A Examine of Zechariah 14:1-9
Introduction: What on this planet will occur to the world the second when Jesus Christ returns? I’ll present you right now from the ultimate chapter of the prophet Zechariah. In case you have a Bible close by, flip to Zechariah, chapter 14. As we speak we’re going to speak concerning the future.
Background
Now, let’s overview Zechariah chapters 12 and 13. In Zechariah 12, the prophet described the scene close to the tip of the Nice Tribulation when the armies of the world will occupy Israel and encircle Jerusalem. Simply when it appears all is misplaced, the Jewish individuals will sense the Lord coming to assist them, and they’ll see Jesus Christ on His method. And they’re going to mourn for Him whom they’ve pierced. And in chapter 13, the descending Lord will open up a fountain for the forgiveness of sins. And there will likely be a revival, a nationwide conversion, in Israel. With nice mourning and weeping, the Jewish state and the Jewish individuals will lastly embrace their Messiah. Now let’s proceed into the primary half of chapter 14:
Scripture – Zechariah 14:1-9
A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will likely be plundered and divided up inside your very partitions. 2 I’ll collect all of the nations to Jerusalem to combat towards it; the town will likely be captured, the homes ransacked, and the ladies raped. Half of the town will go into exile, however the remainder of the individuals is not going to be taken from the town.
3 Then the Lord will exit and combat towards these nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his toes will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will likely be break up in two from east to west, forming an amazing valley, with half of the mountain shifting north and half shifting south. 5 You’ll flee by my mountain valley, for it would prolong to Azel. You’ll flee as you fled from the earthquake within the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all of the holy ones with him.
6 On that day there will likely be neither daylight nor chilly, frosty darkness. 7 It is going to be a singular day—a day identified solely to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night time. When night comes, there will likely be mild. 8 On that day residing water will move out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Useless Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer time and in winter. 9 The Lord will likely be king over the entire earth. On that day there will likely be one Lord, and his identify the one identify.
1. The Siege of Jerusalem
The scene begins with the siege of Jerusalem. Within the New Worldwide Model, there’s a phrase lacking firstly of verse 1. When you learn the New King James Model, it says, “Behold….” Some translations say, “Look!” It’s a phrase of exclamation to convey the depth of what’s forward.
Behold, a day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will likely be plundered and divided up inside your very partitions.
Keep in mind, Jerusalem is surrounded by the armies of the Lord underneath the command of the antichrist. Judah and Israel are occupied by enemy troops, and Jerusalem is on the verge of falling. In truth, the armies of the antichrist will breach Jerusalem’s defenses and enter the town. There will likely be house-to-house combating within the streets of Jerusalem. It jogs my memory of the 1967 Battle when fight occurred within the very streets of the Outdated Metropolis. At this future second, half of the town will likely be captured, however the different half will nonetheless be combating.
That’s when the Lord Jesus will start His descent to earth, and the Jewish individuals will by some means see Him whom they pierced. They may mourn over Him, and He’ll pour on them a spirit of supplication and salvation, even because the enemy is attacking. Verse 2 says: I’ll collect all of the nations to Jerusalem to combat towards it; the town will likely be captured, the homes ransacked, and the ladies raped. Half of the town will go into exile, however the remainder of the individuals is not going to be taken from the town.
2. The Return of Jesus
3 Then the Lord will exit and combat towards these nations, as he fights on a day of battle.
The apostle John describes this within the E book of Revelation, chapter 19:
11 I noticed heaven standing open and there earlier than me was a white horse, whose rider known as Devoted and True. With justice he judges and wages struggle. 12 His eyes are like blazing fireplace, and on his head are many crowns. He has a reputation written on him that nobody is aware of however he himself. 13 He’s wearing a gown dipped in blood, and his identify is the Phrase of God. 14 The armies of heaven had been following him, using on white horses and wearing high-quality linen, white and clear. 15 Popping out of his mouth is a pointy sword with which to strike down the nations. “He’ll rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his gown and on his thigh he has this identify written: King of kings and lord of lords.
17 And I noticed an angel standing within the solar, who cried in a loud voice to all of the birds flying in midair, “Come, collect collectively for the good supper of God, 18 so that you could be eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all individuals, free and slave, nice and small.”
19 Then I noticed the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered collectively to wage struggle towards the rider on the horse and his military. 20 However the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had carried out the indicators on its behalf. With these indicators he had deluded those that had acquired the mark of the beast and worshiped its picture. The 2 of them had been thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The remainder had been killed with the sword popping out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all of the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
In that passage close to the tip of Revelation, we’ve got John’s account of the very occasion that Zechariah is describing right here—the Second Coming of Christ. We’re even instructed the place the Lord goes to land when He descends to earth.
3. The Mount of Olives
Verse 4 says: On that day his toes will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem….
He’ll descend again to the very place from which He ascended following His resurrection. Acts, chapter 1, inform us: “9 He was taken up earlier than their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They had been trying intently up into the sky as he was going, when all of a sudden two males wearing white stood beside them. 11 “Males of Galilee,” they mentioned, “why do you stand right here trying into the sky? This identical Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come again in the identical method you might have seen him go into heaven.” 12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill known as the Mount of Olives….”
Luke 24 provides a bit extra element. The Lord’s ascension was someplace on the Mount of Olives within the neighborhood of the neighborhood of Bethany. That will be on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus beloved this little village, which is about 2 miles from the Outdated Metropolis and the temple. Jesus stayed right here when He got here to Jerusalem (Mark 11:11; Luke 21:37). It was the house of Lazarus, of Mary and Martha, and of Simon the Leper. So Christ ascended again to Heaven from the southeastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, and the angels mentioned to the disciples: “This identical Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come again in the identical method you might have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
4. The Earthquake
In Zechariah 14:4, we’re instructed He’ll return and His toes will relaxation on the Mount of Olives. As quickly as His toes contact the bottom, there will likely be an infinite earthquake that splits the Mount of Olives in two and kinds a deep valley permitting the besieged residents of Jerusalem to flee. Verse 4 says: …and the Mount of Olives will likely be break up in two from east to west, forming an amazing valley, with half of the mountain shifting north and half shifting south.
What does this remind you of? Our minds go to Exodus 14, when the Lord saved Israel from Pharaoh, a precursor to the antichrist, by forming a valley by way of the Crimson Sea. When He returns, He’ll save them from the actual antichrist by forming a valley by way of the Mount of Olives.
Different passages converse of an amazing earthquake that can accompany the return of Christ. For instance, hearken to this passage from Ezekiel 38, starting with verse 18:
That is what is going to occur in that day: When Gog [the empire of the antichrist] assaults the land of Israel, my sizzling anger will likely be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at the moment there shall be an amazing earthquake within the land of Israel. The fish within the sea, the birds within the sky, the beasts of the sphere, each creature that strikes alongside the bottom, and all of the individuals on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will likely be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and each wall will fall to the bottom. I’ll summon a sword towards Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Each man’s sword will likely be towards his brother. I’ll execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I’ll pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the various nations with him. And so I’ll present my greatness and my holiness, and I’ll make myself identified within the sight of many countries. Then they are going to know that I’m the Lord.’
Verse 5 says once more this will likely be an escape route for the besieged residents: You’ll flee by my mountain valley, for it would prolong to Azel.
Students have been unable to determine this spot, but it surely apparently is someplace within the japanese areas of Israel. The verse continues: You’ll flee as you fled from the earthquake within the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
There was an enormous earthquake when Uzziah was king. The prophet Amos dates his ministry that method, saying, “The phrases of Amos…regarding Israel within the days of Uzziah king of Judah…two years earlier than the earthquake” (Amos 1:1). Properly, that earthquake was a minor rumble in comparison with this one.
5. The Angelic Armies
Subsequent, we’re instructed that Jesus isn’t coming to earth alone. Verse 5 continues: Then the Lord my God will come, and all of the holy ones with him.
All of the Lord’s holy ones will likely be with Him. This might confer with the people who find themselves with the Lord now in Heaven. However I are likely to assume it’s a reference to the Heavenly Hosts. Second Thessalonians 1:7 and eight say: “…the Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fireplace taking vengeance on those that have no idea God.”
Jesus mentioned, “For the Son of Man goes to return in his Father’s glory along with his angels” (Matthew 16:27)
A bit later, He mentioned, “When the Son of Man is available in his glory, and all of the angels with him, he’ll sit on his superb throne” (Matthew 25:31).
So to overview, the armies of the world will besiege Jerusalem, however because the Lord Jesus Christ leaves Heaven to return to earth, the individuals of Israel will see Him, acknowledge Him, and embrace Him. He’ll pour His forgiveness out on them. His toes will land on the Mount of Olives, inflicting a tectonic shift within the geography, an earthquake that can break up the Mount of Olives and supply a valley as a route of escape for the besieged residents of Jerusalem. The Lord and His angels will execute vengeance on the enemy. And all the system of nature will convulse. Take a look at verses 6 and seven: On that day there will likely be neither daylight nor chilly, frosty darkness. 7 It is going to be a singular day—a day identified solely to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night time. When night comes, there will likely be mild.
The rationale for this, I believe, would be the supernatural mild radiating from Jesus, much like what the disciples noticed on the Mount of Transfiguration and to what Saul of Tarsus noticed on the Damascus Street. Your entire local weather and ambiance of earth will likely be affected.
6. The Unleashed River
One other topographical change is described within the subsequent verse. The earthquake that splits the Mount of Olives will reduce so deeply into the earth that underground rivers will gush upward and begin flowing down towards the South, towards the Negev. Verse 8 says:
8 On that day residing [or running, flowing] water will move out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Useless Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer time and in winter.
The prophet Ezekiel devotes the primary a part of his forty-seventh chapter to this river. I merely don’t have time to learn it, but it surely’s an excellent description of the river that can move southward into the Negev Desert, turning the wilderness right into a paradise and the Useless Sea right into a refreshing, residing lake.
9 The Lord will likely be king over the entire earth. On that day there will likely be one Lord, and his identify the one identify.
That is the start of the reign of Christ on earth, the interval we name the Millennium, primarily based on the knowledge in Revelation 20 that this era will final 1000 years. Jesus will reign as King. That is the success of so many guarantees. For instance, Isaiah 9:7 says concerning the youngster that has been born to us and the son that has been given, whose identify is Great Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace: “Of the greatness of his authorities and peace there shall be no finish. He’ll. reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness.”
The e-book of Revelation provides us an enchanting element. When Jesus comes again to the Mount of Olives and the earth is rattled, all of the Tribulation martyrs—those that had been true to Christ throughout the horror of the Tribulation—will likely be resurrected and can reign with Christ. Revelation 20:4 says: “And I noticed the souls of those that had been beheaded due to their testimony about Jesus and due to the phrase of God. They’d not worshiped the beast or its picture and had not acquired its mark on their foreheads or their fingers. They got here to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
That is an intriguing time frame throughout which God will fulfill all the guarantees He made in His covenants to Israel within the Outdated Testomony. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost wrote, “A bigger physique of prophetic Scripture is dedicated to the topic of the millennium, growing its character and situations, than another one topic.”
Subsequent week we’ll conclude our examine of Zechariah. That may make twenty entries on this little e-book, however I believe Zechariah deserves it. The final a part of Zechariah 14, which we’ll take a look at, talks about what is going to occur to the enemy when Jesus returns, and what is going to occur to the survivors. We’ll cross reference what Zechariah tells us with Ezekiel once more, and with numerous different Scriptures.
Conclusion
I memorized Psalm 46 a number of years in the past and nonetheless recite it to myself on daily basis or so. I’ve studied and preached from it. And I’m sorry to inform you that till I ready this message, I had missed the millennial implications of Psalm 46. However I noticed it cross-referenced in one of many commentaries; and as I went again and re-read it, practically every little thing I’ve mentioned right now is present in Psalm 46—the earthquake, the mountains shaking, the river, the town of God, the nations which are raging, the Lord who’s coming to deliver struggle to a conclusion, His being exalted amongst all nations and being close to and pricey to Israel.
I’m not going to take time to level this stuff out as I quote it. However see when you can image this as an outline of the Return of Christ and His coming Kingdom:
God is our refuge and energy, a really current assist in hassle.
Due to this fact we is not going to concern, although the earth be eliminated,
And the mountains be carried into the midst of the ocean.
Although its waters roar and are troubled,
although the mountains shake with its swelling.
There’s a river, the streams whereof make glad the town of God,
The dwelling place of the Most Excessive.
God is within the midst of her; she shall not be moved.
God will assist her on the first light.
The nations raged, the kingdoms shuddered,
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us, The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord, the desolations He has wrought on the earth.
He makes wars to stop to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.
He burns the chariot with fireplace.
Be nonetheless and know that I’m God.
I will likely be exalted among the many nations, I will likely be exalted within the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
