Zechariah 14 – The Day of the Lord

In the next chapter of the book of Zechariah we find more details of what will happen to Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the women will be sexually assaulted, half of the city will go into captivity but they will not be cut off. There will be the survivors who will be refined “through” the fire. This means they will be tested and tried through those troubling times known as “Jacob’s trouble”. We covered this in the previous study of chapter 13. It says “through” in verse 13:9 and we know the Lord does not abandon his family. By putting their faith on the Lord and focusing on him despite what they are experiencing, will help them get through those trials.

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. Zechariah 14:4 KJV

On the day of the Lord, he will stand on the mount of Olives. The mount will split in the middle, from east to west. There will be a great valley with half the mountain to the north and half to the south. All the people will run to the valley. And as they flee into the valley the Lord will appear with all his saints. What a sight that will be!

And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. Zechariah 14:8 KJV

On the day the Lord returns living waters will go out from Jerusalem. Half of them toward the former sea would be the east side where the Dead Sea is found. If you know anything about the Dead Sea it has no life in it for one main reason, it is too salty to sustain life. It has also been drying up at an alarming rate. There are no fish in it but on this day of the Lord it says living waters will go out from Jerusalem. The other half will be to the western side.

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. Zechariah 14:9 KJV

We all know on the day the Lord returns he will be king over all the earth. He will be the only one with that title. He will have eliminated the kings of the earth. In the Bible kings of the earth is also understood to be leaders. 

All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon 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. Zechariah 14:10 KJV

Today in Israel there exists several gates but there are specific ones mentioned above by Zechariah. Benjamin’s gate is found on the west side, the first gate is also known as the eastern gate. This gate faces the mount of Olives where it is written the Lord will enter Jerusalem again. If you go to Israel today you will see the gate is sealed.

As we see from an earlier scripture noted in verse 14:4 the Lord will be on the mount of Olives. The corner gate is on the south side. The tower of Hananeel to the kings winepresses appears to encompass from the north to the south. The kings temple was located on the south side and from an old image map of the city it does not appear to have the name of a gate listed. I believe this is why Zechariah only mentioned 3 gates by name and then encompassed a zone from North to South. This would cover all corners of Jerusalem, north, south, east and west.

* The Plague *

A few scriptures down Zechariah describes the plague the Lord will inflict on his enemies when he arrives. If you have ever seen the movie Indian Jones you will get a clear picture of what will happen. I remember the first time I read this passage that scene came to my mind. It made my mouth drop because when you see a movie one thinks it is a well thought out story with a clever plot. But apparently the scene in this movie is something that was described in the Bible first.  

There is an event I would like to insert here because as you know the Bible is like a puzzle with various events and scriptures that link together. In order for the Lord to descend this means the 7th trumpet will have sounded. If you can follow what I see, the Lord will descend on the Mount of Olives with his saints. This is exactly the event Zechariah is describing in detail from a perspective of Israel. The apostle John, through the book of Revelation, gives us the description of what is seen in heaven right before the Lord’s descent and what events led to his return. 

As we go back to the meaning of the passage of verse 14:10 of Zechariah, the people who are clothed with the Holy Spirit (the presence of God) will not be harmed. This is why anyone in that city should not be found “naked”, which spiritually speaking, means not having the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to live in a person who has accepted Jesus. God is a consuming fire so if you have the presence of the living God living inside you fire will not consume you.

And it shall come to pass, that 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 the feast of tabernacles. Zechariah 14:16 KJV

From this scripture it appears there will be survivors of all the nations who came against Israel. This is something I was not aware of until I read over this a few times. I had always understood he would destroy everyone who was not on his side upon his arrival but from this scripture it appears there will be survivors. This passage shows us that during the Lord’s millennial reign here on earth the Israelites will need to be obedient to keeping the feast of tabernacles. Notice this feast is the only feast mentioned by Zechariah. It is the seventh and last feast the Israelites were commanded to keep. This feast is symbolic for when the Father will come to dwell with us on earth and since it has not come to pass at this point the feast is a “dress rehearsal”, so to speak. The Israelites will need to keep this feast as obedience along with the survivors of the nations.

Notice, if you will, once Jesus resurrected and came to his disciples and revealed himself to them you do not read of them keeping the feasts in any of the New Testament epistles except one. The apostle Paul shows us, as a Jew, that he still kept the feast of tabernacles.

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. (20) When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; (21) But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. Acts 18:19-21 KJV

It is as if because the other feasts are fulfilled they are no longer required. The first 4 feasts represent what would happen to Jesus and the birth of the church. So if those were fulfilled in Jesus they would not need to keep them. They were a shadow of things to come. Jesus resurrected and the Holy Spirit descended. If a person continues to keep those feasts then he would be denying what Jesus did for all of us. 

At the Lord’s second coming the feast of trumpets and the feast of atonement will be fulfilled. The only one left to fulfill, as I mentioned earlier, is the feast of tabernacles. This is why I believe Zechariah only mentioned this feast in verse 14:16 because he was prophesying of a “future” event. We are reading he is referring to the day the Lord returns.

* The Canaanites *

And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (19) This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. Zechariah 14:18-19 KJV

An interesting citation we find in these scriptures is the reference to “Egypt”. Egypt is symbolic for the family of Hagar. Maybe at this point you are asking yourself, do we need to keep the feast of tabernacles? According to the scriptures it makes reference to the family of Egypt but then it says “all nations” that do not keep the feast. Gentiles are not part of the family of Egypt nor the descendants of Egypt but we will be included in the part of all nations since the gentiles have been adopted into the family of God.

The bible also states “the heathen” in verse 14:18, who will not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, will experience no rain. Not only will they not have rain but there will be a plague as punishment. The same plague that was mentioned when the Lord arrives. If the heathen will not obey what he has been commanded to do then he is disobeying the Lord and there will be punishment. This came to me as I wrote this: He will rule them with a rod of iron.

And 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 KJV 

It would make sense now why there is a rigidness to the way the Lord rules during his millennial reign and why there is a reference to “goats” in the scriptures. Goat are of the same family as sheep but they are different. Goats tend to be stubborn and have been known to fight with the sheep but a shepherd has both.

Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 14:21 KJV

In this verse the Canaanites were mentioned and in that day of the Lord’s return there will not be any Canaanites in the house of the Lord of hosts. If you do not know who the Canaanites were they were the descendants of Ham. The Egyptians were also descendants. Abraham’s first son Ishmael came through Sarai’s handmaiden Hagar. She was her Egyptian slave or servant. Ishmael’s descendants were also blessed even though Sarah wanted them out of their house. 

As the centuries passed they had opportunities to accept Jesus as their Lord. Through the Lord’s mercy and love he gave them a chance to know and surrender to him. I’m sure there must have been some who were saved through the centuries because there are many testimonies of Muslims getting saved and having an experience with him.

* Millennial Reign *

Please remember we are reviewing the millennial reign at this point. We are not to practice the feast of tabernacles now because even though we are adopted we do not do what was commanded upon the Israelites. This is noted in a letter to the church of Smyrna in the book of Revelation 2:9. This is how we have been informed not to do what the Jews practice in this era. The Law of Moses and its practices were for the Jews only. The Lord does not look favorably on those who practice these customs now and are not Jews as you can read in the following scripture. 

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2:9 KJV

During the millennial reign the Lord will be teaching the surviving nations that came against Jerusalem to learn his ways. The church at that time will also be practicing his ways under the leadership of his faithful followers which the Lord will appoint from this life. These are leaders who think like him and walk after his ways. They were faithful in their lifetime and now their reward would be to govern and lead others.  

These last 3 chapters of Zechariah describe a lot of information for us. It would be good to read them all together again. The more you meditate and read them you begin to see things more clearly of the events that will unfold on the Day of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is our helper and will bring clarity of God’s word to us. Many times the things we learn in church are contrary to what we may understand in the Word. But this is why the Holy Spirit is our teacher. He helps us understand spiritual concepts and bears witness in our spirit.