Zechariah 09
Zechariah 09:1 An oracle of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Hadrach, with its focus on Damascus: The eyes of all humanity, especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord,
Jehovah gave Zechariah a prophecy about Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great will march upon Syria. He will take the city of Damascus, which is the capital of Syria.
2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise.
Tyre and Sidon were two sister cities of the Phoenician empire. They thought that they were wise in their own eyes, but Alexander the Great will conquer both cities.
3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets!
Tyre was originally built on the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. After Nebuchadnezzar defeated their city, they rebuilt a fortified city on an island. The Phoenicians did not think that their rebuilt island city could be defeated. Tyre continued her shipping business and became very wealthy.
4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications into the sea—she will be consumed by fire.
Even though Tyre (and everyone else) thought that she could never be defeated, Jehovah predicted that Tyre would be evicted from the island. She would be shoved into the sea. She would be consumed by fire.
Alexander the Great fulfilled this prophecy. He built a moat to the city. He besieged the city for seven months. He killed 8000 citizens by the sword. He crucified another 2000. He sold 13,000 as slaves. Then, he burned the city to the ground.
5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.
Alexander the Great will also conquer four of the five Philistine cities. Ashkelon will fear Alexander. Gaza will lose her king, because Alexander tied King Banjos to a chariot and dragged him to death. Ekron will hope that Alexander is defeated at Tyre, but they will lose hope when Tyre is defeated. If Alexander can defeat Tyre, then he can defeat any city.
6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines.
Alexander will defeat Ashdod. Ashdod will become a multi-cultured race of mongrels.
7 I will take away their abominable religious practices; then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
Jehovah will use Alexander the Great to end the occult practices of the Philistines. Those who survive the attack of Alexander will become a community of believers in Jehovah.
The Jebusites were Canaanites who were living in Jerusalem during the days of Joshua. Joshua never drove them out of the city. Later, King David conquered them and made Jerusalem the capital city of Israel. Ekron will be conquered, just as the Jebusites were conquered. Gath was not mentioned as one of the five Philistine cities, because it was already part of Israel.
8 Then I will surround my temple to protect it like a guard from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.
Jehovah promised that he would protect Jerusalem from Alexander the Great. According to legend, Alexander planned to attack Jerusalem. The High Priest went out to meet Alexander. When Alexander saw the High Priest decked in his holy robe, Alexander fell to the ground and bowed to him. The Greek generals had never seen Alexander bow to anyone. Later, Alexander explained that he saw this same High Priest in a dream. In this dream, God told him to fall on his knees to this man. Alexander never attacked nor exacted tribute from Jerusalem. He hellenized the whole world, teaching them Greek language and culture. Alexander left Jerusalem alone. They continued in their Jewish language and culture. They continued to teach and record the Scriptures.
During the Millennial Kingdom, God will keep His eyes upon Jerusalem. Just as God protected Jerusalem from Alexander, He will also protect Jerusalem from Gentile attacks during the Millennial Kingdom.
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey— on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
In verses 1-8, Zechariah gave details about the coming Greek king called Alexander the Great. In verses 9-10, he gives detail about a coming Jewish King named Jesus the Messiah. People moaned with fear when this Greek King came into power, but they will rejoice when the Jewish King comes into power. The Greek King will not be the legitimate king of the world, but the Jewish King will be legitimate. The Greek King will be victorious by war. The Jewish King will become victorious by shedding his own blood. The Greek King will enter his kingdom on the back of a victorious white battle horse. The Jewish King will enter His kingdom on the back of a young donkey colt which has never been broken.
10 I will remove the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be removed. Then he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
When the Jewish King comes at His second coming, He will do three things. First, He will remove all weapons of war from Israel. Second, He will announce global peace to all nations of the world. Third, He will rule not only over all of Israel, but all of the world.
The rabbi could not understand how verses 9 and 10 could speak of one Messianic King. Therefore, they taught that there were two messiahs. One was the suffering messiah, called Messiah Ben Joseph. The other was the reigning Messiah, call Messiah Ben David. The truth that they could not see was that there was only one Messiah with two different comings. He came the first time to die for the sins of the earth. He came the second time to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
11 Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.
This Jewish King will fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis 15, the Abrahamic Covenant was given to God through the shedding of blood. During the Millennial Kingdom, this Jewish King will release the Jews from two kinds of slavery. First, He will free them from the slave pits of the Antichrist. Second, He will free them from the slavery of sin.
12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you.
Israel was the firstborn of all of the nations. Israel not only received double blessings, but she also receives double punishment as well. During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel the first born will no longer receive double punishment. She will receive double blessings.
13 I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, like a warrior’s sword.
During the end of the Great Tribulation, Jehovah will empower the Jews to defend themselves against the Gentile armies of the Antichrist, just as Judas Maccabees was empowered to fight against Antiochus Epiphanes of the Greeks.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will sally forth on the southern storm winds.
At the end of the Great Tribulation, the Jews will be defeated by God Himself. Jehovah will hover above them just as the Shekinah Glory hovered over Israel in the wilderness. Jehovah is the bowman. Judah is the bow. Ephraim is the arrow. Jehovah will shoot the Gentiles like lightning. He will come across them like the hot southern wind of the deserts. These hot winds dehydrated its victims, making them weak and thirsty.
15 The Lord who rules over all will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink, and will become noisy like drunkards, full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar.
Jehovah is sovereign over all of history, including past, present, and future. He will defend Israel. Israel will become a strong army. The enemy will become drunk. Their blood will pour out, just as the sacrificial bowls of the altar at the Jewish temple were filled with animal sacrificial blood.
16 On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land.
On the last day of the Great Tribulation, Jehovah will save Israel from the Gentile armies of the Antichrist. The reason is that Israel is precious stones on the crown of God. The King of the Universe does not want a usurper to take His jeweled crown.
17 How precious and fair! Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.
Israel will praise God over their deliverance. Jehovah is precious and beautiful. He will bring an abundance of crops to Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.