Zechariah 2:10-13 says not one word about lambs, thrones or lambs sitting on thrones. An angel is speaking (see verses 2, 4, 7, and 8): "Ho, ho! Flee from the land of the north, says the L-rd; for I have spread you as the four corners of the heavens, says the L-rd. Ho, Zion! Flee, she who sits among the nation of Babylon. For so said the L-rd of Hosts: After glory, He sent me to the nations that plunder you, for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. For, behold! I raise My hand over them, and they shall be prey for those who serve them. And you shall know that the L-rd of Hosts sent me." See anything about lambs? Lambs sitting on thrones? Nope. There are three Christian bible references claimed as Jesus fulfilling Zechariah 2:10 - 13, yet the one that most fits is missing: "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.'" "Revelation 7:17. By contrast here are the three given: ""To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. . ." Revelation 5:13. Clearly the "lamb" is not the one sitting on the throne. Note the word "and." "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of G-d and the testimony they had maintained." Revelation 6:9 has no hint of lambs or thrones! "The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it." Revelation 21:24. Again, no mention of lambs, thrones, or lambs sitting on thrones. . . Christianity is full of the imagery of Jesus as the "lamb" of G-d. This is a very pagan concept, not at all found in the Jewish bible. The Jewish bible (T’nach) makes it clear time and again that lambs were considered holy by the pagans – including the Egyptians – and this is where John 10 takes the concept of “lamb of god” – most certainly NOT from Judaism. Read the story of Joseph in B'reshit / Genesis 46:34 – he says that being a shepherd is “taboo” in Egypt – because they were HOLY to the Egyptians (gods). "you must say, 'We and our fathers have dealt in livestock all our lives'. You will then be able to settle in the Goshen district, since all shepherds are taboo in Egypt.'" Go forward a few chapters to Sh'mot / Exodus and read the discussion between Moses and Pharaoh. Moses asked Pharaoh to allow the Jews to go into the desert and sacrifice the שֶׂה seh -- the reason was that we did not want to kill the שֶׂה seh in front of the Egyptians: "We can’t possibly do that,” said Moses, “because we’re going to sacrifice the Egyptians’ G-d to HaShem our G-d! If we were to sacrifice their G-d right in front of them, wouldn’t they pelt us with rocks?” (Sh'mot / Exodus 8:22). The Egyptians would pelt us with rocks because we were INSULTING them by bringing a celebratory sacrifice of the שֶׂה seh (paschal goat or lamb) -- because the Egyptians worshiped the שֶׂה seh as a god! The the Egyptian god Khnum had the head of a ram. Jews did not worship lambs as gods, the thought of a "lamb of G-d" in Judaism is non-existent. The idea is totally pagan, as Moses discussed with Pharaoh. . . Pagan on every single count. On the one hand Christian missionaries call Jesus the lamb of god (pagan as discussed above) -- but here they claim Jesus is the "good shepherd." John goes even farther saying that Jesus is "the good shepherd (who) lays down his life for the sheep." So is Jesus the "lamb" or the shepherd? It is all a bit confusing! In Judaism lambs (and other pagan gods) were offered as sacrifices to G-d -- in part to show people that G-d had power over the helpless pagan gods who were, quite literally, led to the slaughter. For example, for an עֹלָ֖ה / olah (elevation / burnt offer) where the entire animal was burnt on the mizbeach, the offer was from male cattle, male sheep / goats or birds (Vayikra / Leviticus 1). For מִנחַה / mincha (literally "present") offers various flour offers were brought. There is a meal offer of the finest wheat meal with olive oil and frankincense poured on it. There is also a baked offer -- matzo (unleavened) loaves were brought. There was also a pan offer (fried) and a deep fried one, too. Finally there was also a first grain offer -- where you brought the first of your ripe crop. (Vayikra / Leviticus 2). I'm going into some detail to explain that there are rules and rituals around any and all qorbanot (sacrifices). Male lambs (sheep and goats) were not brought for sin sacrifices or guilt sacrifices. Male animals could be brought for the שְּׁלָמִים / peace offer -- or the / olah (elevation / burnt offer) -- but not for sins or transgressions except for the communal “sin offering” / חַטָּאת / chatat or for the “sin offering” / חַטָּאת / chatat sacrifice of the high priest,who brought a bull (not a lamb). . . (Vayikra / Leviticus 4). Remember that a "sin" was a mistake, a missing of the mark. Intentional wrongdoings were not covered by the “sin offering” / חַטָּאת / chatat. For general ones the high priest or the court would bring a bull, a king a male goat and everyone else brought female goats or lambs. Female, not male. For specific sins (not general) a rich person would bring a female goat or lamb (goats were more common). A less rich person could bring two birds -- and if you couldn't afford either you could bring a plain flour offer. Thus flour is just as atoning as a "blood" sacrifice for sins. (Vayikra / Leviticus 4). What of Zechariah 2 and the list maker's claim that it has something to do with lambs sitting on thrones? Zechariah lived at the same time as the prophets Malachi and Chaggai / Haggai. This was about 2400 years ago, before the Jews began to construct the second Temple. Zechariah was given visions of empires who would conquer one another. He sees Jerusalem being oppressed and Israel exiled -- but that the nations of the world oppressed the Jews in exile and when G-d returns to Jerusalem G-d will console them and re-establish Jerusalem as His holy city. In Zechariah 2 the vision is of four horns (as in ox horns). He is told that the horns represent Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. In the vision carpenters come to saw down the horns and throw them away. An angel comes and measures Jerusalem -- but another angel (remember this is a VISION) tells the first to stop. . . there is no need because Jerusalem will grow so large, expanding outside its walls, because so many people will come to live there. What of the need for walls to protect the city? G-d will protect the city. Zechariah's message (prophets are to deliver messages from G-d to the people of their generation) is to return from Babylon. The rest of the chapter is Zechariah's vision of the messianic era when all the Jewish exiles return to Israel (this did not happen after the Babylonian Exile or even today). . . G-d will dwell with the Jewish people and many nations will join the Jewish people in worshiping the one true G-d.
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