You asked about the reasons for my views on Zechariah 11:8. Please read this
section with your own Bible opened to Zechariah chpt. 11 ... so I don't have
to quote all those verses.
- I will try to give an overview of this chapter here, to put my views
in
perspective. I don't by any means mean to imply that I understand it all or
that I have all the answers. To me it is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle where I
feel confident about placing some pieces in their correct places but also
acknowledge that other pieces still elude my understanding. My views are
based on the pieces of the puzzle that I do feel I understand. After we have
covered this chapter, I'll then focus on what Dr. Stavri-nides' teachings
actually amount to.
- I understand the focus of Zechariah 11 to be the coming of the
Messiah
and events surrounding that coming. What brings in a bit of confusion is
that the chapter clearly refers to BOTH, Christ's first and second comings
... but either way the focus is on events associated with the comings of
Christ. The major thrust of the chapter is the second coming, with
references to the first coming almost seeming out of context.
- Verses 1-2 refer to warfare. Why Lebanon is mentioned I don't know.
"Bashan" was the area of Manasseh ... so the timing could be a reference to
the tribulation or events leading up to it.
- The Hebrew verb "RAAH", which means "to feed", is used quite often
in
this chapter and it is translated both as the noun "shepherds" and as the
verb "feed". In the book of Jeremiah this verb is also translated as
"pastors" (Jer.2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16; 22:22; 23:1; 23:2). There is
a very definite and strong emphasis on "feeding" and on "feeders" (i.e.
shepherds) ... the word is used in verses 3,4,5 and 7,8,9 and 15,16,17.
- Verses 10-13 refer to Christ's first coming. "Beauty" refers to
Jesus
Christ and He was betrayed for money ... greed. Perhaps this is included in
this context as an indicator of what the reason is for the "betrayal" of the
truth by the Laodicean leadership ... a selfish "get"-attitude, "to eat and
drink with the drunken" (Matt. 24:49)?! Now let's go back to verse 3 ...
- Verse 3 shows a ministry whose prestige and glory is spoiled and
they are
"howling". However we view this, it is a ministry that is in some way in
trouble ... and not just because of the tribulation, as the next verses
show. Now think carefully: the whole chapter is talking about events
connected with Christ's coming ... so "which ministry" will be "howling"
because their glory is spoiled? It isn't talking about the Ephesian era or
the Pergamos era or the Thyatira era, is it? The following verses explain.
- Verse 4 talks about the flock heading for the slaughter. Who would
that
be? Could anything be plainer than that this is a reference to the Laodicean
era? That is the only era of God's Church that is heading for slaughter. The
ministry that is "howling" has not been feeding the Laodicean congregations
and that is an indictment against them from God!
- Verse 5 talks about the Laodicean ministry. Notice that it is these
ministers who actually say: "I am rich", an expression that identifies the
Laodicean era (Rev. 3:17). Note also that these Laodicean ministers do the
following things to the sheep: they "slay" them, they "sell" them, they
don't "pity" them and for all these things they still hold themselves "not
guilty" (after all they are only following "the government of God from
Pasadena"). The false doctrines Pasadena is pressuring the pastors to teach
are indeed "slaying" the Church ... last year over 10,000 members left, and
the trend is clearly continuing. The Church is OBVIOUSLY in the process of
being destroyed ... the membership and the income and even the impact of the
Work are down from previous years ... and slogans about "working smarter and
not just harder" cannot disguise these facts.
The Laodicean ministers are "selling" the sheep because they receive money
for teaching these heresies. Those who refuse to show open support for these
pagan doctrines will lose their incomes (i.e. be fired). The PGR of June 21,
1994 (pages 1-3) puts a lot of pressure on pastors in this regard. I am very
happy that Mr. Tkach acknowledged that for a minister ...
"to remain silent (about the changed doctrines!) is, IN REALITY, TO TRUMPET
YOUR DISAGREEMENT and consequently to foster division".
I agree whole-heartedly with this. By refusing to speak on ANY of the
changed doctrines, I have trumpeted out my disagreement to the Church ...
because that has been the only ethical way for me to do so! Whether that
"fosters division" or not is not my problem! What it has done is give
members a witness that there are some ministers who will not support false
teachings.
The Laodicean ministers also don't "pity" the sheep because they don't
consider the effect that forcing these changes on the membership is having
on the lives of members ... they are preparing them to become "the flock of
the slaughter".
- Verse 6 then speaks about the great tribulation. That seems to be
fairly
clear. It is a time of trouble.
- Verse 7 shows that at THAT time God will take care of "feeding"
those
Laodiceans who come to repentance, since they evidently will not have a
human ministry that will be in a position to do so. This "feeding" by God
doesn't necessarily preclude them from dying in the process though.
NOW COMES THE SECOND PART OF VERSE 7! This is important to understand.
Notice the context of this: God has been speaking about "feeding" (i.e.
taking care of the needs of) those who are headed for slaughter.
We have for a long time understood that the tribulation will affect TWO
groups of people: physical Israel ( i.e. the Jews and the Anglo-Saxons) and
spiritual Israel (i.e. the Laodiceans). The last part of verse 7 shows HOW
God goes about this "feeding". The two ways of doing this are symbolized by
the "two staves". THIS IS WHERE THE REFERENCES TO CHRIST'S FIRST COMING TIE
IN! One staff symbolizes how God takes care of physical Israel and the other
staff symbolizes how God takes care of spiritual Israel.
- Verses 8-13 focus on the first staff, "Beauty", God's first way of
"feeding" the flock of the slaughter. It focuses on the circumstances of
Christ's death ... why? Because these Laodiceans will also have to be
prepared to be "cut asunder", i.e. to die in the tribulation. And when they
are exposed to such extreme persecution, their only real source of strength
and encouragement will come from Jesus Christ, who says to them: "I'll help
you do it ... I went through it Myself before you". The only "feeding" this
flock of the slaughter will get, will come from "Beauty".
There'll be no human ministry to strengthen them at that time.
It is in this context that we have verse 8. I'll come back to it later, but
for now we'll continue the overview of this chapter.
- Verse 14 then focuses on the other staff, God's second way of
"feeding"
the flock of the slaughter. This staff is called "Bands" and represents how
God has until then fed the other large grouping in the flock of the
slaughter ... the physical nations of Israel. "Bands" represents a "BOND OF
BROTHERHOOD" between the Jews on the one hand and Britain and America on the
other hand. The modern Jewish nation of Israel has been TOTALLY dependent
for its existence and survival on this bond ... if I recall correctly, it
was Britain with the Balfour Declaration that established the modern nation
and without constant American support they would have disappeared long ago.
Before the tribulation starts God will "cut asunder" that bond. This is also
something important we need to understand!
TO RECAP THESE 14 VERSES: Two groups go into the tribulation, physical
Israel and spiritual Israel. Until the tribulation God has supplied the
needs of both groups, symbolized by the "two staves". When these two staves
are cut asunder, the help for both groups is removed and they suffer in the
tribulation. Spiritual Israel has access to help from God through the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ and THAT is why we find references to Christ's
first coming in this chapter! Physical Israel has received strength through
a bond of brotherhood that is inexplicable apart from an understanding of
the true identities of these nations.
Having concluded the discussion of how God "feeds" these groups, the focus
then reverts to the Laodicean ministry, which was the subject of verses 3-5.
The reason the Laodicean ministry is the subject of this chapter is because
they are RESPONSIBLE for the condition of "the flock of the slaughter".
- Verses 15-17 now focus on the leader of that Laodicean ministry, the
Pastor General. Notice very carefully:
This man has "the instruments" (Hebrew = tools, weapons, bag, apparatus,
etc.) of a "foolish" shepherd (Hebrew = foolish, impious, perverse, etc.).
Now exactly WHAT are the instruments or weapons of the ministry? You know
Ephesians 6:11-17, right?
The only real weapon the ministry has is THE BIBLE and THE TEACHINGS we
derive from this Word of God! In plain English, "the instruments of a fool"
refers to FOOLISH DOCTRINES! Can you understand this?
So in verse 15 God tells us that the Laodicean ministry will teach "foolish
doctrines".
- Verse 16 now explains how these foolish teachings find acceptance.
God
says that HE (!!) will raise up "a shepherd in the land" (the Hebrew "erets"
means the Earth) who will wield these foolish instruments. "A shepherd in
the Earth" refers to someone in charge of that whole group, the Pastor
General of an era, not some local church-pastor.
- This verse now spells out 4 things this shepherd does NOT do (which
he
should be doing) and two things he DOES do (which he should not do). The KJV
rendition of these things is a little misleading, as I'll show. The 4 things
are:
- he doesn't visit those that be cut off; the Hebrew here literally means:
he does not attend to or number those that are hidden or concealed;
"visiting" is not really being talked about. In plain language: those that
are hidden or concealed because of disagreement with the changes this
shepherd introduces are not attended to or numbered.
- he does not seek the young one; the Hebrew for "young one" really means:
what is shaken or scattered. The stem of the Hebrew verb for "seek" is in
the "PIEL" form. This form expresses either INTENSIVE or INTENTIONAL action!
In plain language: he intention-ally does not seek those who are shaken by
his changed doctrines.
- he doesn't heal that that is broken; here the Hebrew word for "heal" is
also used with the "PIEL" stem. The intensive drive forward with doctrinal
changes proceeds ahead irrespective of how many people it "breaks" ... the
casualties run into many thousands!
- he doesn't feed that that stands still; here the Hebrew for "feed" is NOT
"raah", but another word "kuwl", which means: to sustain, maintain, contain,
support, etc..
The Hebrew for "that stands still" means: to take a stand! In plain
language: he does not support or maintain or sustain those that take a
stand. Ministers and lay-members alike who "take a stand" on the doctrinal
changes being forced on the Church are told they have to keep silent or go!
The two things he DOES do are:
- he shall eat the flesh of the fat (sheep); i.e. take of the best that is
available.
- he tears their claws in pieces; the Hebrew verb for "tear in pieces" is
another example of the PIEL stem. The verb here means: to tear or break off.
With the intensive PIEL stem it is intens-ified to mean: to tear in pieces!
The word for "claws" usually means "hoofs" and Moffatt translates it as
"their very legs". In plain language: he takes away their very means of
support.
This verse makes some extremely strong statements about this "foolish
shepherd", which are even stronger in the intensive expressions of the
Hebrew language than they appear to be in English. It is the example of the
leadership of this "foolish shepherd" that produces the ministry described
in verses 3-5.
- Verse 17 explains the way God will punish this leader of the
Laodicean
era. Moffatt renders this as "... that worthless shepherd of mine, who
leaves the flock to itself"; i.e. the attitude of "too bad if they don't
like the doctrinal changes that I want to make".
The word "idol" in the KJV is the Hebrew adjective "eliyl", which means: of
no value, worthless. It means "the worthless shepherd"! The reason the KJV
translators chose the word "idol" is because at that time the word "idol"
meant amongst other things: pretender, imposter. These now obsolete meanings
are listed in Webster's Dictionary. Thus the Hebrew text reads "the
worthless shepherd", which the KJV translators rendered as "the impostor
shepherd".
The verb "leaves" is the Hebrew verb "azab" with the Participle Active of
the Qal stem. The "Participle Active" shows an action in its unbroken
continuity. "Azab" is used 215 times in the O.T. and is translated 129 times
as "forsake", 72 times as "leave" and 4 times as "leave off" in the KJV. Its
dominant meaning is "forsake", which according to Webster's Dictionary ...
"implies a breaking off of a close association by repudiation or
renun-ciation".
In plain language, God is telling us in verse 17 that the "worth-less
shepherd" breaks off a close association with the flock. How? By repudiating
what the flock believes and stands for. It has to do with "the instruments
of a foolish shepherd".
- Right, that's an overview of the whole chapter. Now let's look at
verse
8 specifically:
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and
their soul also abhorred me. (Zechariah 11:8)
- This has just been preceded by the two ways God feeds the two groups that
will suffer ... physical Israel and the Laodicean era of the Church.
"Shepherds" refers to ministers and in this context it can only refer to
three ministers who are influential in the Laodicean congregations.
- Also, the shepherds God is talking about in this verse are a part of
those He has talked about in verses 3-5 ... those who SHOULD be feeding the
Laodicean congregations, "the flock of the slaughter".
- The 3 verbs in this verse deserve closer attention:
- "cut off" is the Hebrew verb "kachad" with the HIPHIL stem. This stem
expresses CAUSATIVE ACTION! With this stem "kachad" means: to annihilate or
to hide. God is saying: I will cause these 3 ministers to be annihilated in
one month. (By the way, the word "annihilate" is not my idea ... you will
find it in the dictionary of the ONLINE BIBLE, version 6.1 under the HIPHIL
stem for this verb.)
- "lothed" is the Hebrew verb "qatsar" with the QAL stem, which expresses a
simple fact. "Qatsar" means: to be shortened, vexed, grieved, etc.. God is
saying: my soul was vexed and grieved with them, and that's a fact!
- "abhorred" is the Hebrew verb "bachal", also with the QAL stem. This verb
is here in the PERFECT TENSE, which in Hebrew expresses a completed action.
"Bachal" means: to loathe, to abhor. God is saying: these 3 shepherds have
completed showing that they loathe and abhor Me, and that's also a fact!
To put the whole verse together: these 3 shepherds have shown in
unmistakable ways that they really loathe Jesus Christ, the One who is
speaking in the book of Zechariah. It is equally correct to say that they
loathe God, without specifying the Father or Jesus Christ (to avoid
arguments about this). To this God says: I am so vexed and grieved with
their attitude of contempt towards Me that I will annihilate all 3 of them
in one month!
That's the content of this verse. Now ...
- HOW could ministers that are "slaying" and "selling" the sheep (see verse
5) possibly be "abhorring and loathing" God Himself? They certainly could
NOT do so OPENLY, as might a dictator like Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin.
That loathing and abhorring simply HAS TO BE DISGUISED! The way that
loathing is expressed has to sound lovely and beautiful to deceive the
sheep. The sheep are supposed to think that it is great praise for God, when
in actual fact it is the very opposite, as God points out in this verse.
- Now: once you grasp what this whole chapter is speaking about ... a
Laodicean ministry with "a foolish shepherd" at the helm and ministers who
are willing to "slay" and to "sell" the sheep, under the guise of "being
loyal to God's headquarters on Earth" and 3 specific ministers in
influential leadership positions in that era who through their teachings
"abhor" God (something they have in common with Satan!), THEN you need to
open your eyes and look around and ask some very pointed questions!
What could a minister possibly do that would be such an insult to God? That
would show abhorrence and loathing? Dr. Stavrinides has made it abundantly
clear that he "loathes" and "abhors" the idea that God exists in time and
space, that God has a spirit body, that God will live for future eternity in
the New Jerusalem, that God presently lives IN heaven, that God is working
out a plan to reproduce Himself by creating millions of other God-beings who
will also be "Gods", that man was created "in the image of God", looking
like God; he abhors the idea that God actually intends for us to accept the
Bible literally; he implies that Jesus Christ was lying when He said that
David wrote Psalm 110; he claims that Psalm 82:6 ("you are gods") is "really
untranslatable"; he abhors the idea that God is a Family ... and on and on
it goes!
The 28 hours of video-tapes, the 18 hours of audio-tapes, the endless
arguments at the Conferences conducted around the world, the endless
twisting and perverting of the Scriptures, the ridiculing of questions he
cannot answer ... these all are my evidence of his loathing and abhorrence
of God Himself and of God's revealed plan for mankind.
That is why I titled my response "CONTRA STAVRINIDES"!
Contra Stavrinides Index
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