Zechariah 8-14
Posted:  September 29, 2014

Zechariah continues with his message of restoration.   My question is "when does this happen?"
Which, of course is not easy to answer definitively.  For instance:  Chapter 8 says people will once again grow old and children will play in the streets.  That has been happening.   People will return from the east and west...that's happening now, and has been happening.   But I don't see anyone taking hold of the Jews and asking them to entreat God for us.   That must be in the future, or in the distant past.

Hamath is in Syria, and Tyre and Sidon are along the Mediterranean coast.  All of these are north of Israel.  Perhaps the Lord is describing the reign of Alexander the Great, or the Roman Empire.  In either case, all of these seemingly unconquerable cities fall.  The real theme here is that Jerusalem stands when all others fall.      God promises to bless the nation, and He has.   Israel is a world leader in producing citrus products, exporting over 1.3 billion dollars per year.   And in the last 10 years they have discovered gas reserves worth over 130 billion (yes, billion) dollars.   This makes Israel energy independent, and even gives them political capital by being able to offer gas to surrounding countries.    Very interesting.

In chapter 9 the prophet is speaking about the coming of Christ, but there may be a few end time references salted in there.

In chapter 11, the two staffs called favor and union refer to God's removal of the blessing from Israel and Judah.  That passage looks backward, before the time of the exile.   In 9:12 it talks of God raising up a new shepherd, who would be Jesus.   And Chapter 12 speaks of Jesus and the crucifixion.

On the day that they look on the one that they pierced, a cleansing fountain is also opened up that removes the sin of the land.   Praise the Lord!  We know that this cleansing fountain is the blood of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and removed the stain of sin for all believers once for all.  

When the shepherd was struck there was a great panic among the disciples.  Once the Holy Spirit came the persecution of Christians began and they scattered all over the middle east.   However, that wouldn't account for 2/3 of the people perishing.    That part sounds like it looks forward to the end of days, when something like meteors hit the earth and destroy the population.

Jerusalem will be split in half, and a stream will flow from the temple mount to the Med and the Dead Sea.  The Dead sea will become fresh again, according to prophecy.

The topography around Jerusalem will be changed.  The mountains will be leveled and new valleys opened up,   I wonder if the topographical changes are in preparation for the enormous new temple to be built.  (we heard about it in Ezekiel 43).   If that's the case, there will be a third temple period when Christ returns, with sacrifices offered as thanksgiving offerings.   All nations of the earth will report to the temple to give glory to God, or their land will lose the blessing of rain.    I suppose that we will have to learn that lesson the hard way as well.

14:12 speaks of a plague that will befall everyone who fights against Jerusalem in the last days.   I certainly don't want to be on the wrong side of that battle.


PR