NT Text: Revelation 1:7
OT Source(s):
Source: Beale & Carson (eds.), Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (2007); Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Promise-Fulfillment + Longitudinal Theme
Anchor Text: Zech 12:10 — They Shall Look on Him
Significance: Zechariah 12:10 prophesies a day when YHWH pours out "a spirit of grace and supplication" on David's house, causing them to "look on me, the one they have pierced" and mourn as for an only son. John combines this with Daniel 7:13 (coming with clouds) to create a composite picture of Christ's return. The striking feature in Zechariah is the first-person divine speech — "they will look on me" — implying that YHWH Himself is the pierced one, a remarkable identification that the NT applies to Christ's crucifixion (John 19:37). John universalizes "all the families of the land" (mishpehot ha'adamah) to "all the tribes of the earth" (pasai hai phylai tēs gēs), extending the mourning beyond Israel to encompass all peoples. This mourning is both penitential and eschatological, combining the themes of recognition, repentance, and the vindication of the pierced Messiah.