‘When?’ is a good question. We all want to know ‘when’ things happen. Unfortunately there is an unhealthy fascination with end times and a lot of charlatans willing to sell you their secret for a price. Yet knowing the times and having an awareness of ‘when’ is a good thing.

It is good to know ‘when’ your car needs gas or an oil change. It is good to know when a tornado is coming or when a hurricane is to hit the Gulf Coast. Knowing when, permits some preparation. Of course there are some ‘whens and wheres’ which we cannot know.

However, when we read in the Hebrew Scriptures that the LORD ‘will’ do something, the when is less important than the will! OK, so now this sounds cryptic, but it’s not. God’s ‘will’ will be done period. And therefore this prophecy in Zechariah is worth considering. So, again, I’m just asking…

God’s will is for an outpouring on Jewish people to look on and consider or examine me/him whom they have pierced. What - piercing God? Well, that’s what it says! I could ask you many questions on this one! Who? Where? Why? How? What? Which? But actually, this time I’m not asking, instead I’m going to lead you in the answer.

There’s another prophecy of an outpouring: Ezekiel 36:24-28. There the LORD promises (covenants!) to pour out His Spirit and similar to Jeremiah 31:31, promises to sprinkle, cleanse, and put a new heart within. In fact it sounds like a new birth. And it is, for being born again is a Jewish thing!

There is so much more to unpack, and this short ‘Just Asking’ page is not enough. So I commend you to ask further in our response form. But for now let me end with a story that perhaps answers some of the ‘When’ concerning Zechariah’s prophecy of outpouring, looking, and mourning.

Shimon was preaching in Jerusalem on Shavuot (New Testament Acts 2:23) ‘This Jesus… you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless (goyim) men. God raised him up… and of that we are all witnesses..’ In v24 he even quotes Psalm 110. Then he makes a strong declaration . ‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified’ And the story continues: ‘Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart…’ Ah! – this is what Zechariah spoke of!

But the story doesn’t end there. Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, the prophets, Moses - in fact the whole Tenach speaks of this great event; yes, the great Person of the Event, the One who will crush the serpent, the enemy from the Garden. And Shimon doesn’t end there either.

The people asked: ‘What shall we do?’ And he answered: ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the (covenantal) promise is for you and for your (Jewish) children and for all who are far off (yes, even the goyim!!), everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself… Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’

Believing in your Jewish Messiah, mourning, despising self, all human works and trusting alone in His work – that’s the most Jewish thing you could ever do!

So why not? Now I’m ‘just asking’ the Ultimate Question!