Zechariah 13:1

In that day. A special reference to the day of the Messiah already mentioned in ch. 12:10. The coming of the Redeemer would, in a special way, call men’s attention to God’s provision for sin. There had always been a fountain open. By faith in a Saviour to come men had ever been able to obtain forgiveness of sin. But they had largely ignored the provision for salvation. Now a new invitation was to be given.

Zechariah 13:2-5

Cut off. Verses 2-5 predict the purification of the land from idols and false prophets. The abhorrence with which false prophets will be held is graphically illustrated by the invoking of a law similar to the ancient code concerning certain apostate children (Deut. 13:6-10; cf. Deut. 18:20). Israel had been especially plagued by false prophets (Jer. 23:9-40; Eze. 13:1-23). In the new economy that God proposed to establish following the first advent of the Messiah it was of especial importance that all false religious teachers be removed and their misleading declarations silenced.

False prophets and false religious teachers have since ancient times been the plague of the church of God and will continue to be till the end of time (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10; Rev. 13:13, 14). The only security against their delusive teachings is to have the mind thoroughly fortified with the truths of the Bible (see on Eze. 22:25).