Let’s turn our attention to the 14th – and last!

– chapter of the book of the Old Testament prophet Zechariah.

This 14th chapter of Zechariah continues what was

started back in chapter 12of this book. It’s an oracle or burden

concerning Israel.

And what we’ve seen is that so far most of this

three-chapter section has dealt with what’s to come for Israel at the end of

what we know as the Great Tribulation – that seven-year period of time in which

God pours out his wrath on this world that continually rejects him – and at the

end of which he sends Jesus Christ to put down all his enemies and to establish

his kingdom on earth for a thousand years.

We’ll study the first eleven verses of chapter 14 today. And

I expect that next time we’ll finish this book.

So, let’s read Zechariah 14 and then get into the details.

{Read Zec 14…}

Now, let’s get into the details.

Zechariah 14 Commentary v1 Destruction of Nations who Attack J’lem

In verse 1 we saw that the Lord foretells a time when all

the things that have been taken from the Jews are returned to them.

KJV Zechariah 14:1 ¶ Behold, {the/a} day {of the LORD cometh/is coming from the LORD/of the LORD is about to come}, {and/when} {thy spoil/the spoil taken from you/your possessions/your plunder} {shall/will} be divided {in the midst of thee/among you/in your midst/among you}.

Well, what’s this business about stuff being taken from the

Jews? When is that going to happen?

According to verse 2, the Jews will be attacked by numerous nations

– and for the most part – for a while at least – it will look like the nations

are winning against Israel.

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to {battle/wage war/fight against it}; and the city {shall be taken/will be captured}, and the houses {rifled/plundered/ransacked}, and the women {ravished/raped}; {and/then} half of the city {shall go forth into captivity/exiled}, {and/but} the {residue/rest/remainder} of the people {shall/will} not be {cut off from the city/taken away}.

So, despite the devastation and destruction, about half of

the city will remain in it and not be sent out.

And I suppose that if the destruction mentioned in verse 2

were to continue to occur then that remaining half would be sent out of there

as well. Except in verse 3 we’re told that at that moment – when all of these

awful things are happening – the Lord will fight for Israel.

3 Then {shall the LORD/the LORD will} go {forth/to battle}, and fight against those nations, {as when/just as} he {fought/fights/fought battles} {in/on} {the day of battle/ancient days}.

And we know this to be a reference to Jesus Christ – the

Jews’ pierced Messiah whom they’ll look upon as we saw in Zechariah 12. He’s

going to come and fight against these nations that are attacking the Jews toward

the end of the Tribulation and who are taking spoil from them.

Now, once again, notice who Jesus Christ is identified as

being. He’s the LORD – Jehovah – Yahweh – the God of Israel – the God who

created everything.

Now, some might think that the Lord’s return is spiritual

only. They think that he’s not coming back physically. The Church is somehow

going to bring in the Millennium – rather than Jesus Christ coming and doing that.

That way of thinking is called Post-Millennialism. Jesus will return after the

thousand year reign.

The problem is that verse 4 doesn’t allow for that way of

thinking. No – the Lord’s feet are literally going to touch down on the Mount

of Olives in Jerusalem in those days according to verse 4.

4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is {before/in front of} Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives {shall cleave in the midst thereof/will be split in its middle/will be split in half} {toward the/from} east {and toward the/to} west, {and there shall be/by/leaving} a very {great/large} valley; {and/so that} half of the mountain {shall remove/will move} {toward the nort