Zechariah Chapter 12 "Threatening Against Enemies, Restoring Judah" This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org Zechariah 12:1 "The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him." Zechariah means "remembered by God", in the Hebrew. We will see that from here to the end of the book, "the Lord's Day" is given many times. This is to remind us this book is written for all those living in the final generation. This twelfth chapter is a divine declaration, not a "burden". It is an oracle about the people of Israel. The title given our Lord here is very descriptive. It is declaring God's handiwork in creation of heaven, and the earth; and His work in the "forming of the spirit of man". Zechariah 12:2 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem." God said He is going to make Jerusalem a cup of intoxication [trembling] against all the people. Though there has been three sieges already against Jerusalem, historically this verse is directed to a particular siege, which is to come about in the last seven years of this earth age. This siege of Jerusalem is by the Antichrist, his offspring [the Kenites], and his followers [including the fallen angels]. The end of this siege will be at the seventh trumpet, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. That day is the "day of the Lord". In Revelation 20, we are told again of this time when Jerusalem will come under siege, and following that siege, Our Lord will return and set up His Millennium kingdom. Zechariah 12:3 "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." "That day" again is the "day of the Lord", when the seventh trumpet sounds. This "burdensome stone" that Jerusalem will become, is a stone to hard to lift or move. It is not the type or size of a stone that can be lifted or thrown. This is the only place in the Scriptures Jerusalem is called "the burdensome stone." The prophesies that all nations will come against Jerusalem, is very true historically. Starting with Babylon, then Assyria, Persia, Rome, Egypt, Greece, and in more recent times Spain and in the near future, The Antichrist and Russia. When Antichrist is in Jerusalem, there will not be many against the city, because they will all be worshipping the Antichrist there. That will be a siege of an "abomination" [spoken of also in Daniel 9:27, and by Jesus in Matthew 24:15] against Jerusalem. This is far worse than any of the other sieges. Zechariah 12:4 "In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness." Here is the reference again to that "Day of the Lord". When God moves against the city, for the protection of His children [the Jews, not the Kenites], there will be sure panic. the Kenites will be without protection, and astonished, for their lies and deceit will be revealed. Remember in Revelation 11:11 when the two witnesses were slain in the streets of Jerusalem? This is a reference to the reactions of that time. It is the time at the end of that three and a half day period, that the witnesses will be slain. God will place life back in them, and the witnesses come to their feet, "a great fear fell upon them [sure panic]". That "fear" in the original Greek text is "Epipipto", and it is a "paralyzing fear". Revelation 11:11 "And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." The real shock for the people of this earth will be in the minds of all the Christians who were caught up in the Antichrist's lies. They were not prepared for the lies of Satan and were deceived into his world wide religious system. Now the full effect of their shame will fall right upon them. Zechariah 12:5 "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God." Where do you get your strength? The only strength to give support to mankind in these final days and times of trouble, is that which God supplies. Zechariah 12:6 "In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." This prophecy has not come to pass yet, But at our Lord's return, these "governors" [the Antichrist's leaders] will be like a pan over a large pile of wood that has been torched. They will be burned by God's people on the last day of this earth age. Zechariah 12:7 "The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah." The true bloodline of Judah will be restored to their leadership first, and they will be reestablished as the king line over all the other tribes. All other tribes, of all Israelites will look to Judah as their leaders, and the "Kenites" will be smitten, and removed from Jerusalem, and all those Kenite lines of authority. Zechariah 12:8 "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them." This is the "day of the Lord", and in I Corinthians 15:52 Paul tells us that "at the last trump we shall all be changed". In the twinkling [wink] of an eye we shall shed these physical flesh and blood bodies, and put on immortal bodies. This is why even the most feeble of Jerusalem will have the strength of David, and David will be as God [In his immortal and incorruptible body]. I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Zechariah 12:9 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." On that "Day of the Lord" Jesus Christ returns to earth and He will bind Satan, the Antichrist, all the things of the flesh and all of his fallen angels. All the peoples of every nation on earth will gather in Jerusalem to make war with our Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." This verse is directed to both houses [nations]; "the House of Judah" [the Jews], and "the House of Israel" [Christians]. The time of Zechariah's writing this was about 500 years prior to Jesus Christ's death on the cross. The Lord is telling us through Zechariah that He would be pierced, or thrust through with a spear, so His Spirit of Grace could be offered to both Houses, Israel and Judah. God's word is perfect; and when Jesus was asked a question to trip Him up, His answer always started; "It is written...", and that is the same reason why we need to know His Word. When all the people on the face of this earth see Christ at His return at the last trumpet, we are told in Revelation 1:7; "Behold, he cometh with clouds [the heavenly hosts]; and every eye shall see [and know] Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindred's of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen". This is Jesus Christ's second coming, and the event of Zechariah 12:10. Upon the arrival of the Antichrist [Satan, the falling star], at the fifth trumpet [Revelation 9:1], it will be in the same manner, and a counterfeit of similar events [the white horses] as to what Christians expect from the arrival of the true Messiah [Christ]. If a Christian does not know this at the time of Satan's arrival, he will be deceived. In ignorance he will fall in love with Satan. In fact, Jesus said that he will be so convinced that he will drag his family and friends also to the Antichrist. Then when the true Christ, Jesus Christ comes that Christian will see Him in far more splendor then when the Antichrist came, and he will be shamed for what he has done. All those Christians who have bowed to Satan will be rejected by Christ for playing the role of the harlot, and the "mourning and wailing" will be because you were deceived by the Antichrist and his Kenite children, into marrying the wrong Christ. We are living in the generation this verse of Zechariah is aimed at. Zechariah 12:11 "In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon [Ha-dad-rim'-mon] in the valley of Megiddon." Once again, as in this whole chapter, it is bringing us to the "Day of the Lord"; the last day of this earth age. Let's try to understand a few important things here. The "valley of Megiddon", is also called "Megiddo". The meaning of this word "Megiddo" in the Hebrew is "the gathering point". Megiddo is the area in the tiny nation of Israel where people from the entire earth shall gather for the final battle, which is referred to as the battle of "Armageddon" in the religious community. The purpose of gathering at Megiddo is to go to war against our Lord and Savior, when He comes with the hosts of the heavens [you know, mom and pop who have died and gone to be with Him]. This gathering also took place because of the celebrations going on in the streets of Jerusalem because of the murdering of the two witnesses by Satan. Satan is ruling from Jerusalem, and this is also when and where he has just declared himself to be God which is "the abomination by the desolator". This is also the final day that the Antichrist will have any powers over mankind, for his deceitfulness will be revealed on that day, and he will be removed. Ezekiel 38 and 39 discuss the details of that battle, along with the battle of Hammon-gog. The Millennium age will start on this day, the "Day of the Lord". Zechariah 12:12 "And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;" Zechariah 12:13 "The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;" Zechariah 12:14 "All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." What do these names mean, and of what significance do they have? Every name and family given in verses twelve through fourteen is in the genealogy of Mary, the "Mother of Jesus", given in Luke 3:23-38. The reason the men and the women are separated is a spiritual matter; for at the moment of Christ's return, there will be no more marriage; other then the marriage between Jesus Christ and His bride [His church]. It is then that the wedding takes place, for every last soul will be in his [only one gender] spiritual body. All our relationships then will be in a "in law" form. In the millennium, there will be no marriage for all will be in their spiritual bodies, as it was in the first earth age. Male and Female genders are for this earth age only. This is why scientist come up with their strange ideas involving evolution. This is what the verses of I Corinthians 15:50-58 is all about. The existence of each person on the first day of the Millennium age will be to stand as an individual, and not as a family unit. A husband and wife in the earth age, will not exist as a binding relationship after the close of this earth age. The purpose for this relationship in this earth age is to have children, and bring them up to love and respect the Lord, and leave them and inheritance, to pass on to the last generation. Satan knows this, and this is the reason we see the stressed in "communism" for equality, and the elimination of inheritance and property rights. All forms of Communism and socialism are of Satan, and against God's plan for this earth age. If one claims to be of God, yet continues to spout these satanic doctrines, mark him well, he is ignorant of God's Word, and deceived. Once the flesh is gone, then all souls will exist in their incorruptible bodies, that will never age, or get sick. The mortality of the soul is on all those who have reject the grace God gave to us in this earth age, and those who reject God's offer now, will be judged at the close of the Millennium age, and will then receive immortality, or be turned to ashes. "Mortal" in the Greek, means "liable to die". Immortality of the soul is that substance God puts into your soul, so that you will never perish. This is what is meant in John 3:16. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
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