Alright, Zechariah chapter 9. To find Zechariah go to Matthew and go back two books. That's the easiest way. Right at the end of the Old Testament. Zachariah began his ministry shortly after Haggai in 520 BC. Both prophets gave messages of both rebuke and encouragement to the remnant of people that had come back to the land from Babylon in order to resume building the temple. The work had ceased there for about 14 years. A few months later, Zachariah received eight visions one night. And that's recorded in chapters two through six. It begins historically and culminates with the arrival of Messiah, the second coming. The people had restarted the work and those messages were to encourage them to continue on, lest the discouragement from the opposition from people around them would cause them to cease as their forefathers have. Almost two years after that, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah in response to a question about continuing the fast commemorating the tragic events related to the Babylonian captivity. If the temple is being rebuilt, should we continue these things? And the answer that Zechariah gave them from the Lord was first a rebuke about their ritualism, in which the meaning of what they're doing is lost and also a hope. Those very fast would become feasts in the Millennial Kingdom when Messiah is returned. Now this morning we come to the first of two oracles of Yahweh concerning the future of Israel. Now an oracle and also translate in some of your versions as burden, is a message which has a burdensome element to it. Nearly always there's a prediction of threatening or some kind of admonition within it. The first oracle in chapters 9 through 11 tell of the coming destruction of Israel's enemies and that God is going to enable Israel to overcome those enemies. The second oracle, we'll get to in a few weeks, chapters 12-14, concerns the future purging of Israel prior to establishing a remnant as the Messiah's kingdom. Now neither of these oracles is dated. Their location at the end of the book, the subject matter suggests it's later in Zechariah's ministry. Their purpose, encourage the remnant to remain steadfast in the worship of Yahweh and following Him in light of the promises of protection from their enemies and the prophecies of a glorious future. Please follow along as we begin Zechariah chapter 9. The Oracle of the Word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach. With Damascus as its resting place, for the eyes of men, especially all the tribes of Israel, are toward Yahweh. And Hamath also, which borders on it, and Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise. So Tyre built herself a tight fortification, tied up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets. Now what's described here in these first six verses exactly matches the conquest of Alexander the Great of the coastal countries on the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East. It follows exactly what happened. When Alexander the Great defeated the Persian king Darius III at Issus in 333 BC, and that's, I didn't bring a pointer, up the top here. So Darius heads off to the east into the stronghold of this empire. And normally you would think you'd just follow him and keep the battle going until you destroy him. That's not what Alexander does. He goes south to secure his western flank. And what Zachariah describes here, and it's about 185 to 170 years before it happens, is exactly what Alexander does. So it begins in the north and he lists out exactly what begins to happen. The land of Hadrach is now in western Syria. It's about 28 miles from Aleppo and I put a little star here. So it's in this area. And Hamath is north of Damascus between the two. So these are two of the cities that are end up that Alexander sweeps through. And so Zechariah mentions them. Now Tyre and Sidon, they are coastal cities in what is now Lebanon. And so you can see where they are on the map right there in the middle. Sidon would be the red dot where it says Phoenicia. So it's just north of Tyre. These were trading cities. And so they're very wise in being able to generate wealth. And they made alliances. That's also part of the reference to them being very wise. Ezekiel 28 describes the haughtiness of their wisdom. Tyre in particular was very arrogant. It was extremely wealthy. And it's vividly displayed in what Zechariah describes here. Silver was like dust. Gold was like the mire of the street. It was that wealthy. And because of that, they would have thought they would have had protection. If you're a very wealthy entity, and there's a threat from a king, a lot of times, you can just buy them off. Send some of your wealth to them, and they go, hey, I got what I want, and I don't even have to risk anything. That's pretty good, right? Threats work. They get the wealth, and you aren't even hassled. So that's one of the ways they could protect themselves. We're wealthy. but you couldn't buy off Alexander. He was not attacking them to secure wealth. That didn't interest him. He's securing his western flank and so he's going to absolutely destroy them. Otherwise he's going to have a threat behind him. So he's going to destroy them. Now Tyre was also arrogant because it was built as a fortress and located on an island about a half mile off the coast. This map shows that. And it had withstood sieges before. In fact, the Assyrians under Shalmaneser laid siege to it for five years. Unsuccessful. The Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to it for 13 years. Unsuccessful. And so, who's Alexander? How is he going to be able to defeat us? He did. In seven months. He built a causeway, which is on the map there. He takes the rubble from what was on the land side and he just builds a mole out to it, sets the place on fire and raises it. It only took him seven months. Just exactly what Zachariah said would happen. Then he quickly sweeps south and ends up Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza. They're all going to be afraid because the fall of Tyre is going to show them how are they going to stand against Alexander. Tyre was a much more military strong city. It has good alliances. So they are in fear. Ekron had an alliance with Tyre and now that's worthless and since her hope was put to shame. There's no hope, it's destroyed. Gaza, That's the city farthest south listed by Zachariah. Now it held out against Alexander for five months in retribution for being slowed down. Alexander, once he had captured the city and had the king, the story is that he bored holes in his feet, put ropes through it, tied him up, and drug him through the streets of the city until he died. That's not a nice way to go, is it? The inhabitants of Ashkelon were either killed or deported, and the city left empty. Ashdod was left with so few people, it became dominated by foreigners. And so there would end up being intermarriage, and so there really was no progeny that could say, we're definitely Philistines. It's a mixed breed, mixed blood, which is what Zechariah said would happen. So the pride of the Philistines, all these Philistine cities, they're destroyed. And from this point on, there is no nation of Philistines. They're not any longer a nation that is distinguishable as a nation. They're really not distinguishable as a separate people. However, there's always a remnant. And verse 7 continues with a future hope even for this remnant of Philistines. Now this is part of God's graciousness. Look at verse 7. And I will remove their blood from their mouth, their detestable things from between their teeth. Then they also will be a remnant for our God and be a clan in Judah and Ekron like a Jebusite." What is he talking about? Well the description of eating pagan sacrifices of unclean animals with its blood is what's being described first. And those are abominations according to Levitical law. God does not like those things. And so this is describing that Yahweh is going to intervene, stop their idolatry and their abominable pagan practices. And this remnant of former pagans are changed and they become worshipers of the true God. The result, they will be assimilated into the nation of Israel. A clan is a distinguishable tribe within a nation. And they become like that. Same thing with Ekron saying being like a Jebusite, a similar reference. The Jebusites were Canaanites, a Canaanite tribe that had continued to live in the land after the conquest, that's in Joshua 15, 63. In fact, Arunah, or also called Ornan, the Jebusite, he is the one that sold his threshing floor to David to end the plague. That later became the site of the temple. So the Jebusites actually ended up being within Israel and became in harmony with them. This says that in the future they're going to worship the same God. Now isn't that like our God? He takes rotten sinners like us And He changes us. He redeems us and cleans us up. We end up worshiping the correct God. So, in the future, they're going to remain distinguishable. They're not going to become Jews, but they live in harmony with the Jews within the boundary of the nation, worshiping the same God. Now verse 8 is a promise of protection during this time period, look at that. Now this has a fulfillment both in the relatively near period and in the far distant future. The historian Josephus records that when Alexander was laying siege to Tyre, he sent to the Jews a request for help and provisions. He needed food for his army. The high priest responded with a refusal for the request, citing the continued loyalty that Judah had to Darius. Now, that should have sealed their doom. Because when Alexander destroyed Tyre and Gaza, he starts back to Jerusalem. Now, Judua, the high priest, he called the people to prayer, supplications, and sacrifices to deal with his impending doom. How is Jerusalem going to withstand when Alexander just wiped out everything else? Josephus records that Judah had a dream. And in that dream, God told him, to prepare a procession of priests in all their priestly garments. He's supposed to put on his high priestly garments, make sure the city is ready to receive a welcome guest and open the city up to Alexander. Hmm, that seems a little odd, doesn't it? Well, it gets more odd. So they come out, Alexander comes up and he sees this procession of priests coming out in their priestly garments. There's pomp and circumstance. He ends up going out alone to meet the high priest. And when he meets the high priest, the high priest has a breastplate. On that breastplate is the name of God is written on it. It's engraved on it. And Alexander adored that name and then saluted Judah. And then all the priests saluted Alexander. That's even more strange. He then goes into the city, he's welcomed in, Alexander offers sacrifices to the true God, and the kings that were with Alexander then ask about this, like, what were you doing? He said, I had a dream when I was in Macedonia. that there would be a man dressed exactly like the high priest. And in this dream, I was assured by that high priest that their God was going to assure that I was going to defeat the Persians. I did not adore the high priest. I adored the God, the name of the God written on his breastplate because I want his help in what I'm going to do. The high priest then showed Alexander from the prophecies of Daniel where he is. Okay, Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 7. The Greeks come in and they sweep through fast. He's assuring Alexander God is going to do through you exactly what he has prophesied. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? Zechariah tells this beforehand. God protects Jerusalem without war. So God's deliverance of Jerusalem from Alexander, it precisely fulfills the prophecy of verse 8, but then the verse continues on and it speaks of a still future time. Notice it says, when no taskmaster will pass over them anymore. That foretells of a future messianic kingdom. Never again will there be any nation that will oppress Israel again. The promise is secured by the past tense statement here. For now I have seen with my eyes. That's Yahweh speaking. He has foreordained the end. He has decreed it from the beginning. And so Yahweh continues the future fulfillment of this prophecy. That leads to the famous prophecy in verse 9. You'll recognize this one. Didn't we have Palm Sunday a few weeks ago? and this is the verse foretelling that. Both Matthew 21, 4 and 5 and John 12, 14 and 15 state specifically citing this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus. Mark 11 and Luke 19 both describe that fulfillment in detail. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on the coal of a donkey with the shouts of the people, crying out what? Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to the son of David. These are all and they're doing this while they're laying down the palm branches and their coats in the streets. All signs this is a king. This is royalty. This is a conqueror. This is our promised Messiah. And that's the reason for their great rejoicing and shouting. The characteristics of being righteous and endowed with salvation, those all belong to Jesus. He was morally pure and just in His dealings. And why had He come? Luke 19, 10 says, He came to seek and save that which was lost. Jesus' arrival on a cold of a donkey is a demonstration of His humility. So Zechariah 9.9 is the prophecy of the apex of Jesus' first coming in the proclamation that He is the promised Messiah. But Jesus also had to fulfill other prophecies, didn't He? The rest of the prophecies in Daniel 9.26 of arriving, being proclaimed, and then being cut off. of Isaiah 53 of being oppressed and afflicted and scourged and pierced, killed as a substitute sacrifice for His people. So Zechariah 9, 9 is a prophecy concerning Jesus' first coming which is now past. The prophecies that follow concern His second coming, there's still future. Verse 10 describes some of the future work of Messiah. Verse 10, I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be cut off, and he will speak peace to the nations. His reign will be from sea to sea, and from river to the ends of the earth. Now notice the shift to the first person here in verse 1. It is Yahweh that takes action, and he removes the implements of war. That would be the chariot, the war horse, the bow. The term translated cut off here actually speaks of eradication. A complete elimination of the means of war. The reference to both Ephraim in the north and Jerusalem in the south speaks of a unified nation. It's together again. And there's no longer a threat of war against it. Messiah's kingdom will have a reign of peace with a worldwide extent. Now, while the river in the past refers to Israel's promised territorial boundary, which I guess the Arabs would not really like since it's the Euphrates River. Yeah, they're not nearly in the territory they're supposed to have, and they will have in the future. But it's from the river, Euphrates, and that's just to the ends of the earth. That extends it around the globe. Now, that will all still be future. That's the Messiah's kingdom. Now verses 9 through 12 shifts back to the immediate present in addressing the remnant directly. Look at there verse 11. As for you also, so that's the people to whom Zechariah is writing. He's given this prophecy. Because the blood of your covenant I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold of prisoners who have the hope. This very day I am declaring that I will return double to you. The blood of the covenant, or your covenant rather here, that refers to God's unconditional promises made to Abraham in Genesis 15 and into the nation of Israel in Exodus 24, both which were sealed by blood. An animal was sacrificed to seal the covenant. That's what he's referring to. God remembers and he keeps his promises. the Jews will remain God's chosen people, and the promise of restoration that's in Deuteronomy 30 would also be kept. As prophesied, God had freed them from their bondage of captivity, here symbolized by the term waterless pit, that often was used as a jail. Remember even Jeremiah was thrown into such a pit. So it could be used as a jail, as its bondage, But then he says you need to take action, take advantage of it. You need to return to the stronghold, to Jerusalem. So this is another call for them, if you're still in Babylon, you're still scattered throughout Assyria, it's time to come home. It's time to come back to Jerusalem with an encouragement, with a promise. Yahweh will give them double. Double what? Isaiah 61, 7 speaks of this double blessing. First blessing, it's a return to the land. And all the blessings that just come with the land. The second one is return of joy instead of the shame they had while in captivity. A double blessing. The next four verses, verses 13 through 17, is another prophecy that has fulfillment in a future time but for us is now past, as well as a future time that for us is still future for us as well. Look at verse 13. Then Yahweh will appear over them. His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet. He will go into the storm winds of the south. Yahweh of hosts will defend them. They will consume and trample on the stones of a sling. They will drink and roar as with wine, and they will be filled like a sacrificial bull, drenched like the corners of the altar. And Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people, for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His land. For what goodness and what beauty will be theirs? Grain will make the choice men flourish and new wine the virgins. Now the mention of Greece here sets the time of the nearer fulfillment. This would be about 350 years or so after Zachariah prophesied, but this fits the time of the Maccabees. That's about 164 BC. The Maccabees rising until it became the Hasmonean kingdom in 142. So it took a little while for them to gain complete control. But it was a Jewish revolt that began and then eventually overthrew Syrian denomination. This was Antiochus. Antiochus was an oppressor on Israel. That is, that whole area, the Seleucid Empire, was part of the Greeks. Remember, that was one of the four empires that came out of Alexander's conquest after he died. Now, in earlier, when Alexander was threat to Jerusalem, they were protected by Yahweh without war. Verse 14 speaks of a future time, beginning with the word then, that jumps it into the distant future time. This time, it is Yahweh himself that intervenes. He takes actions and defends them, but it's going to include war. Notice his arrow is swift, destructive as lightning. His trumpet assembles the armies and that singles the attack, which comes with a swiftness. The destruction is like the storm winds whipping through the desert. Very graphic descriptions, especially for these people. They understand exactly what he's talking about. Yahweh's defense causes the weapons of the enemy to be worthless. That's the trampling on the stones, sling stones, that would be the bullets. They would have the most force and be flung the farthest. But they fall wide, they're worthless, they just trample over them. The bull in the altar reference here describes a very bloody slaughter. and such a slaughter is described in Revelation 14, 20. The blood will flow from the enemies of God up to the bridle of the horses. The result of the salvation provided by Yahweh is that Israel will be jewels in the crown to the praise and glory of God. And they will dwell in prosperity, in a good, productive, and a beautiful land. That's going again to be the messianic kingdom. Chapter 10 begins with a contrast between Yahweh and the false gods with verse 1 issuing an invitation. Now this is an interesting one too because there is a contrast to be put here. One they know very well. A key element in paganism is a storm god. Someone who's going to bring the rain and so you'd sacrifice so that you get the rain so you could have the crops otherwise you don't eat. So it's an important God in all paganism. That God in Israel coming down from the Sidonians was Baal or Baal. He was their storm God. If you recall the confrontation on Mount Carmel that Elijah had with the 450 prophets of Baal, it was about this issue. Who is God? Now you recall, if you've studied any of that, in 1st Kings 17, by the word of Yahweh, as Elijah prayed, there would be no rain unless Elijah said so. And there was a drought for three years. I guess their storm god wasn't very good. Okay? So you've got a drought. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah challenges these prophets of Baal, as well as the prophets of Asherah, to a contest. We're going to build altars. And the God that answers and burns it all up, that's the true God. Now, if you're a storm god, a little bolt of lightning, it's gone, right? It should be easy for a storm god. That's what the contest is. And so if you remember the story, all day long these prophets are doing all sorts of things. Elijah starts mocking them. He doesn't hear very well. He's turned aside. They start cutting themselves. All day long, nothing. Elijah says, my turn. So he has them fill up buckets and they bring them up and they drench his altar and the sacrifice three times until the water is in a trench surrounding the altar. He prays and what does God do? Fire from heaven, it's all gone. It licks up the water in the trenches. Who's God? Yahweh is God. Well that's not the end of the contest. He slaughters all the prophets, their faults, but there's another element. He tells Ahab, king of Israel, is prepare, rain is coming. So he did, and as he's on his way, Elijah prays several times, a little cloud starts, and before Ahab can get to Jezreel, which isn't all that far, Mount Carmel is like here, and Jezreel is here, it's just lower down, it's in the valley, you can see it from there. It starts raining, and it rains hard. Who's the God that can answer prayer? And that's what the point is, and that's why he referenced that. Ask rain from Yahweh. He's a God who hears and answers. Yahweh makes the storm clouds. Yahweh is the one who provides the proper time for rain at the proper time for your crops. You just have to ask. That's the difference between the true God and the false gods. Well from that, Zechariah starts making a comparison between false shepherds, false idols. Look at verse 2. Now, Terrafim are household idols and they have been part of Israel's disobedience to God from early in their history. Rachel had stolen her dad's terephim when Jacob had left Laban and Laban came looking for it. Why were they important? Well, they're used for divination and false worship. In Judges 18, the stolen silver was made into a terephim and then it contributed to the false worship of Micah and then later the whole tribe of Dan. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul's failure to obey the word of Yahweh is likened to the sins of iniquity and idolatry. And idolatry there is teraphims. Josiah was commended for removing the mediums, the spiritists, the teraphim, as well as the idols from the land. So the little household gods, he removed them. When a source of information is ungodly, then expect that the information gained from it is ungodly. It's false. It's worthless. And so keeping these household idols only led them into false worship. And there were those who were false shepherds that led the people astray to pursue those very things. And so it states here that Yahweh's anger is burning against them. And then it says the male goats. What a reference. That's a reference to the corrupt leaders. not even going to call them something human, male goats, and he's going to punish them. Well, the next section speaks of the future time when Israel is mighty. That's what's going to happen to the false prophets, these false shepherds. verse 10, 3, the second half of it. For Yahweh of Hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, will make them like His splendid horse in battle. From Him will come the cornerstone, from Him the tent peg, from Him the bow of battle, from Him every good taskmaster, all of them together. They will be as mighty men, treading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle. They will battle, for Yahweh will be with them, and the riders on horses will be put to shame. I will make the house of Judah mighty, I will save the house of Joseph, and I will cause them to return, because I have had compassion on them. And they will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am Yahweh their God, and I will answer them. And Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will be as glad as if from wine. Indeed, their children will see it and be glad. Their heart will rejoice in Yahweh." Now those are descriptions of a future time when Israel is going to be blessed, mighty and glorious. It includes themes of military strength as well as Yahweh's protective intervention. The flock of sheep here, specifically here, said it's Judah. It becomes like a majestic war horse. And from Judah is going to arise the bow for battle and they will be like mighty men who utterly defeat their foe trampling them down in the streets. And yet when they are in battle, the text makes it clear, it is Yahweh that is with them that causes the victory. It is Yahweh that causes the enemy calvary. That would be the tanks of their time. Okay? That is a formidable force in the ancient world. They can't succeed. They become shame. Israel is not recorded had a Calvary. So these ancient nations that did we were real threat to them but of no use It's like David versus Goliath or a fellow with a m16 against a tank He wins Yahweh then unites the nations, Judah in the south, the house of Joseph in the north. They become a military power, but their ability to see it again, just as in the ancient times, was actually because of Yahweh being there, His intervention. And that fits with Messiah being the bow of battle. Out of Judah comes the bow of battle. That actually is a term that fits Messiah. Psalm 110, 5-7 describes his future conquest as a conquering warrior on a white horse who conquers nations and strikes down their kings and the leaders of those nations. So even the Old Testament, this is what Messiah is going to do. In Revelation 19, 11-16, it describes Messiah's turn. He returns on what? A donkey this time? No, on a white horse. And from his mouth comes a sword and he strikes down the nations and he rules with a rod of iron. He comes with military might in the future. Well, in addition to the bow of battle, also from out of Judah, will arise a cornerstone, the tent peg, and the every good taskmaster. Again, Messiah rises out of Judah and the metaphor of a cornerstone is used for him multiple times throughout the scriptures. In Isaiah 8, 14, and 15, it's a stumbling stone, the rock of offense to the unbelieving. Same idea as seen in Matthew 21, 44. In Isaiah 28, 16, Messiah is a foundation stone for the believing. In Acts 4, 11, Peter refers to Christ as the cornerstone of salvation, which the religious leaders had rejected. 1 Peter 2, 1-8 encompasses all these ideas. Messiah is the cornerstone. The tent peg metaphor is not as familiar to us. It refers to a peg that was put in the central pole of a tent. So you have a tent spread out, there's a central pole, and there'd be a peg put into that pole, and from that peg, you would hang things. Now, since we live in houses and we have shelves, we don't think about that, but if you're living in a tent, where do you put your stuff? Well, like any other place, if you can put it up, you can have more stuff, right? So, they would hang it on this peg, as opposed to the peg holding the tent down. So, that's the peg it's talking about. Now, we get an understanding of this from Ezekiel 15, 3, where it actually talks about this peg and what's being hung down from it. In Isaiah 22, 35, there's a metaphor used for Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, on whom would hang all the glory of his father's house. And that fits what's going on here, except Eliakim is a human. And guess what happens to humans? We eventually fail, right? So Messiah, though, the reference here is he will never fail. In fact, Isaiah 9, 6 tells us the Messiah will have all the weight of government hanging on his shoulders and he will never fail. The reference to taskmasters is not like the previous ones which were oppressors. Here, these are the future's righteous rulers. In fact, the ESV even translates it that way. They're the rulers. These are ones who are going to do good for the people, not evil. The next section of the prophecy is also of the future. Here it describes Yahweh gathering His people back. Now they had been scattered. He says, and they will be as numerous as they were before and I will sow them among the peoples. They will remember me in far countries and their children will live and turn back. Then I will cause them to return from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon until no room can be found for them. They will pass through the sea of distress and He will strike the waves in the sea so that all the depths of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be brought down, the scepter of Egypt will depart, and I will make them mighty in Yahweh and in His name they will walk, declares Yahweh. So just as Yahweh had previously whistled for the fly and the bee of Egypt and Assyria to come and conquer and deport Israel, now in the future there's going to be him whistling for his people those he has redeemed to return from the far countries where they've been scattered verse 9 refers to that dispersion as being sown in far countries that's an interesting term if you sow something it's because you're purposely putting it there you sow seeds And he describes it this way because they would prosper in those distant lands and increase just as Jeremiah 29 11 had said. It was for their good that he was sending them. And they did prosper, they did increase. Verse 8 says they will be as numerous as they were before. Before what? Before the deportation. It will be a complete reversal of the depleting of the land that occurred in the time leading up to the deportation and the deportation where there's only a remnant left. It's going to be returned to the way it had been. The reference to Yahweh redeeming them in verse 8 and the remembering Yahweh in verse 9 so that they and their children will live and turn back, that describes a future salvation of the Jews. Now at present, the vast majority of Jews may hold to some cultural aspects of Judaism. But there's actually only a small percentage, even in Israel, it's only a small percentage that holds to irreligious aspects of Judaism. Trying to follow the practice of their forefathers, even though they're not getting that right, at least they're trying, they hold to that. Even fewer are those that are redeemed by faith in the person of the atonement of Messiah. And yet, this passage tells of a coming day in the future of a restoration that is described in Deuteronomy 30 as their hearts are going to be circumcised to love Yahweh their God with all their heart, with all their soul that they might live. Well, it's certainly not what's happening now, but it is something that will be in the future. And this return will be massive. The areas on northern and eastern borders, that'd be Lebanon, Gilead, which actually are in the borders of land that are given to Israel. I don't think Hezbollah would like that. Lebanon belongs to Israel. Okay, Gilead, well that's Jordan. It belongs to Israel. So that's their border areas. This describes, this return is so massive, those areas are filled up. They can't get into the central area, they're filling up the outskirts. It is Yahweh that caused return of both Egypt and Assyria, both specifically mentioned. There's a compulsion to this. Egypt is a land where they had been held in bondage before the exodus. It's also the land the Jews had fled to, to escape deportation from Babylon. They deported themselves. Lot fled to Egypt. Assyria had conquered and deported Israel in 720 BC. So, and the Jews from there had scattered not just through the areas of Assyria, which now would be Iraq, Iran, they went north. They went north into what is now Russia, Ukraine. And then they went west throughout Europe and then beyond even to the United States, the Americas. They scattered everywhere. They're going to return. Now that return, verse 11 describes, is not going to be easy. It says it's going to be as passing through a sea of distress and yet we again find that the Lord intervenes. It says He strikes the waves of the sea. This is a reference to these causes of distress. He enables them to pass through and He gives three examples of such distress. First, drying up of the Nile would bring to mind the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. There's a physical barrier. It's not going to be a barrier. He's going to enable them to overcome it. Isaiah 43, 1-3 even speaks of this. It says, when you pass through waters I will be with you and through the rivers they will not overflow you when you walk through the fire you will not be scorched nor will the flame burn you I'm Yahweh your God the Holy One of Israel your Savior so he is going to enable them to overcome any physical barrier that's put in their way the second proud Assyria is going to be brought down Assyria had been a mighty nation and they had fallen to who? Babylon. Then Daniel prophesied that Babylon would fall to who? The Medo-Persians. When Zacharias is prophesying that has actually already happened. But they would fall in turn to the Greeks, who would fall to the Romans, who would eventually fall to Messiah's eternal kingdom. No military power will be able to stop this return. Third, the scepter of Egypt will be removed. The scepter is a symbol of political authority. No political authority, no political intrigue is going to be able to stop that future return. It's going to happen. It's absolutely assured. And so verse 12 can conclude with the promise of God. To make them mighty in Yahweh, in His name they will walk, declares Yahweh. That's their future. God's intervention ensures that all of His promises will be perfectly fulfilled. Now what is the application of these truths to us? These truths proclaimed by Yahweh and Zechariah's prophecy concerning Israel. It's the same as we've seen in the earlier chapters of Zechariah we've already studied. The historical fulfillment of God's earlier prophecies gives us absolute confidence the prophecy's still future will be fulfilled in the same way. They're not guesses, they're not wishes, they're absolute promises. And that's why we have a hope, a confident assurance of the future because this is what God has said. And these prophecies concerning Israel and the Jewish people and the nations to which they were scattered gives us confidence the prophecies concerning us as Christians are also true aren't they? In fact that's part of Paul's argument in Romans 9, 10, and 11. It's God's faithfulness to Israel that gives us confidence. He's faithful to us. All Israel will yet be saved, but that's in the future. Now the present state of the world is continuing in rapid decline into political intrigue, into war, into mental foolishness, into depravity. Are you disturbed by that? I am. It is very disturbing, isn't it? Anybody like to see our nation going the direction it's going? Or even locally? Do you feel as safe, if you're old enough to remember, do you feel as safe now walking the streets as you would have 30 years ago? Okay? Down the city, do you feel as safe going down the city as you did when Giuliani was mayor? You think it's declined a bit? Yes, okay. And yet, none of this surprises us. At least it shouldn't surprise us. Why? Because all of it fits very well with the prophecies that we know need to be fulfilled. It's what's going to happen. Biblical prophecy gives us the clues we need to understand events of the current time, where they fit in the prophetic calendar. Now some people, tragically, end up using that excuse for becoming complacent. God's going to do what He's going to do. Almost like a death wish or something. You know, which almost bring it on, God do it faster or something. That's not the right attitude. That's actually the opposite of what God requires of us. What are we supposed to be doing currently ourselves as Christians? Number one, Ephesians 5, 16, Galatians 4, 5, Galatians 6, 10. We are to make the most of our present time, taking advantage of every opportunity while there is time. Okay? We don't know how long we have. We don't know how long we have personally. We take advantage of every opportunity in order to proclaim the gospel to all around us because 2 Corinthians 5 20 tells us we are ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador, our citizenship is in heaven. So we're a citizen from another place who is there to represent our King to the people that we're living among. That's what we do as Christians. We represent Jesus to the world. We proclaim what God has said to the world. And that means not just the gospel itself, but everything God has said. We're not to be passive when it comes to the evils that's going around us. We are to actively resist Satan and all his schemes. Whether it's something personal, whether it's something public, whether it's within religion, whether it's cultural, and yes, even in politics. Yes, Christians should be involved in politics. Do you want a good mayor? Get a Christian in there. A genuine Bible-believing Christian. You want a good governor? Wow, we do want a good governor. We've wanted that for a long time in New York. Well, what qualities make the best governor? Those that belong to a Bible-believing Christian. What about President? Same thing. Why have we had problems? We haven't had those in a long time. So yes, even in politics, we are to be involved. Run for office! You're better qualified than what's out there. Okay? Now that's part of it. It's part of a resistance to the evil that's around us. But we are to use divinely powerful weapons in our warfare. which is far beyond anything that they can have. And that means we destroy the speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, taking captive every thought and obedience to Christ through his word and prayer. So we're not ashamed to proclaim what the word says. Now, the non-Christian won't like that. You might get persecuted, but what are you here for? You're here to serve the God that answers prayer, that gives rain, that has made promises for us that we have absolute assurance it's going to be fulfilled. Because it's not about us. We know from prophecy, and we're going to be getting into this in the next few weeks, Zechariah, there's going to be a lot of nasty things that are going to happen before the end. But we know the end. And who wins? King Jesus wins. God absolutely wins and that's why we have confidence to do whatever He asks us to do. Father, thank you for the truth of your word and the promises given to us. And though these particular promises concern the nation of Israel, the reign of Messiah on David's throne, these things are future yet we know as Christians we fit in with this as well. For we have similar promises. Father, our desire is to see you glorified, to see your kingdom proclaimed. Father, that there would be many that would come to Christ. Father, regardless of what happens around us, we know we have a purpose that is much greater than those things.