Zechariah 13:1, commentary and pictures

The open fountain is Jesus Christ Himself, provided for the house of David and Jerusalem to wash away sin and impurity. It was opened by His death and the shedding of His pardoning blood, whose merit is to be laid hold of by faith. Its flow never stops, continually cleansing every stain, forgiving freely, healing body and soul, and bringing life wherever it goes. Each person must come personally in sincere repentance and faith, confessing wrong and being transformed, for no one can wash away even one stain by self-effort. Those who drink are to carry the invitation to every thirsty, suffering soul to come and drink freely.

Fountain and Its Symbols

The fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness is Jesus Christ of Nazareth Himself. It stands open for Judah and Jerusalem as Christ inviting all to come and drink, open and continually flowing for all, so that those who come receive healing, blessing and joy in His love as they believe and rejoice. The promise is full and the provision made by the sin-pardoning Redeemer is free, complete and more than ample, tender mercy over all His works bringing peace and gladness to the soul. Held out to the sin-sick soul He is revealed as the Soul-healer who forgives sins, and the sense of sins forgiven makes the heart light, spreads sunshine through the soul, and gives the peace of Christ which is life and health. He is the sufficiency and all in all, the Way, the Truth and the Life, and to drink is to live by living faith in Him and to stand in the radiance of the love of God, asking in faith without doubting with all power and all wisdom at command, resting in Him and seeking God wholeheartedly for cleansing from sin and healing of body and soul.

The fountain was opened by His death, for in dying for the ungodly and shedding His blood to redeem man whose sentence was death He opened a fountain where Judah and Jerusalem may wash and be cleansed from all uncleanness and defilement of sin. Through Him people wash their characters and make them white, which is God's provision for justification and sanctification. It provides free and full forgiveness with tender mercy embracing the whole world, and its meaning was seen by many who beheld the crucifixion and heard His words when they searched the Scriptures and compared passage with passage, as hope sprang up in their hearts. In shedding His blood He magnified the claims of Jehovah's law and made it honorable, to stand without blemish, full of power and majesty, giving hope to transgressors of the law. Heaven has done all that can possibly be done to lift sinners from degradation, so if any is not washed and cleansed the fault is his own.

The fountain is the pardoning blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the cleansing blood that cleanses sin-sick souls from moral and spiritual pollution. It is the merits of His blood, prepared at infinite expense to wash imperfect character, to be laid hold of by faith, so that washing robes of character in it gives grace and power to overcome errors, sins and imperfections and come off victorious with robes made white. After looking into the mirror to gain true knowledge of self, defects and errors are discovered there so they may be corrected by washing in the blood where stains are removed. Human beings cannot save themselves and have in themselves no power to wash away one stain of sin, but any may plunge into the blood of Jesus Christ and be cleansed, for freedom from sin is possible and the claim that there can be no freedom is false, since Jesus is Saviour, He died, He has life in Himself, and He will give this life to every sincere seeker who complies with the specified conditions and keeps confidence in the Word when darkness and unbelief press upon the soul. The fountain of mercy is open to all who have not passed the boundary of God's love and mercy, and people are to be led toward it by the righteous lives and Christlike influence of God's commandment-keeping people. The burden of washing rests upon the imperfect, for God does not remove spots without human action, and only those who do this work of overcoming will stand without fault before the throne of God after coming up through great tribulation.

Its efficacy is ever flowing and ever cleansing, inseparably connected with the resurrection and life of the Redeemer. This is illustrated by the ever-flowing stream proceeding from the throne of God, the water of the river of life, and by death and life blended in the living bird dipped in the blood of the bird slain over living water and set free. It is one of the same beautiful and expressive figures carried throughout the Bible pointing to Him as the rock of Israel's salvation and the living water. Its waters are freely offered to all who thirst, and those who come to God receive what satisfies and brings life, the water of life offered freely to the thirsty. From this fountain flows onward the mighty river of Ezekiel's vision that brings life wherever it comes, whose fruit is for food and leaf for medicine because the waters issue from the sanctuary. Its waters contain medicinal properties that heal both physical and spiritual infirmities, for Christ came as the Great Physician to heal the wounds sin has made, and His Spirit working through His servants gives sin-sick, suffering people a mighty healing power effective for body and soul, so that everyone in whom Christ abides receives grace to impart to others and the tide of spiritual life flows forth from the whole being. The fountain is God's infinite love, an inexhaustible well-spring of joy and peace as enduring as eternity and embracing every human being, from whose unfailing supply every soul may be satisfied. This love is the life of God working with transforming power in the soul, perfecting Christian character and making human beings partakers of the divine nature, and through Christ this living stream of love and life flows to the world.

Those Called to Drink

The fountain stands open for Judah and Jerusalem, for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, where they may wash and be clean. In it provision for salvation is available regardless of a person's sins and shortcomings, and the promise is to be believed by those who obey the truth. Even the least sin cannot be covered up by any who would enter where the angels are, for Israel is not right, yet prayers go up from that company whom the sword cannot touch, because there is a great High Priest in the sanctuary, and they must plunge in and get ready now, for He is coming and unless they get ready others will go in before them.

It is set before thirsty, bewildered, weary, wayworn travelers and every thirsty soul in the sinful and suffering world. Divine mercy invites all to come and drink the water of life freely, mercy beckons sinners to come, and all are freely invited to come to the waters, to wash away pollution, and to drink deeply. The fountain is Christ Himself, our sufficiency and all in all, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and to drink is to live by living faith in Him and to stand in the radiance of the love of God, asking in faith without doubting, with all power and all wisdom at command for all who ask. Its waters are the fountain of life and mercy bringing healing from sin and uncleanness, with healing power and medicinal properties for spiritual and physical infirmities, and those who drink are then able to carry the refreshing cup to parched, fainting souls.

It is open and continually flowing for all, and those who come to Christ receive healing, and they are urged to believe, receive God's blessing, and rejoice in His love. Only one fountain alone has been opened for sin, and it is for the poor in spirit who recognize their spiritual poverty, feel their need of redemption, and are humble and contrite, not for the spiritually proud who think they need nothing. The proud heart tries to earn salvation, but both title to heaven and fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing to recover a man until, convinced of his own weakness and stripped of self-sufficiency, he yields to the control of God; then he can receive the gift God waits to bestow, with nothing withheld from the soul that feels its need and with unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells.

In Christ a fountain of salvation is open for every kind of sin and uncleanness, so no past sin or shortcoming puts anyone beyond its cleansing and forgiveness. Christ's blood is the fountain opened in Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse people from sin and uncleanness, and the fountain of mercy is open to all who have not passed the boundary of God's love and mercy. It has been opened to cleanse away the sins of the world and to bring perishing souls out of darkness into light, including those who are ignorant and depraved. The thousands in the Southern field who have souls to save or to lose need to be taught to believe and to wash in it, for sinners wash in it by believing in Christ as their personal Saviour and by seeing Christ by faith.

Cleansing From Sin

The fountain opened for sin and uncleanness washes away every stain of sin, iniquity and defilement, cleansing robes of character and making them white and washing away the guilt of the human soul. It is to be used after looking into the mirror to gain a true knowledge of self, discovering defects and errors so they can be corrected. Pointing the sinner to that fountain brings the most tender entreaties, the plainest lessons, the most powerful and protecting commands, and the fullest promises. Those fallen by sin and iniquity may receive pardoning love, and transgressors however polluted and sinful who come to God through Christ by repentance and faith will find Him the sinner's Saviour. The sinner may carry the load to Calvary and lay it down at the foot of the cross, leave sin and transgression, become a loyal subject of God, and be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, yet that righteousness will not cover continued iniquity, so all must wash and be clean. The fountain has been provided at infinite cost to cleanse from sin and uncleanness, and washing the robe of character in it prepares a person for a place with God.

It provides free and full forgiveness through Christ, whose tender mercy embraces the whole world. Its meaning was seen by many who beheld the crucifixion and heard Christ's words when they searched the Scriptures and compared passage with passage, and as they read it hope sprang up in their hearts. Christ made a full atonement for sin that gives hope to transgressors of the law, and the sin-pardoning Redeemer has made a full and ample provision for forgiveness, bringing peace and gladness to the soul. Christ died for the ungodly and shed His blood to redeem man whose sentence was death, opening a fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash away all uncleanness and defilement of sin. In shedding His blood He magnifies the claims of Jehovah's law and makes it honorable, to stand without blemish, full of power and majesty. Through His merits the gulf that sin made is bridged so that man may be reconciled to God, and washing in the fountain brings souls out of darkness into light from ignorance and depravity.

This cleansing is part of God's provision for justification and sanctification, through which people can wash their characters clean and make them white. The law reveals sin and exposes defects of character, but cannot remove sin or save from its penalty. When sinners come to God with humble, penitent hearts, Jesus takes their sins, credits them with His righteousness, and cleanses and heals them through His blood. Washing means casting away old sin-stained garments of character and putting on Christ's righteousness, having the darkened mind planted with elevating, ennobling thoughts of heavenly things, and being led by faith, sympathy and example from filthiness and pollution into pure and holy lives that discern the difference between error and vice and purity, righteousness and holiness.

Peter and his brethren had already been washed in the great fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, so that Christ acknowledged them as His and they were clean every whit. That washing is the higher cleansing of the heart and of mind and heart from the stain of sin, illustrated by the lower washing of the body and the feet. As one who came from the bath still gets dusty feet that need washing again, so temptation leading into evil, alienation, jealousy, pride and self-seeking still soils those already washed and leaves them needing Christ's continued cleansing grace. That renewed washing removes dissension and hatred, brings humility, love, union of heart, and a teachable spirit, and prepares for communion with Christ and for partaking of the paschal supper and the memorial service.

Heaven has done all that can possibly be done to lift sinners from the degradation of sin, so if anyone is not washed and cleansed from sin the fault is his own. This cleansing is provided now with every privilege needed to become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust, so when the books of heaven are opened no soul will have excuse for remaining in sin. The cleansing applies to the church's need to be rid of moral and spiritual corruption and to become pure. The fountain of truth must cleanse Sabbath-keepers of errors they have carried with them, including political prejudices and sympathy for slavery. One who has believed error and led other minds astray may repent and be converted and see the need to be washed in the fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem to be accepted by God, and sin may be forgiven through it, yet those led astray may never see their need of pardon.

Union with Christ is the only means for overcoming sin. Sinners plunged beneath the flood drawn from Immanuel's veins lose all their guilty stains. Living in Christ, adhering to Christ, supported by Christ, drawing nourishment from Christ, believers bear fruit after the similitude of Christ, live and move in Him, are one with Him and one with the Father, and the name of Christ is glorified in them, and this is Bible religion.

Healing for Body and Soul

The waters of the opened fountain for sin and uncleanness carry medicinal properties that heal both physical and spiritual infirmities, washing away pollution and bringing healing to sin-sick, suffering people for body and soul. It is set as a fountain of life and mercy before thirsty, bewildered, weary and wayworn travelers, and all are freely invited to come, to wash in it, and to drink deeply from it. Those who drink are then able to carry the refreshing cup to parched, fainting souls.

Christ came as the Great Physician to heal the wounds that sin has made in the human family. He heals infirmities and weaknesses because He owns people both by creation and by redemption, and He is the only source of healing from whom all restoring power comes. He invites each one to come to Him to be healed and to drink of the water of life, to be united in Him, trusting not in self but in Jesus.

God is the true healing fountain for the sin-sick soul, held out as the Soul-healer who forgives sins. The sense of sins forgiven makes the heart light, spreads sunshine through the soul, and gives the peace of Christ which is life and health. Turning to this opened fountain for cleansing means recognizing the need to reform from a religious standpoint and to cease violating God's law through sinful indulgence.

The fountain gives the life-giving power of the gospel and the balm of the Saviour's love applied to bruised and wounded souls palsied by sin and dead in trespasses and sins. It must be kept before such perishing souls and they must be aroused to come to it, as a life-giving message to be given with urgency and repeated again and again. It works through the great Physician co-operating with servants laboring in word and doctrine, and through the mighty energy of the Holy Spirit with quickening, transforming power that penetrates the palsied soul. Christ is to be lifted up in His power in the person of the Holy Spirit, waiting for sinners to open the door and admit Him, and His presence thrills every nerve and muscle and restores the whole man to spiritual soundness as he sees Christ by faith.

His Spirit working through His servants gives sin-sick, suffering people a mighty healing power effective for body and soul. Everyone in whom Christ abides receives grace from the Saviour to impart to others, so that the tide of spiritual life flows forth from the whole being. Every such worker who shows His love to the world is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity.

From this fountain flows onward the mighty river of Ezekiel's vision that brings life wherever it comes, whose fruit is for food and whose leaf is for medicine because the waters issue from the sanctuary. God designs that sanitariums shall by His power working through them be such a river of life and healing to the world. The sick are to be directed to Christ as that cleansing fountain for cleansing from sin and healing of body and soul, to rest in Him and to seek God wholeheartedly.

Receiving the Cleansing

Washing in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness is by believing in Christ as personal Saviour and by seeing Him by faith, trusting not in self but in Jesus, who owns men by creation and redemption and invites each one to come, be healed, and drink of the water of life freely. Human beings cannot save themselves and have in themselves no power to wash away even one stain or spot of sin, for the fountain is the blood of Jesus Christ into which any may plunge and be cleansed, and no one is blessed or nourished spiritually merely by seeing others receive blessings and rejoice in God and His love. Each person must personally come to the open fountain and wash and be made clean by exercising faith in Christ, for the cleansing must be personally appropriated and each is responsible for every ray of light shining upon him, while keeping the mind on unimportant things causes going lower and lower.

Jesus cleanses from every sin everyone who sincerely repents, whose sins are confessed and pardoned, and this washing gives transformation of character, a virtuous character and the mind of God with the attractions of heaven, so it is not too late for those in danger of losing their souls to receive it and make their calling and election sure for a place in the city of God and an inheritance in the earth made new. Those who obey the truth may wash in it and be made clean, and those who live up to the light and drink from its precious streams increase more and more in appreciation of the truth, are refreshed, and become ever refreshing to others, revealing God's willingness to work when the King's highway is cleared. Its benefit depends not so much on knowledge gained by study as on purity of purpose and earnestness of faith, reading the Word with meditation and prayer with earnest desire to be helped and blessed and applying the truth learned to daily experience. Those who realize the subtlety of Satan's devices for the last days will walk with fear and trembling in great humility, at every step seeking divine guidance, and angels will instruct them while the Holy Spirit opens rich treasures of truth to the humble and contrite in heart, and he who purifies his soul by obeying the truth will see the love and mercy with which God has strewn the pathway of His children and will realize that paths of human devising lead to eternal ruin.

Before the heart can be accepted by God it must be washed there from all impurity, with every motive and word examined in the light of the Word and with earnest prayer for God to create a clean heart, renew a right spirit, and wash the sinner whiter than snow, cleansing the soul temple of every defilement to meet the high expectations of Jesus in His death on Calvary and not a low standard. Entering the fountain means looking to Christ who saves completely and receiving the Father's love that loves believers as He loves His Son, humbling self, putting away levity and discouraging words, being rooted and grounded in truth, seeking the Lord and searching the Scriptures, and bringing solid timbers into character. In that washing the searching Spirit of God cuts away the fleshly heart and Christ writes His Spirit on the heart while God walks through the midst of His people, a work that must not be limited by limiting the Holy One of Israel. Transgressors however polluted and sinful who come to God through Christ by repentance and faith will find Him the sinner's Saviour, and the sinner may carry his load to Calvary and lay it down at the foot of the cross, leave sin and transgression, become a loyal subject of God, and be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, yet that righteousness will not cover continued iniquity, so all must wash and be clean and every stain may be washed away.

The cleansing is received by complying with the specified conditions and by keeping confidence in the Word of God when darkness and unbelief press upon the soul, for freedom from sin is possible against Satan's claim that it is not, because Jesus is Saviour, He died, He has life in Himself, and He will give this life to every sincere seeker. To drink is to live by living faith in Him who is Christ Himself, our sufficiency and all in all, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and to stand in the radiance of the love of God, asking in faith without doubting with all power and all wisdom at command for all who ask, while His merits plead for the repentant sinner and those who receive Him are given power to walk in righteousness and peace. The fountain was prepared at infinite expense and provided at infinite cost to wash imperfect character, being the merits of the blood of Christ to be laid hold of by faith, and washing robes of character in it gives grace and power to overcome errors, sins, and imperfections and come off victorious with robes made white in preparation for a place with God. The burden of washing rests upon the imperfect, for God does not remove spots of defilement without human action, and only those who do this work of overcoming will stand without fault before the throne of God after coming up through great tribulation. Even the least sin cannot be covered up by any who would enter where the angels are, so they must plunge in and get ready now, for there is a great High Priest in the sanctuary and He is coming, and unless they get ready others will go in before them, while prayers go up from that company whom the sword cannot touch. The fountain gives pardon as well as true repentance, and pointing sinners to it saves them and gives the preparation they need as part of present truth to be dwelt upon more and presented in demonstration of the Holy Spirit with peace and joy coupled with Christlike dignity and holy solemnity, putting away gloom and sadness, doubts and fears and distressing forebodings.

Sharing the Fountain

The fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem holds the water of life offered freely to the thirsty, and the church is to invite people everywhere to come and drink, carrying the message of salvation to the world. Every member is to show loyalty by inviting the thirsty to drink of the water of life, and the opened fountain empowers its servants as witnesses to carry the truth to all parts of the world, forming a chain of living witnesses to bring the invitation to the world. All are freely invited to come to the waters, to wash away pollution, and to drink deeply, for the fountain is set before thirsty, bewildered, weary, wayworn travelers.

Its waters contain healing power for spiritual and physical infirmities, bringing healing from sin and uncleanness as a fountain of life and mercy freely available to thirsty, weary souls. Those who drink are then able to carry the refreshing cup to parched, fainting souls, and can carry refreshment to others. Those who relieve bodily pain are accountable to use their influence to point sufferers to this fountain, to reveal Christ as the forgiving Soul-healer whose pardoned peace is life and health, and to win souls to Him and the truth.

People are to be led toward the fountain that cleanses from sin and uncleanness by the righteous lives and Christlike influence of God's commandment-keeping people, where every stain of sin may be washed away. Pointing people to that open cleansing fountain belongs with setting before them the excellence of Jehovah's statutes and precepts, and with urging those who profess the truth to come into closer relationship with God and more perfect communion with Him. The cleansing fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness is to be shown to all and made known to all for the washing away of sin and uncleanness.

Showing it means setting the plan of redemption before high and low, rich and poor, informing and warning victims of intemperance in eating and drinking, giving the last message of mercy to the world, calling youth away from following lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, and working with all God-given powers as faithful sentinels to reform those who are debased and restore the moral image of God in man. The living fountain opened for souls palsied by sin and perishing in sins and dead in trespasses and sins must be kept before them, and they must be aroused to come to it. It gives the life-giving power of the gospel and the balm of the Saviour's love applied to bruised and wounded souls, working through the great Physician co-operating with servants laboring in word and doctrine, and through the mighty energy of the Holy Spirit with quickening, transforming, life-giving power to penetrate the palsied soul.

Christ is to be lifted up in His power in the person of the Holy Spirit, waiting for sinners to open the door and admit Him, and His presence thrills every nerve and muscle and restores the whole man to spiritual soundness as he sees Christ by faith. It is a life-giving message to be given with urgency and repeated again and again. The healing fountain for sin and uncleanness must be proclaimed to the people of the cities sunk in corruption, stupid lethargy, and death in trespasses and sins, living as in the days of Noah and as in Sodom and Gomorrah, for nothing but the leaven of truth with reliance on the great I AM can reach them. The fountain is a Saviour's love presented as balm to heal sin-bruised, palsy-stricken souls, with the quickening, recuperative, transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to be carried by medical missionary work.