380 VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH
(i) As just stated, the prophet must be viewed a acting in this chapter not in his own person, but, in a verj special sense, as the representative of God. This is clea from such expressions as, " I cut off three shepherds in ont month " (ver. 8), " that I might break my covenant which have made with all the peoples " (ver. 10), etc. ; whicl neither Zechariah nor any other prophet did, or could do but the Lord only.
Hengstenberg, Pusey, and others think that the prophe acts here directly as the type, or representative, of the Ange of Jehovah or the Messiah ; but to this most modern com mentators object, on the ground that, while in the visions recorded in the first part of Zechariah the Angel of Jehovah is indeed spoken of as an actor, " no intimation whatever is given in this chapter that the Angel of Jehovah is to be regarded as the doer of the things which are here related and we have no right to assume that the prophecy is a continuation of the visions in the earlier part of this book."
But it practically comes to much the same thing whether we regard the prophet as representing in hi actions as shepherd, Jehovah, or more directly the Messiah for the coming of the Messiah is often spoken of in the Old Testament as the coming of Jehovah. In Ezek. xxxiv. for instance, Jehovah Himself is represented, in His cap> acity as the true Shepherd of Israel, as seeking, saving strengthening, healing, and satisfying His people ; but ? we read on in that chapter we become aware that it is nc Jehovah directly who is going to do all this, but mediate through the Messiah. " And I will set them up one shephe, over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant Davia > He shall feed them, and He shall be their shepherd" - namely, the true David, the Messiah, as the Jews themselv have always rightly interpreted this passage.
And so it is always : in all His relations and dealing , with men, both in mercy and in judgment, it is God Christ who acts. As a matter of fact, this prophecy (as i admitted by one who is not inclined to see many reference 1 to Christ in the Book of Zechariah) " is one of a peculiarl)
