Zechariah by Chuck Missler Lesson 14

The last chapter in the Book of Zechariah.

The Final Siege of Jerusalem and the Return &
Reign of the Messiah
Chapters 9-11 are foundational to preparations for the Second Com-
ing and acceptance of the Messiah (12-14). 12 and 13 sets the scene
for the return in 14.

Verse 1]
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the
midst of thee.

Background
The Day of the Lord (Isa 2:12; 4:1,2: 11:10,11; 13:9; Amos 9:11;
Joel 1:15; 2:1,1; Mal 4:1-5); Ps 2; Rev 5:1-19:16.
The Tribulation: Daniel 9; Jeremiah 30:5-7.

Verse 2]
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be
taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city.

shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off
from the city.

“I will”: God actively interposed...

All nations (representatively). (United Nations? Rev 16:13f.)

Jerusalem: precise location.

“Not be cut off...” decisive: not have already taken place; does not
fit any past overthrow of Jerusalem.

The Reigning One
Verse 3]
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he
fought in the day of battle.

yatsa’, go forth, as a Man of War (Ex 15:3). Judg 4:14; 2 Sam
5:24; Ps 68:7; 108:11; 1 Chr 14:15).

The theme of Zechariah: his name = “God Remembers.”

When did the Lord “fight”?

Red Sea (Ex 14:14);
Jericho (Joshua 5ff): model of Revelation?;
At Beth Horon (Josh 10:12-14);
General conquest of Canaan (23:3);
Barak vs Sisera, (Judg 4:15);
Jeshoshaphat (2 Chron 20:15);
...et al. (Num 21:14; Mic 1:3; Rev 19:11-16; Isa 63:1ff).

The Earthquake
Verse 4]
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is be-
fore Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great
valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of
it toward the south.

The “Touchdown” Play! “His feet”: literally. After Edom (Isa 63)? (See
also The Next Holocaust and the Refuge in Edom briefing package.)

“in that day”: 17X in Chapters 12-14.
“Jerusalem”: 22X
“Nations”: 13X

Mount of Olives (only mention in OT; Cf. 2 Sam 15:30). Highest
peak in the area: overlooks Jerusalem (200 ft higher than Mt. Zion;
300 ft above Mount Moriah). The place of the Lord’s departure (Lk
24:50-51; Acts 1:9-12).

[This was the direction, to the east, that the Shekinah departed and
would return (Ezek 11:22, 23; 43:2, 4).]

Earthquake: (Cf. Mic 1:4; Nah 1:5; Hab 3:6; Ps 18:7; Ezek 38:19-20).
Seventh Bowl: Rev 16:18, 19.

The Flight
Verse 5]
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the moun-
tains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall
come, and all the saints with thee.

Azal: possibly Beth-Ezel (Micah 1:11).

Flight compared with that during reign of Uzziah (Amos 1:1) two
centuries earlier, which must have been extreme. Josephus relates
the catastrophe to Uzziah’s attempt to offer incense in the temple
against the protests of the priests (Antiquities IX, 10, 4. Cf. 2 Chr
26:16:21).

He will be accompanied by both: His Angels (Mt 24:30-31); and His
Saints” (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 3:13; 4:14; Col 4:4!).

“Saints” gedoshim, separated ones, set apart for holy work is used
of: Angels (Deut 33:3; Ps 89:5-7; Job 15:15) and Holy men (Ps 16:3;
34:9; Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:26; Num 15:40; 16:3; Dan 8:24; 2 Chr
35:3; Ps 106:16; Dan 7:18, 21, 22, 25, 27).

The “Bride” will be united to Christ in glory (Rev 19:7-9) before He
returns to the earth in triumph (19:11-16) and will form part of the
“armies of heaven” following in His train (19:14).

These celestial armies “clothed in fine linen white and clean” connect
them with the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, whose garments “of fine, clean
and white” are said to be the “righteousness of the saints” (19:8).
The Angels will also be in the retinue of the returning King (Mt 16:27;
25:31; Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26, etc.). Peter compares it with the world-wide
flood of Noah (2 Pet 3:1-14).

Note that the prophet cries out, “The Lord my God” Cf. Thomas,
and our notes re: Zech 13:6.

Verse 6]
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

Cosmic changes (Cf. Isa 13:9, 10; 24:23; Joel 3:14-16; Mt 24:29,30;
Mk 13:24,25; Rev 6:13; 8:12).

Verse 7]
But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night:
but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

Global twilight? (Ex 15:8; Zeph 1:12; Job 10:10). Unparalleled, unique
in human history (Cf. Ezek 7:5; Jer 30:7). “None is like it.” [Entropy
laws lifted?] Isa 30:26; Rom 8:19-22 (Cf. Gen 3:17-19?).

Verse 8]
And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem;
half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea:
in summer and in winter shall it be.

Waters = purification, spiritual life, and refreshment (Ezek 47:1,2; Joel
3:18; Rev 22:1-2; Cf. Jn 4:10, 11; 7:38). Forsaking Him is compared
to broken cisterns unable to hold water (Jer 2:13; 17:13). Living water
is fresh, running water, however. Literal; but also spiritual [Isa 4:3,4
vs 5,6; Isa 35:2-6 vs 35:1, 7-10; Ezek 36:16-37:28 (restoration of the
people) with Ezek 36:1-15 (restoration of the land).]

“...living waters shall go out from Jerusalem”: Jerusalem will be
the capital of the millennial earth as well as the centroid of spiritual
blessings.

One Lord
Verse 9]
And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one
LORD, and his name one.
He alone will be worshiped. Isa 54:5; Dan 2:44; Rev 11:15

One Lord: Cf. Sh’ma, Deut 6:4f. [“Pure Language (Zeph 3:9)” sug-
gests Hebrew as a universal language?]

Verse 10]
All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jeru-
salem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s
gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower
of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.

Literal earthly kingdom.

“As a plain” = the Arabah, the deep “Great Rift” from the Dog River
at the coast north of Beirut in Lebanon, above the Sea of Galilee,
through the Jordan Valley, through the Dead Sea, down into the Gulf
of Aqaba, and on into North Africa. (Cf. Deut 1:7; 3:17; Josh 11:2).
Considered the deepest depression on the surface of the earth. Geva,
modern Jeba, 6 mi NE of Jerusalem, in Benjamin (Josh 18:24);

Rimmon, En-rimmon (Josh 15:32; 19:7; 1 Chr 4:32), 33 mi SW of
Jerusalem, a few miles S of Ziklag. (Inhabited upon the return from
the exile (Neh 11:29) and therefore inhabited in Zechariah’s day. “...
south of Jerusalem” appended to distinguish from a Rimmon in Galilee
(Josh 19:13)). Means “pomegranate.”

Jerusalem “lifted up?” (Mic 4:1; Ps 48:1-3).

Benjamin’s gate: in north wall of city; also called the “Gate of
Ephraim” (2 Kgs 14:13), as the road from it ran through Benjamin
and on to Ephriam.

First Gate, apparently in the NE corner; Corner gate: (2 Kgs 14:13;
Jer 31:38) NW corner of the city;

Tower of Hananeel (Jer 31:38): near NE corner of the wall (one com-
mentator said, years ago, that this could not be literal because nobody
could find this tower; archaeologists have since located it.)

Winepress of the King: SE of the city near the king’s gardens and
the pool of Siloam.

[Detailed topographical details testify to the literalness of the pas-
sage...]

Verse 11]
And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but
Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

“No more curse” cherem, accursed thing; destruction (appointed to)
or a ban to utter destruction (1 Kgs 20:42; Isa 34:5; 43:28; Mal 3:24).

[In the case of Jericho, Achan transgressed the “ban.” Saul ignored
by sparing Agag (1 Sam 15:3).]

Cf. Zech 13:2, demons imprisoned; etc. (Cf. 1 Tim 4:1-5; 1 Jn 4:1-
6; James 3:15.) Secure, for the first time in their history (Isa 2:2, 3;
Mich 4:1).

The Plague
Verse 12]
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while
they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Strange symptoms. Neutron bomb? Animals, too (v.15). Shocking
rapidity (vs. Lev 26:16; Deut 28:21, 22).

Verse 13]
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD
shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his
neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

Cf. Judg 7:22; 1 Sam 14:14-16.

Verse 14]
And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen
round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great
abundance.

Verse 15]
And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the
ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

Why animals, too? Nuclear warheads?

The Feast of Tabernacles
verse 16]
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which
came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the
King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Feast of Tabernacles (mentioned 3X here): Lev 23:33-44; Deut
16:13-17; Cf. Ex 23:16; 34:2. Also celebrated upon the return from
of Israel from the Exile (Neh 8:14-18).

The feast of the millennial age (Rev 22:1). The other two manda-
tory feasts, Passover and Pentecost, not mentioned, have already
been fulfilled. (See also Feasts of Israel briefing package for more
background.)

Verse 17]
And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them
shall be no rain.

All nations (representatively?). Rain withheld as punishment for
lack of obedience. (There apparently will be some during the Mil-
lennium; Ps 66:3.)
There will, of course, be feigned obedience (a form of lying) then, as
now. Not all church members are Christians!

Verse 18]
And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there
shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come
not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Egypt is mentioned separately due its well-known independence from
rain; an alternative plague is promised.

Verse 19]
This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that
come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

A stern note. Cf. Zech 5:1-4, the rod-of-iron rule of the Messiah.

Verse 20]
In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO
THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before
the altar.

No vessels of dishonor: no longer secular vs. Sanctified; all are sancti-
fied before the Lord. Where holiness prevails, ceremonial sanctity
is unnecessary.

Verse 21]
Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD
of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe
therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of
the LORD of hosts.

The “Canaanite” probably stands for the Phoenicians of N. Canaan,
noted mariners and merchants of the ancient world, and known for
their ungodly and unholy ways. (Hos 12:7). This is an inverted way
of indicating that all will be holy.

Summarizing
Zechariah opened: “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is
raised up out of his holy habitation” (2:13)

...And now climaxes with “The Time of the restitution of all things”
apokatastasis (Acts 1:6; 3:21).
...Just as Revelation carries us from Chapter 4 to the climax in Chapter
19:11-16.