REMEMBER, HE’S NOT DONE YET!
- Heritage Church
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
DAY 14 - January 18
Welcome to the final day of our study in the book of Zechariah. And what a wild ride it’s been! Even though the content has been lengthy and difficult to dissect at times, I’m so glad you stuck with me through it all, because today we are going out with a bang!
If you remember, yesterday's study focused on Jesus’ first coming, which is the story of Jesus that we tend to be the most familiar with. Afterall, even if you have never stepped foot in a church building or cracked open a Bible, you can see remnants (though often Biblically inaccurate ones) of Jesus' birth and even His death and resurrection at your local Walmart every Christmas and Easter.
Today, however, we will be focusing our discussion around His second coming - the one that hasn’t happened yet - which is prophesied of at length in the book of Revelation.
So, what is this “second coming”? Where in His first coming, Jesus came humbly as a baby, His second coming will be far more epic. Where, before, He arrived without the world noticing, His second coming will be seen by everyone. And where the result of His first coming made it possible for us to have direct access to the Father, no longer having to go through the whole priest-sacrificing-animals thing, after His second coming, we will be able to actually physically see Him face to face!
Just as we did yesterday, today we will be tackling three chapters' worth of content, and so, though there will definitely be some focused scripture reading, I will also be doing quite a bit of summarizing. So definitely don’t hesitate to go back and dig into each chapter in its entirety another day soon! Now, who’s ready to dig in? Let’s go!
Zechariah chapter 11 ended quite abruptly with a curse on the “worthless shepherd”, Zechariah chapter 12 abruptly shifts focus to a prophecy of God’s future defense of Jerusalem during what is commonly known as the “end times.” It is here in chapter 12 that we read of God’s divine defense, promising to make Jesuralem a “cup of trembling” (KJV) or an “intoxicating drink” (NLT) that causes nearby nations to stagger in verse 2, and a “very heavy stone” (NKJV) or “immovable rock” (NLT) for surrounding nations, protecting its inhabitants from attack.
Chapter 12 also tells us in verse 5 how Judah’s fighters will “have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God” (NLT), as God delivers Israel “not only through His direct work, but also through blessing and empowering the both governors and inhabitants of Jerusalem…Part of of this great outpouring of strength and might to defend Jerusalem will be an outpouring of Spirit…God will move among Israel and bring saving grace and repentant prayer.*”
Zechariah 13 picks up right where chapter 12 left off. Now that the Israelites have returned to the Lord, a purification process begins. Let’s read about that cleansing right now, together.
“On that day, a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem,
a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. ‘And on that day,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies, ‘I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten.
I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them. If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must die, for you have prophesied lies
in the name of the Lord.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.” Zechariah 13:1-3
Well, that escalated quickly! Where verse 1 begins with a quaint little image of a fountain, verse 3 ends with the jarring statement that “his own father and mother will stab him.” So what are these three verses trying to tell us?
If you remember, idolatry and false prophecy were the two main “stumbling blocks” for the Israelites. Time and time again, they were led astray by idol worship (Exodus 32, Judges 2, 1 Kings 12, 1 Kings 11, 2 Kings 17, 2 Kings 25), and the voices of false prophets (Jeremiah 28, 1 Kings 22, Jeremiah 23). Here, the Lord is saying that He will not only provide a fountain to cleanse His people, but He will also completely “cut out and remove the source of uncleanness.*” And in that time there will be such a strong commitment to the Lord that families will no longer make excuses for one another, excusing sin. Instead, they will call sin as sin and condemn their own flesh and blood, should they be a false prophet.
Chapter 13 then ends with a poem of sorts in which the Shepherd is struck, and the sheep are scattered - a prophecy that describes the crucifixion of Jesus as the “Shepherd” and the subsequent scattering, judgment, and eventual purification of a remnant of Israel in the end times.
Which brings us to Chapter 14, which I would like for you to go ahead and read for yourself in its entirety.
In the opening two verses of this chapter, Zechariah describes Jerusalem surrounded and attacked by some unknown force - an attack that is indeed severe, but the city will ultimately not be overthrown, as verse 3 tells us, “But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” However, I am sure the people were still feeling quite hopeless at this point. But then here comes the Lord, ready to fight for His people, and verse 4 says,
“On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives
will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward
the north and half toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4 (NLT)
This verse paints a picture of Jesus physically returning to the physical earth and setting His feet on the Mount of Olives. When He does, the Mount of Olives splits in two, making a way through which the persecuted people of Jerusalem can flee.
In verses 6-11, the author begins to describe the beauty of the new Jerusalem in the Messiah’s new kingdom. Zechariah describes how Jerusalem will no longer be a dry city, relying solely on the rainy season, but will have a river providing a never-ending flow of water! (verse 8) He also speaks of the flattening of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, as they will no longer be needed for protection and defense.
In verses 12-15, the focus shifts from the Lord and His people to the Lord and the ultimate destruction of the enemies of God and His people. These verses tell us that these enemies will be destroyed by plague, mutual slaughter, and by the sword of Judah. Resulting in a fully liberated, prosperous, and influential city of Israel once again.
In the final six verses of this chapter (verses 16-21), we read that all who are remaining will then, instead of coming to Jerusalem for battle, come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, where, in the Messiah's kingdom, what was previously common is now made holy. “Ultimately, Zechariah invites us to look above the chaos and hope for the coming of God’s Kingdom, which should motivate faithfulness in the present moment. That’s the challenge Zechariah offers to all generations of God’s people.**”
In short, these final three chapters of the book of Zechariah describe the climactic events that will one day make up the end of the world as we know it. And for some, that can feel uncomfortable or concerning! There’s a lot of unknowns and a lot of what-ifs. But, on the flip side, let’s be honest…Life is hard, but this glimpse into Jesus’ second coming reminds us that it’s not always going to be this way! There is an ultimate eradication of it all! As Revelation 21:4 tells us,
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.” (NLT)
Gone FOREVER! Forever is a concept our limited minds cannot grasp! Especially when we are currently living our lives just waiting for the other shoe to drop when things in life start feeling too easy and calm. But friends, a day is coming when there won’t be another shoe to drop, and we will live forever in perfect peace with Him - we just have to continue faithfully waiting on Him and in Him for that “some day.” For just as the Israelites waited for Him to come then, we are waiting for Him to return now.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on what we just read and learned.
Zechariah 14 paints a picture of Jesus physically standing on the Mount of Olives, and then Revelation 21:4 promises an end to pain, sorrow, and death forever. How does imagining Christ’s real, visible return (Zechariah 14) and remembering the promise laid on in Revelation 21 change the way you view your current struggles or suffering?
In the final vision, what was once common is made holy. How might God be inviting you to see your everyday life - work, relationships, routines - as holy?
The future hope of God’s kingdom is meant to motivate faithfulness in our present lives. What does an active, faithful waiting look like for you in your current season of life?
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new
every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)