“Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. ‘For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.'” Zachariah 14:1-2
Now, this is scripture that might take you by surprise. Some may not even understand exactly what these verses mean.
So, what is Zechariah talking about in today’s scripture? The answer is Armageddon. (Revelation 16:13-16)
It’s very clear that the antichrist will gather his military might from the nations all around the world to destroy this so-called trouble maker nation of Israel once and for all. Why? Because that is always the spirit of the devil and the antichrist to eliminate the people God loves. And at that point, the Jewish people, a small nation surrounded by military might, will know they cannot stand up to all of these enemies. They will know that unless God intervenes supernaturally, they will be doomed.
So, they will cry out to God to send them the Messiah to save them from this evil one. And God will do just that! The Bible describes the Messiah: “And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.'” (Revelation 19:16)
Now here’s the scene: when God answers the prayers of the Jewish people, to their shock, that Messiah is Jesus! And at that point, they will cry out to God for mercy, for forgiveness. They will cry out to God to forgive them for being stubborn and hard-hearted, and rejecting the gift of salvation through His Son. And God will also answer that prayer.
Romans 11:25-27 says of that day, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'”
Let us remember that God has not given up on Israel. He still has great plans for them that will culminate in the coming of the Messiah – Jesus.
