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Zechariah 8, I'll pick up reading 
in verse 1. Again, the word of the Lord of 
hosts came, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I am zealous 
for Zion with great zeal. With great fervor I am zealous 
for her. Thus says the Lord, I will return 
to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall 
be called the city of truth, the mountain of the Lord of hosts, 
the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, 
each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The 
streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing 
in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
if it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people 
in these days, will it also be marvelous in my eyes, says the 
Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
behold, I will save my people from the land of the east. and 
from the land of the West, I will bring them back and they shall 
dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I 
will be their God in truth and righteousness. Thus says the 
Lord of hosts, let your hands be strong, you who have been 
hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets 
who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the 
Lord of hosts that the temple might be built. For before these 
days there were no wages for man, nor any hire for beast. 
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came 
in. For I set all men everywhere against his neighbor. But now 
I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former 
days, says the Lord of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous, 
the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, 
and the heavens shall give their due. I will cause the remnant 
of this people to possess all these. And it shall come to pass 
that just as you are a curse among the nations, O house of 
Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall 
be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be 
strong. For thus says the Lord of hosts, 
just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked 
me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I would not relent. So again, in these days I am 
determined to do good. To Jerusalem and to the house 
of Judah. Do not fear. These are the things 
you shall do. Speak each man the truth to his 
neighbor. Give judgment in your gates for 
truth, justice and peace. Let none of you think evil in 
your heart against your neighbor. And do not love a false oath. 
For all these are things that I hate, says the Lord. Then the word of the Lord of 
Hosts came to me, saying, Thus says the Lord of Hosts, The fast 
of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the 
seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness 
and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth 
and peace. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, 
Peoples shall yet come. inhabitants of many cities. The 
inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us 
continue to go and pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of 
hosts. I myself will go also. Yes, many 
peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts 
in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus says the Lord 
of hosts. In those days, ten men from every 
language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish 
man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is 
with you." Amen. As we saw last week in Zechariah 
chapter 7, if you go back for just a moment to verse 2, there 
was a delegation sent from Bethel. Bethel was a bit north. of Jerusalem. They sent a couple of brothers, 
a couple of men to inquire of the priest, to inquire of the 
prophet as to whether or not they should continue the fast 
that they had engaged in. They had several fast days set 
apart in remembrance of the exile and in various things that had 
gone on in Israel. Specifically, they were asking 
about the fast in the fifth month. If you look at verse 3, to ask 
the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts and the 
prophets saying, should I weep in the fifth month? and fast 
as I have done for so many years." This was specifically the remembrance 
or the recollection of the destruction of the temple. It was in the 
fifth month. And certainly now the rebuilding 
of their temple would suggest to the people whether or not 
they needed to continue in this fast seeing as how their temple 
was being rebuilt. Seemed like a very good question. 
Seemed like a very legitimate question. But the nature of the 
answer suggests that perhaps their intentions were not sincere. It perhaps seems as if they had 
fallen into sort of a rote obedience, just an externalism, going through 
the motions. And so God, through Zechariah, 
uses this opportunity to instruct them concerning genuine religion. Notice back in chapter 7, verses 
8-10, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, thus says 
the Lord of hosts, execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, 
everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the 
fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil 
in his heart against his brother. And then there's a bit of a history 
lesson in verses 11-14. He highlights the time prior 
to the exile, prior to their captivity by Babylon, about how 
they sinned. They had grieved God, and God 
therefore sent Babylon to judge them, to chasten them. And so 
chapter 8 continues this very theme. This delegation is still 
there. They've asked the question whether 
or not they should continue to keep this fast in the fifth month. Well, chapter 8 looks at the 
blessing of God, and then it answers the question specifically 
later on in chapter 8. But if in Zechariah 7 they're 
reproved for their shallow or empty ritualism, and they are 
reminded of the fact that they had ended up in exile because 
of their sin, Zechariah 8 answers the question from a positive 
viewpoint, or a positive vantage point. He is highlighting the 
blessing of God upon this people. And that ought to put the wind 
beneath our sails to cause us to press onward in the fear of 
God and in the joy of His Holy Spirit. Now, there are probably 
several ways to break down chapter 8. We will not focus on every 
detail. Keshu didn't get enough in the 
Sunday school morning hour in terms of Sabbath and didn't get 
enough in Galatians. I thought, why not a whole chapter 
in Zechariah tonight, just to sort of round off the day and 
put us all into information overload so that tomorrow our heads will 
ache. We won't get into every detail, but there are, as I observe 
it, five sections in chapter eight. Again, I know you hear 
five and you go, wow, this is going to be a humdinger. But 
we're going to just scratch the surface, see how the prophet 
answers the question, and see how he is speaking primarily 
of the blessing of God during the time of Messiah. He is pointing 
toward a future time in Jerusalem's history. He is actually speaking 
about that time under Christ. when Gentiles will be included 
in the covenant blessings. In fact, he uses that blessed 
statement or illustration in verse 23. Thus says the Lord 
of Hosts, In those days ten men from every language of the nation 
shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, 
for we have heard that God is with you. The blessing of the 
Lord will come upon those from various nations. And as we'll 
see when we compare some passages in the New Testament, He is speaking 
about the time of Christ. He is speaking about the kingdom 
of Jesus Christ. He is speaking about the time 
that we are currently living in. That time between the first 
and the second coming of our Lord Jesus when the Gospel is 
being preached and sinners are being saved and added to His 
church. The first element of chapter 
8 is in verses 1 to 8. It speaks of the restoration 
of Zion to God's favor. Zion is often used synonymously 
with Jerusalem. It is the city of David. It is 
that favored place of God Most High. We might refer to it as 
the church. The New Testament makes that 
equation. We've seen that in the book of 
Hebrews. Chapter 12. You've not come to Mount Sinai, 
but rather you've come to Mount Zion. You've come to that Jerusalem 
which is above. That is God's people. He is speaking 
of the blessing of the Lord upon the church. Notice in verses 
1 and 2, the zeal of the Lord is manifest for Zion. He says, I am zealous for Zion 
with great zeal, with great fervor, I am zealous for her. In the 
visionary portion, in chapter 1, verse 14, the same thing is 
repeated, or the same thing is stated, proclaimed, saying, Thus 
says the Lord of hosts, I am zealous for Jerusalem and for 
Zion with great zeal. So, whatever promises are made 
in Zechariah chapter 8, they're not left to chance. They're not 
left to the goodness or the inherent goodness of man. They're not 
left to the ingenuity of the church But rather, the driving 
force behind those promises is the zeal of Jehovah, the zeal 
of God Most High. He is zealous for Zion. He is 
zealous for His people. He is about building His church. so that the gates of hell may 
not prevail against it. Hopefully you are familiar with 
this language from Isaiah 9. Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. Very 
popular, very famous, very important passage of Holy Scripture that 
I'm sure we recite or think about at least one time a year. But 
it is easily overlooked that the zeal of the Lord of hosts 
will perform all that is promised in Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. It says, 
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the 
government will be upon his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful, 
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the 
increase of His government and peace, there will be no end. 
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it 
and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, 
even forever." Notice, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform 
this. Reverend, do you realize that 
as we engage in church, When we gather here, Lord's Day In 
and Lord's Day Out, when we participate through prayer or through giving 
or other activities in terms of evangelism or missions, the 
zeal of the Lord of Hosts Himself is behind that. We don't undertake 
in our own strength. We don't try to accomplish spiritual 
things in our own power. We don't look for blessing in 
the ingenuity or ability of man. We look to the Spirit. We look 
to the living and true God who has promised His presence with 
His people that when they engage in the things that He has called 
them to, He will be zealous to bless them. That's what these 
exiles, or these returning exiles, were encouraged to consider. 
That the zeal of Jehovah was with them. God speaks of His 
return. Zion's favor has been restored 
because God is there. Notice in verse 3, I will return 
to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. That's a blessing 
right there. Remember that going into the 
exile, I'm asking you to think. I'm asking you to rehearse history. 
I'm asking you to consider the prophet. Remember in Ezekiel 
chapters 8 to 10, there is a vivid depiction of God withdrawing 
himself from the temple. That's the issue. That's the 
problem. It's not so much that they lost 
their temple. It's not so much that they lost 
their city. It's not so much that they were exiled over into 
Babylon. It was that God had departed 
from them. The glory of the Lord had withdrawn 
from them. That's why Zechariah begins in 
Zechariah chapter one, verse three. Therefore, say to them, 
thus says the Lord of hosts, return to me, says the Lord of 
hosts, And I will return to you. And so in Zechariah 8, God is 
saying, My favor is upon Zion in the very real sense that I 
am now with them. I am in their midst. And therefore, 
Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, the mountain of 
the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Isaiah and Micah envisioned a 
day when the nations will come to the mountain of the Lord in 
order to be taught the law of the Lord. Again, that's New Covenant 
blessing. That is the church of Jesus Christ 
that is that place where the Gospel is proclaimed and the 
Word of God is taught. These prophets are looking forward 
to what we live in. And we ought to be encouraged 
about that. Notice verses 4-6. The peace 
of Zion is seen in the old men and the old women and the young 
boys and the young girls. It's kind of an interesting thing, 
isn't it? Look at what he says there. Verse 4. Old men and old 
women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one 
with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of 
the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets." 
Doesn't that speak of peace? I mean, isn't that a good thing 
when old people are sitting on their porch sipping an iced tea 
and holding their canes and talking about how great life is and kids 
are playing in the streets? Could there be a more vivid picture 
of peace in a city? The contrast is sharp with what 
we saw in Zechariah 7. What did God do to Jerusalem? What did God do to Judah as a 
result of their sin? He made it desolate. That once 
desolate city now is populated with old people and young people, 
and they are engaged in all of the good things that life holds, 
that God holds out for His people. T.V. Moore makes this observation. He said, old age and childhood 
grace a community, the one by its venerableness and the other 
by its beauty. The older people are venerable, 
younger people, you're beautiful, according to T.V. Moore. It's 
a good depiction. What about those of us who are 
in between? We're neither venerable nor beautiful. We're just kind 
of in limbo there. He says, but they also prove 
its peace and prosperity. Now, listen. Great point. Remember 
what they had come out of. He said, when war, famine, pestilence, 
or anarchy have been raging, there are but few of either class. In other words, when desolation 
hits a city, who's the first victim? The old and the young. Why? They don't have the physical 
strength and stamina. Nothing against them, but they 
don't have the ability and so therefore they are often times 
the first victims. So the presence of older people, 
the presence of younger people bespeak a time of prosperity, 
a time of peace, a time of blessing. He says their feebleness makes 
them the earliest victim. And then in verses seven and 
eight, there is the gathering of the remnant. God says, from 
the east and the west, I will gather My people and they shall 
return to Jerusalem. He uses the language of the covenant. 
Verse 8, they shall be My people and I will be their God in truth 
and righteousness. So, He's speaking of a time of 
great blessing and favor. Notice, secondly, based on that, 
verses 9 to 15 is an encouragement to persevere. Remember, there's 
a historical situation going on. They're building the temple. 
They're about two years off the mark. They've got about two years 
left. Haggai and Zechariah were sent 
to preach to these people so that they would build. They came 
to encourage them. They weren't coaches. They weren't 
team leaders. They weren't shaking pom-poms. 
But rather, they were thus saying the Lord to these brethren so 
that they would be faithful in the task that God had given to 
them. Notice. Verse 9, thus says the 
Lord of Hosts, let your hands be strong. Let your hands be 
strong. It's a great exhortation. It's 
repeated again at the end of verse 13. Let your hands be strong. Don't be whiners. Don't be wimps. Don't be babies. Don't kowtow 
to the trials and difficulties that there are, but rather let 
your hands be strong. And if that was applicable to 
this people building the second temple, isn't that applicable 
to the people of God today engaged in evangelism and the missionary 
enterprise? Jesus has promised, I will build 
my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 
He has called His bride, He has called His church to function 
in an assisting role to Him. And we are to do so with earnestness. We aren't to be limp-wristed. 
We aren't to go about it half-hearted. We aren't to be dainty. We aren't 
to be slovenly or lazy in these things. But rather, we are to 
let our hands be strong. We're to put our hand to the 
plow and not look back. were to be like these people 
who with sword in one hand and trowel in the other, built the 
temple. I love what Nehemiah says concerning 
this group. He said, at least when they go 
to build the city, when they build the wall of the city, the 
temple had been finished by Nehemiah's time, but they're building the 
city up, they're rebuilding the wall. And it said the people 
had a mind to work. I love that. I wonder if today 
the church could be said, the people have a mind to work. Not 
because we've got to get saved. We're saved. God has called us 
to function in a particular way. Are we about the task of kingdom 
building? Are we about the task of evangelism 
or missions? Are we the kind of people that 
ten people from another nation would lay their hand upon our 
sleeve and say, tell us about this Lord? I mean, isn't that 
the picture? He says, in those days, ten men from every language 
of the nation should grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man saying, 
you say, well, I'm not a Jew. Yes, you are. Remember, it applies 
to New Covenant era. What does Paul say a true Jew 
is in Romans chapter 2? It's not one who's circumcised 
outwardly, but he's circumcised inwardly. You're regenerate. 
You're born again. You are a believer in Jesus. 
Therefore, you are a Jew. This is why Paul can say to the 
Galatians in Galatians 6.16, Peace be upon the Israel of God. This is why in Hebrews chapter 
10, the language of Israel and Judah is applied to the church. We ask ourselves, has anybody 
ever put his hand on your sleeve and said, hey, I hear that God 
is with you. I'd like to know something about 
that. I hear that you're a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. What's 
that like? I mean, the idea is that people are living in a hope 
filled sort of a way that would be attractive to others. Remember, 
God made Israel to be a nation to mediate blessings to the peoples 
around them. They failed. So Jesus is the 
one in whom blessings are mediated. He uses His church to shine His 
light and to hold forth that Word of Truth. Brethren, we need 
to let our hands be strong. The old boys, the old authors 
spoke of the church militant and the church triumphant. The 
church triumphant envisions the day when we're in heaven. We've 
triumphed. The church on earth is the church 
militant. That doesn't mean we shoot people, 
doesn't mean we take knives and gut people, but it means we have 
a militant Christianity. We are those who are in earnest 
concerning our God and our Savior. We are those who want to see 
the kingdom advance. And if we are not able to give 
or go, we are praying. We are doing something. We are 
letting our hands be strong because the mission is the Lord's and 
He has called us to serve in His sphere. And then notice, 
He speaks of the current trials that they are suffering, verses 
9 and 10. And then He promises blessing, 
verses 11 to 15. Verse 12, the seed shall be prosperous, 
the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase. 
The same sorts of things that He had said in Haggai chapter 
2. Remember, Haggai and Zechariah were contemporaries. They're 
preaching and speaking the same message forth to encourage the 
people to keep swinging the hammer, to keep showing up to work, to 
keep laying the stones, to keep doing what they're doing because 
God is in it. He is for them. He is going to 
bless them. He speaks of reversing their 
status as a curse. Notice in verse 13, it shall 
come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, 
O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and 
you shall be a blessing. Do not fear. Let your hands be 
strong. And then the Lord says He has 
a determination to do them good. You can compare this with Jeremiah 
32. We'll look at that in just a moment. But look at what he 
says in verse 14. For thus says the Lord of hosts, 
just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked 
me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I would not relent, 
so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to 
the house of Judah. Do not fear. Isn't that great? 
What's God determined to do? Good for His people. He's not 
determined to ruin us. He's not determined to kill us. 
He's not determined to judge us. He's not determined to throw 
us into hell. In Jeremiah 32, in a promise 
of the new covenant, the same sort of language is used. Jeremiah 
32, verse 36, Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of 
Israel, concerning this city of which you say, It shall be 
delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, 
by the famine, and by the pestilence. Jeremiah is writing on the opposite 
side. It is just prior to and during 
the time when Jerusalem is being sacked. That's when Jeremiah 
lived. Jeremiah saw the siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah saw the destruction 
of his city. That's why Jeremiah wrote Lamentations. He cried after he saw the city 
in ruins and in rubble. So, on His side of it, He is, 
as a vessel of the Lord, promising new covenant blessing. Notice 
in verse 37, Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where 
I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath. 
I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them 
to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and 
I will be their God. Then I will give them one heart 
and one way, that they may fear Me forever. for the good of them 
and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting 
covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them 
good. But I will put my fear in their 
hearts so that they will not depart from me. Yes, I will rejoice 
over them to do them good and I will assuredly plant them in 
this land with all my heart and with all my soul." God is committed 
to carrying out His plan. God is not frustrated. God is 
not thwarted. God is not stopped. He is marching 
on through history by the power of His Spirit and the enthronement 
of Jesus Christ to build a glorious church. And He will not be confounded. That is good news. Third observation, or the third 
section in this passage, verses 16 and 17. It's a call to sincere 
religion. He repeats what he's already 
said in chapter 7, verses 8 to 10. The post-exilic community 
must manifest truth. must manifest a commitment to 
the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith. 
They must not only do so externally, but they must do so internally. 
Don't just not tell a lie to your brother's face, or don't 
just deceive him externally, but notice in verse 17, let none 
of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor. You see, 
you betray the command. If outwardly you say, oh, love 
and peace and happiness and oh, you're great, but inwardly you 
despise your brother. You can't do that. That's not 
biblical religion. That's not the real deal. Jesus saves us externally and 
internally. Jesus saves us. He changes our 
hearts so that what we do externally flows from that vantage point. And that is what the prophet 
is saying. Verses 16 and 17. These are the 
things you shall do. Speak each man the truth to his 
neighbor. Give judgment in your gates for 
truth, justice, and peace. Let none of you think evil in 
your heart against your neighbor. And do not love a false oath, 
for all these are things I hate, says the Lord." Remember what 
Jerusalem is now called. It is the city of truth. That 
finds its point of application in the church. It's the church 
call according to Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 3. The pillar and the 
ground of the truth. Within the church we are not 
supposed to lie to one another. We're not supposed to harbor 
grudges toward one another. We're not supposed to deceive 
one another. We're not supposed to speak ill 
of one another. We are to let no corrupt speech 
proceed from our mouth. But we're to seek to edify one 
another with our tongues. We're not supposed to be hypocrites, 
saying on the one hand how I love God and yet hating my brother. 
We're not supposed to open up the hymn book and talk about 
God or talk to God and tell him how much we love him while harboring 
hatred for a brother or sister in our midst. You can't do that. 
Zion isn't about hypocrisy. Zion is identified as a place 
of truth. Notice, fourthly, the specific 
answer to the question. God didn't forget. Remember, 
should we fast in the fifth month? Wasn't that the question? Zechariah 
did what preachers do. They take a long way around. 
Somebody asks a question. Well, before I answer, let me 
say these ten things and then I'll get back here. Zechariah's 
a preacher, just like a New Covenant preacher. Isn't that what he 
does? These delegates come from Bethel. 
Should we keep fasting in the fifth month? reproof, history 
lesson, future blessing, all these things. And now notice, 
verse 18, Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 
Thus says the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth month, 
the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, the fast of the 
tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house 
of Judah. No more fasting. Not ever. We 
see in the New Testament fasting. There's a place for fasting. 
Someday we'll look at that doctrine or we'll look at that teaching. 
You should have some familiarity with it as to abstain from food 
or something for a season of time to humble yourself under 
God and to spend some time in prayer. But he's talking about 
those particular days of those particular months associated 
with the exile. You don't need to do that anymore. 
You don't need to keep the fast in the fifth month recalling 
the destruction of the temple. Because you've got a temple now, 
and your gladness and joy should be turned into feasting. That's what this whole chapter 
is about. From fasting to feasting. God has promised His presence. 
God has promised His blessing. We ought not to be downcast as 
a result, but we ought to respond with feasting and with joy and 
with celebration. And the implication, based on 
this, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house 
of Judah. Notice, therefore, love, truth and peace. In all 
of your joy, in all of your feasting, in all of your happiness, in 
all of your responding to God favorably, therefore, love, truth 
and peace. Don't ever forget that. You can't 
ever forget those doctrines. Love and truth and peace. You've got to love that stuff. 
That's what gives great earnestness to the application of this feasting. Then the fifth and final thing, 
chapter 8, verses 20 to 23, the promise of Gentile inclusion 
in the gospel blessing. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, 
verse 20, peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities. The 
inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, let us 
go to... Let us continue to go and pray 
before the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will 
go also. Yes, many peoples and strong 
nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and 
to pray before the Lord." Again, Jerusalem. In the New Covenant 
is the church. We see that in Galatians 4. We'll 
see it in more detail, God willing, in a few months from now. Galatians 
4, Paul gives an allegory. He talks about Hagar and he talks 
about Sarah. He says that Hagar corresponds 
to the Jerusalem that now is. That is, the one who keeps us 
in bondage. He's talking about Judaism. And 
then he talks about Sarah as being the Jerusalem which is 
above. Who is the mother of us all. 
Who brings freedom and liberty and blessing. We already rehearsed 
or mentioned Romans chapter 2. You're a Jew if you're circumcised 
inwardly. Jerusalem and Zion is Old Covenant 
language for the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is speaking 
about the time of Messiah when the Gospel goes forth throughout 
the earth and the nations, the Gentiles, the peoples flock to 
be converted. under Christ. The best I can 
do is to read more on this. I've mentioned T.V. Moore's commentary 
on the post-exilic prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. It's 
the Geneva series. Excellent. But listen to what 
he says. I think he nails this. We'll close in just a moment. 
He says, when this prediction was uttered, speaking about all 
these peoples coming, ten men from other nations laying their 
hand upon a Jewish man's sleeve saying, we want to know the Lord. 
We want you to tell us about your God. We know that you have 
contact with the living God. He says, when this prediction 
was uttered, nothing seemed more hopelessly improbable than its 
fulfillment. They heard that and said, what 
are you kidding me? Are you out of your mind, Zechariah? Are you crazy? We got half a 
temple. We're a ragtag crew. 50,000 of 
us came out of Babylon. Small numbers. It's not the splendor 
that you seem to be indicating we're going to see. He says, 
the Jews were a poor, despised, obscure tribe in the heart of 
Syria, whose existence was only known to the mighty world by 
their furnishing a trophy to the victorious arms of Babylon. 
It's their only claim to fame. They were conquered by Babylon. 
He says, Greece was just rising in the firmament of human history. 
And as she ascended to her brilliant zenith, her track was marked 
by the sweeping of the phalaces of Alexander and the legions 
of Antiochus over the hills and valleys of Judea. And yet this 
prophecy remained unfulfilled. Rome was then in the rugged feebleness 
of her wolf-nurse infancy and slowly continued to grow until 
she reached that gigantic stature in which she ruled the earth 
and her conquering legions under Pompey again swept over this 
fated land and even desecrated the places of her holy solemnities. Five hundred years rolled away 
And yet this prophecy remained unfulfilled, indeed seemed further 
from fulfillment than when it was uttered. Do you ever realize 
that when God spoke to the people, very often when He would make 
a covenant with them, the next scene would be failure? I mean, 
remember when God in Genesis 3 gives that promise that the 
seed of the woman will crush the head of the seed of the serpent? 
What happens? The first seed of the woman kills 
his brother. Right? What happens? He calls Abraham out of the Ur 
of the Chaldees, makes a promise to him that in him all the nations 
of the earth will be blessed. What do we find Abraham doing? 
Though he was a man of faith, though contrary to hope, in hope 
believe. What do we find Abraham doing? 
Lying. When God comes and speaks to 
the people, the people afterwards often fail. What's the point? 
It's to highlight the covenant faithfulness is not in the people. 
It's in the God of the people. Always keep that in mind as you 
read. In fact, the Old Testament, in many respects, is failure 
upon failure upon failure upon failure in terms of the people 
to demonstrate the faithfulness of God. That's the point. We don't stay in our covenant 
because we're faithful. We stay in our covenant because 
God is faithful. Never forget that. He says, but 
at length the time arrived and there came to Jerusalem, Acts 
2, men out of every nation under heaven, Parthians, Medes, and 
Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea and 
Cappadocia, in Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt 
and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, 
Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. all came up to Jerusalem 
to seek the face of Jehovah. And from the lips of a Jew, they 
heard words that caused them to cry out, men and brethren, 
what shall we do? They scattered to their own homes 
again and carried with them the strange words that had so deeply 
moved their souls. And being followed by these wonder-working 
men, there soon began a work or to work a new life among the 
nations of the earth, and this life took hold in its origin 
and efficacy upon a Jew. Greece with her polished dialectics, 
Rome with her mailed mightiness, Asia with her soft voluptuousness, 
all submitted to the authority of a Savior who was a Jew. all 
rested their hopes for eternity upon a Jew, and soon received 
as divinely inspired the words and writings of men who were 
Jews. Ten men from every nation would 
lay their hand upon the sleeve of a Jew and say, We want to 
go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Zechariah 
is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is preaching about 
Gentile inclusion. He is telling us what Jesus makes 
clear in Matthew 28. Go, make disciples of all the 
nations. baptizing them in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach 
them to observe all things that I have commanded you." And, lo, 
he says, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. So, the ultimate application 
of Zechariah's prophecy is in the messianic reign of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. the New Covenant era, the church, 
the time between the first and the second advent of Christ, 
when sinners are being saved by grace through faith in the 
Lord Jesus. This chapter, hopefully, will 
play itself out in your prayer life. Take verses 20-23 to your 
prayer closet. Consider those promises. Consider 
the reality of God's pervasive blessing of the nations of the 
earth and pray accordingly. Pray that God will raise men 
up. Pray that God will send men out. Pray that God will bless 
sinners with the understanding of who Jesus is. And as well, 
take this chapter and look at what Zechariah says in terms 
of our own practical Christianity. Brethren, if you speak lies, 
if you are filled with falsehood, if you are not a just man or 
a peaceful man, you need to repent. For those who have come to the 
Lord Jesus now partake of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And 
they must look like what Zechariah describes here as genuine religion. And if you don't know the Savior 
to whom Zechariah is pointing, He is the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And the Bible says very clearly, believe on Him and you will be 
saved from your sins. Zechariah, this somewhat obscure 
prophet in the 5th century B.C. has a world of information for 
the church and the world today. Well, let us pray and ask God 
to help us to apply these things. Father, we ask that you would 
just give us an understanding into these blessed things that 
you have spoken. And we pray that you would help 
us to understand how they work themselves out in the life of 
the church. and how the Gospel is to go forth from sea to sea, 
and Christ will have dominion. God, we thank you for Psalm 72 
that we sang before the preaching of your Word. And we thank you 
for all of these prophets and all of the New Testament data. The fact that the Roman Empire 
was such a threat and an enemy to the Church of Christ, but 
she has been subdued. That all of your enemies will 
ultimately be subdued. We look forward, God, to that 
day when that final enemy, even death itself, is subdued by our 
blessed Redeemer. We ask now that You would go 
with us, that You would watch over Your people, that You would 
grant us the grace to love truth, to love Your Word, and to apply 
it in our own lives. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
the Lord. Amen.