In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah 13:1

A heartfelt welcome to you. Religion is a very hot topic and while I am grateful the Word of God fills many hearts and minds – this is a good thing – yet understanding truth is not always that easy.

Through human eyes we see through human lenses depending how we’ve been taught. These lenses and perspectives then formulate our mindsets. Christians are always going to read the Bible using the Christian perspective. Jews are always going to read the Bible from a Jewish perspective. Messianic believers are a fusion holding onto elements of both Christian and Jewish thought. So what is happening is we all are using our own human mindsets across the spectrum to formulate “A” truth that may or may not be “The” truth emanating from the mind of God.

The purpose for reading and studying the Bible should be to come to know God’s mind. This I’m fairly certain is agreeable to all. My position is that “ALL scripture is given by the inspiration of God.” One God – one Bible. The obvious point is that when the Apostle penned those words “scripture” was exclusively the Torah and Tenach. Those scriptures being used and quoted by Jesus and the Apostles as the basis for serving God.

What we call the New Testament are the writings of respected leaders of the first century church that was added to the already existing scriptures of the Old Testament. What I would like to clarify is that Old Testament and New Testament are not two different books with the Old being obsolete. That is not the mind of God. If I were to divide the sections of the Bible I would rename old and new into “The Beginning” and “The Completion.” This would emphasize the cohesiveness of the one mind behind all scripture and help us better understand the flow from inception into completion. From “in the beginning” to …

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. Revelation 22:3-4

The Bible consists of one continuous revelation. The first section – the Old Testament records God's covenant promises. The second – the New Testament records their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and looks forward to their ultimate completion in the New Creation. God never changed His mind nor does He abandon His promises. What He began as being “very good” became corrupted with a “curse” after the fall of Adam.

The elimination of the “curse” is the story of the Bible thereafter.

Rev. 22:3-4 is testimony that God never changed His mind nor abandoned His promises and reveals what God has always had on His mind in creating humanity in the first place.

Zechariah reveals God’s mind in destroying the “curse”. The very first verse of Zechariah 13 shown above reveals a final solution - “a fountain opened”” for sin and for uncleanness” - That eventually ends in the promise fulfilled in the last verse of Zechariah 13.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:9

The one covenant established in the beginning with Adam is the one covenant throughout the Bible and it is the same covenant that we see finalized and realized in Revelation 21-22. This one covenant is the mind of God from beginning to end. And the very center of His purpose for Covenant is to destroy the “curse” - the things that separate us from God and prevent fellowship allowing us to “see His face.” This is what Adam and Eve had and lost. But God has never given up and destroying the elements that prevent us from “seeing His face” has been His endeavor and work since the fall.

The very first promise given after the fall begins pointing towards a future “offspring”.

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel." Genesis 3:15 NLT

The word “strike” is also translated to “bruise” or to “crush”. We have to acknowledge a mutual striking but the effect of the striking has different outcomes.

To strike or crush a serpents head is fatal. For a serpent to strike a man’s heel is futility.

Zechariah again comes into play and again reveals a mutual striking.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. Zechariah 13:7

God is speaking of “My shepherd” – His own agent and calling for a sword to smite him. This was a prescription not of judgment but rather a prescription for healing. Striking that Shepherd opened the fountain of verse one that would cleanse from “sin and for uncleanness” that ultimately restores us to the covenant of verse nine.

“they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”

The effect of the striking of the Shepherd was to open a fountain that cleanses from sin and uncleanness – in effect destroying Satan. The Shepherd’s heel was struck, yes, but that strike removed the curse and Satan’s head was crushed.

This exact theme is again repeated by Isaiah in chapter 53.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:10

The Fountain That Is Opened

When Moses struck the rock – out flowed water.

When “The Sword” smote the Shepherd – out flowed the blood.

The blood – destroyed the curse…

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

To be healed is to be cured – cured from the curse caused by our transgressions and iniquities. Cured from all the things that separated us from God and prevented us from seeing His face.

All those things were codified in Torah. Deuteronomy 27–28 lists blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. But there was a built in problem that is described by James - James summarizes this problem: "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Being guilty then qualifies you for death. Failure in one point, any point continues the curse and the penalty is death. This is the letter of the law and this is a problem I’d say.

It’s a big problem for Jews who reject the opened fountain. It’s problematic for Messianic adherents – not because they lack a sincere desire to please God – but for simply not understanding that healed means healed. Moses gave us a prescription that managed sin and iniquity but could never take away the curse and could never make anyone perfect.

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Hebrews 7:19

That opened fountain brought in the better hope of perfection. Something the law was never meant to do. Why would I say that?

Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. Hebrews 7:16

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

Moses law were instructions and regulations that dealt only with our carnal sin nature. Yes, it’s the word of God and good and yes, relevant, but yet not able to make us perfect. The “Who” in the above verse is Jesus and “the better hope” He ushered in does not rest on the carnal nature – it rests on the “power of an endless life” through the Spirit.

That is the distinction between Moses and Jesus.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Hebrews 10:1

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17

The issue is not about doing right and wanting to please God – this we all must do without question. The issue is about being made “perfect” and this is the shortsightedness of those wanting to remain Torah compliant. They are trying to serve God honestly – that is good – but fail to see fulness of Jesus for who He is and fulness of what He accomplished. And what He accomplished was to abolish the curse of the law. Not the righteousness or moral aspect of the law – but the penalty or curse for failure.

For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.” Galatians 3:10 NASB

This is essentially the same thing James said – failure to do all things written brings on the curse. Jesus’ sacrifice abolished the penalty of the curse.

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Galatians 3:11-13 NLT

The way of the law and the way of faith are very different from each other because keeping the law automatically incurs the curse. Faith incurs the “power of an endless life” – His life and power working in us through the Spirit. Faith rests in Jesus alone and we can’t have it both ways.

The issue is trust and we can’t divide our trust. If you trust yourself to be able to keep every ordinance no matter how well meaning you may be – you won’t - and you will incur the curse and penalty of the law.

If Jesus has your trust and faith then…

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 KJV

We convince ourselves that morality is exclusively found in Torah and that is just not true. Morality is the heart of the New Testament and yes the New Testament quotes the Old so morality continues as reflection of the One God who gave us the whole Bible. The distinction now is that morality is defined by Jesus directly – through knowing Him – He makes us complete and whole and perfect.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Ephesians 4:13 KJV

The perfect person is the one who has matured in their knowledge of Christ in all His fulness.

Face to Face

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV

Remember we all desire to reach the day when we see God face to face. Notice the context of John chapter 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:10-11

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:17-18

Keeping in mind that total restoration towards fellowship with God includes seeing God’s face according to Rev 22:3-4 - so what was John saying in these verses?

Very plainly God was in the world He made – the leadership of His own did not receive Him as such.

But those that did receive Him – they beheld His glory – this is the essence of restored fellowship with God. Then John continues to say “No man has seen God at any time” – is this a contradiction? If I may offer my take – no man operating by his own intellect and sinful nature can see God. But the pure in heart?

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

This now takes us back to Zechariah and here I offer my own take.

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:8-9

Zechariah mentions three parts – two of which will be cut off. The first part of this chapter speaks of cutting off idols, false prophets and unclean spirits. So it would not be a stretch to think that these are at least some part of the two thirds mentioned above are directly connected with the earlier removal of idols, false prophets, and the unclean spirits. What is clear is that God preserves and refines a remnant who call upon His name.

It’s that remaining third - the ones refined by fire coming forth as silver and gold. What do they do? “They shall call on my name, and I will hear them.”

The Mutual Strike Leads to the Mutual Calling

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:38-39

Ananias... Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:12-16

If you hear the voice of His mouth – Who spoke?

What do we see when we see “That Just One” aka Jesus?

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:1-3

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: Colossians 1:15

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Whose face are we looking at when we see Jesus?

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9

Being refined by fire purges impurities. Not just in character but in mindset and belief systems. The impurity caused by lying prophets, idolotry and every other thing that has been exalted higher that God. Fire don’t play. Opportunity to come to the open fountain to receive the cleansing involves “Calling on the name of the Lord”. That opportunity includes “seeing God”. Right now these natural eyes can’t see – “no man has seen” but Jesus “has declared Him.” Right now the one third are those who can acknowledge Jesus as the voice of God – as the express image of the invisible God – and Lord of all. Whose Name IS the name we all must call upon.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

The knees that don’t bend are the ones joining the two thirds. Seize the opportunity and come to the fountain.

Closing thought:

The Bible is not ultimately the story of escaping hell, nor is it merely the story of forgiveness. It is the story of God removing every obstacle that separates humanity from Himself. The curse brought death, corruption, uncleanness, and separation. The Law exposed these things but could never remove them. Yet God never abandoned His purpose. The Shepherd was smitten, the Fountain was opened, the curse was broken, and now God is refining a people who will call upon His name and be able to stand before Him without shame.

The story that began in Genesis with fellowship lost and ends in Revelation with fellowship fully restored. Adam and Eve once walked with God in the garden until sin hid His face from them. The final chapters of Scripture declare the complete victory of God's purpose: "There shall be no more curse... they shall see His face." That has always been the destination. The Cross was never God's final goal—it was God's perfect means of restoring what had been lost.

The invitation remains open today. The Fountain has been opened to cleans sin and uncleanness. The Shepherd has been smitten. The call has gone out to every generation to repent, believe the Gospel, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the life He alone can give. Then one day, when the refining work is complete, every redeemed heart will hear the words spoken through Zechariah fulfilled forever: "It is My people." And with joy beyond words we will answer, "The LORD is my God." On that day we shall see His face, and the work that began "in the beginning" will stand complete for all eternity.

From here I suggest you read my Bible study on “The Gospel – Cover to Cover”

May the “grace and truth” of Jesus Christ make you perfect.