I introduced this difficult chapter of
Zechariah 14 in a previous
Blog. Indeed if verses 1 and 2 speak of God's incremental but certain judgment on Jerusalem culminating in the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, the we have an amazing turn of events prior to the description of the New Heavens and the New Earth in verses 6-9. That incredible turn of events is recorded in verses 3-5:
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.
In this compressed form of prophetic literature it is possible that what Zechariah sees is God turning in defense of His people, His remnant and providing for them safety until the Second Coming of Christ. Now dispensational, premillennial commentators would take exception to this. Most would slot these verses in a place immediately after the Great Tribulation and just prior to the coming of Christ to set up an earthly millennial reign.
It is clear that Zechariah is comparing this event with the original reader to a time ". . . when their ancestors
"fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah"—an
earthquake so devastating and memorable that it is mentioned also in Amos 1:1.
Yohanan Aharoni (The Land of the Bible, tr. A.F. Rainey [London: Burns
and Oates, 1966], p. 91) even suggests that it may have destroyed level VI at
Hazor around 760 B.C." [1]
The Lord's coming will create an event not unlike this earthquake which will split the mountains and create a valley. " This newly created valley will serve two purposes. (1) It will be an escape route for those who have remained behind in Jerusalem. East was the direction for a quick escape from the city in times of siege, as demonstrated by David in 2 Samuel 15: 16, 23, 30 and Zedekiah in 2 Kings 25: 4 . . . (2) The valley will serve another purpose, providing a path for the triumphal return of Yahweh to his seat of rule. Accompanying God will be “the holy ones.” [2]
We should not be surprised when we read the Bible and see God breaking into human history and find it described in human, physical terms. Opponents of this interpretation suggest we "spiritualize" the Bible. But that is simply not true. The Holy Spirit often describes God's activities in human concepts (anthropomorphisms) (e.g. Joel 4:16; Amos 1-2; Micah 1:3-4; etc.). McComiskey helps us by writing: "We need not understand them literally ... here in Zechariah we may look beyond the apocalyptic symbolism to the reality it portrays." [3] "This symbolism," he adds, "Affirms that God will not allow his people to perish but will enter into time to preserve a remnant."
Let us consider for a moment the triumphant coming of the Lord with His holy ones. ""All the holy ones" will be in the Lord's retinue when he comes. These apparently include both believers and unfallen angels." [1] This sounds very much like the
1 Thessalonians 4:16–5:2 (NIV),
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever . . . 1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Not unlike Zechariah 14:1-2 which I anticipate stretches over centuries, so too we have these events compressed and covering large periods of time, graphically portrayed in anthropomorphic apocalyptic language, showing us again that God cares for and protects His remnant. As McCimskey affirms:
"In a sense it represents the climax of that activity, for God has been at work throughout the ages forming a people for his own, preserving them against hostile forces. Little do we know how God's people have been sheltered in valleys of refuge within the upheavals of history." [4]
It has been so true, Father, that when the way seems dark and danger lurks on every side -- seen and unseen, You make a way. As the songwriter penned so well: "God will make a way, where there seems to be no way;He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me." You are the God who creates and sustains. You save and preserve. Oh that men and women would know You. Those that put their trust in You, will never, ever be ashamed. As this day unfolds help us to trust You more and praise You more for the known and unknown mercies which You grant to Your Elect. May Jesus Christ be praised!
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1. Expositor's
Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/V. Two Prophetic
Oracles: The Great Messianic Future and the Full Realization of the Theocracy
(9:1-14:21)/B. The Second Oracle: The Advent and Reception of the Messiah
(12:1-14:21)/2. The Messiah's return and his kingdom (14:1-21)/b. The tokens of
the Messiah's return (14:3-8), Book Version: 4.0.2
2. Boda, Mark J. (2009-05-26). Haggai, Zechariah (The NIV Application Commentary) (Kindle Locations 10360-10366). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
3. Zechariah, Thomas Edward McComiskey, The Minor Prophets, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Mich., USA, 1998, Page 1230
4. Ibid, Page 1231.
