Zechariah 13 :1-3 Fulfilled in the Church from Acts to the Ingathering 

Zechariah 13:1-3 ​¹ “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

Although the primary context is in reference to the remnant of the Jews (through out time and orior to His coming), it is important to note that the effects of this flood on the end times Jewish remnant, are first experienced in those who follow Jesus Christ, who are not Jewish.

This is a reality from the apostles and to every sincere follower of Christ, until He comes. This truth is reality because of what the Lord Jesus Christ declares in John 7:37-8.

John 7:37-39 ³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This flood is not the measure of the Spirit we receive, when sealed by the Holy Spirit, at the moment of our salvation, but most often subsequent and to be continuous. Zechariah’s prophecy is referring to full infilling of the Holy Spirit received when baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Ephesians describes this event as not only being plunged into “all the fullness of God”, but “being filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-21).

When we are saved, the Holy Spirit is resident with us to teach and comfort, which is foundational to sanctification; but that is only the beginning. When baptized in the Spirit and subsequently filled with the Spirit, we enter a union with Christ, where our sanctification is amplified, as is our ability to witness, worship, love God and His people and understand and love His Word, in obedient actions.

The amplification is the River of Living water Jesus prophesied, which is a cleansing flood of the Holy Sprit, which desperately needed, from the practical aspect.

This is what is referred to as being filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-21 ¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God.

We must remember that to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a past tense event, occurring in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it is also a continuous and progressive event, until we are with Him.

Let us consider the phrase “but be filled with the Spirit”. The word “be” is better translated by the phrase “be being filled”.  This indicates, we can contiue to be filled, cleansed and empowered by the Rover of Living Water, or we can cause the open fountain to be damned up, by a lack of faithfulness in our walk.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is given to us, by Christ in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to empower us in being holy and righteous witnesses, whose lives match the message we proclaim. This expectation is in Zechariah’s prophecy.

Zechariah 13:1¹ “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness

“In that day a fountain shall be opened… for sin and for uncleanness”.

The fountain of Living Water, is to wash away the patterns of sin, still existing in our lives. Note, that I said the pattern of sin. This is important for Christ has already taken care of the record of our sin, and its reigning power, as it was nailed to the cross with Him; hence sin shall have no dominion over you (Romans 6).

Amen and Hallelujah!

Sin’s rulership in our life has been destroyed, but its influence is still felt by the patterns of sin which are still present. This is where the fullness of the Holy Spirit aids us in cleansing those long-entrenched patterns or strongholds, which need broken. In the first place those areas of sin, deal with transgressing the law of God, which is attached to the old man’s now dethroned iniquity.

Secondly, the flood reveals and cleanses all areas of uncleanness.

To the Jewish person that would mean areas where the worship of YHWH was being mixed with pagan worship.  This was common prior to Jewish exile in Babylon. One would think that after such chastisement, those returning to the land of Israel would have no temptation to mix the world with their worship of YHWH. Sadly, in less insidious ways, the retuning Jews, were compromising.

This is especially true with the universal lesser deity known as mammon. Remember that Jesus warned the disciples only 400 years later…

Matthew 6:24 ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The little “g” god “mammon” goes by many names around the world, most notably “fortune”. In the false worship of this deity, one pitches money at his feet, where he is standing in a pond. Yes, this is where the wishing well comes from, but the principal is giving some to get a big return. Sound familiar.

One would think this would not tempt the church in our day, for we know that God supplies all our needs through the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Despite this fact and that God clearly tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink or put on, for our Father knows what we need, Christianity in America is filled with attachment to mammon, which infect the mind with “I need more and desever more”.

Jesus commands us to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing all other things needed will be added (Matthew 6:24-33). Despite this truth, it has little effect on the insidious way mammon has trained us to think worldly, while calling it godly prosperity.

Despite knowing these truths, you often hear the refrain of mammon in statements calling Christians to sow a little more and God will bring abundance—or a tithe only is a small portion for us when God will throw open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing which cannot be contained (Malachi 3:10).

Consider the tithe, as a requirement for Christians, who are not under the law. in the first place, I am not agaisnt a Christian who tithes regularlly, so long as it is given from a cheeerful heart. In that vien I beleive it may be a good place to begin for a person who is learning to follow Christ. That said there is no New Testament command for the individual to tithe.

Our Lord never suggests it’s pactice will continue since all beleivers are priest and the temple of God. Quite the contrary Jesus very cleary reveled “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:3).

Truth is that “God loves a cheeful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7). The word “cheerful” in the Greek language is “hilaros“, which intimates a person who gives with such joy it causes others to laugh at the ridiculous nature of the offering. Meaning it is not measured, but given with no regard to percentage, because the gift exceeds a mere percentage. Consider the offering of the widow, who monitarilty put in the smallest amount, but put in more than the rich, because she gave all she had (Mark 12:4-44; Luke 21:1-4).

Consider that in the ealry church, most clearly seen in Acts 2:40-46 and Acts 4:32-37. In both of these passage we see people who were “cheerful” in their giving and their giving  was well over 10 percent (Bible says “all”).

It is also important to consider that no where in Acts of the apostles is the tithe mentioned, nor through out the New Tesament, except in Hebrews 7:1-10. In that passage in Hebrews, the paying of tithes by Abraham was not to invoke a commnadment binding on Christians, but to reveal Melchizedek’s greatness as a type of Christ.

One can make an argument on tithing as a New Testament practice, as flimsy and in err as it will be (from Old Testament), but that does not change the truth that tithing is not a command on Christians. To use Malachi 3:10 to guilt Christians into tithing is in err. We must ask why this type of preaching takes place, given what our Lord reveals to us in John 4.

John 4:21-24 ²¹ Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

The worship of Christ Jesus, has no material temple or vessels to keep up, because we are the material and the vessels (I Thessalonians 4:3; I Peter 2:8-10). Yet, in the west the idea of mixing mammon worship with that of Christ takes place with the full and undiscerning support of most of the leadership. Remember tithing is not a New Testament principal or requirement, for we are not under the law but grace. We are called to be cheerful givers.

So why is the tithe pushed in error? Firstly, because God wants all our heart, which means we possess nothing for our own purpose or self. This is very difficult for modern people who spend a lifetime trying to get a head. Secondly, because churches have infrastructure God never intended us to have. Because of this reality, we need steady income streams and tithing provides that.

Let face facts: to preach “cheerful giving” is to have to trust God for what is needed, rather than wanted. Because our wants have become needs, preachers misuse passages like Malachi 3:10, and reap a sow prosperity tropes, to make sure the bills are paid. Make no misake, this is to mix the holy with an obsolute Old Testment principal for our own finacial gain. This is to raise an idol of obsoletion before God’s people.

Once more, tithe if that is your cheerful gift, but if you do it beleiving your are meeting the requirment, your tithe has become an idol. If the church taught cheerful giving we would never lack for what the body of Christ trutly needs.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is also supposed to cleanse us of all idols, yet in the Church in America there are several idols we are beholden to.

1. Mammon (with a false peace and prosperity not promised by God).
2. Worldliness in how we minister, fellowship and live
3. A culture of celebrity leaders with various titles, which are biblical, just not for them.
4. The worship, devotion and funding of our buildings and properties, which we rely upon to draw people, rather than the drawing of the Holy Spirit.

Where do the idols come from and why are they undiscerned by Christians?

It is because of false prophets and teachers, who promote doctrine and practices aligned with these idols. These false prophets and teachers are prevalent in the United States, in the church, and they all subscribe to the “sowing” and “tithing is required” false theology.

It is the Holy Spirit, in this flood that exposes the false prophet, and the unclean spirits behind them.

 ² “It shall be in that day,” says the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.

When a fellowship of saints hits their stride, in flowing in the flood of the Holy Spirit, truth rains, discipleship is seen in powerful sanctification, the saints ARE salt and light and no Christian is in need.

Herein lies the solution and the problem.

1 Peter 4:17 ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Times of persecution have served as and will serve as the judgment coming to the house of God. What is this house of God?

Ephesians 2:19-22 ¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

1 Peter 2:9-10 ⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

The time has come for the release of the flood of the Holy Spirit to reveal, sin and uncleanness, idols, prophets and the unclean spirits which desire to lead the church into apostacy.

Time is short, our Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon, Maranatha!