An Account of My 2015 Email Debate with Two Jewish Apologists, Jared and May – Part 12 on Zechariah 12:10

Randall Johnson May 11, to Jared, May
Here is my response to your commentary on Zechariah 12:10 and below is a video I would appreciate your perspective on.

John’s first reference to “Not a bone of him shall be broken” is not just an allusion to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12, but also to Psalm 34:20, again showing the typical rabbinic use of a theme traced all through tenach. Your commentary on this passage misconstrues John, suggesting that he is speaking of the Romans looking on Jesus whom they pierced, when it is in fact John who is looking on Jesus (“He who saw it bore witness”). John is a Jew who has, before the eschatalogical fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 in the last days, has experienced a partial fufillment in his own life.

Christian apologists do not claim that the “piercing” in Zechariah 12:10 refers only to the piercing of Jesus’ hands and feet, but to the piercing in general which resulted in or proved Jesus’ death. The word used in Zechariah, daqar, means to run through or pierce, as with a spear, and could easily apply to both kinds of piercings Jesus received on the cross. And John’s allusion to Zechariah 12:10 does not specify when its ultimate fulfillment will be, but how it was fulfilled in his own life. We may expect a future fulfillment, however, since that is the provenance of the Zechariah prophecy.

Far from misquoting Zechariah, John is making an accurate and appropriate paraphrase since in Zechariah 12:10 what starts as Yahweh speaking first person switches to third person. And in John’s mind, looking to or on Yahweh is the same as looking to or on Jesus (he does the same thing in John 12:41 where Jesus’ glory is an obvious reference to Isaiah’s vision of Yahweh in the temple). In fact, Zechariah says Yahweh will be pierced. Now this might be considered a metaphor (Yahweh is pierced in his heart with pain), but Yahweh’s heart has been pierced in this way many times by Israel (and by the church for that matter), but this piercing moves Israel to an unusual level of mourning, as for the loss of a child in death. Furthermore, the talmud writing Sukkah 52a shows that the rabbis themselves viewed this time of mourning as for the slaying of Yahweh’s Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph, a yet future messianic figure. Are they ripping it out of context?

But please help me with the translation, “They will look to Me because of the one who was pierced.” I do not see the word for “because” in the Hebrew text.

The exegesis in the book you copied for me seems amiss, also, in saying that the slain person in the future that is being talked about in 12:10 will be killed by enemies in war. This does not square with the text, which says that the mourning is done by Israel because they pierced this individual. It is the mourning that is great, as for Josiah, not the exact way of his dying. Yes, God is describing the restoration of Israel, but the first step is recognizing that they are the ones who pierced Messiah. This is especially pertinent if the correct text is not “They will look on Me because of the one pierced” but “They will look on Me, the one whom they have pierced.” This is why a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy must be poured out by Yahweh.

John certainly did not ignore the context of Zechariah 12:10. It fits perfectly with the practice of prophecy in tenach having near and distant fulfillments. It reckons correctly with Yahweh being the one who is pierced. And we see the effectiveness of it immediately in Peter’s preaching (Acts 2) to Jewish residents of Jerusalem when they mourn over the resurrected Jesus because they were responsible for his death. Just because God raised him from the dead does not absolve me of guilt for failing to recognize him as Messiah and being okay with his death. This does not in any way justify antisemitism, and as you know, most evangelicals find themselves quite pro-semitic in their support of Israel. What was done in the past by those who name Christ is abhorrent and wrong. The biblical attitude is that of Paul who said he wished he could be lost instead of his brothers, the Jews.

We do not have to ignore the prophecy four chapters earlier in Zechariah. We believe it. Israel is going to show the way.

Jared, to me, May
My response is this guy’s experience is very unusual – and his opening remarks about some of the Jewish customs indicate he was not taught about some of the customs. It would be equivalent to a Christian person saying “we had to say Grace before a meal
And put our hands together” and find that strange.

As far as him finding Jesus – let me tell you I can show you a fortune of videos with people leaving the church in droves because they have discovered a plethora of issues with Christianity. Here are a few examples

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3lUeNCvBI_g

The response about the rest of Zechariah 12 is coming but wanted to show you the links above first – and feel free to share your thoughts.

Randall Johnson May 12, to Jared, May
I did not intend to share the video as evidence of Christianty. We can find droves of people who have left either camp. Of course, all the first Christians were Jews and their customs must have been in every way complete, including people like members of the Sanhedrin and Pharisees like Paul. There were many from every possible Jewish sect and station of life who were convinced of Christianity and did not fine it incompatible with being Jews. It is a shame that one sect of Judaism sees itself as the only true representative of the Jews.

Jared, to me, May
Well it goes back to Deuteronomy 11:28 – True Judaism is simply following what G-d is asking and never following other gods we do not know. Christians who were Jews decided to ignore that crucial passage and many other passages like it. Anyway I still think you should watch those videos – not because I think it will change you in anyway – but as a pastor perhaps it will show you why people are leaving

Randall Johnson May 12, to Jared, May
Well, I think you are begging the question. We submit that they did not ignore any crucial passages and in fact did not embrace a god they haven’t known and I hope that my explanation of each of the passages we have dealt with will demonstrate that. I am eagerly awaiting May’s response to my exegetical questions and the plain reading of many texts.

Jared, to me, May
Truly I’m not begging anything – it is what it is. Christians accept Jesus as their lord and even call him “the lord Jesus Christ” – and they pray to him. There’s simply no denying that is accepting a God that Jews had not known during the time.

I’m sure May will be in touch soon.