Zechariah - Chapter 8
ISRAEL & JERUSALEM RESTORED
ZECHARIAH 8
After the clear warning of chapter 7 that obedience is far more important than attending to man made ceremony, chapter 8 contains a series of great promises from God. Here through His prophet we are given a strong view of His mind toward His chosen people.
We see 11 times in the first 16 verses the repeated use of the phrase “Lord of hosts” which assures these promises will occur as they come from the Most High One, and He pledges His truth of the future such that His people will indeed know that truth. He informs that he will return to Zion and we now know the exact meaning of that one promise as His Messiah did arrive and dwelt among His people and when he made His gracious sacrifice for our sin, gifted His Holy Spirit such that the promised return of God seen in these verses shall never end.
We should also keep in mind that this promise was explained in greater depth by the Lord's last apostle, Paul, in his letter to the Romans. The time of the Gentiles (the 69th week in Daniel) arrived at the captivity of the Jewish people. Now as God promises restoration to Israel, we are included because as Paul taught in Romans 9:6 :
“.... For they are not all Israel which are of Israel...”
This teaching is confirmed in Ephesians 2:15 again when Paul writes:
“... for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.”
In verses 1-2 God proclaims that His passionate love for Israel has not diminished.
He proclaims His title using the word zeal as emphasis. In verse 3 He assures Israel will be restored with His return and dwelling there again. When that occurs Jerusalem shall be the city of truth and in verses 4-5 we see His plan that Jerusalem will be a thriving and safe place of joy. In verse 6 the promise of a transformed place seems marvelous because at this moment the city was only half rebuilt and the wall would not be rebuilt for another 60 years.
In verses 7-8 the promise is extended as a promise of far more people to arrive than the few who have returned there from the captivity. A gathering of far more people will be seen and the gathering will not be only physical but also spiritual. Not only will the address of many people change, but change will come also to their hearts. God exhorts His people to take courage, finish the work, and He will bless them (9-13). In verses 14-17 the Lord assures His determination to bring His promises to reality, just as He had when He kept His promise of captivity as promised by His prophet Jeremiah.
Now in verses 18-19 He also says feasting is more important than fasting. He wants no more mourning but wishes joy and gladness only in His holy city.
Verses 20-22 promises that nations will stream into Jerusalem to seek Him. The Revelation of John furthers this promise that in the 1,000 year reign those from all nations and tongues shall be included in His gift of New Jerusalem. Verse 23 shows that all will want to share in what the Jews already have.
This prophetic promise teaches that Israel will be the means of drawing the nations of the earth to the Lord in the time of the Messiah's reign. All will then be clinging to the robe of that One Jew who shall bless all who will come as those who hear and see what the Lord has done for His own and all will wish to be a part of this time when evil, deceit, and all impure things will be removed.