THE END OF ALL THINGS

Transcription

1 THE END OF ALL THINGS The Book of Zechariah Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor May 20, 2018 Note: The following are the pastor s notes used in preaching this message. This is not a complete, word-for-word transcription of what was preached. These notes serve as a companion to the complete message, which is available by listening to the audio version. Bible quotes are primarily from NASB and ESV, respectively. DEFINITION: Tribulation Seven year period of earthly chaos between the rapture and the millennium best seen in Daniel 9:24-27 Millennium 1000 year reign of Christ on earth Amillennial no literal 1000 year millennium Continuous good and evil until Second Coming God s Kingdom present now in the church Old Testament kingdom prophecies fulfilled in church 1

2 Postmillennial world evangelized before Second Coming Indefinite millennium God's kingdom is with us now spiritually Old Testament kingdom prophecies refer to church 1 Premillennial Jesus returns before millennium Preceded by tribulation pre, mid, post Literal 1000 year millennium (Kingdom) Rapture and Second Coming are distinct Old Testament prophecies to Israel literally fulfilled Zechariah the Lord remembers apocalypse of the Old Testament refers both to Zechariah s immediate audience as well as to the future meant to encourage Israel in coming years and church age seen in the structure: Zechariah 1-6 historical Zechariah 7-8 contemporary questions Zechariah 9-14 Messianic prophecies Born in Babylon returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Joshua (Nehemiah 12:4) contemporary of Haggai first writing was in 520 B.C., the second year of Darius (Zechariah 1:1) God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the people and encourage them to rebuild the Temple it was completed four years later in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:15) Roy Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Cook Communications Ministry, 1991), 233-2

3 I. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE Zechariah 1:1-6 Zechariah 1:4-5 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. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Reminder to people that God judged the sin of their fathers they were now gone so were the prophets who warned them God s desire is that they not repeat the sins of their fathers 90 years previous to this If we only had Haggai we might assume that God was only interested in the Temple not so He cares most about the repentance of the people Temple was only a symbol of what happened when they forgot God II. EIGHT NIGHT VISIONS Zechariah 1:7-6:15 Zechariah sees all these visions in a single night they were given for the comfort of the people who had returned from exile they were to rebuild the Temple and await the coming of the Messiah some of the visions were fulfilled in Zechariah s time some of them await fulfillment A. The myrtle trees Zechariah 1:7-17 Summary vision gives overall perspective of all the other visions God promises prosperity to Israel Zechariah 1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius three months after his initial call for repentance Zechariah 1:8 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. Zechariah 1:11 identifies the man as the angel of the Lord often associated with the incarnate Christ (Genesis 16:11, 13; 18:1, 2, 13, 17; 22:11 18; Exodus 3:2, 4; Joshua 5:13; 6:2; Judges 6:12, 14; 13:21, 22) Zechariah 1:13 the angel is called Lord The red horse often the picture of blood and judgment Myrtle trees associated with making the booths for the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44) also indicated messianic blessing (Isaiah 41:19; 55:13) blessing yet lowliness in the ravine probably indicates they stand for Israel s present humiliation The angel s position in front indicates leadership over the other horses Colors of other horses pictured war (Revelation 6:1-8) Zechariah 1:10 indicates these were angels These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth. Zechariah 1:11 We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet. The nations surrounding Israel were quiet at the end of her exile Zechariah 1:12 the angel of the Lord intercedes with the Lord of hosts (God Himself) on behalf of Israel 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? Contrasts with the fierce wrath of God brought against the sin of Israel over 70 years prior to this Zechariah 1:13 gracious and comforting words given to Israel Zechariah 1:14-17 Thus says the Lord of hosts, I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster. 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. 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. even though Israel forgot their identity, God did not forget immediate future Ezra and Nehemiah rebuild the Temple and the walls future during the millennium Jesus will return to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4 when His feet touch the Mount of Olives Jerusalem will be rebuilt (Jeremiah 31:38-40) the cities of Judah will prosper (Isaiah 60:4-9) the people 3

4 will be blessed (Zechariah 9:17) the millennial Temple will be built (Ezekiel 40-48) Jesus will reign in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 48:35; Isaiah 48:23; Jeremiah 3:17; Revelation 21:3) B. Four horns Zechariah 1:18-21 God judges the nations who had attacked Israel Zechariah has a vision of four horns horns picture pride and power Zechariah 1:19 the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. Probably same world empires as Daniel 2 and 7 Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Greece, and Rome The four craftsmen of Zechariah 1:20, 21 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. craftsmen metal workers or stone cutters those who shape materials with their hammers Babylon was hammered by the Medes and Persians in a surprise night attack in 539 B.C. Alexander the Great defeated Darius and the Medo-Persian horn in 333 B.C. at Issus the Romans hammered all of the Greek empire by 63 B.C. revived Roman empire will be finally hammered by the returning Messiah at the return of the Messiah in Revelation 19 (Daniel 2:34, 35, 45) C. The measuring line Zechariah 2:1-13 God rebuilds Jerusalem Zechariah 2:1-2 there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 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. Possibly as measuring of Jerusalem of the future when she is fully restored the full extent of this can t be fulfilled during the present exile of Zechariah s time Zechariah 2:4 tells why Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. without walls is a picture of security Israel never existed without walls in Old Testament has to refer to future time Ezekiel 38:8-12 indicates Jerusalem will be attacked by Antichrist in the end times Zechariah 2:5 For I, declares the Lord, will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst. God s future preservation like the pillar of fire in the wilderness Zechariah 2:6-7 Zechariah returns to the present calls those still in Babylon to come home 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. Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon. Interesting prophetic implication here the land of the north refers to Babylon in Ezekiel 38 many interpret the north as Russia but here and many places in Jeremiah the north is Babylon (Iran) D. The high priest Zechariah 3:1-10 God purifies the high priest and the people shows the necessity of personal and corporate holiness as prerequisite for God s presence vision in Zechariah 3:1-5 explanation in Zechariah 3:6-10 Zechariah 3:1 Joshua is the high priest who returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:2; 5:2; Haggai 1:1) he represents corporate Israel indicated by repeated references to the nation of Israel the corporate sin of Israel has been a consistent theme condemned by Satan at his right hand The angel of the Lord in Zechariah 3:1 is identified as The Lord in Zechariah 3:2 this is deity standing in judgment of Israel as Satan brings his accusations Incredible pictures of justification: The presence of sin Zechariah 3:3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. filthy human excrement Isaiah 64:6 all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment filthy = menstrual garment couldn t get any worse no one could doubt the accumulated sin of Israel piled up over a thousand years of disobedience from leaving Egypt until this time personal application no one can claim they are free from sin 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. We are all filthy 4

5 The presence of a public shame Joshua is standing before the angel of the Lord public portrayal of humiliation! The high priest would have never been seen in filthy garments the high priest purified himself by ritual baths three times before the day of atonement changed his garments each time The presence of the adversary the accusing one consistent with his character This continues to be his role today Revelation 12:10 for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. The presence of justification Old Testament doctrine of election Zechariah 3:2 The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Israel had done nothing to merit God s favor just the opposite she had sinned greatly and consistently yet God chose her Deuteronomy 7:6-8 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Election is never about our worth the idea that God didn t make no junk as a basis for God saving us is foreign to Scripture God didn t save us because we are inherently good He saved us because He is inherently holy and desires to transfer His holiness to us the fact that God rescues Israel from potential oblivion in captivity is seen in last part of Zechariah 3:2 Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? God stepped in to rescue Israel as a twig that is burning up in a fire Amos 4:11 you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze... this is a picture of the future forensic justification God will bring in Zechariah 12:10 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. More on this later The presence of a public defender Zechariah 3:2 The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! The same God who chooses is the same God who defends salvation does not depend on us keeping up our moral behavior! Zechariah 3:4 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. Despite their sin despite their continuously turning away from Him despite them chasing other men! God still removes their sin this is active on His part passive on our part 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous The vision of Joshua symbolizes the cleansing of the nation Zechariah 3:8 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. The friends were symbols of future priests they will observe the coming of the Messiah seen by two terms My servant Isaiah 42:1 Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. also seen in Isaiah 49:3, 5; 52:13; 53:11; Ezekiel 34:23, 24 the Branch Zechariah 6:12-13 Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices. Isaiah 11:1-2 identifies the Branch Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength implications for the millennium in Zechariah 3:3-10 also seen in Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15) Third picture of Messiah Zechariah 3:9 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. The stone (In Psalm 118:22, 23; Isaiah 8:13 15; 28:16; Daniel 2:35, 45; Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:19 22; 1 Peter 2:6 8) is called a rejected stone, a stone of stumbling, a stone of refuge, a destroying stone, and a foundation stone here He is the foundation stone with seven eyes symbolic of His omniscience over the whole world 5

6 E. The gold lampstand Zechariah 4:1-14 God rebuilds the Temple focus is on Zerubbabel, the civil leader, and descendent of King David who had the responsibility to rebuild the Temple Zechariah 2:2-3 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; also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side. 2 Lampstand had seven branches bowl on top with pipes from the olive trees to keep constant supply of oil to keep the lampstand burning picture of unlimited supply of oil that is supplied without human agency Zechariah 4:4 What are these, my lord? Not answered until Zechariah 4:13-14 So he answered me, saying, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he said, These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth. Two olive trees represent two forces of constant good for Israel best picture is they represent the two offices of priest and king who led the people the king (Zerubbabel) and the priest (Joshua) the two offices foreshadow the Messiah who will unite the two offices Zechariah 6:12-13 Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices. The unending supply of oil is meant as a message to Zerubbabel Zechariah 4:6 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. He needed to know that rebuilding the Temple was God s doing not man s this was to be an encouragement if it is God s doing, He will do it great encouragement to Zerubbabel Israel would be fully supplied by God to be His light to the nations both now and in the future church took over this task on temporary basis in church age this will be restored to Israel in millennium Revelation 1:12, 13, and 20 shows future picture of the lampstands again when Israel is restored to her place of blessing and being a light to the nations F. The flying scroll Zechariah 5:1-4 The standard of God s word that judges sin Zechariah 5:2 a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits. 30 feet long and 15 feet wide the size of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle Zechariah 5:3 This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. probably had Ten Commandments on it third and eighth are the only ones 2 Longman, Tremper, and David E. Garland. "The Fifth Vision: The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees." The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Daniel-Malachi. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, Print. 6

7 mentioned probably because they represent all ten showing Israel stole from God and swore allegiance to other gods God s objective standard of His written word Zechariah 5:4 I will make it go forth, declares the Lord of hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones. God s word is the objective standard that judges all thoughts and actions Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. G. Woman in a basket Zechariah 5:5-11 Zechariah 5:5-6 Weird vision basket with a lead lid and a woman sitting inside Zechariah 5:8 This is wickedness in Revelation 17:3-5 a woman is dressed as a harlot in purple and gold she is the harlot of Babylon (the birthplace of idolatry the harlot is the political, religious, and economic forces of the antichrist this is pictured as a woman who commits spiritual adultery with the leaders of the nations of the world Revelation 13:5 she is called the mother of all harlots ) her wickedness in Zechariah is the cumulative idolatry of the nations she is covered with a lead lid to prevent her from escaping until the given time Zechariah 5:6 figures of two women with wings of a stork (unclean bird signifying evil) come to take the basket to Shinar (Babylon) where she will be placed on a pedestal to oversee her final wickedness in final Babylonian world system the symbol pictures the final wickedness of world systems H. Four chariots Zechariah 6:1-8 Eighth vision completes the cycle Zechariah 6:1 Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. Two bronze mountains Zion and Olives valley between them is Kidron Valley, scene of future judgment (Joel 3:2, 12, 14) bronze symbolizes judgment as the bronze serpent raised up in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9) and the bronze altar (Exodus 27:2) connects with four horses of first vision carrying out God s judgments to the North (Babylon) and South (Egypt) Zechariah 6:2-3 red, black, white, and dappled horses similar to Revelation 6:1-8 pictures future judgment over all the earth I. Appendix Zechariah 6:9-15 This is not a vision but is fitting climax to the eight visions given Zechariah 6:11 Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Ornate crown not like a king s crown placed on head of Joshua the high priest priests were not kings why this combination? Picture of coming Messiah who would be both priest and king Zechariah 6:12-13 Then say to him, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices. Two offices were the combined office of priest and king to be combined in the one called Branch 1) He will come from Israel ( His place, Zechariah 6:12) 2) He will build the millennial temple (Zechariah 6:12b, 13a) 3) He will be glorious (Zechariah 6:13) 4) He will be king and priest (Zechariah 6:13) 5) He makes peace (Zechariah 6:13) 6) He opens the kingdom to Gentiles (Zechariah 6:15a) 7) He will corroborate God s Word Zechariah 6:15b) 8) He demands obedience (Zechariah 6:15c). 7

8 This, as always, is the essential matter. After Israel believes, the Messiah will come to set up His kingdom (cf. Zechariah 6:12:10 13:1; 14:9 21). Faith and cleansing must come first. III. FOUR MESSAGES Zechariah 7:1-8:23 A. Motive Zechariah 7:1-7 First message you have deceived yourself into thinking you are religious when you are not the fall of Jerusalem was remembered by four fasts (cf. 2 Kings 25; Jeremiah 39:1 4; 41; 52:13), in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months (see note on Zechariah 8:19). Because the temple was burned in the fifth month (July August), that fast was considered the most serious and thus the delegation uses it as the test case (cf. 2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 52:12). They had kept this wailing and fasting for many years, but it seemed only a wearisome ritual in light of the present prosperity Zechariah 7:5-6 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? When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? Questioned the motive for fasting we can be self-deceived into thinking that we are concerned for God when all we are doing is making ourselves feel religious B. A call for justice Zechariah 7:8-14 Second message You have resisted true justice by hardening your hearts Zechariah 7:9 Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother... yet Zechariah 7:11-12 they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. 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. C. Return to favor Zechariah 8:1-17 Third message Despite your sin and disobedience I am going to return and dwell in Jerusalem and save my people. Zechariah 8:3 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. Zechariah 8:7-8 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; 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. D. All will seek the Lord Zechariah 8:18-23 Fourth message people from the nations of the world will come to seek the Lord in Jerusalem. Zechariah 8:22-23 So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 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. V. THE COMING MESSIAH Zechariah 9:1-14:21 Like Moses looking over the land from Mt. Nebo, Zechariah looks over the span of history until the end of time A. Rejection of Messiah Zechariah 9-11 (at first advent) 1. The nations of the world Zechariah 9:1-8 These verses accurately describe the invasions of Syria, Phoenicia, and Judah by Alexander the Great; the destruction of Damascus, Tyre, and Sidon, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod, and the contemporaneous and unaccountable sparing of Jerusalem. 8

9 Zechariah 9:8 is a bridge to the final times of the Messiah 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. God s pledge to protect Israel from Alexander the Great after he conquered Tyre he went to subjugate Egypt didn t harm Israel returned through Israel without harming them next phrase is a bridge to the future...and no oppressor shall pass over them anymore this supernatural protection foresees the second Advent of Messiah this is the message through the rest of this passage the transition from Alexander to Christ shows that God can use a pagan king to judge the nations of the earth and yet protect Israel if He did this in ancient times, how much more will He do it in the future? 2. The coming Messiah Zechariah 9:9 Contrasted with the kings of the nations, the king of the Jews would come in humility Zechariah 9:9 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. Drove the crowd wild in Luke 19:28 when He came down Mt. of Olives riding on a donkey 3. Blessing and betrayal Zechariah 9:10-11:17 Portrayals of first and second advents squeezed together in Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10:13 Zechariah 9:10 moves abruptly to second advent the peace noted in Zechariah 9:10 is the continued theme Theme changes back to first advent in Zechariah 11 stark contrast with Zechariah 10 Zechariah 11:4 Thus says the Lord my God, Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. Doom for God s sheep because they had rejected the shepherd! They had chosen Caesar over Jesus led to destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Zechariah 11:8-9 Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. 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. Priests, elders, and scribes my soul was impatient He loathed them because they had not turned the people to His word Zechariah 11:10 I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. Because Israel continued to sin as they did in Old Testament, God judged them again by letting Rome destroy them in 70 A.D. Zechariah 11:12 symbolic mocking of Jesus asking the mockers of His day what He was worth So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. The price of a gored ox (Exodus 21:32) Zechariah 11:12 obvious reference to Judas 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. indicates the passage is after first advent B. Dominion of Messiah Zechariah (at second advent) 1. Focus on Jerusalem Zechariah 12:1-9 Can t see how Reformed scholars take this to refer to the church his intention is clearly stated in Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. This does not refer to the church! in that day used nine times in Zechariah refers to coming period of time when God will move to close history not one specific day, but a period of time All the world will come against Israel Zechariah 12:3 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. 9

10 2. Salvation for the Jews Zechariah 12:10-14 But God will move in a miraculous way to save the Jews Zechariah 12:10 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. Jews will be saved the same way we are through grace! no shortcuts because of race those who recognize Jesus as their Messiah will be saved! Jeremiah 31:34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. 3. False prophets shamed Zechariah 13:1-6 When Christ returns and cleanses Israel from her defilement, He is also going to cleanse the nation from the deception of false prophets and their demonic religion. Zechariah 13:6 troublesome verse probably referring to one of the false prophets of previous verses 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. Not a reference to Jesus the him refers to the false prophet in Zechariah 13:5 who says, I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth. None of this could apply to Jesus false prophets cut themselves to incite spiritual ecstasy in idolatrous ceremonies as the prophets of Baal did in 1 Kings 18:28 where they cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When people noticed their self-inflicted wounds, they would lie, playing the martyr, saying they had been wounded by their friends shows how dishonest they were 4. The fiery test Zechariah 13:7-9 Contrasts with false shepherd of Zechariah 13:1-6 Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate, declares the Lord of hosts. Picture of the sacrifice of My Shepherd the man God refers to is His associate from the root word am which means people it refers to 1) relationships sustained within or to the group; and 2) the unity of the group... Intimately related to the concept of relatedness among people, is the concept of unity. It is the root of the name of the incestuous child born to the daughter of Lot Ammon The name states more than a kin relationship (cf. kinsman ). Lot s younger daughter, in naming her son Ammon, gives expression to the incestuous relationship by which she conceived: i.e. a son by my father 3 very strong statement regarding divinity of Christ more than a kinsman He is one with God This associate will be struck with the sword Zechariah 13:7 continues, Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones. Jesus quoted this passage in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27 to describe the defection of the disciples after His arrest indicates the little ones probably refers to His followers who were persecuted after they continued to follow Him in the New Testament 5. Jesus returns Zechariah 14:1-5 Luther did two commentaries on Zechariah one in Latin and the second in German in the first one there is no treatment of Zechariah 14 the manuscript just stops at Zechariah 13:9 with no explanation in the second commentary, Zechariah 14 is briefly treated it begins with the words: Here, in this chapter, I give up. For I am not sure what the prophet is talking about. 4 This may explain why there is no commentary in the earlier version! Zechariah 14:3-4 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the 3 R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Bruce K. Waltke, eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. I, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), Martin Luther, Hilton C. Oswald, ed., Lectures on Zechariah. The German Text, 1527 in Luther s Works, Vol. 20: Lectures on the Minor Prophets: Zechariah (Saint Louis: Concordia, 1973),

11 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. This is not the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17) this is the Second Coming of Christ same time as Revelation 19:14-16 Zechariah 14:5 Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! (Revelation 6:12-14; Revelation 19:14) Christians who have been raptured and are already in heaven with Him will return to earth as His army! 6. Lights out! Zechariah 14:6-7 As these Jews are fleeing through this newly created valley caused by the tumultuous movement of the Mount of Olives, the lights in the world will go out (cf. Isaiah 13:9, 10; 24:23; Joel 2:10; 3:14 16; Matthew 24:29, 30; Revelation 6:12 14) and be replaced by the light of Christ s glory (cf. Isaiah 60:19, 20). The reaction of people is given in Revelation 6: Only the Lord knows the fullness of the plan for that day when the lights go out and are lit again in the millennial kingdom (cf. Isaiah 30:26; Malachi 4:2). 7. Living waters flow! Zechariah 14:8 Zechariah 14:8 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. When Jesus feet touch the Mount of Olives a healing stream of water will flow out from the Kidron Valley the earthquake will change the topography and it s healing waters will flow to the Mediterranean Sea and the other half will flow to the Dead Sea Ezekiel 47:1-12 says the flow will come from under the threshold of the house the Temple it will start ankle deep and progress until it is a wide river bring health and fresh water to every place it flows 8. Jesus rules as King! Zechariah 14:9-11 Zechariah 14:9 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. this is not euphemism! Jesus will rule in Jerusalem during the thousand year millennium on the earth 9. Review of judgment Zechariah 14:12-15 This is an interjection refers back to the final battle of Armageddon when God destroys all those who come against Israel at the close of the tribulation the picture is graphic Zechariah 14:12 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. Pictures the destruction of Revelation 19: The King is worshipped! Zechariah 14:16-21 Final introduction into the thousand year millennium (Revelation 20) Zechariah 14:16 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. Some Gentiles will go into the millennium along with redeemed Jews a converted remnant from Gentile nations will travel to Jerusalem yearly to worship But there will also be those who are unconverted during the millennium those who are unsaved will refuse to go up and experience drought and plague Zechariah 14:17 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. Zechariah 14:20 The redeemed will worship the Lord with everything they possess Zechariah 14:21 And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day. Only the saved will worship in the millennial temple Even though the millennium will be a time of incredible peace and prosperity on the earth with the lion lying down with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6) and swords being beaten into plowshares (Micah 4:3), there will be unsaved ones on the earth during the millennium Revelation 20 indicates that at the end of the millennium, Satan will be released from 11

12 the abyss and be able to deceive the nations from the four corners of the earth to join in a fight against God one last time those will be unbelievers alive during the millennium God will not even waste time on a battle they will be incinerated as fire comes down from heaven Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire permanently, the Great White Throne Judgement of all sinners will follow God will destroy this earth and a new heaven and earth will be created where we will enjoy heaven with Him forever! What do we take away from this? We all stand before God in filthy garments We need a priest to intercede an advocate Repentance is key to holiness God s grace is undeserved God holds the future QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. How do most people think the world will end? 2. Describe the picture of Joshua the high priest in Zechariah How will the Jews be saved according to Zechariah 12:10? 4. How will Jesus return to earth according to Zechariah 14:4? 5. What will the earth be like after the return of Christ according to Zechariah 14:9-11 and 16-21? 6. What is your reaction to the return of Christ? 12