What connections exist between Zechariah 12:11 and the mourning over Christ's crucifixion? Setting the Scene in Zechariah 12 • Zechariah 12:10–11 lays out a literal future moment for Jerusalem: “Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced… On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the Plain of Megiddo.” • Verse 10 identifies a pierced individual—fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:37; Revelation 1:7). • Verse 11 supplies the comparison: grief “as great as” the national lament at Hadad-rimmon, linking an ancient moment of sorrow with the future (and, from our vantage, already-begun) mourning over Christ. Who—or What—Was Hadad-rimmon? • Hadad-rimmon is best understood as the village near Megiddo where King Josiah died in 609 BC (2 Chronicles 35:22-25). • Josiah’s death shocked the godly of Judah; Jeremiah composed laments, and the whole nation wept. • That historical wail became a benchmark for national sorrow. Zechariah deliberately points to it as the scale by which Israel’s later mourning would be measured. Parallels Between Josiah’s Death and Christ’s Crucifixion • Both deaths involved a righteous king cut down in apparent defeat. • Josiah died trying to shield Judah; Jesus died to save the world (John 3:16). • Each death produced immediate, heartfelt public grief (2 Chronicles 35:25; Luke 23:27, 48). • Yet Christ’s death, unlike Josiah’s, unleashed atonement and the promised “spirit of grace and prayer” (Zechariah 12:10; Acts 2:33-37). New Testament Echoes of Zechariah 12:11 • Luke 23:48—“And all the crowds…beat their breasts and went away.” First-century spectators already sensed the magnitude of what had happened. • Acts 2:37—hearts “pierced” at Pentecost, fulfilling the promise of the Spirit that produces mourning and repentance. • Revelation 1:7—future global fulfillment: “Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” Future National Mourning Still Ahead • Romans 11:25-27 anticipates a day when “all Israel will be saved,” matching Zechariah’s picture of widespread repentance. • The prophecy looks forward to Christ’s return, when Israel will finally recognize her Messiah, and the kind of grief once reserved for Josiah will reappear—now centered on Jesus. Key Takeaways for Today • Prophecy is precise: God named the scale and setting of Israel’s future repentance centuries before the cross. • Mourning leads to mercy: the “spirit of grace and prayer” is poured out where hearts are broken over the Pierced One. • Believers can trust every detail of Scripture; the sorrow of Zechariah 12:11 found its beginning at the crucifixion and guarantees a coming national awakening. |
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