SHOWERS

Zechariah 14:12 – And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

In our last post, we studied the deliverance, restoration and blessing that God’s people (the Jews and/or the church) would experience at the time appointed by God.  Here are the highlights:

• Jerusalem would be the source of ‘living water’ which flows throughout the world.  In other words, Holy Spirit will flow from Jerusalem to the uttermost ends of the world, convicting sinners and leading them to salvation. 
• Every obstacle to the spread of the gospel (summer and winter) will be removed or overcome. 
• The end result is that nothing can stop the revival that ensues. 
• Although Jesus is sovereign over all the earth right this minute, he has chosen to give free will to mankind and currently he does not reign in the lives of sinners.  After the revival that Zechariah speaks of, that will change.  Jesus will be acknowledged by most of mankind as sovereign over all people and things; people will willingly and joyfully submit to his authority.
• Christ’s kingdom will be a united kingdom; there will be only one Lord and mankind will worship him only.  False gods and idols will be tossed aside; false worship will be abolished.  God will unify his people and be the center of their existence.
• The Jews and/or the church will no longer have any reason to fear, because God guarantees safety and divine protection for his people.

Today’s post is not nearly as joyful; it focuses on the judgment and destruction of those who persist in being enemies of God.

Despite the great move of Holy Spirit described in our last post, Zechariah’s prophesy indicates that there will be some people who still stubbornly reject Jesus as Lord and King.  They will continue to seek the destruction of the Jews and/or the church.   

But what they don’t seem to realize is that those who fight against God’s people are essentially fighting against God himself, and no mortal man can oppose him and hope to be victorious.  This is clearly evident when God (not man) strikes them with a plague.

A plague can be defined as a contagious bacterial disease which spreads rapidly and kills many people.  Examples of this would be the bubonic plague, septicemic plague or even Covid. 

A plague can also be defined as a thing which causes continual trouble or distress to a person or a group; any widespread affliction, calamity or evil, especially one regarded as a punishment from God.  Examples of this would be the 10 plagues (frogs, lice, darkness, etc.) that God sent upon the Egyptians when they refused to set the children of Israel free from slavery.  These types of plagues cause men to recognize the Lord and give them an opportunity to change their ways.

But sometimes a plague is worse than just an affliction or punishment, no matter how severe.  Sometimes God brings sudden, irreversible judgment upon people, which results in their physical death. 

For example, when God was bringing the children of Israel into the Promised Land, Moses sent 12 spies out to survey the land.  When they returned, 10 of the men gave a report of unbelief and they caused the Israelites to rebel against the Lord.  God pronounced judgment against them, and they died as the result of a plague:

Numbers 14:36-37 – And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land - the men who brought up a bad report of the land - died by a plague before the Lord.

(For other examples see Numbers 11:33, II Samuel 24:21, etc.).  The plague predicted by Zechariah is a judgment from God that eventually results in physical death.  We are given three distinct characteristics of this plague. 

One, the plague will affect the eyes of God’s enemies, causing them to rot in their sockets.  The term ‘rot’ (your translation may say ‘wasting away’ or ‘consume away’) suggests an appalling picture – normal, healthy eyeballs will begin to decay and dry up (or worse, putrefy and leak), resulting in total blindness.  As this plague spreads through the enemy forces, more and more soldiers will leave their duties and be placed into isolation or quarantine.   

Why would God specifically target their eyes?

Well, scripture compares sin to the lust of the eyes:

I John 2:16 – For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.

The enemies of Christ who ‘wink at’ or cling to their sin and refuse to repent (Psalms 5:19, Job 15:12-13) have rejected all offers of mercy and grace.  Therefore, we might say that they are merely reaping what they have sown; the sin (lust of the eyes) they chose to embrace brought about the disease that is now manifesting in their physical eyes.   

Scholars also suggest that the same people who looked upon Jerusalem (the Jews and the church) with contempt and rejoiced in her misery are now repaid with the loss of those same eyes: 

Micah 3:11-12 – Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”  But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.

Secondly, we are told that the plague will also affect the tongues of God’s enemies, causing them to rot in their mouths.  Let your imagination dwell on this for just a moment.  Clearly, you don’t need any commentary from me, because your own mental picture of this event is disturbing and disgusting enough.

If the tongue of an individual is withered or rotting away, it would be difficult or impossible to eat, drink, swallow or speak.  So, those who formerly used their tongues to blaspheme God and curse his people are repaid with the loss of these same tongues; again, they are reaping exactly what they sowed.    

Psalms 12:3-4 – May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

Now picture the vast coalition of armies that continue to stand against God and his people.  When the plague hits, they will begin to lose their sight.  As their tongues are affected, they will be unable to eat and drink which contributes to the overall decline of their entire physical bodies.  They will be unable to effectively communicate, which will cause a breakdown in military discipline resulting in confusion and possibly chaos. 

Three, the plague will cause the flesh of God’s enemies to wither or rot.  As they once rejoiced in the ‘lust of the flesh’, they will now pay the penalty of that sin in their own physical bodies, which will decay as they ‘stand on their feet’ or go about their daily lives.  This is a very gruesome picture.  It suggests a living death - live people who are decaying (and smelling) like a corpse, blindly groping their way around, terrified, and unable to speak.  It almost seems like a modern-day type of zombie.

The end result is that no matter how many soldiers they have, or how many bombs, planes, drones and tanks they possess, they will be rendered powerless to harm God’s people. 

Let’s pause here and make a couple of observations. 

First, let’s look back at Zechariah 14:11 which says that Jerusalem will be safely inhabited.  The point I want to make is that the citizens of Jerusalem won’t be safe because they have no enemies.  They are safe because God fights on their behalf and brings judgment upon their foes (as we see in verse 12). 

This principle applies to us as well.  God will never allow the enemy to destroy the Jews or the church (Matthew 16:18).  However, this does not mean that we have no enemies.  Rather, it means that God is watching over his church to protect it in the midst of danger. 

The neat thing is that God does not act independently from us.  His plan is for us to partner with him to bring his kingdom to the world.  As we place our faith/trust in him and use the weapons of spiritual warfare he has given us, we are essentially partnering with him to ensure that his kingdom comes, and his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.  When we do this, God will stand with us, doing whatever is necessary to ensure our victory. 

If we learn to listen to Holy Spirit, he will reveal to us the ‘battle plan’ for our generation – the ways in which we can effectively bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are being held prisoner by the forces of darkness.  What a remarkable and astonishing opportunity God is giving us!

The second observation I want to make is this:  The description of God’s foes (those who cling to their sin) is disgusting and appalling.  They are like zombies - dead even while living.  May this mental picture be a striking reminder to each one of us that our sin is just as filthy and loathsome. 

Even Christians have sin in their lives.  If we could see into the spiritual realm, would we find pockets of sin disfiguring our spiritual selves in some repulsive manner?  Is this sin making us unusable or unproductive in the kingdom?  Are we willing to rid ourselves of this sin, or, like the enemies in this prophecy, will we stubbornly cling to it?

Zechariah 14:13 – And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.

On ‘that day’ – the day when God punishes those who seek to destroy his people – great confusion, chaos and fear will erupt among the enemies of God as a result of the plague.  This will immediately end any loyalty, discipline or unity that might still exist in their ranks.  Fear and suspicion will cause the troops to turn and destroy/kill each other. 

This is a tactic that God used multiple times in the history of Israel:

• The Philistines fell into confusion/chaos and destroyed each other after Jonathan’s capture of the garrison at Michmash (I Samuel 14:14-20).  
• The countless swarm of the Midianites eradicated each other when Gideon and his 300 men blew their trumpets and broke their pots (Judges 7:22). 
• The Moabites and Ammonites slew each other as well as the people of Mount Seir, when King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah began singing praises to God on the morning of the battle (II Chronicles 20:10-23).

We would expect something similar to occur among the ranks of God’s enemies.  Fear, confusion and/or suspicion will cause them to distrust one another.  Their coalition will break apart and result in civil wars or each individual man will attack those around him. 

This will open a door for the men of Israel to defeat their enemies.

Zechariah 14:14 – Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem.  And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance.

Here again we see evidence of the partnership between God and his people.  Although Israel’s enemies were once powerful and numerous, their ranks have been decimated by pestilence and internal conflicts.  As God throws them into panic and confusion, the people of Judah (God’s people living near but outside of Jerusalem) will step in and fight for the deliverance of the city. 

There can be no doubt of the outcome of this war, because when God fights for his people they are always victorious.  After their victory, the Jews/church will gather all of the spoils from the battle.  This will be an immense hoard of treasure.

Proverbs 13:22 – …the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Part of the wealth that is taken by God’s people will be what was recently taken from Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2).  The rest are riches that the invading coalition of armies brought with them. 

This situation reminds us of the time when God enriched his people by giving them the spoils of the Egyptians:

Exodus 12:35-36 - And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they requested of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing: And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.    

In case you haven’t noticed, the wealth of this world is fickle and fleeting; it is often here today and gone tomorrow! (Just ask the Egyptians.)  A change in the stock market or your job situation, an inheritance or even a natural disaster can change your financial fortunes in a single day.  How foolish it is to pursue the wealth of the world for its own sake!  It will surely slip through your hands like water!  

That being said, what is the proper relationship between Christians and money?  This is a complex and interesting topic, which we cannot fully study here.  However, let me make these brief suggestions:

• Pursue God first in all areas of your life (Matthew 6:33). 
• Consider yourself a steward of money, not its owner (Matthew 25:14-30). 
• Follow scriptural guidelines for managing earthly riches.

Zechariah 14:15 – And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.

The plague and destruction which falls upon the enemy armies will also affect their possessions, including their animals.  The animals will either die or be rendered useless (and become a burden) to their owners. 

This offends the people of our culture, because they believe these animals are innocent bystanders.  While this may or may not be true, it does not change the fact that animals suffer for the sins of their owners.  This is a principle found throughout the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 13:15 - …you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.   

We can point to many instances when this occurred.  For example, when Achan sinned against the Lord by taking things that were devoted to destruction, he was annihilated along with his family, his possessions and his livestock (Joshua 7:24-26).

Similarly, Korah and his followers along with all their possessions (including livestock) were swallowed up by the earth when they rebelled against God (Numbers 16:32-33). 

The Egyptians lost cattle/livestock during the plague of murrain (Exodus 9:1-4), the plague of hail (Exodus 9:13-26), and the plague of the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29).  The death of all these animals was due to Pharaoh’s stubborn decision not to let Israel leave Egypt. 

When Pharaoh finally did let Israel go, he changed his mind and summoned his army to pursue them across the Red Sea.  When they did, all of the warhorses drowned along with their riders.

Bible commentators believe animals (and possessions) are destroyed for one of two reasons.  One - as a punishment to their owners.  Two – so these animals can no longer be used to against God’s people. 

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that all of creation (including the animal kingdom) is subject to vanity (the quality of being futile, worthless, pointless or without purpose): 

Romans 8:20-22 – For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.

Why are animals under such a curse?  Because of the sin that mankind brought into the world!  In fact, all of creation is under a curse at the present time.  But one day, when Christ returns, creation will be set free from the bondage of sin, corruption and death, just as we will be.     

Spiritual interpretation of this passage:  Clearly, we have been discussing a literal interpretation of this portion of Zechariah.  And as you probably already guessed, there is a spiritual interpretation as well.

Verse 12 speaks of a plague that falls on the enemies of the Jews/the church, which ‘rots’ their eyes, tongues and overall bodies.  Spiritually speaking, this means that the eyes of their spiritual understanding are permanently blinded; at this point those who still oppose God will be forever lost, unable to accept the pardon of Christ. 

Their ‘tongues’ have also rotted away which indicates they have no power or means to pray a prayer of repentance.  Again, the thought is that they have crossed a line or reached a point of no return, and are no longer capable of repentance.   

This host of evil men and women will continue a spiritual war against God’s people and the spread of the gospel. However, God will cause a panic to descend upon them, and they will turn upon each other. 

The end result is that the forces of hell will be defeated; the great river of Holy Spirit revival will spread from east to west and cover the earth.  Untold numbers of people will accept Christ as Lord and Savior, acknowledging him as Lord.

Habakkuk 2:14 – For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 

Verse 14 speaks of a transfer of wealth (gold, silver, garments, etc) to God’s people.  In the spiritual interpretation, this wealth refers to wisdom, learning, eloquence and understanding in all areas of life such as art, science, mathematics, philosophy, etc.  This interpretation claims that as the lost sinners of the world are converted, they bring their worldly knowledge into the church, and thus enrich it.    

Another spiritual interpretation sees this portion of Zechariah as a figurative description of the punishment of sin.  The following points are made:

• The rotting of the eyes and tongue speak of the corruption of sin on the human soul; the image of rotting flesh gives a vivid picture of the state of man where the death of sin clings to (and operates in union with) the soul.  Sinners are acutely aware of the loathsome corruption of their eternal souls.
• The mutual hate and contention described in verse 13 (where the panic stricken army frantically grabs and strikes their closest neighbors) is symbolic of a spirit of hate and contention, which is responsible for all of the lies, quarrels and wars on earth. 
• Verse 14 speaks of the loss of blessings previously enjoyed, as represented by God’s people taking the spoil (gold, silver, garments). These blessings would include health, wisdom, peace, joy, strength, spiritual life, etc.  Remember, every good gift comes from God and every good gift will be withheld from his enemies.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief: 

Today’s post speaks about the transfer of worldly wealth. 

Many people try to support the theory that Christians should be poor.  This theory is often based on the fact that Jesus did not gather money or possessions during his time on earth.  While that may seem to make sense on a superficial level, it doesn’t add up if you dig deeper. 

Jesus gave his church a job:  We are to spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth, make disciples of all nations and baptize believers.  Well guess what – it’s going to take money to make that happen!

The good news is that just as God allows each one of us to partner with him in defeating evil forces, he allows each of us to partner with him to finance kingdom work. 

God begins the process by giving each one of us the ability to work and earn money:

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto your fathers, as it is this day.    

Then, he asks/commands that each one of us return to him a tithe or 10% of that wealth.  This money (along with voluntary offerings) paves the way for the gospel to flow around the world.

Obviously, this is an over-simplified explanation of kingdom finances, which is all we have time for right now.  However, I’d like to leave you with one final thought:

The currency of this world is unstable, transitory and essentially worthless because it will pass away at the end of the age.  In other words, our American dollars have no eternal value in and of themselves. 

However, if we put those dollars to work in the kingdom of heaven here on earth, they will assist the church in bringing salvation to the lost, which means they can have an eternal effect in the lives of people.  This is what makes money valuable.  

So, I encourage you to steward your money just as carefully and methodically as you steward your time and talents.  

Let me offer you some strength:

Many times when we look at the world we see only corruption, sin and evil.  But this passage of Zechariah offers us hope – God already has an appointed day in which final victory and deliverance will manifest for the Jews/the church!  So don’t give up – keep on fighting the fight of faith!

And as you fight, remember there is no reason to fear; God is in control.  He will fight on our behalf:    

Isaiah 35:4 - Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.

God is always faithful to the church and to us as individuals.  He is at work in every generation, dispelling the darkness and bringing salvation to the lost.  What evidence do you see of God at work in your community?