December 29, 2024 -What You Think You Know, You Don't

ZECHARIAH 14:1-21

REVELATION 20:1-15

PSALM 148:1-14

PROVERBS 31:8-9

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Zechariah 14:8 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.

This verse caught my attention because of the "living water". But there is so much that also points ahead to Revelation. My son got me a Prophecy study bible for Christmas (picture for this post) so I had to read the notes for Zechariah.

Study notes say

14:1-5 The "day of the LORD" (14:1is the focus of Zechariah's remaining prophecies. I this concluding vision, the prophet described the Battle of Armageddon and the final battle for Jerusalem when the armies of the antichrist would lay siege to Jerusalem in the days following their defeat at Armageddon (see Rev 19:11-12). Though many captives will be taken, Jesus and his army will descend from heaven to rescue Israel from the certain destruction, and the evil nations will be supernaturally destroyed, and the evil nations will be supernaturally destroyed. In light of Zechariah's earlier prophecy regarding Israel's repentance after the Battle of Armageddon (see 12:10-14) it is possible that these events will spread over a period of several days, rather than a one-day battle as some commentators have suggested.

Note that Zechariah intimated that the return of Christ would cause the Mount of Olives to split in two, revealing a valley from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. This valley would offer a way of escape for those survivors fleeing Jerusalem. Yet God's victory over his enemies is assured. This vision parallels the prophetic visions of Joel 3:11; Jude 14; and Rev 11-14.

14:7-11Zechariah declared that only God knows the actual day of Christ's second coming. Note that supernatural changes will occur in the topography and political arenas when Christ returns. Zechariah indicated that the flow of water would be affected (see Eze 47:1-12), all of the lad surrounding Jerusalem would be leveled, and Jerusalem would be raised to new prominence (see Isa 2:2-4). On that day Christ will be crowned "king over the whole earth" (14:9) as the peaceful. worldwide millennial kingdom of the Messiah is established. Security will be the hallmark of his reign, and the city of Jerusalem will know true peace for the first time.

14:12-15Zechariah described terrible plagues and pestilence that will affect Israel's enemies during the final battle against Jerusalem. The prophet's graphic description of the death of the soldiers of the antichrist accurately depicts the devastation of tan overexposure to radiation or biological weapons. Massive amounts of gamma rays literally melt the flesh off of living beings while leaving buildings and machinery unharmed.

14:16-21The prophet revealed that the representatives of the nations of the world would celebrate the feast of tabernacles. Those nation that refused to celebrate this joyous feast would experience drought. Because the timing of this celebration in Zechariah's prophecy falls so close to the prophecies of the establishment of the Messiah's kingdom, some believe that the antichrist's defeat might coincide with the earlier feast of trumpets. Only God knows for sure, and only time will tell.

My favorite part is "Only God knows for sure, and only time will tell". I always find prophecy interesting but have never felt a need to interpret it or even study it in any in depth because I don't think we are supposed to really understand it. I am interested in studying it in the interest of better knowing scripture but I don't have much to say about it because I think anyone who thinks that they have it figured out can only be sure of one thing. They don't.