Zechariah 13:1 English Standard Version (ESV) 13 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.
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In my opinion, the "fountain" mentioned in the passage is a prophetic reference to the blood of Christ, with perhaps specific applicability to the crucified Christ's side being "opened" (through piercing with a spear) (John 19:34), and blood and water flowing out of the opening. The shedding of Chirst's blood would provide a final atonement for sin for all time, and would do away with the need for the system of ongoing, repeated sacrifices of the blood of animals established by God in the Old Testament for the forgiveness of sin.
The fountain mentioned in the cited verse is a prophetic reference to the future shedding of the blood of Christ (caused by the piercing prophesied by Zechariah in the previous chapter, as also noted in John 19:37) and the life-imparting gospel message of forgiveness of sins made possible by it. This passage also served as the basis for the hymn with the first line "There is a fountain filled with blood" (the official title of which is "Praise for the Fountain Opened") by the hymn writer William Cowper.
This fountain is a picture of the grace of God. He is overflowing with love. He will wash away sin by the blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary. When Jesus Christ comes the second time, the believing remnant of Israel will have access to enter into the benefits of the New Covenant. Jeremiah 31;31, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah---." See Ezekiel 36:25-38 Romans 11:26, "And so all Israel will be saved (delivered) as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob..." Note that all Israel does not mean every single person. It means that the nation as a whole will be saved. Think of it like this, just as the nation as a whole (but not every individual in it) rejected Christ then, and may be rejecting Christ now. Praise God that eyes and hearts are opened soon...
Zechariah 13:1 says, “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity." [emphasis mine] David had prayed, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2, NIV). Most of the nation of Israel, however, did not want this cleansing from sin, even when Jeremiah had pleaded with his Jewish people, “O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved” (Jer. 4:14 NKJV), This fountain's cleansing from sin follows the mourning mentioned in the chapter before this (Zec 12:10). Calvary, now opened for the salvation of all living at the time of the Second Coming, is surely meant by Zc 13:1 and Romans 11:26-27. This reference to the fountain opened up…to cleanse them from sin and impurity is anticipatory of the cleansing from sin that lies at the heart of the New Testament gospel message (Rom 10:9-10; Titus 3:5). 1. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, [Eph 1:7] And shall be till I die: And shall be till I die, And shall be till I die; Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die. (Cowper) Hear my favorite singers dramatically sing this, featuring David Phelps, Bill & Gloria Gaither - There Is a Fountain (Live) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po8qDVlvFgo
Isaiah said, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.” NKJV But did the nation listen? No! Jeremiah pleaded with the same people of Israel, “ O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved”, but would they obey? No! But now, things would be different because Israel repented and believed, and God would wash them clean! William Cowper based his hymn on Zech 13:1 because it is the sacrifice of Christ that atones for sin. The use of the word, Fountain, in Zechariah 13:1 symbolizes Cleansing from Sin. Jews could cleanse their outward ceremonial uncleanness by washing in water, but for inner cleansing, men’s and women’s sinful hearts can be gotten only by Jesus’ blood (Lev 16:30; 17:11). Based on Zechariah 13:1 and dated around 1771, the hymn “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” expresses Cowper’s love and gratitude for the Savior’s cleansing blood and power to save—a truth Cowper knew personally. To summarize, in the Old Testament water was needed for ceremonial cleansing from sin. The New Testament specifies that cleansing is through Christ's blood. [Zec 13:1] There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away. Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away; And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away. E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die. And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die; Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die. Play source: Cyberhymnal "Jerusalem is the only great city of the ancient world that wasn’t located on a river, and in the east, a dependable water supply is essential for life and for defense. During the Kingdom Age, Jerusalem shall have a river such as no other nation ever had. But is this a literal river or merely a sacred symbol of the life-giving power of the Lord? Perhaps it is both. Joel 3:18 and Zechariah 13:1 and Zech. 14:8-9 speak of this river as a literal entity, so the river both illustrates and accomplishes the life-giving work of God. Jesus saw such a river as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39), and the apostle John saw a similar scene in the heavenly city of God (Rev. 22:1-2). A river played an important role in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10-14)." --Warren Wiersbe
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