Jude 8-11

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8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. ~ Jude 8-11

The epistle of Jude has as its subject apostasy. The Greek word apostasia means to depart or to fall away. The apostate is someone who rebels against the faith they once claimed to believe. In 2 Corinthians 11 we learn that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. We should not be surprised when his ministers disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. 

In v.5-7 we learned of three cases of apostate judgments. Jude wrote of people destroyed by their unbelief in Egypt, and he wrote of the angels who followed the devil in his rebellion, and he wrote of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which were reduced to ashes because they gave themselves to sexual immorality and perversion. 

In today's text, v.8-11, we have the unmasking of the apostate. In these verses Jude wrote about the three characteristics of the apostate: they are immoral, they are insubordinate, and they are irreverent. Then in v.11, Jude gave us three Old Testament comparisons of an apostate's influence: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. 

In v.8 of today's text we read, "In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings."

This verse begins with "In the very same way," which is to say, "Likewise." In this verse Jude reaches back into the Old Testament for examples, namely the lessons learned when the people of Egypt didn't believe, and, the rebellion of the demons that followed the devil out of heaven, and, the lessons learned from Sodom and Gomorrah.  

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been brought under the authority of the word of God. These false teachers that Jude addressed had as their authority, themselves. Jude wrote, "...on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute..." They saw themselves as an authority unto themselves, and, they developed their teaching on the basis of their dreams they had during their sleep. And, their dreams didn't match the teaching in God's word.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!"'

It is a dangerous thing to parley with the devil because he desires to trick you and me into uniting with him in his warfare against God. As this verse underscores, even Michael the Archangel, the most powerful archangel around, did not dare dispute with the devil personally. He at least respected the authority structure, even though the devil is a fallen angel. To parley with the devil is to open oneself up, even more, to one of his devices, namely, slander. 

There are those who find time to address the devil. They rebuke him. The Bible commands us to resist the devil. We should not talk to him, at all. In fact, it is quite arrogant of us to think that the devil is even mindful of us since he is not omnipresent and omniscient. It is okay to talk to God about the devil, but we must be careful to not talk to the devil. 

In v.10 of today's text we read,"Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them."

When we parley with the devil, we heighten his opportunity to deceive us. This is what the subjects of this verse did, they opened themselves up to the devil and he had his way in their lives. And, slander is the mode of operation for the false teacher. The Greek word Jude used here for slander is blasphemy which is an open expression of the flesh or the evil desires within us. When we are not defined by God's word, the flesh or the evil desires within us, will rule over us, and we will end up as it's slave.

The people described by Jude here are the type that diminish the absolute reliability of God’s word, even when they have no idea of the depth it contains. They may be intelligent by the world’s standards, but they have no concept of the true knowledge which comes from God. 

Since the Bible is no mere human writing, it has a unique power to transform the human heart or to "make us wise for salvation." The Bible enlightens our minds, unveils God’s plan of salvation, teaches us His ways, and shows us how to live as His people. In order to meet with confidence and wisdom the many challenges of our time, believers in the Lord Jesus must be renewed in our zeal to study and be defined by the very words of God.

In v.11 of today's text we read, "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion."

Jude writes, woe to them, for they are controlled by their own passions like Cain, and, they are controlled by their own greed like Balaam, and, they are controlled by their own flesh like Korah. 

The way of Cain is religion without saving faith. Cain brought his own little offering that he thought God should respect, and God did not. In the bowels of this approach with God is this thought: "I produced this. I did my best." It is religion without saving faith. That's the way of Cain. 

Balaam was a prophet in the Old Testament who was hired by the King of Moab to curse the children of Israel. Balaam was money hungry, he was driven by his greed. And he figured out a way that he could tell Balak, the enemy of the Israelites, how to watch God judge Israel. But, Balaam ended up blessing Israel. 

He said, "Listen, I don't need to curse them. Let's entice the young Moabite women, the prostitutes, to go into the camp of Israel, seduce the young men to have sexual relations with them. And then, they can bring out their little gods or little idols during that act. And that's idolatry. God will judge his people for idolatry." 

The error of Balaam was he leveraged his influence as a faith leader to lead other people astray. He leveraged his own influence as a faith leader to get wealth from the enemy. That's the error of Balaam. 

Then, there's the rebellion of Korah. And Korah rebelled against God's authority by rebelling against the authority of Moses and Aaron, he and a few other people suffered death for their actions. 

Apostates are immoral, insubordinate, and irreverent. They are such because they lost their moorings in the word of God. This is our take away from these four verses today: to find our moorings in the word of God. The actual words of the Bible are anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself, and they have the full ability to completely change and transform us if we are willing to be changed by the divine truths that are contained in the actual words.

The Lord Jesus told us we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free. We first must know the word of God for ourselves, then, the truth can start to work at setting us free.

Jude 5-7

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5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. ~ Jude 5-7

With each passing day the American culture has been moving further and further away from the God revealed in the Bible. In today's text, Jude highlights three specific sins which build upon one another. These three sins are: unbelief, rebellion and immorality. 

With these three sins advancing the kingdom of darkness, the believer in Christ finds himself engaged in a battle for the truth and the souls of people. And, this battle requires great wisdom and great diligence in walking with the Lord, or else we will not achieve the goal.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe."

This verse is predicated upon that which Jude said in the previous verse that the apostate is the one who has perverted the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 

With this first illustration of the unbelievers in Egypt, Jude illustrates people are destroyed due to their unbelief in the God of the Bible. If anyone justifies a lifestyle that is contrary to God's definitions, and they are unwilling to budge, they are at odds with God.

God saw the plight of His chosen people and He rescued them out of Egypt. He sent plagues on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, destroyed Pharoah’s army, provided manna, quail and water for the children of Israel. He was Israel's glory cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. All they had was to believe in God, be defined by God through His word, and follow Him.

In v.6 of today's text we read, "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day." 

With this second illustration, Jude uses the angels who followed the Devil in his rebellion. These angels were not satisfied with God’s plan for their lives. They were convinced there was something better and God’s way was not the best way. They wanted something more, a different position of prominence, a better place of activity. 

Through self-deception people, like these angels, rationalize their lust for position, power, prestige and possessions. With an inflated sense of self-worth and importance, they cannot trust in the providence of God and rest in His plan for their lives. And, as a result, they end up on the opposite side of God.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."

With this third illustration, Jude reminds us of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which were reduced to ashes because they gave themselves to sexual immorality and perversion.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is referenced one way or another more than twenty times in the Bible. The devastation of these cities, along with Admah and Zeboiim was horrific. In fact, these cities are a perpetual reminder of the just judgment of God on immorality and perversion.

Sodom and Gomorrah were known for their pride, injustice, and bigotry. But it was their sexual perversion that did them in. In Genesis 19, we learn of their judgment as "the Lord rained brimstone and fire on them." He did this because Sodom and Gomorrah acted in a manner similar to the fallen angels of v.6. They committed sexual immorality and went after other men. Their sin was immoral homosexuality.

Now, I know believers who struggle with temptation toward homosexuality. They fight the urges to be defined by it. And, I might add, that the one sin that sends people to Hell is rejection of God's free gift offer through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But, one of the signs that one is right with God is He is obviously at work in their lives. No one can practice certain sins of sexual immorality and be right with God. In fact, if they resist God's authority in their lives, He has been known to take them home sooner than perhaps planned (see 1 John 5:16). 

Having said that, according to v.4 of Jude, "They turned the grace of God into lewdness." If someone refuses to listen to God and they practice lewdness, they are at odds with God. The Bible is clear in God's denunciation of homosexuality as sin. This is made plain in text like Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10.

The Bible is equally clear that any sexual activity, heterosexual or homosexual, outside the marriage covenant between a man and a woman is sin. Jesus Himself said a man and woman in marriage become one flesh. 

We all must be careful not to use the Scripture to promote a belief system that is contrary to God's definition of things. Every generation faces this unwillingness to be defined by God. Charles Spurgeon once said, "the new views are not the old truth in better dress, but deadly errors with which we can have no fellowship."

Those in slavery to sexual sin need to be loved, including homosexuals, and any heterosexual that is living in sin. The believer in Christ must not hatefully bash anyone, rather, we must graciously speak the truth in love and reach out to anyone living in sin with grace, mercy and kindness. And, rampant sexual sin is not the worst sin, but it is the clearest evidence of a society that has rejected God’s truth and has been given over to His judgment (see Romans 1:24,26,28). 

So, we engage in this battle, literally snatching souls out of the fire, as it were. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith." Walking an aisle, praying a prayer, signing a card, going into water; these are not the avenues of assurance. It is only through the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ that anyone is saved. We must be careful not to contribute to the way of the apostate by embracing definitions that are contrary to God's.

Jude 2-4

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2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. ~ Jude 2-4

Today, we return to our study of the book of Jude. With just twenty-five verses, the book of Jude is a must read for the believer in Christ. Christians are being tempted today more than ever to compromise God's word. We are being badgered by today's American culture to be more tolerant and water down the word of God. With all of this going on, the church today has a growing responsibility to defend the truth against all assaults, all the while, having compassion on those who know not the truth.

Our text today begins with v.2 which reads, "Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance."

When God grants mercy or when man shows mercy to his neighbor, peace results. Peace is the restoration of a broken relationship. Peace means an absence of tensions prevalent in periods of conflict. Peace, in turn, results in love. Mercy becomes peace, and peace results in love. All three of these are connected together and are also connected to one’s relationship with God. If we are called, loved, and kept by God, then mercy, peace and love will be a natural overflow in our lives.

The phrase "be yours in abundance" in v.2 is most interesting. Here, Jude is expressing a wish, a sincere desire for his readers. Since God is the one who multiplies mercy, peace, and love, and Jude had experienced these firsthand, it is his desire that others experience these in the same way. And, the more we choose to be defined by God's word and His culture, the more we will experience and extend His mercy, peace, and love to others.

The first two verses of this book are entirely about the Lord, who He is, and what He has done for the believer in Christ. But, it is so easy for us to lose sight of our foundation. Many Christians who want to defend the truth, do so having forgotten what God has done for them. And, when we lose sight of all that the Lord has done for us, we become rigid and hard while trying to defend the truth. This is why Jude begins this wonderful little book as he did, accentuating these characteristics of God and the true believer.

Many Christians do not operate out of their loved position in Christ and they therefore do a bad job at defending the truth. Many Christians lack a biblical understanding of God's love, mercy and grace. Therefore, we tend to forget the truth in the lives of those whom we have influence, all the while lacking compassion and patience. There is no defense of the truth while we are ungodly in our delivery of it.

Many believers have a works-based understanding of the salvation the Lord Jesus delivered. This leads us to falsely believe that we have control over the details of our lives, and we, in that context, lose sight of the One who sovereignly ordains everything that comes to pass. When we think that our good works have contributed to our salvation, we are fighting a battle in a war that’s already been won. By the grace of God our salvation is finished and the security of our souls are sure through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

We tend to treat others in the way we view ourselves. If we are secure in our salvation and we have a sovereign view of God, the things that happen in life do not tend to faze us. But, if we have a puny view of God, we will have a weak disposition toward life and others. This is why it is so important for us to understand the first two verses of this great little book.

In v.3 of today's text we read, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people."

Jude clearly understood that the truth was under assault, and he was endeavoring to call together the people of God to become an army to fight for the true faith. The believer is called to contend earnestly, or vigorously, for the faith. But, to contend for the truth without loving others is to miss the mark. We must be compassionate and patient in the delivery of the truth.

We will never fight God's battles from a sofa. We will never contend for what really matters, to the point of victory, by just laying around in our recliners all day. There must come a point in time when we decide to get involved and join the battle for the truth and the souls of men.

Now, an apostate is a defector from the truth. That is to say, an apostate is someone who has known the truth, been associated with the truth, and, maybe even proclaimed the truth. Apostates pretend to serve God, but they serve only their own sinful desires. They pretend to believe the Bible, but they pervert its teachings and use it for their own ends. 

In v.4 of today's text we read, "For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."

The mode of operation for apostates is they take advantage of the people and the truth of God. These are always ready to disrupt the work of God for their own selfish gain. It is really significant that Jude referenced himself in v.1 as the doulas or bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostates cannot handle the true slavery of the regenerate. 

Here in v.4 we read of "certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. These operate in a stealth fashion with ulterior motives. "They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."

Apostates cannot handle true slavery to the Lord Jesus Christ. They live, as it were, outside the boundaries because false salvation can not restrain the flesh or the evil desires within. And so, whenever we see an apostate, we must examine his or her life. And, if we love them, we will confront them with the truth. Our goal therefore must be to contend for the truth in a compassionate way.

The apostate claims the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and then he turns grace into a license to live a life that is contrary for the believer. In effect, they deny the lordship of Jesus Christ over them. And they live, as it were, as if Jesus was not Lord. They live in what they assume to be grace as if they had no responsibility to obey the Lord at all. 

In 1 Peter 3:15 we read, "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with gentleness and respect." 

Martin Luther once said , "A preacher must be both a soldier and a shepherd. He must nourish and teach and defend. He must have teeth in his mouth and be able to bite." 

The believer in Christ must not yell at or slander anyone. We must not malign or send nasty tweets. All we have to do is hold up truth and compassionately offer the truth of God's word to anyone who will listen. And, if they will not listen, we must be earnest in praying for them daily. And, we must be earnest in reminding our hearers that it is the truth that sets us free free from the false.

Jude 1

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Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. ~ Jude 1

Jude, like James, was the half brother of the Lord Jesus. His epistle is a letter with only twenty-five verses and a total of six hundred and thirteen words. Many refer to the Book of Jude as the fighter's manual for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Jude addresses apostasy which is when one defects from the truth. 

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are engaged in the battle for the truth, and the principles learned in this little, yet powerful book, enable us to engage in this battle effectively.

Interestingly, Jude did not believe in his brother as the Messiah while the Lord Jesus was on the earth. Jude and his brothers thought the Lord Jesus was delusional. In fact, in Mark 3 we are told as much. As a result, they did not believe Him to be the Messiah. 

In v.1 of today's text we read, "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ."

Jude begins his letter with, "Jude a servant of Jesus Christ." Jude introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. The Greek word Jude uses here to describe himself as "a servant" brings with it the most humble disposition. This word for servant, doulos in the Greek, is the lowest form of the word that one could use. This is one of the amazing results that happens in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. We are afforded a clear view of who we really are: sinners saved by grace who see themselves as non-deserving.

It was the resurrection of his half-brother, the Lord Jesus, that turned Jude into a believer. In Acts 1, we are informed that all the disciples met together in the upper room, continually for prayer, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. Jude was in that upper room that night when the Lord Jesus appeared. And, it was the resurrection of his brother that sealed the deal and opened the eyes of Jude. That night Jude was made a believer who viewed himself anew, through the eyes of eternity.

The Devil has long been consumed with trying to stamp out the truth. And, most effectively, along the way, he has employed those people who are associated with the truth in some way. The deadliest assaults against the truth always come from the inside. The most effective attacks against the truth come from those who purport to know the truth, but do not.

In v.1 of today's text, Jude provides three characteristics of the believer in Christ; the called, the loved and the kept. The believer in Christ has been called, which refers to God’s gracious work in our lives in the past. The believer in Christ is loved, which describes God's attitude to us in the present. The believer in Christ is being kept for a wonderful future with Him in endless glory.

The word Jude used for "called" is the Greek word kletos which means to be invited by God to believe in His Son. This word is written in the passive voice meaning God did the calling. True believers in Christ have heard with their hearts the invitation of God to believe in His Son. This means our relationship with God began not at our initiative, but at God's. This is why we have such a hard time explaining our transformation; we are not the architects of our personal relationship with God. He called us and we, by His grace, responded. "We love Him because he first loved us."

The second description Jude gives of the believer in Christ is that we are "loved by the Father." Like the word called, this Greek word is written in the passive voice meaning that God has done the loving. And, the word used here for "loved" is the Greek word agape which is commitment love. When God declared that we were included in His family through our trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, we can trust in His promise.

One of the Lord Jesus' chief revelations of God is as Father. God is His Father and He is also ours. In the Lord's Prayer the Lord Jesus taught us to address God as "Our Father." The Lord Jesus tells us: "The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God" (John 16:27). To be accepted and loved by our fathers does something deep to us. It touches us to the core. The same is true with our heavenly Father. 

The third description Jude gives of the believer in Christ in v.1 is "kept." Again, this Greek word used here is written in the passive voice meaning that God is doing the keeping. The Greek verb tēreō used by Jude has the basic meaning of "to retain in custody, to keep watch over, to guard or to preserve someone."

This smacks in the face of those who push the idea that the believer somehow earns or maintains his acceptance before God. If we could earn and maintain God's favor, that would mean that Christ's death on the cross was not enough. What an insult to the Lord Jesus.

When we understand and grasp the fact that we are called, loved and kept by the Father, and it was a complete gift, we are freed and positioned to be able to address the false doctrines which cause people to backslide, to doubt their salvation and, even, become apostate. Having been called, loved and kept, the believer in Christ has been equipped with the heart of the Father to be able to call out the false while empathetically calling the blinded and duped into a personal relationship with the Father.

Zechariah 14:20-21

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20 On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty. ~ Zechariah 14:20-21

Today, we come to our final passage in our study of the book of Zechariah. And, as we have already considered, in the Millennium, after the Battle of Armageddon is completed, there will be people from the nations who will believe in the Lord Jesus and survive the wrath of God. Everyone who will go into the Millennium will be "Born Again." Under the old covenant, there were three feasts the Jews were commanded to keep: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

Passover referred to the deliverance from Egypt, and the blood of the sacrificed lamb applied to the doorposts. The Passover feast was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus was crucified. He celebrated Passover with his disciples in the evening because the day, the Jewish day, begins at night. The very next day, He was crucified on Passover as the Passover lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. That Passover feast has been fulfilled.

The second feast was Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, where the first fruits of the harvest were taken before the Lord. The people went through their fields, they took the corner of the wheat, bundle them up in sheaves, and they waved them before the Lord. It was a way to acknowledge that the first of the harvest belonged to the Lord. Pentecost was fulfilled in Acts 2, when the disciples were all gathered together in the upper room. The Holy Spirit came and 3,000 people were saved.

The third feast, the feast of Tabernacles, has been unfulfilled to date. As we have pointed out before, the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the fact that God kept Israel through the wilderness for 40 years. It was that time when the Lord's presence protected Israel in the wilderness and brought them into the promised land. 

The fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles will happen at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. After being in the long wilderness of the sinful world, the believers in the Lord Jesus will be delivered into the kingdom age at His coming. When He has defeated His enemies and He will reign over all the earth. 

In v.20  of today's text we read, "On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar."

The imagery here is drawn from worship under the old covenant. The New Testament interprets old covenant details in terms of new covenant spiritual realities. For example, the Lord Jesus revealed that true fellowship and worship are not restricted to a holy place in Jerusalem in John 4:21-24. And, Paul showed that God extends his hand to all nations. Under the new covenant, the temple of God is the church, not a building in Jerusalem. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, not physical ones at an altar in Jerusalem. And, circumcision is that of the heart, not just the cutting of the foreskin.

The phrase "Holy to The Lord" is a very special phrase in the Bible. That phrase was engraved in only one place in Israel’s history. The high priest, Aaron, had a turban. On the front of his turban was a gold plate, and engraved on that gold plate were the words "Holy to The Lord" which meant set apart. Aaron was an uncommon man, but he was especially holy, because he was a type of the Lord Jesus.

These words were reserved only for the high priest. The bells of the horses and the pots in the Temple in the kingdom age will have that same inscription. The Millennial kingdom will be holy. There will be no secular and sacred in that world. There will only be the sacred.

In v.21 of today's text we read, "Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty."

Everything in the Millennium pertaining to the worship of God will be holy. And, there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty. The word Canaanite is a figure of speech referring to an unclean person or a person who hasn't been made holy to the Lord. At the beginning of the millennial kingdom of Christ, there will not be a degenerate person.

Our conclusion is that we should not interpret Zechariah 14 in a literal way nor as a command to Christians to keep the Festival of Tabernacles. Like Passover and Pentecost, the feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled in the second coming of the Lord Jesus. It will be in the Millennium, the feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled like the other feast in the old covenant. When we come to this chapter, having trusted in the Lord Jesus, we recognize them in light of Christ’s redemptive work. 

Under the new covenant, we are not commanded to keep the Festival of Tabernacles. Christ has fulfilled the old covenant law. The spiritual reality is that Christ has made his tabernacle with us which is what the Apostle told us in John 1:14. It will be that when we are in the Millennium, we, the people of God, will have become the tabernacle of God in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.

Zechariah 14:16-19

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16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. ~ Zechariah 14:16-19

We return to our study of Zechariah 14 where we have discovered what God has in store for His people at the end of the Tribulation. Today, the Lord reveals what will happen to those who reject embracing the humility that enables them to cry out to Him for His salvation. In addition, in today's text, the Lord gives us a slight peak into what the Millennium will be like. 

In v.16 of today's text we read, "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles."

After the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, there will be those out of the nations who will have believed in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, who will come to Jerusalem to worship God. These will literally come out of those nations which came against Jerusalem, though they themselves did not agree with what their nation did to Israel. These, will be those who believed on the Lord Jesus at some point during the Tribulation. And, these from all over the world, will, during the Millennium, go to Jerusalem from year to year to worship the Lord during the Feast of Tabernacles. 

The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration of God's presence among His people. Annually the people of the world will go to Jerusalem to enjoy the feast of God's presence. Along with Passover and Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles is one of three major pilgrimage feasts given by God to Israel around which the Jewish calendar pivots. This feast, the feast of tabernacles, is unique from the other two annual pilgrimage festivals in that it is the only of the seven feasts in which Gentiles could participate.

In v.17 of today's text we read, "If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain."

If people from nations do not come to Jerusalem for this annual feast, during the Millennium, their land will experience drought. During the Millennium, worship will not be optional. And so they’ll keep the Feast of Tabernacles which is a commemorative feast of the presence of God leading His people out of Egypt. This all underscores the fact that during the Millennium, not everyone will be "born again." Sadly, at the end of the Millennium, many will choose to rebel against God and choose their eternal state in Hell with the Devil and his demons.

In v.18-19 of today's text we read, "18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles."

Anyone who rebels against God during the Millennium will suffer the consequences of forfeiting the protection of God in their lives. When we ignore God's word, we avail ourselves to the dangers of evil. When we reject God's protection in our lives through His word, the truth is not allowed its position to guide us in its way. 

Now, God has to punish rebellion; He can not allow the slightest sin to go undealt with because the slightest sin will undermine all that is good, true and righteous. So, the punishment of all who will come not to keep the Feast of Tabernacles will be a plague.

The Feast of Tabernacles occurred in the autumn of the year when the summer crops had been harvested. It was then that God gave the Israelites this feast. His goal was to remind His people of their dependence upon Him. The truth is, our success has always been dependent upon His work in our lives. 

The origins of the feast of Tabernacles can be found in the Five Books of Moses, where we are told that the Lord commanded all Israelite males to appear before him three times a year at the place He would designate. They were not allowed to come before God with empty hands. The feast centered on acknowledging the Lord God as their ultimate provider. It was actually considered the most significant feast of all the feasts for Israel. One way we see this is in its name. In several verses in the Hebrew Bible, it is referred to as the "festival of the Lord." Eventually, it became common to refer to it simply as "the festival." 

The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day feast, and the people came with a piece of citrus fruit in their left hand, symbolic of the fruitful land that God gave them. And, in their right hand, they had branches of three different trees: a palm branch, a willow branch, and a myrtle branch, or pieces of it, emblematic of the stages of the wilderness wanderings before they got into the Promised Land.

To inaugurate the feast, the priest led the procession of people with a golden pitcher in his hand which he eventually dipped into the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Then, he walked up to the temple where he poured the water on the stones of the altar. The pouring out of the water was symbolic of the water that God gave Israel from the rock while they traveled in the exodus through the desert. 

On the last day of the Feast, the people were led by the priest to Siloam to get water. After getting the water, the priest and the people marched around the altar seven times, singing Isaiah 12 with joy. On the sixth march around the altar, the priest was met by another priest with a pitcher of wine. Water is symbolic in the Scriptures of the Word of God. Wine is symbolic of joy. This is the message of the feast: the joy of God in the life of the believer through the Holy Spirit.

In John 7:37 we read, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” 

Imagine how powerful that experience was for all who were there that day at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus then said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Once the believer in Christ is “Born Again,” he has a whole new perspective on life. He has passed from the darkness into the light of God’s wisdom. As with all the Lord's commands, he recognizes the many benefits of walking in God’s truth. One major benefit is that of gratitude. 

Cicero once said, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Research has shown that practicing gratitude boosts the immune system, bolsters resilience to stress, lowers depression, increases energy, determination, and strength, and even helps us sleep better.

Gratitude turns our gaze away from self and toward God, reminding us of our desperate need of Him. When we are dependent upon the Lord, it allows us to appreciate and affirm the value of Him as our Provider and Protector. And, all else flows out of this experience with God.

In John 7:38 we read, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." The stream we learned about in yesterday's passage is analogous of the Holy Spirit and the life He brings to the willing heart. It is in the context of gratitude that the Holy Spirit empowers us with His joy. Nehemiah reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

In Nehemiah 8:12, in response to the reading of the Law, “all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.” 

In Psalm 51:12, David prays that God would “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” 

And, in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 Paul tells this church that "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."

Zechariah 14:12-15

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12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. ~ Zechariah 14:12-15

We continue today in our study of the book of Zechariah. To this point in this chapter we have learned of all the wonderful things God will do for His people at the end of the Tribulation when He returns to this earth a second time. Today, we will see some of the things that will happen to those who chose to put their faith not in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.12 of today's text we read, "This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths."

Pretty bleak verse. The other day, I had someone message me that God will not do these things to people because He is a God of love. That statement proves that this person does not understand real love, because if he did, he would understand the depth of the wickedness of his sin. 

Dr. Timothy Keller once said, "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. His love liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us."

Those who will go to Hell for eternity will not go there because God chooses to send them there; They will go there of their own choice. A true understanding of our sinfulness yields the understanding that we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe. Yet, at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared to hope. The value of the cross of Christ is heightened when we recognize that He went to such great lengths because we were so far damned in our sin.

According to v.12 of today's text, a deadly plague will cause the flesh of those who remained in their sinful condition to rot. Such is the nature of sin. Paul tells us in Galatians that the flesh or the evil within us is destroying us. The flesh brings destruction to our being every time we give in to it. And, these people whose flesh will rot are the ones to whom the Lord Jesus will say, "Depart into everlasting punishment." 

In v.13 of today's text we read, "On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another."

Those who reject God's offer of salvation will experience a confusion that will cause them such paranoia that they themselves "will seize each other by the hand and attack one another." Those who will not be instantly hit with the plague will find themselves killing each other. The result will be terrible confusion, attacking and slaughtering each other. 

In v.14-15 of today's text we read, "14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps."

The people of Judah will be given incredible strength to fight and win. As a result, the tables will be immediately turned. It will look like all hope will be lost and then at that point, the fate of Israel will reverse on a dime. The invading godless nations will be counting all their newfound wealth, right there in Jerusalem, and, just at the last moment, Israel will once again be on top of the battle. 

And, according to v.15, the plague will even touch the animals of war. This will happen in concert with the second return of the Lord Jesus. This just shows how infectious sin is that even the animals are impacted by the plague. This, yet again, underscores the wicked nature of Satan's way.

The plague will be awful, and nuclear war could explain it all. According to Revelation 6:16, it will be why the nations will cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the face of Him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. They will want death but be forced to suffer. They will want to hide but will not be able to hide.

According to Revelation 16:3, "every living thing in the sea will die." This could be the result of megatons of nuclear explosives being set off. And, according to Revelation 8:12, "A third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night." In the same way that large volcanic eruptions have darkened the skies in ancient times, nuclear war could fill the atmosphere with particles that block the sun.

Then in Revelation 8:7, "And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up." Between fires started by the insane heat of nuclear explosions, and the nuclear winter that follows, plant life will be devastated.

And, according to Revelation 16:2, "Ugly, festering sores will break out on the people." Radiation could cause burns and dramatically increase the rates of cancer.

And then, according to Revelation 16:8, "The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat." Nuclear war could cause the possible poisoning of all vertebrates by sharply increased levels of vitamin D in their skin as a result of increased ultraviolet light, the people will suffer.

And, according to Revelation 9:18, "A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur." Obviously, a nuclear conflict could cause a staggering loss of life from fireballs, nuclear fallout and the massive starvation that would follow a nuclear winter.

The theme of Zechariah, as with any other portion of the Bible, is Christ. He is the theme. He is the answer to all things. This is the foundational truth that affirms the utter sufficiency of Jesus Christ for every spiritual issue in the life of every believer. He is all that is necessary for salvation and life. 

The more we grow in our relationship with the Lord Jesus, the more we will be caught up in the unfathomable and eternal covenant between the Father and the Son as they express their love to one another. This is why we are called to eternity, so that we might be a part of a redeemed humanity who will glorify the Son out of the love of the Father. These cataclysmic happenings on the earth at that time will underscore the utter wickedness of sin.

We didn’t stumble into this deal because of our own intelligence. From eternity past we were in the mind and the heart of God from before we were ever conceived. And, by His wonderful grace, we were ushered into the place where we recognized our need for Him and we said, "YES!," to His free offer of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 14:6-11

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6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. 8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. 10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. ~ Zechariah 14:6-11

Today, we continue our study of the final chapter in the most Messianic book in the Old Testament. Long before mankind rebelled against God, He remedied man's desperate situation. God, before the creation of this world, approached His Son who agreed to be the sacrifice for all of mankind's sin.

As we re-enter our study of Zechariah 14, we find ourselves at the end of all time. The Tribulation or the time of Jacob's trouble has taken place, and now, the Lord describes what will happen on earth after His Second Coming.

In v.6-7 of today's text we read, "6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light."

When the Lord Jesus returns to earth, all of the stars and the sun will go out. This event has been revealed many times throughout the Old Testament. This is not something just extracted out of this one text. Repeatedly the Old Testament reveals the day when God changes the patterns of heaven. 

In Revelation 6:12-14 we are told the lights of heaven will go out, the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and, the stars will fall out of the sky like figs overriped when the tree is shaken. It will be, as if, all of creation will bow down in the presence of its Creator as He makes His grand entrance.

In Isaiah 13:9-10 we read, "9 See, the day of the Lord is coming, a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. 10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light."

On the one hand this day will be great, and on the other, it will be cruel. In the midst of the blackness will come the blazing revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. For those who embraced not the truth, they will end up on the losing side. And, it will be, at that moment one third of Israel will turn to their Messiah in belief and they will be wonderfully saved and spared from the judgment of God.

In v.8 of today's text we read, "On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter."

Jerusalem was the place where Abraham went up on Mount Moriah to worship the Lord with his son, Isaac. And, it was there that the Lord provided a ram that was caught in the thicket. A clear picture of the coming Savior who would die on Mount Moriah for the sin of mankind. 

Jerusalem was also the place where King David established his capitol as king of Israel. The phrase “City of David” is used of Jerusalem 45 times in the Bible. As indicated by the Lord Jesus in John 4, Jerusalem was the place of the true worship of God.

In the New Jerusalem, living water will flow continuously. In Revelation 22 we read about this stream that will flow from Mount Moriah which is in Jerusalem. The stream will split in two, one part will go down to the Dead Sea, and the other will go out to the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem was the only city that God chose to put His name. Incidentally, the Bible mentions Jerusalem more than any other city, about 800 times.

The living water spoken of here was the main subject between the woman at the well in John 4 and the Lord Jesus. This woman had been through six men, none of whom satisfied her. Unbeknown to her stood before her, her seventh man. The seventh man is the source of this stream of living water. We all long for certain things that we think will satisfy us, but the Lord Jesus is the only One who will satisfy our deepest longings.

In v.9-10 of today's text we read, "9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. 10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place."

In the crowning of the Lord Jesus as King, He will not only be the King of heaven, He will be the King on earth. And, the deceptive worldwide one world religion that will arise during the Tribulation will be no more.

According to v.10, from Geba to Rimmon will become like the Arabah which is the name of the valley that is the deepest valley in the world. It runs from the Sea of Gailee to well south of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest, longest and flattest valley in the world. The picture the Lord is giving here of the New Jerusalem is of its terrain around it. From Geba on the north to Rimmon on the south is going to be the most perfect valley. And, this valley will raise Jerusalem up as if it were the most brilliant diamond on the most beautiful ring. The New Jerusalem will be dazzling.

In v.11 of today's text we read, "It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure."

In the new Jerusalem, which will be the capital city of the new heavens and the new earth, there will be no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be its temple. In the New Jerusalem, death will be swallowed up by life. As a result, the fear of death will no longer hover over the people of Jerusalem. And, there, there will be no more sin, no more curse, and no more heartbreak. Our greatest reality of the New Jerusalem will be that we will be in God's secure presence forever.

Zechariah 14:1-5

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1 A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. 2 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. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 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. 5 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. ~ Zechariah 14:1-5

Today, we come to Zechariah 14, the last chapter of the book. This chapter is about winning by losing. God will use the greed and blood-thirstiness of a world under the complete control of Satan to bring all of history to this final conflict, the battle of Armageddon.

The armies of the world will gather against Jerusalem. And, there will be a tremendous battle that will produce incredible bloodshed and devastation. The enemies of Israel will seem to have accomplished their goal, but, as we are informed in today's text, God will miraculously intervene.  

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. 2 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."

Israel's enemies will have such a sense of victory and such a sense of overwhelming confidence that they plop right down in the middle of Jerusalem, and they will begin to divvy up the wealth of the Jews right there on the spot. And, just at the moment when all will seem lost for the Jews, the Lord Jesus Christ will break through the clouds.

In v.3-4 of today's text we read, "3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 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."

Now, the Old Testament records many days when God fought on the behalf of His people, Israel. And, as He did then, so He will do on that future day. The Lord Jesus will burst through the skies to fight for His people. This will be the long-awaited arrival of the Day of the Lord which is mentioned in the Bible over twenty times. It will be a day that unbelievers will regret and a day that believers will be relieved. It will be a day of redemption for those humble enough to cry out to God for His salvation, and it will be a day of judgment for those who refused to receive the free gift of forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.

According to Acts 1, when the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven He ascended from the Mount of Olives. And, at His Second Coming, He will return to the very same spot, upon the Mount of Olives. He left this world from the Mount of Olives, visibly and bodily. To the Mount of Olives He will return visibly and bodily. This is a major difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming.

Seismologists have reported that there is a fault line running under and through the Mount of Olives. And they say, it could burst at any moment. It is waiting for a very strategic footprint that will break that fault and cause an earthquake this world has never seen before nor shall ever see again. Revelation 16 informs us this earthquake that will happen in Jerusalem, causing the cities of the nations to collapse. This earthquake will create a huge valley, enabling Israel to flee from its enemies. 

In v.5 of today's text we read, "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."

The Old Testament prophet Joel calls this valley, "the Valley of  Decision." It is essential to understand that here it is not talking about somebody choosing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, it is a place where God decides the judgment He is going to pass on to the unbelieving people of the world.

The word "Azel" in Hebrew means near. The valley will split wide open near Jerusalem so that there will be immediate access for the threatened Jews. And they will flee through the valley of the mountains which will reach to Azel. 

There is coming a day when the righteous judgment of God will be handed out. If we stand in that valley of decision, on that day, it will be too late to choose to believe on Christ. The Scripture reminds us, "Today is the day of salvation." To wait until the Battle of Armageddon will not end well for anyone who has waited. But, by God's grace, you now have time before that day arrives to make your decision. Will you decide today to believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved?

Zechariah 13:7-9

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7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” ~ Zechariah 13:7-9

Today, we conclude our study of Zechariah 13 where God has been reiterating to Israel their need for salvation, repentance and restoration. And, as with you and me, Israel will be saved not from something but through something. Israel will be cleansed through the death of the Shepherd.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones."

No one can be cleansed from the defilement of sin unless we are cleansed through the death of the Shepherd. The Lord Almighty, here, speaks of the True Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 10:11 the Lord Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." There is no mistaken He is the shepherd of whom the prophet Zechariah wrote so long ago.

As God moved in His judgment of sin, He unsheathed His sword against the one true Shepherd. And, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was the plan of God. God called for the sword to strike His Shepherd. God takes the responsibility Himself for the death of His Son because man could not remedy his problem with sin and death. The Lord Jesus Christ had to come as the lamb slain before the foundation of the world to do in sin and death. Long before man rebelled and went the way of Satan, God had the remedy to mankind's problem. And, since man could never remedy his own problem, man's problem became God's problem. And, He solved it through the willingness of the Lord Jesus Christ to lay down His life for His sheep.

In Isaiah 53:10 we read, "And it pleased God to bruise Him." This does not mean that the death of His Son made God happy. This means the righteous requirements of the God of truth were satisfied through the death of the second person of the Trinity.

The word "man" used here in v.7 means a strong man or a mighty man. So, this is not just talking about any ordinary man. He says, "Take the sword against the strong man." And then the phrase "who is close to me" literally means "OF MY UNION." Literally, it should be translated "The mighty man who is coequal with Me." You see, God had to be our Savior for only God can conquer sin and death. And, this is why it is so important that the Lord Jesus Christ never sinned. He is perfect and only God can measure up to the righteous requirement of perfection. 

The second half of v.7 of today's text reads, "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones." The result of that strike would be the scattering of the sheep. 

Now, in Matthew's account of this, the Lord Jesus added "this night you will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd.'" Therefore it is very clear that Zechariah was predicting the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane's struggle was the smiting of the Shepherd, and the result would be the scattering of the sheep. We can see how true that is if we look at Mark 14:50, where it says of the disciples, "And they all forsook him, and fled." 

It is interesting that never did the Lord Jesus speak of His cross to His disciples without setting it against the dawning light of the resurrection. And yet, they never seemed to grasp it. Not one of the disciples believed the Lord Jesus would be raised from the dead. I think that, because they did not want to hear about His death. Since they would not consider His death, there was no need for the resurrection. 

Now, it was far beyond the scattering of the Lord Jesus' disciples that Zechariah spoke, because a few years later in 70 A.D. when Titus came in and conquered Israel and Jerusalem, the whole nation of Israel was scattered throughout the world. The Jews have, to date, not been fully returned to the promised land. In fact, half of the worlds population of Jews live in America. I have often wondered, "What will it take for them to return?" And, one day very soon, all of the Jews will be brought back to the promised land to await the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to this earth.

And then he adds an interesting note at the end of v.7, "I will turn My hand against the little ones." The little ones are the believing remnant of Jews of Israel who believed in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. That phrase "turn His hand against" is used in the Old Testament to refer to chastening and disciplining. This is what happened to the early believers. The little ones were immediately persecuted for being believers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.8-9 of today's text we read, "8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.'"

These two verses speak of the time of the Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble or the seventieth seven in Daniel 9. At the end of the Tribulation, at the battle of Armageddon, there will be a terrible slaughter. And here, the prophet Zechariah says that that slaughter will take the lives of two out of every three Jews in Israel. The majority of the Jewish people in the Armageddon battle are going to die. And, just a portion, a third, will remain. And, there will be an attempt by the Antichrist to wipe out the whole nation. But, he will only able to wipe out some of them. Two thirds will die and one third will be left and they will be purified and refined like silver and like gold.

This one third that will make it through the Tribulation will be those in Zechariah 12:10 who will look on Christ and mourn when He returns. These will be the third who will enter the kingdom in their physical bodies to populate the earthly kingdom during the Millennium. 

In Matthew 24 we read, "There shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." 

These Jewish believers will be refined, meaning, the intensity of the times will lead them to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. He will become the object of their faith. And, that little third will be the remnant of Israel that inherits the kingdom.

At the end of v.9 we read, "They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God."

In the end, those with a willing heart will be in God's family. God does not sovereignly redeem anyone apart from faith in His Son and His promises. The God of the Bible forgives us because it is His nature. And, because we are the sinners we are, we cannot tolerate a God less than He, because only He can take away our sin.

Forgiveness is man's greatest need, and therefore, God's greatest gift.  And, through the gospel of Jesus Christ will God forgive all of the sins of all of those who ask for it. The gospel is that all are sinners, all are under the wrath of God, all are headed for eternal judgment because of our sin, and, God, as a righteous judge, will bring about that eternal punishment. But, God, also, is a God of mercy and grace, who will forgive the sinner who comes to Him with a repentant heart and asks for that gift of forgiveness.

I close with a quote from Alexander Maclaren who once said, "The essential of the gospel is the unrestrained flow of love from the offended heart of God who has been sinned against. Pardon is God's love unchecked and unembittered, granted to the wrongdoer. That is a divine act exclusively."