E=rev kevin;7472242]Zachariah 14 protrays the eventual triumph of the Messiah over all the earth and his reign over God’s people. Now the chronological order of these future events is not clear. They show that God has various ways of dealing with his people.
I have gleaned that much.
14:4 On the Mount of Olives, Jesus spoke with his disciples about the end times. Near this mountain, an angel promised that Jesus would return in the same manner as he had left. (Acts 1:11, also see Ezekiel 11:23)
Agreed.
14:5 Only God’s people will escape God’s punishment. In this time of confusion (Matthew 24:16-20). God will clearly know who his people are.
14:10 Jerusalem is honored as the city of God and the focal point of all the world’s worship. Jerusalem’s elevation is a dramatic way of showing God’s supremacy.
14:16 The Festival of Sheltres is the only festival still appropriate during the Messiah’s reign. The Passover was fulfilled in Christ’s death, the Day of Atonement, in accpetance of Christ’s salvation; the Festival of Firstfruits, in his resurrection. and the Pentecost, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. But the Festival of Shelters, a festival of thanksgiving, celebrates the harvest of human souls for the Lord.
Agree.
14:20-21 In the future, even such common objects as horses’ bells and cooking pots will be holy. This vision of a restored, holy Jerusalem stands in contrast to its broken walls and unpleasant living conditions. Zachariah was speaking to a people who were enduring hardships:They were being harassed by neighbors; they were discouraged over their small numbers and seemingly inadequate Temple; and their worship was apathetic. But God said, “My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong” (1:14). He promised to restore their land, their city, and their Temple. Like other prophets, Zechariah blended prophecies of the present, near future, and final days into one sweeping panorama. Through his message we learn that our hope is found in God and his Messiah, who are in complete control of the world.
Makes sense. There is still quite a bit that does not.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4
So this is an end time event in your opinion?
Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
Literal, as far as the mountain splitting from east to west…?
6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
Is this some sort of the new heaven and earth thing?
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
Another end time event that takes place in present day Jerusalem???
9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
So Jesus is not the one King and Lord right now???
10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
Literal eschatological event or metaphorical???
1
2 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
Your thoughts?
Continued…
Other than some passages in the book of Revelation, Zechariah 14 is about the only other thing I can’t make clear sense of, but will continue to work on it.