19 Sep The Prophecy of Zechariah 14
Hello Friends,
The prophet Zechariah gives us great wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about the Day of the Lord, which is an eschatological term for Messiah’s Second Coming. He begins the chapter by prophesying about the Battle of Jerusalem, which will occur at the end of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24) and conclude at Messiah’s Second Coming (Revelation 19). Zechariah details some of the key events associated with the Day of the Lord, and he concludes the chapter by prophesying about Messiah’s Millennial Reign (Revelation 20), where Messiah will rule from Jerusalem (Zion) on David’s everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
Zechariah 14:1-2, “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”
Zechariah begins by warning the children of Israel (Jews) of what is to come during the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24). He prophesies that the Almighty will gather all nations to battle against the holy city, Jerusalem. It is very important to understand that at Messiah’s Second Coming, He will judge and chastise all nations, including Jerusalem (Matthew 25). Zechariah continues to prophesy that the city will be taken, and half of the people will go into captivity. In Zechariah 13, he gives us one of the reason for God’s judgment upon the children of Israel in Jerusalem.
Zechariah 13:2, “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.”
Because of false prophets and idolatry, which includes not accepting Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah, the Almighty will judge the children of Israel and He will allow the city to be invaded by the Antichrist and his armies.
Daniel 11:30-31,33, “Therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering” (Also see Matthew 24, Daniel 7:25, Daniel 8:24).
Although the Antichrist and his armies invade Jerusalem by the sword and lead many people to death and captivity during the Great Tribulation, Zechariah tells us that the remnant of Messiah will not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:2). In Zechariah 13, he specifically tells us how many people will be “brought through the fire” during that time.
Zechariah 13:8-9, “And it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one–third shall be left in it: I will bring the one–third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Zechariah tell us that one-third of the people will be refined, tested, and brought through the fire, and they will call upon the name of the Lord. They will be His people, and Messiah will be their God! As of today, approximately 300,000 out of 13 million Jewish people believe in Jesus the Messiah, which is clearly not one-third of the people. This confirms that as we get closer to the end of the age, especially during the Great Tribulation, more and more Jewish people will call upon the name of the Lord, Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah!
2 Corinthians 3:13-16, “Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
During the Great Tribulation, once the the remnant of Israel accepts Jesus as their Messiah, and states “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” Messiah will come for His Second Coming.
Matthew 23:39, “For I say to you, you shall not see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Zechariah 14:3-4, “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.”
As Zechariah continues, he prophesies about the last day of the great tribulation, which is Messiah’s Second Coming, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). On this day, Messiah will fight for the holy city of Jerusalem and redeem the remnant of His people. This prophetic event will occur on the Hebrew date, Tishri 10 (Sept/Oct), exactly seven years from the beginning of the tribulation period (Daniel 9:27). On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Second Coming), Messiah will fulfill the sixth feast (Leviticus 23:26-32) of the Lord’s seven feasts that are found in Leviticus 23. Please note, this is why it is extremely imperative to have a basic understanding of the Hebrew calendar and the Lord’s seven feasts, because the three fall feasts (Trumpets, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles) correlate directly with Messiah’s Second Coming events. Also, at Messiah’s Second Coming (Yom Kippur,the Day of Atonement), He will place His feet on the Mount of Olives, dividing it into a large valley.
Zechariah 14:5, “Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.”
At Messiah’s Second Coming, when the power and glory of His feet stand on the Mount of Olives, He will create a very large valley. The famous renown historian, *Flavius Josephus’, gives us great insight into where Azal is located. In his account of the earthquake in Uzziah’s days, he states that it caused a landslide that blocked up the kings’ gardens in the Kidron valley, which is near the Mount of Olives. Just like in the days of Uzziah, the children of Israel will flee from destruction to safety through the mountain valley that is created by the Almighty! Remember, this is the Lord’s Day of Atonement, the Day of Vengeance (Isaiah 61:2-3, Luke 21:22). He will pour out His remaining wrath and judgment upon the earth, including upon the Antichrist’s armies that surround Jerusalem (Luke 21:20).
*Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book 9, chapter 10, paragraph 4, verse 225
Zechariah 14:6-7, “It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; The lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord—Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light.”
Zechariah declares that the Day of Atonement and Vengeance will be dark and gloomy, because the light will be diminished. When Zechariah states that it will be “neither day nor night,” he is telling us that there shall not be altogether light nor altogether darkness, but an intermediate condition that is gloomy, grayish, etc. Zechariah describes the Day of the Lord just as Messiah, John, Joel, and Zephaniah also prophesied it would be.
Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
Revelation 6:12-13, “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.”
Joel 3:15-16, “The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” (Also see Joel 2:30-32)
Zephaniah 1:14-16, “The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
However, at the end of the awesome and terrible day of the Lord (Joel 2:31), at evening time, it will be light! Once Messiah destroys the Antichrist, his armies, and all evil nations, the light of the world (John 8:12), His majesty, will reign for 1,000 years!
Joel 2:32, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”
Messiah’s Millennial Reign
Zechariah 14:8-10, “And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one,” and His name one. All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.”
Living waters will flow from Jerusalem at that time during the summer and winter. Half of the living waters will flow to the eastern sea (Dead Sea), and the other half will flow towards the western sea (Mediterranean Sea).
Once Messiah destroys the Antichrist, the false prophet, and all of the evil nations (Revelation 19:11-21), He will be King over all of the earth! Then, Messiah will set up His millennial kingdom and reign on King David’s throne from Jerusalem for his 1,000-year reign. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)!
Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potters vessel.” (Revelation 2:27)
Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
During Messiah’s millennial reign, the people shall live safe and secure in Jerusalem, and there will not be any more war for 1,000 years, as “the swords will be turned into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks!” Hallelujah!
Zechariah 14:11, “The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”
Isaiah 2:2-4, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain (kingdom) of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain (kingdom) of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob (Israel); He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:1-5).
As Zechariah continues, he states that the “fear of God” will come upon the armies surrounding Jerusalem during Messiah’s Second Coming, which causes panic and chaos among them, and it turns one against the other. He also states there will be a plague that will come upon the enemies of Messiah.
Zechariah 14:13-14, “It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.”
Zechariah 14:12,15, “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.”
Zechariah explains the judgment on the armies, nations, and people, including their animals, who fought against the holy city Jerusalem. He states, “their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.” These symptoms can be associated with the effects of a nuclear weapon. Whatever method the Almighty chooses to deliver this plague is unclear, but, we know by this description from Zechariah that it is so severe it will cause catastrophic effects on the people. This is also confirmed by John the Revelator, as he states that there will be two sickles of judgment during Messiah’s Second Coming, one of the sword and one of fire!
Revelation 14:14-19, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”
After Messiah’s Day of Vengeance is completed and He sets up His millennial reign from Jerusalem on David’s throne, the nations who have survived the Great Tribulation will come to Zion and worship the King of Israel!
Zechariah 14:16-19, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”
During Messiah’s Millennial Reign (1,000 years) on earth, the nations and people will be required to come up to Jerusalem every year to worship Messiah during the Feast of Tabernacles. This confirms how essential it is for both Jew and Gentile to understand and proclaim the Lord’s seven feasts. Please note, these are the Lord’s seven feasts, not the Jewish peoples feasts or Israel’s feasts (Leviticus 23:1-2), and they should be celebrated and proclaimed by both Jews and Gentiles.
Zechariah emphasizes how profound and important it is for Jews and Gentiles to understand the Feasts of Tabernacles.* The nations and families who do not come to Jerusalem to worship Messiah and keep the Feast of Tabernacles will not receive any rain, but instead, they will receive the plague as their judgment. Rain symbolizes God’s blessings.
Isaiah 45:8, “Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it.”
So, if the Lord commanded the Feast of Tabernacles and all of the feasts to be celebrated and proclaimed in the Torah, and the Gentiles are included in the promises of Abraham (Romans 11, Galatians 3:29), and He commands all nations (Gentiles included) to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles during the Millennial Reign, then it would be wise and faithful for us to keep the Lord’s seven feasts today.
Zechariah 14:20-21, “In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.” (See Joel 3:17)
Please note, in our book God’s Prophetic Timeline: Messiah’s Final Warning, you will discover in great detail the prophetic foreshadows, events, and the battlefront of Messiah’s Second Coming (Valley of Jezreel, Jerusalem, and the Valley of Jehoshaphat). You will gain insight into the outcome of the battle as it pertains to the mystery in Revelation 14:20 when it says, “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.” You will also gain knowledge about Messiah’s Millennial Reign. We will address questions such as, “What will it be like?, and “Who will rule with Messiah at Jerusalem for 1,000 years!” Here are some excerpts from the book.
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Second Coming Chapter
“As we discovered, the battlefront at Messiah’s Second Coming will be located from the Valley of Jehoshaphat, including the area of Petra (Edom, Bozrah), and will extend through Jerusalem to the Valley of Jezreel (Megiddo). The distance between these battleground sites are approximately 180 miles! The distance from Megiddo to Jerusalem is approximately 80 miles, and from Jerusalem to Petra is approximately 100 miles, for a total of approximately 180 miles. Is the distance of the battlefront prophesied in the Holy Bible?”
Revelation 14:20, “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.”
John the Revelator prophesies that Messiah’s winepress will produce so much blood that it will come up to the horses’ bridle, which is approximately four feet high. He also states it will be 1,600 furlongs in length, which is approximately 180 miles! John confirms that Messiah’s Second Coming battlefront will be from Megiddo to Petra. Many bible scholars and prophecy teachers have debated the interpretation of the blood coming up to the horses’ bridle, because it would take trillions upon trillions of lives to produce enough blood to come up four feet high and expand 180-miles in length. Also, experts have estimated that the total number of people who will die at Messiah’s Second Coming is approximately 500 million from the Lord’s judgments and war through the tribulation period. Although that is a tremendous amount of people, it is not nearly enough to fulfill John’s prophecy. So how will the blood come up four feet high for 180 miles?”
Millennial Reign Chapter
Judeo-Christians have recited the Lord’s prayer millions of times throughout history. It is a prayer that Messiah commanded us to pray. Yet, do we really understand the true meaning of “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?” The Lord’s prayer is a prophetic calling to Messiah to come and establish His millennial kingdom on earth! When we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,” we are giving honor and glory to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus! When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are acknowledging the Lord’s righteous sovereignty over the universe, thus waiting and anticipating His kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven. One of the reasons for this prayer, if not the main reason, is to pray for His millennial kingdom on earth! Zechariah prophesies about this glorious, amazing time in the future.
Zechariah 14:9, “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be, “The Lord is one,” and His name one.”
“Now, the question is, “Who will reign with Messiah at His millennial kingdom? The Old Testament saints? The tribulation saints? The raptured saints? The survivors of the great tribulation?” The Old Testament saints will be resurrected to inherit God’s promises of the everlasting covenants. Please note, all of the promises of the covenants were made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and their descendants, the Jewish people. Gentiles are “grafted into” these covenants (Rom. 11) and are included in the promises of the covenants (Gal. 3:29). The Book of Hebrews and Daniel confirms that the Old Testament saints will be resurrected into their glorious bodies and receive the promised inheritance of the everlasting covenants from the Lord.
Hebrews 11:13-15, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return” (Heb. 11:8-10).
Daniel 12:1-2, “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people (Jews) shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
The Old Testament saints, pre and post flood, including the Patriarchs and their faithful descendants, will reign with Messiah at the Millennial Reign! Now that we have verified that the Old Testament saints will reign with Messiah, what about the raptured saints and the tribulation saints?”
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