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Zechariah 12 (ESV)

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah.

³ On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. ⁴ On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.’

⁶ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

⁷ “And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. ⁸ On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, going before them. ⁹ And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

REFLECTION:

• God, Creator of heaven and earth, reveals in this chapter what will happen to the chosen people in the last days. The prophet Zechariah used the key word “that day” to describe its importance. When the chosen people rely on the Lord, God will become their power (5) to bring things to completion. Under the force of the powerful nations, Jerusalem will be saved, and God will make them an invincible force – “a cup of staggering” (2), “a heavy stone” (3) and “a blazing pot and a flaming torch” (6). For God’s will is to destroy the nations that attack Jerusalem (9).
• Notice the multiple occurrences of “I will make” in this passage (2-3, 4, 6, etc.). This key word shows a fact—Jerusalem will be saved and the nations will be destroyed by the hand and the act of God.
• Verses 3-4 are considered by some to be a prophecy of a future great battle for Jerusalem. Some people say that this is the battle of Armageddon and the last great battle on earth. Those who are enemies of God’s people will not win forever. In the end, evil, pain and oppression will be wiped out once and for all.

PRAYER:

Dear God! You are a righteous and loving God, and You will not forget the suffering of Your children. Throughout the history of the church to this day, countless of Your children have been persecuted and even martyred for the Lord. But I believe that on that day the Lord will come again to execute judgment for Your children and destroy all those who attack the children of God.

HYMN:

Almighty – youtu.be/7eYZGsa_CAw