June 23 - Zechariah 12

June 23 - Zechariah 12:1-14

The final Oracle of Zechariah describe the final outcome of Israel's relationship with God and its history in the world. We see God in all of His power.

The cup that we see in Zechariah 12:2 is a familiar symbol of the wrath of God (Isaiah 51:17, 22; Jeremiah 13:13; 25:15-28; 51:7). For those nations that move against Jerusalem and Judah, the cup of wrath will be poured out. The enemies of Judah will be consumed by fire while Jerusalem will remain.

Zechariah 12:7 - the dwellings of Judah first refers to the outlying, less defended areas of the land. The Lord will rescue the lesser inhabitants of the city before He delivers the city. Those that are weak will be as important as David himself. The house of David is where the Messiah will come from. This is the Angel of the Lord which will go before the people of Israel as they destroy the nations that attack Jerusalem.

When the enemy is destroyed, God will transform the people of Jerusalem spiritually. He will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication - they will learn to pray.

We see the prophecy of the rejected Christ in Zechariah 12:10-14. But, the Holy Spirit, who brings the people of Israel to a point of prayer will guide the people of Israel into acceptance of the Messiah that they once rejected. When the final days come, Israel will know what grief is and each tribe will mourn throughout the land.

The mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo refers to the murder of Josiah, a godly king of Judah by the Egyptian Pharoah, told in II Kings 23:29-30, II Chronicles 35:22-27). That was a tragic day in the memory of the Israelites and the stories had been told of the incredible mourning that happened.

There is every probability that the location of Armegeddon in Revelation 16:16, which is where the final battle will take place is actually the plain of Megiddo.