In these last chapters God continues to remind us that the day of the LORD is coming. The Jews of Zechariah’s day needed to know this. The Jews were facing God’s wrath in Zechariah’s day. They have faced God’s chastening in every generation since that time. God wanted them to repent. Not only did Israel need to repent, but all people need to repent and know the true God.
God used the Assyrians to punish the north and the Babylonians to punish south. God brought God-fearing Jews into Babylon to teach them the truth. Daniel and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were faithful to the LORD and they were able to have a godly influence on that pagan society.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ began the building of the first true church and since that time, there have been many true churches established. Church history shows us that most true churches do not last through very many generations. Compromise seems to infiltrate and eventually completely corrupt most churches. However, Jesus Christ raises up other churches that do hold to the truth. It is incumbent upon each Christian to be sure that we are building upon the truth. Christians do not hesitate until they get a majority. Christians choose to follow the Lord and thus encourage other Christians to remain faithful to the LORD. The Bible often speaks of the importance of separation from wickedness.
God tells us in our text that before there will be a major change in society, there will be more punishment because God is right and those who want to oppose Him will suffer for their rebellion. In verse 2 God says He will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. It is interesting to note what is happening right now with the situation in Israel. It is interesting to note how strong a foothold Islam has in most countries. Most countries have been asleep and chosen to believe the lie that Islam is a peace loving religion. Islam has used the victim propaganda to gain the foothold they currently have. They are now asserting themselves and no one seems to know how to stop them. In fact it seems most governments actually want to stop them. The philosophy of victory through chaos is on full display.
We know that during the Tribulation, the antichrist will convince the nations to fight against Israel. He will convince the nations that Israel and born again Christians are the problem. If they could get rid of those people, then peace would prevail. That attitude is being spoken of right now. Our P.M. stated a few years ago that one of his biggest problems was the evangelical Christians. He does not know who they are, but he knows they oppose his feminism and the murder of unborn children and the sodomite agenda and the legalization of marijuana, etc.
There are many professing Christians, who are actually not born again Christians, who support his policies. However, those who are truly born again, cannot support his policies. This tension is only going to get worse until the Lord Jesus Christ comes back.
In our text God stated that in the last days He will gather the nations against Jerusalem. They will do battle and the city will be taken. All the fighting we are witnessing now between Israel and the Iranian proxies, will not bring the peace that P.M. Netanyahu is hoping for. God says so right in our text. It cannot work because true peace cannot be found with guns and bombs.
In verse 3 we read that the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations that He brought in to fight against Jerusalem. This is not a contradiction. It is not the mark of a God Who does not know what He is doing. This is the evidence of the true God Who holds all people accountable for their actions. God will punish the Jews in the time of the Tribulation. He will use other nations to do that. However, those nations should turn to God and trust in Him, rather than foolishly assuming that their pursuit of false gods must be the answer.
People today need to see God’s hand in what is happening. They need to understand that each and every person needs to turn to God and be saved. No one gets a free pass. Each person is accountable to God for their actions.
In a small way, God demonstrates this for us in the family. Parents need to discipline their children. They even need to spank them at times. However, parents need to walk in the fear of the LORD to know how to discipline their children properly and for the right reason. The secular society says spanking children is child abuse. Godly parents are not trying to beat their children into submission. They are commanded by God to help their children to see the necessity of knowing the fear of the LORD. When ungodly parents beat their children and abuse them, they will be held accountable for that by God. When Godly parents rightly discipline their children they will be approved of by God. Our motivation for what we are doing is important.
This same principle applies to the nations that God will bring in to punish Israel, and then He will punish them later on. Those nations need to come in and punish Israel. However, they need to understand their personal need to fear the true God. Because they will not do that, God will judge them for having the wrong motivation for attacking Jerusalem.
Verse 4 tells us when this particular judgment will come. It will come at the battle of Armageddon. It will come when the LORD comes in power and glory and destroys the evil that is so prevalent now and will be worse at that time. Jesus Christ will set His feet upon the mount of Olives and split it in two and create a massive valley where the battle of Armageddon will be fought. The nations that choose not to humble themselves and turn to God will be destroyed in that battle. The LORD will look after this. He will not need any help. He is quite capable of dealing with sin all by Himself.
Jesus Christ went to the cross all by Himself. He was taken off that cross by a couple of godly men. His body lay in that tomb for three days and three nights. He rose from the dead, demonstrating His power over sin and death.
The Lord Jesus Christ will also be quite capable of meting out the proper punishment at the end of the Tribulation time. The nations will be no match for Him. They will lose that battle and they will be destroyed and cast into hell. They will await the great white throne judgment which will come at the end of the Millennium.
The antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire. Satan will be bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Jesus Christ will establish His kingdom. He will have a proper temple built in Jerusalem and His throne will be there. There will be a godly rule in Jerusalem and from Jerusalem for the entire 1,000 years. It will be a different world than man has ever known.
Today, God is offering His salvation to all people. The Word of God is true. There are people like this writer who are seeking to encourage people to listen to the Holy Spirit of God as He works in their hearts. Many Gentiles today, are just as stubborn as Israel is. We can see that stubbornness does not benefit man. We can also see the blessing God provides for those who truly know Him. It is important to choose wisely. Know God’s peace and then help others to know the truth as well.
Pastor Bartel