If I have "rightly divided the Word" in Zechariah 14, it appears to me that the Lord is painting a wide mural with a broad brush. The chapter not only re-gathers themes, but expands them further. And I would suggest that it covers a time frame the starts before Christ through to the eternal kingdom. I explain that in the last two blogs (HERE and HERE) where we gain a portrait of God's purging of the nation of Israel, yet preserving a remnant as He appears as her Warrior-King. The Painter's stroke now allures us into a picture of the eternal state -- the New Heavens and New Earth in Zechariah 14:6–11 (NIV):
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.
Again I rest heavily on the work of Thomas McComiskey where he warns us: "To take them [the symbolism] as literal depictions of actual physical phenomena is to miss the nature of prophetic language in general and of apocalyptic symbolism in particular." [1] Revelation 22:5 (NIV) is a clear summary of this description of the prophet Zechariah: "5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
The prophet also paints a mural of living water flowing from Jerusalem. Again this is confirmed clearly in The Apocalypse: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1–2, NIV)
This also interprets for us what the Jerusalem is, symbolically. Indeed it is Heaven. It is Christ's throne. “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.” (Zechariah 14:8, NIV). It flows continually and it flows universally. And we note again that the function of all this cryptic language is to help is visualize the point: We see the perfect and the final eschatalogical kingdom of God. He reigns! “It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.” (Zechariah 14:11, NIV). The NASB translates this verse: “People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.”
No more curse. This is the ultimate eschaton. “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:9, NIV). "No longer shall there be many world religions or many names for God (cf. Deut. 6:4). The prayer of Matt. 6:9, 10 will finally be answered." [2]
And we shall behold Him
We shall behold Him
Face to face
In all of His glory
We shall behold Him
We shall behold Him
Face to face
Our Savior and Lord [3]
Father, who can imagine that day -- that Day that You know of full well. All nations; all kings; all political leaders; all peoples; all events; all circumstances; all micro-organisms to the billions upon billions of galaxies are cascading toward that Day when Christ shall reign over all the earth -- in power and glory. Eye has not seen nor has ear heard of what You have in store for those who love You. What glory to be revealed in that Day for those who are longing, looking and loving the appearing of our Lord and Savior. There are no words to express the wonder of that Day. As Luther said Father, there are but two days on the calendar: Today and That Day. Grant the grace of the Holy Spirit to live today in light of that Day. For Your pleasure and Your glory, Amen!
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1. Zechariah, Thomas Edward McComiskey, The Minor Prophets, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Mich., USA, 1998, Page 1233
2. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zec 14:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3. Dottie Rambo, © 1980 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
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