Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Zechariah 12 primary text read aloud by congregation members and discussed throughout the sermon
1 A revelation, Yahweh’s word concerning Israel. Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says:
2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, and it will also be on Judah in the siege against Jerusalem.
3 It will happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it.
4 In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
5 The chieftains of Judah will say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Yahweh of Armies their God.’
6 In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they will devour all the surrounding peoples, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem will yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 Yahweh also will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of David’s house and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem not be magnified above Judah.
8 In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and David’s house will be like God, like Yahweh’s angel before them.
9 It will happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 I will pour on David’s house, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.
11 In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12 The land will mourn, every family apart; the family of David’s house apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart;
14 all the families who remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
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Joel 2
quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost to explain what the crowd was seeing
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.
3 A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.
4 Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.
5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.
7 They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.
8 Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks.
9 They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.
10 The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 Yahweh thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her room.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.
19 Yahweh answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.
20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.
21 Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.
22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.
27 You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.
28 “It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
32 It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.
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Acts 2
Peter stands up at Pentecost and quotes Joel, used as an example of recognizing prophetic fulfillment
1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.
7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”
12 They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15 For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know,
23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
28 You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31 he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay.
32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
43 Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 All who believed were together, and had all things in common.
45 They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
46 Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
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Jeremiah 30-31
referenced as containing the time known to Jews as the time of Jacob's trouble
30:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
30:2 “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.
30:3 For, behold, the days come,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.’”
30:4 These are the words that Yahweh spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
30:5 For Yahweh says: “We have heard a voice of trembling; a voice of fear, and not of peace.
30:6 Ask now, and see whether a man travails with child. Why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned pale?
30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he will be saved out of it.
30:8 It will come to pass in that day, says Yahweh of Armies, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds. Strangers will no more make them their bondservants;
30:9 but they will serve Yahweh their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.
30:10 Therefore don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant, says Yahweh. Don’t be dismayed, Israel. For, behold, I will save you from afar, and save your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.
30:11 For I am with you, says Yahweh, to save you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”
30:12 For Yahweh says, “Your hurt is incurable. Your wound is grievous.
30:13 There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up. You have no healing medicines.
30:14 All your lovers have forgotten you. They don’t seek you. For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins were increased.
30:15 Why do you cry over your injury? Your pain is incurable. For the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.
30:16 Therefore all those who devour you will be devoured. All your adversaries, everyone of them, will go into captivity. Those who plunder you will be plunder. I will make all who prey on you become prey.
30:17 For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds,” says Yahweh; “because they have called you an outcast, saying, ‘It is Zion, whom no man seeks after.’”
30:18 Yahweh says: “Behold, I will reverse the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have compassion on his dwelling places. The city will be built on its own hill, and the palace will be inhabited in its own place.
30:19 Thanksgiving will proceed out of them with the voice of those who make merry. I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small.
30:20 Their children also will be as before, and their congregation will be established before me. I will punish all who oppress them.
30:21 Their prince will be one of them, and their ruler will proceed from among them. I will cause him to draw near, and he will approach to me; for who is he who has had boldness to approach to me?” says Yahweh.
30:22 “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.
30:23 Behold, Yahweh’s storm, his wrath, has gone out, a sweeping storm: it will burst on the head of the wicked.
30:24 The fierce anger of Yahweh will not return until he has accomplished, and until he has performed the intentions of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it.”
31:1 “At that time,” says Yahweh, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
31:2 Yahweh says, “The people who survive the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
31:3 Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.
31:4 I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry.
31:5 Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant, and will enjoy its fruit.
31:6 For there will be a day that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.’”
31:7 For Yahweh says, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations. Publish, praise, and say, ‘Yahweh, save your people, the remnant of Israel!’
31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company.
31:9 They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.
31:10 “Hear Yahweh’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’
31:11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
31:12 They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of Yahweh, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all.
31:13 Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance; the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
31:14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” says Yahweh.
31:15 Yahweh says: “A voice is…
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Luke 21
referenced as describing the time of tribulation from a Gentile and Christian perspective
1 He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury.
2 He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.
3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,
4 for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
5 As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said,
6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down.”
7 They asked him, “Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?”
8 He said, “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them.
9 When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.”
10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
13 It will turn out as a testimony for you.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.
16 You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.
17 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.
18 And not a hair of your head will perish.
19 “By your endurance you will win your lives.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein.
22 For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.
24 They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
29 He told them a parable. “See the fig tree, and all the trees.
30 When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.
31 Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God’s Kingdom is near.
32 Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
34 “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.
35 For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.
36 Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.
38 All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.
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Matthew 24
referenced alongside Luke 21 as describing the time of tribulation
1 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.
5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.
10 Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.
12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
14 This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.
18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
21 for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25 “Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26 If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.
27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.
29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36 But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
39 and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.
47 Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
48 But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,
51 and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
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Daniel 7
referenced regarding the man of lawlessness making a covenant with Israel and breaking it halfway through
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea.
3 Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
4 “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it.
5 “Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different than all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.
8 “I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 “I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened.
11 “I watched at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.
12 As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed.
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. “So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 ‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different than all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
21 I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them,
22 until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different than the former, and he will put down three kings.
25 He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26 “‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end.
27 The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’
28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my face was changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Ezekiel 38-39
referenced regarding a man of lawlessness setting his sight on Israel and those from Tarshish coming against him
38:1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
38:2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
38:3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
38:4 I will turn you around, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;
38:5 Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
38:6 Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with you.
38:7 “‘“Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself, you, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.
38:8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought out of the peoples, and they will dwell securely, all of them.
38:9 You will ascend. You will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.”
38:10 “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.
38:11 You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
38:12 to take the plunder and to take prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten livestock and goods, who dwell in the middle of the earth.’
38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions of it, will ask you, ‘Have you come to take the plunder? Have you assembled your company to take the prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’
38:14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and tell Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In that day when my people Israel dwells securely, will you not know it?
38:15 You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
38:16 You will come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land. It will happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I am sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.”
38:17 “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you against them?
38:18 It will happen in that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that my wrath will come up into my nostrils.
38:19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken. Surely in that day there will be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
38:20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the surface of the earth will shake at my presence. Then the mountains will be thrown down, the steep places will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground.
38:21 I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
38:22 I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood. I will rain on him, and on his hordes, and on the many peoples who are with him, an overflowing shower, with great hailstones, fire, and sulfur.
38:23 I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”’
39:1 “You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
39:2 I will turn you around, and will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you onto the mountains of Israel.
39:3 I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand.
39:4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the animals of the field to be devoured.
39:5 You will fall on the open field; for I have spoken it,” says the Lord Yahweh.
39:6 “I will send a fire on Magog, and on those who dwell securely in the islands. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.
39:7 “‘“I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I won’t allow my holy name to be profaned any more. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One in Israel.
39:8 Behold, it comes, and it will be done,” says the Lord Yahweh. “This is the day about which I have spoken.
39:9 “‘“Those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, and will make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the war clubs and the spears, and they will make fires with them for seven years;
39:10 so that they will take no wood out of the field, and not cut down any out of the forests; for they will make fires with the weapons. They will plunder those who plundered them, and rob those who robbed them,” says the Lord Yahweh.
39:11 “‘“It will happen in that day, that I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of those who pass through on the east of the sea; and it will stop those who pass through. They will bury Gog and all his multitude there; and they will call it ‘The valley of Hamon Gog’.
39:12 “‘“The house of Israel will be burying them for seven…
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
John 18
soldiers come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus says I am and they fall down
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 Judas then, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground.
7 Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,”
9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.”
10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”
12 So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him,
13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest;
16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then the maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and the officers were standing there, having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. They were warming themselves. Peter was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 The high priest therefore asked Jesus about his disciples, and about his teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said.”
22 When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?”
24 Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, “You aren’t also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of him whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
27 Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.
28 They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
29 Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
30 They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.”
31 Pilate therefore said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”
32 that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
33 Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
39 But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 Then they all shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Brian walked Tribe fam through Zechariah chapter 12, reading the whole chapter together as a congregation and asking people to call out what they noticed in the text. The conversation wove between the ancient context of the passage and what is unfolding in Israel right now. The through-line was a phrase that kept coming up in the chapter: "on that day."
What was said
Zechariah was a minor prophet writing to Jewish exiles who had just returned from roughly seventy years of captivity in Babylon. A second temple was going up, the people needed encouragement, and what did God want to talk about instead? A future time involving the Messiah. Brian used that gap between what the people needed and what God addressed as a starting point, noting that many people have prayed for help with one thing and heard God speak about something else entirely.
Before getting into the text, Brian laid out how to read biblical prophecy. He said prophecy tends to have multiple layers and multiple fulfillments, not just one moment that you check off and move on from. He pointed to Peter standing up on the day of Pentecost and quoting Joel as the model: someone who had read enough scripture that when events unfolded around him, he could say, this is that. The goal is to read this way too.
The phrase "on that day" appears repeatedly through Zechariah 12, and the congregation worked out that it is a marker pointing toward the second coming of Jesus. That means the most vivid fulfillment of this chapter is still ahead. It was written to strengthen the returning exiles, it speaks to people alive right now, and its sharpest fulfillment belongs to the generation that is present when that day actually arrives.
Verses two and three became the center of the conversation. Jerusalem is described as an intoxicating drink that makes the surrounding nations stagger, and as an immovable rock that injures anyone who tries to move it. Brian put those images alongside current events, walking through Hamas attacking on October 7, Hezbollah launching rockets from Lebanon, Iran firing hundreds of missiles into Israel, and the Houthis in Yemen, all of it framed against a nation that keeps absorbing the blows while its attackers keep hurting themselves.
Brian was careful to note that this is not painless, that people are dying and the situation is genuinely heavy. Someone who had been to Israel described a spiritual weight in the land that was hard to put into words, and Brian said that heaviness is real. The cup of Israel is something every nation is being made to drink from right now, and the question the text raises is what that drink does to you. Does it sober you or does it make you reel?
Brian described what he believes the most complete fulfillment of the chapter looks like: Jesus returning to earth in a way that echoes how God descended on Sinai, leading a force to liberate Israel and retake Jerusalem, and at that moment the Jewish people recognizing the one they pierced. He read verse 10 as the pivot point of the chapter, where national mourning goes all the way down through tribes and families to individuals, each one coming to the same recognition.
The closing move was to connect all of that to the present moment and to Sukkot, the Jewish feast of tabernacles, coming up the following week. Brian noted that God built a camping trip into his calendar as an annual reminder to strip back the noise and just dwell with him. Whatever someone is carrying right now, the word for this season was to hold your ground, stay sober on what scripture actually says about Israel, and trust that the one throwing rockets is the one who ends up throwing out his back.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Brian talked about how God told Zechariah to speak about a future Messiah when the returning exiles needed practical comfort and encouragement for their present situation. Has there been a time when you went to God with a pressing need and felt like he was pointing you somewhere else entirely? What happened?
- The sermon described biblical prophecy as having multiple layers of fulfillment, past, present, and future, rather than a single moment where a box gets checked. How does that change the way you read a passage like Zechariah 12, and does it change how seriously you take it as something still unfolding?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 8,753 words
Welcome to Tribe's podcast. Hey, we just wanna say thank you for making this message a part of your week. Our prayer is that these messages will inspire you to make the name of Jesus famous in your life and to the uttermost bounds of the earth. If you're ever in Jackson Hole, we'd love for you to visit our Tribe fam in person. To learn more about us, you can find us online or at Facebook by searching tribejh.com.
Welcome to Tribe's podcast. Hey, we just wanna say thank you for making this message a part of your week. Our prayer is that these messages will inspire you to make the name of Jesus famous in your life and to the uttermost bounds of the earth. If you're ever in Jackson Hole, we'd love for you to visit our tribe fam in person. To learn more about us, you can find us online or at Facebook by searching tribejh.com.
Today's conversation, if you are taking notes, we're kind of on the theme of cups, but I've titled this morning's conversation the cup of Israel. So if you're taking notes, you can write the title of this morning's conversation, the cup of Israel. And if you are if you're brand new to tribe
Hey, Tim.
Admittedly, this is a a unique venue. And one of the things that we like to play into with the uniqueness of this venue is it's really easy for us to have a conversation. Whether you're sitting all the way in the back row like you're a lot tight to morning, or you're squeezed in here at front row, venue lends itself to being more of a conversation. And we call that the VIP section where Carla is in the back. Carla, good morning.
So, we would invite you to just be a part of this conversation. It's kind of like we're in a living room, but there's a lot of us in this living room. And so let's lean to get into the conversational feel and the family vibe that we have together this morning. What that means is I want to hear from you is As you can be sitting all the way in the back row, and I'll stick it to hear you just fine. If you have your Bible with you this morning, let's turn to Zechariah chapter 12.
And for some context, let's go ahead and we're going to we'll take turns. We'll read. We don't have the mic to pass around this morning because we can all hear you just fine. And the livestream will pick it up. But let's turn to Zechariah 12.
And if you're like, I don't know where the book of Zechariah is, every Bible that you have in your lap has a table of contents in it. And so you can just open up the table of contents, find the books of Zechariah, and then turn to that page. In my bible, I have that will help you, it's on page seven seventy one.
What's that number? Four fourteen sixty. Yes, order.
Zechariah chapter 12. And why don't we take turns to read all of Zechariah chapter 12. And as we get through a couple of different places in Zechariah, some of these verses, some of these little passages may stand out to you as being familiar. Well, I think maybe we've talked about this before. But the goal is for us to get the full picture of all of Zechariah chapter 12.
And so whoever would like to start reading, would you please go forward.
Mike's titled future deliverance of Jerusalem. This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord. This message is from the Lord who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of beer, and formed the human spirit. I believe Jerusalem is like an intoxic human drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day, I will eat Jerusalem an immovable rock
so that
all the nations will gather against it to try to move it, that they will only rip themselves.
That's in 3rd Floor.
So on that day, says the Lord, I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind the horses of her enemies. And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, the people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord Almighty, their God. Let me
to us.
On that day, Lake McLean's tuna.
From the VIP
planets of Judah like a plain that sets a wood pile of lathe, like a burning torch among the shelves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure. The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first before Jerusalem so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. On that day, the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem. The weakest among them will be mightiest in rebirth, and the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before them.
For on that day, I
will begin to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem.
Thank you. And
I will quorum spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me who may have pierced or mourn for him and for our only son. They will grieve bitterly for him and for what firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be to write the great mourning for Einadvert, on the Mount in the Valley Of Megiddo. All Israel will mourn each clan by itself and with the husbands separate from their wives.
The clan of David will warn alone at Asgull, the clan of Nathan, the clan of Levi, and the clan of
Yeah.
Each of the surviving clans from Judah will warn separately and with the husband separate from their wives.
Okay. To get the most out of any passage that we read Go ahead. Thank you. That we read this whole chapter, it's important to consider a couple of things. We talked about this story.
Who's writing? Who is he writing to? And in what context is he writing? Like, what time period? And so I don't have I don't have an expectation of you to know this, but just general broad stroke terms.
What do you know about the person of Zacharias? What do we know about him as an author? Being a prophet. He's a prophet, yep. And they are up.
The prophets are broken into two categories of prophets. What's one of the two categories? Minor. Minor profits and then the Major profits. Great.
So what category would Zapparoo fit into? Major or minor? He's a minor prophet. Why is he a minor prophet? Well, records that he was only about five foot three.
Oh, we'll say she's cheery.
I show
that. Nancy, I didn't even get a smirk at him.
Thank you, Lee, though.
Okay. It's like three pages. She's. I just think the orthopedic shoes I got might really help. That's not good shoe.
But I stand corrected.
That's like one. That's all the goodies.
Really a crinkled nose from Steve. King of the dead Jews. I don't need any blood. Alright. Okay, so we know that Zechariah was a minor prophet.
Great. Anything else we know about Zechariah? How about how about this? How about the genre of books that he wrote? Genre of of this particular book.
Eschatological. Which is a fancy term for times. End times. Yep. So that could be one.
I would say that's a subcategory of a bigger overarching category. You'll when somebody says, you'll be like, oh, yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Right.
Of course. But, yes, you are right, Amanda. I'm hearing right in the introduction. Said Zachary Reichardt was his her prophets of Isaiah. Woah.
Well, that is great little piece of information that helps us. And did you know that there's more information in the bible about Jesus's second coming than his first. Okay. I'm looking for the big literary genre. It is eschatological.
It is about the messiah. Sagittapi. Prophecy. Prophecy. Yes.
You're exactly right. So this book would fit into literary genre that we know of as prophecy. So, when we read Zechariah, the way that we get the most out of this book is by thinking through our our drawer of reader glasses, which our family is like it's, like, growing in probably what's the and you're like, okay. These okay. These are my prophecy glasses.
So as you read the book of Zechariah, it's important to understand what genre. So we know that Zechariah was a minor prophet. We know that he wrote the he wasn't sitting down and be like, Tim, I'd like to write in the literary style and theme of prophecy. He's just writing what the Lord puts on his heart. What he sees in the spirit, if you will.
And it happens to be prophecy. Now how about what time period or so, and yes, you can look in your introduction. What time period was Zachariah writing in? Not necessarily a date, but like, what was going on while Zachariah was writing these work? What do you know of?
And yes, Google can help you. But
she knows what.
So, this was actually the So they've been, yeah, exiled for their naughtiness and and, idol worship. And then the Lord and Sedalia has kept his province even though it's years later, and they got to return back to Jerusalem. I think it's around five twenty BC. No. 05/13?
Yeah. It? Oh, wait. It's 05/20. Yeah.
Suddenly, everybody's a bible cigar. I love it. A very squealty.
In, bit tempered, then solemnered, simple if they destroy, everyone is in exile, and they came back and they were, like,
hatching, beamed up, redoing. And here's something that's interesting about Zechariah. It is a remnant that returns from exile in Babylon. They have been in Babylonian captivity for about seventy years. A remnant is coming back.
A second temple is being built. Its lesser physical glory was nothing compared to its glory under King Solomon, the temple that was built. But the people are trying to regain traction in Israel and in Jerusalem, the time when they needed encouragement and exhortation and comfort and strength for that time period. But what does God decide he wants Zechariah to talk about instead? And you said it earlier.
A future time of the Messiah. This is a really important preliminary takeaway for us. Many of you have ever found yourself in the midst of a situation where you need comfort, strength, wisdom, direction, and you go to the Lord like, help me with this. And then God says, oh, actually, let's talk about this. And it's seemingly completely unrelated to what it is that you're going through and what it is that you need.
Has anybody ever experienced that? Yes. We literally have a a historical example. Israel is just trying to, like, find their feet again. And God's like, I wanna talk to you about something way, way, way in the future.
Now when we read biblical prophecy, here's something else that's important for us to know as we read biblical prophecy. Who it's written to and who is it for? It was written to Jews in that day. It was written to Jews for a coming generation in the future, unknown to them at this time. And it's written for us today to get a lot of spiritual and practical nutritional value out of.
And here's one of the things to consider with prophecy which makes it a challenging genre of literature to read is that there are multiple layers of truth and there are multiple layers of fulfillment. And when you hear somebody speak in such a way as that has already been fulfilled and is not relevant for us today, be careful. There is a chance that it has literally been fulfilled and we're like, wow, cool, check that box. But you have to remember that when looking at the genres of prophecy and there are, you can look through all of the 66 books in the Bible and you probably, if you were to guess which book is historical narrative, which book is, I heard Convers say earlier, Poet, which book is prophecy? You probably would do a pretty good job of like guessing, oh, this is a book of Although, books like the book of Jeremiah has some historical narrative because Jeremiah is like this happened, and then this happened, and this happened, and then I went and cried, and then I prayed, and then I saw this.
And it's like prophecy and historical narrative. So, like, you have to have, like, one lens of each. But when looking at the genre of prophecy, it's important to keep in mind that there could have been a fulfillment. There is a current unfolding and fulfillment, but then and also future fulfillment. And we've seen this in great like fictional works and in movies, foreshadowing and types and shadows.
And so when we look at the book of Zechariah, we can see some partial fulfillments, we can see some types and shadows that are intended to prepare and design our hearts and calibrate our minds so that when we see a literal fulfillment, we will be able to stand like Peter in the second chapter of Acts on the day of Pentecost when people said, look at these guys, they're drunk. And Peter is able to stand up and say, they're not drunk. It's ten in the morning. This that you see is that that the prophet Joel spoke about. And then he quotes Joel chapter two.
We want to be like Peter so that when we see events unfolding in the world around us, we will be able to say, this that you're seeking out here in the world is that that the Lord has been preparing us for in his word. Are you with me so far? I knew that you would be. So with that in mind, now let's just go down all the way into Zechariah chapter 12. And we just read all of Zechariah chapter 12.
The next question is, to whom is this passage for, meaning for to which generation is this passage? Go ahead.
Yeah, I feel strongly that it's for us. This evening at the time that we live in is, you know, with what's going on in the world in Israel,
it's very
encouraging. It helps us understand, Okay, I can get it based on on what is. So
as you read as specifically Zechariah chapter 12, because that's what we're talking about. As you see it, you're able to overlay Zechariah chapter 12 carefully and consider overlaying it on today's events. And your takeaway is that it gives you peace and confidence. Yes. Not that long ago.
Felt.
I think it's both the
end. Okay.
And the people that team would that were rebuilding the temple at the time. Building very strong. Okay.
Alright. Which is which fits perfectly with what I said earlier about prophecy, that it can have multiple layers with multiple fulfillments. Yep. And I know that you're not just saying that as a safe answer. It's both for the past, well, and the present, and the future.
Just get all the faces cut. Ado, what else do you see about to whom this generation this passage is written for or to? And do you have any clues in the text about to whom Zechariah is writing?
Perhaps this I'll check verse 10 written to the non Messianic Jews at the time
when the war's return. Leninism. Okay. Yeah. That's great.
I will pour out a spirit of grace prayer. So well, this would be a really fun work studying. Somebody might be able to, like, crank it up really quickly. But in chapter 12, how many times is a phrase used on that day? Now when you read on that day, that should cause a little alarm in your head to go off.
So what in that day? What? End times. Second. End times, and specifically, did you say second coming?
The second coming of Jesus. That is exactly right. It's known by a lot of different phrases. On that day, in that day, the great day, late day terrible day. It a bunch of different flavors to it, but the basic recipe is whenever you see in that day, you know that there is a strong likelihood that the author intends for us to cast our gaze to, as maybe our regret should say, end times or the second coming or the second advent of Jesus.
So this is written to the generation that's alive when
that happens. All right. That is a beautiful summary that you framed as the question. Yes. David will know people.
I'll just say it one more time because I think it's really valuable and it helps us to move forward in our conversation.
So, he's speaking to the people, the generation that are alive when that happens is what I mean. On that day. Because people that will see that on that day. Yes.
So, Joy, you are right. It is it was written for the exiles that had recently returned from captivity in Babylon to strengthen, encourage, and comfort them. And a greater or more vivid fulfillment of Zechariah chapter 12 is to yet be unfolding for us. So bottom line, when we read Zechariah chapter 12, it's for a day in the future. Yes.
I have a question. Yes. Just end of this chapter 12 and from first 12 down to the end, thy tongues, just right there it says, the wives will be by themselves. Why is that emphasizing the beauty? Oh, that's that's great.
Can does somebody have any thoughts or insight into that?
I couldn't hear.
Oh, okay.
Question is,
Zechariah chapter 12, it is mentioned several times that the women will be separate from the men. And this is where our Gentile brains get hung up. I don't understand. But a Jew, what war, if you've ever been to the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall in Jerusalem, you're like, yep. Makes sense.
So what? Warning the king and Yeah. Yeah.
Worn and captain mourn separately.
Yeah. Men and women, according to Jewish faith and tradition, they mourn separately. And if you were to go to the Western Mall at Jerusalem, there's half for the men and another section for the women. And so this is a an indication of formal, deep, sincere, contrite, heavy duty mourning? Looks
like a
good question. That's a fantastic question. It's interesting to note that directly before that, like, verse 11 is the, like, the great wine of the Haddad Ramon in the plane of Medigo, where it's like that is a full cultural as a people group type of mourning. And then you look at also, it goes deeper and 12 through the end, gets into that, like, mourning. That's why it talks about that separation.
Corporate national mourning all the way down to tribes, families, and individuals that when verse 10 unfolds, it will penetrate the hearts of the people nationally, religiously, the way down to an individual. For example, recently did The United States experience a devastating hurricane? Yes. Are we in The United States? Yes.
Did we experience it? No. But I like what you're pointing out, Connor, is that from the biggest macro all the way down to individuals, they will look upon one whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as for an old son. Okay. Let's look at verse two and three.
This is what I'd like us to focus on. And we talked about this several times. Let's try here. Verse two. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations staggered when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah.
And then verse three, on that day, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All of the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only curse themselves. How about from this passage, and it's up here on the screen. I'm not necessarily looking for you to draw any kind of deep spiritual conclusions yet, but how about just some observations that you notice about the text? Listen.
Oh, there's that. There's that preacher. There are so many fun idiosyncrasies of the TNC. The ice in the It's all the slides. You're can you use your dog?
You keep touching the nose. Or
If I knew you.
Be down about this, not about that. Right. No. I just say we should try it off.
It is easy. Pretty stylish.
Happy to just sit here and trim it. I'm praying. Yes.
It's kind of obscure, but when I think, or when I see a movable rod, I just immediately think of in Jerusalem, Jaw Open Rock, because that's such a special spot. Again, probably if you're not relevant, but I because that's where they believe that Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac. And then the Muslims believe that's where,
we all but not with lessened of,
you know, so it's like a very spiritual, special spot. So, that's what I think of. The words like, man, that's my rock. I'll do it.
Okay. So let me help to explain and clarify what you just said. So you said the Of The Rock. The Dome Of Rock is a structure on top of what would be considered by many people to be, the the flat level courtyard area where the temple once stood. The Temple Mount, some people think he could say is.
On the Temple Mount, that is a holy Jewish site, there is a building with a dome on it that was constructed by Muslims that enshrines inside a big rock, like a big boulder. And so they call it the Dome Of The Rock. So what you're not saying is the dome of the rock is the immovable rock, but what you're seeing is the rock inside the dome of the rock. That's what it means to you, Right? Yes?
Okay. Hard to learn. So not the building on top, then before I realize it's the big boulder, but the big boulder. And really, the big boulder, all you can see is just kind of the top of it. You you go inside and you're like
so much character to give something that other people are putting value on. And he's like, I'm gonna do what I've been to.
I'm going to do. And then he eventually shows to see, you know. I love it. What else do you see? These two verses show the street of Jerusalem.
Okay. And how in what way would you see? Well, being happy, he said, and make them so strong that people are to hurt themselves when they try to come against. And that the street of Jerusalem wakes up the animal to defend itself. Okay.
What stands out to me
is those words intoxicating threat.
I think that in saying that, he's trying to say what he really jealous and then watchers and just blackening and talk. I don't know what it is. Mean, Hebrew, but we're not really stood up to you from the elders. Now would be a good time to consider, just like you said, Lee, overlay what we read in the Bible with events that we see unfolding in the world around us.
So, we gave an opportunity. The significance of the immovable rust is Jerusalem will not be destroyed, period.
It
will not be. So that's encouraging for me this season and time, but I'm sure it was encouraging to the Hebrews at that time when Zechariah spoke that Jerusalem, it ain't going away
no matter what. What about the Jews reading this in sixty nine AD, the year before Rome sapped Jerusalem and literally razed the temple and Jerusalem? We have to, we have to hold these things in a little bit of tension because it's prudent and wise. But tell me more about Jerusalem. Are you talking about the city?
Are you talking about the idea? Are you talking about the people?
To me, it's like, okay, the buildings are destroyed, so what? Okay, it's the Spirit, for lack of a better term. Sure. It's the Spirit of Jerusalem. That's the power.
It's something, I don't know, flirting from heaven. I don't know. But whatever it does, it isn't going to go right. Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. I like it. Thanks. What else?
I see contrast, both similarities between the way Jerusalem is being stripe here in the way. And she that's husband strived after rock, faints, a rock who was stumbling that, you know, the dead minds hurt himself, harmed. Well, I get snow peens for this,
but honey,
by anybody. Son, that's let's let's let's let's look at that. She says, I see a similarity between Jerusalem and Jesus. That in the same way that that God made Jesus like an immovable rock that the dirty devil tried to kick out of the way but only ended up throwing his own back out. Exactly.
How striking happened?
Yeah. Do we have any bible verses that you can look up that supports that?
Well, how about when Jesus said, you know, you can tear this place down within three days.
Oh, no.
Restore it. There's gotta be some significance there or some relationship.
I love it. I love it. Which which goes back to, and is a hyperlink to what to your answer, the question that I asked about what and who is Jerusalem.
Oh, yeah.
That it's bigger, Jerusalem is bigger than the geographical boundaries of a city.
Correct.
There's more to this idea or theme of Jerusalem than just a place with a zip code. And
could there be a significance to that geographical location that's like the Lord said, God said, this is mine forever. Whether there's a building there or not, it's it's mine. It's mine. The geography.
I heard somebody once say that God is a territorial being. That that there are defined boundaries of heaven. There are defined boundaries spoken of about the New Jerusalem. There are areas, terrestrial areas on planet Earth that he has put his finger on and said this is mine.
Yeah. I'll be merrier.
I want to I want to I want to stay grounded in scripture because although that we historically at the foundation of our nation committed this nation as one nation under God. I want to confine our conversation to biblical scriptural base because I don't see America in the Bible at all. Yeah. I think that I think that we can, and sometimes perhaps not, stretch beyond the bounds of of scripture that that we can be like, why? I I must see The United States in there.
Speaking, there is a time in Ezekiel, maybe '38 or '39, where this man of lawlessness sets his sight on Israel and The Holy Land and the people of the covenant. But it says that hits from Parshish, which is basically like like west, west, west, come against him and say, not so fast. Could that be a naval blockade from The United States that deter him? I don't know. But I just want I want us to be careful.
We as a nation, a founding of our nation, said, Lord, we give you this land in our hearts. God's like, that is so awesome. I love you. I'll bless you. And she has great amazing things for us as a nation still.
For the purpose of our conversation, I wanna try to stay confined to the text. Yeah. But he has clearly put his finger on Israel and Jerusalem. My people, my holy mountain, my city, the city where my name was. Now let's overlay what we're reading in all of Zechariah 12 and specifically verse two and three over Purnitans that we see unfolding today.
What parallels or connections do you see your case you make?
We already see how tourism is like an intoxicating drink. Everybody it's a real contentious topic everywhere across the world for Southeast Asia. Like, why would that be? You know? And everybody wants that land for some reason as well.
Mhmm. So, I mean, I think people just have this feeling of some source that they want Israel.
Yeah. Well, even since the formation of it, like, officially being, like, the nation of Israel, like, historically, there's been so many people, like, I'm with the He said, like, try to go. But since it was, like, I mean, the first week, you know, like, that it was an actual, like, okay. This is your place. Like, we've seen it besieged and all sorts of RVs all around coming after it.
Perhaps the most highly contested piece of dirt Yep. On this planet of ours. And I don't know. Richard and Jacob having been there this time about this time last year Exactly. Time last year.
Could sense and seal the tension of being pulled by a lot of different nations, cultures, and peoples and histories wanting to claim it. And and I would say too, like, when I look at
verse two and I see Jerusalem and Judah, in my brain, that just signals that it's talking about Jerusalem, but it's also talking about the people. Right. Judah to me represents the people. And and we see historically the people, the Jewish people consistently being targeted for no reason.
Like, even before they simply than that they are Right. Jewish.
Right. Even before they had land.
So we're talking now
about them as because it's the land, but it was before they even had the land. Mhmm. Yeah. So it's been through our history. And as I read all of Zechariah 12, the warning is to those people who are against the Jews because God will not stand for that.
He will. So you better be careful if you're not for the Jews.
Brian, you know, when
during this time, there was Israel and Judah. There was like, I
ended that Mhmm.
Back together. So Ron came in, conquered the northern shell. So is this Judah the land? Is this Israel and Judah
ripping south? So so according to the allotment from Moses from the coming of Sinai, the different tribes got their allotment of legion. So Judah, the tribe of Judah, had a section like you get Lincoln County. Ain't that true thing? You know?
So I think that's part of what you're referring to. But the northern and southern kingdoms, Lord, really never unified again as tribes until the the United Nations recognized and established the nation of Israel. And when you read Jerusalem and Judah, I think you might not have heard it too well, I think Gretchen beautifully pointed out that there's a geographical spot, the land, Israel, and the people of Judah. I don't know if that helped to Good to change. Yeah.
Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. So they're at the same rate.
So that that's why
I was Iraq.
They're not north.
Jerusalem was in the land of allotment given to the tribe of Judah? Yes. I
also I see a lot of peace perverse in verse three right now. Like, we live in such a where we're seeing the nation coming against Israel and we try to move it, know, just being drunk like that intoxicating drink. But but they will only drink themselves. And so in a time where we could get spiral into anxiety about what's going on over there and start to think, oh, what is about to now? We have this promise that if we really believe the Bible, then they're only gonna hurt those up.
There are people that get hurt. It's not that nobody's hurting, but but just in, like, big picture, you know, now we can be assured that God is their own control, that he will protect,
you
know, the people on the land, and that, when we find ourselves spinning out in anxiety about how that's gonna affect everything, we can actually be at peace and know we already know the energy.
Right.
Boss. Just out of crazy lies. Well, I'll go to the tribe. Pretty sure. Yeah.
I'm just maybe it's yours. All of that persecution, everything is behind them.
If we're talking about today, there's already,
you know, a a light ahead. Well,
it I mean, because I'm looking at the end
picture, not in going to the end times to the end which because all men and you
know, it's not just Jew. It's Gentile.
It's up here. In rare But I just kind of feel like all the things that have happened to the Jews from day one are sort of
done and over with and more moving towards something much greater, whichever I come to live and I
verse I'll let it. Ask ask my friend Jacob or Sherry that live in Vet Cheyenne or Embargo, they do dry humpy. Right now, like,
little stitches and, yeah, like,
how do you do it right now? Like, it's getting brighter, They they certainly wouldn't. And we can see in big picture. Big picture from the text, can read in Jeremiah chapter 30 or 31 that there is a time coming known by the Jews as a time of Jacob's trouble. As Gentiles and Christians, we understand that from Luke 21 and Matthew chapter 24 as a time of tribulation.
Seven in book of Daniel talks about the man of lawlessness will make a covenant with the people. And then Daniel says, like in his cryptic way, times, a certain times, and a half a times, but then halfway through that, we'll break it. There will be a peace accord made with Israel that will last about that's inked down in paper for seven years. Half way through, as part of a provision maybe a third temple will be rebuilt, I don't know. Half way through, the temple sacrifices will be stopped and there will be a more intense wave of persecution against Israel unlike has ever happened and unfolded in the history of persecution against Israel.
To make the holocaust look like a walk in the park, that was only 6,000,000 Jews across Europe. That's still yet to come. That is still yet to come. God will use that for the chastisement of Israel and the exposing of the hearts and attitudes of the nations of the world, of their attitude towards Israel. Think of this intoxicating dream almost like a a truth serum.
Everyone
must drink from the cup of Israel. It is a stone in all of our pep. Will it provoke you to rage, inadequacy, or trying to delete Israel? Now they had their chance. Or does it cause a change in your heart?
Well, it says, I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All of the nations will gather against to try to move it, but they will ultimately hurt themselves. When we overlay that today, who attacked Israel on October 7? Hamas.
Hamas. Terrorist group based out of the Gaza Strip who also has a political faction to their terrorist organization because the Palestinians living in Gaza ever since 1946 when the nation of Israel was created, what about the Palestinians? What about the Palestinians? We want our own place. We want our place.
Our own place there was given to them the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under Israeli supervision and through suicide bombings, stabbings of civilians, bombings of Sbarro pizza places, continuous raids on Israeli citizens. We want our own state. We want our own state. We want our own state. Israel said, okay, fine.
Unilaterally, unilaterally pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Here you go. Hamas, a terrorist organization, seized control and rewarded Israel by pulling out in 2005 with more bombings, border attacks, terrorist activity, and we see the single biggest terrorist battle in 2007, most of a year ago, had it. Yes, what did I just say?
2007.
Oh, yes, there's a fact. 10/07/2003, Prayshur, thank you. Biggest terrorist attack from Hamas. Coming to remove the the rock of Israel from the river to the sea. Palestine will be free.
Push the nation of Israel into the ocean, and then we'll be free.
Ephesians, just silly enough, the
what they called the mission for October 7 was the name of the Dome Of The Rock. Al Aqsa, Day of Freedom. And Al Aqsa is the mosque, not the Dome Of The Rock, but a mosque situated right near there. Exactly right. So what happened to Hamas as a result of their terrorist attack on citizens of Israel.
What was the end result of Hamas? We got hurt. They were literally ground into dust.
And just to add to that, even Hamas, Hezbollah, and and the Fouthis, Israel is, like you said, grinding them into dust, but ultimately, this destroying is free Iran. That because they're they're the source of all of this and yeah. So
so it is commonly known that Hamas fights Israel as a proxy Yes. For the country of the Iranian regime.
Yep.
Hamas has been reduced to dust at the unfortunate cost of some collateral damage of Palestinians. Wreck. Regrets. Heartbreaking. So it is Hamas who chooses to set up their mortars and their rockets in schools.
They have a basement, hospitals, on the balconies of homes, in parks where embedded within the citizens of the nation or of the people of of Gaza. Hamas tries to remove Jerusalem, and they throw their back out in the midst of okay. So let me ask you this. What happened October 8? October 7, Hamas attacked Israel.
What happened October 8? Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets into murdered Israel. As thinking that while they are being distracted and the nation of Israel is focused on Gaza and in Southern Israel, Hezbollah thought this is our chance and they just took a big old drink causing them to become intoxicated thinking that now is their chance with their enemy being distracted. They could attack and take out Israel. How successful has Hosfullah from Lebanon been?
No. Not. I
think the greatest illustration of verse three is last week, Iran launched hundreds of missiles into Israel. And who was hurt?
One One Palestinian. Israel is fighting a a seven front war right now. You don't see this necessarily on Baghdad, and the Sikhsim. They're fighting Hamas in the South, Hezbollah to the North. They're fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Do you know that the United States Navy just this week sent guided missiles to take out strategic targets in Yemen? The United States Navy is landing missiles in Yemen to keep seaports open in the Gulf Of Akaban. Yemen has launched missiles against Israel. They're fighting, Syria, Iraq. We talked that Hezbollah was an honor.
Iran. And then the the seventh front of this seven front war is the avalanche, the flood of anti Semitic propaganda against Israel. Everyone must drink from the cup. The question is what effect and impact does it have on you? Does does drinking from the cup of Israel cause you to be more sober?
Or does it cause you to reel my drunkenness and to lose your footing? Remember when the soldiers came to to arrest Jesus in the Garden Of Gethsemane God. In the Gospel of John. And they they said, Where's this Jesus? Jesus stepped on and said, I am ze.
And it says, They just fell down. I can just picture like, you know, like moving special attack. Good stuff, stuff, stuff. Kid lost their footing. I would say too, like, being over there, and
I would encourage anybody to go, like, sitting here thinking about intro about everyone's going is a different feeling than being there. And when you're there there's this heaviness of there's just a spiritual heaviness like I've never felt before in my life. When you're there you have all these people praying in this one place Arabs, Jews and they really only have three people. Have Arabs, Jews and Christians is what they consider their group. Okay so if you're not Christian from America you're an Arab or you're a Jew you know that's really their sex but for the most part there's this heaviness that I've never felt before.
And should you feel that heaviness, you do start to it's almost like a drunken feeling. It's almost like, even for me as a Christian, having these same beliefs about Israel,
it
was still hard for me to process. I had a lot of emotions and feelings about Israel being there. And it's like some was anger, some was disappointment, some was regret. And so it's easy to sit here and think about it, but when you're there and realize what they're going through and being in that region, which has definitely has some spiritual significance, just being in that land has spiritual significance. But feeling the emotions and they weren't all good emotions.
There was some negative emotions against Israel being in Israel. I don't know why. That heaviness that came on through the spiritual forces and the battles that's going on there spiritually that we don't understand here in America. It's a different feeling. It's a different thing.
So I guess it's one thing to look at it as from a brand point of view, like we see these different countries coming against Israel. But when you're there, you understand it's pressure from all sides. It's the whole grain is like pushing against Israel, you know, and you feel it spiritually, feel it in the air when you're there. So I would encourage you to go there if you ever get a chance and you can and just feel it. We'll try to
book a new win in 2025.
We'll go. Great. We'll go. Yeah. We'll go up to next.
We'll probably we'll roll out details in January. We'll go on 2025. Torrent, a couple of quick takeaways as we start to land the plane. There will be a real power, the the most vibrant fulfillment of Zachariah chapter 12 on that day, which means when Jesus returns. When Jesus returns, the nation of Israel will recognize him as their Messiah.
I believe because he will descend back to planet earth in a similar manner that God descended on Mount Sinai. Every Jew understands and remembers the story of God coming down to visit with Moses and the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. I believe that Jesus will return to planet earth within our generation in a similar manner that will be unmistakable. And he will then lead an army to liberate Israel, to rescue refugees that have been out in the desert seeking asylum. Maybe in the wilderness of Jordan, Rauphetra.
They they call it the land of Edom back in the bible. Yes. And then he will lead those people to retake with mean, it's kinda hard to imagine, but just trying to paint some accurate F sixteen, F thirty five grand years, a burped, tangents, men and women, and millions of saints who've resurrected bodies, I don't know what that's gonna be like to retake the city of Jerusalem where the Antichrist has set up the abomination that causes desolation in the temple. It will defeat the antichrist and his armies. And on that day, verse six, I'll make the claims of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze, like a burning torch on bombshells of rain.
They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure. I will give victory to the rest of Judah before Jerusalem so that the people of Jerusalem and the oil of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. On that day, the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem. The weakest among you will be as mighty as King David, that there will be a retaking as Jesus leads, recent captives in his thing to retake the city of Jerusalem. And once the city of Jerusalem has been retaken and, and everybody's, and Israelis are done beating their chests, and we're like, we did it, we did it.
They're gonna look back at the commander of the liberating forces of this man, Jesus who has returned to me like, My my gosh, you're more than just a brilliant ground force commander. You're more than a, oh god, you are asleep. And they will collectively have a a memory of the ones that make you pierce. And be like, Bye. Then they stagger and breathe,
but then more.
To land the plane, the goal of today's conversation is to fill our hearts with hope. I know that whatever it is that you may be going through right now, today, it could seem as though this topic of conversation really far just to remove, like how does that help me find a job by the end of October? Right? How does this help me climb out of debt that I'm in? How does this help knowing this?
Does this help to repair my marriage? Like, like, I understand that you're going through very real and practical things right now. But in the same way that Zechariah was speaking to the remnant that had returned from Israel and were looking for hope and comfort. And God said, well here's what I want to talk about. In a similar way, bring whatever it is that you're going through to him and listen to his heart speak to you about what's on his mind to your heart, Israel, and a coming day of freedom, redemption, vindication, and a season where we will just as you said that you didn't celebrate and be at peace and be be at the light at the end of the tunnel.
Amen. And in fact, God has a really quirky annual family tradition where he invites his people, his family,
to
go camping for a week. Where they can set aside all of the stuff and the things and the busyness and go camping with Him, like literally camping with Him where we can rest and rejoice in His goodness and in his provision and in his promise that he's gonna make everything work out and that all we need is just him. When you're camping, Nancy, you don't have your bedroom, you know, your pediatric plus napstress. What's it called? Contemporary masks, just get to the like, like part of the beauty of camping is you just strip down to this simplicity.
And so Jews know that God, family tradition of the Lord as Sukkot, and last year our tribe really celebrated Sukkot by going camping for a whole week. And that holiday fell from like a Sunday to a Friday. This year it falls on like a Wednesday through next Wednesday. So, do you have that that picture on that calendar? You can see here Wednesday, October 16, calendar Saturday at Zainzema.
No, that's October. October. So like coming up really soon. Yeah. It's coming up really soon.
We are going to, as a tribe family, for anybody that can, we're going to go camping for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then Saturday night we break camp and come home. And here's what a lot of people did last year. They, if you have a camper, you can park in there. We have a tent, you can set it up, or if you're a kid in your band or whatever, people would just come come down to where we're camping after work, and then just we'd be together. Some people had to get up early to go and work.
Some people could stay like that old time, like Clay loved it, you know, just stayed out there a couple of times with his little kids server and many stuff. How don't you miss this one? Oh you miss this one. Eventually he had standing down. Oh well.
Next week, next week we'll give you better instructions about where we're going to be, but last year we were up Little Granite Creek. This year we'll also be up Little Granite Creek. There's little to no sales from this up there, as you probably know, but if you can come each night, if you can come for like, like all of those days, probably what we'll do is set up a camp down there, and then during the day we have appointments and meetings and things, we go do our working. But then we'll come back down in the evening, we'll have dinner together, whatever you're bringing down to cook, and I'm like, see how you all every night, but I certainly might have some European eats. We'll try and and breakfast, and then come back up to your normal work.
And we'll talk a little bit more about this next week. But when do you read when you read Zechariah chapter 12, and especially verse two, verse three. We talk about sober October. This is a month to pray deeply of sobriety, to have a double head on your shoulders about what's unfolding in Israel, to know to not be thrown off by a false narrative that will cause you to stagger and reel and fall down, but to be sober on God's truth. What does he say about Israel?
What does he say about the land? What does he say about the people? That though the land perhaps could trouble and suffer, his finger is still on it, and there's something about the land and the people and his covenant that he would never forsake. And knowing that, we can anticipate and look forward to Sukkot, which is when we get to dwell with him in simplicity and in completeness. So no matter what you're going through, if it feels like you are under attack on multiple different fronts, Hold your ground.
Hold your breath. It's the enemy that will throw his back out.
So, Lord, help us. Yes.
Help us to think rightly about Israel. Help us to to think rightly about your truth. No matter what we're going through, help us to to have a supernatural understanding that your finger is on our lives. May that any rocket lobbed against us will just fall into the sea, keep fall on unpopulation areas. We thank you that your spirit hovers over our lives like an iron dome protecting us.
I really Comfort us in the very just where we're going to, and, Lord, we pray specifically for Israel. We will protect the people of Israel, Cookers. Will you get the wisdom and prudence? And, ultimately, that that they would have their eyes open to look upon one of their heads pierced. Heal their blindness, heal their brokenness.
And, Lord, we pray for the remaining hostages that are still being held in captivity. They're being used as human shields to protect leader of Hamas Semler somewhere in total. Be with them. Protect. We pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen. Stand up, and I'll pray for you. Lord Jesus, I command a blessing. Hold our triumphant family. Give us a great week.
Fill our freezers full of meat. Look at what you said. Fill. Help us to enjoy this beautiful fall weather. We pray in Jesus' name, the strong Son of God.
And everybody said it. Amen. Amen. It's fine. Stay sober.
I love you very much. You have a great piece of her.
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