Death or Fire

“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land,” declares the Lord, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

Zechariah 13:7-9

When God pours out His wrath, we only have two options. The first we find in verse 8. Two-thirds of the people "will be struck down and perish." A majority are destined for destruction due to their sin. Jesus put it this way.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

The other third, you might think, are saved and blessed, but not in Zechariah. In Zechariah the remaining third are "put into the fire" to be refined and tested. 

It seems kind of depressing at first. My choices are death or fire. But then you look at the reward of those who go through the fire. What is their end? Even though they had to endure the fire, it's worth it because they are refined and purified. The fire transforms them for the better into a rare and precious commodity. What's more, they get God! Having been refined they dwell in close relationship with Him.

In Matthew 26:31 Jesus says that Zechariah 13:7 was talking about Him and His disciples. I think these next two verses continue to apply to Jesus' disciples as well. Even if you don't think these verses were written for New Testament believers, they do give us a compelling image of what the believer should expect in this life. We are the minority who have escaped God's wrath by the atonement of Jesus, but we should not expect to escape the fire. Our lives will be difficult in this life not only because of our enemy but also because God is working to refine and purify us. He is preparing us for close relationship with Him in Heaven.  

So don't be surprised when you go through the fire. Instead "[fix your] eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Focus on Heaven and bear your cross with joy.

For further reading...

• 1 Peter 1:6-7- "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
• James 1:2-4- "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
• Isaiah 48:10- "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."