Zechariah 13: From the Resistance to the Remnant
By Robert E. Cruickshank, Jr
Copyright © Robert E. Cruickshank, Jr. (October 29, 2025)
Daniel E. Harden (Editor)
All Rights Reserved
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also, I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1-3).
In the previous article, we saw that Zechariah 12 found its near fulfillment in the Maccabean period, with typological elements thematically pointing forward to the time of Christ. This trend continues with chapter 13. As with any passage of Scripture, the chapter also retains enduring principles for believers of all ages. God’s Word isn’t dead or stagnant; it’s living and active (Heb. 4:12). As such, it comes to life, and it speaks to every new generation and every new situation. So, there is ongoing relevance, typological anticipation, and initial historical fulfillment.
And the initial historical fulfillment of chapter 12 was embodied in the brave actions of Judas Maccabeus and those faithful Israelites who joined his cause in the second century BC.
With that said, Zechariah begins chapter 13 with the words, “in that day” (Zech. 13:1a). This indicates that he is in fact speaking of the same “day” as the previous chapter. In other words, we’re still in the Maccabean period.[1] As Daniel Morais comments, “Because Zechariah 12 was fulfilled in the Maccabean Wars and Zechariah 13 opens with the expression “on that Day,” Zechariah 13 is also fulfilled in this War.”[2]
Against this backdrop, Zechariah opens his 13th chapter with “a fountain” being opened to cleanse the land of “sin and uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1b). This plays out in the Maccabean narrative – as a fountain of courage, conviction, and commitment overflows into resistance and liberation for the Jewish nation.
The Fountain Opens / The Resistance is Born
In Proverbs, Solomon tells us that the mouth of the righteous, the teaching of the wise, and the fear of the Lord are the fountain of life (Pr. 10:11; 13:14; 14:27).[3] The fountain imagery, then, speaks of the life that springs from righteous speech, wise teaching, and godly fear. In the previous article, we saw how the words out of the mouth of Judas Maccabeus taught the people to fear the Lord – rather than fearing their numerous enemies coming against them (1 Macc. 3:18–22).
This resulted in decisive victory – the defeat and retreat of their foes, time and again.
It also resulted in the land and temple being purified of the sins and impurities imposed upon them by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc. 4:36–54; 2 Macc. 10:1–5). This cleansing, born out in the words and deeds of the Maccabees, became a living fountain of fearless faith that rekindled, renewed, and revived the hearts of the people.
Thus, the fountain imagery of Zechariah 13:1 is a beautiful picture of the Maccabean cleansing of the city and temple from Antiochus’s pollution (Zech. 13:2). The idols were removed, and true worship was restored – through the flowing fountain of the Maccabean freedom fighters. These waters of renewal made the people, the land, and the temple clean and pure once again.
The image grows even richer, as the underlying Hebrew of the phrase “a fountain will be opened” (Zech. 13:1) indicates “not a single act of opening, but that the fountain will remain continuously open.”[4] This comports well with the Maccabean narrative.
The Fountain Flows / The Resistance Continues
To ensure the sanctuary would never again be defiled, Judas and the people established the Feast of Dedication as a perpetual reminder of the temple’s cleansing (1 Macc. 4:59; cf. 2 Macc. 1:18). This feast continued to the time of Christ (Jn. 10:22),[5] and it is known today as Hanukkah (Festival of Lights).[6] The “purification of the temple and the restoration of the altar,” that resulted from “the wars against Antiochus Epiphanies,” was to never be forgotten (2 Macc. 2:19-20). That cleansing fountain, springing from the sacrifice and faith of those who achieved this victory, was intended to keep flowing.[7] It was to flow like a river of remembrance, renewal, and righteousness. It was to flow in one direction only, never returning to the impurity that once defiled the land. It was to flow in holiness and hope, continuing to make hearts clean.
In short, the opening of the fountain in Zechariah 13:1 was the rise of the Maccabean Resistance. The prophet’s choice of imagery was purposeful, pointed, and powerful. As Charles Spurgeon commented, “There is a fountain opened; not a cistern nor a reservoir, but a fountain.”[8] Like an erupting spring, the imagery wasn’t a small trickle of personal piety only but a huge torrent of national renewal. Flooding the land with cleansing power, it bursts with life and motion. And once that fountain was opened, the idols would be cut off from the land, and the spirit of uncleanness would be swept away like a flood (Zech. 13:2).
Idols, Uncleanness, and Abominations
With that said, the dual imagery of idols coupled with a spirit of uncleanness[9] perfectly captures what took place at the time of the Maccabees, when the waters broke and the resistance was born. Brian Godawa elaborates the details:
“On December 6, 167 B.C., Antiochus IV stopped the daily Jewish sacrifices to Yahweh in the temple and set up an altar to the Greek god Zeus to replace those sacrifices to his patron deity. This was called by Daniel the “abomination of desolation” that profaned the temple (Dan. 11:31)… the profaning involved suppressing Jewish circumcision, dietary laws and sabbaths, while requiring sacrifices to Zeus with animals that the Jews considered unclean, such as pigs.”[10]
Consistent with Godawa’s citation of Daniel 11:35, these very actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes are in fact called the “abomination of desolation” in 1 Maccabees 1:54.[11] As pointed out in the previous article, Judas Maccabeus and his men recovered the city, cleansed the temple, and demolished the pagan ritual cites in the surrounding precincts (2 Macc. 10:1-3; cf. 1 Macc. 4:36-60). This was all instilled in Judas by his father Mattathias and his friends, who “went around tearing down the altars to other gods” (1 Macc. 2:45). In short, they “cut off the names of the idols from the land,” so “they would no longer be remembered” (Zech. 13:2).
Simply cleansing the land from idols, however, wasn’t enough. The purification needed to go deeper. Israel needed purged from the people themselves who had set the stage for paganism to prevail in the first place.
Rooting Out the Root Cause
Thus, Zechariah also speaks of the removal of the false prophets (Zech. 3:2-6).[12] In other words, the eradication of corrupt leadership. He speaks of the prophets being ashamed of their visions (Zech. 13:4) and shamefully trying to hide their past activity (Zech. 13:5-6).[13] Accordingly, the apostate leaders of the Maccabees’ day certainly had a shameful vision for the people of that day. Prior to the rise of the Maccabean rebellion, the powers that be had steered the nation off course, and the apostate leadership needed rooted out at the source (Zech. 13:3).
Simply put, the anticipated renewal could not take place without their removal. It could not take place while the corrupt still held power. It could not take place under the influence of “unclean leaders (priests, prophets, and shepherds).”[14]
With that said, 1 Maccabees opens with a scene that reads like a script from Zechariah 13. We are told of “renegade Israelites” who “went against their ancestral laws and encouraged many other Jews to join them. They spoke up, saying, ‘Let’s make a covenant with the Gentiles around us…’” (1 Macc. 1:11).[15] These corrupt leaders “eagerly went to King Antiochus, who gave them permission to start living by the laws of the Gentiles” (1 Macc. 1:13). The results of this shady deal are spelled out in the verses that follow:
“Consequently, they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, following Gentile custom. They even took steps to remove the marks of circumcision, utterly abandoning the holy covenant. They joined with Gentiles and gave themselves over to an evil course” (1 Macc. 1:14-15).
When we think of a gymnasium today, we normally think of a place for exercise, sports, and physical fitness. But this gymnasium wasn’t today’s Physical Education program or family fitness club. For all intents and purposes, it was a sanctuary of sin. As Godawa explains:
“A Greek gymnasium was a particularly blasphemous offense to devout Jews because it was not merely a location of physical exercise and sport, it was an indoctrination center into Greek philosophy and morality for the youth called “ephebes.” Its involvement violated the Torah on many levels. The participants would exercise and compete in the nude and engage in some pederast liaisons that were popular amongst the Greeks. The ephebes would wear a broad-brimmed Greek hat called a petasos, another distinguishing mark of Hellenism and like that worn by the Greek god Hermes (2 Maccabees 4:12).”[16]
In place of a fountain of life stood a fountain of defilement – flowing not with righteousness, but with rebellion.
Cleansing the Corruption
Earlier, we heard from King Solomon regarding the fountain of life that springs from righteous words, teaching, and reverence for the Lord (Pr. 10:11; 13:14; 14:27). In stark contrast, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Pr. 25:26).[17] Like a sea of sludge, what began as cultural compromise, led to spiritual corruption – led by the spiritually corrupt.
One such individual was “Jason, the brother of Onias,” who “gained the high priesthood by corruption” (2 Macc. 4:7). In fact, he was the very one responsible for building the gymnasium (2 Macc. 4:9, 12). He made his fellow citizens change to the Greek way of life (2 Macc. 4:10), set aside the customs established for the Jews (2 Macc. 4:11a), and introduced customs contrary to the law (2 Macc. 4:11c). And it was all made possible by his gymnasium of hedonism.
Even the priests couldn’t resist the decadence. Every time another lawless spectacle was announced, they left the service of the altar, treated the temple with contempt – and off to the gym they went (2 Macc. 4:14)! But entertainment gave way to enslavement, as the open doors of Jason’s gymnasium opened the door to Antiochus’s desolation (cf. 1 Macc. 1:14; 1 Macc. 1:54).
Zechariah’s prophecy mandated that the corruption not go unchallenged, the defilement not go unchecked, and the evil not go unpurged.
Judas’s brother Jonathan[18] got the job done. After Judas’s death, the renegade Israelites rose up again – throughout all of Israel (1 Macc. 9:18, 23). Seeing the threat return, the faithful Israelites sought to make Jonathan their new “ruler and leader” (1 Macc. 9:30). He accepted, finished what his father and brother started, and “destroyed all the godless who were in Israel” (1 Macc. 9:31, 73).
But loss was the price of deliverance, and death cleared the path to restoration.
Knowing what he had to do, and facing impossible odds, Judas Maccabeus again became that fountain of life for his people – even as he himself was about to fight the last battle of his own life:
“If our time has come, then we will die bravely for our people, and leave no reason to question our honor” (1 Macc. 9:10).
Judas’s fall in battle would be the necessary catalyst to draw the remaining renegade Jews[19] out into the open. Their overconfidence after Judas’s death would be their undoing. It ignited the civil conflict that allowed Jonathan to pursue them, finish the job, and complete the purge that would give way to the restoration. Zechariah foresaw this moment as well, in the closing verses of his thirteenth chapter (Zech. 13:7–9).
Striking the Shepherd
Zechariah 13:7 speaks of a sword awakening against God’s Shepherd, whom the Lord calls, “the man, my associate.” The word used for “man” here is not the usual word for “man,” but ga’ver, and it refers to “strong man, a warrior (emphasizing strength or ability to fight).”[20] According to Petterson, the word is “appropriate for someone who has been to battle.”[21] This fits the profile of Judas Maccabeus, and what Zechariah says next fits the profile of the narrative following his death.
A sword strikes the shepherd, and the sheep are scattered (Zech. 13:7-8). The sword “represents a violent end to one’s life,”[22] and Judas’s life ended violently in battle – after which his men in fact scattered and fled (1 Macc. 9:18). Zechariah 13:7-8, then, is a picture-perfect description of the Maccabean freedom fighter’s tragic end and the events that followed.
This of course also serves as a perfect picture foreshadowing Jesus Christ, as Our Lord appropriated the theme of Zechariah 13:7 to himself (Matt. 26:31), and His disciples did in fact leave Him and flee away (Matt. 26:56b).
Jesus said that all of this happened “that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” (Matt. 26:56a). Not fulfilled in the sense of a Nostradamus-type of fortune-telling,[23] but in the sense of a reenactment of previous historical events that ultimately pointed to Christ.[24] This is the same sense in which Matthew uses the original Exodus (Hos. 11:1) as a prefiguring of the Holy Family’s flight to and from Egypt (Matt. 2:15), using the word fulfilled in a typological context (Matt. 2:15).
Daniel Morais does a nice job bridging this theme between the testaments, when he writes, “After the death of Judas Maccabees who was a type of Christ, the Jewish Resistance was scattered and sought out for vengeance.”[25] This continuity between past and present – the Maccabean foreshadowing of Christ – sets the stage for understanding how God purifies His people through trial, refining a faithful remnant amid conflict and loss. Accordingly, the Lord says, “I will turn my hand against the little ones” (Zech. 13:7c). On this phrase, Petterson explains:
“The expression ‘turn my hand against’ occurs on four other occasions in the OT, where it always means to destroy in judgment (Ps. 81:14; Isa. 1:24–26; Ezek. 38:12; Amos 1:8). In Isa. 1:24–26 it is used, as here, in conjunction with the idea of refining a remnant, hence it is a judgment that will purify God’s people.”[26]
Those whom God turns his hands against are called “little ones” (tsa’ar). That’s probably not the best translation, as the word carries the idea of being brought low or being made insignificant, in contrast with those who are honored and exalted (Job 14:21; Jer. 30:19). The idea is that the rebellious would be brought down while the faithful would be lifted up.
Against this backdrop of God turning His hand against the ones He’s going to bring down, Zechariah turns his attention to the actual refining process itself and the means by which God will raise the remnant up.
Refining the Remnant
As noted above, the refining of the remnant occurred when the renegade Jews reemerged, resulting in civil conflict within Israel itself. Again, this allowed Jonathan to weed out and eliminate the rebels. Nonetheless, both sides incurred heavy losses. Zechariah foresaw this as well:
“It will come about in all the land, Declares the LORD, that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it” (Zechariah 13:8).
While modern prophecy pundits tend to put this in our future, and speak of the harsh bloodbath that’s coming for modern-day Jews,[27] Daniel Morais offers a saner commentary – based on Zechariah’s actual context and the real history that followed his prophecy:
“Verses 8 and 9 indicate that two-thirds of those in Judah or Israel were to be killed. This number may not be an exaggeration. Recall that as stated above, the Maccabean Wars was not just a war between the Maccabees and the Greeks, it was also a civil war between those Jews loyal to the God of Israel and those Jews who had adopted the religion and culture of the Greeks. Because the Maccabean Wars was a civil war, this death toll does not seem wildly impractical in light of the battles recorded in the Books of Maccabees.”[28]
Finally, Zechariah looks ahead to the final result – the restored remnant. The Lord says,
“And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God” (Zechariah 13:9).
Once the civil war ended in Israel, Jonathan easily dispatched the remaining godless Israelites, began to govern the people, took up residence in Jerusalem, and rebuilt and restored the city (1 Macc. 9:73; 10:10). “Only in Beth-Zur did some Jews remain who had neglected God’s Law and commandments, because Beth-Zur was a place of refuge” (1 Macc. 10:14).
Recap
Zechariah 13 envisions a day of cleansing and renewal, as a “fountain” is opened – washing away impurity from the house of David and the city of Jerusalem. The prophecy envisions a refining process, targeting apostate leadership, pagan idols, and spiritual corruption. What emerges in Zechariah’s prophecy is a faithful remnant, a restored people and a purified nation. It’s a vision of renewal that can only come through removal – a removal of all that defiles.
Centuries later, these themes resurface as the Maccabean revolt breaks surface. The desecration and corruption of the land and leadership mirrored the coming apostacy that Zechariah foresaw. Through courageous resistance, a purified remnant emerged – like a cleansing fountain. The renewal and restoration that Zechariah envisioned came to life in the lives of the Maccabees – from the resistance to the remnant.
Takeaways
Zechariah’s cleansing fountain didn’t dry up on the pages of the past. Cleansing and renewal come to us today whenever we root out corruption in our own lives in devotion to Him. Judas Maccabeaus prefigured Jesus Christ, and the purifying fountain that he opened prefigured the fountain of living waters that Jesus opens. Those waters flow to and through New Covenant believers. Those waters burst forth into a river of commitment, courage, and conviction that never ceases. Those waters stream from Zechariah’s pages to believers of all ages.
This is true not only for our own lives personally, but in every area of our life – as we live out our lives in this world. Like the Maccabees, we should be a force of resistance against the tide of corruption in our own day. Righteous resistance gives way to renewal and restoration. Let’s be that remnant of resistance that leads to renewal and restoration in our culture. Let’s let those waters of renewal rise up within us. Let’s open that fountain!
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[1] This is distinguished from another “day,” a day that is “coming for the Lord” in 14:1, which would be the Roman period at the time of Christ.
[2] Zechariah 13 Fulfilled in the Maccabean Wars: A Preterist Commentary | Revelation Revolution https://bit.ly/470VJ8m
[3] The same Hebrew word that is used in Zechairah 13:1 for “fountain,” מָקוֹר (ma’ qor), is used in these passages from Proverbs. It is a somewhat rare word in the Hebrew Bible – occurring only about 18 times.
[4] Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: Apollos, Old Testament Commentary 25 (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), 272-273
[5] The nuances of the narrative in John 10 are fascinating. The Jews ask Jesus to tell them plainly if He is the Messiah (Jn. 10:24), on the anniversary of the Maccabean victory (Jn. 10:22). Recall that Judas Maccabees was known as the “redeemer and savior of Israel” (1 Macc. 4:11). The specific question at this specific time is not coincidental. Jesus then goes on to talk about His “sheep” (Jn. 10:26-27) and mentions their desire to stone Him (Jn. 10:31). This echoes the language of sheep and the striking of the shepherd in Zechariah 13:8, which pointed to the death of Judas Maccabeus and the scattering of his followers (1 Macc. 9:18). If they had their wits about them, the Jews listening to Jesus during the Maccabean Feast of Dedication would have gotten the pun right away. He is indeed the Messiah (the New Judas Maccabeus) and they are the rebellious apostates!
[6] Feast of Dedication: How Jesus Fulfills Hanukkah https://bit.ly/47sisJo
[7] Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malach, 272. The particular grammatical construction is the verb “will be” (ha’yah) with the niphal participle “opened” (pa’tach) in the singular masculine absolute. For the technical details, see: D. J. Clark, and H. A. Hatton, A Handbook on Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, UBS Handbook Series (New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 2002), 326.
[8] The Spurgeon Library | The Open Fountain https://bit.ly/48OYafs
[9] The “spirit of uncleanness” is in direction contrast with the “spirit of grace and supplication” that would be poured out upon the penitent people in Zechariah 12:10. See: Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 274.
[10] Brian Godawa, The Spiritual World of Ancient Israel and Greece: Biblical Background to the Novels
Judah Maccabee – Parts 1&2 (Warrior Poet Publishing , 2025),53-54; bold emphasis added https://amzn.to/4obZkqj
[11] See: Godawa, Spiritual World of Ancient Israel and Greece, 53.
[12] While we tend to think of a “prophet” in purely technical terms, the Hebrew word (na’vi) itself simply means “spokesperson” or “speaker (see the entry for na’vi ‘prophet’ in STEP Bible, Tyndale House). In the Maccabees’ time, the land was filled with “altars to other gods” (1 Macc. 2:25). And idols to other gods went hand-in-hand with those who spoke for those gods. For example, in chapter 10, Zechariah speaks of “the teraphim” (household gods) and the “diviners” who speak for them (Zech. 10:2).
[13] Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 275.
[14] Daniel F. O’Kennedy, “Purification of priest, prophet and people,” 244.
[15] Again, a “prophet” (na’vi) is a “spokesperson” or “speaker.” When the renegade Israelites “spoke up” (1 Macc. 1:11), they were prophetically trying to steer the nation is the wrong direction – making them false leaders, false spokesmen, false prophets.
[16] Brian Godawa, The Spiritual World of Ancient Israel and Greece, 19.
[17] Tip of the hat to Brett Prieto for this reference. Check out Brett’s channel here: Warrior Chamber Studios | YouTube https://bit.ly/4qKfBEC
[18] 1 Macc. 9:19
[19] 1 Macc. 9:69
[20] Entry for גָּבֶר (ga.ver), STEP Bible (Tyndale House). For example, see the use of ga’ver in Daniel 3:20 and Joel 2:8.
[21] Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 276.
[22] George Klein, Zechariah: The New American Commentary 21 (B&H Publishing Group: Kindle Edition), 534.
[23] For a good article on the NT use of the OT being much richer and broader than the modern concept of a simple 1:1 completion of a prediction, see: Paul Copan, Did New Testament Writers Misquote the Old Testament? | Enrichment https://bit.ly/47fat3u
[24] On the concept of Matthew 26:31 and 56 as a “reenactment” of Zechariah 13:7, see Mark Boda, Haggai, Zechariah: The New NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 515. Although Boda takes the event being reenacted as “the Exile,” rather than the Maccabean events, his basic approach is correct, nonetheless. In my opinion, since the exile was over by the time Zechariah wrote (520 BC) and is not the subject matter of Zechariah 13, Boda is misidentifying the original historic event in view. But his concept of a “reenactment” is spot on.
[25] Zechariah 13 Fulfilled in the Maccabean Wars: A Preterist Commentary | Revelation Revolution https://bit.ly/470VJ8m
[26] Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 277.
[27] See: Gary DeMar, Israel and Prophecy Writers are in the News Again – The American Vision https://bit.ly/4nv8vRB
[28] Zechariah 13 Fulfilled in the Maccabean Wars: A Preterist Commentary | Revelation Revolution https://bit.ly/470VJ8m