Zechariah: The God of Hope and Glory

Good to be with you. We had a wonderful time last night our second anniversary dinner and it was just a joy to celebrate two years of the Lord's goodness to us here at Trinity Church. He has been very good to us. I praise the Lord for his kindness. We're going to be in the book of Zachariah today. We've got two weeks left to finish out this survey of the Minor Prophets with an emphasis on looking at the promised Messiah and I wanted to start by just giving you a introductory example of my poor driving skills. My family says that I always like to take long cuts that if there's a shorter way to get somewhere. I don't use it weighs has been a great remedy for that problem of me just talkin and missing the turn to go left to right or wherever and the best part of ways I think is if I get somewhere I can just hit the home button and it gives me clear directions home. Please easy to find my way home. I was trying to explain to my children my younger children a couple months ago about before there was turn-by-turn direction in GPS. We had to pull out these maps that were on pages and then you'd have to look in the corner and see the E7 pointed to some other random spot on a map 20 Pages later and holding it upside down and figuring it out and they'd had no comprehension and they wanted you know that tried to blame my poor driving on those maps. Not. Just the fact that I get distracted while I drive but this thought of finding our way home in the eaves of finding our way home we have here in the book of Zechariah the message to the people of Israel Iz you can come home. The book of Zacharias in the last three of the Minor Prophets and all three of those Minor Prophets are when Israel Judah had returned to the land to rebuild the Temple there called the postexilic profits because it's after the Exile returning from the Exile. In fact, we see from the timing that Zachariah the message of Zachariah begins just two months after the message of haggai ends. So Israel had rebuilt the temple they now had God's presence among them in their midst and the message of Zachariah is you can come home. And that God is going to restore Israel and Jerusalem in the Messiah is going to come this Shepherd King who's going to come and Rule and Reign and be at a shelter a fortress a Hightower and he's going to make all things new. And of course, this message was a great message of Hope. After all, we saw through the Minor Prophets that it's a promise of God salvation to rot through judgment. And so Zachariah has elements of this as well. But I just want to start by reading versus 126 of chapter 1 in the eighth month in the second year of Darius the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah the son of barachias son of Edo saying the Lord was very angry with your father's therefore say to them that's declares. The Lord of hosts return to me says the Lord of hosts and I will return to you says the Lord of hosts do not be like your father's to whom the former prophets Cried Out thus says the Lord of hosts returned from your evil ways and from your evil Deeds, but they did not hear or pay attention to me declares the Lord your father's where are they and the prophets do they live for ever, but my words in my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets. Did they not over? Take your father's so they repented and said as the Lord of hosts purpose to deal with us for our ways and deeds. So has he dealt with us? We have this assurance just a few weeks after high guys ending of his prophecy Zakaria begins to say return to me return from your evil ways verse for return to me verse 3 and I will return to you. See this is this is at the heart of this message of Zachariah that God is the god of Second Chances and third chances in fourth chances, as long as it's called today the burden of the book draw near to me always says and I will draw near to you and God is promising in Zachariah to draw near to us through his Messiah and we know his name is Jesus. We saw it last week in haggai there when Jesus came his name Shall be Called Emmanuel God With Us And he says at the end as he is since I'm with you always even to the end of the age and so God is with us. He's near us. Let me just give you a little bit of application right here upfront perhaps you are feeling a distance from God because of sin that you haven't confessed. Don't keep a distance from God Drawing Near to him repent of that Sin from come near to him because he's already come near to you and Jesus the Messiah and he's demonstrated his great love. When you were at your worst God gave you his best his son. And he's promised that he will bring you to himself forever. The Jesus is coming back. He's going to make all things new and he's preparing a place for us that where he is. We will be also John 14. So this is the the message of Zachariah now, I didn't give you an outline today because I felt like the outline would be distracting. I just want you to hear the burden of the book. It's 14 chapters. I'll I won't be able to read it all to you in the midst of my sermon. There's some great details that I would love to get into that. I have to skip and there's some you know to our eyes crazy Visions in oracle's that are hard to understand. So you'll have to trust me a bit on the meaning of those. In fact the book divides up the first 8 chapters are these eight oracle's Visions? They don't make a lot of sense to us today. We would have to dig into the history to understand them and then the second half of the book is essentially God promising a Shepherd King the Messiah who's going to come and he's going to restore Jerusalem. He's going to make it dwell in Safety and Security and no evil thing will be there and that his Remnant his people will be part of his kingdom forever. So that story is the story of the whole Bible. That story is the story. We're hoping in the New Testament reveals that Jesus is the Messiah the Good Shepherd the shepherd King in he's brought us into his kingdom and he's coming back a second time to make all things new and the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and I was Christ and he shall reign forever. So that's the message of Zechariah in a nutshell but he starts with these 8 visions. And for those of you who are interested in sakhi Azam. So Vision one in visionator paired Vision 2 and 7 repaired three and six are paired and four and five repaired and four and five talk about Joshua the descendant of David who's the king and zaruba Bell the descendant of Aaron who's the priest in this Messiah who's going to come is going to be at King priest and so at the center of these 8 Visions which are really Visions four and five. It's the Messiah that is being revealed. The first one is this vision of a man on a red horse found in chapter 1 verses 7217 and what we see in this vision is that God is telling Israel now is the time for the Messianic Kingdom to come the Lord is Desiring to encourage and comfort his people with a reminder of his faithfulness in his presence. Look at verse 14 the angel who talked with me said to me cry out thus says the Lord of hosts. I'm exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem in for Zion and I am exceedingly angry with the Nations that are a tease for a while. I was angry but a little they furthered the disaster. Therefore thus says the Lord I have returned to Jerusalem with Mercy my house shall be built in it declares the Lord of hosts and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem right out. Again. Says the Lord of hosts my cities shall again overflow with prosperity and the Lord will again Comfort Zion and shoes Jerusalem. So there's a number of embassies in this first Vision the Lord himself loves his people the presence of the Angel of the Lord Supernatural eBenefits Israel. He is raining with complete sovereignty over every nation. So even though they seem at ease after the conquest of Israel. God is incomplete rule over the nation's and he's going to judge them and he's going to restore his people and so what what Zachariah is giving the people is a hope of earnest expectation that God's going to keep his promises that Israel's going to dwell in Safety and Security in here. We hear that the Lord's jealousy for his people demonstrates that he is faithful in his relationship to them this promise that he's holding out to them. The Lord will again Comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem verse 17 the second Vision are these four horns and these for Craftsman I'll read verses 18 to 21. I lifted my eyes and saw and behold for horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, what are these? And he said to me these are the horns that have scattered Judah Israel and Jerusalem. So these nations of Assyria and Babylon horn was a symbol of strength and they were conquered and then verse 20 then the Lord showed me for Craftsman blacksmiths. And I said, what are these coming to do? And he said these are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one raised his head and these have come to terrify them to cast doubt on the horns of the nation to lift it up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it and we would have to dig into this picture of the blacksmiths and how it related to the kingdom of Persia and how the Persians came in and took over the Assyrians and Babylonians and through Cyrus sent Israel back to establish the land. So it's really up a message that Jerusalem will be restored. The people are rebuilding the wall rebuilding the temple and the Jerusalem is going to then in the next Vision be a beacon for Nations look down it 2:10. This is the vision of the man with the measuring line sing and Rejoice O Daughter of Zion for behold I come and I will dwell in your midst declares the Lord and many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day and I and shall be my people and I will dwell in your midst that you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. So this picture of a man with a measuring line comes and he measures out the New Jerusalem and not only Israel, but many nations are going to come and be a part of God's people and God is going to dwell in their midst. What is that sound like that sounds like the New Covenant? That sounds like this great hope that we have here that that what Isaiah said and Isaiah 49-6. It's too small a thing that the Messiah would come this suffering servant would come and just simply bring Salvation to Israel. But he's going to be a light to the Nations that God's salvation would reach the ends of the Earth. And I've said it many times. We are the ends of the Earth two thousand years later this salvation is reached here to Benicia. The Vallejo to I grew up in Vallejo salvation can even reach Vallejo beloved praise the Lord. This is good news. This is what God was promising through Zacharia and noticed that the main thing is that God is in their midst. He's with them. He's with us and we can draw near to him because he's drawn near to us. This is rooted in the promise to David. Rooted in this promise to send a messiah who would be a descendant of David who would dwell among his people in Zion. And then the 4th division is the cleansing of the high priest as I mentioned a chapter 3 read verse 94 behold on a the stone that I've set before Joshua on a single stone with seven eyes. I will engrave its inscription declares the Lord of hosts and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. So in the first three visions Zacharias surveying the rebuilt city of Jerusalem and Visions four and five the prophets looking at the temple and its courts and there's three Messianic mentions hear of the Messiah. the servant the branch and the stone he says

lost my verse here Joshua.

Verse 8 here now. Oh Joshua the high priest you and your friends who sit before you for they are men who are assigned behold. I will bring my servant the branch. This is a mention of the Messiah and behold on that stone that I've set before Joshua on a single stone with seven eyes. I will engrave its inscription declares the Lord of hosts and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. These Joshua's High Priestly position points to Jesus Christ Our faithful priests to mediates for us. And what was that single day? We know what it was the day he was crucified. In which sin was removed. This is why the author of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 4 says we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God and so let us hold fast our confession why we don't have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every respect yet without sin. So what's the response? Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help in our time of need. You see this promised Branch this this one who is the branch of of Jessie that was promised and Isaiah this one who's coming? Who is we know is Jesus. He's the one who removes our sin in a single day and he did it on the cross and we received that forgiveness by faith This Promise of the Gospel beforehand so we can draw near to the father through Jesus and I love with the author of Hebrews says it's with confidence boldness. We don't draw nearing shame. We don't draw near with fear and trembling we draw near with confidence because Jesus Paid It All and he's made a way for us to draw near and what do we find? When we draw near according to the author of Hebrews? We find Mercy and we find Grace to help in our time of need. Are you needy today? Are you in great need of God's mercy perhaps because of sin that you've committed. Are you in need of his grace? Are you in need of his his favor towards you and your life perhaps under the weight of this Fallen World in just the the cares in the the burdens of life. You can draw near to the father through Jesus and find that grace and mercy to help in your time of need today. That is the Glorious good news that Jesus has been raised and he's our high priest and he's interceding for us at the right hand of the father. He's for us and not against us.

Zacharias promising this The fifth one in chapter 4 is the the Lord providing safeguards these golden lampstand in these two olive trees in and look what's tied to this verse 6. He said to me this is the word of the Lord to zerubbabel not by might not by power. But by my spirit says the Lord of hosts. How will this restoration be accomplished of Jerusalem in Israel in God's kingdom. It's not going to be by my door by strength is not going to be by chariots and weapons of war. It's going to be by the holy spirit of God Who Comes This Promise of the New Covenant and he's coming we know on this side of the cross that what God did is he not only gave us Jesus his son. He's poured out his Spirit to indwell us. So that we have this promise of an inheritance that is reserved for us not perishing. It's never going to fade away. It's reserved in the heavens waiting for that day when Jesus returns and we see him and we're going to be like him and we're going to inherit all things beloved. We've already been seated in the heavenlies in Christ. But we don't yet. See what that means. But by faith we believe that God's going to keep his promises. This was the message to Israel in Zacharias day is God keeps his promises to his people. He's faithful and he will Faithfully bring them to completion. The the the is Jerusalem will be restored in renewed in the Holy Spirit is the reason that any of the rubles Ministry in this chapter is successful and fruitful, but it it it looks forward to this day. When we as a priest to the Believers have been regenerated that where the spiritual Temple now the place where God's glory dwells and we have been given spiritual gifts and spiritual sacrifice has to offer to God acceptable worship. Look 6 Oracle vision is in 5:1 again. I lifted my eyes and saw and behold a flying scroll and he said to me what do you see and I answered I see a flying scroll. It's length is 20 cubits and its width 10 cubits. And then he said to me this is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole and for everyone who steals Shelby cleaned out according to what is on one side and everyone else. Where is falsely Shelby cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will send it out to clear the Lord of hosts and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name and it shall remain in his house and consumed it both Timber and stones. It is a little bit difficult to understand by itself in isolation. But in the context what he saying is when Jerusalem's restored no unclean thing no sin. No evil thing will be in it and God's word contained in the scroll will clean it out. This is what Revelation says they'll be no more sin W. No unclean thing will dwell in the New Jerusalem. They'll be outside the city Gates. It's meant to be a great comfort of Hope and peace. That the Messiah is bringing this, New Jerusalem.

Will be holy and clean the next one the seventh one this woman in a basket and talk about a vision that it reminds us maybe of some of our dreams we've had because This Woman's in a basket and then these two women carried away and they have storks wings and that is way out there that is that is hard to understand what exactly is going on it. In fact, I'm comforted greatly because when Zachary has asked about do you know what this is and he says, I don't know tell me what this is. I don't know what this means but what this pictures I think is that it's picturing the Lord removing sin again from Israel's midst to send it to Babylon. The word is shine are here but that's a synonym for the nation of Babylon and that the people's response in chapter 7 is repentance and obedience and worship. You have then finally the last Vision these four chariots in chapter 6 verses 1 to 8 out read verse 8 and he cried to me behold. Those who go toward the North Country have set my spirit at rest in the North Country. So the first Vision says the nations are at rest, but Israel's being rebuilt, but God's going to judge those Nations. The last Vision says now Israel's at rest because Cindy has been send back on Babylon God's judgment has come and now the nation is at rest. God's in his Heaven all's right with the world in reality. We will have rest so these eight Visions all taken together show a picture of the restoration of Jerusalem and God bringing his people back saying come home. And God bringing the nation's in and making them part of his people and him doing it through a descendant of David who is going to be this King priest who is going to remove the sin of his people in one day. That's at the heart of these first 8 chapters all the chapters the end of chapter 6 in 27 and 8 is is like a hinge between the two halves of Zechariah in the branch is going to come who's a priest and a king is going to rebuild. The Temple of the Lord is going to bring peace and rule on his throne and so in chapter 7 2 years after these Visions Zakaria receives another prophecy. Vs127 in the fourth-year king Darius the word of the Lord came to Zakaria on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Heath Ledger of now the people of Bethel had sent showers are in Reagan Malik to their men to entreat the favour of the Lord saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts in the profits. Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month as I've done for so many years then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me say to all the people with the land in the priests when you faster than mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh for these seventy years. Was it for me that you fasted and when you eat and when you drink do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves where these not the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous with her cities around her when the south in the lowland were inhabited So Zacharias telling the people they stood guilty of hypocrisy and he's 70 years is the 70 years. They were in Exile. They were failing to Worship the Lord with a sincere heart. And so this same message as the earlier prophets in the rest of chapter 7 is repent. Look at verse 9. Says the Lord of hosts render true judgments show kindness and mercy to one another do not oppress the Widow the fatherless the Sojourner or the poor let none of you devise evil against one another in your heart. Sounds like Micah do justly love Mercy walk humbly with your God and God promises in chapter 8, I am going to restore Jerusalem. I am going to restore the the city of Zion the first five it's the streets. She'll be full of boys and girls playing in the streets for 6 that says the Lord of hosts. If it is a marvelous in the side of the remnants of this people in these days, she'll it also Marvelous in my sight declares the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord of hosts behold. I will save my people from the East country and the West country and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people and I will be their God and faithfulness and in righteousness again this repetition. I'm going to bring my people back return to me come back home, and I'm going to be in your midst. What a glorious message isn't it this hope that's realized in in Jesus is the message of the Gospel that we take out people can come back home to The God Who made him. Who created them who made them in His image and they can find peace and joy and rest and forgiveness of sins and a family and relationship and be part of God's kingdom forever. This is good news.

why Paul says all of the promises of God find their yes, and amen in Christ 2nd Corinthians 1 chapters 9 to 14 then the second half of the book are various prophecies and images that talk about this Messianic kingdom of God is raining in their midst this Kingdom that they should come home to You have the Lord's judgment on the surrounding Nations. You have the messiah's role in as king administering peace and righteousness. You have worship of Yahweh by the Nations that had formerly been his enemies. You have the place that God's people Israel will enjoy in the Kingdom. So Zakaria 9 to 14 is a single-story through a number of images like a kaleidoscope of a Shepherd who will risk his life to defend and save his sheep and that imagery is picked up in the New Testament. Isn't it? John 10. Jesus says, I'm the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and they hear my voice may follow me. And I will lead them to Green Pastures. I will bring them home and they're secure in my hand in the father's hand and no one will be able to snatch them out of my hand. What a glorious truth. This was preached and prophesied to the people hundreds of years 300 years before Jesus came.

So chapter 90 verse her enemies of the 9:8 then I Yahweh will encamp at my house as a guard so that None Shall March to-and-fro. No oppressor. Shall again March over them for now. I see with my own eyes as we heard in Nate whom the Lord is a warrior who's going to deliver his people chapter 9 you get this picture of Yahweh as a fortress a says in verse 8 my house as a guard. Will that is a picture. It is a fortress with a guard post in yahweh's the guard no one's coming in to that house. Unless God says so Judgment and salvation of the surrounding nations are included but here in verses 9 and 10. We have an introduction to the king and you know this verse verse 9 chapter 9 Rejoice. Greatly o Daughter of Zion shout aloud o daughter of Jerusalem behold. Your king is coming to you righteousness and having salvation is heat humble and mounted on a donkey on a Colt the fold of a donkey and I will cut off The Chariot from Ephraim in the war horse from Jerusalem and the battle boat shall be cut off and he shall speak peace to the nation's his rule shall be from sea to Sea and from the river to the ends of the Earth the shepherd King Jesus who came remember that into Jerusalem. on a donkey the week before he was crucified. And in answer to the prophecy of Zechariah the people threw down palm branches and shouted blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord? And he is going to come and get notice that verse 9 is his first coming and verse 10 is his second coming and he's going to rule. Over the whole earth in the second coming and bring peace. And no one will be able to stand against his rule. That's what 911 says as for you also because of the blood of my Covenant with you. I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit return to your stronghold do prisoners of Hope today. I declare that I will restore to you double Broadbent Judah is my bow. I have made Ephraim, it's Arrow. I will stir up your sons of Zion against your sons of Greece and we'll do Like A Warrior's sword. Then the Lord will appear over them and his Arrow will go forth like lightning in the Lord. God will sound the trumpet and will March 4th in the whirlwinds of the South the Lord of hosts will protect them and they shall devour and Shred down the sling stones and they shall drink enroll as if drunk with wine and be full like a bold drenched like the corners of the altar on that day. The Lord their God will save them as the flock of his people for like the jewels of a crown they show Shine on his land for how great is his goodness. How great is his Beauty grain? Shall make the young men flourish and new wine. The young women ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain in from the Lord who makes the storm clouds and he will give them showers of rain to everyone the vegetation in the field. So this Shepherd King is going to be a fortress to his people he's going to, he's going to save and deliver them in his second coming that we know is the second coming is zechariah's day. Didn't know it was to Cummings the wide the disciples when they thought of the Messiah coming they taught now's the time you're going to conquer Rome. They didn't understand that he had to come the first time to suffer the second time to conquer. But what a hope we live in this this between the two comings of Jesus and we know he's coming again that he is our Shield. He is our Hightower he is our Fortress and we can draw near to him even in the midst of our own troubles and find Salvation. He doesn't just save us in the future. He saves us today. He saves us now. He delivers us from our enemies now, Our greatest enemies of the World the Flesh and the devil Jesus is delivering us. He's standing as our high priest. He's poured out his Spirit into our hearts so that we would be renewed and we would draw near to him.

10:3 my anger is hot against the Shepherds and I will punish the leaders for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock the house of Judah and will make them like his Majestic Steed in battle. So this this Shepherd King he he cares for his people his flock and he's going to turn them into a Victorious Army. Have you take the imagery very literally. It's very bizarre right these little sheep or going to turn into battle horses. I don't want you to necessarily imagine us riding, you know being in a riding sheep in the battle. I don't think that's the picture. He's intended to convey but rather that the the shepherd King who has this flock is going to not only deliver his people but they're going to be part of his Victorious Army and isn't that what we here in Revelation 19 That we're going to be with him when he comes down and this one whose name is faithful and true who slays his enemies with the breath of his mouth were made Holy Week we ride in with him. And and what is Paul say to us in Romans that even now we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. More than conquerors Paul. How did how are you more than conquerors? Is it enough to say you're a conqueror? He says we are more than conquerors through him who loved us why because nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ. Jesus our lord nothing on this Earth. Nothing in our lives. Nothing in the heavens No, Angel no principalities. No powers not even death itself can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our lord we are more than conquerors. And so the the victory is is here proclaimed the Messiah the shepherd King is going to do it.

10:4 from him she'll come the Cornerstone from him the tent Peg from him the battle bow from him every Ruler all of them together each metaphor Cornerstone tent Peg battle bow illumines a different part of Jesus Earthly work of being the warrior king who came the Messiah reversing the Exile reversing the curse bringing the remnant home. Jesus said on the Good Shepherd. I have other sheep who are not of this fold they must I must go and get them all so that they would be one flock with one Shepherd in John 10. and God judges the wicked Shepherds the evil Shepherds chapter 11 verses 1 to 17. He's going to cleanse Israel of all the bad Shepherds of all the religious leaders and we see this in the ministry of Jesus how he combated the religious leaders of the day and said you don't understand your Bibles you search them because in them you think you have eternal life, it's these the testify of me.

Belinda chapter 12 in through verse 14 Jerusalem will be the center of worship for All Peoples All Nations. 12:1 the Oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel us declares. The Lord is stretched out the heavens and founded the Earth and form the spirit of man within and behold. I'm about to make Jerusalem a cup of Staggering to all the surrounding people's The Siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah on that day. I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples all who lived it will surely hurt themselves and all the nations of the earth will gather against it Jesus brings this up in the Olivet discourse in Matthew Matthew chapter 24 to 26 John brings it up and Revelation that all the nations of the Earth are going to gather in the valley of megiddo, which is going to be mentioned here and they're going to battle against the Messiah and we see in Revelation that they will lose that the day of the Lord is here the day of Jesus return to conquer his enemies and make all things right. What's remarkable. 12:10 one of the ways he makes all things right? You're thinking. Okay. This is going to be a picture of his conquering no, 12:10. I will pour out on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of Grace and pleas for mercy so that when they look upon me on him whom they have pierced they shall mourn for him as One Mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as one weeps for the firstborn is not incredible that Yahweh is speaking and he says when they look upon me They're going to see the one whom they pierced what a claim that Jesus. Our savior is Yahweh the one whom this isn't just Yahweh speaking about his son who will be pierced. But this is Yahweh who is pierced the Eternal Sun became the Incarnate son. What an incredible thought? And here Israel is repentant at the time of his coming and they see him for who he is and they repent this is what I think Paul was hoping for in Romans 11. The deliverer would come from Zion turn godlessness away from Jacob and this is my Covenant with them when I take away their sins. He mentions enrollment 11 that all Israel will be saved. But what God promises chapter 14 after the shepherd is struck their judgment and purification and are returning to God that in chapter 14 Jerusalem will forever dwell in security verse 3, the Lord will go out and fight against those Nations as when he fights in the day of battle than on that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives should be split into from east to west by a very wide Valley so that the one half of the amount should move northward and the other half Southward. For seven, there should be a unique day which is known to the Lord neither day nor night. But if the evening time there should be Lighting on that day Living Waters shall flow out from Jerusalem half of them to the Eastern Sea and half of them to the Western sea verse 9. The Lord will be king over all the Earth on that day. The Lord will be one in his name 1 verse 11 and it shall be inhabited for there shall never again be of a decree of utter destruction of Jerusalem shall dwell in security and end so much is here embedded in here and we don't have time to study all of the the end times implications of this but what we do know is that Zacharias concluding his message by saying the Lord is going to recreate everything including the Lord's people in Jerusalem. Everything is going to fall under his jurisdiction. Everything will be wholly in this implication that there's a reversal of the cursed. does this living water is Flowing out from Jerusalem in watering the valleys and we see that picture in revelation 22 don't we that a river of living water flows from the throne him who sits on the throne in from the land and it brings the water and brings healing to the nation's what a glorious. The God is the god of Second Chances and third and fourth chances as long as it's called today and the burden of Zakaria Drawing Near to me. He always says I'll draw near to you this God of Hope and Glory through is Messiah the power of the spirit will bring Salvation regathering in restoring his people God's kingdom will be brought to this earth. Isn't that how Jesus taught us to pray your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven a kingdom of righteousness and Peace by the early church would shout Maranatha. Our lord Jesus come come quickly. Come soon make all things right. It's a great hope and a promise. And again the application is if you have been distant from God return home John near to him. He's drawn near to you and his son. He's giving you his son. He's giving you away to come here. So drawn near father. Thank you for this word and this time together.

What a glorious hope.

What a glorious promise that you're going to make all things, right? And we know that that hope is not just a pipe dream. It's not just wishful thinking it is an Earnest expectation that you're going to keep your promises. All your promises are yes, and amen in Jesus. And it brings our heart great courage and consolation that you promised all of this hundreds of years before Jesus came and he fulfilled these prophecies as the Messiah and the ones that are yet to be fulfilled. He's going to fulfill the remainder.

We long for that day. We know. The Jesus is preparing a place for us a kingdom that Will Never Be Shaken. And we long for that day. Even now as we turn to the table, maybe a time of of great remembrance of what you've given us in Jesus and how you poured out your spirit in the New Covenant.

I pray all of this in Jesus name. Amen.