Scripture Reading: Zech. 7; Zech. 8
In this message we will consider Zechariah 7 and 8. These chapters cover the advice to Israel to turn from the vanity of their ritualistic religion (7:3-6; 8:19a) to the reality of a godly life (7:7-14; 8:16-17, 19b) and also the desire of Jehovah to restore Israel (8:2-23).
Zechariah 7:3-6 speaks of the vanity of ritualistic religion. In particular, these verses mention weeping and fasting. The people of Israel wept, fasted, and separated themselves in the tenth month to express their grieving for the attacking and besieging of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Jer. 52:4). The people wept, fasted, and separated themselves in the fourth month to express their grieving for the breaking down of the city of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:3-4). Israel wept, fasted, and separated themselves in the fifth month to express their grieving for the burning of the temple of God and the city of Jerusalem (Jer. 52:12-13). God's people also wept, fasted, and separated themselves in the seventh month to express their grieving for the murder of Gedaliah (2 Kings 25:22-26).
Israel was advised not only to turn from the vanity of their ritualistic religion but also to turn to the reality of a godly life.
First, Israel was told to hearken to the word of God proclaimed by the prophets (Zech. 7:7, 11).
If the people of Israel were to have the reality of a godly life, they would have to judge with judgment of truth, show lovingkindness and compassion each to his brother, not oppress the widow and the orphan, the stranger and the poor, and none of them was to think evil in his heart about his brother (vv. 9-10; 8:16b-17a).
Further, God's people were charged each man to speak truth to his neighbor. They were not to think evil in their hearts about their neighbor, and they were not to love a false oath, for these are things hated by Jehovah (8:16a, 17b).
Finally, the children of Israel were to love truth and peace (v. 19b). They were advised to turn from their ritualistic religion with its weeping and fasting to the reality of a godly life, a life full of righteousness, lovingkindness, compassion, truth, and peace.
Zechariah 8 reveals the desire of Jehovah to restore Israel. This is a precious matter.
Jehovah of hosts is jealous for Zion with a great jealousy. Indeed, He is jealous for her with great wrath to her enemies (v. 2). Although God is love, He nevertheless has great wrath toward the enemies of His people. He is jealous for His beloved elect.
Jehovah returns to Zion, and He will dwell within Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, the Holy Mountain (v. 3).
Old men and old women will dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand due to the multitude of his days (v. 4). This indicates that the city will be in a marvelous situation and that the old men and old women will have the real enjoyment of life.
The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing (v. 5). This indicates that the city will be peaceful and very pleasant.
The situation of Jerusalem in the restoration will be so pleasant that it will be wonderful both in the sight of the remnant of Israel and in the sight of Jehovah (v. 6). When the people see the pleasantness of Jerusalem, they may say, "This is wonderful!" and God may say, "Yes, this is wonderful!"
Jehovah is about to save His people from the land of the east and from the land of the going down of the sun and bring them to Jerusalem, and they will dwell in it. They will be Jehovah's people, and Jehovah will be their God in truth and in righteousness (vv. 7-8). I believe that the land of the east is Babylon and that the land of the going down of the sun is Spain, for at that time Spain was considered the uttermost part of the earth, the place of sunset.
The children of Israel should be strong, those who heard the words from the prophets given in the day when the foundation of the temple was laid so that it might be rebuilt (v. 9). This is a word encouraging the children of Israel to be strong and bold and to finish the work of rebuilding God's house.
The remnant of the children of Israel will earn wages, and their animals will too. There will be peace for them to go out or come in. Jehovah will not be to them as He was in the former days (vv. 10-11).
The vine will give forth its fruit; the land will give forth its produce; and the heavens will give their dew, that is, their rain. Jehovah will cause the remnant of Israel to inherit all these blessings (v. 12). Because of these blessings, the entire country will be fruitful and productive for the enjoyment of the people.
Just as they were a curse among the nations, so Jehovah will save them, and they will be a blessing. They should not fear, but their hands should be strong. Just as He intended to do harm to them when their fathers provoked Him to anger, and He did not repent, so again He intends in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah (vv. 13-15). God will be good to them in every way.
Finally, the fasts of the fourth month and the fifth month, and the fasts of the seventh month and the tenth month, will become joy and rejoicing and cheerful feasts to the house of Judah (v. 19). Instead of fasts there will be feasts full of good food for the enjoyment of the people of Israel.
The nations will come to Israel to entreat the favor, the grace, of Jehovah, and the children of Israel will be priests to them (vv. 20-23). By this time the entire nation of Israel will be a priesthood. They will teach the Gentiles, the nations, to know God's way and God's person, and they will teach them to worship and serve God. As priests, they will bring the nations into the presence of God that they may be enlightened, corrected, and favored with all the riches of God. This is the priesthood. In the one thousand years of the kingdom, after the Jews are saved at the Lord's coming back, they will become the priests to teach all the repentant nations.
Not just one kind of people but peoples, even the inhabitants of many cities from different countries, will come to Israel and say, "Let us go at once to entreat the favor [grace] of Jehovah and to seek Jehovah of hosts; and the other: I will go, too" (v. 21). Verse 22 goes on to say, "Indeed, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of Jehovah." I hope that one day in all the local churches the situation will be like this. Whenever someone would say, "Let us go to the meeting," another would say, "I will go, too." This will be the situation in the millennium. Not only all the people of Israel but also the Gentiles who are living with them will seek God.
In those days, from all the languages of the nations, ten men will take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (v. 23; Isa. 2:2-3a). In some way God will reverse the situation of Babel and deal with the problem caused by the different languages among the nations. God did this once already, at Pentecost (Acts 2). What happened at Pentecost is a prefigure of what will take place during the age of the millennial kingdom.
The children of Israel will be priests to the nations (Isa. 2:3b-4a). God's intention according to Exodus 19:6 was to have Israel as a nation of priests, and He has never forgotten this. God has been waiting for an opportune time to do this, but there has not yet been the chance for God to do it. In the time of the restoration, all the Israelites will be priests. They will be very busy as priests to the nations, teaching them how to worship and serve Jehovah. The nations were formerly idol worshippers or atheists, but they all will turn to God, and God will turn to them to be their God. Therefore, they will need to learn how to worship and serve Jehovah.
This was the encouraging word spoken to the children of Israel. Zechariah seemed to be saying, "Forget about fasting and weeping. Turn to God and turn to a godly life. Then a time of restoration will come among you, and the nations will turn to you and will come to dwell with you as God's people. You will take the lead to help them, to teach them, to usher them into the worship of God."
During the millennial kingdom, Israel will be in the earthly part, whereas we, the New Testament believers, will be in the heavenly part. We will be the kings, the co-kings with Christ, and we will also be the priests, the heavenly priests, to serve God. However, not all of the believers will be there but only the overcoming believers. Whether or not the millennium will be a time of testing for us will depend on whether or not we have been overcomers in our Christian life in this age. If we are the overcomers, we will be in the heavenly part of the millennial kingdom as kings and priests. If not, we will be in some other place to be disciplined and to become matured.
