Zechariah 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.
11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
Water is a very important commodity. I remember as a younger person observing people who would purchase water in bottles. I thought that was strange. Now it is quite common to purchase water in bottles. In cities everybody purchases all their water. If a person has a garden and they water it at times, they are generally charged water and sewage rates even if none of that water enters the sewers.
God promised there would be an abundance of water in Jerusalem and flowing out of Jerusalem in the Millennium. Currently, most of the rivers in Israel dry up during the summer months. That will not be the case when Jesus Christ rules. Ezekiel 47 describes the river that will flow at that time. It will be a wide river with an abundance of water.
Of course, Jesus Christ is the Living Water. Those who are saved, have the blessing of drinking freely from that everlasting source.
In verse 9 God reminded Zechariah that the LORD will be king over all the earth at that time. God intended Israel to be governed by Him. God established Israel as a “Theocracy”. “Theos” is the name of God. A Theocracy is the only proper form of government. Our so-called democracy is a curse to our country. The majority of people will always be lost and thus even if elections were honest, the majority would want wickedness rather than righteousness. Democracy has been a tool the devil has used to break down Christianity. Much compromise has taken place over the years to allow the wickedness to advance. This compromise has also infiltrated most churches.
During the Millennium, there will be no compromise. Righteousness will rule. We noticed in verse 9 that there will be one LORD in that time. There is only one true LORD now. There are an abundance of false gods. I read of another idol of Mary in Mexico that is supposedly crying. They claim that her eyes turn red when she is crying, just like a human being’s eyes do. Interestingly, at this point the Catholic authorities are not turning this thing into a cash cow. This nonsense will not exist during the Millennium.
In verse 10 we see that the topography of the land will be changed at that time. Today, Israel has many rolling hills. It is not a flat land. Much of it cannot be used to grow crops. However, it will be as a plain in the southern part of Israel. God promised Moses and Israel a land flowing with milk and honey. They have experienced some of this, but it will certainly be that way in the Millennium. It makes a difference Who rules the land.
In verse 11 we read of the promise of peace at that time. Israel has needed an active army for many years. In Old Testament times they had an army. Solomon went outside of God’s will and he multiplied horses and chariots. Those armies gave the nation some level of peace. Today as well, Israel spends millions of dollars keeping its military machine going. They cannot find that peace that they long for. They need the Prince of Peace ruling. He will rule during the Millennium.
In verse 12 we see the LORD’s justice. The attention is drawn back to the battle of Armageddon. Those who thought to overthrow Jerusalem and Israel will be punished. God’s justice is effective. The description does not sound good at all. People would be wise to wake up and realize the importance of worshipping the true God, rather than spitting in His face. He is gracious and merciful. However, there is a limit to His grace and mercy.
We see in verse 13 that the armies of the world will be so frustrated that they will attack one another. This is the nature of the wicked. They find a common enemy for a time, but eventually they cannot even get along with each other. During the current conflict in Israel, there are “Palestinians” who are chanting that “allah” needs to punish Hamas. There are Arabs that are frustrated with the way things are going. They do not want the truth, but they have been brainwashed into thinking that “allah” will bring them peace. They certainly do not know peace now. They never have known peace. Hopefully some of those Arabs will see the need to turn to the true God, rather than foolishly continue to follow the lie they have been fed.
Today is the Lord’s Day. God has been gracious to mankind in established true churches where people can gather to learn the truth and where saints can gather for fellowship. True churches should be bursting at the seams, but sadly, few people realize the importance of the truth. We continue to pray for many to come to know the true God in these last days. Soon it will be too late. I have mentioned before that when the Lord returns, our building may still be standing, but there will be no Christians to fill it. It may be commandeered by the ungodly as a place to spread propaganda. The wicked will not miss it for a short time, but they will regret their rejection of the truth in a very short time.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Pastor Bartel
