Commentary - Zechariah 14:6-8

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Zechariah's prophecy, we are presented with a picture of what Scripture calls "the Day of the Lord." This is apocalyptic language, and we must be careful not to read it with 21st-century newspaper headlines in mind. This is not about the end of the space-time universe, but rather the end of an age, a decisive historical judgment and transition point. Specifically, this points to the momentous events surrounding the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the subsequent judgment on the old covenant order, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This "Day" is a time of great upheaval, a kind of de-creation followed by a glorious re-creation. The old lights go out, and a new kind of light, a new kind of day, dawns. And from the center of God's new work, Jerusalem, a river of life begins to flow out to the entire world. This is the gospel age, the age of the Spirit.

So, the prophet describes a day that is utterly unique, known only to God. It is a day that overturns the natural order of things, a day of twilight that ends in brilliant light. This is followed by the image of living waters flowing out from Jerusalem, a picture of the unceasing, life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit, unleashed upon the world as a result of Christ's finished work. This is the gospel going out to the nations, transforming everything it touches, in every season.

Outline

Context In Zechariah

Zechariah 14 is the culmination of the second "burden" or oracle that began in chapter 12. The entire section deals with the future of Jerusalem and the people of God. The preceding verses describe a great battle for Jerusalem, where Yahweh Himself intervenes to fight for His people. This is covenant lawsuit language. God is coming to judge and to save. The language is dramatic and world-altering because the events it describes truly are world-altering. The coming of the Messiah, His rejection by the leaders in Jerusalem, His crucifixion, and His ultimate victory are the pivot point of all human history. This passage, then, is not an isolated, bizarre prediction, but the climax of God's dealings with old covenant Israel and the inauguration of the new covenant kingdom that will fill the earth.

Key Issues

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 6 And it will be in that day, that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle.

The phrase "in that day" points us to a specific time of God's intervention, what the prophets consistently call the Day of the Lord. This is a day of judgment and salvation. The language here is that of cosmic upheaval, but it is standard prophetic language for the fall of kingdoms and the changing of ages. When Babylon fell, the stars were said to have withdrawn their shining (Is. 13:10). When God judged Egypt, He said He would cover the sun with a cloud (Ezek. 32:7). So when Zechariah says there will be no light and the luminaries will dwindle, he is prophesying the end of the old covenant world. The "luminaries" here are the ruling structures of Israel: the temple, the priesthood, the sacrificial system. All the lights that guided the people in the old era are about to go out. Think of the sky on Good Friday, when darkness covered the land from the sixth to the ninth hour. The great light of Israel, their Messiah, was being extinguished, and with Him, the entire system He came to fulfill was being brought to its appointed end.

v. 7 And it will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh, neither day nor night, but it will be that at evening time there will be light.

This is not a day like any other. It is a "unique day," one of a kind. God alone knows its full dimensions. The description "neither day nor night" captures the period between Christ's first and second comings, but more specifically, it describes the tumultuous transition from the old covenant to the new. It was a time of confusion and upheaval. The cross was a moment of profound darkness, yet it was the place of ultimate victory. The resurrection was a dawn unlike any other. For the first few decades of the church, the temple still stood, the old system co-existed with the new reality in Christ. It was neither fully day nor fully night. But the promise is that this twilight will not end in darkness. At "evening time," when all hope would seem to be lost, "there will be light." When the sun of the old covenant world finally set with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, the light of the gospel did not go out. Rather, it began to shine in its fullness. The evening of the old world was the morning of the new. Christ, the Light of the World, had come, and His light shines in the darkness.

v. 8 And it will be in that day, that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.

"In that day" again refers to this new era inaugurated by Christ. The result of the strange twilight day is not just light, but life. "Living waters" is a potent biblical symbol for the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself picks up this language in John 7, declaring that from the heart of the believer will flow rivers of living water, which John tells us He spoke concerning the Spirit. This prophecy began its fulfillment on the day of Pentecost. From Jerusalem, the city that had just crucified the Lord of Glory, the Holy Spirit was poured out. This is the ultimate divine irony and grace. The river of life flows from the very place of death.

This river flows in two directions, toward the "eastern sea" (the Dead Sea) and the "western sea" (the Mediterranean). This is symbolic of the gospel going out to the whole world, to the Jews and to the Gentiles, to every nation, tribe, and tongue. And it is a constant, unceasing flow. "It will be in summer as well as in winter." The grace of God in the gospel is not a seasonal creek that dries up. It is a mighty, perennial river. It is not dependent on circumstances or seasons. In times of drought and in times of plenty, in times of persecution and in times of peace, the life-giving Spirit flows out from the true Jerusalem, the church of Jesus Christ, to bring life to the dead places of the world.

Application

The end of one world is the beginning of another. The language of cosmic collapse here should not make us fear for the planet, but rather should make us marvel at the significance of what Christ accomplished. He brought an entire world order to an end and established a new one. The old lights of ritual and ceremony have dwindled, and Christ Himself is our light. We are not living in a confusing twilight; we are children of the day. The evening has come, and the light is here.

Furthermore, we are the beneficiaries of this mighty river of life. The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and this is not just a historical fact, but a present reality. The same living water that flowed from Jerusalem on Pentecost flows from the throne of God and the Lamb today. This means that the central reality of our age is not decay, decline, or death. The central reality is an ever-flowing, life-giving river. Our task is to be channels of that river. The gospel we possess is a potent, world-transforming force. It brings life to dead seas and refreshment to parched lands. It flows in summer and winter. Therefore, we should not be seasonal Christians. Our witness, our joy, our obedience should be as constant as the flow of this river, because it is this river that is our source.