PT-2 of "Introduction to Zechariah 14"

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/1/2016 2:35 PM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Pt-2 of Introduction to Zechariah 14

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Zechariah 14:1-21

            Message of the verses:  We will wait to add the verses later when in our next SD we will begin our actual of Zechariah 14, but in today’s SD we want to continue to look at the introduction from John MacArthur’s sermon which he entitle “The Day of the Lord.” 

            “Now as we come to chapter fourteen, I want you to realize what's happening. In the last days of Israel's history, you and I are seeing Israel regathered. They've established their nation under a grant given to them by the United Nations, international protection. They are there in unbelief as would be indicated by the prophets. They are waiting the time of salvation. And it can't come until Jesus returns and they look on Him whom they have pierced. Prior to that time, they will make a pact with a false Messiah. Remember that? With the foolish shepherd that Zechariah talked about in chapter 12. They will make a pact with the Antichrist. And everything will go along fine during this seven-year covenant, but in the middle of this seven-year covenant this beast, this Antichrist, this foolish shepherd, this false Messiah will break his covenant with Israel. And when he breaks the covenant with Israel, he will require that they worship him and him alone. And when the people of Israel refuse, he gathers the armies of the world together to march against Israel. And he comes against Israel under really the command of Satan to exterminate the Jews...the people of God.

“This leads then to a great siege of the city of Jerusalem and the land of Palestine as we know as the battle of Armageddon. So what do we have to look forward to? We've already seen Israel beginning to be regathered. We've already seen them establish their state. We've already seen some of these things come to pass. They're there in unbelief. Some are still scattered. We know that their mentality is such as would be looking for someone who could offer them international protection, and there is coming that individual. When he comes for three and a half years, everything will be fine. And then he will cause them to go into chaos literally when he desecrates their worship, demands worship of himself and in response, when they don't do it, he calls the armies of the world to come and storm Israel.

“Now it is precisely at the siege of Jerusalem that we pick up the fourteenth chapter. Here are the armies of the world gathered against Jerusalem. Now we've already learned from chapter 13 that when the siege begins, it's basically successful to start with. There is tremendous blood shed. There is tremendous devastation. The book of Revelations says the blood will be to the depth of the horses' bridles for an area of 200 miles. There is going to be blood shed like the world has never seen. There is going to be a holocaust in the land. There is going to be a seeming victory on the part of Antichrist and his hosts. And precisely at the point where this victory looks secure is when Christ returns. And that's exactly what we have in the fourteenth chapter.

“The chapter opens then with the defeated Jerusalem, stripped of its possessions, stripped of its honor, conquered by the world's armies. And the conquerors in fact are revelling in their spoils, having a great old time thinking they've won their battle just precisely when Jesus returns to turn the tide of battle totally.

“Now as we look at the chapter, I want you to notice four major parts: the coming of the day of the Lord, the crowning of the Lord as King, the conquest of the nations and the character of the kingdom. And there is a sense of sequence in these points.”

So we will begin our next SD looking at the theme of “The Coming of the Day of the Lord.”

11/1/2016 2:42 PM