Lesson #16

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Zechariah

September 21, 2015

Lesson #01

January 10, 2010

Lesson #02

January 10, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ZECHARIAH 14
LESSON #16
FROM THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON TO MESSIAH’S FINAL TRIUMPH

• MEMORY VERSE: ZEC 14:9

• ZEC 12 TALKED ABOUT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. ZEC 14 GIVES US MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS EVENT SO IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

• READ ZEC 14:1-8 FROM THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON TO THE MILLENNIAL REIGN
• “THE DAY OF THE LORD” (1)
• THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• REMEMBER THAT THE JEWISH DAY BEGAN AT SUNSET, CONTINUED THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT, AND ENDING IN DAYLIGHT.
• IN PARALLEL, “THE DAY OF THE LORD” BEGINS WITH THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF 7 YEARS, CONTINUES INTO THE SPIRITUAL DARKNESS OF THE LAST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION INTO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON, AND FINALLY TO END IN THE BRIGHTNESS OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING TO SET UP HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
• WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM DURING THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON?
• READ JESUS’ PROPHECY IN MAT 24:15-22
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT OF JESUS’ PROPHECY WAS IN 70AD FOR WHICH ZECHARIAH PROPHESIED IN ZEC 11.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT OF JESUS’ PROPHECY IS THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD CONCLUDING WITH THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• ZECHARIAH TELLS US THAT JERUSALEM WILL FALL IN DEFEAT. (2)
• HALF OF THE JEWS WILL BE TAKEN CAPTIVE, BUT THE REST WILL REMAIN IN THE CITY. (2)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL HAVE SET UP A PENAL COLONY IN EGYPT DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD FOR THE JEWS. (DEU 28:68)
• HOWEVER, NOTICE THAT ONLY HALF OF THE CITY GOES INTO CAPTIVITY. WHY?
• PUTTING THE SCENARIO TOGETHER WITH OTHER SCRIPTURES MAY GIVE US AN ANSWER:
• IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TRULY ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS JEWS WILL BE THE ONES TAKEN CAPTIVE TO EGYPT.
• THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST, 666.
• IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SECULAR JEWS (THE NON-ORTHODOX) IN JERUSALEM WILL AGREE BY FORCE AND COERCION TO TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST.
• NOTICE THAT THEIR CAPTORS FEEL FREE AND SAFE TO DIVIDE THE SPOIL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY. (2)
• THE COMMON PRACTICE WAS THAT A VICTORIOUS ARMY WOULD TAKE THE SPOIL OUTSIDE THE CITY TO DIVIDE IT AMONG THE TROOPS.
• THE DIVINE DELIVERER COMES TO THE AID OF THE JEWS AT THE LAST MINUTE. (3)
• JESUS CHRIST’S APPEARING IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING THE JEWS TO DEFEAT THE ANTI-CHRIST’S ARMIES.
• THE DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING (4-15)
• “HIS FOOT SHALL STAND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES” (4)
• THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS A GARDEN ON A MOUNTAINTOP JUST EAST OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.
• THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS WHERE JESUS OFTEN WENT TO PRAY.
• IT IS THE PLACE WHERE HE PRAYED THE NIGHT OF THE LAST SUPPER JUST BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION.
• THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS THE PLACE FROM WHERE JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN.
• THEREFORE, IT IS THE PLACE TO WHERE HE WILL RETURN ;
• READ ACT 1:4-11
• WHAT CHANGES WILL OCCUR ON EARTH AS A RESULT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?
• THE WORLDWIDE EARTHQUAKE THAT SPLITS THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. (4)
• THERE IS AN EARTHQUAKE FAULT (THE JORDAN VALLEY RIFT) LOCATED BETWEEN JERUSALEM AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. IT IS A MAJOR FAULT AND RUNS FROM MT. HERMON ON THE NORTH DOWN TO THE RED SEA IN THE SOUTH. IT IS THE DEEPEST DEPRESSION ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH. ANOTHER SECONDARY FAULT BREAKS OFF OF THAT ONE AND RUNS WEST OF THE JORDAN RIVER TOWARD THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
• JERUSALEM WILL DIVIDE INTO THREE PARTS (REV 16:19)
• JEWS WILL RUN INTO THE RIFT VALLEY MADE BY THE EARTHQUAKE TO ESCAPE THE ANTI-CHRIST’S PURSUING ARMY. (5)
• READ REV 6:14-16
• BUT MANY WILL RUN INTO THE RIFT VALLEY TO TRY TO HIDE FROM CHRIST.
• “…THE LIGHT SHALL NOT BE CLEAR NOR DARK ” (6)
• THIS IS A DIFFICULT VERSE TO UNDERSTAND. THEREFORE, THERE ARE SOME SPECULATIVE POSSIBILITIES:
• PERHAPS BECAUSE THE EARTHQUAKE WILL RAISE THE LEVEL OF DUST IN THE AIR, THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT WILL BE BETWEEN DAYLIGHT AND NIGHT.
• THEN THE AIR CLEARS (7)
• PERHAPS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY IS SO UNUSUAL THAT IT WILL BE LIKE NO OTHER DAY AS FAR AS TIME IS CONCERNED REGARDING SUNRISE AND SUNSET.
• VERSE 7 MAY INDICATE AN EXTRA LONG DAY.
• THIS VERSE IN ZECHARIAH BEST CORRESPONDS TO JOEL 3:15 AND ISA 13:10.
• READ JOEL 3:15 AND ISA 13:10
• VERSE 7 MAY BEST BE EXPLAINED BY ISA 30:6.
• READ ISA 30:6.
• A PERMANENT CHANGE IN THE LAY OF THE LAND AND THE WATERS OVER THE EARTH. (8,10)
• WATER FLOWS FROM JERUSALEM.
• THE PROPHET, EZEKIEL, PREDICTED THAT THERE WOULD BE WATER (A GREAT RIVER) FLOWING FROM UNDER THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE IN THE 1000 REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH. (EZE 47:12)
• THIS RIVER IS LITERAL BUT ALSO SYMBOLIC OF THE GRACE AND SALVATION OF GOD THAT FLOWS TO ALL THE NATIONS.
• ZECHARIAH INDICATES THAT THE WATER FROM JERUSALEM WILL FLOW TOWARD THE DEAD SEA AND TOWARD THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE DEAD SEA WILL BECOME FRESH WATER.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WATER:
• SUFFICIENT WATER NOT DEPENDENT ON RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST WILL TRANSFORM THE LAND INTO A LUSH GARDEN.
• SPEAKING SPIRITUALLY AND SYMBOLICALLY, JESUS IS THE WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE. (JOH 4:14)
• THE CITIES OF REBA AND GIMMON (10)
• THESE CITIES REPRESENT THE NORTHERN BORDER AND THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE LAND OF JUDAH
• THE LAND GIVEN TO THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WILL BE LIFTED UP HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE LAND AROUND IT.
• THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, IN JUDAH, WILL BE THE HIGHEST LAND SO THAT PEOPLE FROM A FAR DISTANCE CAN SEE THE CITY WHERE THE MESSIAH REIGNS.

• READ ZEC 14:9-21 DETAILS ABOUT THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF THE SHEPHERD KING:
• THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING BEGINS THE 1000-YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH.
• NOTICE THAT THE PROPHET SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT CHRIST WILL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH. (9)
• THERE ARE SOME INTERPRETERS WHO SPIRITUALIZE CHRIST’S KINGDOM AND SEE IT AS EXISTING ONLY IN HEAVEN, CONTRARY TO WHAT ZECHARIAH SAYS HERE.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REIGN OF THE SHEPHERD KING (9)
• UNITY WILL BE A CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS KINGDOM.
• EVERYONE WILL WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST.
• THERE WILL BE NO OTHER RELIGIONS.
• THERE WILL BE NO OTHER RULERS.
• THERE WILL BE NO OTHER GOVERNMENT.
• PEACE, SAFETY AND SECURITY WILL CHARACTERIZE CHRIST’S KINGDOM. .(11)
• JERUSALEM WILL BE SAFELY INHABITED.
• THE NAME JERUSALEM MEANS = CITY OF PEACE
• CHRIST WILL BE THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEOPLE.
• “…NO MORE UTTER DESTRUCTION…” (11)
• THE WORD, DESTRUCTION, ALSO REFERS TO THE CURSE OF GEN 3.
• THE CURSE ON THE PHYSICAL EARTH IS REMOVED.
• THE CURSE ON MANKIND IS REMOVED.
• THE CURSE ON ANIMALS IS REMOVED.
• CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE OVER HIS ENEMIES. (9)
• JESUS CHRIST COMES TO RULE WITH A ROD OF IRON (A STRICT CODE OF JUSTICE). (REV 2:27)
• CHRIST WILL USE THREE METHODS TO DESTROY HIS ENEMIES AT HIS SECOND COMING:
• =1= THOSE NATIONS THAT FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON SUFFER A PLAGUE THAT KILLS ALL NON-BELIEVERS. (12)
• A PLAGUE IN THE BIBLE REFERS TO A JUDGMENT SPECIFICALLY SENT BY GOD.
• ZECHARIAH MENTIONED THIS PLAGUE BRIEFLY IN ZEC 12:4, BUT ZEC 14:12 DESCRIBES IS MUCH MORE VIVIDLY.
• =2= THOSE NATIONS THAT FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON SUFFER A PLAGUE ON THEIR ANIMALS. (15) THAT CAUSES SUCH CONFUSION THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE ANTI-CHRIST’S ARMY ACTUALLY KILL EACH OTHER.
• ZECHARIAH MENTIONED THIS PLAGUE IN ZEC 12:4.
• =3= THE JEWS WILL FIGHT IN THE BATTLE AND KILL MANY OF THE ENEMY.
• A SPIRIT OF WORSHIP WILL COVER THE EARTH (16)
• “EVERYONE THAT IS LEFT OF ALL THE NATIONS” (16)
• WHO WILL BE LEFT?
• JEWS AND GENTILES THAT DID NOT TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD AND DID NOT FIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• ORTHODOX JEWS IN CAPTIVITY IN EGYPT WILL PROBABLY BE THOSE WHO RECEIVE CHRIST AT HIS SECOND COMING AND ENTER INTO CHRIST’S KINGDOM.
• 144,000 JEWS THAT LOVE CHRIST AND THAT GOD PROTECTS IN PETRA WILL SURVIVE INTO THE MILLENNIUM.
• THOSE JEWISH AND GENTILE CHRISTIANS WHO MANAGED TO AVOID DEATH BY THE ANTICHRIST.
• “…(THEY) SHALL EVEN GO UP FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO WORSHIP THE KING…” (16)
• THOSE NATIONS OF THE FAMILY OF NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WILL BE EXPECTED TO SEND AN ANNUAL DELEGATION ON A PILGRIMAGE TO WORSHIP THE KING.
• FAILURE TO DO SO WILL MEAN NO RAIN ON THAT NATION.
• THE OBSERVANCE OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES:
• IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, PEOPLE WILL BE EXPECTED TO OBSERVE THIS OLD TESTAMENT JEWISH HOLIDAY. WHY?
• IT IS THE EIGHTH OF ISRAEL’S FEASTS GIVEN BY GOD.
• EIGHT IS THE NUMBER OF NEW BEGINNINGS. THE MILLENNIUM IS A NEW ORDER OF THINGS.
• THE MILLENNIUM IS A TIME OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE, WHEN THE SON OF GOD TABERNACLES (DWELLS) WITH MAN.
• UNDERSTANDING THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IN RELATION TO THE MILLENNIUM:
• THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES WAS A HARVEST FESTIVAL OF JOY AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR AN ABUNDANT HARVEST.
• THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES WAS CELEBRATED TO REMIND THE PEOPLE THAT IT WAS GOD WHO TOOK THEM OUT OF EGYPT TO DWELL IN THE WILDERNESS IN TENTS AND TABERNACLES (BOOTHS). IT WAS GOD WHO GUIDED THEM THROUGH THE WILDERNESS TO THE PROMISED LAND. (LEV 23:33-44)
• THE PEOPLE WERE TO GO TO JERUSALEM DURING THIS ANNUAL HOLIDAY AND TAKE THEIR TITHES AND OFFERINGS TO THE TEMPLE. (DEU 16:16)
• THE CELEBRATION AT THE TEMPLE CONSISTED OF A SPECIAL POURING OF WATER TO REMIND THE PEOPLE THAT IT WAS GOD WHO GAVE THEM WATER IN THE WILDERNESS.
• THE WATER RITUAL WAS ALSO A PRAYER FOR ABUNDANT RAINFALL.
• NOTICE IN ZEC 14 THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT OBSERVE THIS HOLIDAY IN THE MILLENNIUM HAVE NO RAINFALL.
• THE WATER RITUAL WAS ALSO A SPIRITUAL PREDICTION OF THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.
• THEREFORE, THOSE WHO DO NOT OBSERVE THIS HOLIDAY IN THE MILLENNIUM HAVE NO OUT-POURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• THE LAST DAY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES WAS CALLED THE GREAT DAY OF HOSANNA.
• THE WORD, HOSANNA, MEANS = SAVE NOW!
• THIS WAS THE CRY OF THE PEOPLE ON PALM SUNDAY, BUT A WEEK LATER THEY REJECTED THEIR MESSIAH AND HE WAS CRUCIFIED.
• ALSO ON THE LAST DAY WAS A GREAT ILLUMINATION OF THE COURTYARD OF THE TEMPLE BY FOUR LARGE GOLD LAMPSTANDS WITH 4 BOWLS OF OIL EACH.
• IT WAS AT THIS CELEBRATION THAT JESUS SAID HE WAS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (JOH 8:12)
• IT IS IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST THAT THE LIGHT OF GOD’S TRUTH WILL GO OUT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD.
• BECAUSE OF ABUNDANT RAINFALL, PEOPLE ENJOYED A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST (A GREAT INGATHERING OF CROPS).
• THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM IS A GREAT INGATHERING OF HARVESTED SOULS BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT DID HIS WORK TO BRING THEM INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• RAPTURED NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS.
• RESURRECTED OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS.
• TRIBULATION SAINTS (JEWS AND GENTILES)
• READ REV 7:9-10
• READ MAT 17:1-5
• WHY WAS THE BUILDING OF BOOTHS OR TABERNACLES THE WRONG THING FOR PETER TO SAY ON THE MT. OF TRANSFIGURATION IN LIGHT OF ZEC 14?
• THE TIMING WAS WRONG. IT WAS NOT THE TIME TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES IN THE MILLENNIUM. JESUS HAD NOT COME TO STAY ON EARTH AS KING.
• A SPIRIT OF HOLINESS OVER THE WHOLE EARTH. (20-21)
• EVEN THE EVERYDAY COMMON THINGS WILL BE AS THOUGH THEY ARE HOLY.
• IN OTHER WORDS, HOLINESS WILL BE THE WAY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE.
• “…NO MORE CANAANITE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD…”(21)
• THE CANAANITES WERE NON-BELIEVERS WHO WORSHIPPED IDOLS.
• ZECHARIAH BRINGS UP THIS POINT BECAUSE IT WAS IDOLATRY IN GOD’S TEMPLE THAT CAUSED THE PEOPLE OF HIS GENERATION TO SUFFER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.

• A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH:
• THE PROPHET HAS TAKEN US THROUGH A SERIES OF 8 VISIONS THAT WERE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HIS GENERATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
• THEY PROMISED MESSIAH’S PRESENCE AND PROTECTION.
• THEY PROMISED THE DEFEAT OF ISRAEL’S ENEMIES.
• THEY PROMISED A SALVATION FROM SIN IN ONE DAY.
• THEY PROMISED A FUTURE GLORY FOR ISRAEL AMONG THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.
• THEY ALSO PROMISED A JUDGMENT ON THE WORLD IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD AND A WORLD FALSE RELIGION.
• THEN, THE PROPHET SHOWED US THE PROBLEM WITH THE RELIGION OF HIS DAY:
• IT WAS EMPTY RITUAL AND TRADITION WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
• ZECHARIAH EXPLAINED THE CHARACTER AND ROLE OF CHRIST AS A PRIEST AND A KING AND A SHEPHERD.
• THE PROPHET PREDICTED ASPECTS OF THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST AS WELL AS THE SECOND COMING.
• THE FIRST COMING:
• PALM SUNDAY WITH CHRIST RIDING A DONKEY INTO JERUSALEM.
• THE REJECTION OF CHRIST, THEIR MESSIAH, BY HIS OWN PEOPLE.
• THE BETRAYAL FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER
• THE CRUCIFIXION.
• THE SECOND COMING:
• THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• THE JEWS’ ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR MESSIAH.
• THE WONDERFUL MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WITH ISRAEL GLORIFIED AND THEIR MESSIAH IN THEIR MIDST.
• THE ASPECT OF ONE MESSIAH COMING TWO TIMES: ZEC 12:10
• THROUGH THE STUDY OF THE BOOK, WE CONSIDERED THE QUESTION, “WHY DID THE JEWS NOT RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THEIR MESSIAH THE FIRST TIME HE CAME?”
• SOME OF THE REASONS WE OBSERVED WERE:
• THEIR OWN EMPTY RELIGION WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
• THE FACT THAT MANY JEWS LOOKED FOR TWO MESSIAHS.
• BAD LEADERS, RELIGIOUS AND GOVERNMENTAL, THAT DID NOT SHEPHERD THEIR PEOPLE BY FEEDING THEM THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD.
• A FAILURE TO LISTEN TO THEIR PROPHETS AND HEED THE WARNINGS.
• AND FINALLY, THE PROPHET GAVE US MANY BEAUTIFUL, SYMBOLIC TITLES FOR CHRIST: SOME OF WHICH ARE:
• THE BRANCH.
• THE ROCK, OR THE STONE.
• THE NAIL
• THE BATTLE BOW
• THE SHEPHERD.

THE END
GOD
BLESS YOU!