The LORD Shall Be King in that day...Zechariah pt 26

https://billrandles.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/the-lord-shall-be-king-in-that-day-zechariah-pt/ ^ | 03-13-17 | Bill Randles

[pastorbillrandles]

And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. (Zechariah 14:8-11)

The siege of Jerusalem is over now, and a new day dawns. The old age of human rebellion, death and decay has passed, the LORD has saved his people, and the dawn of a new Age has begun.

The fight was extremely fierce.

When the utterly besieged Judah and Israel were introduced to their Messiah, and saw that He was the one whom they had once pierced, they mourned for him, and repented before their God. As a result of of this repentance, a new Spirit was poured out upon the besieged survivors,

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. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.(Zechariah 12:8-9)

One of the horrifying aspects of the final battle, is ‘the plague’ which would break out upon the attackers of Jerusalem, in which the soft tissue of the faces of the attackers, evaporates off of them as they stand, something which appears to modern readers as is it were some kind of Nuclear reaction. But it is a plague specifically put upon them by the LORD.

And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(Zechariah 14:12)

The enemy coalition also falls upon each other, as in previous battles and seiges, such as in the days of King Jehoshaphat or as far back as in the battle with Gideon. This also occurs due to the intervention of the LORD,

And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.(Zechariah 14:13-15)

There will be geographical changes also, for the Jordan valley shall be elevated and as a consequence, Jerusalem the city shall also be raised up high above the cities of the earth.This accords with the words of the other prophets as well,

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(Isaiah 2:1-3)

There will be a new order; Jerusalem will be the center of the earth, for God himself will inhabit her again.

The nations that survive the battle and the judgment which will follow, will enter into a new relationship with Israel, Judah and Jerusalem, for as families, tribes, and national delegations they will stream into Jerusalem (at least annually) to keep the feasts of the LORD, and to learn of his ways.

Worship shall be a serious issue in that day, for the nations which had besieged Jerusalem and had survived the judgment . In the coming new order, the Messiah will rule the nations with a rod of iron. Those nations which neglect to come to Jerusalem, and participate in the Worship will have to pay consequences of such neglect.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles(Zechariah 14:15-19)

But everything in Jerusalem will be made holy, the whole city shall be the sanctuary it was long prophesied and expected to be. She will be purified, the place of the Revelation of God himself, the center for worship, and for the teaching of the nations of the one true God. There won’t be” a holy place”, everything about the city will be marked “holiness to the LORD’, nothing of it shall be common, rather all will be holy vessels unto the LORD himself.