Biblical Eschatology

Understanding Zechariah 14

We must understand the Old Testament based on what the New Testament states. So many Jews misunderstood the OT because they didn't have the answer key. We have the answer key in the NT.

All holy days were a figure of what was fulfilled in Jesus. We no longer observe holy days, as Paul points out in Colossians 2:16-17, "So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (NLT) (See also Colossians 2:14-17; Galatians 4:9-11; Romans 14:5-6).

Next, we must understand Zechariah 14 as a whole. It can be confusing to understand the flow of the chapter. Some translations have something like "the day of the Lord is coming" in Zechariah 14:1. These are mistranslations. The phrase "the day of the Lord" is what is called an appositional phrase. In Greek and Hebrew apposition can only occur if the nouns in the phrase are adjacent. In both the Greek LXX and Hebrew the phrase words are not adjacent. This is why translations such as the ESV translate it "Behold, a day is coming for the LORD."

Additionally, in the Greek in 14:1 it has ἡμέραι which is the plural form of day. Therefore, a better translation would be "Behold, days are coming for the LORD." And that is what is described in chapter 14, multiple days that relate to the Lord, both his first and second coming.

I believe Zechariah 14:2 has a duel fulfillment. First is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The second is the fight of the Gentiles against God's people (i.e., New Jerusalem which is figurative for the place where the saints dwell).

Zechariah 14:3-5, 7 describes the Day of the Lord. However, chapter 14 is clearly not in chronological order. Verse 6 actually describes what happens before the Day of the Lord. Note that in verse 7 it says it is "one day."

Zechariah 14:8 has a duel fulfillment. Revelation 22:1 and also at Jesus' first coming John 7:37-39.

Zechariah 14:9 describes the setting up of the kingdom, in that the currently existing kingdom in New Jerusalem is overlaid on our current earth.

Zechariah 14:10-11 is parallel to Revelation 21:1-14. Verse 11 in the NASB says, "There will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security" (i.e., no more fighting, no more death). If there is no more curse, how could there be a plague of no rain? The curse refers to the land.

Zechariah 14:12-15 goes back to the Day of the Lord and the plague those unbelievers receive on the Day of the Lord. That plague is death. "^12bTheir flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth." (NASB)

Note, Zechariah 14:12 says, "Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem." (NASB) So on the day of the Lord all that came against Jerusalem are killed. Therefore, that would leave zero people that came against Jerusalem in the kingdom.

When we get to Zechariah 14:16, it has to be speaking of days before the day of the Lord. Before getting to 14:6 it is essential to understand what the Feast of Booths was.

The Feast of Booths symbolized the Jews dwelling in Booths in the wilderness before reaching the promised land. It was also called the "Feast of Tabernacles," "Festival of Ingathering," or a "Harvest Festival." These feasts also commemorate Israel's reliance on God to both sustain them and get them to the promised land.

The New Testament fulfillment is in Christ and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is the harvest festival of souls. This is why Jesus made analogies like, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (NASB Luke 10:2) Jesus was not talking about farming. He was referring to harvesting souls, which signifies this harvest festival.

The body of each elect believer is a booth in which the Holy Spirit dwells. This is a temporary dwelling place until the spiritual Promise Land is reached. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (ESV 1 Corinthians 3:16) This feast would have zero significance to commemorate once someone is actually in the spiritual Promised Land, New Jerusalem.

The "rain" is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. If you don't go and worship God in New Jerusalem, then you don't receive the Holy Spirit. New Jerusalem here represents salvation under the new covenant.

Isaiah 44:3 NASB
For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;

Hosea 6:2-3 ESV
²After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. ³Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

Hosea 10:12 ESV
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

John 7:2, 37-39 NASB
²Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. ³⁷Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" ³⁹But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 4:11, 14 NASB
¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her,"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

John 4:20-24 NASB
²⁰"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." ²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²²"You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ²⁴"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 1:14 NASB
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt ἐσκήνωσεν [Litterally tabernacled] among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.