Sunday Messages - Sheboygan eFree Church Sunday Messages

In Zechariah 14:16-21, the author describes a future time when the LORD is worshipped as King, with Jerusalem designated by God as the site for worship (14:16). Three times throughout this passage, reference is made to the Feast of Booths (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Indwelling). This feast is described in Leviticus 23:33-43 and Deuteronomy 16:13-16.

Similar to the American 'Thanksgiving Day,' it is a time when the year's harvest is brought in, and the people rejoice in the goodness of the LORD. What Zechariah describes is a future day when all peoples come to feast upon all that God has provided. Let's examine these verses together as we bring to a conclusion our series on the second coming of our LORD.

The closing chapter in Zechariah provides perspective regarding the final battle in history, with Jerusalem serving as the epicenter of the conflict. Chapter 14 is an expansion upon what Zechariah wrote in 13:9. Last week, we covered 14:1-7 and noted two significant aspects of the battle. First, the conflict described by God (verses 1-3), and second, the conqueror sent by God (verses 4-7).

The key verse in today’s exposition is 14:9, which states: And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. We will want to connect these words with Revelation 11:15 and 19:16. In Zechariah 14, note the security and peace promised by God to his people (14:11). As God intervenes in this final conflict, note the vehicles he utilizes to secure people in 14:12-14. As we examine this text, our hearts should echo the words of Psalm 122:6, which encourages us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you!

Jerusalem has been a central battleground throughout the centuries. In AD 70, Roman armies surrounded the city, and after a 143-day siege, Jerusalem with its temple was destroyed. After the Holocaust, Israel reestablished statehood in 1948, only to be thrust into an intense 10-month war. The years 1956, 1967 (the famous 6-Day War), and 1973(the Yom Kippur War) provide recent examples of a nation under siege, with Jerusalem as the epicenter.

Zechariah 14 introduces us to the climactic, final battle in history. No prior battle compares to this siege. What distinguishes this war (referred to as the Battle of Armageddon) is that Jesus Christ will return, descending upon the Mount of Olives (14:4). This is the same setting from which our Lord ascended into Heaven at the end of his earthly ministry (Acts 1:11). Let’s examine these verses carefully, as we ponder the trajectory of the rising anti-semitism prevalent in these days.

When Zechariah quotes the LORD who declares Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the one who stands next to me (13:7), he is drawing from the rich heritage of shepherds in Jewish history. The term shepherd was first used to describe Abel in Genesis 4:2. Subsequently, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s sons are referred to in Scripture as shepherds (Genesis 13:7; 26:20; 30:36; 37:2 ff). Great leaders, such as Moses and David, were shepherds (Exodus 3:1, 1 Samuel 16:11 ff).

As Zechariah prepared his readers for anticipating both first and second comings of the Messiah, he could draw upon Ezekiel 34:23-31, which speaks of the Messiah as the good shepherd. Zechariah writes prophetically of the Messianic shepherd being rejected in Zechariah 11:4-14. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is described as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:2, 11, 14, 16). As we examine today’s passage, let’s link the verses to the second coming of Jesus Christ, He alone is the great shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20).

Zechariah 12-14 communicates a "burden" (an authoritative word from God) regarding what will occur in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. Yahweh, “who stretched out the heavens” and “formed the spirit of man” (12:1), will miraculously deliver his people from external global military threats (12:1-9). He will also give great gifts (12:10, “grace”), including widespread repentance and loyalty to Jesus, the Messiah, described as “a fountain . . . opened to cleanse them.” (13:1)

In our passage today, we see that another characteristic of cleansing “on that day” is the permanent eradication of both idolatry and false prophets from the land. That day will be characterized by the exclusive worship of Yahweh and the exclusive authority of God’s Word, and we should note that it is God himself who does it.