The Final Battle for Jerusalem
Study note
Zechariah describes a coming day when all nations will gather against Jerusalem. The city will be captured and half its people taken away. But then the Lord Himself will go out and fight against those nations. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the mountain will split in two, creating a great valley. The people will flee through this valley. This prophecy points to the ultimate day when God Himself intervenes in human history.
1 A day is coming — the LORD's own day — when the plunder stolen from you will be divided up right before your eyes. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 The LORD will bring all the nations together to attack Jerusalem. The city will be captured, homes will be broken into, and women will be assaulted. Half the population will be hauled away as prisoners, but the rest will remain in the city. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD himself will march out and fight those nations head-on, just as he has always fought on the day of battle. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem. The mountain will crack in two from east to west, creating an enormous valley. Half the mountain will shift north and half will shift south. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 You will escape through that valley between the mountains — it will reach all the way to Azel. You will run just as fast as people ran from the earthquake during King Uzziah's reign in Judah. Then the LORD my God will arrive, and all his holy ones will come with him. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
The Lord Will Be King Over All the Earth
Study note
On that unique day, there will be neither daylight nor darkness. At evening time, when you would expect darkness, there will be light. Life-giving water will flow out of Jerusalem year-round, half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. There will be one Lord and His name will be the only name. Jerusalem will be raised up and will be safely inhabited, never again to be destroyed.
6 On that day, there will be no sunlight or moonlight or starlight. The sky will go dark. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 It will be a one-of-a-kind day — known only to the LORD — when there is neither normal daytime nor nighttime. But when evening comes, somehow there will still be light. But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 On that day, life-giving water will flow out from Jerusalem. One stream will run east toward the Dead Sea, and the other will run west toward the Mediterranean. It will flow year-round — in summer and in winter. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 On that day, the LORD will be king over the entire earth. He will be the only God, and his name will be the only name. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
10 The whole area from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will be flattened into a plain. But Jerusalem itself will be raised up high and stay right where it is. It will stretch from the Benjamin Gate to the old First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine cellars. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
11 People will live in Jerusalem, and it will never be destroyed again. The city will finally be completely safe and secure. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
Judgment on the Enemy Nations
Study note
God describes the plague He will send on the nations that attacked Jerusalem. A great panic will fall on them, and they will turn against each other. Even Judah will join in the fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered up. This judgment will also fall on the animals in the enemy camps.
12 Here is the plague the LORD will use against all the armies that attacked Jerusalem. While they are still standing on their feet, their flesh will rot away. Their eyes will melt in their sockets. Their tongues will fall apart in their mouths. And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 On that day, the LORD will throw them into utter chaos. They will grab at each other and start attacking their own allies. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected — massive quantities of gold, silver, and fine clothing. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
15 The same deadly plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, and donkeys. Every beast in the enemy camps will be hit. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
All Nations Will Worship the Lord
Study note
The book ends with a beautiful vision of the future. The survivors from every nation that attacked Jerusalem will go up each year to worship the Lord and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Any nation that refuses to worship will receive no rain. On that day, even the bells on the horses will be inscribed 'Holy to the Lord.' Every cooking pot in Jerusalem will be sacred. The final vision is of a world made completely holy, where there is no longer any separation between the sacred and the ordinary.
16 After this, survivors from all the nations that struck Jerusalem will go there each year. They will worship the King, the LORD of Armies. They will keep the Feast of Shelters. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 If any nation on earth will not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Armies, that nation will get no rain. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 If the Egyptians refuse to make the trip, they will get no rain either. The LORD will hit them with the same plague he sends on any nation that skips the Feast of Tabernacles. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This is what will happen to Egypt. It will happen to every nation that refuses to keep the Feast of Shelters. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20 On that day, even the bells on the horses will have "Holy to the LORD" engraved on them. The ordinary cooking pots in the LORD's temple will be treated as sacred as the special bowls used at the altar. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Armies. Anyone who comes to offer a sacrifice will be free to grab any pot and cook in it. On that day, there will be no more merchants doing business inside the house of the LORD of Armies. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.