Zechariah 14 features many mysteries that even the brightest Christian minds stumble over. We need to tread with humility as we attempt to interpret these verses. One helpful north star to help us interpret these passages is to see them in light of the New Testament. Jesus sees himself as the center of a New Israel. He takes along twelve disciples which equals the twelve tribes of Israel. He leaves Egypt as a child like Israel’s Exodus, fights temptation in the wilderness for 40 days which equals the 40 years of Israel’s wanderings, gets baptized in the Jordan like Israel got “baptized” as they crossed the parted Jordan sea into the promised land, and cleansed the holy land of occupying demons like Israel cleansed the holy land of Canaanites. Jesus gets “exiled” at the cross, but then rises again much like Israel experienced exile in Babylon only to be “reborn” into the land during Zechariah’s day. This close parallel indicates that the promises of Israel’s restoration finds its ultimate fulfillment not in a building or a city, but Jesus Christ himself. So when we read these restorative promises we need to understand them in light of Jesus and how he fulfills the story of Israel. This is Understanding Zechariah.

Check out the rest of the Understanding series here