Passage: Zechariah 14
The Big Idea
Zechariah ends with the Day of the Lord: the nations gathered against Jerusalem, and then Jesus stepping down onto the Mount of Olives to fight for His people and reign as King over all the earth. Living water flows, everything is made holy, and nothing will ever again distract from Jesus.
The Day of the Lord (Zechariah 14:1-2)
The day of the Lord is coming, when God will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-2). The city is taken, houses plundered, and half the city goes into captivity, but a remnant remains.
The Day of the Lord is the day God comes to set everything right and judge the nations. Don’t get lulled into thinking nothing major will ever happen. God will intervene in history, and in your life.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy about the coming Day of the Lord (Acts 2:16-21). So in one sense, we experience the reality of God’s reign right now by faith. And the whole world will experience it fully on that day.
“Your spoil will be divided”
I hope you’re not too attached to your stuff. It’s going to burn (2 Peter 3:10). When Jesus comes, there will be no lure of materialism. He’ll be enough for everything we need.
When people asked Jesus about paying taxes, He said give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s (Matthew 22:21). God is after your heart, not your money. If you trust the Lord, you never have to worry about money. He’ll take care of you.
Armageddon
All nations will gather against Jerusalem, and half the city will fall. Just when it looks like there’s no way God’s people can be saved, Jesus steps in.
The Lord Goes to War (Zechariah 14:3)
Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights on a day of battle (Zechariah 14:3).
This is the second coming of Jesus. Compare it with His first coming. Before Pilate, He said His kingdom was not of this world; if it were, His servants would fight (John 18:36). He came the first time as a Lamb to be slain.
But the second time:
- He will come like lightning flashing from east to west; the sun and moon will go dark, and all the tribes of the earth will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory (Matthew 24:27-30).
- Heaven opens, and He rides a white horse, called Faithful and True. His eyes are like fire, He wears many crowns, His robe is dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven follow Him in white linen. A sharp sword comes from His mouth, and on His robe is written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The beast and the false prophet are captured and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21).
His Feet on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5)
On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, and the mountain will split in two (Zechariah 14:4). A huge valley will open, and the people will flee through it. Then the Lord God will come, and all His holy ones with Him (Zechariah 14:5).
Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, and the angels said He would come back the same way (Acts 1:11-12). When His feet touch down, the mountain splits.
“The Lord my God will come.” Jesus is God. “And all the saints with You.” That’s us.
Neither Day nor Night (Zechariah 14:6-7)
There will be no light, and the lights in the sky will fade. It will be a unique day, known only to the Lord, neither day nor night. But when evening comes, there will be light (Zechariah 14:6-7).
Man-made light won’t help. There will be no human way out. But just as flipping a switch fills every corner of a room with light, Jesus will be the only light by which people see the world. No other source, no other perspective.
Can you apply that to your life today?
Living Waters and One King (Zechariah 14:8-9)
Living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, summer and winter. The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name (Zechariah 14:8-9).
Living water
Jesus said whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within (John 7:38). The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Whoever thirsts, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). Ezekiel saw a river flowing from the temple that grew deeper and deeper, bringing healing and life wherever it went (Ezekiel 47:1-12).
The Lord is one
Israel’s great confession: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love Him with all your heart, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
All things unified. All things restored and put back together. All things made right, by Jesus.
Jerusalem Lifted Up (Zechariah 14:10-11)
The land around will be leveled into a plain, and Jerusalem will be raised up and safely inhabited. Massive changes to the landscape. No more destruction. People will dwell in safety. Jesus sets up His kingdom, and Jerusalem becomes the greatest city in the world.
The Plague on the Enemies (Zechariah 14:12-15)
Those who fought against Jerusalem will be struck with a plague: flesh dissolving while they stand, eyes in their sockets, tongues in their mouths. Panic will spread among them.
This seems to describe what the sword from Jesus’ mouth does (Revelation 19:15, 21). Some have compared it to the effects of modern weapons, but however it happens, it shows the overwhelming power of the returning King.
Coming Up to Worship (Zechariah 14:16-19)
The survivors from the nations will go up to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Those who refuse will have no rain.
There are consequences for not maintaining a relationship with the Lord, just like today.
The Feast of Tabernacles remembered how God faithfully provided for Israel in the wilderness, when they lived in tents. Do you need to stop and remember His faithfulness and provision in your life?
Holiness to the Lord (Zechariah 14:20-21)
On that day even the bells on the horses will be engraved “Holiness to the Lord.” The ordinary cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be as sacred as the bowls before the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord (Zechariah 14:20-21).
The words once engraved only on the high priest’s turban will be on horse bells and cooking pots. Everything ordinary will be holy. The spiritual world will be as real and visible as the physical world. People will see and believe the spiritual realities around them.
There will be nothing that distracts you from Jesus. Nothing more exciting or important than Him.
Grace Takeaway
Zechariah began with a broken city and discouraged people, and ends with the King standing on the Mount of Olives, living water flowing, and every pot holy. That’s where your story is headed too. The God who remembers, who blesses, at the appointed time, will finish the restoration project He started in you.