We return once again to Zechariah chapter one. This is the second part of a discourse on "Hope for dispersed and Demoralized Israel."  Beloved, there is no greater privilege in life than having our Creator reveal his person and his plan to us through his word, and this morning we return once again to the first of eight prophetic visions that God gave to his young servant, Zechariah, all in one night; visions that bring clarity and comfort to the dispersed people of Israel, the demoralized people of Israel that had returned to their land after being in captivity for 70 years; visions to remind every reader that God is faithful to his promises, that we can trust what he has to say, promises that are called "gracious" and "comforting words" in verse 13. 

For just a moment, think what it would be like if we had no conception of who God is? What would it be like if we had no comprehension of what he is up to in the world, if we had no idea why we're here on Earth, what our purpose is, no understanding of how, or if human history will end. Well, thankfully, God has not left us in the dark. But sadly, most of the world is in the dark. They have no clue. But his inspired, infallible word gives us the whole of redemptive history and how he controls it, and his goal is ultimately his eternal glory. What an amazing thought. In fact, history will end with the same meticulous, supernatural precision as it began, nothing is left to random chance. God is fully in control, and the Old Testament repeatedly reveals a coming earthly kingdom that will be ruled by the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, which will include a renewed and a restored Israel and the salvation of many Gentiles. And during the millennial reign of Christ, the effects of the curse upon the earth will be reversed. There will be a renovation of the Earth, a return to essentially Edenic splendor. And at the end of the millennium, God has promised an uncreation that is a disillusion of what he has created, a disillusion of the universe and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the eternal state of the redeemed. This is what we have to look forward to. And those who reject Christ, those who are merely Christian in name only, will be confined to the miseries of a final and eternal hell. And folks, this is why it is so important for us to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, and this is why it's so thrilling to see what God has said, especially with respect to the gospel of saving grace and the prophetic truths that he has revealed to us that help us understand his plans and purposes. 

So, once again, we return to this first vision, one like all the rest, that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the future at the end of the "times of the Gentiles," as we read in Scripture, when the Messiah returns; a consummation, that I might add, that is has already been set into motion and could find its fulfillment in the very near future. 

So, by way of quick review, beginning in verse eight of Zechariah, one we read, "I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse..." You will recall, this is a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ, the Messiah of Israel, the angel of Jehovah as we discover more in verses 11 and 13 and other passages beyond that; and here we see that the Messiah is intimately and gloriously and involved in the welfare of his covenant people. Notice he is riding. He is on the move. He is advancing. He is preparing for battle, and that battle will one day occur, especially at the battle of Armageddon. And he's riding a "red horse." Red symbolizes war and vengeance and bloodshed and judgment, and that will speak of the judgment activities of Messiah that are coming. And of course, a horse is always a symbol of battle, especially readiness for battle. But notice he dismounts, and it says, "...and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine..." The myrtle branches, as you will recall, were used in the ritual of constructing booths of celebration for the Feast of Tabernacles, as you read in and Leviticus 23 and Nehemiah eight; a holy convocation that memorialized Israel's deliverance from Egypt. And here, the myrtle tree seems to symbolize Israel, the covenant people, the eternally elect nation, the object of his eternal love and his unchanging purposes, as we would read, for example, in Romans 11 and verse 29. And the ravine is a term that means a deep, narrow, even a dark valley. And this is a fitting figure for the state of Israel at that time. The Myrtles are in this deep ravine, this dark place. They suffer in deep darkness. They languish in a ravine of humiliation and degradation, woefully distressed during this time of the Gentiles, as Jesus described it in Luke 21:24 which certainly fits this context. 

So what we see here thus far is the warrior king, the Messiah, prepared for war, but he's not yet ready to launch his attack, yet he is seen "standing" prepared in readiness, "standing" with his people, Israel, even in their demoralized state, and he's with "red sorrel and white horses behind him." This pictures the angelic horsemen that are with him. They are all in a position of readiness. They are ready to do his bidding at the proper time, as we see. In response to Zechariah's question in verse nine, "Then I said, 'My Lord, what are these?'"  Of course, that is a respectful greeting to the interpreting angel commissioned to help Zechariah understand the meaning of the vision. But notice who answers the question posed to the interpreting angel, verse 10, "And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees..." in other words, the Messiah, "answered and said, 'These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.'" So what we see here is Yahweh has dispatched them to continually make a careful military survey or reckon ordering of a region occupied by the enemy, which is, in this case, the earth, to determine the best course of military action. So we see here that the Messiah is prepared for battle. 

But secondly, he's also perpetually focused, "'These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.'" Verse 11, "So they answered the angel of the LORD.." In other words, those patrolling the earth. "They answered the angel of the LORD," the Messiah, "who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, 'We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet.'" "Behold," in other words, to our surprise, the nations of the world, those who arrogantly despise the one true God, they're at ease. They're relaxed in their wickedness, in their smug self-confidence. They are content in themselves, even though they are at war with the one true God. They are living in carnal tranquility and godless serenity, as we see the nations of the world today, including our own. And this restful state of the nations is very troubling, because it means the condition for the Messiah's return to judge the nations had not yet arrived. The fulfillment of God's promises to destroy the Gentile nations the world powers prior to Israel's restoration and kingdom blessings required a very different kind of scenario on the earth, one that is coming, and in many ways, is here; a state of worldwide chaos and nations at war, especially with Israel, not to mention God himself. 

So considering the disappointing report of the angelic patrol the Messiah intercedes on behalf of Israel as their advocate. In verse 12, "Then the angel of the LORD said, 'O LORD of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant these 70 years?'" And then, in response to the Son's loving intercession, God the Father addresses the angel that is speaking to Zechariah in verse 13. We read, "The LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words..."and we're going to see more of what those words were and are in the prophetic truths that not only were already proclaimed, but those additional ones articulated in the subsequent vision. 

So thus far, and again, just by way of review, the "glorious and comforting words" in this first vision can be summarized under three headings pertaining to the Messiah. We see that he's prepared for battle, perpetually focused, and he's personally interceding. And that takes us now to the next four verses in this vision, verses 14 through 17, and here we are going to learn more of what's going on with the Messiah. The Messiah is four things, zealous to restore, zealous to retaliate, zealous to return and zealous to reinstate. 

Notice, first of all, how he is zealous to restore in verse 14, "So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, 'Proclaim, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'"'" The term "proclaim" in the original language carries the idea of crying out, announcing something with forceful authority. Here's what I want you to shout out to the people. "Thus says the LORD of hosts,” The Lord of hosts, by the way, his is Yahweh, the name of God, the name the God of Israel gave to Israel through Moses, the one and only true God of the universe that commands the innumerable and invincible hosts of angelic warriors. This is the Lord of hosts. And here's what he's saying, "I am exceedingly jealous." The idea here is I am fiercely protective, and I am intolerant of disloyalty. So he is jealous with utmost vigilance for what? For Jerusalem and Zion. Oh, what a comfort this must have been to the people, as it should be for us. To know that the Messiah, the rider among the myrtles in the ravine of sorrow and degradation, passionately loves his people. He is not disconnected from them, back then, today or in the future, he passionately loves them, as indicated by his intercession on their behalf in verse 12, "'O LORD of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah?'" 

And so again, he says, "'I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'" Now the people would have understand what it meant for God to be jealous, as I was thinking about this for some reason, and this is certainly, please, this is certainly not a habit, but once upon a time, I heard Oprah Winfrey say something. I do not follow her, but for some reason I cannot forget what she said. She said that, "Yeah, a lot of people worship God in the Bible, and that God says he's a jealous God. Oh, I don't want to worship a jealous God do you?" And they all..."we don't want to worship a jealous God."  And sadly, she does not worship a jealous God. But you must understand this biblically, what he means by this. For example, in Exodus 20 and verse five, the Lord says, "'You shall not worship them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate me.'" 

So what we have here is the Lord of hosts commanding Zechariah to proclaim to the world, "'I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'" In other words, he is zealous with utmost vigilance to protect them, but also to punish them for their disloyalty, because indeed they have played the harlot with their idolatry, and as a result of that, there is judgment. Certainly, anyone who understands the importance of faithfulness in the covenant of marriage can appreciate what it means to be jealous in a godly way, because it is a heartbreaking reality when that faithfulness is broken; it brings misery, it brings judgment, and that's what we see, certainly with God and His covenant people because of their unfaithfulness. 

But God is also compassionate. Here we see that he is long suffering. He is longing to forgive. Indeed, he is zealous to restore Jerusalem and Zion. Now, the Israelites were no strangers to God's jealous love for them. They were very aware of the horrific consequences of their spiritual harlotry. For example, in Ezekiel 23, verse 17, we read, "'The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, she became disgusted with them.'" Verse 19 goes on, "'Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt.'" Then beginning in verse 22 and following, "'Therefore, O Oholibah,'"which is a symbol name for Jerusalem, "'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will arouse your lovers against you , fromwhom you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side: the Babylonians and the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and officials, all of them officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs. I will set My jealousy against you that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire."'" And indeed, that is what happened. 

But here in Zechariah's first vision, the Lord is offering comforting, gracious words, underscoring the faithfulness that he has to fulfill his covenant promises to restore Jerusalem and Zion. Zion, by the way, is the name of the hill that David conquered. It was the place where the temple was first built, and we see this later, for example, in Zechariah eight, beginning in verse 14, "'For thus says the LORD of hosts, "Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath," so says the LORD of hosts, "and I have not relented, so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!"'" And you must understand that this kind of commitment is rooted in God's very character. And we see this expressed, for example, by Solomon's words in the dedication of the temple in Second Chronicles six, beginning in verse five. There we read, "'"Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel."'" 

Let me give you a little background here regarding this temple mount that was built there; the temple mount where Solomon first built the first temple in about 1000 BC, was where Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac. In fact, it was where the Lord Jesus taught and it's in this place from which the Muslims believe Muhammad ascended through the seven heavens to enter intothe presence of Allah. That's why it's one of the most disputed pieces of real estate in the world. The second temple built by Herod was a great expansion of the temple that was built by the exiles, essentially doubling its size. In fact, architecturally, it was one of the great wonders of the world. In fact, one of the blocks used by Herod weighed 415 tons. Imagine moving something like that. And of course, that temple was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans, but the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, as you may recall in your ancient history. They did that in the seventh century, and the temple mount has been under Muslim control to this very day; the Dome of the Rock or the Mosque of Omar, dating from about AD, I think it's 691, and the adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque, built later, constitutes Islam's third holiest site. However, in the providence of God, 1897 years later on June 7, 1967, the Jews repossessed the temple area in the course of the Arab Israeli Six Day War. And finally, they had access to the Wailing Wall. More than a half million Jews walked to the Wailing Wall during the first week of its occupation, about 200,000 coming on one day, and you may recall that General Moshe Dayan ordered all the gates of the Old City to be opened, all except the Eastern Gate. And he walked to the Western Wall, where he made this famous proclamation, quote, "We have returned to our holiest of holy places, never to be departed from it again. We earnestly stretch our hands to our Arab brethren in peace, but we have returned to Jerusalem, never to part from her again." End quote. 

And I might add that the Arabs will never agree to that kind of peace. I might also add that as you think about it, only a person who is ignorant of scripture or has some type of intransigent anti semitism, could possibly think that what we see happening in Israel today and in the Middle East is not a harbinger of things to come as promised in the Old Testament prophecies. 

Back to Zechariah one in verse 14, "'I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'" Obviously, he has a plan. We see this promise expressed in Jeremiah, 31 and verse 12, where we read, "'They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD - over the grain and the new wine and the oil, and over the young flock and the herd;  And their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again.'" Speaking of the millennial kingdom, Isaiah speaks of this in Isaiah two and verse three, "And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.'" So here in this vision, we see that the Messiah is indeed zealous to restore, and what gracious and comforting words these are. 

But secondly, notice he is zealous to retaliate. Verse 15, "'But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.'" What he's saying here is, he is furious with the enemies who have abused and murdered his people. He expresses his displeasure here. He is filled with fiery indignation against those Gentile nations; those who have attacked Jerusalem and Zion, his chosen people; chosen by his sovereign, his gracious choice, as we read about in Zechariah three and verse two. In fact, let me drive this home for a moment, that this is God's chosen people. This is an essential truth. Psalm 78 beginning in verse 67 it says, "He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved." Psalm 132, beginning in verse 13, "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it, for His habitation." He says, "'This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.'" In verse 17 and following, "'There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself is his crown shall shine.'" 

So indeed, verse 15, "'I am very angry with the nations who were at ease; for while I was only a little angry they furthered the disaster.'" Dear friends, this is, this is the great sin of anti semitism that remains rampant today and is increasing as the Scriptures tell us it will do. The renowned Old Testament scholar Merrill Unger said this, quote, "That the Lord was, for a little time angry with the nations who were at ease, was primarily true of the 70-year exile in Babylonia. But God's anger has been stretched out over the millennia and increases as the centuries still roll on and the Jew suffers new butcheries and pogroms at the hands of a modern Antiochus Epiphanes like Hitler or Mussolini, as cruel Gentile leaders go far beyond what God had in mind in using them to discipline and correct his erring people." End Quote. And might I add that that was written in 1963. 1963. Imagine if he knew what we know today, with Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas and the Houthis, the Muslim Brotherhood and on and on, it goes, and the countless anti Semites that protest all over the world, even on our own college campuses, even in our own halls of government. You know, as I watch the wickedness of the nations, I'm reminded of Psalm two. Remember, there we read how the nations are in an uproar and the peoples devise vain things, the rulers come together against the Lord and against his anointed, and they say, let us tear his feathers apart and cast away their cords from us. And that's what we see. In fact, all we have to do is look no further than in our own country. I still marvel at what we see in, for example, the Democratic party today, their platform, indeed, all that they hold dear are positions and practices that God calls abominations. They are a satanic, morally bankrupt, death cult, depraved beyond imagination. They are opposed to everything that God calls sacred, everything from life to marriage, from children, to the true Church. In fact, they are preying upon our children. And no one who truly loves the Lord our God, no one who has truly been born again would ever vote for these kinds of people. These people legalize unrighteousness. They criminalize righteousness. Their platform is basically a restatement of Romans 1:18 and following. And their candidates accurately reflect the immoral, corrupt, depraved people that vote for them. I mean, this is God's judgment on our country. And we see this kind of wickedness in all of the nations of the world. And I would add that you see much of the same wickedness in the Republican Party. 

But back to Psalm two - here's God's attitude beginning in verse four, "He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them." And here's what's going to happen, "Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, 'But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.'" And I might add that he will do this according to Romans 11:29, because the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. So indeed, the Lord is very angry with the nations who are at ease in their wickedness, because they have furthered the disaster, the divine judgment. They've gone way beyond, and this is going to come back upon them in unimaginable, unprecedented fury, the wrath of God. In fact, Obadiah speaks of this in verse 15, "'For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have done it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.'" Whatsoever a man sows that will he also reap back to 

Verse 16, "'Therefore, Thus says the Lord, "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; Myhouse will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem."'" What I want you to understand is Messiah is not only zealous to restore, and zealous to retaliate, but here we see he is zealous to return more gracious and comforting words. And this speaks, of course, of the Second Advent of Christ that we all long for. In fact, as Paul said in Titus two, beginning in verse 13, that we are looking for the "blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us." 

Now notice he says, "'I will return to Jerusalem with compassion...'" Though Israel today, as a nation, has been temporarily set aside and the Lord is not dwelling among them, even spiritually, the Lord has promised to return with compassion. "Raham", the term, it carries the idea of a deep awareness and a sympathy for another's suffering. This is the heart of the Lord our God, and here the inspired prophet uses this term denoting a tangible expression of God's love in action for his people. We read about this in Isaiah 40 and verse 11, what it will be like, "Like a shepherd, He will tend His flock in His arm." He will "gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom. He will gently lead the nursing ewes." 

Beloved, don't miss this, and here I am taking from many, many passages throughout the Old Testament - but a day is coming when the dazzling glory of his Shekinah, that very glory that blazed forth in the wilderness and led his children through the Promised Land that hovered between the cherubim above the mercy seat, that lid of propitiation that's rested upon the Ark of the Covenant, that glory that suddenly emanated from the very body of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, that glory will one day return. That's what He has promised. In fact, the glory of the God of Israel is seen returning exactly as he departed. And you can see this in Ezekiel, chapter 10 and verse 19 and chapter 11 and verse 23 and this will happen when this there will be just this, this glorious renewing of Israel, a glorying restoration; Hosea five and verse 15, he says, "'I will go away and return to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face in their affliction, they will earnestly seek Me." That's what's going to happen. Is this not the promise that the Lord Jesus made in Matthew 23 beginning in verse 38 he says, "'Behold, your house is being left to you desolate.'" And certainly in AD 70 that's what happened. Then he says this, "'For I say to you from now on, you will not see Me until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."'" Oh, what gracious, what comforting words Zechariah is proclaiming to the people, a hope for those that are dispersed, those that are demoralized. And what a hope for all of us; for all of the redeemed, including we Gentiles. We being the wild branch that has been grafted into the sacred tree of Abrahamic blessing, as we read in Romans 11. 

Now notice what will happen when he returns. Verse 16, "'Therefore thus says the LORD, "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion."'" And then he says, "'"My house will be built in it."'" "My house," grammatically here it's in what we call the emphatic position which underscores the sheer glory of this event. "My house," he's saying, "'"will be built in it declares the LORD of hosts."'" Then he adds this, "'"and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."'" Now, obviously, this was only partially fulfilled in the construction of the Second Temple during the days of Zechariah under Zerubbabel and Joshua, the priest and so forth. But it gave them encouragement; this glorious promise that will come to fruition in the days of the millennial reign of Christ. In fact, I find it interesting the prophet Ezekiel describes the dimensions, he describes the parts and the contents of the future millennial temple in enormous detail in Ezekiel 40 and through 42. And Israel, during that time, will have the only sanctuary and priesthood in the whole world during the millennial age, which is his amazing thought. They will also have a system of sacrifices - and please hear this - a system of sacrifices that differ greatly from the Aaronic system, and therefore not a reinstitution of the mosaic Judaism, as many have claimed. In fact, I find it interesting., Solomon's prophecy concerning the temple would have been well known to the exiles that came back to Judah, because what happened is his prophecy was completed in 573 BC, some 36 years before the Jews started to rebuild the temple. In fact, you can go to Ezekiel, chapter 40 and verse one and Ezra chapter three and verse eight, and you will see the precise dates. Ezekiel 40 and verse one, here's when he received the vision regarding the millennial temple. And in Ezra three and verse eight, here's when they began to build it. So in other words, what I'm saying is, for 36 years, they had the plans to the millennial temple, great details, and they had all of the system of sacrifices that differed so radically from the Aaronic system, and the radical changes in the sacrificial system described by Ezekiel could not have escaped the post captivity Jews like Zerubbabel and Joshua; they would have recognized that very, very quickly and certainly the glorious context described by Ezekiel would have made them understand that the prophecy that he gave could only come to fruition during the kingdom age. Therefore, they did not try to build their temple consistent with Ezekiel's plans. They knew that it's going to come in the kingdom.

And again, back to verse 16 of Zechariah one, "'"I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."'" Here we have the imagery, and we see this in a number ofpassages throughout Scripture, the imagery of the surveyor's measuring line, which suggests great growth and prosperity during the kingdom age. In fact, Ezekiel describes the same thing in chapter 40 and verse three, where measurements are made for the millennial temple. In Ezekiel, 47 and verse three, a measurement is made to measure the river that will flow from underneath the temple through Jerusalem into the Jordan River and ultimately into the Dead Sea, which, by the way, will be transformed into a quote, "living sea of fresh water and one that is filled with fish..." according to Ezekiel 47 verses eight and nine. 

I might add something here, in case you're wondering, Zechariah 14, eight, and other passages, indicate that there's going to be some radical changes in the earth and the topography. And in Zechariah 14, eight, we read that this water will also flow west into the Mediterranean Sea. Here's what it says, "In that day, living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter." And again, various Old Testament prophecies speak of great geological changes that will occur in the land when the Lord Jesus returns. And it's fascinating that the temple courts of the millennial temple and the sacred area will be greatly enlarged to accommodate the vast number of worshippers and priests that will serve them. The temple area and the city will encompass approximately 2500 square mile area that will fit into a reshaped and enlarged land. We read about this in Isaiah 26:15 Isaiah 33:17, Isaiah 54, two, and especially when we get to Zechariah 14, verses, four through 10. And what I want you to hear is, at that point, the glory of the Lord will fill the temple - Ezekiel, 43 and verse five. In fact, the city will be renamed on the basis that quote "Jehovah is there..." Ezekiel 48:35, "Yehōvâšām", Jehovah is there. Isaiah gives a powerful description of this future temple which all of the redeemed will one day see and worship in. People say, where do you go to church? Jerusalem. Isaiah two, beginning in verse two. "Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it." There's an indication that it will be the highest point on Earth. "And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.'" Beloved, please understand this, this is so amazing, At that point, finally, all of the unconditional, irreversible, unilateral promises that God gave Israel - the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12, the priestly covenant in Numbers 25, the Davidic Covenant of Second Samuel seven, the new covenant of Jeremiah 31 - they will all finally be fulfilled. Ah, what gracious and comforting words. What hope for the depressed, dispersed, demoralized people that had returned to the land. 

But I want you to notice, Zechariah is not only commanded to proclaim that the Messiah, the man standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine; not only is he zealous to restore and zealous to retaliate, zealous to return, he is zealous to reinstate. Verse 17, "'Again, proclaim...'" cry this out with authority, "'"Thus says the LORD of hosts..."'" My, you can't get any higher than that, right? "'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem."'" Ezekiel 38 and verse 12 tells us that Jerusalem will be the capital and the center of the earth. And you must understand that one of the main purposes of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will be to vindicate the Lord's chosen people Israel before the eyes of a mocking world; a reversal of all of the anti semitism down through the ages. Just read Isaiah 60 and Isaiah 61. And even today, Israel is the agricultural envy of the world, one of the reasons, one of many reasons the Arabs hate them so much. In fact, when you go into the land, as far as the eye can see, in many areas, you will see amazing vineyards and trees producing all manner of fruit, and they're all under nets to protect them. Amazing agriculture. How much more when the Lord returns. In fact, let me read a bit of that to you as we begin to wrap it up this morning. 

The Lord elaborates on this future day of prosperity when he will reinstate them, Isaiah 61 beginning in verse four, "Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks and foreigners will be your farmers and your vine dressers, but you will be called the priests of the LORD; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame, you will have a double portion. And instead of humiliation, they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs, For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery and the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them. Then their offspring will be known among the nations and their descendants in the midst of the peoples, because they are the offspring whom the LORD has blessed." Oh, indeed the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem. If I had time, I could tell you many stories of friends of mine, Jewish people in Israel and in other places who have come to a saving knowledge of Christ, and I can tell you how they find enormous comfort in these great truths that I am preaching to you this day. God has not forgotten his promises, and this is the dominant theme throughout Zechariah's prophecies; though often Israel has forgotten him, as do many Gentiles, as well as Jews to this day. In fact, Jeremiah speaks of this in Jeremiah 18, verse 15, "'For My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless gods, and they have stumbled from their ways, from their ancient paths to walk in by paths not on a highway; to make their land a desolation, an object of perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and shake his head. Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity." But oh, how thankful, as we are reading here in this vision, that God is merciful, that he is filled with loving kindness and compassion, and he will not forget his promises, because to do so would impugn his character, and as part of His elect, chosen before the foundation of the world. He will never forget you or me, and we can rejoice in that he will never leave us nor forsake us. And as we read in Isaiah, 49 verse 14 and following, "But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me.'" But the Lord answers, and here's what he says, "'Can a woman forget her nursing child?'" Obviously not, "'and have no compassion on the son of her womb?'" Obviously not. "'Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.'" 

I want to leave you with this question, if God would forget his promises to Israel or claim they were never really intended to be taken literally, what basis would we have to trust him to keep his word to us in the New Testament? Well, I rejoice that he is a God who is faithful to his covenant promises, faithful to His word. And I rejoice in these great truths because he is the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless with great joy. Dear friend, if you're here today and you do not know Christ as your Savior, please, know that the wrath of God abides upon you. And unless you get serious about your own condition before a holy God, you will perish in your sin. And instead of trusting Christ to be the remedy for your sin. instead of having Christ impute His righteousness to you, you will pay for your own sin for eternity. And I plead with you as a minister of the gospel this day that you repent and you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ before it's too late. And for those of us who know and love Christ, may we live consistently with the reality that Jesus is coming again, and it could be very soon. Oh, what a day that will be. Amen. Let's pray. 

Father, thank you for the magnificent truths of your word. May the seeds of truth be planted deeply within our heart and by the power of your Spirit, will you cause them to germinate in such a way as to bring forth an abundant harvest of spiritual blessing, that we might enjoy the fullness of what it means to be in Christ, the sight of glory, and that others might see Christ in us and be saved. This we ask, for your sake, in the name of Christ, Amen.