Commentary - Zechariah 14:9-11

Bird's-eye view

This portion of Zechariah's final oracle describes the glorious and visible triumph of the Messianic kingdom in the wake of the judgment executed upon old covenant Jerusalem. This is not a prophecy about the end of the space-time universe, but rather the end of the old covenant age, which culminated in the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. With that rival altar removed, the reign of Jesus Christ over all the earth becomes manifest. The prophecy moves from the universal declaration of Christ's exclusive kingship to the specific exaltation and security of His people, the true Jerusalem, which is the Church. The language is apocalyptic and symbolic, depicting a great leveling of all earthly rivals and a corresponding elevation of God's holy city. The curse of the old covenant is lifted, and the people of God are established in a permanent, unshakeable security.

The central theme is the universalization of God's kingdom. Formerly, Yahweh's name was uniquely associated with one nation and one city. But "in that day", the era of the new covenant, His rule is openly declared over every nation, tribe, and tongue. The transformation of the landscape is a powerful metaphor for the humbling of all human pride and institutions before the majesty of King Jesus. Jerusalem, in this context, is not the physical city in Palestine but the spiritual city, the bride of Christ, which is made preeminent and secure. The promise that there will be no more "devotion to destruction" signifies the end of the herem, the holy war and the covenant curse that characterized the old order, and the beginning of a lasting gospel peace.

Outline

Context In Zechariah

Zechariah 14 is the climactic chapter of the entire book, the second of two great "burdens" or oracles that began in chapter 12. This final vision describes "the day of the Lord," a period of intense judgment and subsequent salvation. The preceding verses detail a great battle against Jerusalem, the striking of the Shepherd, and the scattering of the sheep, prophecies that Jesus Himself applied to His passion (Matt 26:31). The events of this chapter, therefore, are best understood as flowing directly from the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. The judgment described is the covenantal judgment that fell upon first-century Jerusalem for rejecting her Messiah, an event which Jesus repeatedly stated would come upon "this generation." The glory that follows is the establishment and expansion of the New Covenant church, the true Jerusalem, in the wake of that judgment. This passage is the triumphant conclusion, showing the ultimate result of the Messiah's work: a kingdom that fills the whole earth.

Key Issues

The Kingdom Comes

One of the central errors in modern eschatology is the failure to recognize that the kingdom of God has already come. Jesus began His ministry by announcing that the kingdom was "at hand." He taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come." And after His resurrection, He declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. The prophecies of Zechariah 14 are not about a future kingdom that will suddenly appear after a secret rapture. They are about the kingdom that was inaugurated at Christ's first coming and was fully established in power when the old covenant scaffolding was dismantled in A.D. 70. "In that day" refers to this entire gospel age. The Lord is King. His name is one. The church is the exalted city of God. This is not a future hope in the sense of something that has not yet begun; it is a present reality that is growing and advancing through the proclamation of the gospel, destined to fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Verse by Verse Commentary

9 And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; in that day Yahweh will be the only one, and His name one.

This is the cornerstone declaration of the new covenant age. Of course, Yahweh has always been sovereign over all the earth in His providential rule. But this verse speaks of His redemptive rule, His acknowledged reign as King. Before Christ, Yahweh was known as the God of Israel. The gods of the nations were rivals, however illegitimate. But "in that day," the day of the gospel, this changes. Through the Great Commission, the exclusive claim of Yahweh, revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, is proclaimed to all nations. The result is that He becomes King over all the earth in a manifest way. The second clause clarifies the first. "Yahweh will be the only one, and His name one." This is a direct assault on all forms of polytheism and syncretism. There are not many paths to God. There is one God, and He has one name by which men must be saved, the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The gospel is monarchical and monopolistic. It does not tolerate rivals. This prophecy is being fulfilled now as the gospel conquers the nations and displaces every false god.

10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and inhabit its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.

This is apocalyptic geography, not literal civil engineering. The prophet is using the landscape of Judah to paint a spiritual reality. The land being leveled into a plain signifies the humbling of all human opposition to God's kingdom. Every mountain and hill, every proud human institution, every rival kingdom, every lofty philosophy, will be brought low before the advancing kingdom of Christ (Isa 40:4). In stark contrast to this great leveling, Jerusalem alone will be exalted. It will "rise and inhabit its site." This is the Church of Jesus Christ, the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. While the world is flattened, the Church is raised up, secure and established. The specific gates and towers mentioned are meant to convey completeness and security. From north to south, from east to west, the entire city is secure and fully inhabited. This is a picture of the spiritual security and integrity of the people of God, who are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone.

11 And people will inhabit it, and there will no longer be anything devoted to destruction, for Jerusalem will be inhabited in security.

The promise of habitation is a promise of life and fruitfulness. The Church will not be a desolate ruin, but a teeming city. But the most glorious promise is the second one: "there will no longer be anything devoted to destruction." The Hebrew word is herem, which refers to the ban, the curse, the holy war in which an enemy was utterly devoted to God for destruction, as Jericho was. This curse was a central feature of the old covenant order. Israel itself was under threat of being devoted to destruction if it broke the covenant, a threat which was finally realized upon the apostate generation of the first century. But in the New Jerusalem, the Church, that curse is lifted forever. Why? Because Christ became a curse for us (Gal 3:13). He was "devoted to destruction" on the cross in our place. Therefore, for those who are in Him, there is no more condemnation, no more herem. The result is the final clause: "Jerusalem will be inhabited in security." The security of the Church is not based on its own strength, but on the finished work of Christ who absorbed the curse. Our peace is not a temporary truce; it is an eternal security purchased by blood.

Application

This passage should fill every Christian with a rugged, optimistic confidence. Our King reigns. His name is currently conquering the globe, and one day every knee will bow to it. We are not fighting a losing battle. We are citizens of an invincible city that is being exalted as all its rivals are being brought to nothing. The world around us may appear to be a jumble of mountains and chaotic topography, but God sees it as a plain that is already leveled before the feet of His Son.

Therefore, we must live as citizens of this exalted city. We must not be intimidated by the apparent size of the mountains of unbelief. They are slated for demolition. We must not fear for the security of the Church. Her walls are salvation and her gates are praise. She is secure not because of our clever programs or political maneuvering, but because the curse that was due to her was taken by her King. Our task is to live in this security, to joyfully proclaim the name of our King, and to invite the nations to come and find refuge within the city whose builder and maker is God. We must reject all fear and pessimism, for it is a denial of the victory that Christ has already won. The Lord is King over all the earth, and that settles that.