Tyndale Open Study NotesZechariah 14

The theme of Jerusalem versus the nations connects the four messages in Zechariah's second oracle. The nations gather against Jerusalem at both the start (Zechariah 12:1–9) and the end (14:1–15) of the oracle. The repeated phrase on that day points to the future day of the Lord.

This oracle shows both judgment and blessing for Jerusalem. The main focus is the cleansing of the people of Israel (Zechariah 13:1), ending with God's universal kingdom (14:16–21). These future visions encouraged the Judeans of Zechariah's time to stay faithful despite feeling unimportant and helpless.

Zechariah ends with visions of judgment, salvation, and God's universal kingdom. In the future, Israel will face a siege and near destruction, but the Lord will intervene to save his people (Zechariah 14:3–4) and punish their enemies with a severe plague (14:12). Israel will be restored as God's people, and Jerusalem will become the center of civilization (Zechariah 14:16–17). God's rule will extend over the entire earth (Zechariah 14:9), and the natural world will change (14:6–10). God's holiness will be the defining feature of his rule over the earth (Zechariah 14:20–21).

Zechariah’s message calls God’s people to hope in the King of Israel, who has full power and authority.

The day of the Lord will bring judgment and deliverance. On that day, God will reverse many people’s situations, lifting some up and bringing others low (see Amos 5:18; compare Matthew 19:28–30; Luke 13:23–30).

The rest refers to the remaining people of Israel who survived when Jerusalem was attacked (see Zechariah 13:8).

as He fights in the day of battle: One example is the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14–15; see Isaiah 42:13).

• Jesus went up into heaven from the Mount of Olives. After this, angels told the disciples of Jesus that he would return in the same way they had seen him go (Acts 1:11–12).

• The prophet Zechariah describes an earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives in two. This will create a valley running east and west. The valley will give the Hebrews an escape route when the nations attack Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:5). Many Christians connect this event with the return of Jesus at the end of the age (see Matthew 24; Revelation 6:12; 11:13; 16:18).

• Some scholars believe Azal (Hebrew ’atsal) is a district on the northeast side of Jerusalem, where Azel's descendants lived (1 Chronicles 8:37–39; 9:43–44). Others suggest changing the Hebrew to ’etsel, meaning “alongside” or “the side of it.”

• The date of the earthquake during King Uzziah's time is unknown, but Amos started his ministry two years before it (Amos 1:1).

• The holy ones are likely the many angels who worship God and serve as his army (see Psalm 89:5, 7).

a unique day: The day of the Lord will bring major changes to the world (see Isaiah 60:19–22; Revelation 21:22–25). This promise emphasizes that God created the sun and moon, and they are not eternal gods. Light does not come from them.

• The living waters from Jerusalem represent God's presence among his people (see Ezekiel 47:1–12; Joel 3:18; John 7:37–39; Revelation 22:1–2).

• half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea: These divine blessings will reach both east and west, flowing continuously. They will always bring healing (see Isaiah 30:23–26).

• the LORD will become King: Zechariah looks ahead to the final fulfillment of many psalms that celebrate the Lord as king (see Psalms 47–48, 93, 97–99).

• the LORD alone: This promise restates Israel’s central confession of faith (Deuteronomy 6:4). It points to a future time when all idolatry (the worship of false gods) will completely end.

The towns of Geba and Rimmon mark the northern and southern borders of the district that includes Jerusalem.

As the divine judge, God punishes those who rebel against him with a sudden and deadly plague (see Exodus 9:14; Numbers 14:36–37; 2 Samuel 24:10–25; Jeremiah 14:11–12).

The day of the Lord will bring fear to God's enemies (Zechariah 12:4; see Isaiah 22:5).

• The day of the Lord involves a reversal: The wealth of the nations will be taken. This reverses the earlier announcement that Jerusalem would be plundered (Zechariah 14:1).

• gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance: The Lord’s temple will defeat the nations and receive all their treasures (Haggai 2:7–8).

• the nations … will go up … to worship the King: Another reversal will happen on the day of the Lord (compare Philippians 2:8–11).

• The annual Feast of Tabernacles marked the start of the fall harvest season. It commemorated Israel’s time in the wilderness after leaving Egypt (see Exodus 23:14–19; Leviticus 23:33–43; Numbers 29:12–40; Deuteronomy 16:13–17). The festival gave the worshiping community a chance to thank God for his provision. It encouraged social concern for the disadvantaged and reliance on God as pilgrims in this world. Thanksgiving will define worship in the messianic era (see Isaiah 51:3; Jeremiah 33:11).

• go up to Jerusalem to worship the King: Jerusalem, with God's temple, is seen as the center of God's worldwide kingdom (Zechariah 8:20–22; see Isaiah 56:6–7; 66:19–23; Micah 4:1; Haggai 2:7; Revelation 21:1–2, 10–27).

• the rain: This was one of the curses God announced against Israel for breaking the covenant (see Deuteronomy 28:22–24). That curse also applied to all nations, as God's rule covers all people (compare Zechariah 10:1).

HOLY TO THE LORD: See study note on Zechariah 3:5. The Lord set apart the priesthood and the nation of Israel (Exodus 19:6; Leviticus 11:44–45). This identity will be complete in the messianic kingdom (Romans 11:16–17; Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; 1 Peter 1:15–16). The words on the harness bells and cooking pots show how widespread holiness will be then.

• every pot: In God's kingdom, even ordinary pots will become holy, like those used in temple rituals. This change will remove all Old Testament differences between sacred and ordinary items.

• Canaanites: People linked commercial activity with the Canaanites (see Hosea 12:7; Zephaniah 1:11). The term might mean idolaters or suggest that under God's rule, traditional ethnic boundaries will disappear. The passage may predict Jesus cleansing the Jerusalem temple, which leads to cleansing believers' hearts through the holy spirit (see John 2:13–16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5).