"And it must occur in all the land," is the utterance of Jehovah, (in the spiritual land of "Israel" in fulfilment. Zech 12:1), "that the two parts in it are what will be cut off and expire; and as for the third part, it will be left remaining in it. And I shall certainly bring the third part through the fire; and I shall actually refine them as in the refining of silver, and examine them as in the examining of gold". (Zech 13:8,9).

This prophecy does not mean that the "two parts" of people that will be cut off and expire will be twice as great in number as the "third part", but is conveying that those of the "two parts" are from within "all the land", and are distinctly different from each other.

"Part" 1:
Matthew 24:48-51 conveys those of the 'one part' that will be punished with the greatest severity and be assigned their part with the hypocrites. This 'part' would be from among the "faithful and discreet slave" but who would turn unfaithful and "start to beat his fellow slaves".(Matt 24:45-48)

"Part" 2:
Must also come from within "all the land". In Matthew 24:49 these are described as confirmed drunkards. Of these Revelation 17:5,6 says: ""Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth." And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus". (Rev 17:5,6). "Babylon the Great" are members of all false idolatrous religions, since their inception at their place of origin, Babylon. In the final fulfilment (or reality), the "two parts" have the same destiny.

So it would be those of the harlot 'daughters' (of their "mother") that would be "drunk" with the blood of the holy ones, the witnesses of Jesus. These are "Ahab" and "Jezebel" 'daughters' that until today have been actively working within "all the land"; having become "drunk" with the "blood" of holy ones, causing their literal and spiritual deaths, while hypocritically claiming to serve God. They are of the "vine of the earth"; who by acting as priests in place of holy ones (Rev 3:9) are "drunk" from "wine" of the true "vine" of Jesus' brothers, and are shoving Jehovah's anointed "sheep" to the outside of the "flock". (Rev 14:18-20. See Pages 803 and 804).

When "Jezebel"-types are thrown down through the headcovering arrangement, and authority‑seeking "Ahabs" are revealed, the "two parts" will be cast out of God's spiritual "land", will be cut off, will not return, and will expire. 1 Kings 21:29 will then have been fulfilled, which says: "I shall not bring the calamity in his own days. In the days of his son I shall bring the calamity upon his house". The realisation of their loss, their knowledge of having been divided off from the 'wheat class' by their own hypocrisy, and the possibility of their return eliminated by their being refined out by Jehovah, will cause them to weep and gnash their teeth. For they will have gained knowledge of, but lost their opportunity to, everlasting life.

"Part" 3:
At the same time, the described "two parts" that Jehovah will cut off, will by this means bring about a refining within "all the land", and will establish remaining true Christians. The greater numbers of other hypocrites outside this "land" in the world empire of false religion are not included in the description of Zechariah 13:8,9. It might even result in the "third part" being greater in number (of people saved) than the other "two parts" that are cut off.

Those still alive today from among the "evil slave" class that are now spiritually "beating" their 'eleventh hour' gathered brothers are "eating things sacrificed to idols" and are "drunk with the blood of these holy ones", along with those already established in this behaviour, the hypocrites. Those that are sacrificing to idols are doing so by advocating qualities of admiration, promoting their idols ("Ahab"-type authority-seekers in congregations), and are responsible for the shedding of the blood of holy ones by usurping, dejecting, and ostracising them to such an extent as to be symbolically described as "confirmed drunkards" in their blood.

(Matthew 24:48-51.  Luke 12:45,46.  Revelation 17:5,6 and 2:20-23).

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