Zechariah 14:1-3

A DAY OF JEHOVAH COMETH. Zechariah 14:1-3

RV. Behold a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For 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 Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
LXX. Behold, the days of the Lord come, and thy spoils shall be divided in thee. And I will gather all the Gentiles to Jerusalem to war, and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, but the rest of my people shall not be utterly cut off from the city. And the Lord shall go forth, and fight with those Gentiles as when he fought in the day of war.

COMMENTS

(Zechariah 14:1) For an understanding of the term a Day of Jehovah, please review the comments in the Introduction to Zechariah and in the beginning of Chapter XLI.

A Day of Jehovah is always a closing of one historic era and the beginning of another. It is upon this premise that we postulated the belief that the term in that day in chapter thirteen and chapter fourteen refers to two different times. (See comment.) The first day, referred to in chapter thirteen, is the Messianic age in which we live. The second day, referred to in chapter fourteen, is the last time.

(Zechariah 14:1(b) - Zechariah 14:3) In the coming day of Jehovah the spoil of Jerusalem is to be divided in her midst. The occasion for this pillage will be the gathering of the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The treatment of the city's inhabitants is to be barbaric with half the population being taken into slavery. Those not taken into captivity are to remain in the city.

Those who see the subsequent verses symbolically fulfilled in the church, take this verse to refer to the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. This raises grave questions. For example, if we are to take this verse literally of the invasion by Rome, why are we to assume the subsequent verses are figurative? And, how can we identify Rome as all nations?
The Roman occupation of Palestine was by invitation, initially, and so does not fit the description here at all. The final destruction of Jerusalem by Rome, as the result of the failure of the Jews to accept Roman rule, more closely resembles the picture presented by Zechariah, but to explain these verses solely on this basis requires a sudden unexplainable shifting from the literal to the figurative in the verses immediately following.
For example, those who take Jerusalem as meaning the city literally, in verses one through three, insist that the term is metaphorically used in following verses concerning the Mount of Olives. Such inconsistency is a gross violation of the rules of sound exegesis. It is more honest to simply say we do not know exactly what is being described here.

It seems quite likely that we are dealing with events of the end time and the last rebellion of man against God. Perhaps we must leave the explanation of the prophet's language to Him in Whose hands such things rest. Perhaps we, as the twelve, must reluctantly accept the fact that there are certain matters which it is not our prerogative to know as completely as we might like. (cp. Acts 1:6-7)

Chapter XLIIQuestions

In the Second Day

1.

Chapter fourteen deals almost exclusively with _________________.

2.

Eschatology may be defined simply as _________________.

3.

Do scholars generally agree on the meaning of this chapter?

4.

Discuss the two extreme views of pre and post millenialists in regard to Zechariah fourteen.

5.

One can never be _________________ and be dogmatic about eschatology, especially when it is written in apocalyptic form.

6.

In the study of eschatology we are deprived of a very useful tool in the interpretation of prophecy in general. What is that tool?

7.

Review the meaning of a day of Jehovah in chapter forty-one.

8.

In the day of Jehovah described in Zechariah fourteen the ______________ of Jerusalem is to be divided in her midst.

9.

Half the population of Jerusalem is to be _________________.

10.

Why does the Roman occupation of Jerusalem not fit the description here?

11.

List the events of Zechariah

a.

In that day (10)

b.

In that day (11)

c.

In that day (12)

d.

In that day (13)

e.

In that day (14)

f.

In that day (15)

g.

In that day (16)

12.

Describe the present setting of the Mount of Olives.

13.

The division of the Mount of Olives would provide an easy ___________________.

14.

The events here are compared to an historic earthquake in the days of ___________________.

15.

The description of the Lord in company with all the saints always refers to ___________________.

16.

What other prophets described the day of the Lord in terms similar to those used here by Zechariah?

17.

Peter saw at least the beginning of the fulfillment of a similar prediction by Joel in ___________________.

18.

God has always been king over the whole earth. In the end He will be ___________________.

19.

Locate Geba and Rimmon.

20.

What other topographical alterations accompany the splitting of the Mount of Olives?

21.

Who will be safe during these cataclysmic events?

22.

Describe the plague which is to come upon those arrayed against Jerusalem.

23.

What is the result of this plague?

24.

What Jewish feast is to be celebrated by all the nations? What is its significance?

25.

What is to be the consequence if any nation fails to keep the feast?

26.

Why is Egypt here singled out for special punishment should she fail to keep the feast?

27.

Finally the inscription _______________ is to be seen on everything in Jerusalem.

28.

Explain the significance of this inscription appearing on such diverse items as altar utensils and cook pots in the home.

29.

Who were the Canaanites?