John Ecob

“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. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup  of trembling (reeling from intoxication) unto all the people round about,  when they shall be in the siege both  against Judah and against Jerusalem” (Zech.12:1-2).

EZEKIEL PROPHESIED that Russia and her Islamic associates Turkey, Iran,  Libya and Sudan would be brought  from the north by God. God will put “hooks in their jaws” and compel them to come into the land (Ezek.38:4).

Joel prophesied that a “northern army” would come into the land of Israel in the first half of the Tribulation and God calls it “my great army which I sent among you” (Joel2:25). Then in the second half of the Tribulation he states that “all nations” would invade the land of Israel and that God would “gather”  them into the valley of Jehoshaphat  (Joel 3:1-2).

Zechariah prophesied that God would make Jerusalem “a cup of trembling” i.e. that all the nations would be intoxicated with hatred for Jerusalem and Judah (Israel) and that they would invade the land and besiege “Judah  and Jerusalem” (Zech.12:2). God will  cause them to drink!

We wonder why hatred for Israel is  growing. The nations are drinking from  God’s intoxicating cup because He will  bring them into the land to fulfil His  purposes.

Of course these nations don’t realise that it is God who is putting it in their hearts  to invade Israel. They think it is all their  own design just as Sennacherib the  Assyrian King thought it was His idea to  invade Judah in 713BC and that he was  invincible. Sennacherib learned that his  mighty army was no match for God when  Hezekiah and Isaiah caused the Jews to  trust in the Lord. In one night the angel  of the Lord smote the Assyrian army and  Sennacherib fled to Nineveh leaving  185,000 of his mighty men in Judah for  the Jews to bury!

A similar thing will occur when Israel  is invaded in the Tribulation. Only one  sixth of the Russian and Islamic invaders  will escape and it will take Israel seven  months to bury the dead!

The Purpose of God

Why would God bring all of these armies  into the land of Israel in the last days?  Doesn’t God protect Israel? Aren’t the  Jews God’s chosen people? Didn’t God  promise to bless the seed of Abraham?  Why then would God bring all nations  against Israel in the last days?

The reason for these invasions is twofold: i) To cause Israel to turn to Jesus Christ  and be forgiven. Isaiah wrote that “Zion shall be redeemed with

judgment…” (Isa.1:27).

1. ii) God will judge the ungodly nations  of the world for their sin and for their  treatment of God’s people.

It is God’s intention that this age will  conclude at Jerusalem.

“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” (Zech.12:2).

We wonder why Hezbollah, Hamas,  Iran, Turkey and many other nations  are opposed to Israel. During the  Tribulation there will be universal war  but the climax will be at Jerusalem and  every nation that dares to oppose Israel  will perish for not only does Israel have  a covenant relationship with Almighty  God but at the end of the age Israel  will seek the Lord with all their heart  and “then shall the LORD go forth, and  fight against those nations, as when he  fought in the day of battle” (Zech.14:3).

What God Will do in THAT DAY The last three chapters of Zechariah’s  prophecy describes what will happen “in that Day”. i.e. The Day of the Lord.  It will be the day of Christ’s triumph  and His victory over Antichrist, over  Satan and over all the ungodly nations  who have opposed God and the Bible.  Fifteen times through chapters 12,  13 and 14 Zechariah details what will  occur at that day; at the end of the age.

1) Israel’s Enemies will be Cut in  Pieces

“In that day will I make Jerusalem a  burdensome stone for all people: all  that burden themselves with it shall be  cut in pieces…” (Zech.12:3).

2) Horses and Riders will be Struck  with Blindness and Madness

In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite  every horse with astonishment, and his  rider with madness…(Zech.12:4).

3) The Jews will Destroy their Attackers “In that day will I make the governors  of Judah like an hearth of fire among  the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the  people round about” (Zech.12:6).

4) Even Feeble Jews will be Victorious “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” (Zech.12:8).

5) The Nations will be Destroyed when  Israel Repents of Rejecting Christ “And it shall come to pass in that  day, that I will seek to destroy all the  nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zech.12:9). “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 …” (Zech. 12:10).

6) Israel will Declare a Time of  Repentance and National Mourning “In that day shall there be a great  mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning  of Hadadrimmon in the valley of  Megiddon. And the land shall mourn,  every family apart… (Zech.12:11-12).

7) Israel will be Forgiven and  Cleansed of her Sin

“In that day there shall be a fountain  opened to the house of David and to  the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin  and for uncleanness” (Zech.13:1).

8) False Religion with be Removed “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts,  that I will cut off the names of the idols  out of the land, and they shall no more  be remembered: and also I will cause  the prophets and the unclean spirit to  pass out of the land” (Zech.13:2).

9) False Prophets will be Exposed “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed  every one of his vision, when he hath  prophesied” (Zech.13:4).

10) Christ will Come to the Mt of Olives “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is  before Jerusalem on the east, and  the mount of Olives shall cleave in  the midst thereof toward the east and  toward the west, and there shall be a  very great valley” (Zech. 14:4).

11) The Sun and Moon will be Darkened “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor  dark: But it shall be one day which  shall be known to the LORD, not day,  nor night… (Zech.14:6-7).

12) Water will Flow out of Jerusalem “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” (Zech.14:8).

13) Christ will Reign over all the Earth “And the LORD shall be king over  all the earth: in that day shall there  be one LORD, and his name one” (Zech.14:9).

14) Israel’s Enemies will Destroy Each  Other

“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 neighbor, and his hand shall rise  up against the hand of his neighbor” (Zech.14:13).

15) All Nations will Worship the Lord  at Jerusalem when Christ Reigns “In that day shall there be upon the  bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO  THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s  house shall be like the bowls before  the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem  and in Judah shall be holiness unto the  LORD of hosts” (Zech. 14:20-21).

Summarizing

We must recognize that God is in  control of world affairs and He will  bring human history to a close in His  time and in the way He chooses. The  prophecy we are considering is spoken  by the Lord who

“stretcheth forth the heavens, and  layeth the foundation of the earth, and  formeth the spirit of man within him” (Zech.12:1).

God is the Author and Creator of the  universe and is omnipotent. He created  the universe, beautified this earth and  placed man upon it. The only reason  history has gone so long is because He  is longsuffering and merciful.

It is God’s plan to use Israel as the focal  point for the climax of history. Israel  has always been at the centre of God’s  dealings with the human race ever  since He called Abram from Ur of the  Chaldees. Israel must be redeemed  before the kingdom of God can be  established.

God will stir all the nations to hate  Israel so that Israel will, in her hour of  need, repent of rejection of Messiah.  At the same time the nations will be  gathered so that they can receive the  just judgment they deserve for their  wickedness.

Therefore the 15 things God will do IN  THAT DAY are just the culmination of  God’s plan to place Jesus Christ on  the throne of David as King of kings  and to establish His kingdom on earth  with Israel as “the priests of the Lord”,  Jerusalem the place of God’s throne  and all nations the servants of our God!

The Church, as the Bride of the Lamb,  will share the throne with Christ  (Rev.3:21).

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God BLESS.