They Will Look on Him Whom They Have Pierced

The Prophecy

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on me whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. — Zechariah 12:10-11 (ESV)

Fulfillment

Apostles

But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced." — John 19:34-37 (ESV)

John also applies this prophecy to Jesus' second coming:

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. — Revelation 1:7 (ESV)

Christian

Christians believe Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, arguing that:

Literal Piercing: Jesus was literally pierced with a spear while on the cross. The Roman soldier pierced His side, causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34). This represents precise physical fulfillment of the prophecy.

John's Eyewitness Testimony: John explicitly states "He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true" (John 19:35), emphasizing that he personally witnessed the piercing. John then immediately cites Zechariah 12:10 as fulfilled Scripture (John 19:37), providing authoritative apostolic interpretation.

Future Mourning: While the piercing occurred at the crucifixion, the mourning described in Zechariah 12:10 awaits future fulfillment. Revelation 1:7 applies this to Jesus' second coming, when "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail." At that time, Israel will mourn when they recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

Dual Application: The prophecy may have dual fulfillment—both immediate context (describing warfare and casualties during Jerusalem's deliverance from enemies) and ultimate fulfillment in the Messiah's piercing and subsequent recognition by Israel.

However, whether Zechariah 12:10 was originally messianic prophecy is disputed:

Jews

Debated whether messianic. Jewish scholars offer various interpretations:

Military Context: Zechariah 12 describes a future war where nations attack Jerusalem, but God defends the city and defeats the attackers (Zechariah 12:1-9). In this context, "they will look on me/him whom they have pierced" likely refers to casualties during this warfare—either:

  • Jewish soldiers or leaders killed defending Jerusalem
  • The collective nation mourning their war dead
  • A specific leader who falls in battle defending the city

The national mourning described ("mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child") fits the context of devastating warfare casualties, not necessarily one individual Messiah.

Textual Variants: The Hebrew text has significant textual issues. Some manuscripts read "they will look on me whom they have pierced" (first person), while others read "they will look on him whom they have pierced" (third person). This textual uncertainty affects interpretation:

  • If "me," it suggests God speaking (which creates theological difficulties—can God be pierced?)
  • If "him," it could refer to any pierced individual in the warfare context

Collective Interpretation: "The one pierced" may represent collective Israel suffering under foreign oppression rather than one specific individual. The mourning would be for the nation's suffering, not one person.

No Explicit Messianic Markers: The passage doesn't explicitly identify "the one pierced" as the Messiah. The context focuses on military defense of Jerusalem, not messianic redemption. Jewish tradition requires clearer messianic indicators.

Critical

Critical scholars view Zechariah 12:10 within its immediate context of eschatological warfare where nations attack Jerusalem but God defends the city. The "piercing" and subsequent mourning likely refer to casualties during this battle—either specific leaders or collective losses. The textual variants ("me" versus "him") complicate interpretation. John applies this passage to Jesus using apostolic interpretive authority, seeing Jesus' crucifixion as fulfillment, but this represents theological application rather than the prophecy's original intent in its warfare context. Revelation 1:7 extends this application to the second coming.

Conclusion

Jesus was literally pierced with a spear at the crucifixion, documented by John's eyewitness testimony (John 19:34-37). John explicitly cites Zechariah 12:10 as fulfilled Scripture, providing apostolic interpretive authority. Revelation 1:7 applies this prophecy to Jesus' second coming, when "those who pierced him" and "all tribes of the earth" will see Him and mourn.

However, whether Zechariah 12:10 was originally messianic prophecy is disputed. The immediate context describes eschatological warfare where nations attack Jerusalem but God defends the city (Zechariah 12:1-9). In this context, "they will look on him whom they have pierced" likely refers to casualties during warfare—Jewish defenders or leaders killed in battle—with national mourning for war dead.

Textual variants complicate interpretation: some manuscripts read "me" (first person, suggesting God speaking) while others read "him" (third person). The passage lacks explicit messianic markers, focusing on military defense rather than messianic redemption. Jewish scholars interpret this as referring to warfare casualties or collective national suffering, not one individual Messiah.

The literal piercing of Jesus is documented, but whether Zechariah originally prophesied this or the passage describes end-times warfare depends on interpretive framework. The mourning described has not yet fully occurred, requiring future eschatological fulfillment.