Zechariah 14:8 – On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
In our last post, we discussed that God was going to bring about a great deliverance for Israel, just when it seemed as though her enemies would finally destroy her. This deliverance may be literal or spiritual. 
In either case, once that deliverance has manifested itself, ‘living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem’.
Although there may literally be new streams or rivers formed during a literal earthquake, this portion of the prophesy has an obvious spiritual component.
This is made clear with the phrase ‘living waters’. You probably remember reading or hearing this phrase, because it was used by Jesus to describe Holy Spirit:
John 7:38-39 – “Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as the scriptures has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Why is Holy Spirit compared to water in the scriptures?
God does this in order to assist our understanding of him and his ways. Among other things, Holy Spirit performs the two offices of cleansing and watering.
In order to receive salvation, we need Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong. Once we feel that conviction, he will lead us to the blood of Christ, where we obtain forgiveness. We often refer to this process as being ‘washed’ or ‘cleansed’ from sin.
But the work of Holy Spirit doesn’t end there. As you know, Holy Spirit is the author of the bible (II Peter 1:21) and he uses the scriptures to ‘open our eyes’ or make us aware of areas in our lives that need to be renewed or transformed. As we meditate on the word, he assists us in changing the way we think. This process is known as renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).
Once our minds have been renewed by the word, we are able to bring our thoughts, words and actions into alignment with the holy ways of God. This process is referred to as being washed or cleansed with the word:
Ephesians 5:6 – That he [Jesus] might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word.
When we read/study/meditate on the word of God, we are submitting our minds and hearts to Holy Spirit for cleansing. Through this cleansing process, we become more and more like Christ in our thoughts and actions:
II Corinthians 3:18 – But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Thankfully, Holy Spirit continues this cleansing process as long as we are on earth.
Here is something to keep this in mind: Spiritual change comes as we partner with the Spirit in the cleansing process. Therefore, the importance of reading and studying the word of God can’t be overstated. Let me repeat that: The importance of reading and studying the scriptures cannot be overstated! Be sure you are making room for it in your life.
In addition to cleansing us, Holy Spirit also ‘waters’ us. When we are saved, we are like a spiritually barren and dry land. The seed of the word cannot sprout and grow in our lives until it is ‘watered’ or energized by the Spirit. Just as the earth needs continual watering to produce plant life, our hearts need to be continually watered by the Spirit, so we can produce fruit in the kingdom of heaven.
Now let’s circle back to our text. Zechariah tells us that once the Lord accomplishes his great deliverance of the Jews, ‘living water’ or Holy Spirit will flow freely from Jerusalem. 
In other words, at that time there will be a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit which will bring salvation, spiritual growth, and other spiritual gifts to the people of this region. The Spirit will deliver this cleansing/washing flood through the preaching and sharing of the word by apostles, preachers and ordinary folks like you and me!
Other prophets have spoken of this event as well:
Joel 3:18 – And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.
Isaiah 44:3 – For I [God] will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
(See also Ezekiel 47:1-2, Jeremiah 2:13, John 4:10, Isaiah 55:1, etc).
We are told that the flow of Holy Spirit salvation will travel to the eastern sea (the Dead Sea) and the western sea (the Mediterranean Sea).
In scripture, ‘seas’ are often used as a metaphor for nations (Daniel 7:3). Therefore, these two seas represent the nations extending to the east and west of Jerusalem. The meaning is that the copious, life-giving river of the Spirit will speedily flow both east and west until the whole world is watered with the gospel.
In the natural realm, ordinary streams and rivers are greatly reduced or dried up during the summer months or times of drought. They are also in accessible in winter due to ice or other conditions.
These summer and winter conditions represent times of spiritual lack/deficiency/indifference in the nations and people groups surrounding Jerusalem. But once God releases his Spirit, the flow of salvation will be perpetual and inexhaustible; nothing will be able to stop or hinder it. Jews and Gentiles alike will acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior.
So, from that day forward, the river of spiritual awakening will continuously flow no matter what is happening politically or culturally. Thus, a world which was spiritually parched will now be fully watered and spiritually satisfied (Isaiah 35:4-7).
Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
You and I know that God is already King over all the earth. However, because he chooses to give men a free will, millions of them do not acknowledge his lordship. They foolishly (or ignorantly) choose to serve false gods or to believe in nothing at all.
However, due to this great move of Holy Spirit, untold numbers of both Jews and Gentiles will be saved. The net result is that the true triune God (God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit) will be accepted, served and acknowledged by all of mankind as their King. His kingdom will extend from sea to sea or from east to west and his dominion will reach the ends of the earth. Every knee will bow to him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord.
This verse has implications for the church as well. All believers are one in spirit, even as God is one (Ephesians 4:3-6). Nevertheless, we have external divisions: Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, etc. On the day his ‘name is one’ we would expect our understanding of him to be greatly increased so that these man-made divisions will disappear (John 17:21-23).
Zechariah 14:10 – The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft 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 winepresses.
Good news: When we break this verse down, it isn’t as complicated as it seems.
First, let’s consider the literal point of view.
We know that the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas are mountainous. But on the day prophesied by Zechariah, the mountains will be leveled out and become a plain. This plain will extend from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem.
Geba: Geba was a Levitical city (Joshua 21:17) located on the northern boundary of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:24), near the mountain pass of Michmash. It is approximately 
six miles from Jerusalem.
The city was occupied by the Philistines at the beginning of Saul’s reign (I Samuel 13:3), but was retaken for Israel by Saul’s son, Jonathan (I Samuel 14). Later, during the reign of King Asa, the city was fortified (I Kings 15:22) because it was located on a key route to Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:28-29). The modern day name of this city is Jeba or Jeva.
Rimmon: There are multiple locations with this name. There was a Rimmon in Galilee, which was north of Nazareth (so obviously north of Jerusalem - Joshua 19:13). There was also a location known as the Rock of Rimmon, also located north of Jerusalem. This was one of the places the Benjamites fled to when they were routed in battle by Israel (Judges 20:45).
But Zechariah’s prophesy clearly identifies Rimmon as being the city south of Jerusalem. This city of Rimmon was located in the extreme southern section of Judah (Joshua 15:21,32), and it was later given to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:7). It was located about 10 miles north of Beersheba.
Rimmon’s close proximity to Beersheba is significant. Beersheba was the southernmost city in the limits of Israel. When ancient Israelites spoke about the entire expanse of Judah, they commonly used the phrase ‘from Geba to Beersheba’:
2 Kings 23:8 - And he [King Josiah] brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba…
We therefore conclude that in the prophesy of Zechariah, the phrase ‘from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem’ refers to the northern and southern borders of the kingdom of Judah. It is symbolic for the entire north to south boundaries of Judah.
According to the literal interpretation of this prophesy, that entire parcel of land (which is now mountainous) will experience a shift (possibly during the earthquake discussed in verse 14) and become a level plain of ground.
However, the actual city of Jerusalem will remain ‘aloft on its site’. In the literal interpretation, this means the actual city of Jerusalem will be elevated above the surrounding plain. It will be easily visible to anyone and everyone in the region. Furthermore, it will be rebuilt on the exact same spot of ground which it occupied in former days.
Specifically, Zechariah tells us that Jerusalem will encompass the area ‘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 winepresses’. That description probably made sense to the people alive during Zechariah’s day, but not so much for us today!
Gate of Benjamin: Jerusalem had a number of city gates (in Nehemiah chapter three, 10 different gates are mentioned). Scholars tell us that the gate of Benjamin (Nehemiah 12:39) was a gate leading from the city to the territory of Benjamin. It is the same as the gate of Ephraim (II Kings 14:13), which was the on the northern boundary of the city.
Former Gate: The Former Gate is also known as the First Gate or the Old Gate (Nehemiah 3:6), which was located on the west side of the city.
Corner Gate: This gate was on the corner jointing the north and west parts of the wall. Some scholars believe ‘corner’ refers to the towers which were built where the walls came together.
Tower of Hananel: This tower is located south of the city, near the Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 3:1, 12:31).
King’s winepresses: There is some difference of opinion on where these were located; they appear to have been on the interior of the city in the south, near the king’s gardens (Nehemiah 3:15).
The bottom line is that these points are given to signify that Jerusalem will again occupy as much space as it did during the height of its best days. A very similar prophesy is given about Jerusalem in Jeremiah 31:38-40.
Overall, we can say that the places mentioned in this verse tell us that the territory of Judah will become a flat plain, while the space which Jerusalem occupies will be at least as big as it was during the peak of its existence.
Now let’s consider this verse from the spiritual point of view.
This interpretation says that when the area surrounding Jerusalem is made a plain and Jerusalem itself is lifted up, this figuratively speaks of the religious prominence of Jerusalem. 
We know that Jerusalem is the city which God chose for himself. It is the site of the Old Testament temple and it was the place where Jesus ministered, sacrificed himself for our sin and rose from the dead. Jerusalem is the birthplace of the church; the gospel spread from the epicenter of Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world. Therefore, Jerusalem is the fountain head of all true religious/spiritual knowledge.
This interpretation says that for a time the church, which began in Jerusalem, was abused and persecuted throughout the earth, but it will again take prominence (be lifted up) in the world when this prophesy is fulfilled. At that time, the church will be comprised of people from all nations of the earth (Isaiah 2:2).
As we already mentioned, the gates, towers and winepresses mentioned in this verse seem to correspond to the north, south, west and east boundaries of Jerusalem. In the spiritual interpretation of this verse, this represents the spread of the gospel and the establishment of the church throughout the world.
We might say that this verse illustrates the growth, stability and maturation of the church by comparing it to the growth of Jerusalem.
Another spiritual interpretation says that in scripture, mountains and crooked places refer to obstacles that prohibit the spread of the gospel. Therefore, when the land surrounding Jerusalem (the epicenter of the gospel) is ‘made a plain’ it means that all hindrances to the spread of the gospel will be removed and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God:
Luke 3:5-6 - Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Thus, the size of the church will be greatly enlarged and contain people from every tongue, tribe and nation.
Zechariah 14:11 – And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.
Literal Interpretation: Despite the events leading up to this moment (Zechariah 14:2, 5), God will cause the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt/restored. It will be full of people; it will be a thriving, populous city as great (or greater) than it has ever been.
God also promises that after this restoration, Jerusalem, will never again be destroyed or desolate. The literal interpretation from Hebrew says there will be no more curse. This indicates a cessation of war and killing. It also implies there would be no more religious apathy. Every generation from that point onward will live in complete peace and safety.
Spiritual Interpretation: The church or the kingdom of God will never be destroyed. There will be no more destruction or curse because there will be no more sin. Temporal blessings and spiritual prosperity will manifest at that time.
These blessings will take the form of long life (Isaiah 65:20-22), peace (Isaiah 2:4), honor (Isaiah 60:14-16), and righteous government (Isaiah 54:14, 60:18).
Note: Scholars hotly debate this spiritual interpretation. Detractors of this view point out that the church/kingdom of God has never been under a curse.
However, there is another interpretation. It maintains that the church will never again have a reason to run from a victorious enemy (as they did in verses 2 & 5). When it is said there will never again be a decree of ‘utter destruction’ or ‘curse’, it means the inhabitants of Jerusalem would not incur the former curses which were inflicted on the cities of sinners and idolaters under the Law.
In other words, Jerusalem (the church) will be safe because when sin is removed, there is no more occasion for chastisement or judgment.
Let me offer you some encouragement:
Today’s post speaks of summer and winter. Here in Ohio, we have the privilege of experiencing all four distinct seasons. In summer we may enjoy boating, swimming or water skiing. But once winter makes its appearance, we switch over to sledding or ice skating. Fall is a great time to get outside for a hike, while spring finds us working hard on our landscaping and gardens.
Our lives go through different seasons as well. There are periods when we may find ourselves alone, while at other times we have the responsibilities of a spouse and/or children, or we are caring for aged adults. There are seasons when we are constantly working or attending school full time. But there are also seasons where we have fewer responsibilities and more free time (retirement, kids are grown).
While the seasons of our lives change, we can rest assured that the work of Holy Spirit is constant. At every stage of our lives, he is actively at work, pruning away old habits and thoughts, and 
cultivating our hearts so we can receive new revelations from him. He accomplishes this through the truth of the scriptures.
If you are having trouble establishing a solid routine of bible reading, I encourage you to search for an app (or a book or a list) that gives you a specific bible reading for every day. Many of these programs or apps will assist you in reading the bible through in a year, which will be of great benefit to you.
Let me offer you some relief:
In today’s post, Zechariah speaks of several miraculous events which are so astonishing, we can’t fully comprehend them. But that is actually a good thing because it reminds us that we serve a God who does the impossible!
Let me put it this way: If God can stand upon the Mount of Olives and cause an earthquake to form a valley which becomes a way of escape for the Jews, then don’t you think he can take care of your situation too?
Whatever obstacle you are facing today, place your faith in Jesus and stand upon his promises. Remember, he will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8); he will work all things out for your good (Romans 8:28).
Let me offer you some strength:
We know that Holy Spirit will spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth – and that he will use us to help him do it! What an honor!
Let’s strengthen and prepare ourselves to help him:
- Know the word.
- Pray for Holy Spirit boldness.
- Be ready and willing to share your personal testimony.
- Ask Holy Spirit to give you a burden for the lost.
- Listen closely for his leading throughout the day.
- As you begin your day, ask Holy Spirit to use you to minister to someone.