A DAY OF the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.
2I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
3Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
6On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.
8On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
9The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
10The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. 11It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
12This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. 14Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
20On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.
Original Meaning
IN OUR INTRODUCTION, we presented affinities between 12:1–13:6 and 14:1–21 while remaining sensitive to their distinctive character. There we argued that these are two depictions of the future renewal necessary to see God’s community fully realize the potential presented in chapters 7–8 as well as chapters 9–10, in light of the disappointing response of people and leadership as presented in the shepherd pieces in 10:1–3a; 11:1–3, 4–16, 17; and 13:7–9.1
As we now approach chapter 14 in detail, we must admit that grasping the structure of this fascinating passage has always been a challenge. Some have sought to explain the divergent elements by using the tools of form criticism and its focus on genre,2 redaction and tradition criticism and its focus on additions and revision,3 rhetorical criticism and its focus on structural markers (“on that day”),4 “narrative” flow,5 or chiastic design.6 Some have abandoned this search for structural unity, describing the chapter as a montage or loose thematic collection.7
Although our work on the text must ultimately deal with its final form, one cannot ignore the evidence that this text has undergone some form of revision prior to its inclusion in the book of Zechariah.8 At a couple of points in 14:1–21 one can discern an awkward flow. (1) Although the focus of the chapter is on Jerusalem and its inhabitants, one finds an odd interjection at 14:14a—“Judah too will fight at Jerusalem”—in the midst of a section that features God’s gaining victory alone over the nations on behalf of Jerusalem.9 (2) Although parts of this chapter are addressed directly to a feminine singular party “you” (14:1, “among you”; 14:5b, “with [you]”),10 14:5a twice addresses a plural masculine party “you” (“you will flee”). These features may reflect a complicated editorial history of the text that we now possess. They suggest that this chapter was originally focused on Jerusalem (feminine singular) but was expanded by later hands to include the inhabitants of the entire province (masculine plural) as well.11
Despite these subtle indications of redactional activity, the final text does preserve a basic overall structure. This structure does not appear to be dependent on the phrase “on that day” in the same way as 12:2–13:6. The passage begins in 14:1–2 with a depiction of God’s discipline of Jerusalem through the nations. Verse 3 signals a transition in God’s discipline as he turns around and fights against the nations. Verses 4–15 disclose the specifics of this discipline of the nations, revealing God’s appearance and entrance into his royal city (vv. 4–11) followed by his awful punishment of the nations (vv. 12–15). The defeat of the nations leads to their submission to this cosmic king, demonstrated in their yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (vv. 16–19). Both this royal city (Jerusalem) and its surrounding territory (Judah) are transformed by the presence of Yahweh assuming the holy character of their king (vv. 20–21).
Although this chapter is difficult to place historically, indications from other sections of chapters 9–14 suggest the late sixth century to the mid-fifth century B.C. (possibly as early as the period following the end of Zerubbabel’s tenure in ca. 510 B.C. until the tenure of Nehemiah after 445 B.C.). The province of Yehud lived in the midst of the turmoil of the Greco-Persian wars as Darius I (from 513 B.C. on) and then his son Xerxes (486–465 B.C.) and grandson Artaxerxes (465–424 B.C.) sought to extend Persian hegemony into the European continent. Persia’s earlier lax political control over the internal affairs of the provinces was tightened as “military garrisons were stationed along strategic routes and in the major cities.”12
Evidence from Ezra 2–6 reveals consistent challenges for Jews and their leaders in Yehud from the time of Cyrus until Artaxerxes, many times with appeals going directly to the emperor (4:5, 6, 8, 23, 24; 5:6; 6:14). Leaders in Jerusalem would have capitulated to these new Persian initiatives, dashing any nationalistic hope for the residents of Yehud.
Judgment on Jerusalem (14:1–2)
AS IN 12:2, so 14:1 begins with the Hebrew word hinneh (“behold,” untranslated in NIV), introducing the second major section of chapters 12–14. The phrase “a day of the LORD is coming” emphasizes the doom about to strike the city (Joel 1:15; 2:1).13
The description of the day as one “when your plunder will be divided among you” does not announce victory for Israel, because in every other case in which this form of the verb “divided” occurs (Pual), possessions of the person addressed are distributed to others (Isa. 33:23; Amos 7:17).14 Thus, Zechariah 14:1 is an apt foreshadowing of the traumatic events described in 14:2.
These events are traced to the action of Yahweh, who will “gather all the nations to Jerusalem” (cf. Zeph. 3:8). No reason is offered for the fact of this action, but one must assume that it is linked to the misdeeds of the people in the city. The incidents described are typical in the capture of a city whose male population has been lost as possessions are confiscated (Isa. 13:16; cf. Judg. 2:14; 1 Sam. 17:53; Jer. 30:16) and women are molested (Isa. 13:16). Connections between Zechariah 14 and Isaiah 13 suggest that the prophet is identifying Jerusalem with its former enemy Babylon.15 In the end half the inhabitants of the city are taken off into exile while a remnant is left behind in the city.16
Appearance of Yahweh (14:3–5)
WHILE 14:1–2 ENVISION DISASTER for Jerusalem and its inhabitants, 14:3 signals a reversal of fortunes for the city as the Lord marches out against the same nations that he previously sent against Jerusalem.17 He enters the fray as one who “fights on the day of battle” (Job 38:23; Ps. 78:9), but creation’s violent response reveals that he is no ordinary adversary.18
Theophanies (or divine appearings) of Yahweh throughout the Old Testament are often associated with mountains, whether that is Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:18; Deut. 33:1–5) or Mount Zion (Ps. 50:2–3). This appearance on the Mount of Olives, a strip of hills across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem and its temple, is unique and may be related to Ezekiel’s vision of God’s abandonment of and return to Jerusalem via the same route (Ezek. 11:23; 43:1–5).19 Ezekiel links God’s abandonment to the idolatrous behavior of his generation (8:5–18), a connection that may explain the reference to “east of Jerusalem,” the site of much idolatry throughout the history of Israel (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13).20
God’s descent on the Mount of Olives wreaks havoc in the natural order. His appearance causes an earthquake (Mic. 1:3–5; Hab. 3:3–10), splitting in two the line of hills running north-south along the eastern edge of Jerusalem and creating a great east-west chasm that extends to “Azel.” There has been much speculation about the location of Azel, a name found only here in the Old Testament. Suggestions have ranged from changing the text to reflect a known location such as the town “Beth Ezel” (Mic. 1:11) or the Kidron tributary Wadi Yasoul,21 or changing the text to suggest a nonspecific location such as “the side of it” (the eastern extent of the valley)22 or “the ends [of the earth or Israel]” (Isa. 41:9). All one can conclude is that this valley would extend toward the east.
This newly created valley will serve two purposes. (1) It will be an escape route for those who have remained behind in Jerusalem. East was the direction for a quick escape from the city in times of siege, as demonstrated by David in 2 Samuel 15:16, 23, 30 and Zedekiah in 2 Kings 25:4.23 The earthquake in the days of King Uzziah is documented in Amos 1:1–2, an event linked by this prophet to the activity of God (1:2; 6:11; 8:8; 9:1–5). An earthquake generally produced great destruction in an ancient city and led to a mass exodus from the city. This image suggests that the people will leave in a hurry, the valley providing an escape route for the remnant to find safety from the impending battle.
(2) The valley will serve another purpose, providing a path for the triumphal return of Yahweh to his seat of rule. Accompanying God will be “the holy ones.” Some have seen here a reference to heavenly beings who will accompany God in his battle against the nations (Ps. 89:6–8; cf. Job 5:1; 15:14).24 The difficulty with this view is that the final phrase of verse 5 in the Hebrew text is “with you” (NIV, “with him”).25 Some have suggested that the prophet, overwhelmed by God’s appearance, turns the description into a prayer to God.26 Unfortunately, however, the “you” in the Hebrew text cannot be God since it is a feminine singular pronoun. This is the same form already encountered in Zech. 14:1 (“your plunder”; “among you”), a reference probably to the city of Jerusalem. Thus, the “holy ones” here are the remnant that has fled from danger and now return under the protection of their Almighty God.27
Transforming the Cosmos, Assuming His Rule (14:6–11)
THE EFFECT OF GOD’S APPEARANCE on the natural order continues in verses 6–7 with the transformation of the cycle of light. The Hebrew text reads here “there will be no light of splendor, they will congeal” (NIV, “there will be no light, no cold or frost”).28 The term here for “splendor” is used in Job 31:26 to describe the light emanating from the moon. In Zechariah 14:6 it is rendered in the plural, probably referring to the sun and moon. The term “congeal” is used for thickening a liquid (Ex. 15:8; Job 10:10; Zeph. 1:12). The normally translucent bodies of light in the sky (sun and moon) will be congealed and no longer emanate light.
The vocabulary of Zech. 14:7 is reminiscent of the account of creation in Genesis 1, in particular, the account of the first day in 1:3–5: “unique day” (= “first day”), “day,” “night,” “evening.”29 The “congealing” of the heavenly lights will return the cosmos to the conditions of the first day of the creation account, a day known only to the God who created the world.30 On this day light was created and later it was distinguished from darkness, creating “daytime” and “nighttime.” Zechariah 14:6 stops the creative process partway through this day, for when “evening” arrives, light continues; there is no darkness. This image of a future era with perpetual light is a regular feature of apocalyptic literature (cf. Isa. 60:19, 20; Rev. 21:25; 22:5).31
The transformation of the cosmos continues in Zech. 14:8 as Jerusalem becomes a perpetual source of water for the entire land, supplying the seas to the east and west. “Living water” is used for fresh water originating in a well or spring (e.g., Gen. 26:19; Jer. 2:13). Jerusalem contains such a spring, the Gihon, which lies below the city in the Kidron Valley (e.g., 2 Kings 20:20). This spring made settlement possible in Jerusalem, but it was vulnerable to attacking armies and inadequate for the needs of the growing city.32 This verse envisions a flow of water from within Jerusalem that will exceed the needs of the city, running throughout the land and emptying into the Eastern Sea (Dead Sea) and the Western Sea (Mediterranean Sea).
The reference to “summer and . . . winter” is a merism denoting all seasons (Gen. 8:22; Ps. 74:17) and signifying that the flow of water will no longer fluctuate according to seasonal patterns (Ps. 32:4). This image of a future era with abundant water flowing from Jerusalem is a consistent feature in apocalyptic literature (Ezek. 47:1–20; Joel 3:18), one that is drawn from the description of Eden in Genesis 2:10–14.33
This great upheaval in the cosmos has been caused by the arrival of Yahweh, and to Yahweh the prophecy returns in Zech. 14:9. He now assumes his universal rule over “all the earth.”34 As sovereign Lord of the earth, he is declared as “one” and his name is “the only name.” This echoes the credal Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” This declaration stresses exclusive worship of Yahweh (see 6:13–14). So here he is declared as sole king over the cosmos, a theme developed throughout the Psalms (e.g., Ps. 47).
God’s right to rule the earth is intimately linked to his subjugation of the cosmos and nations. As conquering divine warrior, he takes his legitimate place as king of the earth. This can be seen throughout the history of Israel, most notably in the inaugural event of the Exodus in which God as warrior is praised as the God who reigns (Ex. 15). This focus on the kingship of God does not necessarily mean a rejection of the Davidic line that has been highlighted in Zechariah 9–13 (9:9–10; 11:4–16; 12:10–14).35 As Meyers and Meyers have argued: “Certainly the eschatological vision of chap. 14 focuses on Yahweh’s universal sovereignty, not on that of a restored Davidide. But the difference between the two chapters [chs. 9, 14] may be one of emphasis rather than contradiction.”36
Verse 10 envisions further transformation of the cosmos. The land from Geba, six miles north of Jerusalem and representing the northern boundary of Judah (e.g., 1 Kings 15:22), to Rimmon (probably En-Rimmon), about thirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem and marking the southern boundary of Judah (Josh. 15:32; 19:7), will be turned into “a plain.” This term “plain” is Arabah, a word used to denote the rift valley that extended from the Sea of Galilee to the Red Sea (Deut. 3:17; 2 Kings 14:25) and is lower and flatter than the surrounding land.
As the surrounding land drops and levels, Jerusalem will tower over the land, producing a picture similar to Psalm 48:2; Isaiah 2:2–4//Micah 4:1–3, passages depicting the establishment of God’s universal rule over the earth and of Jerusalem as the center, to which all nations stream. The dimensions of the city are those of the eighth-century capital in its prime, with mention of the Benjamin (e.g., Jer. 20:2), First and Corner (e.g., 31:38) Gates, the Tower of Hananel (e.g., 31:38), and the royal winepresses (39:4).
According to verse 11, this elevated and spacious city will be filled with inhabitants who will enjoy security. The term “destroyed” is the one used for the destruction of the inhabitants of the land in the conquest accounts of Joshua (ḥerem). In the Conquest the Canaanites were to be totally destroyed (Josh. 6:17–18), an instruction linked to God’s judgment on their idolatry and to his desire to keep his people pure from it. The city of Jerusalem, at that time a city of the Jebusites, was also included in this command (Deut. 7:1–2; 20:16–18), although this command was never accomplished (Judg. 1:21).37
This verse suggests that finally Jerusalem will have been cleansed from such idolatry and no longer in need of the radical cleansing of ḥerem, since God has brought his judgment on the city (Zech. 14:1–2). God’s presence in this city generates unprecedented conditions of security, security both from the internal judgment of a holy God (ḥerem) and from the external threat of foreign invasion. The final blow to this latter threat is now the focus of 14:12–15.
Defeating the Nations (14:12–15)
THE DEPICTION OF GOD’S BATTLE against the nations,38 anticipated in 14:3 but deferred until after the description of God’s arrival and acquisition of his base of operations in Jerusalem (14:4–11), is now provided. God strikes his opponents with an unprecedented plague. Their bodies will disintegrate on the spot: flesh, eyes, and tongues. This plague will generate overwhelming panic among the armies of these nations,39 and in the ensuing confusion, they will engage one another in hand-to-hand combat (cf. Judg. 7:22).
While the focus to this point has been on Jerusalem and its inhabitants, verse 14 quickly mentions that Judah will join in the battle, and one assumes in support of Jerusalem.40 The defeat of the armies is confirmed by the collection of plunder, including gold, silver, and clothing. The animals will not join this collection, for they will suffer the same plague as the soldiers.
Worshiping Yahweh (14:16–21)
THE DEFEAT OF these nations who attacked Jerusalem results in an annual pilgrimage of all these nations to Jerusalem. They will come to worship Yahweh as King (Ps. 24:10; Isa. 6:5), affirming the sovereignty already declared in Zechariah 14:9. Specific mention is made of the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast is a celebration of God as Creator and Redeemer, the One who provided the harvest (Deut. 16:13–17) and also rescued his people from Egypt (Lev. 23:39–43). Those nations, especially Egypt, who do not participate will have no rain to nourish their crops.41
The participation of the nations in the festal celebration is not the only surprising feature of the final section of Zechariah 14. There is a significant shift in perspective on ritual holiness in 14:20–21. Although there remains a “house of the LORD Almighty” (14:21b), utensils and items in Jerusalem and Judah will be considered “holy to the LORD,” the title inscribed formerly only on the head plate of the high priest (Ex. 28:36–38). The reference to “bells of the horses” is interesting, especially considering that the horse is a ritually unclean animal (Lev. 11:1–8).42 In this new Jerusalem that which was unclean will be made clean.
Furthermore, the cooking pots in the temple will share the status of the sacred bowls at the altar, and common pots throughout Jerusalem and Judah will share the status of the cooking pots. These verses transform the ritual categories of Torah, a change necessitated not only by the increased number of worshipers in the city,43 but possibly also by a shift necessitated by a new phase of redemptive history, that is, a shift in the operation of the cult in the coming age.44
This new ritual condition of Jerusalem and Judah in which everything is consecrated for worship will eliminate the need for merchants in the temple precincts. The term here “Canaanite” is one used for the inhabitants of the land of Israel prior to their conquest (e.g., Gen. 12:6).45 But it also can denote the merchant class that bought and sold goods (cf. Isa. 23:8; Prov. 31:24), a role necessary in a temple context for those who needed proper utensils for their sacrifices or who did not want to transport their offering to the feast in kind. This verse indicates, then, that there will be no more room for such merchants, who may have abused worshipers through exorbitant prices, or there will be no more need for them because of the availability of sacred utensils or the expansion of the types of offerings acceptable to Yahweh.
This final oracle brings not only Zechariah 9–14 but also the entire book of Zechariah to a climactic end. Its cosmic vision of the institution of the kingship involves the appearance of the divine warrior, whose very presence shakes the cosmos and, as a result, stirs the submission of both creation and culture to his mighty rule from his place of manifest presence, the temple in Jerusalem. God’s people will be cleansed, and the nations will bend their knee before this mighty king and express their allegiance through annual worship of this Lord of the universe at the place of his holy presence. While the book began with a focus on human obedience as the people are called to repent and respond, at the end the book is consumed by a vision of the divine whose presence demands nothing short of total obedience and surrender. To a people who have lived under the abusive thumb of the superpowers of their day, this is a word of comfort indeed.
Bridging Contexts
IN ITS ORIGINAL context, Zechariah 14 addressed a community under the oppressive rule of the Persians and those Jews who had capitulated to their rule in and through the capital Jerusalem. Members of the prophetic community who perpetuated the tradition of their founder Zechariah and lived in the territory surrounding Jerusalem did not, however, reject the ancient city but envisioned a future in which God would cleanse the city and bring all nations to their knees in submission to his universal rule.
Eschatological future or redemptive past? Many have used Zechariah 14 as the basis for the events of the eschaton. It is often linked to events that precede the establishment of the millennial kingdom with Jerusalem as its center. Although there are clearly eschatological implications that can be drawn from this chapter, one should not try to build a literal picture of end-time events from its eschatological language and imagery.
The New Testament writers found in Zechariah 14 a basis for understanding Christ’s mission to Israel (see the introduction, Bridging Contexts section). In particular, one should note the way in which the description of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem and cleansing of the temple in Mark 11 alludes to Zechariah 14, depicting Christ as the divine warrior Yahweh who comes from the Mount of Olives to defeat Israel’s enemies and cleanse the city.46
Through these allusions to Zechariah 14 in Mark 11, we can discern the conviction of the early Christian community that Christ’s first coming is related to the expectation of this chapter. However, the flow and outcome of Mark 11, with its use of the fig tree motif to signify rejection, clearly shows that the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day does not represent the ideal of Zechariah 14. Christ’s parable at the outset of Mark 12 foreshadows the rejection of the divine warrior of Zechariah 14.
Although rejected by the leaders of Jerusalem in his day, the divine warrior Jesus will still accomplish the mission described in the apocalyptic imagery of Zechariah 14. Through his death and resurrection he will fight against the enemies of God and his people, inaugurating a new creation over which he rules as King. The nations of the earth will submit to his rule, drawn to his throne to worship him. The story of the early church describes the initial phase of the submission of the nations to Christ’s rule as the church carried the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. The story of the church today is a later chapter in this same narrative plot, which will reach fulfillment with the return of Christ.
Through Zechariah 14 we celebrate the work of God in and through Christ at the beginning of church history. On this basis is built all that we are and do in the church today. But because of this foundation, we must return to this chapter to discover those elements that challenge us in the church today.
Victory against, for, and through his people. Zechariah 14:1–3 juxtaposes two different military pictures of God. In the first picture (14:1–2) God is depicted as an army general who musters his troops (all the nations) against his enemy (Jerusalem). In the second picture (14:3–5) God is depicted as a warrior who fights against his enemy (all the nations). The greatest distinction between these two images is not in the fact that in the first he is a general while in the second a warrior, but in the fact that in the first he fights against Israel while in the second against the nations.
These two approaches to battle can be traced throughout the history of redemption.47 In Exodus 15, for example, the Lord is depicted as the mighty warrior who fights on behalf of a defenseless Israel against their enemies. Similarly in Joshua 5:13–15 the “commander of the army of the LORD” sketches out the divine battle plan for the defeat of Jericho. In the exchange, however, between the commander and Joshua, one can discern another vantage point on divine battle. In response to Joshua’s query, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” the commander declares: “Neither” (5:13–14). This suggests that God’s protection of Israel is not unqualified. He is not Israel’s mercenary but rather Israel’s king, and he is “for them” if they are “for him.” When Israel rebelled against their king throughout their history, he turned against them as an enemy, often handing them over to other nations, to discipline them for their disobedience (Judges). In this way, the prophets drew on the divine warrior motif to speak not only of God’s promised salvation of Israel but also of God’s discipline of his people.
Zechariah 14:1–3 highlights these two modes of battle, displaying God’s passion for purity among his people as well as for relationship with these people. The Lord is a God who will accomplish his purpose of purity, creating a holy remnant (see Isa. 6). His love for his people is demonstrated in his desire to fight on their behalf. These two passions intersect at the cross as Christ suffers the discipline of God through the nations against Israel while at the same time fighting against the forces of oppression that caused his death. His resurrection is the firstfruits of his victory over all forces of oppression in this world, both spiritual and physical.
It is interesting that the Lord appears at the end of Zech. 14:5 with “all the holy ones.” The community of Christ, purified through his sacrificial act, appears to rule with him. The church is purified through the cross, as a once-for-all redemptive event in Christ but also as a daily experience of submission to this Christ (cf. “take up your cross daily”). The church is Christ’s representative on earth to complete his victory over the forces of oppression.
God’s kingdom come. Zechariah 14 also pictures the restoration of the kingship of God on earth (14:6–21). The One who brings military victory is the One who rules over the earth, and God is clearly depicted as victorious in this chapter. His kingship is declared in 14:9, a declaration at the center of a section that depicts a transformation in the created order with a return to the first day of creation. God’s seat of rule, secure and populated, is raised above the land as water flows out to nourish the land. The nations are not only defeated through God’s superior military tactics, but they are then drawn to a purified Jerusalem to worship him. What a vision this is at the end of Zechariah! The nations of the earth will be defeated, but this defeat is not an end but a means. God’s desire is for the nations to worship him.
There is no question that this chapter expands the theological vision of the Jewish community. Longing for release from the oppression of their Persian lords, they would have applauded the defeat of the nations. But Zechariah 14 reveals that the defeat of the nations will be followed by their submission to Yahweh and participation in the Jews’ exclusive festival. Further evidence of theological development can be discerned in the expansion of the theology of ritual holiness, in which utensils in the entire land are sanctioned for holy use.
These elements of Zechariah 14 foreshadow the great mission instituted by Jesus through his death and resurrection. Through his redemptive act he makes possible the vision God always had for Israel, to bring the blessing of God to all nations (Gen. 12:1–3) as a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:5–6), to serve as the seat of God’s rule on earth. The church, as the fulfillment of Israel, is this kingdom of priests, made holy by the redemptive work of Jesus and the sanctifying work of his Spirit (1 Peter 2:9–10). The church, as the fulfillment of the temple, is the place of God’s presence and vehicle of God’s worship on earth (1 Peter 2:1–8). The church, as the fulfillment of Jerusalem, is the seat of God’s rule on earth, and through the church God extends his kingdom to the ends of the earth.
While reminding the community of God today of our great privilege, Zechariah 14 also challenges this community. It reminds the church of the key role they are called to play in this world. The defeat of the nations has been accomplished through the surprising work of Christ on the cross (Isa. 52–53), and Christ commands his community to extend his rule to the nations through the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8). Jerusalem and Judah have now been embodied in the church, and the nations are drawn to God’s seat of rule wherever the community of his Spirit is represented (John 4:21–24). The expansion of holiness categories near the end of Zechariah 14 does remind the church of the fulfillment of the ritual law in Christ, who has made all things holy. But this truth continues to remind the church of the fact that as priests and temple they are set apart for God’s use.
Finally, this section also reminds us of the cosmic character of this vision of God’s ultimate intervention on earth. God’s actions shake the entire cosmos, transforming the very structure of his creation by his mere appearance. Related to this is the manifest extension of his power and authority over the nations, which results in the realization of the goal of redemptive history, that is, the transformation of all creation and the submission of all humanity to his rule. This cosmic vision is a powerful depiction of the implications of Christ’s work, which include the transformation of all creation and culture.
Contemporary Significance
ZECHARIAH 14 SPEAKS to the church today, first as a revelation of God’s work inaugurated in and through Christ. In that way it has enduring relevance to us today as we celebrate this work, but also as we take to heart the way this passage shaped this community’s vision of God’s design for them in this world (a holy community for the nations) and the way it ministered to the community of God in its time (offering hope as well as warning).
Holiness and mission. Throughout Zechariah 14 two theological themes come consistently to the fore: purity of God’s community and establishment of God’s rule. Placed into the larger plot of redemptive history, these two themes have been linked to the work of Christ on the cross with enduring implications for the vision and mission of the church.
This link between holiness and mission can be discerned in many traditions within Protestantism, which McClung has called “renewal/missions movements.” They include “Pietism, Puritanism, Moravianism, the Evangelical revival in England and the related Wesleyan revival, and the Great Awakening in the American colonies.”48 This can be illustrated from the life and teaching of the young German, Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760).49 Trained under the German Pietist August Hermann Francke, Zinzendorf established on his estate the famous missionary community that we today know as the Moravians. In Zinzendorf’s sermon entitled “Concerning the Proper Purpose of the Preaching of the Gospel,” preached on September 4, 1746 on Matthew 22:2 and Luke 14:17, this godly missionary statesman, declared:
My friends! We must establish this principle, that the blessed, fruitful, and almost irresistible “calling in” of many thousands of souls presupposes a little flock in the house which cleaves to the Saviour with body and soul, souls which are already there, united with the Saviour, so that one may point to these very people with the finger when one wants to invite others. It is an advantage, a blessing, a sound preaching of the Gospel, when one can say, “Come, everything is ready. I can show you the people who are already there; just come and see.” . . . One perceives a people of God with whom the bridegroom concerns himself, people who glory in him, as he does in them. Thus it has come so far that the city on the hill can no longer be hidden, and it is a light which one does not put under a bushel but sets upon a candlestick. Thus a preaching of the Gospel must come out of this little flock.”50
This same mix of pietism and mission can be discerned in the life of John Wesley (1703–1791) who, after establishing his famous “Holy Club” in Oxford, later traveled to North America as a preacher and missionary. It was through this experience that he came in contact with the Moravians and after returning to Europe traveled to meet Zinzendorf. There he was thoroughly saved and went forth to preach with power. Similarly, Whitefield, who was also part of the earlier “Holy Club,” was impacted by Zinzendorf’s teacher, Francke.51 These figures and their related movements laid the foundation for the combination of renewal and mission among what is often considered the “holiness” movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which in turn shaped the great evangelical mission enterprise of the twentieth century.
In the latter part of the nineteenth century these two themes inspired a Presbyterian pastor named A. B. Simpson, who experienced a revival in his own life through the Holy Spirit’s filling and physical healing and at the same time caught a vision for the unreached millions across the globe.52 Passionate to share these newfound theological emphases with the church, he began two interdenominational movements. The one he called the Christian Alliance (1887), a society committed to deeper Christian experience through sanctification and healing; the other, the Evangelical Missionary Alliance (1887, later called International Missionary Alliance, 1889), a society promoting world missions and sending missionaries to unreached peoples.
Soon, however, Simpson merged these two societies into the Christian and Missionary Alliance (1897), not only because both shared common board members and adherents, but more so because their emphases cannot be separated: mission emanates from holiness. As A. W. Tozer wrote of Simpson’s passion for the Alliance: “He wanted the Alliance to be a spiritual association of believers who hungered to know the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, working concertedly for the speedy evangelization of the world.”53 The link between holiness and mission is aptly described in McGraw’s description of Simpson’s writings:
This interrelationship between sanctification and missions pervades the Simpson literature, demonstrating that those anointed with the Spirit must logically be missionary enthusiasts but that missions has too often floundered for lack of the Holy Spirit’s enduement.54
This same combination can be discerned in the twentieth-century explosion of mission among the Pentecostal movement.55 This movement, whose roots are often traced to the revivals on Azusa street in Los Angeles in the early twentieth century, now encircles the globe.56 A movement that began with a passion for a greater experience of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit for service and holiness now has more adherents overseas than in North America.57 Pomerville has demonstrated the close link between renewal and missiology in Pentecostalism:
The notion that Pentecostalism provides direction for contemporary missions is based on its emphasis on the experiential dimension of the Christian faith, the dynamic experience of the Spirit. As a renewal movement, emphasizing a neglected dimension of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, Pentecostalism sets the subtle influence of post-Reformation Protestant Scholasticism in bold relief. . . . It is at this point that Pentecostalism’s “God with us” experience makes its major contribution to contemporary missions. Paradoxically, the chief criticism of the Movement, the distinct, dynamic experience of the Spirit, reveals its chief contribution for contemporary missions.58
This view is echoed by McClung: “At the heart of the early Pentecostals’ missiology was their personal experience with the Holy Spirit found around an altar of prayer with fellow seekers”59 As with Zinzendorf, Wesley, Whitefield, so with Simpson and Pentecostalism, in generation after generation one can see the power of the fusion of these two themes.
The two theological themes of holiness and mission have often been juxtaposed in the minds of Christians. Christ anticipates this tension in his prayer of John 17 when he reveals that his people are “not of the world” (John 17:14), even as he sends them “into the world” (17:18). To be in the world and yet not of the world is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian community.
Some Christian movements err by emphasizing holiness at the expense of mission, a fundamentalism that withdraws from society into exclusive community. This error is not limited to Christian movements that have physically separated themselves from society by establishing communes or monasteries. They occur in churches in towns and cities through weekly programs that absorb the resources of their members so that they have little time to participate in their culture as transformative agents. The vision of these communities is often limited to what happens within the walls of the church, with little sense of how God will use the church in the culture at large.
Other Christian movements err by emphasizing mission at the expense of holiness, only calling their communities to be “in the world.” This error can be traced through the story of many mainline churches in North America in the past century. In their desire to address society’s needs they loosened their grasp on the theological foundations that define the church as a holy community. But this is not limited to mainline churches. There is a constant temptation to reach out in mission and forget the key tenets of holiness.
Christ calls us to balance these two aspects of faith. Such balance is often attempted by focusing attention on the two aspects in isolation from one another, but a more healthy approach, prompted by the examples provided above, is to see the intimate connection between holiness and mission. In Zechariah 14 God purifies his community and establishes them as a holy community through which the nations enter into communion with God. God brings the nations to their knees through his sovereign acts of power, but then draws them into the life of his holy community for worship before his throne.
Our mission of the church is often abstracted from our vision of a holy community. We train specialists in evangelism and mission to take the message to another culture or generation. These kinds of people are distinguished from others whose primary concern is the pastoral care of the church, seeking to build the faith community up in holiness. Zechariah 14 challenges us to bring these two aspects of the church together: to see how a holy community of worship is an essential ingredient in, rather than a constant impediment to, the mission of the church.
Some recent approaches to evangelism have capitalized on the power of the witness of the gathered community of faith on unbelievers. Rather than creating a user-friendly church experience that feels more like a nightclub than a church, they have borne witness to the church’s experience of God’s grace and invited unbelievers to come and experience God.60 When I was a pastor in Toronto, I met a high school campus worker who, after participating in the classic “relevant” evangelistic methods of his interdenominational movement, opted to follow the example of Christ and focus on a smaller group of unchurched teens to whom he imparted the strong message of discipleship and sought to incorporate into his local church.
The creation of a vibrant holy community into which others are invited to experience God is an important implication that can be drawn from Zechariah 14. But our view of holiness needs to be expanded in a way that complements our mission to a decaying culture. Such expansion can be seen in this chapter as ritual holiness extends to what was formerly considered “common” in Jerusalem and Judah. Zechariah 14 opens the way for a vision of holiness that culminates in Christ, in which God’s holiness is extended to all the world through his people. With this kind of vision before us, mission and holiness are more easily integrated.
What does this broader vision of holiness mean for us today? It means an expansion of our vision of holiness beyond the private and ecclesial realms to the social and communal spheres of our culture. God desires nothing less than a transformation of all culture and creation, set apart for his use and glory.
Recently over a period of three years I participated in a Strategic Vision Task Force for my denomination in Canada. As we sought God for his call on our community of faith in our nation, we were moved to produce a vision prayer. This prayer stresses the kinds of values identified in our application of Zechariah 14, so let me share this prayer:
O God, with all our hearts we long to be: a movement of churches transformed by Christ, transforming our nation and world. By Your grace and for Your glory: Renew and empower us through a fresh encounter with Yourself; release us to be strategic in service, kingdom-connected in practice, passionate in pursuit of Your mission and mercy; use us to fulfill Your purpose for Canada and the world.
Hope and warning. Zechariah 14 was written to a community with little reason for hope. Reduced to a small community within an insignificant province in a world controlled by Persians and Greeks, the Jewish community had to strain to imagine the world described in Zechariah 14. But this chapter was written to raise their vision beyond their present circumstances, that they might see the world from God’s eternal perspective and live accordingly.
Zechariah 14 grants a vision of hope to this community, hope that God will fulfil his purposes, that the oppression they presently experience will not be their eternal lot, but rather that God has chosen them and will ultimately establish his rule in and through them. As Christians we need to hear this message of triumphant hope, not so that we can vindictively anticipate the demise of our enemies, but that we may be encouraged to live by faith in the present age, confident in our transforming message. As the Persian period community longed for God’s arrival, so also we long for the arrival of Christ, who has come and will come again. Zechariah 14 grants us hope that our lives are not lived in vain, that God will someday transform the cosmic and political structures of our world.
Past approaches to apocalyptic literature, with their schematization of history and predictions of the future, have created a ubiquitous skepticism within the church today toward this form of literature. At the same time, we live in a media-saturated and often tabloid-exploited culture where a constant stream of negative messages and stories bombard our lives, reminding us that we live in a world filled with evil, injustice, and perversion. This dangerous mix of loss of this literature base together with the gain of this media blitz has led to the undermining of the fundamental disposition of Christian faith: hope. In such a world it is easy to forget that we are to be purveyors of hope because we are convinced of the message of Zechariah 14, that God’s kingdom will come, as Jesus prayed, “on earth as it is in heaven.”
At the same time this apocalyptic passage functions as a warning to the community of faith. It warns us to remain faithful to this divine warrior who not only judges the nations but also disciplines his people. By foreshadowing the ultimate destination of history, Zechariah 14 provides perspective on living each day in the power of the Spirit. Some have sought to contrast the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament—the former the God of law, justice, and punishment, the latter the God of grace, love, and forgiveness. But this contrast is easily dismissed by a closer look at the revelation of God’s character and action in the two Testaments. God is a God of grace and justice in the Old Testament, as his revelation to Moses in Exodus 34 makes clear. This same balance can be seen in the New Testament as Christ comes both as the Christ of grace and the Christ of justice (Rev. 19). Zechariah 14 thus warns us to remain faithful and pursue holiness as we live with confidence in and reliance on God’s grace.
A climactic ending. Zechariah 14 brings us to the end not only of chapters 9–14 but also of the entire book of Zechariah. We began this book with the prophetic sermon of 1:1–6, which called the people to return to God in repentance in order that he might return to them. An initial positive response in 1:6b launched the prophetic complex of 1:7–6:15, which offered a powerful vision of God’s planned return of presence and people to Yehud. However, chapters 7–8 revealed an enduring dysfunction within this community. Insincerity in repentance reaching back into the exile itself necessitated an elongation of exilic conditions as the people awaited the return of God’s presence as well as the full company of God’s people, renewals only possible when repentance was a reality among them.
The hope for the return of God and his people is expressed more fully in the prophecies of chapters 9 and 10, where the prophet offers the future vision of God’s return to his temple and the rescue of all Israel from the nations to live in prosperity in Israel. Although foreshadowed in 10:1–3a, this picture of prosperity and peace is deeply disturbed in chapter 11 with the revelation of serious problems among both leadership and community. This revelation serves as a segue to chapters 12–14, which present an agenda for God’s universal reign over the nations after cleansing his people from their sin and idolatry.
There is a clear shift in the book as a whole from more focused attention on the human at the outset to the divine. It becomes clear that although there are some who are sensitive to the prophetic call for repentance, ultimately hope lies with the revelation and action of the Lord God, who will cleanse the community and personally intervene to institute his kingship on earth. While some take this shift from the human to the divine as discouragement for human participants in covenant relationships, at the end of the day it is to be appropriated as a signal of God’s gracious intervention to make possible the kind of salvation that will last for eternity.
A similar shift is apparent in the latest era of prophetic reflection in the preexilic era. In Jeremiah hope lies not in a new opportunity for Israel in the future but in the divine promise that God will take the initiative to ensure that covenant relationship is possible. Indeed he will “forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jer. 31:34), but he will even go further and “put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (31:33). Although Ezekiel called his people to repent, defined as “rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezek. 18:30–31), as he looked to the future, he promised an ingathering of his people from the nations after which God will “give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them” so that “they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (11:17–20; cf. 36:26–28; 37:1–14).
This does not mean that there is no room for human response, an aspect that has not been ignored throughout Zechariah, even in chapters 12–14. However, the clear shift to the dominance of God and his actions first through discipline and later through salvation echoes a stream of theology that will be articulated most fully in the new covenant era. God took initiative by sending his Son to enter creation and culture and ultimately transformed it through his death and resurrection. He sent forth his Spirit to fill his church and give to them the promised “new heart and new spirit” that would enable them to fully embrace covenant relationship.
As we await the return of the Son in glory we are reminded that ultimately our hope rests on the work of the sovereign Creator of the universe. It is not surprising that Zechariah ends in a similar way to the New Testament (Revelation), with the accent on God’s final climactic history-fulfilling, cosmos-shaking appearance to make all things right. It is not a celebration of humanity’s potential that ultimately brings hope to God’s people and creation but a celebration of God’s promised intervention at the end of time.