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THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER

(A message for unsaved preachers)

"…So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." (Zechariah 11:12)

The verse above is a prophecy about Jesus being betrayed by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver. It is said that thirty pieces of silver would be equivalent to thousands or possibly millions of dollars in our modern currency today. There is something that strikes a nerve when I think about the kind of person who betrayed Jesus for the love of money and also the people who granted Judas the money. He did not receive it from the government or rich business people. He also did not receive it from wealthy bootleggers or gangsters. He got the money from a church (Matthew 27:1-3)!

The modern day "chief priests" make merchandise off of Jesus today just as their great-great-great grandfathers did back during Christ’s earthly ministry. These same "chief priests" have organized into big committees, such as the World Council of Churches and etc., and are commissioning their little "Judases" to take over our pulpits and make the house of God into a liberal arts social club. May I also say that these organizations would not be able to obtain their "thirty pieces of silver" if they didn’t receive it first from the spiritually blind contributors who support them. Consider the Catholic Church, with its enormous amount of wealth. They use various man-made doctrines and false miracles to get financial gain and are able to finance pedophile priests. Worst of all, they are responsible for millions of souls on their way to Hell.

On another note, I think there is something symbolic behind the term "thirty pieces of silver." First, there is nothing wrong with money itself.

It is the love of it that is wrong (1 Timothy 6:10). Notice the number "thirty." In Bible numerology, this number symbolizes compassion and servitude. It was at the age of thirty when Jesus began His earthly ministry. "Silver," on the other hand, represents redemption and salvation. Put it all together, "thirty pieces of silver" means a monetary gift that is to commission someone who gives the message of salvation.

Sadly, in the case of Judas Iscariot, it was used to betray the One who gives salvation. And today it is no different from the unsaved ministers who go to divinity school to become "reverends" and live off of the "thirty pieces of silver" which should go to true born-again, God-called, Bible-believing pastors.

My advice to the modern day Judas is to go ahead and enjoy your "thirty pieces of silver," unless you’re honest enough to repent and receive Jesus Christ to save you. And if you are truly saved, these words shouldn’t bother you. But if not, you are spiritually hanging yourself over the corridors of Hell and the others who pay you to preach your false and perverted gospel (Galatians 1).

- James S. Hodges

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