Identifying the False Shepherd and Trusting Christ

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Sovereignty in Raising the False Shepherd

The Lord raises up corrupt leaders as instruments of judgment when people persistently reject truth. This sobering reality reveals divine authority even over evil, as seen in Zechariah’s prophecy of the antichrist. God’s holiness demands justice, yet His mercy offers escape through Christ. The false shepherd’s rise exposes humanity’s tendency to prefer deception over light. Trusting God’s ultimate control brings peace amid dark times. [39:17]

Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young, or heal the maimed, or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hooves.”
(Zechariah 11:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen God’s sovereignty at work even in difficult circumstances? How does this truth shape your trust in His ultimate plan?

Day 2: The False Shepherd’s Heartless Neglect

The antichrist’s cruelty is depicted as a butcher driving sheep, not a shepherd leading them. He devours rather than protects, exploiting vulnerability for selfish gain. This contrasts sharply with Jesus’ tender care for the broken. Zechariah’s imagery warns against leaders who prioritize power over people. Discerning such patterns guards against deception. [48:03]

Woe to my worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly blinded!
(Zechariah 11:17, ESV)

Reflection: What current cultural or spiritual leaders mirror neglect rather than care? How does Jesus’ example reframe your view of true leadership?

Day 3: The Restrainer’s Role and the Coming Revealing

The Holy Spirit actively restrains evil through His presence in believers. When the Church is raptured, this restraint lifts, allowing the antichrist’s rise. This truth underscores the Church’s vital role in holding back darkness. Our hope rests not in preventing evil but in Christ’s ultimate victory. [43:34]

And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
(2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How does recognizing the Spirit’s restraining work deepen your gratitude for His presence? What responsibilities come with this truth?

Day 4: Discerning Truth in an Age of Deception

False teachers multiply as Christ’s return nears, requiring believers to test every message against Scripture. The antichrist spirit denies Jesus’ divinity and twists truth. Like Bereans, we must anchor ourselves in God’s Word rather than cultural trends or shallow soundbites. Discernment protects against subtle lies. [01:05:19]

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(1 John 4:1, ESV)

Reflection: What teaching or cultural message have you recently encountered that requires biblical testing? How does community accountability strengthen discernment?

Day 5: The Good Shepherd’s Sacrifice and Our Trust

Jesus willingly laid down His life for His sheep, contrasting the antichrist’s destruction. His resurrection proves His power over death and false shepherds. Trusting Christ means resting in His protection amid life’s chaos. His promised return assures final victory over all deception. [01:12:55]

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
(John 10:11, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you need to shift from self-reliance to trusting the Good Shepherd’s care? How does His sacrifice redefine your worth and security?

Sermon Summary

Zechariah 11 closes with a picture of the ultimate false shepherd, the antichrist. The Lord tells Zechariah to take up the equipment of a foolish shepherd, not somebody merely silly or ignorant, but somebody morally corrupt. This shepherd stands in direct contrast to Jesus, the good shepherd whom Israel first rejected.

The false shepherd comes because God gives people over to the deception they have chosen when they repeatedly refuse to love the truth. Second Thessalonians describes this man as the lawless one, the son of destruction, who exalts himself and even proclaims himself to be God. Revelation shows him coming like a false Christ, looking powerful and victorious, while Satan gives him power, a throne, and great authority.

The shepherd image shows just how heartless this ruler will be. The false shepherd does not care for those perishing, seek the young, heal the injured, or nourish the healthy. He does not do the basic work of a shepherd. Instead, he feeds on the sheep. Like the man beating and driving sheep through the hills, he is not the shepherd but the butcher. He will first appear to be Israel’s friend, making a covenant and offering peace, but then he will turn, desecrate the temple, and persecute the people unto death.

The Lord’s judgment, however, stands over this worthless shepherd. The arm he used for evil and the eye he used to seek destruction will be struck. His strength, authority, and power will be wholly withered. Christ will kill the lawless one with the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing at His appearing. The beast and false prophet will finally be thrown alive into the lake of fire.

The spirit of antichrist already works in the world through false prophets, false teachers, and lies that deny Christ. John calls believers to test the spirits by the Word of God, not by sound bites, memes, internet personalities, or somebody’s unaccountable opinions. The Word calls for patient study, humility, and graciousness toward Christians who differ on difficult end-times questions.

Jesus remains the good shepherd. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep, bore the wrath deserved by wandering sinners, rose again, and delivers all who trust Him from the wrath to come. The good shepherd alone is worthy of full trust.

Key Takeaways

1. False shepherds feed on the flock. The false shepherd neglects, wounds, and finally devours those he claims to lead. Spiritual leadership that uses people for power, money, influence, or self-promotion bears the marks of a butcher, not a shepherd. Christlike shepherding serves the weak, seeks the wandering, and gives rather than takes. [46:09]
2. Rejected truth opens the door to deception. God’s judgment includes giving persistent unbelief over to the lies it prefers. The danger is not merely lacking information, but refusing to love the truth that God has plainly given in Christ. Truth must be received with humility, not treated as something to manipulate or dismiss. [41:26]
3. Test every voice by Scripture. False teaching often travels through confident personalities, quick clips, and partial truths. The Word calls Christians to be Bereans, patiently examining claims rather than building theology on sound bites or memes. Humility includes checking personal conclusions against Scripture and the wisdom of mature believers. [65:19]
4. The good shepherd laid down His life. Jesus does not exploit His sheep, abandon them, or leave them under judgment. Christ bore the death sinners deserve and rose again because His sacrifice fully satisfied God’s wrath. Eternal safety rests not in reading the times perfectly, but in trusting the Shepherd who gave Himself for His flock.

## [72:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:12] - Shepherds and the Flock in Zechariah
[35:15] - Identifying the False Shepherd
[38:03] - The Foolish Shepherd’s Corruption
[39:17] - God Gives Deceivers Over to Delusion
[42:22] - The False Christ on the White Horse
[45:27] - The Shepherd Who Devours the Sheep
[48:29] - Daniel’s Desolator and Israel’s Betrayal
[51:58] - The Worthless Shepherd Faces Judgment
[55:43] - The Coming Antichrist and the Rapture
[63:08] - Testing False Prophets and Antichrist Spirits
[66:26] - Beware Sound Bite Theology
[71:28] - Study Humbly and Be Gracious
[72:55] - Trusting the Good Shepherd

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Zechariah 11:15-17
“Then the Lord said to me, 'Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young, or heal the maimed, or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hooves. Woe to my worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly blinded!” [35:15]

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” [39:17]

Revelation 13:1-8
“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?' And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” [42:22]

Observation questions

In Zechariah 11:15–17, what responsibilities does the foolish shepherd refuse to carry out, and what does he do instead? [45:27]
What words and actions in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 describe the character and claims of the “man of lawlessness”? [40:30]
According to 2 Thessalonians 2, what response to truth leads people into deception and delusion? [41:26]
In Revelation 13:1–8, what authority is given to the beast, and how do people around the world respond to him? [50:08]

Interpretation questions

Zechariah calls this leader a “foolish” shepherd in the sense of being morally corrupt. What does this show about the difference between simply making mistakes and leading people with a heart bent toward evil? [38:03]
The false shepherd neglects the weak and then devours the flock. Why is this such a fitting picture of leaders who use people for power, money, influence, or attention? [46:09]
Second Thessalonians connects deception with refusing to love the truth. What does it look like for a person to refuse truth not merely intellectually, but morally and personally? [41:26]
Jesus will bring the lawless one to nothing at His appearing. How does the certainty of Christ’s victory shape a Christian’s response to frightening events and evil powers in the world? [53:47]

Application questions

What voices most shape your thinking about God, Scripture, current events, or the end times—church leaders, friends, podcasts, videos, social media, or something else? How regularly do you compare those voices with Scripture? [01:05:19]
Have you ever been drawn to a confident Christian personality or a short online clip before carefully checking what was actually being taught? What would a more patient and biblical habit of discernment look like for you? [01:06:32]
False shepherds take from the sheep, while Christlike shepherding serves and protects. Where do you have influence over others—in your home, workplace, friendships, or church—and how can you use that influence to care for rather than benefit from people? [46:09]
When you encounter an interpretation of Scripture that differs from your own, especially about end-times issues, what helps you remain both convinced by truth and gracious toward other believers? [01:12:25]
Is there an area where you are tempted to treat God’s truth as inconvenient, negotiable, or less important than what you want? What would it mean to receive that truth with humility and love? [41:50]
Jesus is the good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. In what specific situation do you need to place your safety, future, or eternal hope more fully in Him rather than in your own understanding or control? [01:12:55]

Sermon Clips

49s

#EternalLife

“And he is God the Son who came the first time primarily to lay down his life for his sheep. He came to provide reconciliation and a life, life in God to wayward humans who were wandering from God. He died a death that we all deserve for our waywardness and rebellion against our maker. And then he rose from the dead demonstrating that his sacrifice was accepted as the sin to satisfy God's wrath against our sin. He paid the debt so that all who will agree with him, trust in what Jesus did, humble themselves beneath his lordship, will have eternal life. He is the one who delivers from the wrath that is to come.”

63s

#Antichrist

“So this foolish wicked wicked shepherd of Zechariah 11 is the same one written of here in Daniel seemingly. He will initially seem to be a friend in support of Israel, and then he will go against them and become their deadliest enemy by the midpoint of the tribulation, the second three and a half years. As a matter of fact, we're gonna see in a couple chapters from now, so much so that two thirds of them will be killed. Now reviewing all the scripture that speaks about this evil one, we learned that he will be a persuasive speaker, a skilled politician, an economic genius, a military commander, a religious leader, and a prideful self promoter. He will be Satan's instrument of wrath against the Jewish people and any come... Who come to know Christ during that period, during the end time tribulation.”

45s

#FalseShepherd

“So it says, he will not seek the young and their vulnerability like a shepherd, a good shepherd would do. He won't help the... Heal the maimed like a good shepherd. If a sheep would break their bones, they would set them and so forth. It won't even nourish the healthy ones. In other words, the foolish shepherd will not perform the basic duties of a shepherd. But the description goes from neglect to criminal behavior because the false shepherd will go after the sheep seeking to devour them. Instead of caring for and feeding the sheep, he feeds himself on them. And it's so bad that the last touch of the illustration is the wicked shepherd will even tear off the hooves of these sheep with great violence in his devouring frenzy.”

44s

#EndTimes

“this foolish shepherd, this antichrist will come, and he'll come to power. He will deceive the world. He'll deceive the Jews who have yet to trust in Christ. He will promise to look out for them. And some may even see him as a Messianic type figure, but he will be a phony messianic figure. He will be a wicked, prideful person who will turn on them, and he will persecute them unto death. But his end is also prophesied when the Lord Jesus returns and destroys him and sends him into eternal torment and establishes then his own messianic reign upon the earth.”

33s

#BiblicalTruth

“And a matter of fact, the Internet, social media, YouTube, AI, they're all tools. And like any tool, they can be used for good or evil. Or you might even say perhaps neutral purposes if there is such a thing. And they're used for all those things. But sadly, there are also too many folks out there putting inaccurate information out there about God and about his word. And there are too many people basing their, all their whole theology and worldviews based on sound bites.”

34s

#StudyTheBible

“So I'll always say this. Don't take my word for it. Don't just say... Well, don't just take a view, of things just because I'm saying so. Although I do aim to rightly teach the whole counsel of God rightly. Study it for yourself, but also check yourself. If you have some understanding that differs greatly from other mature Christians and bible teachers and historic doctrines of the faith. Take your time. Study it out. Be patient. Be humble.”

35s

#TestTheSpirits

“So, my friends, we... And and how much more now? So nineteen hundred years later even. So there's so many messages out there, and we, as the people of God, should be discerning. Right? If if somebody that we're encountering, if they're saying things that are about God or about the scripture, about truth or whatever, or what they're saying, is it true? Test the spirits against what? He says we have knowledge. Where's that knowledge come from? It comes from the words of God that are here.”

42s

#ChristianHope

“And we are looking forward to a day where we will live with you in an existence that is free from sin, including our own. We long for that day, and we pray you hasten the day. But until then, Lord, we pray that you use us to be instruments of ambassadors to help others so that they might not perish but have eternal life as well through your son. So help us, Lord, to know the truth, to be quick to wanna share the hope that we have with others for their good and your glory.”

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