Zechariah 14:12-21 - “Driving Toward Holiness”
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Intro
Opening Illustration - As a young “whipper snapper,” I used to ask a ton of questions. My grandfather said I should be a reporter and carry a notebook everywhere I go to catalog the answers.
I remember a time where I got in the truck with my dad. I asked where we were going. Big surprise, “Mr. Curiosity” had another question. He answered by saying we’re going “to the moon!” The truth was we were headed to the closest "store" to our house, which was Queen Anne Marina’s Ships Store about 10 minutes up the road. It was probably for milk, bread, or eggs. But after that day, Queen Anne Marina General Store became affectionately forever known to us as, "the moon.”
Relevance to CCB - But isn’t it just natural for us to want to know “where we’re going?”
I still ask that question…but, now of the Word. Where are we going?
Is the world just a random chain of events, with an unknown destination?
Or do we know where we're going?
And I don't mean just "heaven" or "hell,"
I mean specifically, where is this big floating rock in the sky going...and for what purpose. (1) Can we know? If so, (2) what is the benefit of knowing?
Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there!
I’ll say, If you know where you're going, does that change anything in the present? Like if you need to bring money? If you need a jacket? Or a sleeping bag? Or maybe to dress up if you're going to a nice dinner vs dress down if you're going on a hike?
By the end of this message, I pray that (1) you know exactly where you're going, (2) why you're going there, and (3) what does that mean for you today?
Opening Background
The background to this prophecy…is the post-exilic Jews, having re-settled back into their land after 70 years of slavery and exile under the Babylonians.
They needed to be internally motivated to rebuild their temple and their faith in the True and Living God.
God sent Zechariah to do just that.
And as Zechariah prophesies progressed, he progresses from their current state of affairs (520-470 B.C.) more toward the “end times,” (still yet future).
In this last chapter, we’re in the “day of the Lord.”
Zechariah is effectively telling the nations of Israel, where this is all going.
It’s important for Israel to know.
It’s important for us to know.
Message
Let’s Pray
Read along (vv. 12 - 15)
A Parenthetical Flashback to (vv. 1-3)
We learned last week that Israel is being made into pure gold. Which involves serious heat.
God will raise up “all the nations of the earth” (Zech 12:3) against her. Under the leadership of the Antichrist; who is directly inspired by Satan.
< Reread (Zech 13:9-14:3) >
But we see, despite the great terror, that God will miraculously save His people.
What we see here in (vv. 12-15) is a parenthetical flashback to the destruction found in (vv. 1-3).
I see (vv. 1-3) focused on God’s judgement toward Isreal.
But I see (vv. 12-15) as God’s judgement toward the world who came against Israel.
God will use three powerful weapons (3 P’s) against Israel’s enemies (it’s difficult to determine specific timing & targets):
(v. 12) Plague (Weapon #1) - God will bring swift and sudden judgement - essentially “rotting” their flesh while they stand on their feet, before their body hits the ground. I ask you three questions about the plague.
First - you may wonder, COULD God “literally” do this?
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
All things are actively held together by God, and inversely, that if at any moment He decided to stop holding our cells, atoms, and molecules, together…they will disintegrate…
After all, it shouldn’t be too surprising, because Jesus who was there at the beginning, and “through Him all things were created that were created” (such as man…He created man “From the dust of the earth.” And “to dust we shall return.”
Also, since the penalty for sin is death and hell…technically, any breathe you take, or new beat of your heart…is a gift by God’s grace alone, delaying your bodily destruction, giving you a chance to accept Him and live for Him.
God can and COULD “withdraw” his active holding together of our bodies…at any moment He chooses.
Secondly, WOULD God “literally” do this?
And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.
A “sudden plague,” WOULD be totally within the realm of possibility for God.
Third - How important is Jesus’ Return (2nd Coming) to this earth?
To help you contextualize this…i’ll ask you how important was Jesus’ first coming? Answer - It’s effectively the “center” of History.
Therefore, His 2nd Coming…MUST be VERY important to God.
And we know that the first time - He came humbly - as the “Suffering Servant”
While the second time - He will come mightily - as the victorious “Conquering King.” So I think we should expect some “fireworks”
It’s no wonder that God use many “signs and wonders” to accompanying His return…as this is such an important event in future History.
(v. 13) Panic (Weapon #2) - seize the hand of his neighbor is speaking of “seizing violently with evil intent,” delivering death blows to each other. The enemy will self-destruct by killing each other.
Again, you may wonder, COULD God do this? He’s done this type of thing before
When Gideon came up against the Midianites with only 300 men,
When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
Or when Jonathan (King Saul’s son) with his armor bearer, decided to follow God’s will into single-handedly fighting the Philistine camp…
Once Jonathan single-handedly initiated the attack and his father King Saul was furious…it became obvious that God was in this:
And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.
After Jonathan’s courageous and successful initial attack,
Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.
There is a third instance of “enemy self-destruction” with Jehoshaphat (1 Chron 20) as Ammon and the Moabites came against Israel.
Why wouldn’t God “pull out all the stops” for the “Return of His Son Jesus?”
We know that His Return will be the most epic judgment the world has ever known.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
So we should expect this period of time to be extremely intense. God will judge his enemies righteously and through tactics of His choosing.
(v. 14) His People (Weapon #3) - the first two weapons used against God’s enemies is God Himself. But, God’s people will see clearly that He is fighting for them…and they themselves will be inspired to become His third weapon, as they rise as valiant warriors.
Recall back to Zech 12:8 - “the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David”
And then, Israel will collect a great plunder, from/or back from her enemies.
(v. 15) A quick parenthetical regarding the plague…It is interesting how the plague will also effect the animals of the invading armies.
But before you judge God on this (for killing an “innocent” animal) - I hope you enjoy your bacon cheeseburger after service today!
(#1) Remember that God’s judgment IS perfect…and that you simply gotta trust Him.
(#2) Animals “well-being” are linked to the holiness of humans.
Before the fall (sin) in the garden, animals lived at peace with each other; and humans. There was no death (no carnivores)
But AFTER the fall, animals also recieved the curse that humans incurred…“for you shall surely die”; death was the cost. For Adam. And for the Animals.
When Adam sinned…who was the first to die? The animal that God killed in order to cover him with the “tunic of skin.” (Gen 3:21).
Animals had to be sacrificed (then and until Jesus went to the cross) as a sin covering for humans.
(#3) God had judged animals for the sins of their owners in the past. As Israel came against nations in the promised land, he not only told Israel to kill the people, but to also kill their animals.
Their sins may have caused their animals to be ‘sickened,’ as the Canaanite world practiced many sexual sins, to include bestiality.
It also may have just been a judgement against such an evil people, that every instrument they used, including their animals, needed to be rid of in order to cleanse the land.
Regardless, God decided to wipe the animals out along with the people.
So, God used a plague, a panic, and His people to conquer the invading army.
Now we will flash forward, again, to the Millennial Kingdom.
Another parenthetical with new details…
Read along (vv. 16 - 21)
There will be a Reinstatement of “The Feast of Tabernacles,” but for ALL the nations to observe.
We see in the M.K. a pseudo-Mosaic Law setup. This probably seems strange to you…especially when you consider, that Jesus came to “fulfill the Law”…
In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
I can assure you that the Old Covenant, “The Law,” is done away with.
So what is this new form of “religion” in the Millennial Kingdom?
Worship of King Jesus in Jerusalem (at the fourth temple) - all the nations shall go up from year to year to worship the King (Jesus)
Where will they go up? To Jerusalem (of course) and specifically to the temple (the fourth/Millennial temple). (Zech 6:12-13; Ezekiel 37:26-28; will stand for 1,000 years Rev 20:1-6)
Similar to the Mosiac Law, physical blessing from God will be in-some-way conditional on their obedience to properly celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. What is the condition? whoever does not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King…on them there will be no rain
This is is probably speaking of a representation from each nation…not every single person, every single year. And the people would be those who were NOT part of the invading armies…because they were entirely killed.
Plus, all who pass into the Millennial Kingdom, were judged as “righteous” at the “Sheep and the Goats Judgment” (Matt 25).
“Well that’s no fair…I thought we were done with ‘religion’?”
But consider the Millennial Kingdom is a time characterized by Universal Recognition and Worship of King Jesus, as He reigns from His Worldwide throne from Jerusalem.
So, naturally, ALL will worship and acknowledge Jesus for who He really is.
But man’s free will is not taken away (just like in the garden).
They will have a choice to DO what is right
Or they can opt to do what is wrong…and there will be consequences…no rain ==> economic depression for those who don’t worship the King.
Why the return to “The Feast of Tabernacles?”
A leading theory (by Dr. Merrill Unger) suggests, by this time, 6 out of the 7 feasts (Lev 23) that God gave to Moses, each had a Christocentric fulfillment:
Passover was fulfilled in the death of Christ
Firstfruits in His resurrection
The weeklong feast of Unleavened Bread in the life of the church today as believers walk in holiness
Pentecost was fulfilled in Acts 2
The Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled in the rapture of the church
The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled when Israel acknowledges her Messiah, repents, and is cleansed
Leaving only one feast “unfulfilled” - “The Feast of Tabernacles”
The Feast of Tabernacles is a time of great and joyous celebration of what God had done for His people.
Having brought them through the exodus…celebrating God’s salvation of His people. Should we not celebrate our salvation?
And having (in this case) brought to fruition, the Kingdom Age, of GREAT blessing…this 1,000 year period will be a time of GREAT fruitfulness that the world has never experienced before (other than the garden).
I think of it akin to our “Thanksgiving Holiday,” where we are simply grateful for what God has provided…and the heart of that celebration is us enjoying the very fruit that He has provided to us.
So you can see that if you choose NOT to celebrate what God has given to you…it speaks to the condition of your heart.
So, for a nation to NOT send a delegation to worship the Universally recognized King during this prescribed holiday, is to publicly deny the graciousness and generosity of our Lord.
(v. 18) Egypt (who has a rocky history with God and His people) is called out as an example, either because they may decide to tempt their fate by not going up?
Or as a cautionary example because they had been judged in their past by God, specifically where He withheld the rain from their land.
But in either case…to NOT observe Jesus as Lord and King over the earth during this period by showing your thanks for His great blessing is to commit a heinous sin of ingratitude.
(v. 20) And In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horse…an example of how the most “insignificant things” will be genuinely dedicated to Jesus Christ.
Holiness means - “to set apart,” or you can say “special” - it shares its meaning with pure. And you would only “dedicate” something as holy, if it’s pure and set apart to serve God.
Holiness is the only way in which humankind can interact with a Holy God. And all creation will be in a “holy-like” state during this Kingdom period.
And if everything is set apart…then it’s like saying EVERYTHING is special…which defies our current understanding of something truly being special.
We have to have something that is “un-special” to have something else as special.
But in this Kingdom…EVERYTHING IS SPECIAL…defying even our current understanding of the word special. But somehow IT WILL BE.
(v. 20b) The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Again…
All things will be holy, effectively erasing that imaginary line (that we make) between secular and sacred.
“There is no “secular” or “sacred” in the Christian life, because everything comes from God and should be used for His glory.” —Wiersbe
People will act and speak as holy at home during the week as they do in church
Should we not act like this now? Should we have any double standards
In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
Referring to the Canaanites as either as dishonest merchants or unclean person…neither of which will be present to defile God’s temple.
No more “merchandizing” in the name of God.
No more “defilement” in the house of God.
Closing - The Road through Zechariah has been a fulfilling one. (Which we can personally relate to)
In Quick Summary - The Jewish Remnant had fallen into a state of depression and inaction.
So God sent Zechariah to “get ‘em goin” again. He:
First told them to repent and start afresh with God.
And then To lean on His strength and not their own for this insurmountable task (Zech 4:6)
He then gave them many prophetic glimpses into the future, about what Israel will one day become…in order to inspire them them to “not despise their small beginnings.”
Ultimately, culminating in the Return of the Messiah…and Israel’s highly significant role as she will be made into gold and will be intimately involved with the Messiah’s second coming.
Closing Application - So where is this whole thing headed?
For the believer (today) - you are Driving Toward Holiness - just like the Jews.
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
I encourage you today, “Be HOLY” as you leave this place…take it home with you!!!
If you’re saved, but you’re not baptized (as a believer)…I encourage you to consider doing so next Sunday.
Where is this big floating rock in the sky going?
The earth is going to be purified - He cleansed the earth the first time by water…He will do it the second time by fire…for seven years.
The world will then return to a “garden-like” state.
All Christians will get to be part of the Millennium; whether in your Resurrected on Earthly bodies.
But if you have NOT accepted Jesus as your personal Lord & Savior, you are not permitted to be a part of the Millennial Kingdom. And your road ends in hell (the first death).
So what road are you on? Are you Driving Toward Holiness? Or are you driving toward hell? These are the only two options.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
If you currently reject Jesus, but can take a step of humility and faith and admit “you don’t have it all together”; than quit playing “hard to get” and simply accept Jesus in your heart as Lord and Savior.
I’m not a salesman. I’m just a saved sinner who wants to help people enjoy the freedom in Christ that I have found.
I want you to know that Jesus died for you…and He’s waiting. “Long-suffering, wishing that none should perish.” (2 Pet 3:9)
Let’s Pray (give non-christians a moment of silence to accept Jesus)
Benediction
