Chapters 12–14
As the first prophetic “burden” (chaps. 9-11) focused on events surrounding the Lord’s first Advent, so this second “burden” (chaps. 12-14) focuses on events around the Lord’s second Advent. It has to do with the rejected Messiah being received by His repentant people and enthroned as their rightful King. In this burden, the prophet uses the expression, “in that day,” 16 times! The term refers to the day when the Lord will undertake to restore and bless the remnant of Israel.
An Attack on Judah and Jerusalem
So far as a prophetic timeline is concerned, the second burden is a continuation of the first. Hence, chapter 12 picks up the prophecy where chapter 11 left off, viewing the Jews in their land in last days under the rule of the Antichrist. Verses 1-3 show that Jerusalem will be a source of trouble to the nations in that day. The mounting political pressures in the Middle East regarding Zionism will culminate in an all-out attack on the Jews and the city of Jerusalem by a ten-nation confederacy of Islamic Arab nations under the King of the North (Psa. 83:2-82For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (Psalm 83:2‑8); Dan. 11:40-4140And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:40‑41)). These confederate armies will enter the land of Israel from the north and will proceed to decimate it as they move southward. Millions of Jews will be slaughtered in a matter of a few days! (Psa. 74:1-8; 79:1-31<<Maschil of Asaph.>> O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. 3Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. 4Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. 5A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 6But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. 7They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. 8They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. (Psalm 74:1‑8)
1<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. (Psalm 79:1‑3); Zech. 13:88And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (Zechariah 13:8)). This is called the “consumption” (Isa. 10:22-23; 28:2222For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land. (Isaiah 10:22‑23)
22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth. (Isaiah 28:22); Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)). It will be God’s judgment upon the apostate Jews for receiving the Antichrist.
Notwithstanding, the Lord promises to take up Israel’s cause and judge those nations. He says: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of bewilderment unto all the peoples round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem” (vs. 2). And “in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people [peoples]: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces” (vs. 3). Thus, after destroying the apostate Jews in the land of Israel, those Arab nations led by the King of the North will drink of the cup of God’s judgment themselves.
“All peoples,” in verse 3, are the hostile Gentile nations who will take up arms against the Jews; they are not the ten-nation western confederacy under the Roman Beast (Rev. 13:1-81And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:1‑8)). The Roman powers will be judged by the Lord, and thus, will be out of the way by the time this assault on Jerusalem occurs. (The western powers will not be antagonistic toward the Jews, as these nations are. Quite the opposite, they will be friendly toward the Jews (Isa. 18:1-21Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! (Isaiah 18:1‑2)) and will make a “covenant” with them to protect their land—though they will breach the terms of the “agreement” later – Isa. 28:14-1814Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And 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 28:14‑18); Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27).) W. Kelly said, “All nations must mean here the hostile Gentiles who take up arms against Israel after the destruction of the Beast, and his vassal king of the west, with their false prophet ally in Jerusalem. These here [in Zechariah 12] are the nations in league with the King of the North, and quite opposed to the Beast, though openly the antagonists of Israel. In fact, all nations in the prophets never mean the western powers, but all that remain after the ruin of the Beast and the horns ... .We must then distinguish between the Lord’s appearing in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God, etc., and the earthly judgments that He will execute after a certain interval, as in Zechariah 12. This is not His appearing to destroy the Beast and the false prophet. It is afterwards that He makes Jerusalem a cup of trembling to the nations” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, pp. 480, 482). Mr. Kelly also said: “The siege takes place with the King of the North at the head of all these nations. It is clearly not the Beast who, instead of besieging Jerusalem, supports the false prophet with all his might” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, p. 491).
The Second Advent of the Messiah
Verse 4 goes on to explain that the Lord will personally destroy those northern armies. This will occur just after He appears from heaven (His second Advent), though His Appearing is not directly mentioned here. The Lord will not deal with this Arab confederacy immediately upon coming from heaven. He will judge the western armies under the Beast and the Antichrist first (2 Thess. 2:88And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8); Rev. 19:11-2111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21); Num. 24:2424And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. (Numbers 24:24)), and then after that, He will go to Jerusalem to “defend” the city and “destroy” those assembled nations (vss. 8-9). J. N. Darby remarked: “In spite of her pride and her covenant with evil [Daniel 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)], Jerusalem shall be taken in the last days. We have seen when studying the other prophets, that this will be the case; and then afterwards, when again besieged, Jehovah will intervene for the destruction of these enemies. This is distinctly announced here [in Zechariah 14]. The nations shall be assembled by Jehovah; the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and half the people led captive. Jehovah will then come forth against those nations, as we read in the twelfth chapter” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, vol. 2, p. 628).
While the Lord is executing judgment upon the western powers, the King of the North will continue his conquest southward into Egypt (Dan. 11:42-4342He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. (Daniel 11:42‑43)). But hearing “tidings” (news) from the land of Israel, the King of the North will return from Egypt to lay “siege” against Judah and Jerusalem, which he had previously overthrown on his way into Egypt. He will pitch his tents “between the [Mediterranean] Sea” and “the eastern sea” (the Dead Sea)—which is the vicinity of Jerusalem—only to meet the Lord there! Full of pride and confidence from his previous victories, the King of the North will “stand up against the Prince of princes,” only to be “cut in pieces” and “broken without hand” (Dan. 8:25; 11:44-4525And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25)
44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:44‑45); Joel 2:2020But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:20)). This is the judgment described in chapter 12:3-9.
The rout of these Arab armies is described figuratively as a cavalry being violently overthrown. The Lord will “smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness” (vs. 4a). The Lord’s “voice” will be the instrument by which they will be “beaten down” (Isa. 30:3131For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. (Isaiah 30:31)). He will “open” His “eyes upon the house of Judah” in divine pity and will have compassion on them and will rise up to deliver them (vs. 4b). The “governors [leaders] of Judah” will recognize that God has intervened on their behalf and is acting providentially for their deliverance. They will “say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in [through] the LORD of Hosts their God” (vs. 5). Thus, they will own that the nation’s new-found strength is “through” the Lord and will give Him the due credit for it. They will not realize, at this point, that the Messiah has actually appeared, for when He comes initially, He will veil Himself “in a cloud” from the view of the Jewish remnant (Luke 21:2727And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:27)). He will reveal Himself to them later.
The faith of the Jewish remnant will soar, and they will get involved in the rout of the armies of the King of the North that will gather against Jerusalem. And amazingly, the Lord will use them in the battle: “In that day, will I make the leaders of Judah like a hearth of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem shall dwell again in her own place, in Jerusalem” (vs. 6). To ensure happy unity in the remnant of Jews, the Lord will deliver those in the countryside of Judah before delivering the city of Jerusalem (vs. 7). Thus, the Lord will “defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem” and “destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (vss. 8-9). See also Isaiah 31:4-54For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. 5As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. (Isaiah 31:4‑5) and Zechariah 14:33Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:3).
The Repentance of the Jewish Remnant
Having judged the Arab armies under the King of the North, the time will have come for the Lord to show Himself to the Jewish remnant. He will go to “the Mount of Olives” and create a shelter (a great valley) into which the remnant will be encouraged to enter (Zech. 14:4-54And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:4‑5)). “Tidings” will go out over the surrounding mountains where many Jews will be hiding, and they will come down into the valley (Isa. 52:77How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)).
Some expositors say that what follows in verses 10-14 is the most moving and touching scene in all the Bible. At that time, the Lord will “pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (vs. 10). A profound sense of grace will sweep over the remnant of the Jews, and like He did with His disciples 2000 years ago in the upper room, He will show them “His hands and His side” (John 20:2020And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20)). Immediately, it will connect with their hearts and consciences, and they will realize that He is Jesus of Nazareth whom the nation crucified. They will look upon Him whom they “pierced” (John 19:3737And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. (John 19:37); Psa. 22:1616For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)) and will “mourn” in deep repentance (Matt. 24:3030And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)). There will be “a great mourning” among the Jews comparable to the mourning that took place in “Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon” when king Josiah was killed there by Pharaoh-Necho (2 Kings 23:2929In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him. (2 Kings 23:29); 2 Chron. 35:2222Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. (2 Chronicles 35:22)). Josiah’s death was an incredibly great loss for Judah, for he was the last bulwark against the wickedness of idolatry which flooded the nation after his death (vs. 11).
This will be a quiet and intimate affair between the Lord and the Jewish remnant alone. Joseph revealing himself to his brethren who had rejected him is a type of this (Gen. 45). In that day, the Jews will fully understand and own that they, as a nation, crucified their Messiah. (Today, the Jews adamantly insist that they are not guilty of crucifying the Lord. They cry: “How could we who live today be responsible for something that happened 2000 years ago? We weren’t even there!” But if we were to examine what they believe as to who Jesus Christ is, we would find that they take the very same position that the nation took long ago, when they rejected Him and condemned Him as a blasphemer and an impostor. Since the Jews today uphold the decision that the nation made back then, they are morally included in that sin with them, and are blood-guilty indeed.)
So thorough will be the repentance in the people that everyone will mourn individually. This is the force of the word, “apart”—used eleven times in verses 12-14. The various parts of the nation will own their part in Christ’s death.
“The house of David”—the royal line.
“The house of Nathan”—the prophetic line.
“The house of Levi”—the priestly line.
“The house of Shimei”—the Levitical line.
It will not only be the families of the public leaders and officials who will mourn in repentance, but “all the families that remain”—i.e., the rank-and-file Jews—will also repent. Husbands and wives will mourn separately from each other, showing the gravity of the occasion. Thus, it will be a deep national repentance.
The Cleansing of the Repentant Jews
Chapter 13 follows with the Lord effecting a cleansing for His repentant people. We don’t find Him scolding them or berating them for their great national failure. Instead, a “fountain” will be “opened” (figuratively speaking) by the Lord for the cleansing away of their “sin and for uncleanness” (vs. 1). Such is the way of divine grace! The Lord will forgive their sins and purge them of their guilt in what will be the fulfilment of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:2727Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:27)). See also Isaiah 53. There will surely be a judicial cleansing for them, but the emphasis here is on moral and practical cleansing. It will result in the remnant of the Jews being happily restored to the Lord.
The Cleansing of the Land
Having purged the people of their national sin, the Lord will proceed to purge the land of the two evils which Satan used to lead the people astray—idols and false prophets. “It shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of Hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land” (vs. 2). Prior to the Lord’s coming (the Appearing) the land will have a proliferation of “false Christs and false prophets,” and there will be no restraint put upon them by the authorities (Matt. 24:24-2624For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25Behold, I have told you before. 26Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. (Matthew 24:24‑26)). But when the Jews are restored to the Lord, they will zealously judge all such spiritual corruption according to God’s Word (Deut. 13). In that day, if anyone dares to prophesy falsehood, the people will deal with him immediately, even if he were a family member. “His father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth” (vs. 3b). Consequently, false prophets will be “ashamed” of their sham prophecies, and out of fear of being executed for their presumption, they will readily confess that they were fakes. They will admit that they have worn “a rough garment [hairy mantle]” (a prophet’s attire – 2 Kings 1:88And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. (2 Kings 1:8); Mark 1:66And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; (Mark 1:6)) “to deceive” the people into thinking that they were real (vs. 4). Thus, all such corruption in spiritual things will be quashed.
The Sufferings of the Messiah
An abrupt change in the prophecy now occurs. Christ is introduced in verses 5-7, and His character is contrasted to that of the false prophets in verses 2-4. The purpose of this is to give the people a clear understanding of the sufferings of Christ. Concerning this passage, J. N. Darby said: “It is Christ taking His lowly place, and amongst men, as Man, man’s place, and then His rejection by the Jews” (Notes and Comments, vol. 4, p. 221). (See also W. Kelly, Lectures on the Minor Prophets, p. 489; E. Dennett, Zechariah the Prophet, p. 170; A. J. Pollock, Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass, p. 238.)
Immediately upon introducing Christ, we see that His character is quite the opposite to that of the false prophets. “And He (the Lord Jesus) shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground [a husbandman]; for man acquired Me as bondman from My youth” (vs. 5). Instead of putting Himself forward as being something that He wasn’t (as the false prophets did), the Lord is seen speaking of Himself in a humble, self-effacing way. Such was His lowliness (Matt. 11:2929Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29); 2 Cor. 10:11Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: (2 Corinthians 10:1); Phil. 2:7-87But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:7‑8)). The Lord was indeed “that Prophet” whom God had promised to send to His people (Deut. 18:15-1915The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15‑19)), but since He was not received as such by them, He refused to take that office at that time, stating that He was “no prophet” (Luke 7:1616And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. (Luke 7:16); John 6:14; 7:4014Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. (John 6:14)
40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. (John 7:40)). In spite of being rejected, the Lord carried out His earthly ministry in faithfulness to God. As a “Tiller of the ground,” He cultivated men for God in a spiritual sense, sowing the good seed of the kingdom in their hearts and seeking their blessing (Luke 8:4-184And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 16No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. 17For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. (Luke 8:4‑18)). He was willing to take a servant’s place to meet the needs of men, and in that sense, He was a Servant of men. Thus, He could say: “Man acquired Me as a bondman from My youth.” Such was His grace (2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)).
Verse 6 tells us what He got in return for His humble service: Wounds! “One shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.” The Lord uses the word “friends” here in an outward sense only. In that sense, He spoke of Judas as His own “familiar friend” (Psa. 41:99Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9); Matt. 26:5050And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. (Matthew 26:50)).
It may be asked: “Who is the ‘one’ who asks about the wounds in His hands?” It couldn’t be the Jewish remnant; they will know full well how the Lord got those wounds, and they will be deeply repentant about it, having owned their part in His rejection (chap. 12:10-14). Some Bible teachers say (we think rightly) that these who are ignorant of the crucifixion of Christ are the ten tribes of Israel. C. E. Lunden said: “The ten tribes will ask the Lord, ‘What are these wounds in thine hands?’ He will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends’” (Judah Today, All Israel Tomorrow, p. 31). Matthew 24:30-3130And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:30‑31) supports this. It indicates that the ten tribes will come back into the land right at the time when the Jews (the two tribes) will be mourning over their national sin of crucifying Christ. The “tribes of the land” who “mourn” are the Jews (vs. 30) and the “elect” who are gathered in from “the four winds” are the ten tribes (vs. 31). It is important to remember that the two tribes (the Jews) will go through the Great Tribulation in the land, having returned there before the Great Tribulation, but the ten tribes will come back to the land after that terrible time.
We must also keep in mind that the Jews are guilty of rejecting Christ and receiving the Antichrist, but the ten tribes are not guilty of either. The ten tribes were not in the land of Israel at the time of the Lord’s first Advent. They didn’t cry: “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him” (John 19:1515But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19:15)). They had been deported from the land some 750 years earlier (2 Kings 17). Nor will they be back in the land when the Jews receive the Antichrist. Hence, the ten tribes who return after Christ appears are not cognizant of the significance of Christ’s death—not having a conscience about it, as will the Jews. These things fit the context here in Zechariah.
This being the case, the Lord will undertake to explain to the ten tribes the two sides of His death on the cross—His sufferings from the hands of man (vs. 6) and His sufferings from the hand of God (vs. 7). The first side is of His martyrdom sufferings (Psa. 69:1-211<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.>> Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. 2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. 5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. 6Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. 7Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. 8I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. 9For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. 10When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. 11I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. 12They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. 13But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. 14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. 15Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. 16Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. 17And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. 18Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. 19Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: mine adversaries are all before thee. 20Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalm 69:1‑21)) and the second side is of His atoning sufferings (Psa. 22:1-31<<To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.>> My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:1‑3)). Hence, it is not only the wounds inflicted by His friends that they are bidden to contemplate, but also of Jehovah’s sword smiting His Fellow. “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My Fellow [My Equal], saith the LORD of Hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” (vs. 7a). The Lord endured intense physical suffering in His body from being beaten and crucified; He also experienced deep internal suffering in His spirit from the insults and mockery hurled at Him. However, all that cannot be compared to His atoning sufferings which He endured when the “sword” of divine judgment against sin found its mark in His soul (Isa. 53:1010Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)). Such was the sacrifice necessary to put away sin (Heb. 9:2626For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)). The seventh verse clearly brings out who the Lord Jesus is—Jehovah’s “Fellow.” This points to His divinity. Thus, the Sin-bearer is none other than God Himself in the Person of Israel’s Messiah! So that there would be no mistake as to this, the Lord told His disciples, in no uncertain terms, that this passage in Zechariah would be fulfilled in His death (Matt. 26:3131Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. (Matthew 26:31)).
The Stroke of God’s Governmental Wrath Upon the Nation
On God’s side of the death of Christ, the result of the smiting was that sin was justly dealt with and put away righteously. Consequently, with propitiation having been made, God is now able to announce soul-salvation to the world as a blessing for all who will believe the gospel. But on the Jews’ side of Christ’s death, those who are guilty of killing Him (Acts 3:1515And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (Acts 3:15)), the sheep would be “scattered” under the stroke of God’s governmental wrath. The Roman armies in A.D. 70 were the instrument He used to destroy the nation and to scatter the people in a dispersion that now extends all over the world (Matt. 22:77But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. (Matthew 22:7)). Even the Lord’s own disciples felt it, and thus, they were temporarily scattered (Matt. 26:5656But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. (Matthew 26:56)).
Thus, the Lord says: “And I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones” (vs. 7b). Not only would His hand be upon the guilty nation in governmental judgment, but His hand would also be upon those among them who have faith—“the little ones”). J. N. Darby said: “In smiting the Shepherd for the sake of the flock, His hand falls necessarily on the faithful of the flock itself. They must feel the condition of Israel, the sin in which they are all involved, but to them, living through Him, it is passing through the fire for purifying. Isaiah 1:2525And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: (Isaiah 1:25), and Amos 1:88And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. (Amos 1:8), and Psalm 81:1414I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. (Psalm 81:14), show, I think, that ‘turning the hand upon’ is in judgment” (Notes and Comments, vol. 4, p. 222). This stroke of divine judgment on the Jews is something that continues to be felt by them in their diaspora to this day.
The Ultimate End of the Jews in the Ways of God
In verses 8-9, the prophecy steps over the present interval of two thousand years—during which time God is visiting the Gentiles with the gospel of His grace (Acts 15:1414Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14))—to consider the Jewish remnant in a coming day suffering with the unbelieving mass of Jews under this governmental stroke of God’s wrath. “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is My God.” E. Dennett said: “The whole of this present interval of grace must be interposed between the seventh and eighth verses; for while judgment, and terrible judgment, did fall upon the Jewish nation some thirty or forty years after the death of Christ, no such result as the bringing the third part through the fire into relationship with God was then reached. The accomplishment of this word, therefore, must be looked for in the future, when the Jews shall have been brought back to their land in unbelief, when God will resume His dealings with them” (Zechariah the Prophet, p. 176). Similarly, A. J. Pollock said: “Between the stroke of the sword (fulfilled at the cross) in verse 7 and the events prophesied in verses 8 and 9, we must interpose the whole of the present dispensation, which is not taken account of in Old Testament prophesies” (Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass, p. 239).
The “third part” of the Jews in the land are the preserved portion of the remnant who will have genuine faith in Jehovah, and the “two parts” who are cut off and die are the apostate mass of Jews who will receive the Antichrist. The question is: “When are the two-thirds cut off?” Some think that it will happen in the Great Tribulation. But if that is so, who but the faithful remnant would be left in the land at the end of the Great Tribulation when the King of the North attacks? Scripture tells us that his armies will overrun the land and will leave a great carnage of people after him. Who would these people be that the King of the North cuts down? It couldn’t be the remnant (the one-third), because then there would be no Jews left on earth! W. Scott gives us the answer. He says: “The Jews, allying themselves with the apostate civil power (Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)), will suffer in the land from the ‘desolator’ or King of the North—Jehovah’s scourge upon His guilty people—and there the unbelieving and apostate Judah-part of the nation—‘two parts shall be cut off and die’ (Zech. 13:88And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (Zechariah 13:8))” (Future Events, p. 47). Thus, the two-thirds part of the nation will not be cut off during the Great Tribulation, but just after that terrible time when the King of the North desolates the land, as chapter 14:2 goes on to state. The remnant will be in hiding due to the persecution of the Antichrist when the northern army attacks and will not be touched by them (Matt. 24:16-2016Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (Matthew 24:16‑20)). Since there are about 15 million Jews worldwide, and in that day they will all be gathered back into their land, the two-thirds who are cut down would number about ten million!
Zechariah is not giving a chronology of events here, but rather, is stating what these two parts of the nation are destined for. The larger part (the apostate mass) will be “cut off” by the King of the North and the other part (the faithful remnant) is to be refined through the sufferings of “the fire” during the Great Tribulation and brought into a living relationship with the Lord. Both parts will go through the Tribulation, but only the third part profit from the ordeal. These will form the nucleus of the nation when the Messianic kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is established. Being restored to the Lord, “Lo-ammi” (meaning “Not My people” – Hos. 1:99Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:9)) which is presently written over the nation, will be lifted. They will once again call, in faith upon Lord’s name, and He will own them as His people. See also Hosea 2:2323And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. (Hosea 2:23). Thus, in the end, one part of the nation will be removed in judgment and the other part will be blessed in a relationship with the Lord Jesus, their Messiah.
A Recap of the Events Surrounding the Second Advent of Christ
Chapter 14—In the preceding chapters, Zechariah has traced the ways of God with the Jews in relation to their Messiah, which, as we have seen, will culminate in their full and happy restoration to Him. Now in this last chapter, the prophet gives some additional details that complete the subject. In a recap, Zechariah dwells upon events surrounding the second Advent of Christ and shows how those things will result in millennial blessing for Israel and the Gentile nations who worship Israel’s God. The chapter is a fitting climax to the fore-going visions and prophecies in the book.
The Coming of the Day of the Lord
Zechariah begins by announcing the coming of “the Day of the LORD,” and the fact that Jerusalem will be spoiled by her enemies before she will be enriched through the taking of their spoil after defeating them (vss. 1, 14). Thus, the nation will be reduced and humbled before being built up with God’s favour and blessing. This, as we have seen in chapter 11:15-17, will be on account of the mass of the Jewish people being apostate. They will have received the Antichrist as their king (Isa. 8:21; 30:33; 57:921And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. (Isaiah 8:21)
33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:33)
9And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. (Isaiah 57:9); Dan. 11:3636And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36)) and will have engaged in the worship of the Beast and his image (Rev. 13:11-1811And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:11‑18); Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)), and consequently, since there is no recovery for apostates, that part of the nation must be cut down and removed (chap. 13:8).
The Day of the LORD is the time when the Lord will personally intervene in the ways of men with judgment and will subjugate the world under Him with a rod of iron (Psa. 2:99Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (Psalm 2:9); Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:1527And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Revelation 2:27)
5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)
15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15)). This day of judgment begins at the Appearing of Christ (1 Thess. 5:22For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2); 2 Thess. 2:2-82That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:2‑8)) and will extend for a thousand years—the duration of the Millennium (2 Peter 3:8-108But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:8‑10)). Thus, God has blessing in store for this world when Christ takes His rightful place in it. This will not come about through the whole world being converted by the gospel, as Reformed (Covenant) Theology erroneously teaches. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in that day, and many will be blessed through it (Rev. 7:99After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; (Revelation 7:9)), but the millennial kingdom blessings described by the Prophets when Christ reigns supreme will result from an intervention of judgment, not by gospel preaching (Isa. 26:99With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)). Evil men of this world, like the Jewish apostates who receive the Antichrist, will not be converted, and therefore, must be removed through judgment.
In Zechariah 14, the prophet indicates that the Day of the LORD will be signaled by an attack from an assemblage of armies that will overrun the land and take the city of Jerusalem. The Lord says: “I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle” (vss. 2-3). We know from elsewhere in the prophetic Scriptures, that these confederated armies that come against Jerusalem are those under the King of the North (Psa. 83:2-82For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (Psalm 83:2‑8); Dan. 11:40-4140And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:40‑41)). Thus, in a matter of a few literal days after these armies enter and desolate the land of Israel, the Lord will appear from heaven and the Day of the LORD will begin. The prophet Joel confirms the timing of this, stating that when the Assyrian (the King of the North) comes in, the people will know that the day of the LORD is “at hand”—that is, it was about to take place (Joel 2:1-111Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:1‑11)).
This passage shows that the Lord has two reasons for gathering these armies together against Jerusalem: firstly, He will use them to cut down the apostate Jews in the land (vs. 2), and secondly, He will gather them together in one place so that He can judge them (vs. 3). What the prophet doesn’t tell us here is that the Lord will appear out of heaven between verses 2 and 3. This is obvious, for if the Lord is to personally “fight against” and judge “those nations,” He must of necessity have returned. Other prophetic Scriptures indicate that the Appearing of Christ will occur after the King of the North attacks and desolates the land of Israel (Dan. 11:40-4440And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. (Daniel 11:40‑44); Joel 2:1-201Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? 18Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:1‑20); Rev. 9:1313And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (Revelation 9:13)–11:15; 16:12-15).
When the Lord appears, He will come out of the eastern sky (Matt. 24:2727For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:27)) into the northern part of the land of Israel (Isa. 9:1-21Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:1‑2)) to judge the western powers under the Beast who will be coming in from the west (Num. 24:2424And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. (Numbers 24:24); 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:87And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9)
8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8); Rev. 16:15-21; 19:11-2115Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:15‑21)
11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21)). After dealing with the armies of the Beast, the Lord will move south to defend Jerusalem from the armies of the King of the North who will then be returning from Egypt (Dan. 11:44-4544But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:44‑45); Joel 2:2020But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:20); Isa. 31:4-54For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. 5As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. (Isaiah 31:4‑5); Zech. 12:8-98In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. 9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8‑9); Psa. 76:33There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. (Psalm 76:3)). It is at this time that the Lord will fight against those (Arab) nations, as verse 3 states.
The Remnant of the Jews Restored to the Lord at the Mount of Olives
Having judged the armies that were gathered against Jerusalem, the Lord will then come to the Mount of Olives. Zechariah says: “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah (vss. 4-5a). When the Lord judges the armies of the Beast and the King of the North, He will not have as yet touched the earth. But now at the Mount of Olives, He does. He puts “His feet” on the very same spot from which He ascended two thousand years ago! This is exactly what the two angels told the apostles would happen (Acts 1:9-129And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (Acts 1:9‑12)).
The Lord’s purpose in coming to the Mount of Olives will be to reveal Himself to the Jewish remnant, and in doing so, He will restore them to Himself. At that time, they will look upon Him whom they have (as a nation) pierced and will “mourn” in repentance (Zech. 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14); Matt. 24:3030And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)). The Lord will forgive them of their national sin of rejecting Him and will cleanse them from all iniquity (Zech. 13:11In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)).
Zechariah tells us that when the Lord’s feet touch the Mount of Olives, it will create a “very great valley” in the mountains. This amazing phenomenon will give the Jewish remnant a sense that Jehovah has arisen to deliver them from their troubles. They will be in immense distress at the time and will perceive that a door of deliverance has been divinely opened for them—for who but Jehovah could make an alteration in the topography of the land to that magnitude without anybody being harmed! They will recall this prophecy of Zechariah and act in faith upon it, and thus, will run into the newly-formed valley. Normally, a person would run away from an earthquake, but their faith will lead them to run into it. Through the encouragement of heralds who will announce on the mountains: “Thy God reigneth!” the remnant will come out of their hiding places into the valley (Isa. 52:77How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)). It is at this time, that they will see the Lord for who He truly is—Jesus of Nazareth, the One whom the nation rejected long ago!
Two Phases to the Appearing of Christ
Hence, in summary, there are two parts (or phases) to the Appearing of Christ:
Firstly, there is the side that pertains to the judgment of His enemies (Psa. 97:1-71The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 2Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 3A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 4His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. 5The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. 7Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. (Psalm 97:1‑7); Isa. 30:27-3327Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: 28And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. 29Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel. 30And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. 31For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. 32And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. 33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:27‑33); 1 Thess. 5:1-21But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1‑2); 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:87And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9)
8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8); Jude 14-1614And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. (Jude 14‑16); Rev. 16:15-21; 19:11-2115Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:15‑21)
11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21)). This will be a violent display of raw and intense judgmental power. His coming in this sense is said to be “in a cloud” (Luke 21:2727And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:27)) because there will be a partial veiling of Himself in regard to the Jewish remnant who will not see Him initially; a special moment is reserved for that. C. E. Lunden said: “The Son of Man is in a cloud. Before He appears in all of His glory, He will send His angels to clear His land of all evil. Though He won’t be seen [by all] yet, it is still His coming in that sense” (Notes for Prophetic Scriptures, p. 25).
Secondly, there is the side that pertains to the restoration and blessing of His people (the Jewish remnant) at the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4-54And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:4‑5)). The Lord’s appearing in this sense is said to be “on the clouds” (Matt. 24:3030And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)), denoting a full and public display of His glory. At that time, “every eye shall see Him”—including the Jewish remnant, which is “they also which pierced Him” (Rev. 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)). As mentioned in our remarks on chapter 12:10-14, this will be a calm, quiet, and intimate manifestation of Himself, similar to when Joseph revealed himself to his brethren who had rejected him (Gen. 45). The Lord ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives in a private manner amidst His own (Acts 1:9-129And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (Acts 1:9‑12)), and He will return to the waiting remnant of His people to the same spot and in the same calm and private manner. J. N. Darby said: “Besides the personal manifestation of Christ in judgment [against His enemies], there will be a discovery which is much more calm, much more intimate, of the Lord Jesus to the Jews. This is what will take place when He will descend on the Mount of Olives, where ‘His feet shall stand’ according to the expression of Zechariah 14:4-54And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:4‑5). It is always the same Jesus; but He will reveal Himself peaceably, and show Himself, not as the Christ from heaven, but as the Messiah of the Jews” (Collected Writings, vol. 2, p. 380).
A. J. Pollock summarized these two aspects of the Appearing of Christ as follows: “It is like two parts of one campaign: first, the Lord’s appearing from heaven and destroying the Gentile powers at Armageddon, and then appearing actually on the Mount of Olives for the succour and deliverance of His people” (Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass, p. 240).
The Personal Reign of Jesus Christ, the Messiah
Vss. 5b-21—The last section of this prophetic burden begins part-way through the fifth verse with the statement: “And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee.” It’s unfortunate that the KJV has placed this clause with the preceding subject, making it confusing. J. N. Darby remarked: “I do not see that the last-mentioned event follows that which precedes it in the chapter. There is a division in the middle of verse five. ‘And Jehovah my God shall come’ begins a fresh subject, introducing a grand distinct event which affects the whole earth in a manner that characterizes its future existence” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, vol. 2, p. 629). W. Kelly said: “What is put as the last clause of verse five ought to be the beginning of a new section. These divisions are not inspired. They are only the effect of an editor’s effort to give the sense, and are sometimes mistaken, as I believe the fact is here ... .The new section begins, ‘And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, p. 496). E. Dennett said: “He now commences the second part of the chapter, beginning at this point, with the coming of the Lord. He says, as if addressing Jehovah, ‘And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee’” (Zechariah the Prophet, p. 185).
This final portion of the book presents a glorious picture of the blessedness of the personal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ—the Messiah of Israel and the King of all the earth. It begins with what will introduce His reign—His second advent (His Appearing). Thus, “the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)) is not only for the judgment of His enemies and for the deliverance and restoration of the remnant of Israel, but it will also be for the display of His kingdom glory. The saints are mentioned as coming “with” Him (Zech. 14:5b; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:1413To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14); Jude 1414And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 14); Rev. 19:1414And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)), because they are the vehicle through which His glory will stream to the world. The Apostles Paul and John speak of this in connection with the Church (2 Thess. 1:1010When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:10); Rev. 21:10-1110And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:10‑11)), but here, Zechariah includes those from Old Testament times in the expression of “all the saints.”
Features That Will Characterize the Reign of Christ
The first notable thing is that the manifested glory of Christ’s coming and public reign will be such that at nighttime it will not be completely dark, due to His resplendent glory filling the earth (Num. 14:2121But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. (Numbers 14:21); Psa. 72:1919And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 72:19); Isa. 4:55And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. (Isaiah 4:5); Ezek. 43:4-54And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. (Ezekiel 43:4‑5); Hab. 2:1414For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)). “And it shall come to pass in that day, that there shall not be light; the shining shall be obscured. And it shall be one day which is known to Jehovah, not day, and not night; and it shall come to pass, at eventide it shall be light” (vss. 6-7). (The editors of the Hebrew text tell us that the wording in this passage is difficult.) This will be similar to what Israel experienced in the wilderness at night, having the Shekinah glory cloud over the camp providing light for them—(Ex. 13:21-2221And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Exodus 13:21‑22); Psa. 105:3939He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. (Psalm 105:39))—only this will be far greater, covering the whole earth.
Another thing that will mark that day is that a new river will flow through the land with healing waters. “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former [eastern] sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be” (vs. 8). We learn from Ezekiel 47:1-121Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Ezekiel 47:1‑12), that this river’s headwaters will be “under the threshold” of the new temple which will be built in that day (Ezek. 40-43). Its healing waters will flow out to the Dead (“eastern”) Sea in the east and to the Mediterranean (“hinder”) Sea in the west. Ascertaining which seas are meant here is better understood (as mentioned in our remarks on chapter 6:1-8) by noting that the eastern way of obtaining one’s direction is by first standing facing the east toward the sunrise. Thus, north would be to the left and south to the right. West would be behind the person, and hence, is indicated in this passage as “the hinder sea,” which would be the Mediterranean. These “living waters” will rejuvenate the whole earth, causing agriculture to flourish beyond our imagination, and people to be healed of all their maladies—including the lame, the blind, the deaf and dumb, etc. (Psa. 103:33Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psalm 103:3); Isa. 33:24; 35:1-724And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah 33:24)
1The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. 3Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. (Isaiah 35:1‑7); Rom. 8:20-2220For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:20‑22)). The streams that run through those Middle Eastern lands are seasonal and dry up in summer, but that will not be the case with this river; it will run “in summer and in winter,” signifying continual blessing.
Another thing that will characterize the Lord’s millennial kingdom reign is unification of state and religion in Himself. “And the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one” (vs. 9). Thus:
As “King,” He will be the Sovereign Ruler of the world.
As “LORD [Jehovah],” He will be the Object of worship.
For the first time in world history there will be a one-world government conducted in perfect righteousness (Psa. 72:1-31<<A Psalm for Solomon.>> Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 2He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. (Psalm 72:1‑3); Isa. 32:1; 61:111Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. (Isaiah 32:1)
11For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)). Some have the idea that the Beast and the Antichrist will establish a one-world government during the Great Tribulation, but that is not true. The sphere of their authority will be in the West, and in those nations only. They will not have control over the Arab nations in the Middle East, nor will they have authority over Gog (Russia) and the nations in his confederacy. These nations are enemies of the West, and as such, will not accept the rule of any power in the West.
There will also be vast geographical changes in the topography of the land of Israel. Besides the great valley that will be created by the Lord’s feet on the Mount of Olives, “all the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba (six miles northeast of Jerusalem) to Rimmon (thirty-three miles southwest of Jerusalem) south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner-gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses” (vs. 10). This plot of land is approximately 40 miles in diameter and will be “lifted up” in elevation, creating a high, very visible plain in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and making it the prominent feature in the land. Its purpose will be to accommodate the influx of people from all the nations of the world who will be visiting Jerusalem to worship. It is called “the mountain of the LORD” in connection with worship and learning the truth (Isa. 2:2-32And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2‑3)), and “the city of the great King” in connection with the government of the earth (Psa. 48:22Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (Psalm 48:2)). “Benjamin’s gate” was in the north wall of the city and is the same as “the gate of Ephraim” (2 Kings 14:1313And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. (2 Kings 14:13); Neh. 8:16; 12:3916So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. (Nehemiah 8:16)
39And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate. (Nehemiah 12:39)). From it went the road northward to the land of Benjamin, and north of that to the land of Ephraim.
For the first time in thousands of years, Jerusalem will be safe to live in—simply because the Lord will be there (Psa. 46:4-54There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. (Psalm 46:4‑5); Ezek. 48:3535It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there. (Ezekiel 48:35); Zeph. 3:55The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. (Zephaniah 3:5)). “Men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (vs. 11). It will no more be “trodden down of the Gentiles” (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); Dan. 9:22In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2)6b). As a result, a scene of rest and peace will mark the land in that day (Isa. 32:1-2, 17-181Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. 2And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. (Isaiah 32:1‑2)
17And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. 18And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; (Isaiah 32:17‑18)). A remnant of all twelve of the tribes of Israel will dwell there safely (Ezek. 38:11, 1411And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, (Ezekiel 38:11)
14Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? (Ezekiel 38:14)) and in happy unity (Isa. 11:1313The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:13)).
The Destruction of Israel’s Foes Who Challenge the Reign of Christ
Vss. 12-15—The prophet then turns to speak of the Lord’s judgment upon “the peoples (Gentiles) who will come against Jerusalem” (vs. 12a). Most translations render this as “have fought,” but M. F. Unger indicates that the Hebrew literally is, “will come.” “Will come” points to yet another coalition of armies that will mount an attack “against Jerusalem” after the Lord has appeared and has restored the remnant of Israel. That there would be such a presumptuous attack upon Jerusalem, when there will be so many outward signs of the Lord’s presence being there with His people, is quite incredible. But such is unbelief; it blinds the heart and mind.
Who could these armies be who would dare to attempt such a thing? Zechariah does not specify who they are, but the prophetic Scriptures indicate that it could only be Gog and his great confederacy (Ezek. 38-39). They will be the only hostile enemies left on earth opposed to Israel who have not engaged in the conflicts. Commenting on this passage, W. Kelly said: “The awful judgment of the nations which fought against Jerusalem is set forth. We see the last sample of this stroke in Ezekiel 38-39 before peace flows like a river” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, p. 500).
Needless to say, the Lord will decimate these godless people in the most ferocious judgment recorded in Scripture—called the Winepress (Vintage) judgment (Isa. 63:1-61Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. (Isaiah 63:1‑6); Joel 3:9-179Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. 12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. (Joel 3:9‑17); Rev. 14:17-2017And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (Revelation 14:17‑20)). Not only will the Lord personally roar out of Zion to “trample” these enemies in His fury, but there will also be a “plague” upon them that will consume their flesh away. “Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes [sockets], and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (vs. 12b; Ezek. 38:22Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (Ezekiel 38:2)2a). Though not mentioned here, there will also be an enormous earthquake (Ezek. 38:19-2019For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. (Ezekiel 38:19‑20)) causing the attacking armies to panic, and pandemonium will break out among them. In their confusion they will beat one another down. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour” (vs. 13; Ezek. 38:2121And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. (Ezekiel 38:21)). (Compare Judges 7:2222And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. (Judges 7:22).) Moreover, Israel’s armies will also “fight” (vs. 14; Jer. 51:19-2319The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts is his name. 20Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; 21And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; 22With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; 23I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. (Jeremiah 51:19‑23)). “And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.” These nations will have designs on despoiling Israel (Ezek. 38:12-1312To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 13Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:12‑13)), but they themselves will end up being despoiled by Israel!
Millennial Worship of Christ by All Nations
Vs. 16—Every foe being defeated, the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and the King of all the earth will reign supreme. “Every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep [celebrate] the Feast of Tabernacles” (vs. 16). Millennial worship of the Lord will be established, and the nations will be glad to give their homage to Him (Psa. 86:9; 100:1-59All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. (Psalm 86:9)
1<<A Psalm of praise.>> Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100:1‑5)). All nations will be required to go up to Jerusalem annually to “worship the King, the LORD of Hosts,” and to keep “the Feast of Tabernacles.” This will be done representatively. Delegates representing each nation will come with an oblation from their respective nation, for it would be impossible to have several billion people converge on Jerusalem at one time. The large plain created for those visiting Jerusalem (vs. 10) will be large enough to accommodate the delegates from each country, but not for all the people of the world.
Governmental Judgment in the Millennium
Vss. 17-19—The nations who refuse to send an embassage to represent them in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles will be made to feel the governmental judgment of God in their land in a very practical way—“upon them shall be no rain” (vs. 17). This is a considerable judgment, for the rain in that millennial day will not be any ordinary rain. The “living [healing] waters” from the new river flowing out into the sea (vs. 8) will be absorbed into the eco-system all over the world, and thus, the rain will have those living virtues in it as well. The effect of the rain being withheld will, therefore, have huge negative consequences on the fertility of crops, etc. With nations like “Egypt,” such a penalty might seem irrelevant. They have virtually no rainfall (“have no rain”) and exist without it by using irrigation (Deut. 11:1010For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: (Deuteronomy 11:10)). But God’s ways in government will not be thwarted by man’s ingenuity. On all such rainless nations that refuse to come up to Jerusalem to worship “there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep [celebrate] the Feast of Tabernacles” (vs. 18).
The Millennial Earth Characterized by Holiness
Vss. 20-21—Finally, the character of the great King will be reflected in everything in His kingdom. Since He is holy, holiness will be the order of the day in all aspects of life. The whole land will be sanctified to the Lord. “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” will be written across everything (symbolically), from the most ordinary things in domestic life to things pertaining to the worship of the Lord in the temple. This epitaph signifying the holy standard of the Lord will be on:
“The bells of the horses”—public life.
“The pots in the LORD’S house”—religious life.
“Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah”—private life.
In a holy city, populated with holy people who worship in a holy temple, there is absolutely no place for unholiness. Therefore, “in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts” (vs. 21). In Israel, a “Canaanite” was the proverbial name for a profane and morally corrupt person.
Such will be the character of the millennial day when the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah and King of all the earth, will reign supreme.
THE VISIONS, PROPHECIES
& BURDENS OF ZECHARIAH—The Complete History of Israel
and the Gentile Nations in Relation
to Jesus Christ, the Messiah
Bruce Anstey
ISBN 1-894403-00-31
First Printed Edition – November 2020
Printed Version – 1.0
Printed in Canada
First eBook Edition – May 2021
eBook Version – 1.0
Note: all Scriptures quoted are from either the King James Version (KJV) or the J. N. Darby Translation, unless otherwise noted.
Published By:
CHRISTIAN TRUTH PUBLISHING
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Hamer Bay (Mactier), ON P0C 1H0
CANADA
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