A Study in the book of Zechariah
D.P. Weary
March 2012
Background and history
Zechariah was the son of Berechiah;
his grandfather was Iddo, a priest who returned to Israel from the 70-year
captivity in Babylon with Zerubbabel about 538 B.C. His name means “Yahweh
remembers”. Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai.
During the
reign of Cyrus, 50,000 Jews returned to Israel in 538 B.C. The foundation of
the Temple was laid in 536 B.C. but the work stalled for about 15 years. In 521
B.C. the work resumed and the Temple was completed in 516 B.C.
The book of
Zechariah contains more prophecies about the coming Messiah than any book
except Isaiah. After chapter 10 the prophecies turn to times and events
associated with the second coming of Jesus. These chapters help us understand
the events of the second coming by providing important insights to complement
the prophecies of other books like Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, and the Revelation.
Outline of the book of Zechariah
1.
The call to repentance, 1:1-6
2.
The Visions of Zechariah, 1:7-6:15
3.
The Questions Concerning Fasts, 7:1-8:23
4.
The Burdens Concerning the Future, 9:1-12:21
As we study the book of Zechariah look at it from three
different points of view.
1.
Historical - The people, events
and lessons pertinent to Zechariah’s day.
2.
Prophetic - How this book
applies to Israel and the Middle East today.
3.
Spiritual - The lessons and
applications of the book to the Church, to Mystery Babylon (Satan’s Kingdom),
and to The Kingdom of God today.
The Book of Zechariah
Chapter 1
Zec 1:1 NASB - In
the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to
Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying,
Historical -
The time of the book is set at Oct.-Nov. 520. Darius
was the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire at this time. Details concerning
Zechariah are found in Ezra 5:1-2 and Ezra 6:14. Zechariah, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of
Jozadak were instrumental in rebuilding the Temple.
We should note
that scripture generally uses the terms Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews to be the
whole house of Israel. The posterity of Jacob was called the house of Israel.
The posterity of Judah was called the house of Judah or Jews. In later Hebrew,
after the carrying away of the ten northern tribes, the term Jew was applied to
any Israelite.
Prophetic
– This is a prophetic word of the Lord dealing with Israel and the world around
them today.
Spiritual
– This is a prophetic word to the true Church dealing with its “Babylon” (the
Kingdom of Satan), and admonitions and promises of God.
Zec 1:2 NASB -
"The LORD was very angry with your fathers.
Zec 1:3 NASB -
"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to
Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you,"
says the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4 NASB -
"Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed,
saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return now from your evil ways and
from your evil deeds."' But they did not listen or give heed to Me,"
declares the LORD.
Zec 1:5 NASB -
"Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
Zec 1:6 NASB -
"But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the
prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'As the LORD of
hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has
dealt with us.'"'"
Historical – “The sins of the
fathers of Judah and Israel doomed the nation to exile. In these verses
Zechariah calls the people to repentance. Just 18 years after the 50,000 Jews
returned from Babylon, there was a falling away that required Zechariah to call
the people to repent and return to God. Times were hard in Israel. The land was still desolate, the
work was hard, money and manpower to rebuild the Temple was scarce, they had
suffered crop failures and drought, and they had hostile enemies. They had to
be wondering why God had left them. Yet God reminds them that He wants to
return to them but they must first return to Him.” (Guzik)
Prophetic – After the Jews rejected
Jesus in about 33AD there was trouble in Israel. Then in 70 AD the Romans
destroyed the Temple, the city of Jerusalem and the Jews were scattered
throughout the world. God did hear their cries and in 1917 through the Balfour
Accord, they were once again given a homeland in what was then called
Palestine. Like in Zechariah’s day, a few Jews did return to the land but most
were very comfortable in the nations where they had been scattered and did not
return to Israel. But the remnant in the land did cry out and God once again
heard their cries. In 1948 Israel was established as a nation in one day. Since
that day the Jews have been returning to Israel from the dispersion but in
unbelief. Like in Judah in Zechariah’s day most do not worship and honor God.
Most are still rejecting the blessings and salvation freely given by Jesus.
These scriptures are a call to present day Jews to repent. It is a call for
them to return to Him, His words and His statutes that He can return to them.
Some will indeed repent as God turns to fulfill His covenant promises to them
as we will see in Zec. 12, but it will be in a time of trouble like never
before (Luke 13:35).
Spiritual
- Today the Church finds itself in this very same condition. Many of God’s
people have fallen away and the situation is only to get worse. The things of
the world draw us from God (Luke 8:5-14). The message for us today is a call to
repent and return to God, His words and His statutes. He is close at hand but
we must draw close to Him that he can draw close to us (James 4:8). The call to
the Laodicean church rings out too much of the church in our day (Rev 3:14-22).
Zec 1:7 NASB - On
the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the
second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the
son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:
Historical -
Feb. 15, 519.
Zec 1:8 NASB - I
saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing
among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white
horses behind him.
Zec 1:9 NASB - Then
I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking
with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Zec 1:10 NASB - And
the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These
are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth."
Historical -
The picture here is of angelic beings on patrol on the earth. Specifically they
seem to be observing the status of the Temple, Jerusalem, and the other cities
of Judah. The implication is that God has angelic “watchers” on earth observing
the activities of mankind.
Prophetic – We can be sure that the
Lord is carefully watching current events concerning Israel. He is just as
zealous for His people Israel and Judah as He was in Zechariah’s day. The
Lord’s plan to restore all Israel and complete His covenant promises to them is
sure and has been laid out in the Bible if we choose to look for it.
Spiritual – The Bible clearly tells
us that there are angels among us (Heb 13:2). There are “watchers” patrolling
the earth today. They see just what they saw in Zechariah’s day, a world
believing they are safe and secure by their own power and wisdom while Israel
is in turmoil because of them. And the Lord says, “I am very angry with them”
(Zec 1:15).
Zec 1:11 NASB - So
they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and
said, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful
and quiet."
Historical -
In previous studies, we established that “the angel of
the Lord” is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus before
His incarnation in Bethlehem. These watchers report that the earth is peaceful
and quiet, yet He is angry with these nations “at ease” (Zech 1:15). They are
at ease when His nation, Israel, is suffering. The “ease” of the nations is at
the expense of the Jews. They are saying “peace, peace” when there is no peace
(Jer 6:14, 8:11, Ezek 3:10, 1 Thes 5:3).
The color of the
horses does not correspond with the colors of the horses in the book of
Revelation and the riders are observers not angels pronouncing judgment. These
are natural colors of horses and may speak of angelic order or offices.
The angel of the Lord is seen standing among myrtle
trees (Israel). “Israel is not likened to a cedar of Lebanon, which is
majestic, or an oak tree, which is strong. Having blossoms that emit a sweet
fragrance when crushed, the myrtle illustrates the strange grace of Israel in
affliction.” (Boice)
Prophetic – In Israel, the current peace talks are
doomed to failure. While the nations are crying “peace, peace” there really is
no peace. The only peace the nations want is at the expense of Israel. But,
after an invasion and attack on Israel, a leader in the Middle East will arise
and confirm a seven-year temporary peace treaty or covenant, a treaty that will
be broken after 31/2 years.
Spiritual – There is in the church (especially the
western church) a sense of peace and safety. Some of this is a false peace
based on worldly wisdom, power, might and just plain arrogance. But, there is a
true place of peace and safety found by being in Christ Jesus. He is the rock,
the hiding place, and our place of refuge (Psa 27:5, 31:20, 57:1, 91:1,
119:114, Pro 18:10). In a world delusional and deceived, a world full of
turmoil, it is the true Church that has the key to real peace, the Gospel of
Jesus.
Zec 1:12 NASB -
Then the angel of the LORD said, "O LORD of hosts, how long will You have
no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been
indignant these seventy years?"
Historical
- Speaking of the Jews in Babylon, the Lord
calls them out for being indignant. The Hebrew word implies to have
indignation, be indignant, be angrily indignant, be defiant, to be abhorrent to
express indignation in speech, denounce, or curse. God was “indignant” with the
Jews because of their rebellion and refusal to return to Him and His ways.
Prophetic – We are hearing this defiance,
even cursing, every day. We hear it from the secular Israelis, the religious
Israelis, and we hear it from the Islamic nations that surround Israel. Tel
Aviv prides itself on being the gay capitol of the Middle East. We are also
hearing it from many other peoples and nations of our day. Note the rise of
anti-Semitism in our world today.
Spiritual – This is a day of intense
spiritual warfare. Satan is in an all out attack against God’s people. We see
the “indignation” in the media, politics, and the market place, Anti Christian
and anti Jewish rhetoric is in the air. The Church needs to learn to be
spiritual warriors, well equipped and trained to deal with these attacks. We
need to remember when we are attacked, mocked, or ridiculed by people that we
war not against flesh and blood, but against demonic agents sent to destroy us
(Eph 6:12).
Zec 1:13 NASB - The
LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words,
comforting words.
Zec 1:14 NASB - So
the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus
says the LORD of hosts, "I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
Historical -
The Lord expresses an extreme concern (and/or zeal) for
Israel and the Jews. Like a man who’s much loved wife is being wooed away by a
rival.
Prophetic - I think that He is feeling and proclaiming this
same concern today. These words expose God’s heart and His deep love feelings
for Israel and the Jews.
Spiritual – The Lord is also jealous and zealous for His
Bride, the Church. He is like a lovesick bridegroom, longing for His Bride to
be with Him (Jn 17:24). He has promised the Church that He will come for her at
the blast of the last trump. He is coming very soon for His Church (1 Cor
15:52, 1 Thes 4:15-18).
Zec 1:15 NASB -
"But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was
only a little angry, they furthered the disaster."
Historical -
It was God who allowed the Jews to be exiled in
Babylon, but it was the nations who furthered, or took the punishment to the
next level for evil motives.
Prophetic – God is
still very angry at the nations that are currently “furthering the disaster”.
The nations that are currently threatening to destroy Israel have incurred the
wrath of God and their end is close at hand.
Spiritual – God
defeated Satan and all his hordes with His death, burial, and resurrection.
Satan is a defeated foe, but he still prowls around the earth seeking whom he
may destroy (1 Pet 5:8) and the Lord is still very angry with him. But, He has
given the true Church the authority and power to overcome the enemy. In Him we
are more than conquerors (Rom 8:35-39)!
Zec 1:16 NASB -
'Therefore thus says the LORD, "I will return to Jerusalem with
compassion; My house will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts,
"and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."'
Zec 1:17 NASB - "Again,
proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "My cities will again
overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose
Jerusalem."'"
Historical -
Here is the promise of restoration. Four years from the
time of this prophecy, the Temple was completed and Jerusalem and the other
cities of Judah were greatly prospered.
Prophetic - However, the Temple, Jerusalem, and the Jews were
later in history to suffer great destruction, pain, and turmoil. The final
restoration of the Jews and all Israel waits for a future day at the Lord’s
return (Rom 11:25-29).
Spiritual – The home of the true Church is the New Jerusalem.
It is the home of the Great King (Jn 14:2-3, Rev 3:12, 21:2). The New Jerusalem
has already been chosen. It is our home just waiting for us to arrive (Jn
14:2-3).
Zec 1:18 NASB -
Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns.
Zec 1:19 NASB - So
I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And
he answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel
and Jerusalem."
Historical –
Horns speak of strength, authority, and power. These horns represent four
nations or empires that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. By Zechariah’s
day they would have been Assyria and Babylon with the other two yet to come.
Being consistent with Daniel’s prophecies, the first of these empires would
have been Babylon with the other nations yet to come.
Prophetic – Following Assyria and
Babylon, the empires that scattered Israel would have been either the Persians
or Greece, and Rome. Being consistent with Daniel’s prophecies the empires
following Babylon would have been Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The nations
today that are trying to drive Israel “into the sea” or scatter them are the
Islamic nations that surround Israel. These nations are essentially the
evolution of the Babylonian, Medo-Persia, Grecian, and the Roman Empire of
Jesus’ day. Note that it was the Islamic empires that finally replaced Rome as
the dominant force in the Middle East. European Colonialism then replaced the
Islamic empires. But today we are watching as these Islamic empires are being
“reborn” in the form of a revived Caliphate and a loose federation of radical
Islamic nations surrounding Israel.
Spiritual – Today I see the “last of
the giants”, the last tool of Satan to establish his Kingdom on earth, as
Islam. The Islamic Empires were the empires that finally defeated Rome and
became the seventh empire of Rev. 17:10. These nations will evolve into a 10-king/nation
confederacy that is the empire of the Antichrist. This empire is destroyed at
Christ’s coming. Note that this revived Islamic Empire is essentially just the
evolution of the four horns, namely, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. If
you draw a line on a present day map of the Middle East around the old nations
of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, you can define the ten nations of
Antichrist’s last day’s empire. Zec
1:20 NASB - Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
Zec 1:21 NASB - I
said, "What are these coming to do?" And he said, "These are the
horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these
craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who
have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter
it."
Historical –
God announces judgment against the nations that scatted His people. The old
Babylonian, Medo-Persia, Grecian, and Roman Empires and even the old Islamic
Empires have indeed gone by the wayside. They were terrified and thrown down by
“craftsmen”. The four craftsmen may represent four powerful, warring angels,
one for each of the horns, to oversee the destruction of the horns.
“And then he
finds the right men; not four gentlemen with pens to write; not four architects
to draw plans, but four mechanics to do rough work. He who wants to open an
oyster, must not use a razor: there needs less of daintiness, and more of
force, for some works: providence does not find gentlemen to cut off the horns,
but carpenters. The work needs a man who, when he has his work to do, puts his
whole strength into it, and beats away with his hammer, or cuts through the
wood that lays before him with might and main. Rest assured, you who tremble
for the ark of God, that when the horns grow troublesome, the carpenters will
be found.” (Spurgeon)
Prophetic - God promises to break the power of those who use their power
against God’s people. An ancient proverb puts it well: “God is an anvil that
has worn out many hammers.”
Spiritual
– At the Lord’s second coming, He destroys Mystery Babylon (the kingdom of
Satan on earth) and establishes His Kingdom on earth (Dan 2:34, 40-45). The
Craftsman is ultimately Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth!
Zec 2:1 NASB - Then
I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring
line in his hand.
Zec 2:2 NASB - So I
said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure
Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is."
Zec 2:3 NASB - And
behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was
coming out to meet him,
Zec 2:4 NASB - and
said to him, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be
inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it.
Zec 2:5 NASB - 'For
I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the
glory in her midst.'"
Historical –
The picture here is one of Zechariah talking with a Man (an angel) with a
measuring line in his hand as if to measure Jerusalem. Though there were but a
few Jews in Jerusalem in Zechariah’s day, it is as if “the man” was measuring
Jerusalem to insure that it was large enough to hold all the people that were
about to come to the city. It would seem that the second angel that spoke to the
first angel was none other that a pre-incarnation of Jesus (the Angel of the
Lord). This angel tells the first angel to speak to Zechariah and reassure him
that Jerusalem will indeed be inhabited and with a multitude of men and cattle
within her because He, the angel of the Lord or Jesus will be a wall of fire
around her, and the glory in her midst. Note that angels, though not men, can
take the form of men.
“This prophecy had
a short-term fulfillment in God’s protection of the rebuilding, and blessing of
the city under Ezra and Nehemiah; but clearly, its ultimate fulfillment is
rebuilding under the rule of the Messiah.” (Guzik) This rebuilt Jerusalem, the
rebuilt Tempe, and the restored land of Israel are described in Ezek 40-48.
Prophetic
– Today Jerusalem is indeed a city without
walls as are the other cities and villages of Israel. Ultimately Jerusalem will
be a city without walls because the prince of peace will reign
from Jerusalem and He will be her protection.
Spiritual
– For us, we know that the Lord is building a “Temple” which is His body on
earth, His Church (1 Cor 3:16-17, 6:19). For the Church, the Lord promises to
be a “wall of fire around us” (Acts 2:3; Heb 1:7, 12:29) and “the Glory in our
midst” (2 Thes 2:14). The admonition for us is to glorify God in our body
because we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20).
Zec 2:6 NASB -
" Ho there! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD,
"for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens," declares
the LORD.
Zec 2:7 NASB -
"Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon."
Historical –
The Lord is calling out to the many Jews who remained in Babylon to flee back
to Israel. Only about 50,000 had returned to the land of Israel. Most were
content, happy, and prosperous and many were influential in Babylon after being
there for 70 years.
Prophetic – Look at the Jews in
Russia today. Look at the many Jews in the U.S. and around the world. They far
outnumber the Jews in Israel. This is a call to Jews today who are “dispersed
to the four winds of the heavens” to return to their land, the land of Israel.
They are now living in “the daughter of Babylon”, the secular nations of the
world today. This is the world of ‘Mystery Babylon’, Satan’s kingdom on earth.
Spiritual – Here the
“daughter of Babylon” has special meaning. The daughter or offspring of Babylon
in the New Testament is called Mystery Babylon. In previous studies we
discovered that this is non other that Satan’s kingdom here on earth. This is
clearly a warning and a call for God’s people to come out of or separate from
the world’s ways, values, morals, and systems (Rev 18:4-5). The Church has been
sent on a search and rescue mission, calling people out of “Babylon” and into
the Kingdom of God, out of darkness and into His marvelous light. The Way out
is none other than Jesus (Jn 14:6)!
Zec 2:8 NASB - For
thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent me against the
nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His
eye.
Zec 2:9 NASB -
"For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder
for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.
Historical- The phrase “apple of His eye” tells us that the
Jews that had returned to their land were the focus of His love and attention. The phrase “apple
of His eye” was also used to describe something precious, easily injured and
demanding protection. “He esteems them as much as men value their eyesight, and
is as careful to protect them from injury, as men are to protect the apple of
their eye. The pupil of the eye is the tenderest part of the tenderest organ,
and very fitly sets forth the inexpressible tenderness of God’s love.”
(Spurgeon)
Prophetic – God’s love for the Jews
that have returned to their land today is just same as it was for the Jews in
Zechariah’s day. All who dare to plunder them today incur the same wrath of
God, as did those of Zechariah’s day. The phrase “plunder for their slaves” is
interesting. The rebellion of the poor and down trodden being seen in several
of the Islamic nations of our day could be forerunner of this prophecy.
Ultimately, it will be the Jews (slaves of the nations that plunder her – Jer
25:14) that will plunder those that have plundered them.
Spiritual – As the
Church is Christ’s Bride; she is “the apple of His eye”. It is a fearful and
tragic thing to be “plundering” her. Jesus suffered the agony of the cross just
for His Bride. He will not deal lightly those that “plunder” Her. God promises that the enslavers will become enslaved. This
will be ultimately fulfilled in the millennial reign of Jesus. The wrath of God to
come will be judgment and punishment for those who dare to touch the apple of
God’s eye. In the end, the world will know that it was, and is God that
sent/sends Jesus to earth.
Zec
2:10 NASB - "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am
coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD.
Zec
2:11 NASB - "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and
will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that
the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
Zec
2:12 NASB - "The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land,
and will again choose Jerusalem.
Zec
2:13 NASB - " Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused
from His holy habitation."
Historical – As the Temple was completed, God did come and
dwell in Jerusalem. The response was to be jubilance with singing and joy. But
history tells us that this was not a permanent state. The people rebelled; the
Temple was destroyed, rebuilt and then destroyed again. God’s presence left
Israel for 400 years until one day, a baby was born in Bethlehem and God, in
the person of Jesus returned to Jerusalem. The tragedy of this is that once
again the Jews as a nation rejected Him. If only they had known the day of
their visitation (Lk 19:41-42).
Prophetic – As we watch today we see
God in the person of the Holy Spirit beginning to return to the land as many
Jews are receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are being filled with His
spirit. However, as a nation the day prophesied in these verses has not yet
come. The day is coming however when the Jews as a nation will cry out “blessed
is the name of He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mat 23:39). This day is
the day Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords to establish His
Kingdom on earth.
Spiritual – Israel is the holy land.
God considers even the land itself holy and Jerusalem the city of the Great
King (Mat 5:35). It will be the seat of His government during the millennial
reign of Christ. Jesus and the Church, His bride, will rule and reign from
Jerusalem for 1000 years (Rev 3:21, 20:6). The awesome day when He is aroused
from His holy habitation in Heaven to return to earth is begun with a period of
silence. It is the awesome and fearful “day of the Lord” (Rev 8:1, Joel 2:11,
31).
Chapter 3
Zec 3:1 NASB - Then
he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and
Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
Zec 3:2 NASB - The
LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has
chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
Zec 3:3 NASB - Now
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
Historical –
Joshua was the high priest at the time. He is seen standing before Jesus (the
angel of the Lord). The vision seems to imply that as the high priest, Joshua
was ministering before the Lord. The fallen angel Satan is also seen there
before the Lord as the accuser (Rev 12:10). The name Satan means adversary or
opponent. “Satan must have been pointing to those
[filthy clothes] and declaring forcefully that Joshua was unfit to stand before
the Lord in this office.” (Boice) Satan probably did have cause to accuse
Joshua. Joshua was a mortal man with mortal faults and failings (filthy
garments), but Joshua had a great advocate in the Lord protected him as Satan
attacked him.
Prophetic
– Today there is an all out demonic assault on Israel. We see Satan’s
accusations manifested through the rhetoric of Islam and its leaders and
through the attitude and actions of the U.N. As we watch we are seeing this
rhetoric turning into actions as the terrorists and Iran attack Israel and Jews.
Yet God reminds them and us that it is He that has chosen Jerusalem. It is
still His “Holy Land” (Zech 2:12). It is the Lord who stands interceding for
them. Like Joshua, all Israel is a smoldering piece of wood that would be
entirely consumed if it were not “plucked from the fire”.
Spiritual – Today, Jesus is our
High Priest interceding for us (Heb 4:14). He stands between Satan and us. In
spiritual warfare, we always deal with Satan and his hordes with the Lord’s
authority and power. Like Michael, we rebuke the devil in Jesus’ name and use
His authority and power to bind and cut off his works (Jude 1:9, Matt 16:19).
Like Joshua and Israel, all who have come to Jesus are brands
plucked from the fire. “So it is with the child
of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing
but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner;
but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil’s mouth by telling him,
‘Thou sayest this man is black - of course he is: what did I think he was but
that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was
burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew
he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would
be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say
to that?’ Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added
to it from Joshua.” (Spurgeon)
“Such is the divine economy, that
God makes much of brands, fragments, castaways. What others regard as unworthy
of their heed is dear and priceless to the great Lover of souls.” (Meyer)
“Is this not a
brand plucked from the fire?” “This question, as it appears to me, will bear
three renderings; first, it may be looked upon as an exclamation of wonder: ‘Is not this a brand plucked out
of the fire!’ Secondly, as an
enquiry or hope: ‘Is not this a brand’ - this one particularly,
’plucked out of the fire?’ And, in the third place, it is certainly a defiance for us, assured of our
safety, to throw into the face of Satan, the accuser: ‘Is not this a brand plucked out
of the fire?’ ” (Spurgeon)
Zec 3:4 NASB - He
spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the
filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken
your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."
Zec 3:5 NASB - Then
I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a
clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the
LORD was standing by.
Historical –
Joshua was standing before the Lord in filthy garments (inequity) but the Lord
cleansed Joshua and clothed him with righteousness.
Prophetic – There is
coming a day when the Lord will open a fountain for the cleansing of sin in
Jerusalem (Zech 13:1). During the millennial reign of Christ on earth, the
priesthood will be restored to Israel (Levites and the sons of Zadoc – Ezek
44).
Spiritual – Being clothed by God
with or in righteous is a theme that runs from Genesis (Genesis
3:7and 3:21) to Revelation (Rev 7:13-14). Like Joshua, believers in
Jesus are cleansed by His blood (His death, burial, and resurrection). Our
filth is washed away and righteousness of Christ is imputed or given to us.
Even now, we believers are a royal priesthood of God that we can proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out
of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9, Rev
20:6).
Zec 3:6 NASB - And
the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,
Zec 3:7 NASB -
"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will
perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of
My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
Historical –
Like the first Joshua, this Joshua is given the instructions to walk in My ways
and perform My service (Joshua 1:7). Then Joshua is promised that if he obeys,
he will continue as the High Priest and have direct access to God.
Prophetic – When all Israel returns
to God, He will return to them. When they walk in His was and perform His
service, they will govern and have charge of His courts and serve the Lord in
His Temple (Ezek 44).
Spiritual – This admonition applies to
believers today. If we walk in His ways and are obedient, we will serve as
priest of God and have full access to God and His Throne of Grace (Heb 4:16).
Our disobedience and sin does not negate our salvation but they do put up walls
between our Lord and us. These walls or hindrances limit our power, and the
peace and joy of His presence.
Zec 3:8 NASB - 'Now
listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front
of you--indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring
in My servant the Branch.
Zec 3:9 NASB - 'For
behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and
I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zec 3:10 NASB - 'In
that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'every one of you will invite his
neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.'"
Historical –
Here God encourages Joshua by giving him a prophetic promise. This vision and word from Zechariah shows how much God wanted
to encourage and strengthen Joshua, and He does it in the best way: setting his
eyes on the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Prophetic
- Joshua and the men
or court that sat before him as priests were a symbol, a symbol of the ultimate
High Priest, Jesus, and His court, the Levites that will serve the Lord as
priests after His return.
“Branch”
is used several times as a title for the Messiah (Isaiah
4:2 and 11:1;Jeremiah
23:5, and 33:15). The Branch is
associated with fruitfulness and life. Jesus used the same image when He said
that He was the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5).
A stone,
having seven eyes speaks of the
perfection and fullness of the knowledge and wisdom of the Messiah.
Verse 3:10 is a proverbial expression that
means prosperity and peace (1 Kings 4:25; 2 Kings 18:31) - ultimately, the peace that the reign of the Messiah
brings.
Note that the Lord promises and prophesies
that the iniquity of the land will be removed in one day. This is the day Jesus
returns to earth as Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev 17:14, 19:16).
Spiritual
– While this prophecy is given to Israel and the Hebrews, to the Church it is
our hope of glory! It is the best encouragement that can be given. While the
promise to the Hebrews is that they will be priest, judges (Rev 20:4) and
rulers, the promise to the Church is that she is the bride of Christ, the Queen
of Heaven (Jn 3:29, Rev 18:23, 19:7, 21:2, 9, 22:17).
Zec 4:1 NASB - Then
the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is
awakened from his sleep.
Zec 4:2 NASB - He
said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a
lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it
with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;
Zec 4:3 NASB - also
two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its
left side."
Historical –
The angel who was speaking was the Angel of the Lord (Jesus). Zechariah was
shown a Menorah, a golden lamp stand. The Menorah was an important part of the
Tempe Holy place that was being built. The 7-branch
menorah is made according to the commandment in Exodus 25:31-40. Priests would
light it every evening and clean it every morning. Jewish sages teach that this
menorah was the vessel that God used to blend the spiritual life that is to
come with the physical life of this world. Zechariah was also shown something was that not a part of the
Tempe, two olive trees that were feeding oil directly into the lamps through
spouts or branches. Zechariah knows what the golden lamp stand is but he does
not understand what the Lord is trying to show him.
Prophetic – To the Jew, ultimately the purpose of this menorah is not to
illuminate the temple but to spread its light throughout the world. It is a
symbol of the nation of Israel and it is a physical reminder of the commandment
in Isaiah 42:6 to be a light to the nations. The mystery here is the two olive
trees that feed oil directly into the lamp thus replacing the need for the
Tempe priests to fulfill this duty.
Spiritual
– Spiritually the lamp stand and its 7 lamps represents the seven fold Holy
Spirit that brings light into a dark world (Isa 11:2). The Holy Spirit is seen
in the Heavenly Tempe as seven lamps (Rev 1:12, 4:5).
Zec 4:4 NASB - Then
I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my
lord?"
Zec 4:5 NASB - So
the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not
know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."
Zec 4:6 NASB - Then
he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by
might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7 NASB -
'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and
he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to
it!"'"
Historical –
“Zerubbabel was the civic leader in Jerusalem and had the responsibility to
finish the Tempe. The work was hard and had stalled. So the Lord gives this
word to Zerubbabel as encouragement and instructions as how to complete the
work. Not by might or collective strength, and not by power or individual
strength, It will not be by man’s strength either
collective or individual or by man’s resources that the temple will be rebuilt,
but by the Spirit of God. God was promising Zerubbabel a continual source of
strength and resources to accomplish the task of completing the Tempe. God
reassures Zerubbabel that the mountainous task before him was nothing to God
and in the end Zerubbabel would give God all the credit and glory with shouts
of grace, grace!” (Guzik)
Prophetic
– Today Israel and the Hebrews face a
“great mountain”, their national survival. You can almost here God
crying out to them, “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit”. Yet, they
still are trying to solve their problems by negotiations, political
maneuvering, and as last resort by military power. What is it going to take to
get them to turn to God’s Spirit? In the end it will take a national disaster
so great that only the return of the Lord can save them. And He will!
Spiritual
– The Church is so in need of hearing and heading these words to Zerubbabel. We
work so hard at accomplishing the tasks set before us with our own cleverness,
abilities, resources, programs and plans. What foolishness. Even Jesus did all
He did by the power of the Holy Spirit. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, led, healed, drove out evil spirits, was
resurrected by, and was seated at the right hand of God the Holy Spirit (Luke
1:35, Mat 3:16, 4:11, Acts 10:38, Mat 12:28, Rom 8:11, Eph 1:19-20). What
arrogance or just foolishness to think that we can accomplish anything without
the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet there are many churches today that hold a
form of Godliness but lack the power thereof (2 Tim 3:5).
“O churches! Take heed lest ye trust in yourselves;
take heed lest ye say, ‘We are a respectable body,’ ‘We are a mighty number,’
‘We are a potent people;’ take heed lest ye begin to glory in your own
strength; for when that is done, ‘Ichabod’ shall be written on your walls and
your glory shall depart from you. Remember, that he who was with us when we
were but few, must be with us now we are many, or else we must fail; and he who
strengthened us when we were but as ‘little in Israel,’ must be with us, now
that we are like ‘the thousands of Manasseh,’ or else it is all over with us
and our day is past.” (Spurgeon)
Zec 4:8 NASB - Also
the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Zec 4:9 NASB -
"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his
hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to
you.
Zec 4:10 NASB -
"For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be
glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel--these are the eyes
of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth."
Historical –
The Temple laid in ruins about 20 years. After 20 years the accomplishment just
to lay the foundation must have seemed very small to Zerubbabel. Here God
encourages Zerubbabel telling him that he will finish the work because the Lord
guarantees it. The seven are the seven eyes of God that rejoice when they see
Zerubbabel busy (with the plumb line in his hand) at the work of rebuilding the
Temple.
Prophetic – When you consider the
promises of the Abrahamic covenant, the Jews today must surely look at where
they are today as “small things” or beginnings. The word to them is to take
heart; the Lord is watching to complete His promises to them.
Spiritual – “For the Church, the
days of small beginnings are days of priceless
shaping and preparation. They are not days to despise. Satan fears the day of small things in our life because he sees what great
things God does in them and brings out of them. God is pleased when He sees His
people at work (1 Cor 15:58, Phil 1:6, Heb 6:10).” (Guzik)
“To me, it seems that it should be your
glory to join the poorest and weakest churches of your denomination, and
wherever you go, to say, ‘This little cause is not as strong as I should like
it to be; but, by the grace of God, I will make it more influential. At any
rate, I will throw in my weight to strengthen the weak things of Zion, and
certainly I will not despise the day of small things.’ Where would have been
our flourishing churches of today if our forefathers had disdained to sustain
them while they were yet in their infancy? God accepts your little works if
they are done in faith in his dear Son. God will give success to your little
works: God will educate you by your little works to do greater works; and your
little works may call out others who shall do greater works by far than ever
you shall be able to accomplish.” (Spurgeon)
Zec 4:11 NASB -
Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the
lampstand and on its left?"
Zec 4:12 NASB - And
I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive
branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from
themselves?"
Zec 4:13 NASB - So
he answered me, saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said,
"No, my lord."
Zec 4:14 NASB -
Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the
Lord of the whole earth."
Historical –
Zechariah understood the encouragement given to Zerubbabel but he did not get
the connection to the vision of the olive trees and the olive branches that
produced the oil for the lamps from themselves. Zerubbabel and Joshua were the
two anointed ones of Zechariah’s day representing branches of the two trees,
which probably represented the kingly, and the priestly offices in Israel. The
two anointed ones (literally the sons of oil) are so characterized by the ministry and the power of the
Holy Spirit that they are called sons
of oil. These two were the conduit through which the Spirit of God (oil)
could flow from God, through the kingly and priestly offices, then to the
people of Israel. These two were the ambassadors, the official representatives
of God for Israel.
Prophetic – God
does seem to use pairs to be the connection between Himself and Israel,
consider Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, Elijah and Elisha, Peter
and John, Paul and Barnabus. Then when God turns to complete His covenant
promises to Israel in the last days, He raise us two more anointed ones to
preach the gospel just before Jesus’ return (Rev 11:3-13). Once again God calls
these two witnesses the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before
the God of the earth. The question is, who are the two witnesses in Israel
today? Maybe “they” are the Messianic movement in Israel that is the conduit
and the ambassadors of the King/Priest, Jesus in Israel today.
Spiritual – Spiritually the King
and the High Priest are now Jesus. The branches are believers who are the
conduits for the oil, the Holy Spirit, to flow through and out into the world
(Jn 15:5, Rom 11:17-24). It is the Church that is to be God’s ambassadors, His
representatives on earth now (2 Cr 5:20). We are now the “sons of oil”, the
sons and daughters of the Living God. Jesus came to destroy the works of the
enemy, to bring good news, to heal the sick, set the captive free, heal the
brokenhearted, to bring light into a dark world (Isa 61:1-2, 1 Jn 3:8). Now He
says, “as the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). We are to go our
two by two (Mk 6:7). Perhaps this is literal, and perhaps the two are just one
individual, filled with the Spirit of Jesus who is the High Priest, the King,
and the Oil.
Prophetic – Joshua was made both
Priest and King as a living prophecy of Jesus who is forever both the High
Priest and the King of kings. The man whose name is “Branch” is none other than
Jesus (Zech 3:8, Isa 4:2, 11:1, 33:15). It is Jesus who will build His Temple,
the temple of His people, the true Church (Eph 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5). As King
and Priest, Jesus will one day sit on a literal throne in a Temple in Jerusalem
ruling, as both king and priest and the counsel of peace will be between the
two offices.
Joshua was a prophecy of the only
true King and Priest, Jesus. Joshua did not function in this capacity in his
day. The crown and the act of crowing Joshua were to speak to those returning
from Babylon of a future Priest-King. Even the specific names of those who were
mentioned in 6:14 spoke of God’s strength, His goodness, His foreknowledge, and
His healing of Israel.
The last verse speaks of a time in
future when outsiders (those far off) will come and build a Temple. It is
during this time when all Israel will know that the Lord has come to Israel
(Zech 12:10, 13:1).
Spiritual – Today, believers are the
Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16). We are His representatives or ambassadors (Eph
6:20; 2 Cor 5:20) on earth. We are “the virgin bride” of Christ and will be His
Queen and sit beside Him on His Throne (Rev 3:21) when He rules and reigns on
earth as Priest and King or 1000 years.
Notice
that all of this is contingent on obedience. To take part, one must accept
Jesus as their savior and make Jesus Lord of their life.
Chapter 7
Zec 7:1 NASB - In
the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the
fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.
Zec 7:2 NASB - Now
the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the
favor of the LORD,
Zec 7:3 NASB -
speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts, and to
the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I
have done these many years?"
Historical –
It is Dec. 5, 518 B.C. The Temple was about halfway completed. Some men from
Bethel came to Jerusalem with a question concerning fasting. The fast (weeping
and fasting) was a tradition lamenting the destruction of the Temple (2 Kings
25:8-9). Though the law of Moses commanded only one fast day on the day of
Atonement (Lev 16:29-34), the Jews in exile had instituted several other fast
days to lament various tragedies in the life of the Jews and Israel. They had
done this so long that these fast days had taken on a life and authority of
their own though not commanded by the law.
Prophetic – Today in much of Israel,
the commandments and the true Feast days of the Lord are sadly neglected. They
have been replaced to a large extent by the traditions, ceremonies and
celebration days of the world. The “religious” of the land even though
practicing the old celebration, fasts, and laws, are doing it out of tradition
and legalism, attacking and debasing any who disagree or oppose them. Hypocrisy
abounds.
Spiritual – How this so applies to
some of the church today. The “festivals” of the world take precedent over the
“fasts” of the Lord. Traditions have replaced some of the teachings of the
Bible. Even the holy sacraments of the Church have become but lifeless rituals.
Hypocrisy abounds.
Zec 7:4 NASB - Then
the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
Zec 7:5 NASB -
"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted
and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it
actually for Me that you fasted?
Zec 7:6 NASB -
'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for
yourselves?
Zec 7:7 NASB - 'Are
not these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when
Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the
Negev and the foothills were inhabited?'"
Zec 7:8 NASB - Then the word of the
LORD came to Zechariah saying,
Zec 7:9 NASB -
"Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice
kindness and compassion each to his brother;
Zec 7:10 NASB - and
do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not
devise evil in your hearts against one another.'
Historical -
The motivation for the fasting, weeping, and doing the
traditional ceremonies was wrong. They were not done for the Lord, but for
themselves. At best these rituals were self-indulgent pity parties, most of the
time just lifeless traditional rituals. God had instructed Israel on what He
wanted instead of fasts and sacrifices. God wanted and wants true justice,
kindness and compassion. He wants the widow, the orphan, the stranger and the poor
taken care of and He wants love and unity between one another. But their heart
was not right with God, and their motivations for “weeping” were wrong (Ps
51:16-17).
Prophetic - The message here was not only for the people of
Zechariah’s day, but are pertinent down through the ages to this very day.
Spiritual – In the believer’s spiritual life, in prayer,
fasting, worship and learning, the question is, what is the motivation? How
much are we doing out of selfish motivation, ritual and tradition? In the end,
what does the Lord really want from us? I believe that He wants our obedience,
our loyalty, our devotion, our faith and trust in Him, and most of all our
love.
Zec 7:11 NASB -
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped
their ears from hearing.
Zec 7:12 NASB -
"They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and
the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former
prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.
Zec 7:13 NASB -
"And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I
would not listen," says the LORD of hosts;
Zec 7:14 NASB - "but I scattered them with a storm
wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated
behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land
desolate."
Historical – In
the end, the Jews did not listen. They did not listen to God through the
prophets He sent to them. They refused to heed His words, were indifferent and
self-justifying, closed their ears, and became hard hearted. As a consequence,
God’s wrath came upon them and they were scattered among the nations. Because
they would not listen and obey, God would not listen to them. Under the Mosaic
law, the promises of blessing from the Lord were conditional based on Israel
being obedient to the law.
Prophetic – Israel has
gone through this cycle of restoration, rebellion, and scattering, several
times in the course of history. But in our day, we are seeing Israel being
re-gathered once again into their land. But this time the outcome will be very
different than before.
Spiritual – Except for
the grace, love, and mercy of God, our hardness of heart, our rebellion, and
our refusing to obey would bring the wrath of God upon us. But our
righteousness is not contingent upon our works. Our blessings are not
contingent on obeying the law (which is called a curse – Gal 3:10-13). We live
under the New Covenant whose promises are based on Jesus’ work on the cross. Jesus
took the wrath of God that we deserve for us on the cross. He bore our sins. He
took our inequities. He died that we might truly live. When in His
righteousness, and foreknowledge “the fullness of the gentiles has come in” He
will personally come for us (1 Thes 4:15-18). At this time God will turn to
complete His covenant promise to the Hebrews and make them a praise in all the
earth (Zeph 3:19-20).
Chapter 8
Zec 8:1 NASB - Then the word of the LORD of hosts came,
saying,
Zec 8:2 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am
exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'
Chapter 8 begins a
great prophetic promise of restoration for Jerusalem and all Israel. God
expresses a deep passion and zeal for Israel and the Hebrews. He also expresses
a great wrath for those that come against Israel, try to divide her, or try to
lead her astray.
Zec 8:3 NASB - "Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to
Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called
the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the
Holy Mountain.'
Zec 8:4 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men
and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his
staff in his hand because of age.
Zec 8:5 NASB - 'And the streets of the city will be filled
with boys and girls playing in its streets.'
Zec 8:6 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is
too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it
also be too difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts.
Zec 8:7 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I
am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the
west;
Zec 8:8 NASB - and I will bring them back and they will live
in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God
in truth and righteousness.'
Prophetic – In
these verses God promises and prophecies the complete restoration of Jerusalem
and Zion (Israel) when He returns to dwell in Jerusalem. Israel becomes a place
of peace and safety where people live to a ripe old age (Isa 65:20). Note that
God saves His people from the east and the west. This speaks of Jews returning
to Israel from the western and eastern nations. This is a returning that is
beginning in our day and will be completed at the Lord’s return. To the people
of Zechariah’s day this must have seemed an impossible dream. But God reminds
them that nothing is too difficult for Him.
Spiritual – As we watch
this restoration starting to take place in our day, our spirits rejoice, as we
know that these are signs of the Lord’s imminent return to establish His
Kingdom on earth.
Zec 8:9 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Let your
hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the
mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the
house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built.
Zec 8:10 NASB - 'For before those days there was no wage for
man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no
peace because of his enemies, and I set all men one against another.
Zec 8:11 NASB - 'But now I will not treat the remnant of
this people as in the former days,' declares the LORD of hosts.
Zec 8:12 NASB - 'For there will be peace for the seed: the
vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will
give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all
these things.
Zec 8:13 NASB - 'It will come about that just as you were a
curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save
you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.'
Zec 8:14 NASB - "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Just
as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,' says
the LORD of hosts, 'and I have not relented,
Zec 8:15 NASB - so I have again purposed in these days to do
good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!
Prophetic – These
are words spoken through the words of the prophets in the days of Zechariah, to
the Israelites of our day. Though the former days were filled with trouble,
here God promises that it will not be so for the remnant of His people in the
last days. Though the house of Judah (descendants of Judah or Jews) and the
house of Israel (descendants of Jacob) (which taken together make up the whole
house of greater Israel or Israelites) have been a curse among the nations,
here God promises to make them a blessing. God’s word of encouragement to
Israel today is “Do not fear, let your hands be strong, do not fear”.
Spiritual – There is a
message here to the Church, the true believers. As the days ahead get more
chaotic and fearful, we must remember the promises of protection, blessings,
and we are not to fear (Rom 8:15)! There are 57 places in the Bible where we
are admonished “do not fear”, important words for our day.
Zec 8:16 NASB - 'These are the things that you should do:
speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your
gates.
Zec 8:17 NASB - 'Also let none of you devise evil in your
heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,'
declares the LORD."
Here are
instructions for all of us: Speak truth; judge with truth and for peace. Do not
devise evil, and do not love perjury. These things God hates!
Zec 8:18 NASB - Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to
me, saying,
Zec 8:19 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'The fast
of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of
the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house
of Judah; so love truth and peace.'
Historical – These
fasts were days of sorrow when the Jews remembered the destruction and fall of
Jerusalem.
Prophetic – God
promises to make these days of sorrow for Israel into days of joy and gladness.
Spiritual – There are
days of sorrow and trouble even for the believer. We are even warned that in
this world we will have trouble and tribulation. But the good news is that
Jesus has overcome the world and will turn our mourning into joy and gladness.
He makes all things work for the good of those that love Him. (Jn 16:33; Rev
2:10; Rom 8:28; Ps 30:11; Isa 61:3)
Zec 8:20 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'It will
yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities.
Zec 8:21 NASB - 'The inhabitants of one will go to another,
saying, "Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek
the LORD of hosts; I will also go."
Zec 8:22 NASB - 'So many peoples and mighty nations will
come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the
LORD.'
Zec 8:23 NASB - "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those
days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying,
"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"
Prophetic - God made covenant promises to
the Hebrews through Abraham. These were unconditional promises for a land
forever, a King forever, and a Kingdom forever. The only thing that restrains
God from implementing these covenant promises deals with gentiles. There has
been a partial blindness or hardening of heart put upon Israel for the benefit
of gentiles. God in His mercy and grace is offering salvation to the Gentiles
and calling them into His Kingdom by being found “in Jesus”. When all gentiles
who will, have come into His salvation and His Kingdom (the fullness of the
gentiles has come in), then all Israel will be saved and God will fulfill His
covenant promises to them (Rom 11). During the 1000-year reign of King Jesus on
earth, the peoples of nations from one end of the globe to the other will seek
the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem. In that day, the Jews (Israelites) will be a
blessing to all. The cry of the people of the nations will be "Let us go
with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"
Chapter 9
Zec 9:1 NASB - The burden of the word of the LORD is
against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes
of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD),
Zec 9:2 NASB - And Hamath also, which borders on it;
Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
Zec 9:3 NASB - For Tyre built herself a fortress And
piled up silver like dust, And gold like the mire of the streets.
Zec 9:4 NASB - Behold, the Lord will dispossess her And
cast her wealth into the sea; And she will be consumed with fire.
Historical – This
was judgment against Syria/Lebanon. Hadrach was a city of old Syria (modern
Lebanon). Damascus was the capitol of Syria. Hamath was a city of upper Syria,
Tyre a city on the Mediterranean Sea, and Sidon a city north of Tyre on the
Mediterranean Sea. The historical judgment was completed when the armies of
Alexander the Great conquered this region and marched through these cities in
332-331 B.C. All people of the region, especially Israel, watched as God’s
instrument of judgment (Alexander) moved through the lands and into the
Promised Land of Israel.
Prophetic – Just like
these days of old, the world today, and especially Israel, watches the turmoil
and strife in these nations grow daily, and they watch as terrorist groups
mobilize all along the borders of Israel. They are bent on striking Israel,
destroying her and driving her into the sea. But note the promise of God. God
disposes these nations, destroys their wealth, and consumes or destroys them
with fire (weapons of war). We watch daily for these events to begin.
Spiritual – What occurs
on earth in the natural is generally just a reflection of spiritual activity in
the heavens. As the enemies of Israel prepare to attack, our spiritual enemies
are already attacking. The spiritual warfare is getting intense. Satan is doing
all he can to destroy, or at least slow down, and discourage God’s people. What
we need to remember is that the battle is already won. In Christ, we are the
victors. Our job is to enforce Jesus’ victory over the devil. What the devil
most fears is that believers will finally realize just who and what they are as
sons and daughters of the Most High God.
Zec 9:5 NASB - Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza
too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her expectation has been
confounded. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be
inhabited.
Zec 9:6 NASB - And a mongrel race will dwell in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
Zec 9:7 NASB - And I will remove their blood from their
mouth And their detestable things from between their teeth. Then they also will
be a remnant for our God, And be like a clan in Judah, And Ekron like a
Jebusite.
Historical - The Jebusites
inhabited Jerusalem when David conquered the city (Joshua 15:8, 2 Samuel 5:6-9, 2 Samuel 24:16-18). David
did not wipe out the Jebusites, but merely incorporated them into Israel. The
same would happen to the people of Ekron.
Zec 9:8 NASB - But I will camp around My house because
of an army, Because of him who passes by and returns; And no oppressor will
pass over them anymore, For now I have seen with My eyes.
Historical – Here we see Judgment
against the Philistines. Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod were Philistine
cities south of Tyre and Sidon. Alexander the Great in 332-331 B.C also conquered
these cities. This passage accurately
foretells the conquest of the eastern Mediterranean coastlands by Greek armies
under the command of Alexander the Great.
Alexander
the Great did not attack Jerusalem in his march to Egypt. God protected
Jerusalem (My house) due to a meeting between Alexander and the High Priest
(Josephus - Antiquities 11.8.4-5)
Prophetic
– In the coming wars prophesied in Isa 17 the “strong cities of Ephraim”
(northern Israeli cities – Haifa) and the cities of the valley of Rephaim
(cities west and south of Jerusalem - Tel Aviv and Jaffa) seem to be attacked
but Jerusalem is not. In the coming war in and around Israel, it seems that the
Lord once again protects Jerusalem. It is His house. But Gaza and the old
Philistine lands are destroyed and left uninhabited. Perhaps there is a hint
here that the modern day “Philistines” themselves are not wiped out but the
remnant is incorporated into Israel in the end.
Zec 9:9 NASB - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on
a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Historical – Jesus
entered Jerusalem during His first coming as a humble servant. There were some
that lined the pathway where Jesus rode the donkey, and they were rejoicing,
shouting, and waving palm branches (Mat 21:9; Mark 12:13; Luke 11:9, John
12:13). It was in stark contrast to the pomp and circumstance that marked the
usual arrival of a king into a city.
“Brethren, let
us be lowly. Did I hear one say, ‘Well, I will try to be lowly’? You cannot
do it in that way. We must not try to act the lowly part; we must be lowly, and
then we shall naturally act in a humble manner. It is astonishing how much of
pride there is in the most modest.” (Spurgeon)
“How we condemn pride! We feel that it would
be well if all were as humble as we are. We boast that we detest boasting. We
flatter ourselves that we hate flattery. When we are told that we are
singularly free from pride, we feel as proud as Lucifer himself at the
consciousness that the compliment is right well deserved. We are so
experienced, so solid, so discerning, and so free from self-confidence that we
are the first to be caught in the net of self-satisfaction. Brethren, we must
pray God to make us humble.” (Spurgeon)
“God had commanded the
kings of Israel not to multiply horses. The kings who broke this command
were miserable themselves, and scourges to their people. Jesus came to
fulfill the law. Had he in his title of king rode upon a horse, it would have been a breach of a positive command of God;
therefore he rode upon an ass.”
(Clarke)
Prophetic
– At His first coming, Jesus came in a way that the people did not suspect. At
His second coming He will also come in a way the Jews do not expect. They are
looking for a man, some great leader to come and save them from war and
persecution, a man to be their messiah.
Spiritual
– Jesus came to us first in human form, then as the Holy Spirit to indwell us.
He will come again for us to catch us up to meet Him in the air as our
Bridegroom. When he comes to earth again, He will not be a servant riding on a
donkey. He will be a mighty warrior, the King of kings and Lord of lords riding
on a magnificent white horse (Rev 19:11).
Zec 9:10 NASB - I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will
speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from
the River to the ends of the earth.
Prophetic – This
verse speaks of the second coming of our Lord. He comes in a time of war and He
comes to Israel and Jerusalem. He comes to establish His kingdom on earth and
bring universal true peace to all the earth. It is an enforced peace where war
is not allowed (Isa 2:4). This verse speaks of the 1000 year reign of Christ on
earth (Psalm
72;Isaiah
2:2-4; Isaiah
11:4-9; Jeremiah
23:5-6; Luke
1:32-33;19:12-27,
and Matthew
5:18).
Zec 9:11 NASB - As for you also, because of the blood
of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Prophetic - God is speaking to
Israel here of their future full restoration. He is promising to raise them up
from the valley of dry bones (Ezek 37). He is promising to fulfill His covenant
(the Abrahamic covenant) promises to them (Rom 11:25-27).
Zec 9:12 NASB - Return to the stronghold, O prisoners
who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to
you.
Zec 9:13 NASB - For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will
fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your
sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior's sword.
Historical – This
was partially fulfill in the days of the Maccabees when Judas Maccabeus (called
The Hammer) resisted the Greeks and cleansed the Tempe by pulling down the
statue of Antiochus IV that had been placed in the Holy of Holies.
Prophetic – Because
these verses speak of the second coming, we see the sons of Zion (Israelites)
warring against the sons of Greece (Gentiles). Remember from the book of Daniel
that the Antichrist will arise during the “latter period of the rule” of the
four kingdoms that evolved from the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great (Dan
8:21-23). This kingdom was known as the Macedonian Empire. The peoples and land
of this kingdom today are the Islamic nations that surround Israel.
Zec 9:14 NASB - Then the LORD will appear over them,
And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord GOD will blow the
trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south.
Zec 9:15 NASB - The LORD of hosts will defend them. And
they will devour and trample on the sling stones; And they will drink and be
boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the corners of the altar.
Zec 9:16 NASB - And the LORD their God will save them
in that day As the flock of His people; For they are as the stones of a crown,
Sparkling in His land.
Zec 9:17 NASB - For what comeliness and beauty will be
theirs! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
Prophetic – It is
clear that this is the Lord’s battle. He will save them from destruction as He
appears over Israel like lightning at His coming (Luke 17:24). The trumpet
blown by the Lord is a call to war. It is a trumpet blast associated with the
Feast of Trumpets. The hint is that the Lord will come from the south. This
would be consistent with the prophecy in Hab 3:3 that prophecies the Lord
coming from Teman (Edom), an area south west of Israel.
Verse 17 speaks of the
1000-year reign of the Lord (Hosea 2:21-22; Joel 2:19). The grain and new wine
speak of prosperity and blessing.
Chapter 10
Zec 10:1 NASB - Ask rain from the LORD at the time of
the spring rain-- The LORD who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them
showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.
Prophetic –
Chapter 10 continues the promises of blessings to Israel at the second coming
of the Lord. Here He tells Israel to pray for rain. The spring rain occurred at
the start of the growing season. It was necessary to have good harvests. The
message here is that if Israel asks and seeks the Lord for His blessings, they
will have them. The blessings are good crops, grain and new wine, but the rain
also represents the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:23; Ezek 37:8-10).
Spiritual – As we
approach the time of the Lord’s return, it is the cry of our hearts for a great
outpouring of His Spirit. The outpouring in the spring insures a great harvest
of souls from the wheat fields. This deals with the last day’s ingathering of
the Church. The outpouring in the fall insures a good harvest from the grape
and fruit harvest. This deals with the harvest of Israel and the Jews.
Zec 10:2 NASB - For the teraphim speak iniquity, and
the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no
shepherd.
Historical –
Teraphim are the common or household idols and false gods that Israel
worshipped. Diviners are the false prophets and those that seek information
from the idols and the dead. These speak trouble, wickedness, and sorrow. They
see lying visions, and false dreams. The result is that the people are
afflicted and wander around like lost sheep. The reason for all of this is that
there are no true shepherds.
Prophetic - This has
been true for Israel down through the ages and is still true today. Though
there are religious leaders and politicians, there are no true “shepherds”.
Spiritual – When
believers worship “idols” of any kind and/or seek wisdom and hidden knowledge
from any source other than from the Lord (the Holy Spirit), we like Israel will
become lost sheep. Our human shepherds, as representatives of the true Shepherd
Jesus, are responsible for keeping us from these schemes of the devil. When we
“wander around” like lost sheep, it is because of poor shepherds.
Zec 10:3 NASB - "My anger is kindled against the
shepherds, And I will punish the male goats; For the LORD of hosts has visited
His flock, the house of Judah, And will make them like His majestic horse in
battle.
Prophetic – God
does not take kindly to the false shepherds of Israel. He will punish them
(Ezek 34). But when God visits Israel, He promises to change them from lost
sheep into warhorses, mighty men ready for battle (Ezek 37:10).
Spiritual – The false
shepherds of our day will answer to the Lord. But when He visits us as the Holy
Spirit He makes us His warriors like warhorses ready for spiritual battle. The
Lord likens the false shepherds to goats and a time of separating the goats
from the flock. This separating is associated with the Lord appearing in His
glory at His second coming. The end result for the goats is not good (Mat
25:31-46).
Zec 10:4 NASB - "From them will come the
cornerstone, From them the tent peg, From them the bow of battle, From them
every ruler, all of them together.
Zec 10:5 NASB - "They will be as mighty men,
Treading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle; And they will
fight, for the LORD will be with them; And the riders on horses will be put to
shame.
Prophetic – To
replace the bad shepherds, God is going to raise up a perfect shepherd for and
from Judah. Jesus is that shepherd.
He is: The cornerstone (Isa 28:16; Ps 118:22-23; Mat 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1
Pet 2:4-5), the tent peg (Isa 22:23-24), the battle bow (Isa 63:1-4; Rev
19:11-16), and the leader over every ruler (Rev 19:16). “David” will once again
have His “mighty men of valor” (1 Kg 1:8; 1 Ch 7:2).
Spiritual – In the
spiritual realm the Lord has made believers to be His “mighty men” of spiritual
battle. In Him we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:37). In Him we are given
authority and power over the devil and we are to destroy the strongholds and
works of the devil (Luke 9:1, 10:19; 1 John 3:8).
Zec 10:6 NASB - "I
will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, And I
will bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And they will be
as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God and I will
answer them.
Zec 10:7 NASB - "Ephraim will be like a mighty
man, And their heart will be glad as if from wine; Indeed, their children will
see it and be glad, Their heart will rejoice in the LORD.
Prophetic – The
promises from verses 4 and 5 are repeated here. Not only will the whole house
of Israel (Judah and Ephraim) be strengthened, but also there will be joy and
gladness and they will rejoice in the Lord.
Spiritual – The Lord
strengthens the Church (Eph 3:16; Col 1:11; 2 Tim 4:17). Our hearts rejoice,
and we find joy and gladness as we draw close to the Lord (Eph 6:10). The
availability of God’s strength means there will be opportunities for us to use
it. “The Lord does not say, ‘I will take you away from your labors,’ but ‘I
will strengthen you, so that you will be able to perform, them.’ ” (Spurgeon)
Zec 10:8 NASB - "I will whistle for them to gather
them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as numerous as they
were before.
Zec 10:9 KJV - And I will sow them among the people:
and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their
children, and turn again.
Zec 10:10 NASB - "I will bring them back from the
land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria; And I will bring them into the land
of Gilead and Lebanon Until no room can be found for them.
Zec 10:11 NASB - "And they will pass through the
sea of distress And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths
of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the
scepter of Egypt will depart.
Zec 10:12 NASB - "And I will strengthen them in
the LORD, And in His name they will walk," declares the LORD.
Historical – These
prophecies were partially fulfilled when God brought His people out of Egypt.
They indeed did pass through seas of distress, and they did pass through the
waters as they left Egypt. But these were not to be permanent re-gatherings.
Israel has and is experiencing more great “distresses”. The final re-gathering
has yet to occur.
Prophetic – The promise
to gather all Israel is found in many prophecies (Deuteronomy
30:1-6, Isa 5:26, Jeremiah
23:1-8,Jeremiah
32:37-41, Ezekiel
11:16-20, Ezekiel
36:16-28).
“In the 20th Century many Jewish people
were gathered back to the land of Israel, and in 1948 Israel became a nation
again - after more than 2,000 years of not being a nation. Does the 20th Century gathering of Israel
fulfill this prophecy? It fulfills it in part, but only in part - because
Israel will be gathered again in belief, not in rejection of the Lord
and His Savior. The gathering began in unbelief, but will end up in
belief and trust in Jesus.” (Guzik)
The
final gathering of all Israel will be a new exodus from “Egypt”, Satan’s
kingdom. This time there will be real, lasting freedom and liberty.
Spiritual
– There is a great gathering promised to all true believers in Jesus. First the
dead in Christ will rise, and then we who are alive will be caught up to meet
the Lord in the air (1 Thes 4:13-18). We will be rescued from the land of
“Egypt”, Mystery Babylon. There will be times of distress along the way, but we
will pass through in the strength and help of the Lord. There will be wars,
persecution, and martyrs, but the Lord promises to keep us through all of
these. He is our rock, our hiding place, and our strong tower (Ps 17:8, 27:5,
31:20, 57:1, 91:9).
Chapter 11
Zec 11:1 NASB - Open your doors, O Lebanon, That a fire
may feed on your cedars.
Zec 11:2 NASB - Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has
fallen, Because the glorious trees have been destroyed; Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
For the impenetrable forest has come down.
Zec 11:3 NASB - There is a sound of the shepherds'
wail, For their glory is ruined; There is a sound of the young lions' roar, For
the pride of the Jordan is ruined.
Historical – In
context this prophecy had several partial fulfillments, but it primarily deals
with Israel when Jesus first appeared on earth.
Prophetic - The doors are the mountain
passes between Lebanon and Israel. The destruction in Lebanon occurred as
invading armies from the north passed through. The trees represent the strength
of Lebanon. The prophecy deals with the Roman armies that invaded the Middle
East and Israel during Jesus’ day.
“These
verses might have described the Babylonian invasion if they had been written
earlier; but that was past history by Zechariah’s time. There is nothing in the
history of the people that a comprehensive destruction of the land can refer to
prior to the terrible destruction ordered by Vespasian and his successor
Titus.”
(Boice)
Spiritual – As we shall
see, this destruction came about because Israel rejected the true Shepherd,
Jesus (Lk 19:41-44). The people who reject the true Shepherd today will surely
experience the same judgment of destruction, as did Israel. And there will be
great mourning in the earth.
Zec 11:4 NASB - Thus says the LORD my God,
"Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.
Zec 11:5 NASB - "Those who buy them slay them and
go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, 'Blessed be the LORD, for
I have become rich!' And their own shepherds have no pity on them.
Historical - Here God instructs
Zechariah to act out this prophecy. Zechariah, as a Shepard, is to take care of
a flock of sheep representing Israel because their own shepherds to not take
care of them.
Zec 11:6 NASB - "For I will no longer have pity on
the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD; "but behold, I will
cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his
king; and they will strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their
power."
Historical - Because the people
of the land rejected God once again, God appoints them to a season of judgment
at the hands of the leaders and bad shepherds of the land.
Zec 11:7 NASB - So I pastured the flock doomed to
slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs:
the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock.
“Favor symbolizes the favored status of
Israel as the chosen people of God. Union symbolizes the internal harmony of the
people that was lost at the time of the siege of Jerusalem.” (Boice)
Zec 11:8 NASB - Then I annihilated the three shepherds
in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was
weary of me.
“The
best explanation is probably the oldest, which sees the three shepherds not as
three individuals but as three classes of individuals, namely: the prophets,
priests, and kings of Israel.” (Boice) “The offices of prophet, priest, and
king were taken away from Israel after the Roman conquest of Judea and have
never been restored - because they are now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.” (Guzik)
Zec 11:9 NASB - Then I said, "I will not pasture
you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be
annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh."
Historical - The judgment came
because God simply took away His hand of protection. He just let happen what was
already happening and would not intervene on their behalf. During the siege of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D. there was actual cannibalism.
Zec 11:10 NASB - I took my staff Favor and cut it in
pieces, to break my covenant, which I had made with all the peoples.
Zec 11:11 NASB - So it was broken on that day, and thus
the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word
of the LORD.
Historical - The breaking of
the staff called Favor symbolized God withdrawing His hand of favor from
Israel. The covenant that was broken was the Mosaic Covenant, the one
conditional covenant made with Israel. The condition for the blessings and
favor of God was that Israel would be obedient and faithful. Their disobedience
actually broke the covenant. Those watching as Zechariah broke the staff of
Favor did realize that this judgment was from God as a result of their
disobedience.
Zec 11:12 NASB - 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.
Historical - Zechariah in the
role of the shepherd asks for his wages. The price paid was the price for a
slave in his day (Exodus 21:32). The message was that the people thought of the
shepherd as a slave.
Zec 11:13 NASB - 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.
Prophetic - This is
prophetically speaking about Jesus (Mat 26:15, 27:3-10). It was the price paid
to Judas for betraying Jesus.
Zec 11:14 NASB - Then I cut in pieces my second staff
Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
Historical - The breaking of
the second staff represented the breaking of the unity between Judah and Israel
as the Jews were scattered by the Romans after rejecting Jesus as their
Messiah.
Zec 11:15 NASB - The LORD said to me, "Take again
for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
Zec 11:16 NASB - "For behold, I am going to raise
up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the
scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the
flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.
Prophetic - Israel rejected
the Good Shepherd and accepted other false shepherds (Jn 5:43, 10:1-18). This
will ultimately be fulfilled when Israel embraces the Antichrist and his
covenant with them (Dan 9:27).
Zec 11:17 NASB - "Woe to the worthless shepherd
Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm
will be totally withered And his right eye will be blind."
Prophetic - Although God
allows the worthless shepherd (Antichrist) to arise, He does bring judgment
upon him. A sword on his arm suggests destroying his strength. The blinding of
his right eye suggests destroying his intelligence. It is also possible that
these judgments could be literal. In Rev 13:3, 12-14 we note that the
Antichrist suffers a “wound unto death” yet survives.
Spiritual – As we look
at these scriptures with respect to the events in Israel today, an important
principle to keep in mind is that the physical events and conditions in the
land of Israel reflect the spiritual events occurring in the world. In the
spiritual realm we know that the spirit of the antichrist is already in the
world. It is the spirit of a false and worthless shepherd. As we watch the
world around us we see this spirit at work both in the secular world and in the
church. This spirit denies that Jesus is the Christ, denies that Jesus is God
come in the flesh, does not confess that Jesus is Lord, and denies the Father
and the Son (denies the trinity - 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3; 2 John 1:7). Deceit
and lies are evidences of the spirit of antichrist working. We need to be aware
when we see this spirit working and come against it in the opposite spirit.
The bad shepherd does not seek and care for
the poor, hungry, lost and cutoff. He does not care for the young. He does not
heal the broken, wounded and sick. He does not feed the sheep properly
sometimes giving them bad spiritual food and dirty water. He abuses the sheep
and he does not guard the sheep from spiritual danger and predators. From such
as these, flee.
Chapter 12
Zec 12:1 NASB - The burden of the word of the LORD
concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays
the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,
The following
verses are deep concerns (burdens) of God concerning Israel. They are the
concerns and prophecies of an all powerful, all knowing God who created the
heavens, the earth, and knows the spirit, heart, and intentions of man.
Zec 12:2 NASB - "Behold, I am going to make
Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the
siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.
Zec 12:3 NASB - "It will come about in that day
that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it
will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered
against it.
Historical – From
the earliest days of Israel and Jerusalem, the Land, the city, and the Hebrews
have been a source of consternation and trouble for the nations that surround
her. Though many empires, kingdoms, and nations have attacked, overrun, and
occupied Israel and Jerusalem, in the end they all faded into the mist of
history and today, against all odds, she stands once again. And once again she
is a thorn in the side of, and a great problem for the nations of the earth.
Prophetic – Today once
again we see Israel surrounded by enemies that are determined to destroy her.
We see Jerusalem being a city of great contention and turmoil. We see the
“siege” being prepared against here as terrorists, and the Islamic nations that
surround her, prepare to attack. We also note that eventually all nations will
to some degree turn on her, a condition that is rapidly forming today. The
prognosis for these nations is not good. They will pay dearly for their actions
against Israel, the Jews, and Jerusalem.
Note
that it is God who is going to make Jerusalem a great problem for the peoples around
Israel. God tells us that there will be an attack or siege against Jerusalem
and the Jews. When this day comes Israel will have no friends. But there will
be a great penalty to pay for those nations that come against Jerusalem and
Israel in this day.
“The very fact that
Jerusalem is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible makes it worthy of
special attention. This unique city is the only one upon which God has bestowed
His distinctive blessing and protection (Ps 132:13-14), and the only city for
whose peace we are commanded to pray (Ps 122:6). God says He has chosen
Jerusalem as the place where He has put His name forever (2
Chr 6:6; 33:7; Ps 46:4; 48:1-8; 87:3). The new heavens and new
earth will contain ‘the city of my God...New Jerusalem’ (Rev
3:12; 21:2).
That there will be a ‘heavenly Jerusalem’ (Heb 12:22) but no ‘heavenly’ New
York, Paris, London, Damascus, Cairo, etc. speaks volumes.” (Dave Hunt, The Berean Call - September 2000)
Spiritual – As the enemies of Israel prepare
to attack and destroy her in the natural, we understand that there are parallel
plans and battles occurring the spiritual realm. Generally the spiritual events
precede the natural events. Satan has been scheming and preparing for this day
for a very long time. As we observe the intense spiritual warfare occurring in
our day we should not be surprised or alarmed. A siege has been laid up against
God’s people. The attack is on but so is the counter attack. When the enemy
comes in like a flood, God will raise up a standard against him (Isa 59:16).
God is raising up spiritual warriors in His Church. These spiritual warriors
are men, women, and children who are called, and given authority and spiritual
weapons. They are being sent into the battles as well trained and equipped
warriors to defeat the enemy, destroy his strongholds, set captives free, and
rescue the lost and dying.
Zec 12:4 NASB - "In that day," declares the
LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with
madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse
of the peoples with blindness.
Zec 12:5 NASB - "Then the clans of Judah will say
in their hearts, ' A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem
through the LORD of hosts, their God.'
Zec 12:6 NASB - "In that day I will make the clans
of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves,
so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding
peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in
Jerusalem.
Zec 12:7 NASB - "The LORD also will save the tents
of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the
inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.
Zec 12:8 NASB - "In that day the LORD will defend
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day
will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of
the LORD before them.
Zec 12:9 NASB - "And in that day I will set about
to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Historical –
Through the many great battles of Israel, God has provided for her. He has
defeated her enemies with angels, natural disasters, and causing confusion in
the ranks of the enemy. Over and over again God has caused great victories for
Israel by His hand. This has been proven many times in recent years as Israel,
against great odds has defeated her modern day enemies.
Prophetic – Today we
see Israel’s enemies gathered all about her. Terrorists, Iran with its nuclear
capability, and Syria with its biological and chemical weapons, and we see the
other nations of the earth distancing themselves from her. But the promise is
that when they do attack, God will defeat them (Ezek. 38:18-23). We see the
hint that the battle will be won in the Jewish villages (tents of Judah) with
Jerusalem being kept somewhat “safe” during the battles. It will seem to the world
that the Jews have become like David and his mighty men of old with the Angel
of the Lord leading them. In verse 9 we are told that these battles initiate
the eventual destruction of all the nations that have come up against Israel.
Spiritual – If these
natural battles reflect the spiritual battles, then we can expect great
spiritual victories at the Lord’s hand. The enemy will be bewildered, blinded,
and confused, and He will make us “a consuming fire” to the destruction of the
enemy and his works. This will also signal the start of the final destruction
of Satan’s kingdom.
Is there perhaps a hint here that the Church
will be taken to dwell in their own place, New Jerusalem, as the Jews deal with
their enemies on earth?
Zec 12:10 NASB - "I will pour out on the house of
David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of
supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they
will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly
over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
Spiritual - “A
great mistake is very common among all classes of men - it is currently
believed that we are first of all to mourn for our sins, and then to look by
faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. Most persons who have any concern about their
souls, but are not as yet enlightened by the Spirit of God, think that there is
a degree of tenderness of conscience, and of hatred of sin, which they are to
obtain somehow or other, and then they will be permitted and authorized to look
to Jesus Christ. Now you will perceive that this is not according to the
Scripture, for, according to the text before us. Men first look upon him whom
they have pierced, and then, but not till then, they mourn for their sin.”
(Spurgeon)
Zec 12:11 NASB - "In that day there will be great
mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of
Megiddo.
Historical - This
refers to the mourning over King Josiah’s death (2 Kings 23:29 and2
Chronicles 35:20-25). He was such a godly king that
the whole nation wept bitterly at his death. (Guzik)
Zec 12:12 NASB - "The land will mourn, every
family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by
themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by
themselves;
Zec 12:13 NASB - the family of the house of Levi by
itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and
their wives by themselves;
Zec 12:14 NASB - all the families that remain, every
family by itself and their wives by themselves.
Prophetic – With
these words, God prophesies the day of His return as the King of kings. As He
stands of the Mount of Olives and saves all Israel from destruction during the
battle of Armageddon, the Jews will see Him for who He is, their true Messiah.
And they will know that this is the one they pierced and rejected over 2000
years ago. They will know that this is Jesus. By His Spirit of grace and
supplication, their eyes will be opened, the partial blindness removed and they
will weep bitterly. This will be both an individual and a corporate
repentance.
“We
know of a surety, because God has said it, that the Jews will be restored to
their own land, and that they shall inherit the goodly country which the Lord
has given unto their fathers by a covenant of salt for ever; but, better still,
they shall be converted to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall see in
him the house of David restored to the throne of Israel.” (Spurgeon)
Spiritual
– This will be a day of great rejoicing in Heaven. This is the day the kingdom
of Satan (“Mystery Babylon”) is destroyed. When the people of Judah and
Jerusalem look upon Jesus, they will also see the Saints of God and the armies
of Heaven with Him (1 Thes 3:13; Jude 1:14; Rev 19:14).
Chapter 13
Zec 13:1 NASB - "In that day a fountain will be
opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and
for impurity.
Prophetic – This
is the ultimate Day of Atonement. This is the day that “all Israel will be
saved” (Rom 11:26-27).
“The
fountain shall be not simply opened, but shall remain open.” (Pusey)
“The idea of God being a fountain to His
people is found frequently in the Old Testament, but Zechariah’s treatment is
possibly the richest of all.” (Boice)
The idea
of the sin-cleansing fountain has also been a part of famous hymns:
There
is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
(William Cowper)
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
(William Cowper)
Foul, I to the Fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.
(Augustus Toplady)
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.
(Augustus Toplady)
“According to the verse before us this
provision is inexhaustible. There is a fountain opened; not a cistern nor a reservoir, but a
fountain. A fountain continues still to bubble up, and is as full after fifty
years as at the first; and even so the provision and the mercy of God for the
forgiveness and the justification of our souls continually flows and
overflows.” (Spurgeon)
“The means by which sin and sinfulness can be
put away are at this moment accessible to the sons of men. The atonement is not
a fountain hid and concealed, and closed and barred and bolted, it is a
fountain open.” (Spurgeon)
Spiritual – There is only one way sin and impurity can be
completely washed away. That way is the blood of Jesus. It is God’s
righteousness imputed to men by believing in and making Jesus the Lord of one’s
life. “The Fountain” washes Israel’s sin away as they confess Jesus as Messiah
and Lord of all.
“Sin and
uncleanness must be put away. They cannot be excused, condoned, or compromised
with. The foundations of the throne of God are righteousness and justice.”
(Morgan)
Zec 13:2 NASB - "It will come about in that day,"
declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols
from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the
prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
Prophetic – At His
second coming God not only cleanses Israel, He does away with idolatry, false
prophets and all unclean spirits, the primary sources of the sin and impurity.
Spiritual – Though
believers are cleansed of sin, we still must deal with the devil and his
schemes and weapons. Idolatry, lust, and temptation confront us daily (James
4:7; Eph 6:12-13). But, there is coming a day when Jesus takes His Church out
of Mystery Babylon with all of its sin and impurity. We are waiting for that
day when with the blast of the trumpet and a shout, the Lord will call us to
come up and meet Him in the air, removing us from this fallen world (1 Thes
4:16-18).
Zec 13:3 NASB - "And if anyone still prophesies,
then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, 'You shall
not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD'; and his father
and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies.
Zec 13:4 NASB - "Also it will come about in that
day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies,
and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive;
Zec 13:5 NASB - but he will say, 'I am not a prophet; I
am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth.'
Zec 13:6 NASB - "And one will say to him, 'What
are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, 'Those with which I was
wounded in the house of my friends.'
Prophetic – After
the coming of the Lord, false prophets will be universally condemned. Those prophets
will remove the clothes of a prophet and put on the clothes of honest workmen.
Because prophets routinely cut and marked their bodies (wounds between your
arms, i.e. on the body), when questioned about the scars, they will deny that
they are marks of a prophet, but only wounds as a result of fighting with
others.
“Some
apply this to Christ, because Zechariah has mentioned wounds on the hands; but
this is very puerile; for it is quite evident that he speaks here of false
teachers, who had for a time falsely pretended God’s name.” (Calvin)
Zec 13:7 NASB - "Awake, O sword, against My
Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts.
"Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My
hand against the little ones.
Historical – The
Shepherd here is Jesus, the “Associate” of God the Father. It was God’s plan
all along for Jesus to die in Jerusalem that day. The sheep were indeed
scattered and the children of Israel have suffered much since then. (Isa 50:10;
2 Cor 5:19; Mat 26:31)
“God
would not apply this epithet to any godly or ungodly man whom he might have
appointed shepherd over a nation. The idea of nearest one (or fellow) involves
not only similarity in vocation, but community of physical or spiritual
descent, according to which he whom God calls his neighbor cannot be a mere
man, but can only be one who participates in the divine nature, or is
essentially divine.” (Keil)
Zec 13:8 NASB - "It will come about in all the
land," Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off and
perish; But the third will be left in it.
Prophetic – Since
the time of Christ, the Jews and Israel have suffered great trouble. It is
possible that this verse refers to Jews of all time with but a third of this
number surviving in the last days. However, in context it is more likely that
this verse applies to the Jews living in the last days, the days of Daniel’s
last 7 years of trouble. This trouble intensifies during the course of the last
7 years before Jesus’ return, especially during the last 31/2 years (the time
of Jacob’s trouble). Only a third of the Jews in Israel at the time of the last
fiery trials will survive (Jer 30:7; Mat 24:21).
Zec 13:9 NASB - "And I will bring the third part
through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is
tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They
are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"
Prophetic – The
third part of Israel that survives the trials of Daniel’s last seven years will
be refined and tested as by fire. During this time, they will over come the
Beast (the Antichrist) by the word of their testimony (that Jesus is Lord), by
the blood of the Lamb (Jesus), and by not loving their lives unto death (martyrdom),
(Rev 12:11). Those that survive alive are the people that make up restored
Israel when Jesus establishes His Kingdom during His millennial rule over the
earth.
Chapter 14
Zechariah’s
prophecy now turns to deal with the events occurring at the Lord’s second
coming.
Zec 14:1 NASB - Behold, a day is coming for the LORD
when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you.
Prophetic – The
Hebrews have been plundered and persecuted throughout history. Israel and
Jerusalem have been fought over, occupied, and plundered, since becoming a
nation. But God has made unconditional promises to them and He is faithful. A
day is coming when all will be made right. This chapter deals with the events
of that day.
Spiritual – In this
world the Church is warned that we will have trouble (Jn 16:33). The devil
comes to steal and kill (Jn 10:10) and we are sometimes subject to his attacks.
But the Lord promises that these troubles are nothing compared to the blessings
and glory that are about to be revealed to us that believe (Rom 8:18; 1 Pet
4:13, 5:1; 1 Cor 2:9; 2 Cor 4:17).
Zec 14:2 NASB - For I will gather all the nations
against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses
plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the
people will not be cut off from the city.
Prophetic –
Towards the end of the 7 years of tribulation, God will gather an international
force to attack Jerusalem. We can expect Jerusalem to be partially captured and
the Jews driven out or taken captive but there will be some in Jerusalem (a
remnant) that are not cut off.
Spiritual – Though
there will be a falling away from the faith in the last days (2 Thes 2:3), God
always has a remnant of the faithful that He will personally come to catch away
before His wrath is poured out on an unbelieving and rebellious world (1 Thes
4:13-18).
Zec 14:3 NASB - Then the LORD will go forth and fight
against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.
Prophetic - Just when all
seems lost, the Lord himself will come to destroy the attacking forces. At
nightfall all hope will seem gone, but by morning the enemies will be defeated
(Isa 17:14; Rev 19).
Spiritual – The Lord is
our Bridegroom, our Defender, and our Advocate. He sits at the right hand of
God ever interceding for us (Rom 8:34). The Lord Jesus came the first time as a
gentile Shepherd. The next time the world sees Him; He will be the Commander of
the Armies of Heaven, a Mighty Warrior, dressed for battle (Rev 19:11-16).
Zec 14:4 NASB - In that day His feet will stand on the
Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of
Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so
that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward
the south.
Zec 14:5 NASB - You will flee by the valley of My
mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will
flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of
Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!
“5. ye shall flee to the
valley-rather "through the valley," as in 2Sa 2:29. The valley made
by the cleaving asunder of the Mount of Olives (Zec 14:4) is designed to be their
way of escape, not their place of refuge [Maurer]. Jerome is on the side of
English Version. If it be translated so, it will mean, Ye shall flee
"to" the valley, not to hide there, but as the passage through which
an escape may be effected. The same divinely sent earthquake which swallows up
the foe, opens out a way of escape to God's people. The earthquake in Uzziah's
days is mentioned (Am 1:1) as a recognized epoch in Jewish history. Compare
also Isa 6:1: perhaps the same year that Jehovah held His heavenly court and
gave commission to Isaiah for the Jews, an earthquake in the physical world, as
often happens (Mt 24:7), marked momentous movements in the unseen spiritual
world.
of the mountains-rather, "of My mountains," namely,
Zion and Moriah, peculiarly sacred to Jehovah [Moore]. Or, the mountains formed
by My cleaving Olivet into two [Maurer].
Azal-the name of a place near a gate east of the city. The Hebrew means
"adjoining" [Henderson]. Others give the meaning,
"departed," "ceased." The valley reaches up to the city
gates, so as to enable the fleeing citizens to betake themselves immediately to
it on leaving the city.
Lord my God. with thee-The mention of the "Lord my
God" leads the prophet to pass suddenly to a direct address to Jehovah. It
is as if "lifting up his head" (Lu 21:28), he suddenly sees in vision
the Lord coming, and joyfully exclaims, "All the saints with Thee!"
So Isa 25:9.
Saints-holy
angels escorting the returning King (Mt 24:30, 31; Jude 14); and redeemed men
(1Co 15:23; 1Th 3:13; 4:14). Compare the similar mention of the
"saints" and "angels" at His coming on Sinai (De 32:2, 3;
Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2). Phillips thinks Azal is Ascalon on the
Mediterranean. An earthquake beneath Messiah's tread will divide Syria, making
from Jerusalem to Azal a valley which will admit the ocean waters from the west
to the Dead Sea. The waters will rush down the valley of Arabah, the old bed of
the Jordan, clear away the sand-drift of four thousand years, and cause the
commerce of Petra and Tyre to center in the holy city. The Dead Sea rising
above its shores will overflow by the valley of Edom, completing the straits of
Azal into the Red Sea. Thus will be formed the great pool of Jerusalem (compare
Zec 14:8; Eze 47:1, &c.; Joe 3:18). Euphrates will be the north boundary,
and the Red Sea the south. Twenty-five miles north and twenty-five miles south
of Jerusalem will form one side of the fifty miles square of the Lord's Holy
Oblation (Eze 48:1-35). There are seven spaces of fifty miles each from Jerusalem
northward to the Euphrates, and five spaces of fifty miles each southward to
the Red Sea. Thus there are thirteen equal distances on the breadth of the
future promised land, one for the oblation and twelve for the tribes, according
to Eze 48:1-35. That the Euphrates north, Mediterranean west, the Nile and Red
Sea south, are to be the future boundaries of the holy land, which will include
Syria and Arabia, is favored by Gen 15:8; Ex 23:31; De 11:24; Josh 1:4; 1Ki
4:21; 2Ch 9:26; Isa 27:12; all which was partially realized in Solomon's reign,
shall be antitypically so hereafter. The theory, if true, will clear away many
difficulties in the way of the literal interpretation of this chapter and Eze
48:1-35.”
Simplified, when the Lord returns to save Israel and Jerusalem, His
feet first touch the Mount of Olives during a severe earthquake (Rev 16:16-21).
Jerusalem is split from east to west forming an avenue of escape for the
remnant. This may also be the event that allows water from the Mediterranean to
flow down to the Dead Sea, purifying it and filling it with fish from the
Mediterranean (Ezek 47:10). At this event, the Lord comes with His “holy ones”
(saints or set apart ones).
Spiritual – The “holy ones” that come with the Lord at His return are
the Church, the Bride of Jesus (in combat boots) (Rev 19:14).
Zec 14:6 NASB - In that day there will be no light; the
luminaries will dwindle.
Zec 14:7 NASB - For it will be a unique day which is
known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at
evening time there will be light.
Prophetic –
Zechariah now is shown what it will be like the day of the Lord’s return, and
afterwards during His millennial reign on earth. The day of His return will be
unique. The light of the sun and moon will be darkened (Mat 24:29; Mar 13:24).
It will be a day where at nightfall there will still be light, for the Lord
will be the light.
Zec 14:8 NASB - And in that day living waters will flow
out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward
the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.
Prophetic – During
the millennial reign of Christ on earth, Jerusalem will no longer be a dry city
but a constant river of water will flow out of Jerusalem toward both the east
and the west during both winter and summer (Ezek 47).
Zec 14:9 NASB - And the LORD will be king over all the
earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
Life will flow out
of Jerusalem as it is restored and made the capitol of God’s Kingdom. The
resurrected Jesus will take His rightful place as King over all the earth and
take His seat on His Throne in Jerusalem.
Zec 14:10 NASB - All the land will be changed into a
plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and
remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate as far as the place of the First Gate
to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine presses.
From Gill’s
exposition of the entire Bible: “And it shall be lifted up,
and inhabited in her place; that is, Jerusalem, which shall appear very high,
all the land round about being a plain; and, being rebuilt, shall be inhabited
on the same spot of ground it formerly was: or the church may be meant, which
in the latter day will be greatly exalted, and will be filled with, and
inhabited by, some of all the nations of the world, Isaiah 2:2”.
Because
of the earthquake, this may be literal. Jerusalem may be high above the rest of
the nation where the river of living water can flow down and out to the east
and the west. The restored Jerusalem described in this verse is in terms of the
Jerusalem of Zechariah’s day.
Zec 14:11 NASB - People will live in it, and there will
no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.
For the first time
in a very long time, the people of Israel and Jerusalem will truly dwell in
peace and safety. This is an insured and enforced peace because the Lord will
rule with a “rod of iron” (Rev 2:27, 12:5, 19:15).
Zec 14:12 NASB - Now this will be the plague with which
the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem;
their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in
their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.
Zec 14:13 NASB - It will come about in that day that a
great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another's
hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another.
Zec 14:14 NASB - Judah also will fight at Jerusalem;
and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver
and garments in great abundance.
Zec 14:15 NASB - So also like this plague will be the
plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that
will be in those camps.
Prophetic – The
destruction that comes upon the nations that fight in the last battles, the
battles of Armageddon include destruction of the flesh as the warriors stand
upon their feet. This gives a picture of the results of tactical nuclear
weapons. There will be great confusion and panic causing warriors to attack
each other. The Lord’s weapons will
also include natural disasters including terrible storms. We also see the Jews fighting
in these battles with great, miraculous success. In the end Jerusalem becomes a
very wealthy city with the wealth coming from the surrounding nations.
Zec 14:16 NASB - Then it will come about that any who
are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to
year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of
Booths.
Zec 14:17 NASB - And it will be that whichever of the
families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD
of hosts, there will be no rain on them.
Zec 14:18 NASB - If the family of Egypt does not go up
or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the
LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
Zec 14:19 NASB - This will be the punishment of Egypt,
and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast
of Booths.
Prophetic – During
the millennial Kingdom the peoples of the nations that survive the last battles
will come to Jerusalem not for war, but to honor and worship God and celebrate
His faithfulness to Israel as a covenant keeping God. The Feast of Booths or
Tabernacles celebrates God living with His people and providing for them. Now
the whole world comes to celebrate God living with them as King and as provider
for the entire earth. This is a mandatory requirement. Rain necessary for crops
will be withheld from the people of the nations that do not come up to honor
and worship God during the Feast of Booths. God will bless and provide for the
peoples of the earth with good crops, health, long life, safety, peace and
great blessings of all kinds (Isa 65:18-25). But even as now days, if He is not
honored, respected, and obeyed, He withdraws His hand and leaves people to
their own resources. Thus the rains do not come, the crops fail or are poor,
and the people suffer. There will always be always consequences to our
behavior.
Spiritual – I wonder
how the Lord feels today about those that do not celebrate or at least know and
honor the Feast of Israel?
Zec 14:20 NASB - In that day there will be inscribed on
the bells of the horses, "HOLY TO THE LORD." And the cooking pots in
the LORD'S house will be like the bowls before the altar.
“Holy
to the Lord” was the great inscription on the metal band around the high
priest’s headpiece (Exodus
28:36).
Zec 14:21 NASB - Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in
Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and
take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the
house of the LORD of hosts in that day.
Prophetic - The
message in these verses is that during the reign of Christ on earth everything
in the Lord’s house, in Jerusalem, and even in Judah will be holy (set apart
for the Lord). There will be nothing profane there (Rev 21:27). We also see
that there will be a sacrificial system in place during the millennial kingdom
(Ezek 44). It would seem that this system will not function as atonement
for sin - which was perfectly
satisfied by the atoning work of Jesus. Sacrifice in the millennium will look
back to celebrate and remember the perfect work of Jesus (like communion
today).
However,
because Jesus is present on earth as the King and rules with a rod of iron, it
will not be possible to accept Him on the bases of faith only and obedience to
His laws will be mandatory and enforced. We also know that at the end of the
1000 years that people are judged by their works (Rev 20:12-13). We also know
that there will be those that do rebel and sin and will suffer the consequences
thereof (Rev 20:7-15). The question is, during the 1000 years how does one that
sins or rebels get their name written in the book of life (Rev 20:15)? Is
forgiveness simply given by the Great Forgiver King Jesus when transgressions
are confessed and forgiveness asked for? Is it even possible to get one’s name
written in the book of life in this dispensation? Or is it possible that the sacrificial system
in place during the millennial kingdom is somehow involved in the forgiveness
of sins committed during this time?
These questions are
only important for those humans that survive the 7 years of tribulation alive
and those that live during the millennium. The blood of Jesus seals the fate
and destiny of those that have by faith made Jesus their savior and the Lord of
their lives. We that are saved by the blood of the Lamb will sit with (or
beside) Him in (or on) His throne. We will have power over the nations; we will
reign on earth with Him for 1000 years, and then after the 1000 years we will
reign with Him forever (Rev 2:26, 3:21, 5:10, 20:6 and 22:5).
We
are: “A new, unique, exclusive order of
beings. The aristocracy of the
universe, a new royalty of kings and priests (1 Pet 2:9). The Bride of the Son, the Lamb’s Wife,
co-ruler, co-sovereign, co-administrator, a judicially equal partner to the
throne by virtue of redemption and wedlock to The King of Kings; Jesus.”
(Billheimer)
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