Zechariah 14:9-21 "And the LORD shall be KING over all the Earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and HIS name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Timmon 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 winepress. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
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. 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 neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
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. 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."
Today's text describes when JESUS CHRIST finally establishes HIS millennial kingdom on Earth. What is detailed in Zechariah 14 cannot possibly be explained away as historical or metaphorical or as fanciful imagery pertaining to the spread of Christianity in the world. No, the reality of CHRIST ruling from HIS throne in Jerusalem is prophetic and literal, and it will surely come to pass in the future. "In that day" the LORD JESUS "shall be KING over all the Earth" (v.9 cf. Isaiah 2:2 pictured at the top of post; Daniel 2:34-35; Daniel 7:14 pictured above). Jerusalem will be elevated and enlarged far beyond its present dimensions (v.10). In that day, peace and safety will hold sway in a land where strife and injustice have reigned for centuries (v.11). What makes the difference ? The divine KING governs "with a rod of iron," Satan is bound, and righteousness rules (Revelation 2:27 pictured below; 12:5; 20:1-4).
GOD will judge those countries that perpetually trouble Israel, and only a portion of them -- "every one that is left of all the nations" (v.16, those who, likewise, have received the KING with a right heart) -- will enter into the glorious reign of JESUS CHRIST (vv.12-16). All unbelievers will be taken away in judgment (Matthew 24:30-51). Notice also that Jerusalem will be the focal point of all worship throughout the Earth. No ecumenical movement will exist in the millennial kingdom. The Earth will only have "one LORD, and HIS name one" (v.9), and no other "faith groups" will remain. The people of every nation will go up yearly to the feast of tabernacles, and if they do not, they will be chastened accordingly (vv.16-19). "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD" is the theme of this righteous, perfect, and glorious future administration (vv. 20-21). DWC
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.featoday.org
https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation
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