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BIG IDEA:

THE PROMISED MESSIAH WILL RETURN AS THE TRIUMPHANT WARRIOR-KING TO DEFEAT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES AND USHER IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION:

Just as God fulfilled His detailed promises very literally regarding the first coming of the promised Messiah, the events surrounding His second coming and the Day of the Lord must also be taken at face value. Yes, there are figures of speech involved. But you cannot do justice to the text to spiritualize away the details that are revealed in this chapter or to try to substitute the church for the physical nation of Israel as the focal point of these promises. Just when things look the darkest for the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, the Warrior-King will return in power and triumph to destroy all enemies and rescue His besieged remnant. The worship of the one true God will be exalted in the millennial kingdom with very severe judgments for those people who persist in the foolishness of rebellion.

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”

I. (:1-5) THE LORD WILL HAVE HIS DAY AS THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR-KING – RESCUING HIS REMNANT

A. (:1a) A Day is Coming for the Lord

“Behold, a day is coming for the Lord”

God-centered theology; not man-centered

Constable: The Lord announced through His prophet that a day was coming, for His benefit primarily, when the nations that had plundered Israel victoriously would divide their spoil among themselves in Jerusalem. This would be the Lords’ day in which He would do His will, in contrast to man’s day in which man conducts his affairs without divine interference.

B. (:1b-2a) A Day of Terrible Devastation for Israel — Hopelessness

1. Jerusalem Plundered

“when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you.”

Cole: The first verses of chapter 14 go back to the last two verses of chapter 13, and to the battle mentioned in 12:2-9. The earlier description did not mention that Jerusalem would be overrun before the Lord would intervene, but that is the picture here (14:2-3). In 14:1, the enemies are leisurely dividing the spoil from Jerusalem in its streets, thinking that they have defeated the Jews. Then Jesus will return, His feet will touch down on the very place from which He ascended, the Mount of Olives, it will be split in two, the surviving remnant will escape, and Jesus will rout His enemies.

Mackay: refers to the plunder that has been taken from the people of Jerusalem. This verse is a summary statement which anticipates what is spelled out more fully in following verse. The people will be overcome by their opponents and will have to watch helplessly as their own possessions are leisurely shared out by their conquerors before their very eyes. It is a picture of the seemingly hopeless situation of the people of God.

2. Judgment Initiated by the Lord

“For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle,”

3. Jerusalem Captured

“and the city will be captured,

the houses plundered,

the women ravished

and half of the city exiled,”

C. (:2b) A Day of Deliverance for the Remnant

“but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.”

D. (:3) A Day of Conquering for the Ultimate Warrior-King

“Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.”

He comes to rescue His remnant in the nick of time

E. (:4) A Day of Supernatural Upheaval Centered Around the Mount of Olives

“In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.”

F. (:5a) A Day of Desperate Escape for the Lord’s Remnant

“You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.”

Dr. John C. Whitcomb: In 760 B.C. Judah was hit by a gigantic earthquake, recorded in Amos 1:1. Josephus said this happened when Uzziah walked into the temple as a king-priest. 250 years later, Zechariah referred to that stupendous earthquake.

G. (:5b) A Day of Revelation of the Lord along with His Holy Ones

“Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

Constable: The Israelites would flee for safety through this valley with mountains on either side (cf. 2 Sam. 15:16, 30; 2 Kings 25:4; Ezek. 11:22-25). The valley would reach as far as Azel (lit. “be joined to” or “be at the side of, near;” cf. Mic. 1:11), a site presently unknown but obviously some distance east of Jerusalem. They would flee as they did during the great earthquake that happened during King Uzziah’s reign over Judah (cf. Amos 1:1).313 Then the Lord would come with all His holy ones with Him, namely, Christians in heaven and angels (cf. Ps. 89:5, 7; Matt. 25:31; Col. 4:4; 1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-16).

II. (:6-11) THAT DAY OF THE LORD WILL BE UNIQUE IN MANY RESPECTS

A. (:6-7) Unique Illumination — Special Lighting and Darkening Effects

“In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.”

B. (:8) Unique Provision — Continual Flow of Living Waters

“And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.”

MacArthur: The highest elevation of the temple mount in Jerusalem is more than 300 ft. lower than the Mt. of Olives, but the topographical alterations described in vv. 4, 10 will allow the spring to flow toward the Dead Sea (E) and the Mediterranean Sea (W). It will not dry up in summer, as most Palestinian streams do, but will flow all year, making the desert “blossom like the crocus” (Is 35:1).

Constable: The Israelites divided their year into two seasons instead of four: summer and winter (cf. Gen. 8:22; Ps. 74:17; Isa. 18:6). Probably the water will be literal, but it certainly has symbolic significance as well (cf. Ps. 46:4; 65:9; Isa. 8:6; Jer. 2:13; Ezek. 47:1-12; John 4:10-14; 7:38; Rev. 22:1-2).

C. (:9) Unique God — Enthronement of the Lord Alone Over all the Earth = Key Verse

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”

D. (:10) Unique Topography — Topographical Changes Further Elevating Jerusalem

“All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.”

Mackay: Geba was six miles north east of Jerusalem. Though it actually lay in the traditional territory of Benjamin, it was taken as the northernmost limit of Judah (1 Kgs. 15:22; 2 Kgs. 23:8). Rimmon was 35 miles south west of Jerusalem, and was on the southern border of Judah where the hill country merged into the Negev (Josh. 15:32; 19:7).

E. (:11) Unique Security — Security for those Living in Jerusalem

“People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.”

III. (:12-15) THE LORD WILL STRIKE THE ATTACKERS OF ISRAEL WITH A DIVINE PLAGUE

A. (:12a) Divine Plague Introduced

1. Divine in Origin

“Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike”

2. Comprehensive in Scope

“all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem”

B. (:12b) Divine Plague Described

1. Upon their flesh

“their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet”

2. Upon their eyes

“and their eyes will rot in their sockets”

3. Upon their tongue

“and their tongue will rot in their mouth.”

C. (:13) Divine Panic Attack – Confused so that they fight one another

“It will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another.”

D. (:14) Divine Victory

1. Unified Nation

“Judah also will fight at Jerusalem”

2. Abundant Spoils

“and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.”

E. (:15) Divine Plague Spread to all the Animals

“So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps.”

IV. (:16-19) THE GENTILE NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WILL WORSHIP THE LORD IN JERUSALEM AT THE FEAST OF BOOTHS OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

A. (:16) Worship Requirement

“Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

B. (:17-19) Divine Consequences

1. (:17) Impartial Judgment – Applies to all the nations

“And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.”

2. (:18) Example of Nation of Egypt

“If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

3. (:19) Example Applied to All the Nations

“This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

(:20-21) CONCLUSION – TOTAL CONSECRATION TO THE LORD

A. Horses Consecrated to the Lord

“In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the Lord.’”

F. B. Meyer: In the days which the prophet anticipated, the knowledge and love of God would be universally diffused. The method in which he expresses this is as significant as it is beautiful. Horses were forbidden under the Jewish law, because of the temptations they presented to pride and war; but they would become dedicated to God, and their furniture or trappings would be emblazoned with the same sacred words that shone of old from the high priest’s golden frontlet. So, the commonest utensils in the Lord’s house would become as sacred vessels.

B. Common Cooking Utensils Consecrated to the Lord

“And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them.”

Guzik: These were the cooking utensils used by worshippers to cook for their own the sacrificial meat intended for them from the peace offerings. The bowls before the altar were used to gather and sprinkle sacrificial blood on the altar. These show that animal sacrifice will continue in the millennium, but not as atonement for sin – which was perfectly satisfied by the atoning work of Jesus. Sacrifice in the millennium will look back to the perfect work of Jesus.

C. No Unholy Heathens Allowed

“And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.”

Constable: The Canaanites throughout Israel’s history represented people who were morally and spiritually unclean, reprehensible to Yahweh, and doomed to death (cf. Gen. 9:25; Isa. 35:8; Ezek. 43:7; 44:9; Rev. 21:27). Probably that is the significance of the name here, not just the ethnic Canaanites alone. There would be no more people like the Canaanites in the land because all would acknowledge Him as God and King.