Zechariah 11
My question is who are the three shepherds that are cut off?
11:1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
This is an interesting prophecy. 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and immediately after the religious leaders in Jerusalem made an official proclamation that Jesus was not the Messiah but was casting out demons by the prince of the demons to which Jesus responded they had committed the unforgivable sin, from this point on the temple records record a variety of judgments including the doors made of cedars of Lebanon would no longer close.
2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. 3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. 4 Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
It is reasonable to apply this prophecy to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD which led to the gospel going to the nations. However, according to the Bible that which has been is that which shall be and there is no new thing. I would say the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple prefigures the judgment at the end of the age. The destruction of the temple and the destruction of the apostasy are like book ends to the church age.
5 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.
Yes, this happened when the Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees rejected Jesus. Repeatedly we saw them condemning people for being healed on the sabbath day. Jesus even pointed out their hypocrisy saying if it had been a cow they would have pulled him out of the pit and yet they are forbidding healing a daughter of Abraham.
6 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.
This sounds a lot like the tribulation when the Christians who are left behind are hunted down, persecuted and put to death.
7 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.
This is what the Lord has done for the last two thousand years. The church age has been composed of "the poor of the flock" and Jesus has been the shepherd who has fed us.
8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
"Also", this tells me that the Lord did both. Sure enough not only did the Lord take care of the church during the church age, but He also cut off the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. They were scattered to the four corners, the temple was destroyed and they were no longer in positions of power, and for many of them they were killed. I believe the same thing happens during the tribulation with the Apostasy. But this one detail "in one month" that is very interesting. The other detail is"three shepherds". We should not simply view Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians as Shepherds that the Lord loathes. What about rulers of countries that don't care about the people but are corrupt. Surely He loathes them as well. In the book of Revelation we are told there are ten horns, that would be powerful world rulers, and three are cut off. In the world we have a number of powerful world leaders, but only three who have a real shot at becoming the one world ruler: Trump, Xi, and Putin. The antichrist is a little horn, but he maneuvers so that the three horns are broken off and that clears the way for him to become the one world ruler. This is simply a guess, but I am guessing that the three horns that are cut off are the three that would challenge the Antichrist the most for being ruler of the world. I don't think it is a stretch to say that Xi and Putin abhor Jesus. Trump may have had a change of heart since his assassination attempt, but for all his acknowledgement of God saving him for something greater, I do not see him worshipping Jesus. Yes, he is a politician and needed the Christians, but the idea that Trump is supporting Israel because of Jesus is unsupported. He may very well give God credit for saving him, but abhor Jesus because he wants to make a peace treaty that Jews and Muslims can both agree to. Anyway I am simply guessing that before Antichrist can have one world government Trump, Xi and Putin would have to be cut off.
9 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.
This is talking about cannibalism. That is generally considered the absolute worst tribulation and would be part of the last seven years. No doubt this may have happened in human history but like I said I think this prophecy can apply to both the beginning of the church age and the end of the church age. Jesus is the good shepherd, so saying that He won't do anything to protect these ones indicate they aren't His sheep. This would be after the rapture.
10 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.
We see this in the book of Revelation where the angel announces that the age of grace is over, there is no longer an opportunity to be saved and the angel preaches the eternal gospel. Jesus said to forgive 70x7 times. I have applied that principle to the gospel going to the four corners of the earth and 4x70x7 = 1,960 years. Add that to 70 AD when the gospel went out to the nations and you get 2030 AD. After that the forgiveness is over, the Lord breaks His covenant with all people.
11 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.
Once again another reference to the rapture. However, the "poor of the flock" may refer to the gleanings. So that day may refer to the day the two witnesses are killed and from that point on it is the eternal gospel.
12 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.
Clearly a reference to Judas the false prophet. But we will also have a false prophet at the end of the age. The false prophet sold Jesus and I suspect at the end of the age the false prophet will betray these three shepherds who are cut off in one month.
13 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.
Obviously we don't know what this means for the future. We saw what it meant for Judas, and we can surmise that the three shepherds are betrayed for money just as Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. There is an interesting point here, and since I don't believe in coincidence I would say an interesting prophecy. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver, Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. The end of the covenant and time running out for forgiveness could be 2030.
14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
Right now the people of God are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to bless Israel. This is true of both Christians and Jews. But after the two witnesses are taken up all the Christians will be gone. So think of the two staffs as two staffs of Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep. The first staff is broken when the rapture takes place. At this point the Lord's judgement on the apostasy begins. Then when the two witnesses are killed the second staff is broken, the staff called "bands", the bands that hold the people of faith together.
15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
The foolish shepherd would be the Antichrist. John said there have been many shepherds, so think of all these leaders who rejected Jesus. They are fools. According to the book of Proverbs the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Anyone who is a ruler or leader that does not fear God is a fool.
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
The foolish shepherd will be like a beast. He doesn't care for the sheep, he eats them.
17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
This is a reference to the one eyed god, the god depicted on the dollar bill, the all seeing eye. This god is a type of the Antichrist.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zechariah 10&version=KJV