Israel s Awakening. Some of the clearest, most abundant Messianic prophecies on the Lord s First and Second Advents are revealed in Zechariah 9 14.

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1 Israel s Awakening A Study of Zechariah THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING ISRAEL S FOLLY Lesson 8, Chapter 9 THE PRINCE OF PEACE Zechariah 9:1-17 Zech 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. The six remaining chapters of Zechariah concern prophecies regarding God s end-times scenario for Israel. The historical reach of these chapters is from Alexander the Great to the Millennial Kingdom. 1 These six remaining chapters are made up of two messages called burdens. These messages were probably delivered late in the prophet s life and after the Temple had been completed. 2 The first of these burdens prophesies concerning Alexander the Great s conquests and the appearing of Israel s Messianic Shepherd (Zech 9:1-12:1). The second burden describes Messiah s Second Coming and His Kingdom rule as they relate to Israel s restoration and redemption. 3 David Levy writes: Some of the clearest, most abundant Messianic prophecies on the Lord s First and Second Advents are revealed in Zechariah ZECH 9:1 The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord. 2 And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. 3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. 4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. 8 And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. 12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; 1 David M. Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministries, 2011, p. 79. David Hocking, VISIONS OF THE FUTURE: Studies in Zechariah, Tustin, CA: HFT Publications, 2000, pp Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 79. Hocking, VISIONS OF THE FUTURE: Studies in Zechariah, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p

2 13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. 14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. 15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. 16 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. The first message includes judgments against cities north of Israel. Regarding Zechariah 9:1-8, Most conservative scholars teach the passage took place during the time of Alexander the Great. 4 Prophecies Against Northern Cities ZECH 9:1 The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord. 2 And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. The message was a burden because it was Zechariah s responsibility to deliver a message of judgment from the Lord. 5 Hadrach was probably Hatarikka, a city-state north of Hamath in the vicinity of Damascus (ADDENDUM, FIGURE 1). 6 The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia identifies Hadrach in the following statement: A place, probably a city-state, in northern Syria. The land of Hadrach is mentioned in Zech 9:1, along with Damascus, in connection with a prophecy concerning the cities of Aram. It is almost certainly to be identified with Hatarikka in Assyrian texts. Tiglath-pileser III named the city of Hatarikka in his annals as one of the "nineteen districts of Hamath" that had gone over to support Azariah of Judah. 7 It was Tiglath-pileser III who conquered Hatarikka in 738 BC. 8 Damascus was the capital of Syria (Aram). Damascus was, and still is, a strong enemy of Israel. Damascus shall be the rest thereof God will bring His wrath, rest or settle, upon Damascus first (v. 1). 9 The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia describes Damascus as follows: A city of Syria (Aram). The capital of modern Syria, Damascus has survived continuously from at least 2000 B.C. 10 The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia describes Damascus defeat by the Assyrian forces of Tiglath-pileser III as follows: Rezin (ca. 750?-732 [BC]), the last king of Damascus, was able to restore Aram's fortunes before the final crushing blow from Assyria fell in 732 [BC]. His name occurs as Rasunnu in the Assyrian records of Tiglath-pileser III ( ). He allied himself with Pekah of Israel against Ahaz of Judah in the Syro- Ephraimite war (ca. 735). Ahaz bribed Tiglath-pileser with heavy tribute to attack Aram and Israel (2 Kings 16:5; Isa 7:1-3). The Assyrian invaded northern Israel (2 Kings 15:29) and then besieged and destroyed Damascus as an Aramean kingdom in 732, killing Rezin (2 Kings 16:9). Assyrian records tell of 591 towns of the 16 districts of Aram destroyed like mounds left by a flood 11 4 Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 80. Hocking, VISIONS OF THE FUTURE: Studies in Zechariah, p Charles Lee Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1990, p INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Electronic Database, 1996, Biblesoft, Hadrach. 8 Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Damascus. 11 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Damascus. 2

3 2 KINGS 16:7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. Damascus was destroyed by Tiglath-pileser III in 732 BC. However, Zechariah, in verse 1, is speaking of a judgment against Damascus that is still future to his time of writing, sometime after 520 BC. 12 North of Damascus was Hamath, a city of Aram (Syria) (ADDENDUM, FIGURE 1). It was situated on the Orontes River. 13 According to Charles Feinberg: In verses 1 to 8 of chapter 9, the campaign of Alexander the Great is sketched. His successes are recounted in verses 1-7, and verse 8 notes the deliverance of Jerusalem. After the battle of Issus [in Turkey in 332 BC], Alexander quickly conquered Damascus, Sidon, Tyre (after seven months it was burned), Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron. The course of his victories in 332 BC was from northern Syria south by the valley of the Orontes River to Damascus, then along the Phoenician and Philistine coast. 14 The battle of Issus had Alexander defeating Darius s overwhelming 600,000 man army by using cavalry. He then went on to take Damascus peaceably before heading south towards Egypt, by way of Sidon and Tyre. Alexander peaceably took Sidon and then laid siege to Tyre, which was harboring a large Persian fleet. 15 According to Charles Feinberg, after Alexander s defeat of Damascus, native rule was never again established. 16 Following Alexander s death, his generals divided the empire. In 312 BC, Seleucus founded the Seleucid Dynasty, which would include Syria in 301 BC, and the Syrian city Damascus. The city fluctuated between Seleucid and Ptolemaic (Egyptian) control until taken over by Nabateans in about 85 BC until eventually controlled by Rome. 17 Hamath today is the modern Hamma on the Orontes River about 120 miles north of Damascus. 18 All of the cities mentioned in verses 1 and 2 were in the path of Alexander s campaign (ADDENDUM, FIGURE 2). 19 The Future of Damascus Today Notice the following verse in Isaiah chapter 17: ISA 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The interesting thing concerning Isaiah 17:1 is that Damascus has been destroyed many times, but always rises from the dust to become a great city once more. While not all commentators agree on the interpretation, and many avoid the issue, In light of the current situation in Syria (Spring 2012), J. Vernon McGee presents an argument in his commentary concerning a future total destruction of Damascus as prophesied by Isaiah: Damascus has withstood the ravages of war throughout history and has never ceased being a city, although it has shifted locations. It probably is the oldest city in the world. It thus far has survived every catastrophe that has come upon the earth, particularly in a land that has seen army after army march 12 Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Bracketed words are added for information. 15 Will Durant, THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION, PART II, The Life of Greece, New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1939, 1966, Vol. 2, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p David Noel Freedman, et al, (Editors), THE ANCHOR BIBLE DICTIONARY, New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992, Damascus, Vol. 2, pp. 7, 8. Before Alexander s conquest, a thriving new civilization had emerged in southern Jordan. It appears that a nomadic tribe known as the Nabateans began migrating gradually from Arabia during the sixth century BCE. Over time, they abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in a number of places in southern Jordan, the Naqab desert in Palestine, and in northern Arabia. Their capital city was the legendary Petra, Jordan s most famous tourist attraction. Although Petra was inhabited by the Edomites before the arrival of the Nabateans, the latter carved grandiose buildings, temples and tombs out of solid sandstone rock Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, pp. 314,

4 through it. But it will not survive during the Great Tribulation Period. It will be destroyed; and as Isaiah says here, it will cease being a city. It will become a ruinous heap. 20 Prophecies Against Tyre ZECH 9:3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. 4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. Tyre was an ancient Phoenician city (ADDENDUM, FIGURE 1). It was a great commercial city. Tyre fortified herself strongly, and with her commerce accumulated silver and gold. The city consisted of two parts, one on the mainland, and another on a rocky island about a half mile off the coast. 21 The fortifications were such that the Assyrians besieged Tyre unsuccessfully for five years, and Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) besieged it for thirteen years. 22 Tyre was part of the inheritance of the tribe of Asher during the conquest of Canaan after the exodus from Egypt. In Joshua we find these words in the description of their borders of inheritance: JOSH 19:24 And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 29 And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre. Ezekiel prophesied against Tyre: EZE 26:1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: 3 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. 4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 5 It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. 6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Alexander the Great destroyed Tyre in 332 BC. According to John Walvoord: In 332 B.C. the armies of Alexander destroyed the city on the shore and scraped the debris into the sea to make a causeway to the island fortress. The bare ground where Tyre once stood is testimony today to the literal fulfillment of this prophecy. Tyre never regained power after this attack. 23 Tyre had rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC because it would mean the elimination of Israel as a trade rival and provide better access for her caravans. Taxes for passage through Judah were most likely imposed by the Jews. 24 Even though she rejoiced at Jerusalem s fall, she would experience the devastation of the Babylonian armies and later the invasion of Alexander the Great. The causeway to the island was made by Alexander from debris from the destruction of mainland Tyre to give access to the remnant remaining on it. After this devastation Tyre never regained power. 25 The following verses of Ezekiel describe the sieges of both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander against Tyre. EZE 26:7 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. 8 He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he 20 J. Vernon McGee, THRU THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON MCGEE, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1981, 1982, 1983, 1998, Kindle Version, Isaiah 17:1. Emphasis original. 21 Charles Lee Feinberg, THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL, The Glory of the Lord, Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1969, pp. 147, 148. Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p John F. Walvoord, THE PROPHECY KNOWLEDGE HANDBOOK, Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1990, p Feinberg, THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL, The Glory of the Lord, p Walvoord, THE PROPHECY KNOWLEDGE HANDBOOK, pp. 174,

5 shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. 9 And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. 10 By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. 11 With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground. 12 And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. 13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. 14 And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God. These verses describe in literal detail the sieges of both Nebuchadnezzar and of Alexander the Great. At the time when Ezekiel wrote, Tyre was in revolt against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar came against Tyre after conquering Jerusalem in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar s siege lasted 13 years, after which there seems to have been some kind of agreement made whereby Tyre became subject to Babylon. The great multitude of the Babylonian cavalry entering the breaches would cover the city with dust. Alexander would complete the task many years later by breaking down the walls and laying the stones and timbers in the water, and by literally scraping the dust from the rocks, to build a causeway to the island fortress. The smooth rocky ground would eventually become a place for spreading fishing nets. Tyre never regained its previous power, but it did achieve some prominence and became useful during Roman times. It finally was deserted in 1291AD during the conquest of Acre by the Sultan of Egypt and Damascus. 26 The fall of Tyre had vast economic impact in the Mediterranean area. EZE 26:15 Thus saith the Lord God to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? 16 Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. 17 And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! 18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure. The Importance of Tyre in the Mediterranean Because Tyre was an important political, commercial, and religious center, her fall would have great impact on her trading partners and the nations around her. It would be considered a world calamity, much like what might take place if New York City, with its Stock Exchange, were to suddenly disappear from the face of the earth. Phoenician colonies of Tyre were prominent throughout the Mediterranean. She was a commercial power with vast influence. She was a religious power that sent her priests to her many colonies. The colonies of Phoenicia were in Cyprus, Rhodes, Malta, Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain, and Africa, each looking to Tyre as their headquarters. 27 Additional Details of Tyre s Destruction EZE 26:19 For thus saith the Lord God; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; 21 I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord God. 26 Feinberg, THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL, The Glory of the Lord, pp SMITH'S BIBLE DICTIONARY, Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour and Company, 1987, Tyre, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Feinberg, THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL, The Glory of the Lord, p

6 Nelson s Illustrated Bible Dictionary adds details to the destruction of Tyre in relation to Ezekiel s prophecy. Ezekiel prophesied the destruction of Tyre (Ezek 26:3-21). The first stage of this prophecy came true when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged the mainland city of Tyre for 13 years (585 B.C B.C.) and apparently destroyed it. However, Nebuchadnezzar had no navy; so he could not flatten the island city. But losing the mainland city was devastating to Tyre. This destroyed Tyre's influence in the world and reduced her commercial activities severely. The second stage of Ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled in 332 B.C., when Alexander the Great besieged the island city of Tyre for seven months. He finally captured it when he built a causeway from the mainland to the island. Hauling cedars from the mountains of Lebanon, he drove them as piles into the floor of the sea between the mainland and the island. Then he used the debris and timber of the ruined mainland city as solid material for the causeway. Hence, the remarkable prophecy of Ezekiel was completely fulfilled. 28 God used Alexander to cast Tyre out. He smited her wealth in the sea and devoured her with fire. He captured the island fortress after a seven month siege, slew thousands, enslaved others, crucified still others, and finally set the city on fire, thus fulfilling Zechariah 9:4. At the time Smith wrote his Bible dictionary ( ) he described Tyre as: Its present condition is a fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy (Ezek 28:5-10). It contains, according to Volney, 50 or 60 poor families, who live in part by fishing; and is, as Bruce describes it, rock whereon fishers dry their nets. " 29 There is a city today on what used to be the island fortress, but mainland Tyre is a ruin. (ADDENDUM, FIGURE 3). The Tyre of Ezekiel s prophecy fell so completely that she is personified as descending into hell (the pit; sheol), never to rise again (Ezek 26:20). 30 Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod ZECH 9:5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. After Tyre, Alexander advanced south on his way to fight Egypt. He encountered a number of cities of the Philistines on his way and defeated them (v. 5). These cities were Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod. Gath was not included for it had been destroyed in the mid-8th century BC by King Uzziah of Judah as seen in the following verses CHRON 26:1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. 3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. 6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 28 NELSON'S ILLUSTRATED BIBLE DICTIONARY, Copyright 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Tyre. 29 SMITH'S BIBLE DICTIONARY, Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour and Company, 1987, Tyre. 30 Feinberg, THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL, The Glory of the Lord, pp. 150, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 80, 81. INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Gath. 6

7 Ashkelon feared the attack and her people were slaughtered. 32 Gaza fought till every man in the city was dead and every woman raped. 33 After the attack on Gaza, Alexander replaced the dead King with a Grecian governor. The king of Gaza, Betis, was tragically slain by having thongs thrust through the soles of his feet, bound to a chariot, and dragged through the streets. Ekron perished waiting for Tyre to come to her aid ( her expectation ), but Tyre was no more (v. 5). Ashdod became a city of mixed nationalities ( a bastard ) after its defeat (v. 6). With the defeat of these cities, the pride of the Philistines was cut off (v. 6). 34 I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite Concerning the interpretation of verse 7, David Levy writes: God would stop the practice of eating unclean animals (along with their blood) that had been sacrificed to idols. The people who survived ceased their idolatry and were absorbed into Israel. A similar absorption took place [earlier] among the Jebusites after David defeated them and captured Zion. 35 God Saves Jerusalem ZECH 9::8 And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. Verse 8 indicates that Jerusalem would be spared by Alexander. During the siege of Tyre, Alexander had sought provisions for his army from Jerusalem. Jerusalem refused, and Alexander vowed to besiege and sack Jerusalem. 36 The Jewish historian Josephus records the details of this event. So Alexander came into Syria, and took Damascus; and when he had obtained Sidon, he besieged Tyre, when he sent all epistle to the Jewish high priest, to send him some auxiliaries, and to supply his army with provisions; and that what presents he formerly sent to Darius, he would now send to him, and choose the friendship of the Macedonians, and that he should never repent of so doing. But the high priest answered the messengers, that he had given his oath to Darius not to bear arms against him; and he said that he would not transgress this while Darius was in the land of the living. Upon hearing this answer, Alexander was very angry; and though he determined not to leave Tyre, which was just ready to be taken, yet as soon as he had taken it, he threatened that he would make an expedition against the Jewish high priest, and through him teach all men to whom they must keep their oaths. 37 When Alexander had finished with Tyre, he marched to Gaza and then to Jerusalem. continues with the history: Josephus Now Alexander, when he had taken Gaza, made haste to go up to Jerusalem; and Jaddua the high priest, when he heard that, was in an agony, and under terror, as not knowing how he should meet the Macedonians, since the king was displeased at his foregoing disobedience. He therefore ordained that the people should make supplications, and should join with him in offering sacrifice to God, whom he besought to protect that nation, and to deliver them from the perils that were coming upon them; whereupon God warned him in a dream, which came upon him after he had offered sacrifice, that he should take courage, and adorn the city, and open the gates; that the rest should appear in white garments, but that he and the priests should meet the king in the habits proper to their order, without the dread of any ill consequences, which the providence of God would prevent. Upon which, when he rose from his sleep, he greatly rejoiced, and declared to all the warning he had received from God. According to which dream he acted entirely, and so waited for the coming of the king. And when he understood that he was not far from the city, he went out in procession, with the priests and the multitude of the citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations. It reached to a place called Sapha, which name, translated into Greek, signifies a 32 Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Durant, THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION, PART II, The Life of Greece, Vol. 2, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 81. David Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1918, pp Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 81. Bracketed word mine. 36 James Montgomery Boice, THE MINOR PROPHETS, Volume 2, An Expositional Commentary, Micah - Malachi, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1986, 2002, p Flavious Josephus: ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc., Book XI, Chapter 8, Paragraph 3. 7

8 prospect, for you have thence a prospect both of Jerusalem and of the temple. And when the Phoenicians and the Chaldeans that followed him thought they should have liberty to plunder the city, and torment the high priest to death, which the king's displeasure fairly promised them, the very reverse of it happened; for Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance, in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his mitre on his head, having the golden plate whereon the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored that name [Alexander prostrated himself before the high priest], and first saluted the high priest. The Jews also did all together, with one voice, salute Alexander, and encompass him about; whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him, and asked him how it came to pass that, when all others adored him, he should adore the high priest of the Jews? To whom he replied, I did not adore him, but that God who hath honored him with his high priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is that, having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the Divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind. And when he had said this to Parmenio [or Parmenion, Alexander s 2 nd in command], and had given the high priest his right hand, the priests ran along by him, and he came into the city. And when he went up into the temple, he offered sacrifice to God, according to the high priest's direction, and magnificently treated both the high priest and the priests. And when the Book of Daniel was showed him wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended. And as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present; but the next day he called them to him, and bid them ask what favors they pleased of him; whereupon the high priest desired that they might enjoy the laws of their forefathers, and might pay no tribute on the seventh year. He granted all they desired. And when they entreated him that he would permit the Jews in Babylon and Media to enjoy their own laws also, he willingly promised to do hereafter what they desired. And when he said to the multitude, that if any of them would enlist themselves in his army, on this condition, that they should continue under the laws of their forefathers, and live according to them, he was willing to take them with him, many were ready to accompany him in his wars. 38 In this manner did God save Jerusalem from destruction, and there will come a future day when God will allow destruction of His Holy city no more (v. 8). In the meantime, Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles. 39 LUKE 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The times of the Gentiles began in 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem. It has been trodden down ever since. Nebuchadnezzar took Judah captive to Babylon, where they stayed in exile for 70 years before returning to Jerusalem. They were enslaved and dispersed again in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple and the city in fulfillment of Daniel 9: DAN 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off [killed], but not for himself [for our sins]: and the people of the prince [future Antichrist] that shall come shall destroy the 38 Josephus: ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, Book XI, Chapter 8, Paragraphs 4 & 5. Bracketed words added for clarity. See also: Boice, THE MINOR PROPHETS, Volume 2, An Expositional Commentary, Micah - Malachi, pp. 530, 531. Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 83, John F. Walvoord, EVERY PROPHECY OF THE BIBLE, Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1990, 1999, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 83, 84. 8

9 city [Jerusalem] and the sanctuary [Temple]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 41 They have recently returned (1948), but Gentiles [Muslims] still trod down much of the Holy sites of the city. The world wants to divide the land and give Jerusalem to the Muslims. Even the pope wants control of Jerusalem as caretaker of an international city. The times of the Gentiles will not be fulfilled until the Lord returns in glory and sets up the promised Millennial Kingdom. 42 The Prince of Peace ZECH 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. Zechariah describes how Israel is to recognize her King. Both Christian and Jewish scholars accept this verse as referring to the Messiah. Christians see this as Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and being rejected by the leaders. Jews see verse 9 as the Messiah entering triumphantly into Jerusalem as their military savior, not lowly as the verse demands. 43 MATT 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. The prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled at Jesus first coming. The problem the Jews face regarding the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah is that they cannot recognize the two comings of the Messiah. They cannot separate the lowly Messiah from the King of kings. Their Messiah is to present Himself as lowly, righteous and having salvation. Having salvation (noshia) is rendered Savior in other ancient sources, including Jewish. The Jewish Targum Jonathan renders the word as Redeemer or Savior. Literally the word means saved. 44 Feinberg indicates that The righteous King works out a righteous salvation for His own. Feinberg adds, The Grecian Alexander came to break down and destroy; the righteous Messiah comes to save and redeem. The earthly king came with pomp and pride; the Lord from heaven came riding on a lowly ass. 45 Verse 10 leaps to the Second Coming as do many Messianic passages. Messiah will establish worldwide peace, destroy the weapons of war, unite Ephraim (Israel) and Judah into a single kingdom of peace, establish peace among all nations of the world, and His rule and reign will begin in Jerusalem but shall cover the earth. 46 God will Defend Israel ZECH 9:11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. 41 Bracketed words mine. 42 Walvoord, EVERY PROPHECY OF THE BIBLE, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 83, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 85. Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 86. Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, pp Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Feinberg, THE MINOR PROPHETS, p Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p

10 12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee; 13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. 14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. 15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. In verse 11, before Messiah can establish His Messianic Kingdom, He must deliver and restore the nation of Israel. God will deliver Israel according to the covenants that He made with them. A waterless pit is like a prison such as the one that Joseph was incarcerated by his brothers (Gen 37:34). Prisoners (v. 11) may be a reference to the Babylonian captivity that they recently experienced. 47 In verse 12, they were referred to as prisoners of hope because they were promised their return from seventy-years captivity to their stronghold Jerusalem. God promises them now double blessings of greater fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom. The double portion also speaks of the restoration to the rights of the first born to a double portion of the inheritance. God is restoring those rights to Israel His chosen people. 48 In verse 13, the Lord pictures Himself as a mighty warrior using Judah as His bow and Ephraim (the northern kingdom) as His arrow to defeat His and Israel s enemies. Power was (and will be) given to Israel, like the sword of a mighty man, to destroy its enemies, especially Greece, but also its enemies at the end of the Tribulation (v. 13; 14:14). Greece may be a reference to the devastations brought about by the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes (a descendant of the Greek Seleucus; and a precursor of the Tribulation Antichrist) who persecuted the Jews severely and desecrated the Jewish Temple by slaughtering a pig on the altar in 167 BC. These persecutions brought about the Maccabean Revolt which liberated Jerusalem, cleansed the Temple from heathen desecration, and reestablished Jewish worship ( BC). The Jewish feast of Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication) commemorates this event. 49 In verse 14, the Lord is a mighty warrior hovering over Israel in protection, calling His troops to battle with the sound of a trumpet. His arrow will strike the enemy with the speed of lightening. He will sweep away His enemies like a hurricane ( whirlwinds of the south ). 50 In verse 15, God defends Israel and then we see a celebration as Israel tramples the spent weapons of their enemy. 51 The verse may be translated instead: 52 ZECH 9:15 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. NASB There was a partial fulfillment of verse 15 when the Maccabees defeated Antiochus Epiphanes, but the complete fulfillment will occur at the end of the Tribulation as Messiah defends the Jewish remnant and defeats the enemies of both God and Israel. 53 Israel Saved ZECH 9:16 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. 47 Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 87, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 88. Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, pp Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 88. INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Antiochus IV. Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, pp Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, pp. 88, 89. Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, p. 326, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p Baron, ZECHARIAH, A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies, pp. 329, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p

11 In verses 16, In this verse the Lord is pictured as a Shepherd that saves the flock of His people. He will consider redeemed Israel as a jewel in a crown, His treasured possession. Israel will be set as a standard ( ensign ) or banner over His Millennial Kingdom. 54 In verse 17, The Lord s goodness and beauty will shine throughout Israel. Grain and wine symbolize productivity, plenty, and prosperity that all will enjoy during the Kingdom Age. 55 The Lesson to Consider There is a great new day that is coming. The Lord is coming! He will establish righteousness. Evil will be disposed of and the Lord will reign and rule righteously. Are we eagerly awaiting for His soon return? Are we living our lives as if at any moment the Lord will return to take us with Him? This we must do. This is serious business. We don t want to be caught unawares. Are we truly living our lives day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute so that we will hear the Lord say well done? MATT 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Or, will we instead hear the Lord say: MATT 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. The choice is ours. ADDENDUM FIGURE 1 THE PATRIARCH S WORLD Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p. 89, Levy, ZECHARIAH, Israel s Prophetic Future and the Coming Apocalypse, p INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA, Revised Edition, Electronic Database, 1996, Biblesoft, Maps. 11

12 FIGURE 2 ALEXANDER S ROUTE Red Route progresses South. Blue Route progresses North. FIGURE 3 TYRE 12