- 1The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
- 2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
- 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
- 4In 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.
- 5And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
- 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
- 7The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
- 8In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
- 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
- 10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
- 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
- 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
- 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
- 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

ZECHARIAH 12
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
Zechariah 12 — Jerusalem is defended, and a spirit of grace and supplication brings the house of David and the city to mourn for the one pierced.
About this illustration
The defended city and separated households combine the chapter’s deliverance and communal mourning. The pierced one is represented by the people’s gaze toward light rather than a speculative figure or visible wound.
Scripture basis: Zechariah 12:1–14King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
Prophecy Events

They Shall Look Upon the Pierced One
Zechariah describes Jerusalem looking upon one who was pierced and mourning. John explicitly applies the passage to Jesus’ death; external evidence supports execution under Pilate and the reality of piercing in Roman crucifixion, not the Gospel’s spear wound itself.

Israel Preserved: The Wings of a Great Eagle
Revelation shows the woman pursued by the dragon, carried by two wings of a great eagle into her prepared place, and sustained there for three and a half years. Watchman 33 reads the woman as Israel and considers whether American support and a fuller occupation of the land promised to Abraham prepare the way for this still-future preservation.
Sermons

The Rebirth & Regathering of Israel
In “The Rebirth & Regathering of Israel,” Pastor Dean Odle introduces the rebirth and regathering of Israel as a major biblical sign that must be evaluated through Scripture rather than political slogans. He distinguishes God’s prophetic purpose for the Jewish people from blanket approval of governments, rabbinic traditions, or unbelief in Jesus. The message develops its case chronologically from the biblical texts, examples, and applications heard in the sermon.

Apologetics #3 - The Divine Inspiration of the Bible (Part 2)
In “Apologetics #3 - The Divine Inspiration of the Bible (Part 2),” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about Bible prophecy, the authority of Scripture, Israel in prophecy. Drawing especially from Luke 24:44, Genesis 3:15, Genesis 18:18, Matthew 1:1, the teaching emphasizes that prophecy should produce discernment, readiness, and faithfulness rather than speculation alone. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience.

Why Jerusalem
In “Why Jerusalem,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about Jerusalem, Israel in prophecy, faith. Drawing especially from Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 14, Zechariah 12, Luke 21, the teaching emphasizes that Jerusalem is presented as a biblical and prophetic focal point in God’s purposes. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that the sermon relates Israel’s place in Scripture to the unfolding prophetic picture.
