Zechariah 13:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He posits that the reverence people will have for spiritual matters in that era, as well as their desire for the highest virtue and noblest way of life, will lead even parents to become envious of their own children. These children will speak falsehoods, mistakenly believing themselves to be prophets, and will claim to convey messages from God. He states that “They will bind him,” indicating that they will restrain him as if he were insane and will not hesitate to execute him if he continues in this affliction without flinching or shame. It will be agreed upon to impose harsh penalties on their children for uttering lies in the name of the Lord. Observe how accurate this prophecy is and how reliable the forecast appears. Who among us today would accept such a prophet?

If a man continues to prophesy, his father and mother will speak to him... Furthermore, if a false prophet is discovered among them, his parents, who earnestly pray for the well-being of their children, will denounce him.

When a person continues to prophesy, his father and mother who brought him into the world will declare to him, “You shall not live,” for he has spoken falsely in the name of the Lord. His parents will take action against him when he proclaims these false prophecies. In the time when idol names and false prophets, along with the impure spirits that spoke through them, have been driven from the earth, any individual who dares to prophesy in the name of the Lord again will have parents who, in their zeal for the service of God, will forget their parental bond and will declare a death sentence on their son. The reverence of all towards God will be so deep that they will not wait for public judgment; rather, those deemed guilty by their parents will face destruction.

It is clear that these actions were carried out by individuals who had faith in Christ. The Lord declares that not only will He obliterate the falsehoods of idols, but He will also free those who deliver prophecies and are under the influence of unclean spirits from this deception. Righteousness will dominate the entire creation to such a degree that neither father nor mother will show mercy to a son who tries to utter prophecies; rather, they will bind him, chastise him, and threaten him with death. All those who dare to prophesy inaccurately, witnessing the triumph of holiness, will adopt a pitiable countenance.