In Zechariah’s prophecy concerning Israel, we read these solemn words: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of bewilderment unto all the peoples round about. ... And it shall come to pass in that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone unto all peoples: all that burden themselves with it shall certainly be wounded” (Zech. 12:2-32Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:2‑3) JND). No doubt this refers to a future day, when Israel, having come through the Great Tribulation, will once again be taken up and defended by the Lord. Although it is not specifically stated here, it would seem that, prophetically, the armies of the Roman beast, including the Antichrist, will have by this time been disposed of by the Lord. After that, there will evidently be a siege of Jerusalem by the nations that are left, with a view to destroying her. However, the emphasis here is not so much on who the nations may be that are involved in this siege, but rather on the fact that the Lord will make Jerusalem a “cup of bewilderment” and a “burdensome stone” to them. If indeed all this occurs after the “overflowing scourge” of the King of the North and the resultant devastation to the land of Israel, then it is indeed easy to understand the bewilderment of the surrounding nations when Israel then becomes a burdensome stone, far too heavy for them.
The First Attack Against Jerusalem
The first attack against Jerusalem (by the King of the North, probably a confederation of Arab nations, backed by Russia) is all too successful and is allowed of God, as Israel experiences terrible devastation towards the end of the tribulation. The destruction and bloodshed will be worse than anything they have ever experienced before, as God deals with them for having rejected and crucified their Messiah. Another effect of this invasion will be to purge the land of apostate Jews, who have followed the Antichrist. Abandoned by the Roman beast, who breaks his covenant with them (Isa. 28:1818And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:18)), they will not be able to withstand the assault against them. But then, when all this has humbled them and turned them to repentance, the Lord comes to their rescue. He first of all destroys the Western confederacy (the armies of the Roman beast), and then He destroys the armies of the King of the North. But not all of them will be killed; some will escape, to be destroyed by Israel itself later.
Another Attack
When the Lord has established His kingdom and brought in the millennium, Russia will come down with her hordes to attack and will in turn be destroyed by the Lord. But after this, remnants of some of the nations that aligned themselves with Russia will be destroyed by the armies of Israel, as we read in Zechariah: “In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left” (Zech. 12:66In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6)). This is when Jerusalem becomes a “burdensome stone,” when all who oppose her “shall be cut in pieces.” With the Lord on her side, none will be able to handle Israel, as “the Stone of Israel” (Gen. 49:2424But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) (Genesis 49:24)) fights for her.
The Times of the Gentiles
However, we can also see that throughout the times of the Gentiles, the nation of Israel, and especially the city of Jerusalem, has been a burdensome stone for those who became involved with her. The city has been captured and recaptured more than forty times. In chronological order, Jerusalem was a burdensome stone to the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Roman Catholic crusaders (1099-1247 A.D.), the Muslims, and, in modern history, to the British, the U.S. and other Western nations. Since the inception of the United Nations in 1945, 55% of the resolutions that have come before the general assembly involved Israel, and in more recent years, the percentage has been even higher.
Today the city of Jerusalem continues to be the object of competing claims, as both Jews and Muslims refuse to give any concessions on their assertion that the city is rightfully theirs. Beginning as far back as 1949, attempts to “internationalize” the city have also failed, as Israel rejects this and declares that Jerusalem is its capital. Yet almost seventy years later, only nine nations in the U.N. voted with the U.S. when President Donald Trump announced in 2017 that “it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” An article in Time magazine several years ago made this perceptive comment: “Of all the conflicts between Jews and Arabs, the conflict over Jerusalem is the most complex. The Israelis are willing to bargain on many things, but they will not bargain on Jerusalem.”
The Times of the Gentiles Fulfilled
Only when the Lord gives it to them will Israel really have the city, however, for our Lord Jesus clearly prophesied that “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:2424And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)). Until that time, Israel may make great strides domestically and militarily, but they are going back to their land largely in unbelief. According to prophecy, they must go back to be there at the time of the tribulation, but they are not going back with the Lord’s approval. Because of an erroneous grasp of prophecy and a lack of understanding of the heavenly calling of the church, many dear believers today are strongly supportive of Israel. But in most cases the Jews are going back to their land without faith, only to be seduced by the Antichrist and then to fall under God’s judgment.
Yet how blessed it is to contemplate God’s thoughts concerning them, for eventually His words will come to pass: “In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Isa. 54:88In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:8)). The judgment will be appalling — worse than the world has ever seen before, but then the result will be untold blessing. Our hearts too wait for that day, not only for peace in this world, but because our blessed Lord and Master will be vindicated where He was once cast out, and He will be honored and glorified.
W. J. Prost