ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 14 The destruction of Jerusalem, MALACHI 14:1,2. The coming of Christ, the graces of his kingdom, and the restoration of Jerusalem, MALACHI 14:3. The plague of Jerusalem's enemies, MALACHI 14:12. The remnant shall turn to the Lord, MALACHI 14:16. The holiness of all that belongeth... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR: this gives not the reason why, but introduceth an account how, this thing shall be done. I WILL GATHER: God will summon and bring together his army. They do it themselves by their own counsels, for their own works and ends; God also hath his work for them to do, and by his counsel and at his ca... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN, after that he hath sufficiently punished Jerusalem and the rest of the Jews, SHALL THE LORD GO FORTH, out of his holy place, (spoken after the manner of men,) as a warrior prepared for battle. FIGHT AGAINST THOSE NATIONS, which had sacked Jerusalem, and oppressed his people. AS WHEN HE FOUGHT... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI 14:3, the Lord is said to dome forth to fight for his people, this 4th verse tells us where he will take his post, or make a stand, viz. on Mount Olivet, which for its situation, in its height, and nearness to Jerusalem and the temple, might appear a convenient post for succours to post them... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE, you that are members of the church, and whom God doth in wonderful power and majesty come to save, SHALL FLEE; filled with apprehensions of such strange things, and troubled at the convulsions and strugglings of nations against God and you, shall, as in a great fear, flee to some place of sa... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY; whilst God is fighting with the enemies of his church, the nations that fought against Jerusalem. THE LIGHT; good estate, peace, and welfare. SHALL NOT BE CLEAR; unmixed good, all light, it will not be so well with the church. NOR DARK; not so sad as all darkness, there shall be a tempe... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL BE ONE DAY; one continued day, no setting of the sun to make it quite night; God will always act in order to the full salvation of his spiritual Jerusalem. KNOWN UNTO THE LORD; the Lord knows when it shall begin, how long last, and how and when it shall (not as other days, end in a night, b... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY; when the gospel shall be preached, and the days of dark ceremonies among the Jews, and darker ignorance and idolatry among the heathen, shall end. LIVING WATERS; not only such as springs and fountains afford, living waters in opposition to standing, muddy, and dead waters; but such as g... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD; God, Father, Son, and Spirit, SHALL BE KING; acknowledged to be, men shall confess, that as he only is, so he ought to be owned, only true God, and King of his church. OVER ALL THE EARTH; over the heathen. the Gentiles or Roman empire, as well as once over the Jewish state. IN THAT DAY OF... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE LAND; the whole land of Judea, here, is type of the whole earth, seat of the catholic church, filled with the knowledge of God. and abounding in multitudes of converts. SHALL BE TURNED AS A PLAIN; all high, uneven places, all high thoughts and imaginations, all rocky and barren ground, chang... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN, i.e. many for number, or eminent for worth, SHALL DWELL IN IT: as it was type, this was verified, say some, when in league with Bacchides and succeeding kings. But in the antitype, to which Zechariah looks, it is now, as it hath been, fulfilled, and more fully shall be, when the fulness of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST; maliciously to destroy, and waste, and extirpate Jerusalem; the ringleaders, especially such as Antiochus, Herod, &c. THEIR FLESH SHALL CONSUME AWAY; when they are fat, fleshy, and strong, their flesh or strength shall utterly perish. WHILE THEY STAND ON THEIR FEET; either... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY; when God punisheth those that invaded and wasted Jerusalem, his church. A GREAT TUMULT; confusion, vexation, and inclination to turn all upside down. FROM THE LORD; from the just displeasure of God, and in revenge on them for troubling his people. SHALL BE AMONG THEM, the bloody, cruel,... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH; the Jews, and particularly those of the tribe of Judah, and possibly Judas Maccabeus might be intended too, as those who in that day were valiant warriors, and successful: against the church's enemies. And many such have been among the Christians too since those days. SHALL FIGHT, with courag... [ Continue Reading ]
Those creatures which the enemy in the wars made use of against the church, shall by the hand of God be suddenly and strangely either destroyed or made useless, neither fit to annoy the church nor to benefit their owners. As God destroyed much of the cattle of the Egyptians by hail, and murrain, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY ONE THAT IS LEFT; such as escape the stroke, and are by mercy reserved, very many of them, among all the nations, shall consider God's hand, repent, and submit themselves to his law; they shall, (as many did,) on sight of God's hand for the church, and against the church's enemies, convert, be... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSO WILL NOT COME UP, if there be any more remiss than they ought herein, and neglect to worship the Lord, even upon them shall be no rain; they shall be punished with want of rain, and with want of the blessings which plentiful and seasonable rain produceth, their land shall be barren.... [ Continue Reading ]
Egypt should think, though they had no rain, they should not be much losers by that, having the Nile to water their ground and make it fruitful. God by his prophet answers them, they shall fall under penury and famine, the very selfsame punishment which shall fall on other nations, if they neglected... [ Continue Reading ]
And what he saith of Egypt, he saith of all contemners of his law and worship; their sin is the same, their punishment shall be the same, for with God is no respect of persons.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY; when the nations are converted to God, as it is MALACHI 14:16. SHALL THERE BE UPON THE BELLS OF THE HORSES; written as it were on every common thing; such as the bells, bridles. or collars, or stables of horses; in these very things, i.e. the use of them, they should make it appear they... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY POT; the utensils of private houses shall be so dedicated to God's service, that without scruple they shall on occasion be used, or might be used, in the worship of God. IN JERUSALEM AND IN JUDAH; the types, but the gospel church is the antitype; in the times hereof every family shall be a tem... [ Continue Reading ]