Prophecy (1410-450 B.C.)
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up His heel against me. Psalm 41:9 (NKJV)’
I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Zechariah 11:12-13 (NASB)
Fulfillment
Judas Iscariot . . . betrayed Him. Matthew 10:4 (NKJV)
Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. Matthew 26:15 (NASB)
Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it .” Matthew 26:25 (NASB)
Comment
In 1410 – 450 B.C. King David prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend.
The prophet Zechariah was told by God to play the role of an actor. When Zechariah played the drama, he actually pretended to be the future Messiah and asked for his wages. That is, what did the Messiah deserve for all of His ministry? The prophet Zechariah tells us that he was given thirty pieces (shekels) of silver which he threw to the potter. The money was the value of a slave (Exodus 21:32). The prophet then played the role of friend who would betray Jesus and threw the money to the potter in the temple. Jesus was betrayed by a friend called Judas.
Judas is well known as the one who agreed to help the Jewish religious leaders arrest Jesus at a cost of thirty pieces (shekels) of silver. Judas was later filled with grief and consequently hung himself (Matthew 27:3-8).