The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 14:2-5,
"I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him."
This prophecy is a message of the end of the age. At the time Israel finally embraces Jesus Christ as her Messiah, see Romans 11:25-27, it will be a tumultuous time. The Lord "will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city." It is then Israel will return to the Lord and recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Even a cursory reading of Judges reveals this same methodology the Lord used to bring Israel back to himself repeatedly. By sending her a life-threatening array of nations against her, she will fall on her knees to seek the Lord's deliverance. I sense this is what we read of here in Zechariah 14:2-5.
Zechariah 14 has historically been a difficult chapter to interpret. There is no event in Israel's history that matches what we read here. For me, I take this passage to be the upcoming headline stories we will all be reading of in the not to distant future.
As the nations gather against Israel, take note! The Lord's coming will be near. The culmination of these events will result in, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name." Zechariah 14:9.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him."
This prophecy is a message of the end of the age. At the time Israel finally embraces Jesus Christ as her Messiah, see Romans 11:25-27, it will be a tumultuous time. The Lord "will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city." It is then Israel will return to the Lord and recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Even a cursory reading of Judges reveals this same methodology the Lord used to bring Israel back to himself repeatedly. By sending her a life-threatening array of nations against her, she will fall on her knees to seek the Lord's deliverance. I sense this is what we read of here in Zechariah 14:2-5.
Zechariah 14 has historically been a difficult chapter to interpret. There is no event in Israel's history that matches what we read here. For me, I take this passage to be the upcoming headline stories we will all be reading of in the not to distant future.
As the nations gather against Israel, take note! The Lord's coming will be near. The culmination of these events will result in, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name." Zechariah 14:9.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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