word parousia can refer either to the actual coming of Christ to earth at the end of the Tribulation (such as in 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or to the Rapture of the New Testament saints in the clouds just before the Tribulation (such as in 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:15). In this case (here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1), the word parousia apparently refers to the return of Christ to earth at the end of the Tribulation, because Paul contrasts it to “our gathering together unto him.” Clearly, the phrase “our gathering together unto him” refers to the Rapture, whereas the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” refers to Christ’s actual return to earth. Paul is saying, “I am urging you by the Second Coming of Christ (which will happen at the end of the Tribulation), and by the Rapture (which will happen just before the Tribulation).” He is drawing a distinction between these two phases of Christ’s coming.

Now, it is plain to see what effect the teaching of the forger had had on the Thessalonians. The biblical teaching of the Rapture (particularly, the pre-Tribulation Rapture) causes rest of mind (2 Thessalonians 1:7); yet, the Thessalonians were “troubled” in mind. Why? Because if they were now living in the “day of the Lord” (the seven-year Tribulation period), and had not been caught up in the Rapture, then they would soon be seeing the horrific judgments of the Tribulation!

All doctrine (including end-times doctrine) does matter! This is why it is vitally important that we “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:16). If you know Christ as your Saviour, may your heart be comforted today as you think on the wonderful promise of the coming of our Lord in the clouds!

If you have never repented of your sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t put off the matter of salvation. Christ might catch up His people this very day, and you would be left behind to go through the wrath of the Tribulation. As we will see in later posts, many people will believe on Christ and be saved during the Tribulation; however, the cost for believing on Jesus during that horrible seven-year period will be ex*****on (Revelation 13:1-18). Furthermore, there will be great demonic delusion during the Tribulation, which will prevent the overwhelming majority of people from believing on Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). If you are consciously rejecting Christ now, it is unlikely that you will receive him during the Tribulation, when Satan will be deluding the minds of men with unprecedented power. Don’t keep playing around in sin, and gambling with your soul! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, before the trumpet of the Lord sounds!

04/09/2026

The Price for the Good Shepherd

Part 5—The Cutting of “Bands”

“Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” (Zechariah 11:14)

The last action of Zechariah in his “Shepherd” parable was that of breaking the staff which represented “Bands.” The breaking of this staff represents the breaking of Israel’s “bands” of national unity. Israel was already deeply divided by political and religious factions in Jesus’ day; but because of their national rejection of their Shepherd, God would now remove His restraining hand, and would allow whatever unity that kept them together as a cohesive people to be destroyed. To this day, the Jewish people are more divided than they ever were in Old Testament times, or in the time of Christ.

However, God is not done with Israel. In another acted-out parable about a century before Zechariah, God commanded the prophet Ezekiel to bring two sticks (which represented the two divided kingdoms of Israel) together into one stick. This is the exact opposite of the parable that Zechariah acted out! This bringing together of the two sticks depicts the fact that in the future, God will reunify Israel, bring them back to their land, and rule over them as their King and Shepherd (Ezekiel 37:15-28). However, this will not happen until Israel, as a whole nation, repents and acknowledges their transgression in rejecting their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

The Good Shepherd has always been in the business of putting back together things that were broken, and unifying people with one heart and mind. He restores broken lives. He restores broken families. He heals broken and fragmented churches. He can heal whole nations. Christ will do this restoration work at the time of His Second Coming, on a mass scale. Two thousand years ago, Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, came in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, and began the work of turning the hearts of Israel’s fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, through his preaching of repentance and faith in the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:17). However, when Jesus the Messiah returns to earth, and gives a new, Spirit-indwelt heart to those Jews and Gentiles who repented and believed on Him during the time of great Tribulation, the work that John the Baptist began will be completed by the ultimate Elijah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Zechariah 12:10-14; Ezekiel 36:24-27; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 11:7-13). The hearts of Jews and Gentiles alike, now humbled and repentant, will be unified; and the “knowledge of the glory of the LORD” will fill the earth, “as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). However, this will only happen when people repent of their sin, and kneel at the foot of the Saviour.

Think on these truths about the Good Shepherd today, and apply them to your life!

30/08/2026

"My Life Is Yours to Control"
Music and words by Rodney Rice and Jimmelynn Rice

Lyrics:

1.With my whole heart I humbly seek you;
Now use my life, O Lord, I pray.
I yield my stubborn will completely;
May your commandments light my way.

2. Your Word has promised me the vico'ry,
And all I need to do is claim
Your strength to soar with wings as eagles,
To walk, to run, and not to faint.

Chorus:

My life, Lord, is yours to control;
I give You my heart and my soul.
I'll seek Your will, never mine,
Rich treasure to find.
Give wisdom to choices I make,
Along every path that I take.
So when I complete life's race,
"Well done", You will say.

27/08/2026

The Price for the Good Shepherd

Part 4—The Betrayal of Christ Prophesied

“And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”

(Zechariah 11:12-13)

Though some people in Zechariah’s audience believed his message from the LORD, most of them did not. As they looked at Zechariah, who was dressed in the garb of a shepherd, and was acting out his parables, many of them probably regarded him as some kind of clown. Their rejection of Zechariah and his message is clearly shown in what they did next. Zechariah asked them, “If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear” (v. 12). In other words, “If you think that I am worthy of my labours as your shepherd, give me whatever pay you think I’m worth; but if you don’t think I’m worth it, give me nothing at all.” As it turned out, the “pay” that the people gave Zechariah for his service as a “shepherd” (i.e., as a prophet of God) was more insulting than it would have been if they had given him nothing at all. They purposely gave him 30 pieces of silver—the price of a slave who had been gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32)! This was the people’s estimation of Zechariah’s worth as a prophet! They were obviously expressing their contempt for him, and for his message from the Lord.

The fulfilment of this acted-out prophecy is easy to see. After 3 ½ years of tireless labour, the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:11), received His “pay” from His own people. They showed their estimation of the Shepherd by paying thirty pieces of silver for His betrayal and death! Though Judas Iscariot was the individual who committed this terrible act of betrayal, the people at large joined him in his deed by listening to their rulers, and demanding Jesus’ death before Pilate (Matthew 27:20). Just as Zechariah prophesied, this sum of money was soon cast down in the “house of the Lord” (the Temple) by Judas, and was ultimately given to a local potter, for the purpose of purchasing a field in which to bury strangers (Matthew 26:14-16 / 27:3-10). [Incidentally, in Matthew 27:9, Matthew reports that this prophecy about the thirty pieces of silver had been “spoken by Jeremy the prophet.” While it is true that this prophecy is found in Zechariah 11, and not in the book of Jeremiah, Matthew was NOT in error when he said that this event had been “spoken” by Jeremiah. Many prophets verbally spoke the prophecies that God gave to them; and oftentimes, these prophecies were passed down orally for quite some time, and were later written down either by the prophet who originally spoke it, or by another prophet who succeeded him. This prophecy about the thirty pieces of silver was evidently first spoken by Jeremiah, and then was written down by Zechariah a couple generations later, by the moving of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).]

What, then, is the “takeaway” of Zechariah’s prophecy, and of the 30 pieces of silver that the people paid for his services? The takeaway is that the world has never loved Jesus, or those who truly follow Him. When someone claims to be a follower of Christ, yet is loved by the world at large, it’s usually a sign that something is seriously wrong with that person’s alleged profession of faith! Jesus said, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Jesus also told His disciples, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Christians shouldn’t go around with a “persecution complex”; but neither should they be shocked or dismayed when the world hates them for their faith in Christ, and His holy Word.

The world still looks with contempt upon the Good Shepherd, and still pitifully undervalues His worth. However, to us who believe on Him, He is “precious” (1 Peter 2:7). Thank God that the Good Shepherd was willing to undergo the humiliation of being valued at the price of a dead slave, so that He might pay the inestimable price for our salvation!

21/08/2026

The Price for the Good Shepherd

Part 3—The Breaking of the Staves

“And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.” (Zechariah 11:10-11)

In these verses, we find that Zechariah (who was still acting out the part of a Shepherd before his audience) took the stick which represented “Beauty,” and broke it in the sight of the people. This was symbolic of the fact that because Israel would one day reject their Good Shepherd, Christ’s offer of bringing them “beauty” (the pleasantness of the 1,000-year Kingdom) would therefore be broken. God broke His end of the “covenant” (the Law) with Israel, because Israel had broken their end of the Covenant. Not only had they constantly rebelled against their God through the centuries, but they committed the ultimate sin of rejecting their Messiah. Therefore, God removed His hand of protection from them, and judged them severely. This was prophesied by Moses and many other Old Testament prophets, and by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In Deuteronomy 28, God solemnly warned that if Israel would not hearken to the voice of the LORD their God, He would cause them to be thrown out of the land, and scattered to the ends of the earth. In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as He prophesied that very soon, their enemies would cast a trench around Jerusalem, besiege them, lay them even with the ground, slaughter their children, and not leave “one stone upon another,” because they did not know the time of their visitation. (In other words, because they failed to recognise their Messiah when He was among them.)

Now, in verse 11, we are told that the “poor of the flock” who “waited” on Zechariah knew that what he was saying was “the word of the Lord.” Evidently, a small number of people in Zechariah’s audience were “poor in spirit” (humble before the Lord). They believed that what Zechariah was saying was the “word of the LORD.” Likewise, there would be a relatively small remnant of Jewish believers who, upon seeing the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, would realise that this was the “word of the LORD” which had been prophesied by Zechariah (and by the Lord Jesus Christ).

There has always been a small remnant of Jewish believers within national Israel (Romans 11:1-5). In fact, the remnant of true believers if ANY nation has always been very small. There is not, and never has been, such a thing as a “Christian nation,” in the earthly or political sense. The only “Christian nation” that God recognises is His spiritual Kingdom, which is made up of those have been redeemed from out of every kindred, tongue, and nation. These are the people that John saw in vision when He wrote:

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10)

Rarely have God’s people constituted even a sizeable minority in any nation, because those who are willing to humble themselves, and be poor in spirit, is always very small. If you know Christ as your Saviour, thank God for the privilege of being among His children! Just as the “poor of the flock” waited on Zechariah’s word from the Lord, may you also wait on the word of the Lord today.

14/08/2026

The Price for the Good Shepherd

Part 2—The Rebellious Shepherds

“Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.” (Zechariah 11:8-9)

In Zechariah 11:8, the prophet Zechariah is recording the next phase of the “mini-drama” prophecy that God had commanded him to act out before the people. Zechariah reports that he “cut off” three shepherds “in one month.” (In other words, he cut off their employment.) Now, remember, this was all symbolic. Zechariah was acting out the part of a shepherd in front of the people of Judah. There were not any actual shepherds under Zechariah’s employment, because shepherding was not his trade; but he did, apparently, take three volunteers from his audience, and had them step forward to be part of his object lesson. He then declared that he had “cut them off” from his employment. The reason given for the severance of their employment was that he “loathed” them, and they “abhorred” him.

This part of Zechariah’s prophecy is symbolic of the abhorrence that the leaders of Israel would one day have toward Christ, and which Christ would have toward them. The “three shepherds” most likely represent the Levitical leaders (the priests); the teachers of the Law (the lawyers and rabbis); and the civil leaders (such as the Jewish magistrates, the Sanhedrin, and even King Herod, who was a proselyte follower of Judaism). Zechariah’s cutting off these three “shepherds” represents Christ’s rejection of the national leaders of Israel, on account of their rejection of Him. The fact that Zechariah did this in “one month” represents the shortness of Christ’s earthly ministry (3 ½ years). During that short time, the “shepherds” of Israel rejected the Good Shepherd, and He consequently rejected them (Luke 11:39-54; 13:31-33; 23:6-12).

However, this isn’t the worst of it. In verse 9, Zechariah makes a shocking statement to his “flock.” He says, “I will not feed you.” Now, remember, Zechariah is symbolising the Shepherd of Israel, Jesus Christ. Thus, by saying, “I will not feed you,” he is representing the attitude of the Lord Jesus Christ toward His own flock, the nation of Israel. These are truly chilling words! Not only did Jesus reject the “shepherds” (the leaders of Israel): He also rejected the flock itself (the nation at large). God’s withdrawal of His Word from nations that choose to reject Him is, in itself, a judgment and a curse! (This is truly frightening, in light of OUR nation’s haughty, contemptuous, and even hostile, rejection of God’s Word!) In Amos 8:11-13, the LORD warned Israel:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”

Jesus has been, and always will be, the “Shepherd of Israel” (Genesis 49:22-24). However, the Messiah promised that He would “not feed” Israel anymore, and that He would allow those in the flock who were dying to die. In other words, though He is Israel’s Shepherd, He would not act as Shepherd to the nation anymore, because they had rejected Him. In the future, Christ WILL finally gather all the flock of Israel to Himself, when they finally repent and believe on Him; but for the time being, He has set Israel aside nationally, and has offered the “Kingdom of God” (the spiritual realm of regeneration / the new birth) to anyone—whether Jew or Gentile—who will believe on Him, and bring forth the spiritual fruit of true praise and service to God (Matthew 21:33-46). Only days before His crucifixion, Jesus sadly told the religious leaders, “Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). Nice-looking religious “foliage” never impresses God. He demands spiritual fruit, which springs forth from repentant and converted hearts.

Now, you’ll notice that at the end of Zechariah 11:9, Zechariah said, “Let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.” He is speaking not only figuratively here, but literally! It was recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus, in his book Wars of the Jews, that during the Roman siege of Jerusalem (in A.D. 70), some of the people resorted to cannibalism. He reported that during General Titus’s siege, a woman named Mary of Bethezub (the daughter of a wealthy man named Eleazar) had all her fortune plundered by the Jewish freedom fighters; and she became so hungry, that she killed her infant son, and ate his flesh. When this story got around Jerusalem, the people were filled with horror. This is precisely what was prophesied in Deuteronomy 28:56—that during the future siege by Israel’s enemies, even the “tender and delicate woman among you” would eat her own children.

Jesus is a loving Shepherd, who is ready to forgive and save; but His condition for our receiving forgiveness of sins, and escaping His wrath, is repentance and faith. The consequence for ANY nation (including THIS nation) that rejects the Good Shepherd is truly horrible. Psalm 19:7 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

By this point in Zechariah’s prophecy, his audience was probably shifting from an attitude of amusement to one of irritation and anger. However, Zechariah’s prophecy was about to get much more provocative…to those who refused to repent. In the next post, we will see what God commanded Zechariah to do with those two shepherd’s staves named “Beauty” and “Bands,” and what its ramifications would be for the nation.

07/08/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TETOApOdy4

This video will give a brief overview of the geography, history, ar...

07/08/2026

The Price for the Good Shepherd

Part 1—The Shepherd’s Two Staves

“Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.”

(Zechariah 11:4-7)

This prophecy was given to the prophet Zechariah, around 487 B.C. (about 50 years after Israel had returned to their land from the Babylonian captivity). The Temple had been rebuilt not many years earlier (between 520 and 515 B.C.); but already, the descendants of those who had returned from Babylon had become very worldly and indifferent toward the things of God. Already, the wealthier and more prominent Jews were beginning to oppress their poor brethren, just as their fathers had done in the past. Thus, the Lord commanded Zechariah to give them a prophecy of warning: Slaughter was coming to “the flock” of Israel because of their rebellion (Zechariah 11:5-6). Slaughter did come to them in 167 B.C., when Antiochus Epiphanes (a Greek-Syrian king) launched a genocide upon all Jews who would not abandon worship of Jehovah, and worship the false god Zeus (and himself). This was a terrible time of purifying and testing for the Jews, as the true worshippers of the LORD were sifted out from those who were not. However, the truly big slaughter would happen in A.D. 70, and again in A.D. 135, when the Romans would destroy Jerusalem, and scatter the Jewish people to the four corners of the earth. Tragically, this calamity befell Israel because of their national rejection of their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

Now, just as God commanded Ezekiel to “act out” many of his prophecies in a mini-drama fashion, so God commanded Zechariah to “act out” this prophecy in Zechariah 11. Zechariah literally dressed as a shepherd, took the tools of a shepherd in hand, and acted like a shepherd before the people of Israel as he gave this prophecy. In doing these symbolic acts, he was a type, or symbol, of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:1-30).

Though the flock of Israel was bound for slaughter in the future, the LORD made it clear to Zechariah that He would feed “the poor of the flock” (v. 7). The “poor of the flock” are not necessarily those who are monetarily poor, but rather those who are “poor in spirit.” In other words, the “poor of the flock” are those who truly believe on their God. Those who have truly been saved from their sins are those who have humbled themselves before God, and believed His Word. When Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came to earth, He taught that those who are “poor in spirit” are those who have humbled themselves to believe on Him for salvation (Isaiah 61:1 cf. Matthew 5:1-5; Matthew 11:28-30).

With this in mind, we come to verse 7. In this verse, we are told that Zechariah took “two staves” in hand. These staves were the instruments of a shepherd. Shepherds in Bible times carried two large sticks. One staff was hewn from a large bough of a tree, for the purpose of beating and chasing away wild animals which might harm the flock. The other staff had a large crook on the end of it, for the purpose of retrieving sheep that were caught in thickets and mountain clefts. These two staves spoke, in people’s minds, of the care and protection that the LORD gives to His sheep. This is why David said of the LORD, “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Now, God instructed Zechariah to call these two staves by two names: “Beauty” and “Bands.” The word “beauty” (nōám) can also be translated as “pleasantness,” or even “graciousness.” This staff symbolised the loving, gracious nature of the Israel’s Good Shepherd. The word “bands” (kheveliym) can also be translated as “unity,” or “oneness.” (It has the idea of a rope, or cord, pulling objects together into one unit.) This staff symbolises the unifying ministry of the Good Shepherd. The Lord Jesus Christ unifies people around faith in Him. In this present age, for example, He has brought Jewish and Gentile believers together into one institution, the local church (John 10:15-16). In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul beautifully describes how Gentile believers had been made one with their Jewish brethren through common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and had been made into “one body” (the local church at Ephesus):

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

(Ephesians 2:11-18)

About 500 years before the time of Zechariah, Israel was divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, after the death of King Solomon (around 960 B.C.); and even though there was no northern and southern kingdom in the time of Christ, there was still great division among the Jews (such as the Roman Herodian party, the Zealots, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, etc.). In this time of great national division, the Son of God came down from Heaven, and took on human flesh; and He came to unify Israel around Himself as their Saviour and King. Sadly, though, the nation would not be unified, because most of them refused to believe on Him, and receive Him. Even after His crucifixion and resurrection (which was witnessed and testified of by many hundreds of Jews), the greater part of the nation still refused to believe on Him. This is why Isaiah, in one of his many prophecies of the Messiah (whom he called “Israel,” since the Messiah IS the Greater Israel), foretold of these words that the Messiah would say:

“Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.” (Isaiah 49:4-5)

These words reveal the grief that the Messiah would experience as the result of being rejected by His own people, and refusing to be gathered unto Him. However, the LORD (God the Father) had these words of encouragement for His Servant, the Messiah:

“It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

To this very day, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealing Himself as Saviour to many Jews and Gentiles all over the world, and is uniting them in peace and fellowship in local churches. However, Israel has not yet believed on Him nationally. This condition of national unbelief will not continue, however. In the future, the Lord Jesus Christ WILL, indeed, gather all the tribes of Israel unto Himself—but not until they finally repent and believe on Him. That is why Jesus said, on the night before His crucifixion:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:37-39)

As we continue to study through this prophetic passage, we will see how the Good Shepherd dealt with His flock of Israel, and how they dealt with Him. In the meantime, take this thought home with you: The Good Shepherd feeds those who are “poor in spirit.” We who have been saved through faith in Christ may or may not be members of the flock of ethnic Israel; but we ARE the sheep of Christ's pasture. If you know Christ as Saviour, stay close by your Shepherd's side today, and receive spiritual food, protection, and rest from Him!