101406_Zech_12_13_The_Burden_Against_Israel_Dave_Sliker.doc

Forerunner Christian Fellowship – David Sliker             

Zechariah 12 & 13: The Burden of the Lord Against Israel                                                                                                                Page 5

Zechariah 12:1 – 13:6: The Burden of the Lord Against Israel

I.                   the centerpiece of god’s plan for judgment and exaltation of the peoples:

A.                 Zechariah 12-14 is the climactic passage of prophetic scripture that constitutes the capstone of Zechariah’s ministry to Israel after their return from captivity.  The first section of the book (chapters 1-8) is primarily concerned with establishing the ones who have returned from their captivity with confidence and thanksgiving in their primary mandate to build the house of prayer.  Intercession, the fasted lifestyle, and the prayer movement in Jerusalem are the underlying themes of how those returned captives from Babylon would partner with God’s zeal to establish Jerusalem as the place from which the whole earth would be blessed (Zech. 8).

B.                 The theme of the book and the prophetic visions that flow through it all share the same theme – God’s great zeal and passion for Jerusalem.  Whether it be His sovereign leadership that settles the nations to initiate His reestablishment of the House of Prayer in the past or His eschatological deliverance of Jerusalem under siege, Zechariah shows us how many of God’s divine activities involve His jealous zeal to establish Zion as His eternal dwelling place.

C.                 The emotions of God are the revealed motivator of these activities.  He is not distant and angry over Jerusalem’s spiritual condition, but intimately involved and orchestrating global events to bring about His desired end for this geographic location.  It is critical that we connect with and possesses a deep understanding of God’s zeal not just for the Jewish people but also for this physical location that is the place in which He will dwell with men.

D.                 The culmination of the first part of the book reveals the reason for this great zeal – Jerusalem is revealed to be the place in which He will dwell, and it will be a great blessing to the entire earth.  The worship and prayer movement will find its “capital” in Jerusalem under the leadership of Jesus and the spiritual atmosphere of the city will be one of joyful, safe, and prosperous for all who dwell there with Him.  It is this “fullness” that the church at the end of the age shares a role in birthing in prayer.

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.  Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!  For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.  For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Rom. 11:11-15)

E.                  This great zeal of the Lord continues to be expressed in regards to God’s prophetic plans for Israel’s future.  Chapters 9-11 are the beginning of Zechariah’s oracles that look at Israel’s future through the lens of this great passion to protect Jerusalem from her enemies, send her long-awaited King and messiah, and fight for and fully re-gather “His flock” (10:3, 8) in might and power as a True Shepherd to bless and strengthen them through great victory (10:10-12). 

F.                  Israel herself, however, has always been the greatest enemy and hindrance to God’s zeal to establish Jerusalem as the central point of blessing for the whole earth, unto her great desolation and shame (11:1-17).  The events that led to her captivity at the hands of Babylon were the culmination of wicked leadership exemplified by worthless and foolish shepherds that the people foolishly trusted in – emulating their prideful, self-seeking ways unto great apostasy and idolatry.  The height of Jewish apostasy featured open worship of demons in the Temple of Solomon itself (Ezek. 8:1-13). 

G.                 Israel’s pride would historically be expressed through a duality featuring a self-exalted desire to reign victoriously over shattered nations with vengeance and vindication; while also exhibiting a yearning to be like the empires around them that constantly looked to those demonized nations as a model for social behavior, prosperity, strength, provision, and ultimately worship of foreign gods.  Foreign gods provided for them a false comfort against the great pressure that came from the Lord internally and externally as He looked to hedge them into a place of true dependence and trust.

H.                 Ultimately God’s desire is to produce a nation and a people on the earth that authentically reflects His nature and character.  His choosing of them and His promises to them has established them as the vessel through whom the rage of the nations will be expressed.  Their desire to resist the plans of God to establish His kingdom and His King will be expressed through their gathering against Jerusalem – the object of His affection and the central place of His plans to establish His Son as King of the earth:

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set them-selves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” (Ps. 2:1-6)

1. 1. 1. The zeal of the Lord is for Jerusalem, but this zeal is fueled by a desire to bless all the nations of the earth from that place.  The nations will rage against the expressed desire of the Lord to enthrone His Son in Jerusalem – and the Lord will rage against them in the manner that they seek to withhold the inheritance that Jesus is burning for passionately.

“I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.  Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” (Ps. 2:7-9)

2. 2. 2. The Lord will gather the wicked and rebellious nations that despise His ways and rule to Jerusalem where He will judge them – the nations that despise the coming kingdom are destined to meet their end in context to the final battle for the city of Jerusalem:

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.  Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am strong.’ ” Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around.  Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD.  Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.  Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow— for their wickedness is great.” (Joel 3:9-13)

3.                   The Lord will lure the nations to make war with Him, making Jerusalem the focus of this final conflict.  The winepress of the nations is the judgment of those who have entered into the “valley of decision” having decided in their hearts against joining the King as He looks to establish His rule on the earth and destroy the works of darkness.  The peoples of the nations of the earth have fully embraced darkness and thus must join the Antichrist in his war against Jesus to preserve his wicked kingdom and way of life:

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Rev. 16:13-16)

4. 4. 4. Thus Jerusalem becomes the centerpiece of God’s plan for both judgment and exaltation of both the nations and Israel.  The earth is cleansed of the wicked from the nations and Israel is cleansed from the wicked, rebellious Jews by fire – as both become prepared to encounter the Glorified King and be made holy at His coming:

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness.  The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.  “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.  Then Jerusalem shall be holy… (Joel 3:14-17)

5. 5. 5. God will use supernatural and natural means to judge and exalt His people.  In order to bring both Israel and the nations into the fullness of His plans in a manner that produces authentic, voluntary agreement with His leadership.  Israel will be prepared to take leadership over the nations in a manner that authentically reflects the heart of Jesus; the nations will be prepared to follow in humility that which Israel will model and exemplify from Mt. Zion under the leadership of Jesus and His Bride.

Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.  Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (Dan. 12:7-9)

The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.  Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth....