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Zechariah 14 and the Timing of the Kingdom
TheologicalStudies ^ | August 15, 2011 | Michael Vlach

Posted on 06/25/2012 1:36:41 PM PDT by wmfights

This is first of a 3-part series on Zechariah 14 Part 1 will discuss the timing of the kingdom. Part 2 will discuss the nature of the kingdom. Part 3 will tackle theological implications of the kingdom from Zechariah 14.

Zechariah 14 has significant information concerning the kingdom of God, and thus should be a major area of study for those desiring to understand the kingdom. Important for our purposes is verse 9 which states:

And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.

This is an explicit text that the LORD will be king over the entire earth. Thus, we can say there will be an earthly kingdom. At that time no nation will worship its own gods, unlike today, for the Lord will establish His rule and there will be no doubt who the true God is.

With Zechariah 14, we learn much about this earthly kingdom, both in timing and nature from what comes before and after verse 9.

Let us start with verses 1–8 which indicate that the Lord’s rule over the earth comes in the context of certain future events.

A Kingdom after Tribulation (1–8)

Verses 1–8 show that the Lord’s reign upon the earth is preceded by a time of calamity upon Jerusalem. Verse 1 indicates that “a day is coming” which puts the events of Zechariah 14 in the future. Verse 2 then predicts a time of turmoil that will befall Jerusalem:

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.

God says “I will gather” which indicates that what is to take place is in accord with His sovereign plans and initiative.

We also see that “the nations” will be coming “against Jerusalem.” Note that “nations” here is plural which means the attack involves several nations, not just one.

The city being attacked is “Jerusalem.” This means that the city of Jerusalem has important significance to God. The consequences of this attack upon Jerusalem initially are awful—the city is captured; houses are plundered; women are taken advantage of; and half the city is exiled.

According to verse 3, “the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations.” This indicates that the terrible calamity upon Jerusalem is temporary and not permanent. Jerusalem is attacked and wounded, but only for a time. The Lord comes to Jerusalem’s defense.

Verse 4 states that the LORD’s feet “will stand on the Mount of Olives” in front of Jerusalem on the east side. And the Mount of Olives “will be split in its middle from east to west.” Verse 5 declares that the LORD God will come with His holy ones, His heavenly army. Verses 6 and 7 also indicate that there will be cosmic signs. Verse 8 shows that at this time “living waters will flow out of Jerusalem.” Half will flow toward the eastern sea and half to the western sea. This will be the case in both summer and winter. Thus, kingdom conditions will bring nourishment and prosperity to the area.

All of these things lead up to the statement in verse 9 that: “And the LORD will be king over all the earth.” Thus, various events happen in connection with the Lord’s kingdom over the earth:

■The nations will attack Jerusalem and cause temporary harm to the city (2).

■The Lord will fight against these nations who attack Jerusalem (3).

■The Lord will return to the Mount of Olives and cause major geographical changes to the area (4).

■There will be cosmic signs (6–7).

■Living waters will flow out of Jerusalem (8).

■The Lord will be king over the earth (9).

I understand these events to be literal. As Merrill states, “There is no reason to take this in any but a literal way, unless one is prepared to deny a literal coming of YHWH as well.”[1]

Also, these events, individually and collectively have not yet happened in history. Therefore, we should expect a future fulfillment of them.

In sum, Zech 14:1–9 gives us important information concerning the timing of God’s kingdom. On a future day, when Jerusalem is under siege by the nations, the Lord himself will defend the city and its inhabitants, returning to the Mount of Olives. Cosmic signs and major topographical changes will take place. At that time, “The Lord will be king over all the earth” (14:9).

In my next entry I will discuss the nature of the kingdom from Zech 14:10–18.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Eugene H. Merrill, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago” Moody Press, 1994), 343–44.


TOPICS: Charismatic Christian; Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; Mainline Protestant
KEYWORDS: millennialreign

1 posted on 06/25/2012 1:36:47 PM PDT by wmfights
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To: Alamo-Girl; Amityschild; AngieGal; AnimalLover; Ann de IL; aposiopetic; aragorn; auggy; ...

Ping


2 posted on 06/25/2012 1:38:41 PM PDT by wmfights
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To: wmfights

Thanks for the post. I have to teach Ezekiel 14 tomorrow night.


3 posted on 06/25/2012 3:33:08 PM PDT by aimhigh
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To: wmfights

Dear wmfights,

There are orthodox Jews who do not support the secular Jewish state. I had not realized this!!

Pray!


4 posted on 06/25/2012 5:06:38 PM PDT by stonehouse01 (Equal rights for unborn women)
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To: wmfights

Kind of reminds me of Ezekiel 38-39 and some of revelation.


5 posted on 06/25/2012 5:09:02 PM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: cuban leaf
It's easier to understand the reactions of Jews to Jesus when you understand what their expectations were. One of the beautiful things about the physical millennial reign of Jesus Christ is how it unifies the OT and NT.
6 posted on 06/25/2012 6:45:07 PM PDT by wmfights
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To: stonehouse01
There are orthodox Jews who do not support the secular Jewish state. I had not realized this!!

Me neither!

7 posted on 06/25/2012 6:48:03 PM PDT by wmfights
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To: wmfights
Thank you very much for the pointer to this great source of Christian education!

In particular the site has great info on Premillennialism, Supersessionism, and Dispensationalism - three important terms that few among Christians really understand - particularly good information regarding Christian standing in relation to the nation of Israel.

8 posted on 06/25/2012 7:17:15 PM PDT by Ron C.
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To: Ron C.
the site has great info on Premillennialism, Supersessionism, and Dispensationalism

I agree! I've found all kinds of great articles and a willingness to present differring views.

9 posted on 06/25/2012 7:33:05 PM PDT by wmfights
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To: wmfights
Song I wrote this week:

The bride is waiting for the Bridegroom
We say "When Lord?
He say "Soon!
All creation groans for The King
To come and take His throne
To come and take His throne

and He rides a white horse
with His eyes on fire
His clothes dipped in blood
King of glory

He's the King of kings
The Lord of Lords
in His mouth is a sword
King of glory

and He rides a white horse
with His eyes on fire
His clothes dipped in blood
King of glory

He's the King of kings
The Lord of lords
in His mouth is a sword
King of glory

The bride is waiting for the Bridegroom
We say "When Lord?
He say "Soon!
All creation groans for The King
To come and take His throne
To come and take His throne

10 posted on 06/25/2012 7:43:29 PM PDT by Manic_Episode (Tom Hoefling for President - 2012)
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To: wmfights

Not yet.


11 posted on 06/25/2012 7:50:54 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: wmfights

Thanks for the ping!


12 posted on 06/25/2012 8:15:30 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: wmfights
Interesting facts about the area of the Mount of Olives and the Zechariah prophecy of the Mount of Olives "cleaving" from the east to the west when the Messiah returns upon it:

    As for the geology of Jerusalem, there is a fault line running from East to West through the Mt. of Olives and the Temple area to the Mediterranean Sea. When King Hussein of Jordan had the Intercontinental Hotel built on the Mt. of Olives in 1964, engineers discovered the fault line running through the original construction site, which was directly East of the Temple Mount. They relocated the site to the south, desecrating hundreds of Jewish graves in the process, and built the hotel there. Today it’s called the Seven Arches Hotel. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/destroying-the-temple-mount/

13 posted on 06/25/2012 8:24:44 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums

Incredible. The LORD leaves all kinds of “evidence” for us if we just want to put the pieces together.


14 posted on 06/26/2012 6:46:35 AM PDT by wmfights
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To: wmfights

Hey WM and all. Been ages since I posted here on FR, but when I saw this topic I had to weigh in with a related question to see what others think: Why will we need animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom?

MM


15 posted on 07/27/2012 9:47:05 PM PDT by MississippiMan (http://gogmagogblog.wordpress.com/)
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