Zechariah 12:4
In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
In that day God throws every war-horse of the peoples besieging Jerusalem into panic, astonishment and blindness and its rider into madness, while He opens His eyes upon the house of Judah to watch over and defend her. It is the final conflict when the nations gather against Jerusalem and the surrounding country bears the brunt of their last attack just before Christ comes, the terrible clash of the powers of the earth called Armageddon in which God casts the armies facing Jerusalem into fear and confusion. In that conflict God delivers His people and destroys the wicked, bringing the coming of Christ, His kingdom, the great day of the Lord, the final restoration of His people at His coming, and judgment on those who reject Him. Conditionally it promised that if Israel had received Christ as king God would have miraculously preserved Jerusalem, its city, temple and nation and cut off the horses, chariots and weapons of Rome, but when the nation rejected Christ that protection was withdrawn and destruction came by God's avenging hand. Those who held it for a past national restoration teach that as the latest Old Testament prophecy of the return to literal Canaan, given in B.C. 487, it was completely fulfilled 42 years later by B.C. 445 when all Israel dwelt in their cities under the decrees of Cyrus, Darius Hystaspes and Artaxerxes.
Words and Historical Setting
Zechariah 12:4 belongs to the later chapters of Zechariah, which have a different style and historical setting from the earlier chapters. Those later chapters have been thought by some to have been written by Jeremiah rather than Zechariah. That question of authorship does not change their moral, meaning, or inspiration. It could affect how their promises are interpreted, since Jeremiah would have written before the restoration from Babylon and Zechariah afterward.
In that day God strikes every horse of the attacking peoples with astonishment, panic, and blindness, and its rider with madness. At the same time He opens His eyes upon the house of Judah and watches over Judah. The nations besieging Jerusalem will fail even when they appear to be victorious. In the battle they turn against one another and are destroyed.
Prophetic Fulfillment and Timing
The verse belongs to a prophecy of the final conflict when the nations gather against and besiege Jerusalem, with God intervening for Judah. Jerusalem and the surrounding country will bear the brunt of the nations' final attack just before Christ comes. That attack will fail even when the attackers appear to be victorious, for God will strike them with astonishment, madness, and blindness while watching over Judah.
The passage is connected with the great battle of Armageddon, a terrible clash of the powers of the earth just before Christ comes. In that battle the armies facing Jerusalem will be thrown by God into fear and confusion, their horses struck with panic and their riders with madness. The events of the chapter are applied to Christ's coming, the deliverance of His people, and the destruction and individual judgment of the wicked. They belong to the prophecy of Christ's kingdom, the great day of the Lord, and the punishment of the wicked.
As part of the closing prophecies, the verse looks forward to the final restoration of God's people at Christ's coming, while also foretelling judgments on those who reject God. The chapter conditionally promised that if Israel received Christ as king, God would miraculously preserve and defend Jerusalem, its city, temple, and nation against attack. That defense would cut off the horses, chariots, and weapons of the Roman forces.
The Jews' choice to receive or reject their king determined whether they would enjoy that protection or face destruction by God's avenging hand. When the nation rejected Christ the protection described in the verse was withdrawn. The chapter is also understood as the latest Old Testament prophecy concerning the return of the Jews to the literal land of Canaan, given in B.C. 487. Its promise of national restoration to Canaan was completely fulfilled to Israel as a nation 42 years later, by B.C. 445, when all Israel dwelt in their cities through provision made by the decrees of Cyrus, Darius Hystaspes, and Artaxerxes.
Deliverance and Human Response
In the final conflict the nations gather against Jerusalem and besiege it, and God intervenes for Judah. That intervention belongs to Christ's coming, to the deliverance of His people, and to the destruction and individual judgment of the wicked. He opens His eyes upon the house of Judah and watches over Judah, while He brings confusion and blindness upon the armies attacking Jerusalem. In that battle the attacking nations turn against one another and are destroyed.
The same chapter pictures people mourning over the one they pierced. Recognizing that one's own sin helped cause Christ's suffering prepares a person to help fulfill that mourning.