Zechariah 14:8-12

IN THAT DAY (12). Zechariah 14:8-12

RV. And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea; in summer and in winter shall it be. And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one. All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king's winepresses. And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

LXX. And in that day living water shall come forth out of Jerusalem; half of it toward the former sea, and half of it toward the latter sea; and so shall it be in summer and spring. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one, compassing all the earth, and the wilderness from Gabe unto Remmon south of Jerusalem. And Rama shall remain in its place From the gate of Benjamin to the place of the first gate, to the gate of the corners, and to the tower of Anameel, as far as the kin's winepresses, they shall dwell in the city; and there shall be no more any curse, and Jerusalem shall dwell securely. And this shall be the overthrow with which the Lord will smite all the nations, as many as have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume away while they are standing upon their feet, and their eyes shall melt out of their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

COMMENTS

(Zechariah 14:8-9) If the Day of Jehovah (Zechariah 14:1) did begin on Pentecost (see above on Zechariah 14:6-7) and the violence described in Zechariah 14:4-7 are to occur at the end of it, the present verse is easily identifiable with Jesus-' statement to the Samaritan woman in John chapter four. Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. This living water did indeed flow east and west from Jerusalem as repentance and remission of sin began to be preached in the whole world, beginning from Jerusalem.

In the end of the day in which the living water began to flow, the Lord shall be king over the whole earth.
God has always been king over the whole earth. In the end He will be universally recognized as what He has always been. Evidence of His universal reign is to be the abolishing of false gods. Zechariah has already informed us that this would happen in the holy land. In the end it will happen throughout the earth. That it has by no means happened yet proves further that Zechariah's prediction remains to be completely fulfilled.

(Zechariah 14:10-11) Geba. the name literally means a hill was located on the northern border of the land of Benjamin. (cf. Joshua 21:17, cp. 2 Kings 15:22) Rimmon, meaning pomegranate, was situated south of Jerusalem, in Judah. It was rebuilt following the Babylonian exile. (cf. Joshua 15:32; Joshua 19:7)

It seems that the phenomenon which is to split the Mount of Olives, opening a new valley, will also cause other topographical changes in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Geba and Rimmon marked the northern and southern limits of post-exilic Judah. The mountain ridge thus occupied is pictured here as sinking to form a plain above which Jerusalem is lifted up or exalted.

Zechariah speaks of Jerusalem as it appeared in his own day. The gate of Benjamin was on the north and is probably to be identified with the gate of Ephriam (cp. 2 Chronicles 25:23, Nehemiah 8:16; Nehemiah 12:39) The tower of Hananeel still stood while the first gate seems to have been destroyed, since he speaks of its place rather than the gate itself.

(Zechariah 14:11) During this cataclysmic upheaval, the city itself will be untouched. Those in it will be safe.

(Zechariah 14:12) Those who are arrayed against Jerusalem at the time of the upheaval will shortly thereafter be smitten by a plague. The description of those struck by it is appalling. The only thing like it so far seen on earth was seen at Hiroshima and Nagasaki! If what we are reading here is the symbolic description of a final war on earth, the weapons for it are already in the arsenals.

IN THAT DAY (14). Zechariah 14:13-19

RV. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of the beasts that shall be in those camps, as that plague. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso of all the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, neither shall it be upon them; there shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
LXX. And there shall be in that day a great panic from the Lord upon them; and they shall lay hold every man of the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall be clasped with the hand of his neighbour. Juda also shall fight in Jerusalem; and God shall gather the strength of all the nations round about, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And this shall be the overthrow of the horses, and mules, and camels, and asses, and all the beasts that are in those camps, according to this overthrow. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall be left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem, shall even come up every year to worship the king, the Lord Almighty, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever of all the families of the earth shall not come up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord Almighty, even these shall be added to the Others. And if the family of Egypt shall not go up, non come; then upon them shall be the overthrow with which the Lord shall smite all the nations, whichever of them shall not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the sin of Egypt, and the sin of all the nations, whosoever shall not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

COMMENTS

(Zechariah 14:13) The result of the previously described cataclysm and plague is consternation. Mutual lack of trust seems to run amuck. Each one lays hold of the hand of his neighbor and raises up his own hand against him.

(Zechariah 14:14) Judah (the Jews) shall also fight at Jerusalem in that day. Whatever has been taken in the pillage described in Zechariah 14:1-2 will be returned, and more beside.

(Zechariah 14:15) The plague which strikes the nations gathered against Jerusalem shall also smite the animals. The law said that, if an entire city became polluted by idolatry, not only the people but their animals were to be destroyed (cf. Deuteronomy 8:15). Here the justice of God fulfills His law against the pagan people who have attacked His holy city.

(Zechariah 14:16) The result of God's judgement is to be repentance. Those left of those who warred against Jerusalem now turn and worship her King.

The feast of the tabernacles commemorated the pilgrim life of the Jews during their years between the Red Sea and the Jordan. It celebrated not only entrance into the promised land, but the lessons learned through forty years of desert wandering during which an entire rebellious generation died. The nations who have at last learned, as Israel of old, the consequence of rebellion against God will keep the feast which commemorates that learning experience.

(Zechariah 14:17) If any nation fails to keep the feast of tabernacles, the result will be drought. Lack of rain soon turns the richest land to waste. The withholding of water as a means of chastisement has a long history in the Old Testament. (cf. Amos 4:7, 1 Kings 18:9-16:5.)

(Zechariah 14:18-19) Egypt is singled out for special treatment should she refuse to keep the feast. This nation, whose history in ancient times was as interwoven with that of the Jewish nation as it is today, has had more first-hand experience of the power of God at work in His people than anyone else.

Drought was no threat to Egypt through the withholding of rain. It virtually never rains in Egypt anyway. Therefore, should Egypt fail to repent and keep the feast, she will suffer a special plague. Just what that plague will be is not stated.
Ultimately the plague visited upon unrepentant Egypt is to be shared by all nations which refuse to keep the feast.

Chapter XLIIQuestions

In the Second Day

1.

Chapter fourteen deals almost exclusively with _________________.

2.

Eschatology may be defined simply as _________________.

3.

Do scholars generally agree on the meaning of this chapter?

4.

Discuss the two extreme views of pre and post millenialists in regard to Zechariah fourteen.

5.

One can never be _________________ and be dogmatic about eschatology, especially when it is written in apocalyptic form.

6.

In the study of eschatology we are deprived of a very useful tool in the interpretation of prophecy in general. What is that tool?

7.

Review the meaning of a day of Jehovah in chapter forty-one.

8.

In the day of Jehovah described in Zechariah fourteen the ______________ of Jerusalem is to be divided in her midst.

9.

Half the population of Jerusalem is to be _________________.

10.

Why does the Roman occupation of Jerusalem not fit the description here?

11.

List the events of Zechariah

a.

In that day (10)

b.

In that day (11)

c.

In that day (12)

d.

In that day (13)

e.

In that day (14)

f.

In that day (15)

g.

In that day (16)

12.

Describe the present setting of the Mount of Olives.

13.

The division of the Mount of Olives would provide an easy ___________________.

14.

The events here are compared to an historic earthquake in the days of ___________________.

15.

The description of the Lord in company with all the saints always refers to ___________________.

16.

What other prophets described the day of the Lord in terms similar to those used here by Zechariah?

17.

Peter saw at least the beginning of the fulfillment of a similar prediction by Joel in ___________________.

18.

God has always been king over the whole earth. In the end He will be ___________________.

19.

Locate Geba and Rimmon.

20.

What other topographical alterations accompany the splitting of the Mount of Olives?

21.

Who will be safe during these cataclysmic events?

22.

Describe the plague which is to come upon those arrayed against Jerusalem.

23.

What is the result of this plague?

24.

What Jewish feast is to be celebrated by all the nations? What is its significance?

25.

What is to be the consequence if any nation fails to keep the feast?

26.

Why is Egypt here singled out for special punishment should she fail to keep the feast?

27.

Finally the inscription _______________ is to be seen on everything in Jerusalem.

28.

Explain the significance of this inscription appearing on such diverse items as altar utensils and cook pots in the home.

29.

Who were the Canaanites?