The Nations Worship the King

Zechariah 14:12–21
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Zechariah describes the destruction of Israel’s enemies which is the second phase of the invasion of Jerusalem by the Gentile armies (vv. 12-15). In this phase the Gentile armies will be destroyed. Then the survivors from all the nations will worship annually in Jerusalem. Millennial religious worship will not be a restored Judaism but a newly instituted worldwide religious order embracing both Jews and Gentiles. It will center in Jerusalem and will incorporate some features identical with or similar to certain aspects of Old Testament worship (v. 16). One of these aspects is the annual celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-43; Zech. 14:18-19).

Worshiping annually in Jerusalem will be necessary for the people to enjoy good crops (vv. 17-19). Those nations that neglect or refuse such opportunities for worship will forfeit their water supply. For most nations this simply means they will have no rain. But Egypt, whose irrigation depends not on rain but rather on the flooding of the Nile, will still experience the plague of drought as punishment from the Lord. The priest had “Holiness to the Lord” engraved on a gold plate on the turban he wore as a reminder and expression of his consecration (v. 20). The holiness of Judah and Jerusalem during Messiah’s reign will characterize millennial life whether it be in public life (the bells of the horses), religious life (the cooking pots in the Lord‘s house, the millennial temple, or private life (every pot in Jerusalem and Judah) (v. 21). In the Old Testament there would be no “Canaanite” because no person outside of the covenant would be in the house of the Lord. A Canaanite had become symbolic of anything ceremonially unclean and ungodly. In the millennial temple no such defilement will occur. Thus Zechariah’s prophetic book which began with a call to repentance (Zech. 1:2-6) concludes with an affirmation that all will be holy.

Application

It is important worship the Lord according to what the Lord has outlined for that dispensation. For this it means to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth.