Chapter Fourteen

1–5. The last assault of the pagans on Jerusalem, the manifestation of the Lord and the granting to the survivors after the city’s defeat of a miraculous means of salvation. 6–11. A change in the order of world life and the reign of the Lord over all the earth; the significance of Jerusalem as the central, elevated point above the entire surrounding area. 12–19. The final defeat of the peoples who warred against Jerusalem; the conversion of the pagans and the punishment of those persisting in unbelief. 20–21. The coming of a time of universal sanctification.

Zechariah 14:1. Behold, a day of the Lord is coming, and your plunder will be divided in your midst. Zechariah 14:2. And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle; the city shall be taken, the houses plundered, and the women violated; and half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. In chapter XIV, in its opening verses, the thoughts of Zech 14:7-9 from the previous chapter are developed in greater detail. There will come a day for the revelation of God’s power and justice and for the final testing of the remaining third part of the Jews, when Jerusalem shall become the prey of enemies before the eyes of the defeated who control their own property. All nations will gather for war against Jerusalem; the captured city will be plundered, women will be violated, and half the population will go into captivity; however, the destruction will not be universal and final: part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will survive.

Zechariah 14:3. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when He fights on a day of battle. Zechariah 14:4. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Zechariah 14:5. And the valley of the Lord’s mountains shall be blocked, for the valley of the mountains shall extend to Azal; yes, it shall be blocked just as it was blocked because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. Then the Lord, the defender of His people, will go forth against His enemies and will fight them Himself, as He did many times before, miraculously striking down those who rose against Israel. Moreover, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be given a means of salvation through flight. The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is located to the east of Jerusalem; the mountain will be split (according to Theodoret, p. 122, the mountain will divide into four parts) in the direction from east to west, so that those seeking salvation can easily escape from the enemies fighting against Jerusalem through the valley formed between the two halves of the mountain. Azal (Synodal version), or Azel (Venetus version)—a settlement to the east of the Mount of Olives; but some understand el’azal in the sense of “near,” “beside” (Cyril, p. 206; Jerome, p. 170; Keil, pp. 649–650; Kohl, Zach. 9–14, pp. 255–257). The flight in its speed will remind one of the well-known fact of flight from the earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah (Amos 1:1; Alliati, II, 1094, 2). In this miraculous defense of God’s people against enemies, the Lord will appear surrounded by angelic hosts.

Zechariah 14:6. On that day there will be no light, no cold and no frost. Zechariah 14:7. It shall be a unique day, known to the Lord, neither day nor night; but at evening time there shall be light. Then there will also be a change in the order of world life: the distinction between day and night will disappear, the heavenly bodies will cease to give their light; or else—the usual order of the alternation of day and night will be completely changed; there will be no light during the day, but it will appear in the evening (Keil, p. 651). Marti explains jom ‘eshadh (literally “a unique day”) in the sense of a day not replaced by night, so that light will be present even in the evening (p. 452). The ending of Zech 14 is given by translators and interpreters completely different meanings. The Russian Synodal and Venetus versions, made from the Hebrew, allowing different readings and derivations of the two final words of Zech 14:6, render them in Russian—the first: “the heavenly bodies will disappear” (jadar—precious, magnificent; plural feminine jedaroth; according to Rougemont, p. 244—the treasures of heaven—the heavenly bodies. Passive form dapha—to contract, condense, shrink; see Keil, pp. 650–651; Reinke, pp. 294–297; Gesenius, Hebr. W.B.), the second: there will be cold and a thickening of the air (jegaroth read as vegaroth or vegaruth—“and cold”; instead of the Kethibh jegippáon—reading (ve)gippáon—(“and ice, frost”). The LXX read: ψύχη (singular ψῦχος—cold, chill) and παγος (ice—in classical language this meaning παγος has in plural). The Slavonic version: “winter and frost”. The Fathers read the ending of Zech 14 according to the LXX text, but interpret Zech 14:6-7 differently. The blessed Theodoret understands them in the sense of a prophecy of the circumstances of the crucifixion of the Savior (p. 123). In Jerome, cold and frost are interpreted both literally (in application to that time when “light and darkness, night and day will no longer alternate with each other”) and figuratively—in relation to the loss of fervent faith and the cooling of love before the second coming of the Savior (p. 173). According to St. Cyril, the prophet “by winter and frost designates the night... at that time when He (Christ, the Judge) comes from heaven and will transform all and change everything for the better, as Creator, then there will be neither night nor daylight” (p. 210). St. Ephrem the Syrian interprets thus: “all this depicts the unstable and changeable condition of the Jews in the times of the Maccabees, of which we have spoken above. But the careful and intelligent researcher will see in this prophecy that it applies precisely and clearly to the day of the Lord’s Passion...” (p. 262).

Zechariah 14:8. And on that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. From Jerusalem there shall flow forth a miraculous fountain of life-giving water toward the east (to the Dead Sea) and toward the west (to the Mediterranean Sea); this fountain shall give water throughout the entire year (whereas ordinarily in hot Palestine the springs dry up in the summer).

Zechariah 14:9. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; on that day the Lord shall be one and His name one. Then the Lord will reign over all the earth; all will honor the one Lord.

Zechariah 14:10. The whole land shall turn into a plain from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall stand elevated on its site, from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. Zechariah 14:11. And it shall be inhabited, and there shall be no more curse, but Jerusalem shall be secure. Jerusalem, as the seat of God, shall receive special significance and shall become the central elevated point of the entire country, which will turn into a plain; the holy city will remain elevated at its place within defined boundaries; then a time of complete security will come, and there will be no more destruction.

Zechariah 14:14. Even Judah shall fight against Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. Zechariah 14:15. A plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and all the beasts that may be in those camps. St. Cyril, in explaining Zech 14:13-14 in application to the times of the Messiah, understanding here the believers in Christ and the enemies of the Church of Christ, remarks: “having drawn up in battle in Jerusalem, that is, they will conquer enemies and overcome opponents” (p. 220). The blessed Jerome, translating from the Hebrew: “and Judah shall fight against Jerusalem,” also gives the LXX reading: “and Judah shall prepare itself in Jerusalem”—και Ιούδας παρατάξεται ἐν Ιερουσαλήμ; παρατάσσω (in the middle voice—to take a stand, draw up, particularly—in a battle line, prepare for battle, fight), which he proposes to understand in two ways: either in the sense that Judah once confessed the name of the Lord but, driven by persecution, pursued the people of Christ...; or in the sense that Judah, that is, every believer and one who hopes, will not fight against Jerusalem, but will prepare itself in Jerusalem to fight against enemies (pp. 183–184). The latter interpretation fits the context better. The sequence of thoughts in Zech 14:12-14 is as follows: the pagans will be miraculously punished by God even before death begins with the decomposition of the organism, ultimate weakening of physical strength; confusion in the camp of the assailants will be such that they will strike one another; for Judah, thus, there remains only to complete the rout and seize rich plunder. Whereas previously the pagans divided the plunder seized from Jerusalem’s inhabitants, now, on the contrary, enormous wealth will be taken from all the surrounding nations as military spoils. The defeat of the pagans will be complete, their prosperity receives a final blow; in the enemy camps all animals—war horses, beasts of burden, and those necessary for the army’s provisions—will be destroyed.

Zechariah 14:16. And it shall come to pass that everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. Just as after the destruction of the disobedient sheep in Israel a remnant is preserved, tested and then purified so as to become truly God’s people, so the survivors of the described calamities and, evidently, with changed convictions, the pagans of all nations shall become worshippers of the true God, whom they will acknowledge as King and Lord. Every year they shall go to Jerusalem to worship Him and to celebrate the Feast of Booths; this feast had special significance for Israel as a grateful commemoration of how the Lord miraculously fed and protected His people during their wandering in the wilderness, after which He brought them into a land abounding in all good things; this feast also had the meaning of an annual thanksgiving service to God at the end of the harvest, which corresponds perfectly to the context of the speech here.

Zechariah 14:20. On that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord”; and the pots in the house of the Lord shall be like the bowls before the altar. Zechariah 14:21. And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be sacred to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take some of them and boil their meat in them; and there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day. In conclusion, the prophet briefly depicts that time when the distinction between sacred and profane disappears, when a time of universal sanctification arrives and the complete destruction of all uncleanness. Then on objects such as horse bridles, one will be able to inscribe the same thing that is inscribed on the high priest’s headpiece: “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36). The pots at the house of the Lord, in which the flesh of sacrifices was boiled, will be no less sacred than the sacrificial bowls before the altar; and not only the temple vessels, which had various purposes and different degrees of sanctity, will no longer be distinguished, but in general all household vessels in Jerusalem and throughout Judea will become sacred, and they will be allowed to be used in the performance of sacred rites. Thus, in Zech 14:20-21 is depicted the abolition of the Levitical service, which was entirely based on the distinction between sacred and profane. The Prophet Zechariah depicts here that time when the precise commandments of the law of Moses regarding the sacred and profane and the various degrees of sanctity ascribed to the objects of the temple’s equipment will lose their significance; when a time of universal sanctification arrives (Rougemont; Keil, p. 656–657). At the same time, access to the house of the Lord will be barred to those persisting in paganism or those who believe only in words but in reality are no different from Canaanites. According to St. Cyril, “there will be no Canaanite, that is, no foreigner and idolater” (p. 232); according to Theodoret, “there will be no one who thinks like a Canaanite, lives in impiety, acts lawlessly” (p. 127). St. Ephrem the Syrian briefly explains the first half of Zech 14:20 thus: “there will be no war and irritation, but sanctity and peace” and compares this prophecy with Isa 2:4 (p. 264; cf. Cyril, p. 227). This understanding is held by modern Western commentators as well. According to Wellhausen’s expression, “horses are a cause of vexation for the prophets” (quoted work, p. 203), but a time will come when they will no longer serve military purposes but will be dedicated to the service of God (Marti, p. 455). Some of the Fathers attribute the fulfillment of the prophecy Zech 14:20 to a specific historical fact from the life of Constantine the Great. Gregory of Tours, relating the fate of the nails found by St. Helen at the cross of the Savior, says of the two of them that were used to make the bridle of the emperor’s horse: “it is well-known that the Prophet Zechariah foretold this, saying: what is placed in the mouth of a horse shall be Holy to the Lord (Erit, quod in os equi ponitur. Sanctum Domini—S. Georgii Florentii Gregorii Turoneusis episcopi opera omnia, ed. Migne, Patrol. 1. LXXI, Paris, 1849, Libri miraculorum, lib. I, cap. VI, col. 710; see also col. 710, g reference to other Fathers). And according to St. Cyril’s interpretation, “there is nothing... strange if... the Prophet Zechariah mentions a memorable event and a pious, true, and godly king, and times dedicated to love of Christ; for the adorning of the imperial horses with a nail taken from the holy Cross, to what else can it point us toward if not the greatest and truly most glorious piety of rulers?” (p. 228). The blessed Jerome, on the other hand, calls such an interpretation of the prophecy, while attributing it to pious feeling, amusing, leaving “to the reader’s discretion to accept or reject” it (p. 193; cf. Luther, p. 360).