In verse 7 God is calling the Jews back to Jerusalem. We noted that king Cyrus would make the decree that the Jews could go back home. Some of them went home. They began to rebuild and to inhabit the land. However, Israel never again had what they lost in the days of king David. They had the land for a number of years, but they lost the peace that God had blessed them with. Israel was under foreign control and they could not get back what they had given away due to their rebellion.
In verse 8 God spoke of His justified vengeance against those who spoiled Israel. We have seen many hundreds of years since the Babylonian invasion and then the return. We have seen the time when the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth in His first coming. Israel was under Roman rule at that time. Since then, the second temple was destroyed and the city was ruined under the ruthless rule of the Romans. Since that time, there have been many years where the land was desolate. Different groups have occupied the land, but no one prospered in that land.
History records that in 1917 the British signed the Balfour declaration which was designed to give the Jews back a parcel of land in which to re-establish themselves as a nation. According to God’s Word, it was God that moved in the hearts of certain people to declare that Israel could move into part of what was their original land. The name of the land had been changed to Palestine years earlier, but that was done to try to remove any reference to Israel from history. God knows better.
As soon as the talk of letting Israel re-establish herself in her old homeland began, opposition was raised from various places. The Arabs did not like it. The Catholics did not like it. Eventually a man named Adolf Hitler weaselled his way into power in Germany. He was an ungodly man who hated the Jews. He was supported in his hatred by the Catholics and the Muslims. He did all he could to eradicate the Jews from the world. Thousands were murdered and many others were left homeless. However, Hitler lost the war and he died. His plan did not succeed. The Catholics and the Muslims were not satisfied with the outcome. However, after World War II, an agreement was reached to recognize the state of Israel in part of the land that God had promised to Abraham. God’s will always wins.
This victory did not sit well with the Arab world. Fighting soon broke out and the world abandoned Israel. However, God did not abandon His people. Israel remained in her land and she was able to take more land than that which was originally assigned to her. Of course the world did not like that, but this was all part of God’s plan. He was going to give Israel back all the land that He promised to Abraham. That still has not happened to this day. The delay is not because God cannot do it, but it is because Israel has not wanted it. Verbally they have stated they want it, but spiritually they have not been willing to accept God’s terms of blessing. Thus we see fighting in Israel with her neighbours. We see wickedness within the land of Israel abounding.
Zechariah was told that the day would come when this would be fixed. God warned the nations that spoiled Israel that they had poked Him in the eye. No one likes to get poked in the eye. Unlike mankind, God has the power and the authority to fight back and fix the abuse.
In verse 9 God says He will shake his hand upon them. God does not need the “iron dome”, nor does He need the “sling of David” that is currently being developed and tested. He has allowed Israel to develop these things, but as we have seen, they are not infallible. They can be overwhelmed by the enemy. God can never be overwhelmed. He is well able to protect His people. He is waiting for Israel to turn to Him in repentance. He will fix the problem they are facing in a moment of time.
The Bible describes the battle of Armageddon as a vicious battle. Thousands of ungodly people will be slaughtered in that battle. The saved will be spared and they will enter into the Millennium.
In verse 10 we see that the daughter of Zion will rejoice. They will sing. It will not be a raunchy, wicked rock festival as they had less than two weeks ago. It will be a time of exalting the true God, not the false god of Buddha and others.
Every summer there are so-called Christian music events that draw many people. They boast of having “church services” at these events. They have entertainment for the children and they have barbecues and other things for all that attend. There is a variety of music that is designed to satisfy the musical tastes of all that attend. It is a powerful ecumenical event. It is used to break down the walls. The devil is happy with those events. I do not believe that God is pleased with them at all.
These things will all come to a screeching halt soon. It is important for born again Christians to examine things in the light of God’s Word. If God’s people will humble themselves, He will open the eyes of His children to see the truth.
In verse 11 we read that when this prophecy is fulfilled, many nations will be joined to the LORD. There will not be the blending of false religions then. That will all be done away with. This has not happened yet.
There may well be some who will take offence to what I have stated above. Do yourself a favour and examine what is happening. Which god is exalted at these events? When we look at God’s Word, it is clear that it is not the LORD of hosts. He will be exalted at the end of the Tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ will set up His kingdom and only saved people will enter that kingdom.
Verse 12 tells us that the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land. God is going to establish Israel in their homeland with peace. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. That is not happening today. Very few nations want to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, never mind the world. This will all change. There will be no Arab faction in Jerusalem in that day. There will be no Catholic or Anglican ownership of any property in Israel at that day, charging fees to visit their sites. Everything will be under the control of the LORD.
In verse 13 the world is told to be silent. As mentioned, only saved people will enter the Millennium. There will be saved Jews and saved Gentiles. All those that enter that time will know the true God and Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ will be the king. He will be exalted to the highest place on earth. He is already exalted in Heaven, but He will be exalted on earth at that time. There will be children born during that 1,000 year reign. They will be born as lost sinners just as children are today. Not many of them will be saved. They will not like what Jesus Christ will be doing, but they will not have any choice but to submit. They will not be forced to be saved, but outwardly, they will need to conform to the standard that the Lord Jesus Christ decrees.
The LORD summarized the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others into a few verses here. God wants to encourage His people, primarily the nation of Israel with the facts. Israel is suffering due to their sin. God does not throw His pearls to the swine. He does not allow His holy name to be trampled under foot. Many have tried to do that. Many are suffering in hell today because they chose blasphemy over true worship. Many more will be cast into hell yet. The antichrist and the false prophet will be cast directly into the lake of fire and they will be there for all of eternity. The devil will join them at the end of the 1,000 years. All the lost will be raised up at the end of the Millennium and they will be judged at the great white throne judgment. They will then be cast into the lake of fire as well.
In our text, God told Zechariah to write of the blessings that would accompany those who would be saved at the last days. The Jews of Zechariah’s day did not need to wait to repent. They needed to repent then. God was encouraging them with the fact that there was a great future for those who would know the Lord in that day as well as in the day that Zechariah was told to write about.
The same is true for us today. There is hope for those who humble themselves and trust in the true God. It is not a fleeting hope. It is a glorious hope. Those who have this hope are not interested in the many humanistic attempts to find some “joy” in this world. They know the true joy of the Lord and they want others to know that joy as well. That is what God told Zechariah to write about and that is what He wants us to know today as well.
Pastor Bartel