Zechariah 12:1–3 – The Siege Of Jerusalem
Zechariah 12:4–9 – The Divine Deliverance
Zechariah 12:10–13:9 – Israel Completely Delivered From Sin
Zechariah 14:1–2 – The Siege Of Jerusalem
Zechariah 14:3–8 – The Messiah’s Return And Its Effects
Zechariah 14:9–11 – The Establishment Of The Messianic Kingdom
Zechariah 14:12–15 – The Punishment Of Israel’s Enemies
Zechariah 14:16–21 – The Universal Worship Of The Holy King
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Zechariah’s prophecy is bold and strong, “on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9). Judah will be protected and Jerusalem will be a rock that no nation can move–even though “all who try to move it will injure themselves” (12:3). “On that day” is written throughout this passage, words of hope, but no definitive time for the prophecy. “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a first-born son” (12:10).
Chapter 13 promises to provide an ultimate cleansing from sin, idols and misguided self-proclaimed prophets: “I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more…I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity form the land” (13:2). Verses 7-9 describe a refining process where one-third will remain and these will be “put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.” As I read this, I am less than excited for it seems like most will not be acceptable, most will be revealed as dross and thrown aside. The context is important here, I get that, but it’s a difficult message to hear. Most will not receive Christ, many will, but most won’t. That’s a sad prophecy.
Chapter 14 moves us forward to the end of time, “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (14:4). That’s some earthquake! “On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness” (14:6), we have moved to the end of time, like the time of John’s Revelation, “there will be one Lord, and his name the only name” (14:9). But it’s different here, there is no universal peace–yet. There is mention of much fighting for Jerusalem still, but all will come and worship the Lord.
God speaks to his beloved through the prophets and I believe he speaks to us today through his Holy Word. For the past 16 months, I’ve invested time in the Bible like never before. Each morning God wakes me up with his words and I have grown stronger in faith and closer to God in the process. How do I share this with others? Yes, I had to learn to get up an hour earlier every day, but the prize was so worth the seeming inconvenience. Lord, show me how to give others this gift. It’s in plain sight, so commonplace now that I fear people don’t even see it. Use me, Lord, in whatever capacity you desire–I only want to serve your greater purpose during whatever years you have left for me on earth.