28 Dec. Zechariah prophesies about the Last Days
“The LORD’s day of judging is coming when the wealth you have taken will be divided among you. I will bring all the nations together to fight Jerusalem. They will capture the city and rob the houses and attack the women. Half the people will be taken away as captives, but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.”
“Then the LORD will go to war against those nations; he will fight as in a day of battle. On that day he will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep valley that runs east and west. Half the mountain will move towards the north, and half will move towards the south.”
“You will run through this mountain valley to the other side, just as you ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones with him.”
“On that day there will be no light, cold or frost. There will be no other day like it, and the LORD knows when it will come. There will be no day or night; even at evening it will still be light.”
“At that time fresh water will flow from Jerusalem. Half of it will flow east to the Dead Sea, and half of it will flow west to the Mediterranean Sea. It will flow in summer and winter.”
“Then the LORD will be king over the whole world. At that time there will be only one LORD, and his name will be the only name.”
“All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba to Rimmon will be turned into a plain. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate, to the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. People will live there, and it will never be destroyed again. Jerusalem will be safe.”
(Zechariah 14:1-11)
In Chapter 12 of the Book of Zechariah, Zechariah prophesied that sometime in the future, all the nations of the world would join forces to attack Jerusalem: “At that time the LORD will protect the people in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. And the family of David will be like God, like an angel of the LORD in front of them.” (Zechariah 12:8)
In Chapter 13, the LORD promised to purify Jerusalem from sin and idolatry: "At that time a fountain will be open for David's descendants and for the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them of their sin and uncleanness... At that time I will get rid of the names of the idols from the land." (Zechariah 13:1-2)
The LORD then authorised the killing of the worthless shepherd (the king of Judah) who had abandoned God’s people (see Zechariah 11:15-17).
In today’s passage from Chapter 14, Zechariah prophesied that, when the ‘Day of Judgement’ approached, Jerusalem would be attacked and looted. Half the population would be taken away as captives.
Then the LORD would stand on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem and an earthquake would form a new valley through which the remaining people would escape, "just as you ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah." (Zechariah 14:5)
"But the LORD will bring a terrible disease on the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are standing up." (Zechariah 14:12)
"All those left alive of the people who came to fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King, the LORD All-powerful, and to celebrate the Feast of Shelters." (Zechariah 14:16)
"At that time there will not be any buyers or sellers in the Temple of the LORD All-powerful." (Zechariah 14:21)
In the New Testament, Jesus deliberately set out to fulfil this last prophesy (even if only for a very short time) when he cleared the Temple Courts of the money-changers and traders: “When Jesus returned to Jerusalem, he went into the Temple and began to throw out those who were buying and selling there… he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [and] refused to allow anyone to carry goods through the Temple courts.” (see Mark 11:15-18).
The photo (by Yair Haklai) shows the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem.
You can read more of Zechariah’s prophesies about Jerusalem @ The Bible Journey | The vision of the measuring line