The Lord Reigns - Zechariah 14
Pastor Dennis Bone
10/7/12
THE LORD REIGNS 10-7-12
One well-known theologian of the 20th century wrote: “The final chapter of human history is solely God’s decision, and even now He is everywhere active in grace or judgment. Never in all of history have people spoken so much of the “end-time,” yet been so shrouded in ignorance of God’s impending doomsday.” The astute point he makes is that many Christians over the past 2,000 have focused, even obsessed, over a coming judgment and return of Christ that they have no idea when will happen; and that often blurs or overshadows what we should be doing as Christians and as the church now; in the present.
What should motivate us to do our duty as Christians; and what calls us and should drive us to fulfill our responsibilities as Christians in this world, is not speculating about Christ’s final coming, but proclaiming and talking about His first coming. We should not be praying for or looking for some “global Armageddon” but instead be praying for and working towards global revival through the power of the gospel. We need to be concerned and passionate about our responsibility, not God’s.
Jesus is not up in heaven just waiting for a good time to come and judge; and the worse things get the closer it is; rather Jesus is up in heaven ruling and reigning; and directing His church to make disciples of all the nations; and calling His disciples to be salt and light in this world and to impact the culture for Him. We are not to be passive, waiting for Him to take final action; we are to be active because He is active – He is actively bestowing grace and judgment right now in this world – and is extending His kingdom through the gospel. This is the message of the New Testament in light of the Old Testament.
The prophets speak of a coming Messiah and a coming kingdom that was fulfilled in Christ’s first coming; and the blessings that all of the nations would receive because of His work of salvation.
Last week I talked about this as we considered the final chapter of the prophet Zechariah and his prophecy concerning the coming Messiah and His reign. It’s a Day of the Lord that involves judgment and salvation; and this great and glorious day of Christ’s coming marks the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant. In chapter 14 Zechariah focuses on this transition as it relates primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD; and the implications of this for Israel and for the nations. I talked about the similarity of language in Zechariah and the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 when he describes this same event; and how this changes everything when it comes to God’s kingdom. The Jews were looking for an earthly kingdom and a literal establishment of this rule over the nations; Jesus brings a spiritual kingdom, where all of the nations including Israel, enter this kingdom through faith in Him.
In a series of metaphors and symbolism Zechariah explains the significance of what Christ will do on this Day. Let’s begin where we left off last week, verses 7 – 11: On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime, a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, 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.
It will be inhabited; and there will be no more curse. Jerusalem will be secure.
The difficulty that many commentators have when it comes to understanding passages like this one is the question of what do we interpret as literal and what is metaphorical? This is why some people have a view of a literal millennial period that takes place after Christ’s second coming, where some of these prophecies are literally fulfilled when Israel is restored as an earthly kingdom under Christ. If you take this view then you have to figure out what things apply to Christ’s first coming, and what applies to His Second coming; and what things are to be applied spiritually and what things literally, thus it becomes very subjective and confusing. It becomes somewhat easier and clearer when you realize that the primary focus of the prophets was Christ’s first coming; and that this Day of the Lord that they speak of pointed to the transition between old Israel and new Israel; the old covenant and new covenant; and that the new temple and the new Jerusalem are not literal places, but they are spiritual people.
This day that Zechariah is describing is realized through the rule and reign of Christ, not in some literal millennial kingdom to come, but now. He rose and ascended to be the King over His kingdom. Verse 9 says, “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” When Jesus ascended to heaven after spending 40 days with His disciples following His resurrection He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He is not waiting to get it, but He has it. Paul says in Ephesians 1 that Christ was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God far above all rule and authority; power and dominion, not only in the present age but in the one to come. God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for His church.
Zechariah goes on to say in verse 11 that there will be no more curse and that Jerusalem will be secure, referring to Christ’s victory over the curse of sin. The old Jerusalem will be destroyed, but the new Jerusalem will be secure because the Risen Christ has redeemed us from the curse of sin on the cross.
The judgment of this day when Jerusalem is destroyed – this unique day of verses 6 and 7, where there is no light – gives way to the light of the gospel that raises up a new Jerusalem. This is a people saved and secured by Christ – His church – that God is now using to shine the light of Christ into a dark world of judgment. At the end of verse 7 it says: “When evening comes, there will be light.” Out of darkness will come light; out of judgment will come salvation. How will this happen? Verse 8: “On that day living water will flow from Jerusalem.” Again, he is referring back to “that day” – the day of judgment but also a day of cleansing. We also look back to verse 1 of chapter 13: “On that day a fountain will be open . . . to cleanse from sin and impurity.” This leads us to point #C on the outline: this promise is experienced through the receiving of the gospel. As I talked about when studying chapter 13, Jesus is the source of living water that cleanses from sin and rescues from judgment.
This “living water” is going to sweep from the eastern sea to the western sea, meaning it going to go throughout the world; and as Jesus said in Matthew 24, gather up His elect from the four winds and all corners of heaven. This same imagery is seen in verse 10. Zechariah is speaking about the safety and security God’s church throughout the ages, whether it come from war or persecution, and it reminds us of Revelation 2 and 3, where the early church is reminded of their safety and security in Christ – the Risen Lamb of God and Ascended King – in the midst of persecution and the coming wars and judgment of 70 AD.
Beginning again in verse 12 Zechariah continues to speak about this judgment, and the importance of fleeing this judgment and worshipping the King by entering the new Jerusalem. He does this in symbolic and metaphorical fashion. Look at verse 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 Feast of Tabernacles. 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.
The imagery is that the nations or people who fought against the old Jerusalem must now come to the new Jerusalem, not the literal city but the spiritual city of God, the church, established by the King – Jesus Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration of God’s deliverance after the wandering in the wilderness; thus it points to one’s deliverance from wandering in the darkness of sin through the liberation of Christ. It’s repeated three times in these four verses, indicating the imperative or command to worship Christ; and if not you will have no rain, meaning that you will not experience the blessings of God. One will not receive the blessings of God’s grace and salvation apart from worshipping God through His Messiah Jesus Christ.
This then is the message of the gospel: It is through repentance and faith in Christ that one submits to His rule and reign, thus entering God’s kingdom. This passage is a metaphorical picture that Zechariah paints for us; and one that is clearly filled in more specifically for us through the New Testament Scriptures.
Both Peter and Paul tell us that Christ has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness – like all people we were under this rule and reign – but through repentance and faith in Christ we submit to His rule and reign, thus enter His kingdom; and as such we now offer spiritual sacrifices to God. We no longer have “feasts” that shadow something greater to come; or offer literal sacrifices that point to a greater and final sacrifice.
We have Christ; we have experienced Him by faith and have entered into His kingdom; and we willingly submit to His rule, both joyfully and obediently.
Verse 20 says: “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.” What does this mean? The words “holy to the Lord” take us back to Exodus 28 and refer to the words inscribed on the turban of Aaron the high priest. On that day of the Lord when the Messiah comes there will no longer be a distinction between what is “sacred” and “secular.” All of God’s people will be priests; and be called a “holy nation;” all the “pots” or people who belong to the Lord will be the same when it comes to worshipping the Lord. The church is a “called out people” and a people chosen by God and called to be holy. Thus after Peter in his first epistle calls us a “holy nation” and a “people belonging to God” he tells us to proclaim to others this great truth that we have been called out of darkness and into the light of God’s salvation.
Between the great day of the Lord that Jesus fulfilled at His first coming and the final day of the Lord that Jesus will culminate at His glorious return, we are to be people who build Christ’s church by extending God’s kingdom. As we strive to do this we will experience the tension of the kingdom. And it’s this tension that we are talking about in Sunday school. It’s the tension between being a citizen of heaven, under the rule and reign of God; and a citizen in this world, under the rule and reign of government.
It’s at this final day of the Lord that this conflict between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God ends, but until that time our Lord reigns; and we have important work to do as Christians and as Christ’s church.
In I Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that the end will come when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, power and authority, for He must reign until He puts all of His enemies under His feet. Christ reigns now, and will continue to do so until that final Day. There will be a final day of accountability for God’s enemies who reject Christ; and glory for God’s friends who love Christ the King.
Our job as Christians is not to speculate about this day; or be discouraged because it hasn’t come; or think that what we do doesn’t matter; our job is to be disciples and to make disciples by living according to the kingdom principles that Jesus teaches us and by extending His kingdom to others by being salt and light; and by sharing His gospel.
©You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC
Pastor Dennis Bone
10/7/12
THE LORD REIGNS 10-7-12
One well-known theologian of the 20th century wrote: “The final chapter of human history is solely God’s decision, and even now He is everywhere active in grace or judgment. Never in all of history have people spoken so much of the “end-time,” yet been so shrouded in ignorance of God’s impending doomsday.” The astute point he makes is that many Christians over the past 2,000 have focused, even obsessed, over a coming judgment and return of Christ that they have no idea when will happen; and that often blurs or overshadows what we should be doing as Christians and as the church now; in the present.
What should motivate us to do our duty as Christians; and what calls us and should drive us to fulfill our responsibilities as Christians in this world, is not speculating about Christ’s final coming, but proclaiming and talking about His first coming. We should not be praying for or looking for some “global Armageddon” but instead be praying for and working towards global revival through the power of the gospel. We need to be concerned and passionate about our responsibility, not God’s.
Jesus is not up in heaven just waiting for a good time to come and judge; and the worse things get the closer it is; rather Jesus is up in heaven ruling and reigning; and directing His church to make disciples of all the nations; and calling His disciples to be salt and light in this world and to impact the culture for Him. We are not to be passive, waiting for Him to take final action; we are to be active because He is active – He is actively bestowing grace and judgment right now in this world – and is extending His kingdom through the gospel. This is the message of the New Testament in light of the Old Testament.
The prophets speak of a coming Messiah and a coming kingdom that was fulfilled in Christ’s first coming; and the blessings that all of the nations would receive because of His work of salvation.
Last week I talked about this as we considered the final chapter of the prophet Zechariah and his prophecy concerning the coming Messiah and His reign. It’s a Day of the Lord that involves judgment and salvation; and this great and glorious day of Christ’s coming marks the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant. In chapter 14 Zechariah focuses on this transition as it relates primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD; and the implications of this for Israel and for the nations. I talked about the similarity of language in Zechariah and the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 when he describes this same event; and how this changes everything when it comes to God’s kingdom. The Jews were looking for an earthly kingdom and a literal establishment of this rule over the nations; Jesus brings a spiritual kingdom, where all of the nations including Israel, enter this kingdom through faith in Him.
In a series of metaphors and symbolism Zechariah explains the significance of what Christ will do on this Day. Let’s begin where we left off last week, verses 7 – 11: On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime, a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, 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.
It will be inhabited; and there will be no more curse. Jerusalem will be secure.
The difficulty that many commentators have when it comes to understanding passages like this one is the question of what do we interpret as literal and what is metaphorical? This is why some people have a view of a literal millennial period that takes place after Christ’s second coming, where some of these prophecies are literally fulfilled when Israel is restored as an earthly kingdom under Christ. If you take this view then you have to figure out what things apply to Christ’s first coming, and what applies to His Second coming; and what things are to be applied spiritually and what things literally, thus it becomes very subjective and confusing. It becomes somewhat easier and clearer when you realize that the primary focus of the prophets was Christ’s first coming; and that this Day of the Lord that they speak of pointed to the transition between old Israel and new Israel; the old covenant and new covenant; and that the new temple and the new Jerusalem are not literal places, but they are spiritual people.
This day that Zechariah is describing is realized through the rule and reign of Christ, not in some literal millennial kingdom to come, but now. He rose and ascended to be the King over His kingdom. Verse 9 says, “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” When Jesus ascended to heaven after spending 40 days with His disciples following His resurrection He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He is not waiting to get it, but He has it. Paul says in Ephesians 1 that Christ was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God far above all rule and authority; power and dominion, not only in the present age but in the one to come. God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for His church.
Zechariah goes on to say in verse 11 that there will be no more curse and that Jerusalem will be secure, referring to Christ’s victory over the curse of sin. The old Jerusalem will be destroyed, but the new Jerusalem will be secure because the Risen Christ has redeemed us from the curse of sin on the cross.
The judgment of this day when Jerusalem is destroyed – this unique day of verses 6 and 7, where there is no light – gives way to the light of the gospel that raises up a new Jerusalem. This is a people saved and secured by Christ – His church – that God is now using to shine the light of Christ into a dark world of judgment. At the end of verse 7 it says: “When evening comes, there will be light.” Out of darkness will come light; out of judgment will come salvation. How will this happen? Verse 8: “On that day living water will flow from Jerusalem.” Again, he is referring back to “that day” – the day of judgment but also a day of cleansing. We also look back to verse 1 of chapter 13: “On that day a fountain will be open . . . to cleanse from sin and impurity.” This leads us to point #C on the outline: this promise is experienced through the receiving of the gospel. As I talked about when studying chapter 13, Jesus is the source of living water that cleanses from sin and rescues from judgment.
This “living water” is going to sweep from the eastern sea to the western sea, meaning it going to go throughout the world; and as Jesus said in Matthew 24, gather up His elect from the four winds and all corners of heaven. This same imagery is seen in verse 10. Zechariah is speaking about the safety and security God’s church throughout the ages, whether it come from war or persecution, and it reminds us of Revelation 2 and 3, where the early church is reminded of their safety and security in Christ – the Risen Lamb of God and Ascended King – in the midst of persecution and the coming wars and judgment of 70 AD.
Beginning again in verse 12 Zechariah continues to speak about this judgment, and the importance of fleeing this judgment and worshipping the King by entering the new Jerusalem. He does this in symbolic and metaphorical fashion. Look at verse 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 Feast of Tabernacles. 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.
The imagery is that the nations or people who fought against the old Jerusalem must now come to the new Jerusalem, not the literal city but the spiritual city of God, the church, established by the King – Jesus Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration of God’s deliverance after the wandering in the wilderness; thus it points to one’s deliverance from wandering in the darkness of sin through the liberation of Christ. It’s repeated three times in these four verses, indicating the imperative or command to worship Christ; and if not you will have no rain, meaning that you will not experience the blessings of God. One will not receive the blessings of God’s grace and salvation apart from worshipping God through His Messiah Jesus Christ.
This then is the message of the gospel: It is through repentance and faith in Christ that one submits to His rule and reign, thus entering God’s kingdom. This passage is a metaphorical picture that Zechariah paints for us; and one that is clearly filled in more specifically for us through the New Testament Scriptures.
Both Peter and Paul tell us that Christ has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness – like all people we were under this rule and reign – but through repentance and faith in Christ we submit to His rule and reign, thus enter His kingdom; and as such we now offer spiritual sacrifices to God. We no longer have “feasts” that shadow something greater to come; or offer literal sacrifices that point to a greater and final sacrifice.
We have Christ; we have experienced Him by faith and have entered into His kingdom; and we willingly submit to His rule, both joyfully and obediently.
Verse 20 says: “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.” What does this mean? The words “holy to the Lord” take us back to Exodus 28 and refer to the words inscribed on the turban of Aaron the high priest. On that day of the Lord when the Messiah comes there will no longer be a distinction between what is “sacred” and “secular.” All of God’s people will be priests; and be called a “holy nation;” all the “pots” or people who belong to the Lord will be the same when it comes to worshipping the Lord. The church is a “called out people” and a people chosen by God and called to be holy. Thus after Peter in his first epistle calls us a “holy nation” and a “people belonging to God” he tells us to proclaim to others this great truth that we have been called out of darkness and into the light of God’s salvation.
Between the great day of the Lord that Jesus fulfilled at His first coming and the final day of the Lord that Jesus will culminate at His glorious return, we are to be people who build Christ’s church by extending God’s kingdom. As we strive to do this we will experience the tension of the kingdom. And it’s this tension that we are talking about in Sunday school. It’s the tension between being a citizen of heaven, under the rule and reign of God; and a citizen in this world, under the rule and reign of government.
It’s at this final day of the Lord that this conflict between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God ends, but until that time our Lord reigns; and we have important work to do as Christians and as Christ’s church.
In I Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that the end will come when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, power and authority, for He must reign until He puts all of His enemies under His feet. Christ reigns now, and will continue to do so until that final Day. There will be a final day of accountability for God’s enemies who reject Christ; and glory for God’s friends who love Christ the King.
Our job as Christians is not to speculate about this day; or be discouraged because it hasn’t come; or think that what we do doesn’t matter; our job is to be disciples and to make disciples by living according to the kingdom principles that Jesus teaches us and by extending His kingdom to others by being salt and light; and by sharing His gospel.
©You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC
