Lesson #10

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Zechariah

September 21, 2015

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January 10, 2010

Lesson #02

January 10, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ZECHARIAH 8
LESSON #10
A TIME OF FEASTING FOR THE BLESSED REMNANT

• MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 14:6

• IN OUR LAST LESSON, THE PROPHET, ZECHARIAH, BEGAN TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT FASTING TO COMMEMORATE THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE BEFORE THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
• HE GAVE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE REPRIMANDING THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR HYPOCRITICAL RELIGION.
• IN THIS LESSON, ZECHARIAH IS CONTINUING HIS RESPONSE TO THE SAME QUESTION BUT IT IS FROM A POSITIVE VIEWPOINT.

• READ ZEC 8:1-23
• “I AM JEALOUS FOR ZION WITH GREAT JEALOUSY” (2)
• THIS IDEA IS REPEATED FROM VISION #1 (CHAPTER 1).
• GOD’S GREAT JEALOUSY OVER ISRAEL SHOULD MAKE NATIONS AND PEOPLES FEAR PERSECUTING AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE JEWS BECAUSE THEY WILL ANSWER TO GOD FOR IT.
• THE POSITIVE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOUT FASTING IN CHAPTER 7:
• INSTEAD OF LOOKING BACK AT THEIR PAST TRAGEDIES AND MOURN WITH FASTING, WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO DO? (2-8)
• THEY ARE TO LOOK TO A FUTURE TIME OF FEASTING WHEN THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S FULL BLESSINGS ON THE JEWS WILL OCCUR IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM UNDER THE REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST.
• JERUSALEM TO BE THE CITY OF TRUTH IN THE MILLENNIUM (3)
• “THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD” (THE HOLY MOUNTAIN) (3)
• READ MIC 4:1-2 (ISA 2:2-5)
• MICAH AND ISAIAH SPEAK ABOUT THIS MOUNTAIN.AND THE NEW MILLENNIAL TEMPLE BUILT ON THE TOP OF IT IN JERUSALEM. THIS TEMPLE WILL STAND HIGH ABOVE THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY SO ALL WILL SEE IT FROM AFAR OFF.
• IT WILL BE A PLACE OF WORSHIP FOR ALL NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIUM.
• IT WILL BE A PLACE OF INSTRUCTION INTO THE WAYS OF GOD.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MILLENNIAL AGE:
• A KINGDOM BASED ON TRUTH (3)
• A TIME OF PEACE AND SAFETY (4)
• A TIME OF INCREASED LONGEVITY (4)
• A TIME OF AN INCREASED BIRTH RATE (5)
• A TIME WHEN THE JEWS WILL BE GOD’S PEOPLE AND HE WILL BE THEIR GOD. (8)
• THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THEIR NATIONAL CONVERSION WHEN THEY WILL KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR AND LORD.
• THE REMOVAL OF THE CURSE (10-12)
• BEFORE ZECHARIAH’S DAY, THE PEOPLE WERE UNDER A CURSE FROM GOD AS A RESULT OF THEIR PRE-CAPTIVITY SINS. (PRIMARILY IDOLATRY) (14)
• WITH ZECHARIAH’S MESSAGE IN CHAPTER 8, GOD IS SAYING THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER UNDER THAT CURSE OF GOD’S PUNISHMENT. (15)
• ALL PLANET EARTH IS UNDER THE CURSE OF GEN 3 AS A RESULT OF THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE.
• IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, GOD WILL REMOVE THE CURSE OF GEN 3. IT WILL BE MORE LIKE THE GARDEN OF EDEN BEFORE ADAM’S SIN.
• NOTICE THAT VERSE 13 REFERS TO THE HOUSE OF JUDAH AND THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
• THIS REFERS TO THE SPLIT IN THE NATION OF ISRAEL THAT OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER SOLOMON’S REIGN.
• AFTER THE RETURN FROM THE CAPTIVITY AND IN THE MILLENNIUM, THEY WILL AGAIN BE ONE NATION.
• THE REMNANT – GOD’S “REMNANT THEOLOGY” (6)
• GOD’S PROMISES AND THE FULFILLMENT OF THEM ARE NOT FOR ALL PEOPLE. TO UNDERSTAND GOD AND HIS KINGDOM, WE NEED TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT IDEA OF “THE REMNANT”.
• ALL THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, GOD SPECIFIES THAT HIS BLESSINGS ARE ONLY FOR A SMALL REMNANT OF PEOPLE., A PEOPLE OF FAITH IN THE COMING MESSIAH.
• IN OTHER WORDS, ALL JEWS LIVING IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WILL NOT COME TO KNOW AND ACCEPT CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING. ONLY A SMALL REMNANT OF JEWS WILL ACCEPT HIM AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.
• THEREFORE, ONLY A SMALL REMNANT OF JEWS WILL ENTER INTO THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
• THE IDEA OF “THE REMNANT” IS CARRIED OVER INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• READ MAT 7:21
• GOD’S PEOPLE OF FAITH, WHETHER IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES OR IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES ARE ALWAYS A MINORITY.
• YES, CHRIST DIED FOR ALL, BUT ALL DO NOT ACCEPT HIM.
• YES, GOD DESIRES THAT ALL MANKIND BE SAVED, BUT ALL WILL NOT CHOOSE TO BE SAVED.
• IN ZECHARIAH’S DAY, ONLY A SMALL REMNANT OF JEWS RETURN ED TO THE PROMISED LAND AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
• ACCORDING TO THIS MESSAGE THROUGH ZECHARIAH, GOD ENCOURAGES THIS SMALL REMNANT OF PEOPLE.
• IF THEY LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH IN GOD, GOD WILL BLESS THEM ABUNDANTLY.
• IF THEY LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH IN GOD, GOD WILL FULFILL ALL HIS PROMISES TO THEM, THE FAITHFUL REMNANT, IN THE MILLENNIUM.
• THE FINAL RETURN OF THE FAITHFUL REMNANT (7):
• “I WILL SAVE MY PEOPLE” (7)
• THE OLD TESTAMENT IDEA IS NOT JUST A SPIRITUAL SALVATION FROM SIN BUT IT INCLUDES A PHYSICAL DELIVERANCE FROM ENEMIES AS WELL.
• GOD WILL LITERALLY BRING ALL THE JEWS BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND FROM THE EAST (FROM THE PLACE OF THE RISING OF THE SUN) AND THE WEST (FROM THE PLACE OF THE SETTING OF THE SUN) WHERE THEIR ENEMIES HAD SCATTERED THEM. THIS IS A UNIVERSAL REGATHERING OF THE JEWS.
• THIS PROPHECY IS YET TO BE FULFILLED, FOR MOST OF THE JEWS IN THE WORLD TODAY LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES.
• THIS PROPHECY WILL BE FULFILLED IN THE MILLENNIUM WHEN ALL JEWS WILL LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND.
• THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF A DISTANT FUTURE OF FULFILLED PROPHECY: (9-11)
• THE TENDENCY FOR A PEOPLE HEARING ABOUT SOME DISTANT FULFILLMENT WOULD BE DISINTEREST IN THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET.
• THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE LONG DEAD AND NEVER LIVE TO SEE THE FULFILLMENT. THEIR QUESTION WOULD PROBABLY BE, “SO! WHAT HAS ALL THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME NOW STRUGGLING TO MAKE A LIVING?”
• ZECHARIAH USES THE WORDS “THESE DAYS” IN VERSES 9 AND 10 TO INDICATE THAT THIS PART OF THE MESSAGE IS FOR HIS OWN DAY.
• THE PROBLEMS OF ZECHARIAH’S DAY WERE:
• UNEMPLOYMENT.
• RAIDS BY ROBBERS AND OLD ENEMIES.
• HATRED BETWEEN PEOPLE.
• POOR HARVESTS AS A RESULT OF DEVASTATED LAND.
• THEREFORE, THE PROPHET ENCOURAGES THE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO WORK REBUILDING THE TEMPLE AND WORKING FOR THE LORD BECAUSE THEY WILL REAP SOME OF THE BLESSINGS IN THEIR LIFETIME. HE SPECIFIES THEIR BLESSINGS:
• THERE WILL BE ABUNDANT EMPLOYMENT. (10)
• THERE WILL BE RELATIVE PEACE. (11,13)
• THERE WILL BE ABUNDANT HARVESTS, AND PROSPERITY WILL COVER THE LAND. (12)
• THE REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING THESE PRESENT BLESSINGS IS BASED ON GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE WITH COOPERATION BY THE PEOPLE: (16-19)
• THEY SHOULD SPEAK THE TRUTH (16)
• THEY SHOULD LET PEACE AND JUSTICE REIGN IN THEIR MIDST. (16-17)
• THEY SHOULD TREAT OTHERS IN LOVE (17)
• THEY SHOULD TURN THE DAYS OF FASTING TO FEAST DAYS (19)
• UNFORTUNATELY THE JEWISH PEOPLE DID NOT RECEIVE THE MESSAGE BECAUSE THEY STILL CELEBRATE THE SAME FAST DAYS MENTIONED IN VERSE 19.
• THE ROLE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE MILLENNIUM: (20-23)
• ZECHARIAH CHANGES SUBJECTS AGAIN TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE MILLENNIUM AND THE JEWISH ROLE IN CHRIST’S KINGDOM.
• THE JEWS WILL BE A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES
• THE JEWS WILL ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO WORSHIP GOD AND TO LEARN ABOUT GOD.
• THE JEWS WILL ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO MAKE PILGRIMAGES TO JERUSALEM TO SEE CHRIST.
• REVIEW
• THROUGH TWO CHAPTERS, ZECHARIAH HAS ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER HIS PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FASTS THAT REMEMBERED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE THAT BEGAN THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
• WHAT, THEN, IS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION?
• THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO LOOK BACK TO PAST TRAGEDIES.
• THE PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO A GLORIOUS NEW BEGINNING AND A GREATER FUTURE BLESSING TO COME.
• THEREFORE, THE DAYS OF FASTING AND MOURNING SHOULD BECOME FEAST DAYS OF GREAT JOY.
• APPLICATION:
• COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE WORD TRUTH IS MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER.
• THE WORD, TRUTH, IS MENTIONED 5 TIMES. (3, 8, 16, 16, 19)
• WHAT RELATIONSHIP DOES TRUTH HAVE TO DO WITH THE QUESTION OF FASTING?
• GOD REVEALS TRUTH TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN OPEN HEART TO GOD. IF YOU FAST WITH AN OPEN HEART AND DESIRE TO KNOW GOD’S TRUTH, HE WILL REVEAL IT TO YOU. BUT IF YOU FAST IN A RITUALISTIC MANNER TO COMMEMORATE TRAGEDIES OF THE PAST, IN THE SAME WAY THE PEOPLE OF ZECHARIAH’S DAY FASTED, YOU WILL NOT LEARN THE TRUTH.
• RITUALISM, LEGALISM, AND FORM IN RELIGION DO NOT PLEASE GOD BECAUSE THEY CAUSE MAN TO CLOSE HIS HEART TO THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO REVEALS TRUTH. (JOH 14:6,17 JOH 15:26)
• IN CASE YOU DID NOT NOTICE, THE PHRASE “SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS” APPEARS 11 TIMES IN THE FIRST 17 VERSES OF CHAPTER 8.
• THE PURPOSE OF THE REPETITION IS TO STRENGTHEN THE READER’S FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT THE LORD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISES.
• TRUTH COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD THROUGH THE PROPHETS, AND FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD. (ROM 10:17)

• HOMEWORK
  ZECHARIAH 9
  THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ZEC 8
• DO YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO LOOK BACK AT THE TRAGEDIES IN YOUR LIFE AND DWELL ON THEM? IF SO, READ PHI 3:13.

• WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEW ATTITUDE TOWARD THE TRAGEDIES OF THE PAST?

• PREPARATION FOR ZEC 9
• READ ZEC 9:1-17
• FOR WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MESSIAH DOES ZECHARIAH SAY A PERSON IS TO LOOK?

• WHICH OF THE CHARACTERISTICS DID JESUS FULFILL AT HIS FIRST COMING?

• WHICH OF THE CHARACTERISTICS WILL JESUS FULFILL AT HIS SECOND COMING?

• MEMORY VERSE: ZECHARIAH 9:16