Zechariah 14:1-11

< Back to Zechariah Index


TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

A Vivid Description of the Return of the Lord to This Earth

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. In that day the Lord will return to the Mount of Olives.

  2. In that day there will be topographical changes and cosmic disturbances.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. The Lord can bring about great changes for you in a short time.

QUESTIONS

  1. Name three things that will happen when the Lord Jesus returns to earth.

  2. What kind of background is necessary for understanding the book of Zechariah?

  3. Can you give three reasons why is the book of Zechariah difficult to understand?

  4. What is the age called that we are in now?

  5. Briefly outline future events.

  6. Is it okay to spiritualize Old Testament Israel and interpret it as the New Testament Church?

ANSWERS

  1. He will deliver His people; He will judge the nations; and He will bring peace to this earth.

  2. It is important to know some Old Testament history.

  3. a. because of a lack of knowledge of Old Testament history b. because Zechariah contains of lot of apocalyptic literature c. because it contains many prophecies that are not yet fulfilled

  4. The Church age

  5. a. The Rapture: the Church age will end with the Rapture, when the Lord returns for His bride, the Church b. The Great Tribulation: then comes the seven-year Tribulation Period. The second half of this seven-year period is called the Great Tribulation. Near the end of the Great Tribulation will come the well-known battle of Armageddon c. The Return of the Lord: the Great Tribulation will end with the return of the Lord to this earth. When the Lord returns, He will deliver His people; He will judge the nations; and He will set up His worldwide kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. This time is known as the Millennium, because the kingdom of Christ will last for 1000 years d. The New Heavens and the New Earth and the Eternal State: these follow the Millennium.

  6. No. Israel is Israel throughout the Bible. Old Testament prophecies certainly use figurative language, but we are not given the liberty to spiritualize or allegorize Israel away to the Church.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Read Zechariah 14:3-4. All nations will be gathered against Jerusalem, and when it seems that all hope is lost, the Lord will return. He will return to the literal Mount of Olives. At that time He will deliver His people (that is, the believing remnant in Jerusalem who are still living and have not been martyred. Read Acts 1:11. The Lord left at His ascension from the Mount of Olives. He will return to the Mount of Olives. Read Zechariah 14:5. Who are the holy ones who will come with the Lord? Probably angels and saints (believers). Remember, we of the Church leave this earth at the Rapture to be with the Lord during the Tribulation Period. Then we’re coming back with the Lord to reign with Him in His earthly Millennial Kingdom. See 1 Thessalonians 3:13. Doesn’t the anticipation of this thrill your soul?

  2. Read Zechariah 14:4-5. The Mount of Olives will be split in two. When the Lord Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives there will be a great earthquake, and a large valley will be formed between the two halves of the mountain. This valley will become the means of escape for the believing remnant trapped in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will become the highest point and the focal point of the whole area. There will be fresh subterranean waters flowing out from Jerusalem both toward the Dead Sea in the East and the Mediterranean Sea in the West. These waters will make the Judean wilderness a very fertile area. See Zechariah 14:8 and Ezekiel 47. Beyond the earthquake and the topographical changes, there will also be cosmic disturbances. Read about these in Zechariah 14:6-7 and Matthew 24:29-30. Stand in awe at the prospect of this time!

CHALLENGE

  1. The Lord can bring about great changes in a short time. Maybe you are in circumstances where it looks like there is no way out; it’s a losing situation from the world’s perspective. The Lord can bring about great changes for you in a short time. Put your trust in Him and commit the situation to Him. Read Zechariah 14 again and be encouraged.

KEY VERSES

  • “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two.” Zechariah 14:4

  • “Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.” Zechariah 14:5

  • “In that day, living waters shall flow from Jerusalem…and the Lord shall be King over all the earth.” Zechariah 14:8-9

Zechariah, Old Testament, TalksRon ReidZechariah 14:1-11