Zechariah 8 to 14 Outline
Chpt. 8: Zechariah 8 focuses on the blessings to come upon the Lord's people during the Millennium.
Jesus, upon his return to Jerusalem, will assert his role as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16) to bring God's kingdom to the earth. The most vulnerable people, the children and those who are old, will be able to rejoice in peace during this period of 1,000 years (Zechariah 8:1 - 6). The Lord will also gather his people back to Jerusalem (verses 7 to 8).
The Lord then encourages those who heard the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to finish their work in rebuilding his temple (verses 9 to 19).
The chapter closes with a prophecy that, during the Millennium, the whole world will seek the true God in order to worship him and learn obedience (verses 20 to 23).
Chpt. 9: In Zechariah 9 the Lord declares his coming wrath against Damascus, Tyre, Sidon and the area populated by Israel's implacable enemy the Philistines (verses 1 to 8).
[Did David Fight the Philistines?]
Verse 9 of Zechariah 9 is a prophecy of Jesus' triumphal entry in Jerusalem on Thursday March 30 in 30 A.D. Verses 10 to 17 discusses how God will use his people against his enemies.
Chpt. 10: The Lord asserts that he, not foreign pagan gods, will bless his people with amble rain. He also criticizes the deceptions spread by false prophets and diviners who lead his people astray. God then announces his wrath against Judah's leaders who are nothing more than false shepherds (verses 1 to 4).
It is then promised that both Israel and Judah will be united and give the power to fight like a single mighty man to victory (verses 5 to 12).
Chpt. 11: The Lord begins Zechariah 11 by announcing the devastation to come upon the land from Lebanon to Bashan to Jordan (verses 1 to 3).
Verses 4 to 17 of the chapter, except for two exceptions noted below, discusses how God's flock will suffer slaughter due to their wicked owners (the people who lead them).
Verse 12 prophesizes that Judas Iscariot will be offered, and will accept, thirty pieces of silver from Jewish religious leaders to betray Christ.
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12, see Matthew 26:14 - 15).
Thirty pieces of silver was the restitution price a person paid if their ox gored someone's slave. The payment was made to the slave owner (Exodus 21:32).
Verse 13 reveals what would ultimately happen to the blood money paid to Judas for his betrayal.
[Prophecies Fulfilled When Jesus Died]
And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 11:13, see Matthew 27:9 - 10).
Chpt. 12: All of Zechariah 12 is centered on prophecy related to the end time.
The world, before Jesus' return, will have its attention centered on Jerusalem. Although both Jerusalem and Judah will be attacked, God will defend his people by destroying all those who from around the world came to fight.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:9).
God, after the battle, will pour out compassion and mercy on those he saved, including granting them repentance so that they can receive his Holy Spirit. Verse 10 also includes the prophecy that Jesus' body would be pierced as part of his sacrifice for our sins.
. . . and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . . (Zechariah 12:10, see John 19:34, 20:25).
Chpt. 13: People, when Jesus rules the earth during the Millennium, will take seriously their responsibility in God's law to execute false prophets even if they are a close relative! The law, delineated in Deuteronomy 13:6 - 10 and 18:20, was meant to offer the severest penalty to those who sought to lead others away from worshipping the true God (verses 2 to 3)!
The enforcement of the penalty against false prophets will lead to those attempting to mislead others to disavow all associations with such sinful practices (verses 4 to 6).
Verse 7 is yet another prophecy regarding Jesus and his sacrifice. The Lord quoted part of this verse as he led his disciples to Gethsemane to await his arrest (Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27).
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered . . . (Zechariah 13:7).
Chpt. 14: Zechariah 14 focuses on the events leading up, during and after Jesus' return to the earth.
In the end time, as a trigger for the Antichrist's 42 month reign over the earth, Jerusalem will be attacked, plundered, captives taken and women raped (verses 1 to 2).
The Lord, at the end of the period known as the Great Tribulation, will fight against those who went to war against Jerusalem. Accompanying him to the Mount of Olives will be all the saints brought back to life in the first resurrection.
[Who Is in the First Resurrection?]
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives . . . and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee (Zechariah 14:3 - 5).
After Jesus returns as King of Kings he will cause living (healing) waters to constantly flow to the east and west of Jerusalem (verses 5 to 10).
During Jesus' rule on earth during the millennium, all humans will be required to keep God's annual Feast Days especially the Feast of Tabernacles. Those who refuse to obey will be personally punished with no rain (Zechariah 14:16 - 19)! Additionally, holy living will permeate every part of life on planet earth during the Millennium (verses 20 to 21).