Zechariah 14 Study Notes: The LORD Reigns Over the Whole Earth
On the day of the LORD, nations attack Jerusalem, but the LORD fights them, splitting the Mount of Olives in two where He stands. Living water flows from the city, the LORD reigns as the one King, survivors of the nations come yearly for the Feast of Tabernacles, and even common things become holy.
General
In 14:20-21, where will the words HOLY TO THE LORD be inscribed?
Answer: On the bells worn by horses
In the Law of Moses, the words HOLY TO THE LORD were engraved on a gold plate worn by the high priest (Exodus 28:36). On that day those same words will appear on something as ordinary as the bells of horses, and even the pots used for cooking in the LORD's house will be as sacred as the bowls used at the altar (14:20). Every pot throughout Judah and Jerusalem will belong to the LORD as sacred, available to all who come to sacrifice, and no Canaanite will be found in the LORD's house any longer (14:21). The line between sacred and ordinary is erased because everything now belongs to God. Israel had been called holy to the LORD from the start (Jeremiah 2:3), and Revelation says nothing impure will ever get into the holy city (Revelation 21:27).
- Zechariah 14:20-21 (BSB)“On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar. Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD's holiness marks even horse bells and cooking pots, and no Canaanite remains in His house.
- Exodus 28:36 (BSB)“You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.”The same inscription was first engraved on the high priest's gold plate.
- Jeremiah 2:3 (BSB)“Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her were found guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.”Israel is described as set apart for God, an identity that extends to everything in 14:20-21.
- Revelation 21:27 (BSB)“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”Nothing unclean enters the holy city, matching the purity of the LORD's house at the end of the chapter.
Theological
According to 14:20, on what object will HOLY TO THE LORD be inscribed on that day?
Answer: On the bells worn by horses
The inscription once reserved for the high priest's gold plate (Exodus 28:36) appears on that day on horses' bells, and the ordinary cooking pots of the LORD's house become as sacred as the altar's bowls (14:20). Every pot across Jerusalem and Judah becomes sacred to Him, usable by all who sacrifice, and no Canaanite remains in the LORD's house (14:21). Holiness, once concentrated in the priest and sanctuary, now pervades all of life. Jeremiah 2:3 already calls Israel holy to the LORD; Revelation 21:27 declares that nothing impure will get into the holy city.
- Zechariah 14:20-21 (BSB)“On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar. Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD's holiness marks even horse bells and cooking pots, and no Canaanite remains in His house.
- Exodus 28:36 (BSB)“You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.”The same inscription was first engraved on the high priest's gold plate.
- Jeremiah 2:3 (BSB)“Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her were found guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.”Israel is described as set apart for God, an identity that extends to everything in 14:20-21.
- Revelation 21:27 (BSB)“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”Nothing unclean enters the holy city, matching the purity of the LORD's house at the end of the chapter.
General
True or False: In 14:10-11, the land between Geba and Rimmon south of the city is flattened into a plain while the city is lifted up, and it will live securely with no more utter destruction.
Answer: True
This is true. The land between Geba and Rimmon, to the south, will be flattened into a plain, while Jerusalem is lifted high and remains where it stands across its full extent, from gate to gate and tower to winepresses (14:10). It will be filled with residents, total destruction will not come upon it again, and Jerusalem will be secure (14:11). After the siege at the start of the chapter, the LORD's city ends safe and permanent. Jeremiah promised that the rebuilt city, measured out from Hananel's tower, would be set apart to the LORD, never again torn up or knocked down (Jeremiah 31:38-40), and Isaiah foresaw a land with no more violence or destruction within its borders (Isaiah 60:18).
- Zechariah 14:10-11 (BSB)“All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her 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. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.”Jerusalem is exalted above a leveled land and lives in lasting safety.
- Jeremiah 31:38-40 (BSB)““The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.””Jeremiah also promises a rebuilt city, set apart for God, that will not be torn down again.
- Isaiah 60:18 (BSB)“No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”Isaiah describes a land free from violence and ruin, matching Jerusalem's lasting safety.
Theological
True or False: According to 14:10-11, the land between Geba and Rimmon south of the city becomes a plain, Jerusalem is lifted up and inhabited, and it will no longer face utter destruction but live in safety.
Answer: True
This is true. The land between Geba and Rimmon is made a plain while Jerusalem is lifted up and remains on its site across its whole extent from gate to gate and tower to royal winepresses (14:10). It will be inhabited, never again devoted to utter destruction, and will dwell securely (14:11). The city besieged at the opening of the chapter ends exalted and permanently safe. Jeremiah 31:38-40 promises a rebuilt city, measured from Hananel's tower, that is set apart to the LORD, never to be torn down again, and Isaiah 60:18 foresees no more devastation inside its borders.
- Zechariah 14:10-11 (BSB)“All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her 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. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.”Jerusalem is exalted above a leveled land and lives in lasting safety.
- Jeremiah 31:38-40 (BSB)““The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.””Jeremiah also promises a rebuilt city, set apart for God, that will not be torn down again.
- Isaiah 60:18 (BSB)“No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”Isaiah describes a land free from violence and ruin, matching Jerusalem's lasting safety.
General
According to 14:8, how does the living water from Jerusalem flow?
Answer: Half runs east to one sea and half west to the other, all year
In that day fresh, flowing water called living water will go out from Jerusalem, with half heading toward the sea on the east and half toward the sea on the west, flowing through summer and winter both (14:8). In a dry land where streams often vanish in summer, this pictures life and blessing that never fail, flowing out from the place where God dwells. Ezekiel saw water streaming out from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1), and Revelation shows a river of life-giving water streaming from God's throne and the Lamb's (Revelation 22:1). Jesus Himself, at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2), promised that living water would pour out from within everyone who believes in Him (John 7:37-38).
- Zechariah 14:8 (BSB)“And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.”Living water flows from Jerusalem in both directions through every season.
- Ezekiel 47:1 (BSB)“Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.”Ezekiel's vision of water coming out from the temple shares this image.
- Revelation 22:1 (BSB)“Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”The river of life from God's throne completes the picture of life flowing from His presence.
- John 7:37-38 (BSB)“On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’””At the feast's climax, Jesus offers living water to all who believe.
Theological
What does 14:8 say about the course and timing of the living water flowing from Jerusalem?
Answer: Half runs east to one sea and half west to the other, all year
Living water issues from Jerusalem, one portion to the sea on the east and the other to the sea on the west, flowing through summer and winter both (14:8). In a land of seasonal streams, a perennial stream from the LORD's city signals unfailing life issuing from His presence. The image belongs to a prophetic pattern: water from the temple in Ezekiel 47:1 and the river of life-giving water from God's throne and the Lamb's in Revelation 22:1. At the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) Jesus offers Himself as the source of living water for all who believe (John 7:37-38).
- Zechariah 14:8 (BSB)“And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.”Living water flows from Jerusalem in both directions through every season.
- Ezekiel 47:1 (BSB)“Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.”Ezekiel's vision of water coming out from the temple shares this image.
- Revelation 22:1 (BSB)“Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”The river of life from God's throne completes the picture of life flowing from His presence.
- John 7:37-38 (BSB)“On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’””At the feast's climax, Jesus offers living water to all who believe.
General
What does 14:9 declare about the LORD on that day?
Answer: He will be King of the whole earth, the only LORD with the only name
The high point of the chapter is the announcement that the LORD will then rule as King of the whole earth, with one LORD and one name, with no rival gods sharing worship (14:9). This fulfills the confession Israel was taught from the beginning, that there is one LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4), and the psalm's praise of God as ruler of every land (Psalm 47:7). Revelation celebrates the same outcome: the world's kingdom comes to belong to our Lord and His Christ, who will reign without end (Revelation 11:15).
- Zechariah 14:9 (BSB)“On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.”The LORD's kingship becomes worldwide and His worship exclusive.
- Deuteronomy 6:4 (BSB)“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.”Israel's basic confession of one LORD is fully realized when His name alone is honored.
- Psalm 47:7 (BSB)“For God is King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.”The psalmist already praises God as ruler of every land.
- Revelation 11:15 (BSB)“Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.””Revelation proclaims the world's rule passing to the Lord and His Christ.
Theological
What is the central declaration of 14:9 concerning the LORD?
Answer: He will be King of the whole earth, the only LORD with the only name
The climax of the chapter is 14:9: the LORD becomes King of the whole earth, He alone, with His name the only name. Universal sovereignty is matched by exclusive worship; no rival deity remains. The verse brings the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) to its universal horizon, echoes Psalm 47:7, and is taken up in Revelation 11:15, where the world's kingdom comes to belong to our Lord and His Christ, who reigns without end.
- Zechariah 14:9 (BSB)“On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.”The LORD's kingship becomes worldwide and His worship exclusive.
- Deuteronomy 6:4 (BSB)“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.”Israel's basic confession of one LORD is fully realized when His name alone is honored.
- Psalm 47:7 (BSB)“For God is King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.”The psalmist already praises God as ruler of every land.
- Revelation 11:15 (BSB)“Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.””Revelation proclaims the world's rule passing to the Lord and His Christ.
General
According to 14:4, what happens when the LORD's feet rest upon the Mount of Olives?
Answer: It splits east to west, opening a great valley between its halves
In that day the LORD's feet rest upon the Mount of Olives, which lies on the city's east side, and the mountain splits in two along an east-west line, half shifting north and half south, so that a huge valley opens (14:4). The people escape through this valley of the LORD's mountain, just as their ancestors ran from the earthquake during King Uzziah's reign over Judah, the same earthquake Amos dates his message by (14:5; Amos 1:1). Then the LORD comes, bringing all His holy ones (14:5), echoing Moses' description of the LORD arriving with countless holy ones (Deuteronomy 33:2). Ezekiel had seen the LORD's glory leave the city and stop above the mountain on its east side (Ezekiel 11:23); here the LORD stands on that eastern mountain to rescue His people. Christians read this chapter in different ways: some expect these events to happen literally in the future, while others see them as picture language for God's victory and rule that began with Christ's first coming and will be completed when He returns.
- Zechariah 14:4-5 (BSB)“On 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 the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. 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.”The LORD takes His stand on the mountain east of the city, it splits, His people flee, and He comes with His holy ones.
- Amos 1:1 (BSB)“These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.”Amos dates his message by the same earthquake in Uzziah's reign.
- Deuteronomy 33:2 (BSB)“He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.”The LORD coming with countless holy ones is language from Moses' blessing.
- Ezekiel 11:23 (BSB)“And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.”The LORD's glory once paused above the hill on Jerusalem's east side, where He stands in 14:4.
Theological
What does 14:4 say happens to the Mount of Olives when the LORD stands upon it?
Answer: It splits east to west, opening a great valley between its halves
The LORD's feet rest upon the Mount of Olives, which lies on the city's east side, and the mountain is cleft along an east-west line, half moving north and half south, opening a vast valley (14:4). His people escape through it, as they once fled the earthquake in Uzziah's reign (14:5; compare Amos 1:1), and the LORD comes, accompanied by all His holy ones (14:5), language that recalls Deuteronomy 33:2. Ezekiel saw the LORD's glory depart and stop above the mountain on the city's east side (Ezekiel 11:23); here the LORD takes His stand there to deliver. Serious interpreters differ here: some read the scene as a literal future event, others as symbolic language for the LORD's triumph and reign inaugurated at Christ's first advent and consummated at His return.
- Zechariah 14:4-5 (BSB)“On 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 the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. 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.”The LORD takes His stand on the mountain east of the city, it splits, His people flee, and He comes with His holy ones.
- Amos 1:1 (BSB)“These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.”Amos dates his message by the same earthquake in Uzziah's reign.
- Deuteronomy 33:2 (BSB)“He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.”The LORD coming with countless holy ones is language from Moses' blessing.
- Ezekiel 11:23 (BSB)“And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.”The LORD's glory once paused above the hill on Jerusalem's east side, where He stands in 14:4.
General
In 14:1-3, who gathers the nations to make war on Jerusalem, and what happens next?
Answer: The LORD gathers them, then goes to war against them
Chapter 14 announces a coming day of the LORD, a time when God acts decisively in judgment and rescue, and Jerusalem's spoil will be shared out right in front of her (14:1). The LORD says He Himself will bring every nation to make war on Jerusalem; the city is captured and suffers terribly, and half of its people go into exile while the rest remain (14:2). Then the scene turns: the LORD marches out to battle those very nations, as He does on a day of war (14:3). Even Jerusalem's suffering happens under God's rule, and the nations who attack her are finally judged by Him. Joel speaks of God bringing every nation together for judgment (Joel 3:2), and Moses' song celebrates the LORD as a warrior (Exodus 15:3).
- Zechariah 14:1 (BSB)“Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.”The LORD's coming day is announced, when Jerusalem's spoil is shared out.
- Zechariah 14:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.”After the city's suffering, the LORD Himself goes to war against the nations.
- Joel 3:2 (BSB)“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.”Joel likewise has the LORD gathering every nation in order to judge them.
- Exodus 15:3 (BSB)“The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name.”The LORD fighting for His people as a warrior goes back to the Exodus.
Theological
According to 14:1-3, who brings the nations against Jerusalem, and how does the scene turn?
Answer: The LORD gathers them, then goes to war against them
The day of the LORD begins with Jerusalem's plunder divided in her midst (14:1). The LORD Himself gathers all the nations to battle against the city; it is taken and brutally treated, and half its people go into exile while a remnant stays (14:2). Then the LORD goes forth to war against them as on a day of war (14:3). Divine sovereignty governs both the chastening of His city and the judgment of its attackers; the nations act freely and wickedly, yet they come at His summons and fall under His hand. Joel 3:2 speaks of the LORD gathering the nations for judgment, and Exodus 15:3 names the LORD as a warrior.
- Zechariah 14:1 (BSB)“Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.”The LORD's coming day is announced, when Jerusalem's spoil is shared out.
- Zechariah 14:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.”After the city's suffering, the LORD Himself goes to war against the nations.
- Joel 3:2 (BSB)“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.”Joel likewise has the LORD gathering every nation in order to judge them.
- Exodus 15:3 (BSB)“The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name.”The LORD fighting for His people as a warrior goes back to the Exodus.
General
According to 14:16, what will those who survive among the attacking nations do?
Answer: Go up yearly to honor the King and keep the Feast of Tabernacles
Remarkably, people who survive from the very nations that attacked Jerusalem will travel up annually to bow before the LORD of Hosts as King and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (14:16). This feast, also called the Feast of Booths, was Israel's yearly week of living in shelters to remember how God cared for them after bringing them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:42-43). Any clan on earth that refuses to make the journey and worship Him will receive no rain, and the same punishment falls on Egypt and every nation that will not go (14:17-19). Former enemies become worshipers of Israel's God, as Isaiah foresaw when every nation would stream to the LORD's mountain to learn His ways (Isaiah 2:2-3), and as the psalm says that families of every nation will bow before Him (Psalm 22:27-28).
- Zechariah 14:16-17 (BSB)“Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them.”Survivors of the nations come yearly to honor the King at the feast of booths, and refusal brings drought.
- Leviticus 23:42-43 (BSB)“You are to dwell in booths for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must dwell in booths, so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’””The feast recalled Israel's dwelling in booths after the Exodus from Egypt.
- Isaiah 2:2-3 (BSB)“In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”Isaiah also foresees the nations coming up to worship and learn from the LORD.
- Psalm 22:27-28 (BSB)“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.”Every family of the nations turning to the LORD matches the yearly pilgrimage of 14:16.
Theological
In 14:16, how do the survivors of the attacking nations respond to the LORD?
Answer: Go up yearly to honor the King and keep the Feast of Tabernacles
Survivors of the attacking nations go up yearly to worship the LORD of Hosts as King and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (14:16), the festival of booths that commemorated the LORD's care for Israel after the Exodus (Leviticus 23:42-43). Refusal brings the withholding of rain on any clan on earth, Egypt included (14:17-19). Former enemies become worshipers of the King, in line with Isaiah 2:2-3, where every nation streams to the LORD's mountain, and Psalm 22:27-28, where every family among the nations bows before Him.
- Zechariah 14:16-17 (BSB)“Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them.”Survivors of the nations come yearly to honor the King at the feast of booths, and refusal brings drought.
- Leviticus 23:42-43 (BSB)“You are to dwell in booths for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must dwell in booths, so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’””The feast recalled Israel's dwelling in booths after the Exodus from Egypt.
- Isaiah 2:2-3 (BSB)“In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”Isaiah also foresees the nations coming up to worship and learn from the LORD.
- Psalm 22:27-28 (BSB)“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.”Every family of the nations turning to the LORD matches the yearly pilgrimage of 14:16.
General
According to 14:13, what does the LORD's great panic cause among the peoples who attacked Jerusalem?
Answer: They grab hold of one another and turn against each other
The LORD afflicts the peoples who fought against Jerusalem with a terrible wasting plague (14:12), and the same kind of plague falls on the animals in their camps (14:15). He also sends a great panic among them; each man grabs another and they raise their hands against one another (14:13). Judah too joins the fight in the city, while the riches of the nations around, gold, silver and clothing in great quantity, are collected (14:14). The judgment is severe and comes from the LORD Himself. God had done something similar before: He made Gideon's enemies turn their swords on each other (Judges 7:22), and in Jehoshaphat's day the invading armies destroyed one another (2 Chronicles 20:23).
- Zechariah 14:13-14 (BSB)“On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.”The LORD's panic turns the attackers against one another, and the nations' wealth is collected.
- Judges 7:22 (BSB)“And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.”The LORD earlier set an enemy army against itself in Gideon's day.
- 2 Chronicles 20:23 (BSB)“The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”Invading armies destroyed each other when the LORD fought for Judah under Jehoshaphat.
Theological
What effect does the LORD's panic have on the attacking peoples in 14:13?
Answer: They grab hold of one another and turn against each other
The LORD afflicts the attacking peoples with a wasting plague (14:12), which extends also to the animals in their camps (14:15), and sends a great panic among them so that they seize one another and turn their hands against each other (14:13). Judah joins the battle in the city, while the nations' wealth of gold, silver and garments is gathered in abundance (14:14). The judgment is the LORD's own act. The pattern of self-destruction among God's enemies recurs in Scripture, with Midian's camp in Judges 7:22 and the coalition against Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:23.
- Zechariah 14:13-14 (BSB)“On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.”The LORD's panic turns the attackers against one another, and the nations' wealth is collected.
- Judges 7:22 (BSB)“And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.”The LORD earlier set an enemy army against itself in Gideon's day.
- 2 Chronicles 20:23 (BSB)“The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”Invading armies destroyed each other when the LORD fought for Judah under Jehoshaphat.
General
True or False: According to 14:6-7, that unique day will end in total darkness when evening comes.
Answer: False
This is false. The text says that day will have neither light nor cold nor frost, and that it will be one unique day that the LORD alone knows, lacking the usual pattern of daytime and nighttime; yet at evening, instead of darkness, light will come (14:6-7). The ordinary order of nature is overturned, and the light that comes when darkness is expected is the LORD's doing. Isaiah promises a time when the LORD Himself is His people's everlasting light (Isaiah 60:19-20), and Revelation describes the new Jerusalem as having no night, because the Lord God shines on His people (Revelation 22:5).
- Zechariah 14:6-7 (BSB)“On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light.”The LORD's unique day breaks the normal pattern, and light comes at evening.
- Isaiah 60:19-20 (BSB)“No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.”The LORD Himself becomes the lasting light of His people, as in this unusual day.
- Revelation 22:5 (BSB)“There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.”In the new Jerusalem night ends because God Himself gives light.
Theological
True or False: In 14:6-7, the unique day known to the LORD closes in darkness at evening time.
Answer: False
This is false. The day has no light, neither cold nor frost; it is a singular day known to the LORD, neither day nor night, yet at evening time there is light (14:6-7). Created rhythms give way to a day governed by the LORD Himself, and light appears where darkness would be expected. The image coheres with Isaiah 60:19-20, where the LORD replaces sun and moon as everlasting light, and with Revelation 22:5, where night is no more because the Lord God shines on them.
- Zechariah 14:6-7 (BSB)“On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light.”The LORD's unique day breaks the normal pattern, and light comes at evening.
- Isaiah 60:19-20 (BSB)“No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.”The LORD Himself becomes the lasting light of His people, as in this unusual day.
- Revelation 22:5 (BSB)“There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.”In the new Jerusalem night ends because God Himself gives light.