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He was a prophet during the Medo-Persian occupation, after Babylon fell. He tried to get Israel to leave Babylon and return to the Promised Land and rebuild the house of the Lord. The other subject of his prophecy was the day of the Lord. In the end, we must leave Babylon the Great so that we can avoid the wrath of God on the Day of reckoning.

The Day of the Lord
		Day of Atonement		Seven Last Plagues		Millennium	Mount of Olives

The "Day of the Lord" is the day that the wrath of God falls on the wicked. On the great cosmic time table, this day began with the crucifixion when the wrath of God fell on Christ as He suffered the wrath of God for the righteous. The day ends when the wrath falls on the wicked. This same time period is symbolized by as the "Day of Atonement" when the people are judged and the sanctuary is restored. This prophecy seems to have elements of the first and Second Coming because God is describing events on this "Day of the Lord". The day of the Lord and the day of atonement begins with the selection and sacrifice of the Lord's goat and ends with the banishment of the scapegoat. Several tasks are accomplished on this great day of atonement.

• Judgment. This judgment gathers and restores the righteous and punishes the wicked.
• Sin Removed. Sin is removed in one day.
• Sanctuary Built. The temple of God is cleaned, rebuilt and restored. Then it was corrupted.
• Lord Comes. The Lord comes to His temple and His people after destroying the corrupt temple.

The Messianic Prophecies. It is difficult to establish a time line because the dialogue switches between events at the beginning and the end of the "Day of the Lord". This is a difference of over 3000 years. The Messiah and His times are likened to the experience of Zerubabbel and the Jews as they leave Babylon. Both leave Babylon and both build a temple and both become kings. These early prophecies are set at the time of Zechariah around 538 BC. But this is only to establish the pattern of events which are clearly about the time between the first and third coming of the Messiah.
So, the best way to understand the message of Zechariah is to treat each set of prophecies as a set of events to be accomplished during this final cosmic "Day of the Lord".

• The Son Of Man. Jesus is Joshua the High Priest and Zerubabbel the King at the resurrection. (Zechariah 3-4)
• The Branch. Jesus was the Branch who was cut off at the crucifixion but sprang to life at the resurrection. (Zechariah 6: 12-13)
• King On A Donkey. Jesus rode into the east gate of Jerusalem on a donkey during His final week. (Zechariah 9: 9)
• Valued At 30 Shekels. He was betrayed for 30 shekels of silver. (Zechariah 11: 12-13)
• The Pierced One. He was pierced by a sword. (Zechariah 12: 10)
• Two Streams. Blood and water flowed from His side. (Zechariah 13: 1)
• A Sword Strikes The Shepherd And Scatters The Sheep. The disciples scattered at His arrest. (Zechariah 13: 7)
• Wounded By Friends. He was killed by Israel. (Zechariah 13: 6)

Zechariah 1 - 2: Judgment Against Babylon.
» The Four Horsemen. They are the first four seals. They are sent to enforce the covenant. The same picture is used by Zechariah.
I saw at night, and look a man was riding a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. ... These are those whom God has sent to patrol the earth. (Zechariah 1: 8,10)

» The Measuring Line (Judgment). The people of God are the first who are judged. A city is constructed to fit the total number of righteous who pass the judgment. In fact, the righteous are the stones of the temple.
Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is". (Zechariah 2: 1-2)
There was given me a measuring rod like a staff, and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it". (Revelation 11: 1)

Zechariah		Revelation
1-2	Judgment	11
3-4	Judgment of Christ	4
5-6	The Four Horsemen	4-6
7-9	Judgment on nations	18
10-11	Rain	14
12	The Nations Gather	17-18
13-14	Third Coming	20-22

The church escapes as Babylon falls in the judgment. As a consequence, the treasures of Babylon are plundered by the righteous. The greatest treasure is the people.
Escape From Babylon. Ho there! Flee from the land of the north, for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. Ho Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon. (Zechariah 2: 6-7)
Great Evangelism. For thus says the Lord of hosts, "After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye". For behold I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. (Zechariah 2: 8-9)
We, who were former slaves of Babylon, will now plunder them and take their wealth and captives in the final and greatest evangelistic effort. A great conversion occurs as many nations turn to God during this time.
Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. (Zechariah 2: 11)

» Rebuild The House Of God. As we leave Babylon we rebuild the house of God through the Holy Spirit.
Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts". ... The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (Zechariah 4: 6, 9)

Zechariah 3: The Judgment Of Jesus Christ: The High Priest Joshua (Yeshua).
On the day Jesus Christ took our sins as Joshua our High Priest and became sin and He was accused by Satan.
» The Reward Of The Righteousness Of Christ.
The righteous are given clean clothes after the judgment but Satan still accuses them.
The Accusation. Then He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
Filthy Clothes (Sin). Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
New Clothes (Righteousness). He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him". Again he said to him, "See I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes". Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by. (Zechariah 3: 1-4)
On the cross, when Christ took our burden of sin and put it on Himself, He became dressed in filthy garments instead of the white robes of righteousness.

» The Friends Of Joshua (The Disciples).
Now, listen Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you - indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring My servant the Branch. (Zechariah 3:8)
They were all a sign because they represented Christ (the Branch) and the disciples.

Zechariah 4: The Victory Of Jesus Christ: The King Zerubbabel.
Jesus was the High Priest Joshua and then He became the King, Zerubabbel after the resurrection. Every reference to Zerubabbel is a Messianic prophecy about Jesus as King and High Priest Who rebuilds the temple (the church).

• Resurrection (The Sleeper Awakens). Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. (Zechariah 4: 1)
  Jesus was now the prophet who was awakened from sleep by an angel at the resurrection.
• The Stone Removed. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" (Zechariah 4: 7)
  When He conquered death and the land of Sheol, the stone over His grave was rolled away (Luke 24: 2).
• Two Angels. Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?" Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth". (Zechariah 4: 11, 14)
  Two angels came to sit by Him at the resurrection (John 20: 12).
• The House of God. The hands of Zerubabbel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. (Zechariah 4: 9)
  Jesus builds the house of the Lord, when He laid the foundation at the crucifixion. However, it is only when He finishes the house of God at the end of time that the Jews will recognize that God has sent Him as the Messiah.
  • Foundation (12 Tribes and 12 Disciples). Both are the foundation of the city made by God.
    And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21: 14)
  • Temple (Church). Ezekiel describes the new temple that was opened at the crucifixion. This temple has a perfect Messiah but still has imperfect people. It is a temple under judgment because it was opened up on the Day of Atonement.
  • Stop Work Order. The rejection of the Jews was in effect a stop order. But as the church fell away into apostasy they left the temple of God in disrepair and work ceased.
  • Building Finished (Church). In the end the Jews will resume the work of rebuilding the House of God.
  • Walls Built (52 Days). Nehemiah built the walls with armed workmen for 52 days as their enemies tried to stop them. For one year (52 weeks) the seven last plagues will ravage the earth and the wicked will try to kill us but we will be under the protective cover of God with a hedge built around us.
• A Sign of the Messiah. Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his fellow. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2: 20-23)
  » Heaven and Earth Shaken. God shook the heavens and the earth on the day of the crucifixion. There was an unnatural solar eclipse and an earthquake.
  » Principalities and Powers Removed. He also removed principalities and powers in heaven, throwing Satan out of heaven permanently. Israel was given up for another nation.
  Disarmed Powers. and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.
  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Colossians 2: 10, 15)
  Satan Fell. And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. (Luke 10: 18-19)
  » Rebuilds the House of God. He rebuilt the house of God and led the people after they returned from captivity in Babylon. Christ rebuilds the house of God through His Holy Spirit after He returned from exile to the earth.

» The Coming Of The Holy Spirit.
The giving of the Holy Spirit was described as living water springing out of an internal well. At the crucifixion, the coming of the Holy Spirit was pictured as a stream of water coming out of His side.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7: 37-39)
In Zechariah we find that at His resurrection, the Holy Spirit is symbolized as a stream of golden oil pouring out of seven wells connected to pipes. This oil gives light to the lamp and waters the anointed ones.
Then He said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubabbel saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit", says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4: 6)
The Spirit resurrected Jesus and it is the Spirit Who anoints His followers so that He can build the House of God.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	Source of Oil for the Wells
Early		Rain of Oil and Water					Late
Stone With Seven Eyes

The Lampstand With Seven Pipes. He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said "I see and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on top of it"; also two olive trees by it, on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left side.
Two Olive Trees Fed by Two Pipes. And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches, which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?" (Zechariah 4: 2-3, 12)
Jesus is the lampstand with the Holy Spirit pouring out of Him. The picture of the Holy Spirit is of oil pouring out of seven pipes, and the first and seventh pipes on the two sides water the trees beside them. The righteous are the trees watered by the throne of God and the oil from the lamp. The five pipes in the middle, must pour down and water the earth during five of the churches. However, it is the first and seventh church that will receive the power of the outpouring of the Spirit in the former and latter rain poured out on the trees of righteousness.

The scene is also a picture of the Ark of the Covenant. The light from the shekinah glory is in the center and the two angels are on either side. It is also a strategy and a pattern of the work of the Holy Spirit. The early and latter rain have a greater effect on the righteous ones because the oil from the pipes is aimed directly at them. Therefore, the trees have the light from the pipes above their heads, not just above the end of the pipes. This is what occurred at Pentecost.
Tongues of Fire. And there appeared on them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. (Acts 2: 3)
Now we can understand this invitation from Zechariah 3. In the day that the Holy Spirit is poured out to water our trees we will call people to come and receive the Holy Spirit and eat of the fruits.
Evangelism. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, everyone of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree. (Zechariah 3: 10)

» The Seven Weeping Eyes And Seven Wells Of Oil.
Traditionally, the symbol of many eyes were seen as God's omniscience, however, it means much more.
Seven Eyes. For behold, the stone I set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes.
The Inscription on the Stone. Behold, I will engrave and inscription on it, declares the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. (Zechariah 3: 9)
The Hebrew word for "well" and "eyes" are apparently the same. Anatomically, the only well in our eyes are the tear ducts. The pipes are the tear ducts. So we have a picture of springs of living water coming out of the eyes of the Lamb.
Jesus was the Lamb with seven eyes. These are the five bleeding holes in His body and His two weeping eyes.
Seven Eyes. And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out to all the earth. (Revelation 5: 6)

So the Lamb at the throne is both bleeding and weeping.
The Tears of the High Priest. In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. (Hebrews 5: 7)
Blood and water came out of the High Priest. The tears become the source of water from an inexhaustible well deep inside God. The blood becomes life and the tears become oil which lights the world and ink to write the law on our hearts. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who writes the law in our hearts with tears and groanings.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8: 26-27)

» The Inscription On The Stone. The inscription is the prescription to remove sin.
The Love Letter of Christ. Being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3: 3)

• The Stone. Sitting on our dead bodies, is a heart of stone that must be changed.

  Circumcision This is cutting into the flesh to write the covenant in our flesh. Removing the heart of stone is now symbolized as removing the outer man of flesh - the foreskin

  
  And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh. that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11: 19-20)
• Ink. The Holy Spirit is the ink used to write the inscription in a love letter.
• The Inscription. The Holy Spirit writes the laws on our hearts of stone.
  A Better Covenant. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their minds and write it on the hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be My people (Hebrews 8: 10)
• The Engraver. Christ is the engraver who writes the inscription in a love letter, through His tears.
• The Tears. The tears of the High Priest softens the stone as the engraver chisels the law on our stony hearts.
• The Removal Of Sin. On the day of the crucifixion, Jesus removed sin by taking it on Himself.
• One Day. During that same day, known as "The Day of the Lord", He will remove sin that He brought into the sanctuary on the Great day of atonement which began with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844.
• The Spring. Then our hearts will become a well from which living waters will pour out from inside.

Zechariah 5: The Woman Under Judgment.

The Ephah Ephah, is a word of Egyptian origin, meaning measure. This was a unit of measurement. Measurement is symbolic of the judgment. Babylon was weighed in the scales and found to be deficient. » Ten ephah is one Homer. » One ephah equals ten omers. » One omer of manna was kept in the Ark. (Exodus 16: 33,36)

Then the angel who was speaking to me went out and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth". I said, "What is it"? And he said, "This is the ephah going forth". Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the Land".
The Wicked Woman. (and look, a lead cover was lifted up), and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah. Then he said, "this is wickedness!" And he threw her down in the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.
Two Other Women. Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings. And they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "Where are they taking the ephah?"
Build a Temple in Babylon. Then they said to me, "To build a temple for her in the Land of Shinar, and when it is prepared, she will set there on her own pedestal". (Zechariah 5: 5-11)
Zechariah has this vision after the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian empire. This was in the second year of Darius the Mede (Chapter 1:1). So this vision starts when Babylon was under judgment.
So the prophecy says that Babylon appears as a subdued power under judgment until a later time when it will be set up in the Land of Shinar. The religion of Babylon would rise again. However, because so many other prophecies speak about the total defeat of Babylon there must be a unique fulfillment that makes all these prophecies true.

» Babylon The Great. Babylon the Great appears at the end of time as a different political power from a different land which subdues and rules the original land of Babylon and sets up a global religious and political empire. This empire repeats all the sins of ancient Babylon. This includes idolatry and persecution of the children of God.

Babylon Defeated			Babylon Subdued	Babylon Restored
Babylon		539 BC	Babylon Falls for 2520 Years	1981	Babylon the Great
1	Zechariah 5		Held under a lead cover in the ephah		Woman in the Land of Shinar	Sits in temple built
2	Daniel 4		Tree stump cut down for 7 times		Babylon restored	-
3	Daniel 7: 12		Judgment. Dominion taken away		Extension of Life	-
4	Daniel 8: 23		Transgressors have finished		Latter part of rule	Insolent king
5	Daniel 11: 45		Other empires take over		King of the North	Tabernacle built
6	Revelation 13		Wounded		Healed	Worships Image
7	Revelation 17		Judged		Mystery Babylon	Sits as queen
8	Antichrist		Antichrist Restrained		Man of sin, acts as god	Sits in the temple
9	One Religion		Ten women bake bread in one oven		Famine for the Word	One world religion
10	Revelation 11		Beast in the Abyss		Sodom and Egypt	In Jerusalem
11	Scapegoat		Scapegoat banished to the earth		Scapegoat before the people	At the temple

This period of time from the judgment and the restoration of Babylon appears in several other prophecies.

• Build A Temple In The Land Of Shinar. After a period under judgment, two women would build a temple and restore the religion of Babylon. Amazingly, we should be building the house of God at this time (Zechariah 4).
• The Tree Cut Down. Only a stump would remain for seven prophetic times (2520 years) Daniel 4: 10-17.
• The Appointed Time Of Restoration. The beasts who fell would come back at an appointed time in Daniel 7: 12.
• Set Up A Tabernacle Between The Sea And The Beautiful Holy Mountain. This corresponds to a "setting up of a tabernacle" by the king of the North (Babylon the Great) in the Pleasant Land at the end of time. (Daniel 11: 45). Here she "sits on her pedestal" in her temple in the land of Shinar.
• Idolatry By The Healed Beast. This is the same establishment of religion around the world by the beast of Revelation 13 who was wounded and healed. It creates an idol that is an image of a beast and forces the world to worship this beast (Verses 14-15). The power that would become Babylon the Great would be formed by two wounded powers who were restored. This is Babylon and the Papacy.
• Antichrist. This is the Antichrist who was being restrained in the days of the apostles. 2 Thessalonians 2 says that this man of sin will be revealed sitting in the temple of God, acting as God.
• The Insolent King. He is skilled in deceit and intrigue. He comes to power after the series of kingdoms have fallen. In a last gasp effort, this king appears many days into the future to persecute the church and act as an absolute monarch over the world.
• Ten Women Bake Bread In One Oven. The bread does not satisfy in the famine. Ten religions or ten churches at the end of time make one religion out of their own concoction. It is food that is unsatisfactory for life.

»Two Women. Who were the two women with the wings of the unclean stork who restored the woman under judgment? The wings signify that this would be a swift action. A woman signifies a church and an unclean woman signifies an apostate religious system. The unclean bird is a symbol of those created to live in the wilderness on the fifth day. It is not the place for humans. Babylon is the nation that is in the wilderness. These two women lift up the women under judgment between heaven and earth. This act draws the earth towards the religion of the woman, just as Christ being lifted up will draw humans to Him (John 12: 32). These women establish the evil global religion of the Antichrist.
These three women (the woman under judgment and the two who help her) may be Mystery Babylon and her harlot daughters described in Revelation 17. This is paganism and apostate Christianity. The final global religion would be supported by, and revived by these three systems.

• Dragon. Paganism and the occult, the religion of Satan.
• Beast. Roman Catholicism (The woman under judgment).
• False Prophet. United States Protestantism controlling their government and the world.

So the Catholic church will be placed somewhere in Israel and Iraq, but who are the two religions that will do this? It could be two branches of Protestantism. One could be the Orthodox church which has a strong presence in the Middle East and the other could be a Protestant influenced American government.
However, it could be the non-Catholic Christians and Islam. But since this power is short lived it could mean that this establishment of power generates anger among Islam and the period is haunted by violence.

» Sits In The Ephah. She sits in the vessel used to measure the grain offering. The corrupt woman sits in judgment over the people. That is wickedness! So God throws her back in the ephah because she will be judged by her own standards and God's standards.
» Sits In The Temple On Her Pedestal. After lifting up the evil woman of Babylon to the world, these women help to establish Babylon again so that she sits on a pedestal as god. This place where she is established is in the Land of Shinar, which is another name for Babylon. The center of all apostasy and rebellion. This means that the United States and the Catholic church will be installed in the Holy Land at the end of time. This prophecy is repeated in Daniel.

Sits In The Temple. "Let no one in anyway deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness revealed, the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God". (2 Thessalonians 2: 3,4)
Builds A Temple In The Holy Land. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain; yet he will come to his end and no one will help him. (Daniel 11: 45)
Protective Overwatch Mission ("Permanent Occupation"). The United States is already installed in Babylon in the most expensive embassy on the planet. The president has also appeared to commit us to a long term stay in the country to protect them against "foreign and domestic enemies". And possibly to protect and watch over the oil.

» Covered, Removed And Covered Again. The uncovering of this woman corresponds to the experience of the church.

• Covered ("Restrained") Verses 5-6. The ephah with the unknown contents inside, was full of iniquity. This is the period when they were restrained during the time of Paul.
• Cover Removed ("Persecuted") Verses 7-8. The cover was lifted and a woman was found inside and it was judged that she was wickedness. This is the time when they received power and persecuted the saints. This time the restraints were removed by God. Other prophecies explained that the church was given over to the little horn because of their sins. So because they were wicked, they were given over to Wickedness.
• Covered ("Wounded") Verse 8. So she was thrown back inside the ephah and the lead weight put back on. This is the period when the church lost power and was wounded after 1798.
• Cover Removed ("Healed") Verses 9-11. In the end it is not God who establishes her again, it is two women who lift her up and place her on a pedestal in Babylon.

» The Flying Scroll. And he said to me, "what do you see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll, its length is twenty cubits and its width is ten cubits". Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land. Surely everyone who steals will be purged away by the writings written on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side". (Zechariah 5: 2-3)
... and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name ... (Zechariah 5: 4)
The curses are sent according to the covenant written on the scroll. It judges those who sin openly and the religious hypocrites. These are the laws written on two tables of stone. In the end it devours them with the seven last plagues.

Zechariah 6: The Curses Are Released.
In chapter 5 we see that the curses are released. The consequences of this action is that Babylon, our enemy, is allowed to rise, now judgment is sent to the four corners of the earth. The seven seals are opened with the flying scroll. The four horses of the apocalypse are modeled after the horses of Zechariah. Although their colors are similar, their order is different. John's horses show the release of the curses throughout the century after Christ was killed and the church fell into apostasy. Zechariah's horses show the release of the curses on the final generation. They probably are the equivalent of the release of the four winds of strife who are not released until the servants of God are sealed.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (John's Horses)							Babylon the Great Falls	Zechariah's Horses
		(200-350)		(538-1798)	Babylon Falls	Judgment Begins (1844)
Apostles		Roman Persecution	Apostasy	Papal Persecution			Sealed				Plagues
Journey of the church from South to North							Journey North to South

We will use the meaning of the colors of the horses from Revelation and apply them to the role of the horses of Zechariah at the end of time. Following the rules of Ezekiel, John's horses show the journey of the church from south to north, while Zechariah's horses show the journey back from the north to the south after the fall of Babylon the Great.

• Bronze Mountains. A mountain is a power. Bronze is the metal used in the temple for the altar, the utensils for cooking and the base of the poles. It is also the color of the Greek empire. At the end of time two powers, secular and religious, will combine their efforts to begin the final fiery trials of a religious persecution. However, these mountains are probably the two branches of the final church, Jews and Gentiles facing the iron kingdom.
• Four Horses. They represent the events when the final wrath of God is released on Babylon the Great.
  After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. (Revelation 7: 1)
  Like the exodus from Egypt, the exodus from Babylon will also have ten plagues.
  • The First Three Horses ("First Three Plagues"). In Egypt, the first three plagues fell on everyone. The third plague was a sign that showed the hand of God. This must be when Israel accepts the Messiah, triggering a great worldwide conversion and the emergence of the white horse. This incident also takes peace from the earth because the beast responds with anger and great fury at the rumors (Daniel 11: 44).

    Zechariah's Horses
    Direction			Meaning	Fulfilled
    1	North?		Persecution	Babylon Falls
    2	North		Apostasy
    3	North		Purity	Exodus
    4	South		Death, Hell	Plagues

    • Rumors from the North. News that the white horse, the pure church, has fled corruption.
    • Rumors from the East. News about the Prince who is coming from the east, the Second Coming. Even the demonic forces of evil recognize that the Second Coming will come in this generation and they increase efforts to instigate the persecution and place the abomination in the temple.
  • Grey Horse ("Seven Last Plagues"). The seven last plagues fell only on the Egyptians, indicating that a separation has been made between the righteous and the wicked (the white and black horses).
  
  » Peace. Earlier, the horsemen patrolling the earth report that there is peace. God is at peace with the world.

  Judgment Of Babylon
  Horse	Wrath
  	Northern Tribes	Church Comes out of Babylon
  Sealed	Temple	Messiah Prince Accepted
  	Corrupted
  	Southern Tribes	Church United Persecuted
  		Plagues
  	Christ Comes
  	Destruction

  
  And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth". So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold all the earth is peaceful and quiet". (Zechariah 1: 10-11)
  Now there is wrath, which occurs when the sealing is finished or is finishing. God is at war with the world.
  ... "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond servants of our God on their foreheads. (Revelation 7: 3)
  • North (Three Horses). These horses are sent for judgment against Babylon the Great in the north as part of the sixth trumpet. The result of this judgment is to separate the black and the white (wicked and righteous). The wicked are the children of apostasy and the righteous are those who are pure. This division comes as a result of persecution. This is why we believe that the red horse also rides north. The order is different because at the end of time it is persecution that will separate the black from the white or the wicked from the righteous.
    Then he cried out to me and spoke to me saying, "See those who are going to the land of the north have appeased my wrath in the land of the north." (Zechariah 6: 8)
    The events begin when the first phase of the wrath of God falls on them as Babylon the Great falls and God warns His people to "come out".
    • Red Horse ("No Peace"). If the red horse is north, then the events begin when peace is taken from the earth as Babylon the Great is falling. This certainly describes the events after September 11, 2001. We believe this event is more significant than any other period of war in the past eighty years because of other fulfillments.
      Second Angel ("Flee Babylon"). At this time, the message of the second angel urges people to flee from the fallen power.
      A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. (Revelation 9: 18)
    • Black Horse ("The Wicked"). The events in the north separate the people into two groups. The wicked do not heed the second angel's message and accept the mark of the beast because they are in apostasy.
      Third Angel ("Flee Apostasy"). At this time, the third angel warns against receiving the "mark of the beast", the sign that they have aligned with the immoral forces of apostasy.
      Received the Mark of the Beast. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9: 20-21)
    • White Horse ("The Righteous"). The righteous flee out of Babylon and go to the temple.
      Seven Thunders. The next event during the sixth trumpet is the sound of the seven thunders. The thunders (creative voice of God) perfect the people of God fleeing from Babylon.
  • South (Grey Horse). When the church flees Babylon the Great in the north it symbolically goes south as far away as possible to wait for the Second Coming. In the north, Babylon the Great initiates the persecution. Like Pharaoh pursuing the children of Israel, the beast power from the north pursues them to the south. The religious nature or purpose of the persecution is revealed. However, it is in the south where the wicked will meet the last phase of the wrath of God as death and hell will fall on them just as the waters of the Red Sea engulfed Pharaoh and his army and swallowed them up in the deep.
    The grey horse persecutes the people of the white horse and it is destroyed by the Prince who comes riding on a white horse with His army (Revelation 19: 11).
• Building The Temple. This journey of the church from north to the south is explained in more detail in the lesson of the temple of Ezekiel. As they flee from judgment in the north, the church comes to and becomes the temple in the middle. Then they have to leave and go south because the opposing forces are corrupting the temple and knowledge of God. As the members of the church from all nations flee Babylon, the true temple is built up as the final body of Christ. It becomes a portable temple as in the first exodus. They are the final temple.
  Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God. (Zechariah 6: 15)
  • Red Horse ("Severe Persecution"). Perhaps Zechariah did not mention the direction of the red horse because it rides in both the north and south. If the red horse rides south then it represents the wicked persecuting the righteous.
  • Grey Horse ("Death and Hades"). God responds to the persecution by those who ignored His warnings with the seventh trumpet. This is the seven last plagues which terminates in the Second Coming and the destruction of the wicked.

Zechariah 11: The Judgment Of Israel.
It was time for the judgment of Israel. But it was the Messiah who took the full force of the punishment.

• Judgment Rendered ("Mene, Mene - Counted, Counted"). The damned were counted into different piles.
  Counted. Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh." (Zechariah 11: 9)
  • Doomed Flock. Jesus came to be a Shepherd to Israel as their time was running out.
    Thus says the LORD my God, "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD; "but behold, I will cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their power." So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock and I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. (Zechariah 11: 4, 6-7)
  • Doomed Temple. The temple was built with cedars from Lebanon. It was destroyed in 70 AD.
    Open your doors, O Lebanon, That a fire may feed on your cedars. Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, because the glorious trees have been destroyed; Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has come down. There is a sound of the shepherds' wail, for their glory is ruined; There is a sound of the young lions' roar, for the pride of the Jordan is ruined. (Zechariah 11: 1-3)
  • Doomed Shepherds. The tribe of Levi will no longer be priests and they would reject their Shepherd.
    Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. (Zechariah 11: 8)
    • The Three High Priests. Judgment fell on the fourth generation of the house of Annas, the aged High priest who condemned Jesus. The three shepherds were the high priests Annas, Caiaphas and Matthias who was deposed in 66AD. Matthias was the grandson of Annas. His three sons were executed before him and then he and sixteen members of the Sanhedrin were executed during the siege and fall of Jerusalem 66-70AD.
    • One Month. The moon represents the church and one lunar cycle represents the time given to one church. This moon refers to one church, Israel.
      » Destroyed in 30 Years (36-66 or 40-70 AD). Also, using the year for a day prophecy, it is possible that these three to four generations died within 30 years of the siege or fall or Jerusalem, during the years 66-70 AD. One source states that Annas was 37 years old when he became high priest in 6 AD. Therefore he would have been at least 67 in 36 AD, certainly young enough to have died within our window of time.
      In Acts 4: 6 Annas and Caiaphas were still alive and this was reportedly around 37 AD.
    This interpretation demonstrates the cyclic nature of prophecy. When a time prophecy is about to be fulfilled, the essential elements are repeated in the final generation. The identification of the principal party remains, in both the long and short fulfillment but some significant detail is repeated in the final fulfillment.
    Judgment fell on Annas and his seed in the third and fourth generation.
• Judgment Sealed ("Tekel - Weighed"). Their wages were determined. The priests paid thirty shekels of silver to bribe Judas.
  Weighed. I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. (Zechariah 11: 12-13)
  » The Value of Jesus. They counted out 30 shekels which is half a maneh or 600 gerahs (Ezekiel 45: 12). It was not enough. The judgment counted at least two mene (maneh) divided into two separate piles. So He was found wanting. He could not redeem either of the piles.
• Judgment Delivered ("Upharsin - Divided"). The one judged was cut up, disemboweled and burned like the offering. The people of Israel, their shepherd, their covenent and their sanctuary were cut up and burned.
  • Temple Burned (70 AD). The temple was looted (disemboweled), cut up and burned by the Romans.
    Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die let it die, and what is to be annihilated let it be annihilated and let those who are left eat one another's flesh. (Zechariah 11: 9)
    » Death. About one million Jews died.
    » Annihilated. Seventeen members of the Sanhedrin were massacred.
    » Cannibalism. Josephus record acts of cannibalism during the siege and fall of Jerusalem.
  • Favor Broken (31 AD). Jesus, the favorite Son, was cut up, disemboweled and burned symbolically as the sacrifice. His death kept the everlasting covenant, but it broke the covenant with Israel, the favorite son, because they rejected their LORD.
    Divided. I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD. (Zechariah 11: 10-11)
  • Union Broken. The covenant was broken and the Seed of the tribe of Judah was separated from Israel. A new covenant was made with the Gentiles through Jesus.
    Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. (Zechariah 11: 14)
  • The Worthless Shepherd. The Christians also break the covenant. Because of apostasy, God gave the Christian church over to a power that persecuted them for centuries. He will have a mark on his arm and head for abandoning Christ.
    For behold I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock. A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind. (Zechariah 11: 16-17)
    » Devour Flesh. This is a prophecy about the violence of those who have the mark of the beast.
    » Sword on His Arm. They caused the death of millions by persecution with the sword of the state.
    » Withered Arm. God is not his source of strength.
    » Blind in His Right Eye. They refused to see God on their right hand in the church.
  » Evil Shepherds. Without the discernment of the Holy Spirit, you will be a victim of evil prophets and priests.
  For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions. And tell false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats. ... (Zechariah 10: 2-3)

Zechariah 12: The Return Of Israel.
» The Creator Calls. The return of Israel seems to be related to a time when the Creator calls them.
The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him. (Zechariah 12: 1)

• The Creator Calls. This may be a reference to the first angel's message. God calls the world back to Him as the creator. This message began to be preached around 1844 and is still being preached by the Seventh Day Adventists. In addition, during Hanukkak of 2008, God gave a Seventh Day Adventist scientific information from the Bible to prove that He is the creator. The Torah contains a model of the Periodic Table of chemistry and a unified model of particle physics. This came after revealing over 500 new Messianic prophecies to us that should convince the Jews that He is their Messiah.
• The Holy Spirit Given. This message is also given at a time when the Holy Spirit is being poured out to recreate the new people.

» Distress in Israel. Problems in the Middle East escalate because of Israel and it galvanizes their enemies. Simultaneously, the church of God will incur the wrath of the nations so that all of Israel will be persecuted.
Look, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves ... And in that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Israel. (Zechariah 12: 2-3, 6,9)

» The Siege against the City and the People. Normally, a siege against an empty city would be worthless. So a siege against the city of Jerusalem automatically includes the people also. But the prophecy emphasizes both because in the last days when this fulfillment becomes global, the city of Jerusalem will be besieged at the same time that the people of God everywhere will be under persecution.
The United States threatens to destroy Iran's nuclear programs at Natanz and other places with a nuclear bomb. The president of Iran said that if that happens Iran will attack Israel. They will take this action because that is what their prophecy says. The entire scenario fulfills many prophecies.

• Babylon and Persia. Babylon and Persia will be at war before the fall of Babylon at the Second Coming.
• The Siege of Israel. Israel will be under siege by the nations.
• Islamic Prophecies. It tells them to join the army from Afghanistan and attack Israel. God will give them victory.

When Will The Physical Nation Of Israel Be Restored?
Romans 11: 25-27 says that the physical nation of Israel will come back and be grafted back into the family of God. When will this occur?
Zechariah 12: 2-3, 9-10 gives us a clue. It will occur when the nations prepare for the battle of Armageddon. This battle will end after the millennium.

1. After they have been gathered from the nations.
   When I bring them back from the peoples and gather from the lands of their enemies, then I will be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.

   All Israel Returns to God All of Israel will return at the same time. The latter rain falls on the earth and it simultaneously converts the two branches of Israel. Gentiles. Joel 2 prophesies that the world will receive the outpouring of the Spirit. The work of the church leads many to conversion. Jews. The nation of Israel receives the outpouring of the Spirit as prophecied in Zechariah 12: 10.

   
   Latter Rain. I will not hide my face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord. (Ezekiel 39: 27, 29)
   This gathering has already occurred. It started when the nation was formed on May 14, 1948 and ended when many Jews emigrated after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989-91. And the greater gathering will occur just before the Second Coming when the latter rain falls on spiritual and physical Israel.
   A Great Reformation. In the future, there will be a reformation among a large number of Jews. So those who are Israel by blood who choose to accept Christ become part of Israel by faith (spiritual Israel). And through this great sign the world comes to know God because of what occurs among the Jews. Then God is sanctified or known.
2. When Jerusalem is Hated and Surrounded. Isaiah explains this prophecy. Israel was given the cup of wrath to drink for the last time. When their shame is reversed, it will be taken from Israel and given to the nations.
   Israel Forgiven. Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine: Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people,
   The Cup Of Reeling. Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, the chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again. I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, 'Lie down that we may walk over you.' You have even made your back like the ground and like the street for those who walk over it. (Isaiah 51: 21-23)
   The cup of wrath passes from Israel to her enemies. The wicked will learn that God never abandoned Israel. They have been punished for their sin, but they have not been cast away permanently.
   

   The Pierced Messiah For these things came to pass to fulfill the scripture, Not a bone of Him shall be broken". And again another scripture says, "They will look on Him whom they pierced". John 19: 36-37 appears to say that the fulfillment of Zechariah 12: 10 was at the crucifixion. However, the political events at the crucifixion are not the events of the prophecy of Zechariah 12. Jerusalem was not surrounded by the nations, they did not mourn for Christ and God was not fighting the nations to rescue Israel. Zechariah 12 occurs in the last days. Therefore, what was fulfilled at the crucifixion was the piercing of the Messiah. In the future, when Israel is surrounded as Zechariah described, they will recognize the pierced Messiah.

   Israel irritates the world by its actions and ignites a volatile situation, possibly starting "world war III". But remember that war is not a sign of the end. A combination of factors indicate the end is near. The most important is the conversion of the world.
   Jerusalem is now hated and in danger of being attacked by the Muslims. Al-Qaeda and other factions refuse to see any peace made with Israel so they derail any peace efforts. They do not want either peace or a two state solution, they want Israel to be destroyed. When a peace treaty is close to settlement, they send suicide bombers. Israel has now retaliated by building a wall that causes more hardship on the Palestinians. But they are still constantly living under the threat of terrorism. Now Iran is making dire threats and building a nuclear bomb. Hamas has taken over leadership of the Palestinians. Hezbollah is attacking from southern Lebanon. Their worst enemies seem to be gaining political power through legitimate elections. And, their prophecies tell them to surround and attack Jerusalem.
   Truly, the prophecy has come true. Israel is now a cup that causes reeling to all the people around. Israel attacked the Iraqi nuclear facility in 1981 and ended their nuclear ambitions. They will probably attack the Iranian nuclear facilities, or get blamed for it. The battle over Israel will never end because the militant Muslims will never accept the Jews. This battle has dragged the rest of the world into these affairs, because the countries are the depositories of the global oil supply.
   
   Distress in the Latter Days. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. (Deuteronomy 4: 30)
   Moses also prophesied that in the last days they will return to God when they are in distress.
   As we try to make deals and peace agreements, the next sign that we will see is the Vatican in charge of Jerusalem. The prophecy about the "king of the North" in Daniel 11: 45 converges at this point in time. It talks about the occupation of Jerusalem. When there is great agitation in the region of Palestine, this king "sets up his tabernacle" in Israel. But he will come to his end.
3. After Their Conversion and Acceptance of the Pierced Messiah.
   I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication, so that they will look at Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12: 10)
   God does something miraculous. He converts them with the Spirit. They are born again as He breathes new life into them according to Ezekiel 37: 14.
   Do not let the bitter weeping be a discouragement. It is caused when God pours out His Spirit of Grace and supplication. The weeping comes because of joy and remorse and true repentance. Remember that God takes responsibility for their separation. It was required so that the Gentiles could be reconciled. It is a mystery.
   

   Although the sequence is very clear that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on Israel during the siege, it does not mean that the latter rain has not begun all over the world already. Israel is just one place where it falls and this prophesy describes what is happening to physical Israel at that time.

   
   » The Spirit of Grace ("The Latter Rain"). This outpouring of the Spirit that converts Israel is the same outpouring of the Spirit that converts the rest of the world. So all of Israel, Jews and Gentiles, will accept the Messiah during this glorious time when their hearts are melted. Then the house of the Lord becomes a house for all people.
   Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain, the Lord who makes the storm clouds. And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man. (Zechariah 10: 1)
   
   So Zechariah only mentions what happens to the Jews at the time when the Spirit is sent. Joel explains that it happens to the whole world. The rain is given to help us to develop the fruit of the Spirit. So, the fruit harvest finally bears the fruit of the Spirit after the Latter Rain.
   It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind. And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Joel 2: 28-29)
   » The Eternal Fountain. This eternal fountain was opened before the foundation of the world. The Holy Spirit is the water for impurity and the blood of Jesus is for sin. It was recognized by the world when Jesus was crucified. But the Jews rejected Him. In the last days, Jerusalem will finally accept the Messiah and they will recognize the open fountain at that time.
   In that day there a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. (Zechariah 13: 1)
   » Sought After By The Nations. At some point the Jews will be popular.
   Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8: 22-23)
   » Wounded by His Friends.
   And one will say to Him, what are these wounds between Your arms? Then He will say "those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends". (Zechariah 13: 6)
   They recognize that they wounded their Lord. But He still calls them friends.
4. Before the Second Coming.
   Weeping over their rejection of the messengers from God, Christ predicted that He would not come until the physical house of Israel recognized Him.
   Look, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Matthew 23: 38-39)

Zechariah And The House Of David

Jesus Rejected		2 Witnesses (Moses and Elijah)						Jesus Accepted		Wrath	Rapture
	Crucifixion	1260 Years		Sons of Levi		Inhabitants of Jerusalem			Repentance	Plagues	Second Coming
Elijah Rejected		Persecution		144,000	Tents of Judah		House of David	Elijah Accepted		Israel
Israel Rejected				The Persecution of the House of the Lord				Israel Accepted

After the Levites are converted with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, then they lead by example even though they were first led by the small group of Christians represented by the priests of Zadok.
When the church in the north flees south, they spiritually become several groups as they become children of God. They arrive as sons of Judah to the holy land. They become princes from the house of David, priests from Zadok and Levi and inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they are holy by law.
This is the law of the house: its entire area on top of the mountain, all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. (Ezekiel 43: 12)

The Last Exodus (Led by Moses and Elijah).
The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the House of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.
The Latter Rain. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication, so that they will look at Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12: 7-8, 10)
Three groups of believers living in Jerusalem are mentioned in this prophecy.

• Tents of Judah. These are the Jews within the city. After the ten tribes were lost, the nation that remained were made up of the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and some Levites. These are the modern day Jews. In this final hour God magnifies them first. This is not because they are His favorites. After all it is a few Christians who lead them. He magnifies them first because their acceptance of the Messiah whom they have spurned for 2000 years becomes the most important sign of the presence of God.
  The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. (Zechariah 12: 7)
• House of David. Jesus is the descendant of David who inherits his throne. So the "House of David" are those who come out of Christ. This is all people who accept Christ. In this instance, this particular group are the heads of the household or the leaders. They are the 144,000 who go out in the power of the Holy Spirit and do the initial work of God to lead the rest of Israel to God, like the angel of the Lord who led Israel in the exodus.
  And the House of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. (Zechariah 12: 8)
• Priests. Some are priests that explain the sanctuary and the covenant.
• Levites. Some are priests from the Jewish branch. When this group commits, the holy nation moves forward.
• Inhabitants of Jerusalem. These are all the possible people of God. Within the city of Jerusalem was the royal family of the house of David, the priests, all tribes who visit the city three times per year and the foreigners who have joined themselves to Israel.
• Benjamin. The entire group is transformed into Benjamin, the church that is reborn as a baby. There is no male or female, Jew nor Gentile, no head or leader except Christ. They must realize that they are the final generation.

Although the "House of David" leads the group, yet it is the "tents of Judah" that are saved first and "the glory of Judah" will not be below the others. How can they both seem to lead? Let us go back to the exodus where Israel had several objects and signs of leadership. Each provided a different form of leadership.

• Angel of the Lord (Protection and Defense). Apparently there was an angel that went before them.
• Pillar of Cloud and Fire (When to Go). The movement of the cloud indicated that it was time to move the camp. And the cloud shaded them by day while the fire gave them light at night.
• Ark of the Covenant (Where to Go). The Ark was the first object that guided them when they walked through the wilderness. Israel is like the light of the shekinah glory shining from the ark of the covenant.
• Moses and Aaron (Spiritual Leadership). They walked with the first group that carried the ark.
• Judah (First Tribe). They were the first of the twelve tribes to walk behind the priests who carried the ark.

  Ark of the Covenant				Sons of Levi		Holy Objects
  		Moses Aaron	Judah	Merari	Gershon	Reuben	Kohath	Joseph	Dan

Moses And The Angel Of The Lord: ("The Elijah Message"). This means that a group of Christians, acting in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah, lead the vast majority of Jews to Christ and initiate the exodus. They are like Moses and the angel of the first exodus who led them out of Egypt (Exodus 14: 19).
Judah and the Ark of the Covenant. The Jews are like the light from the ark of the covenant and the tribe of Judah. They also lead the way. It is their contribution to the debate about the laws and feasts that prophesy about Christ that will be the awesome testimony at the end of time. They recognize the Messiah in the covenant and the laws and they can show the rebellious church who are ignoring these laws that they are still important because they are still prophesying about Christ. Their leadership becomes a great sign to the rest of the world and it causes the other eleven tribes, the "Inhabitants of Jerusalem" to follow them and turn back to God through a knowledge of the covenant. This act becomes a light to the nations so that in the end Israel fulfills its destiny because God convinces them first and allows them to be a light and fulfill their original destiny. Their glory reflects the glory of God.
Israel Reflects the Glory of God. Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60: 1-3)
Their rising up to accept the Messiah is a glorious light to the nations and their contributions to the knowledge about the Messianic prophecies in the feasts and laws will be priceless.
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. (Isaiah 9: 2)
The Elijah message of the Three Angels, calls all Israel, Jews and Gentiles, back to the Messiah.

None Can Boast. The genius of God has created conditions that guarantee that no group can claim superiority. No single group can boast that they are more important in the Plan of Salvation.

• Jews. Although the Jews have the honor of being the first faithful nation, yet they cannot boast because they rejected the Messiah and lost this preeminence in the process.
  In the end the Christian church is not grafted back into physical Israel. Instead, physical Israel is grafted back into Christ (Spiritual Israel) in whom we are a branch.
• Christians. The Christians cannot boast because they also fell into apostasy even with a greater light shining on them. Their leaders are the ones who fight God in the end and try to murder the righteous.
• The Tiny Remnant. The small group who are faithful in the end cannot boast because their testimony was not enough to convince the world. They could only reach the world by convincing the Jews.
• The Last Jews. The genius of God came full circle and allowed the Jews to regain their dignity by becoming a light. Even in this they cannot boast because it was the small group of Christians who led them to this knowledge.
• The Angels. Even the angels cannot boast because they were the source of this problem of sin and they rejected God with all the personal knowledge and experience available to them.

The Awakening Of Israel. Since Israel became a nation, they have been besieged by the nations many times. What makes this final siege memorable? What is it about the event that causes them to recognize the Messiah? Let us look at other prophecies about the time of this awakening.

• Passover ("Mental Awakening"). They will recognize Him because of Passover or during Passover when "Elijah" introduces Him to them. The prophecies in the Passover seder are a remarkable set of details that point to the order of events that Christ experienced from the time the crowd was asked to choose Him or Barabbas. One cannot study the symbols and not be struck by the awesome realization that a Man who was bound, confined and hated by so many could not have orchestrated the events of His public execution so that it followed the sequence of actions that every Jew has been reenacting annually for about 1500 years.
  Events begin when the cup of Elijah is poured out. This is the cup that caused reeling.
• Pentecost ("Spiritual Awakening"). The power of the Holy Spirit softens the heart so that we are more receptive to the message. So they make a good decision based on the Passover message.
• Tabernacles ("Physical Awakening"). Only the campsite in the desert adequately represents a siege of the Holy Place. During Christ's final week, His bitter ordeal was symbolized by the siege of the twelve sons around the tabernacle. As we learn to be more like Christ, God allows us to suffer His sufferings. Our sufferings are patterned after this ordeal. When Israel recognizes that they are suffering like their Messiah in this siege, they can both appreciate His sacrifice and anticipate what will happen next. In this reenactment, the nations are the wicked tribes who are trying to usurp the role of Christ. Only Christ could successfully bear the sins of Israel without being crushed forever. Israel's strategy should be to do to the nations what the Romans did to Christ and they will suffer like Him.
  • The Burden ("East"). Jerusalem is the heavy stone that is a burden and Issachar is a burden bearer. All the nations will be gathered against it as they gathered around Christ as He came to Jerusalem. Like Judas, the nations will get a hernia from lifting this burden. His belly spilled out and he died.
  • Bloodshed ("South"). In this phase they will be like the firepots and flaming torches at the time Christ was arrested in Gethsemane. The people who come to raid them will be bewildered, confused and blinded.
  • Recognizing the Pierced One ("North"). In this phase they will recognize that their forefathers pierced the Messiah. They will look at Him like their ancestors looked at the bronze serpent and lived. Then they will mourn and die to their sins and new life will spring up for them. Then the fountain will be opened up. They will accept Christ as the offering for sin and impurity.
  • Victory ("West"). The Lord fights for them. When they are born again they will become like Benjamin. Like ravenous wolves no one will be feeble. They will help the Christians in the final evangelism of the world.
  This same pattern of events will be experienced by all Christians as Jerusalem recognizes what Judah sees..

Zechariah 13: The Shepherd.

• Fountain Opened. This fountain has two streams, blood (Christ) and water (Holy Spirit). Christ died to justify us, set us right with God and cleanse us from sin and its penalty. The Holy Spirit washes away our impurities as we are being sanctified or made holy. This fountain was opened at the crucifixion.
• No Prophecy. In context, Jesus is the prophet who was pierced through for prophesying. He did not put on a hairy robe to deceive like Jacob deceived his father. He was not a prophet Who was modeled after the deceiver and supplanter Jacob. He was the prophet Israel (Prince of God). Instead, Jesus was a tiller of the soil who planted the seeds to gather in Israel. But He was sold for the price of a slave and wounded by His friends.
  » Prophecy Cut Off (Ends). The coming of Jesus Christ and His death on that day fulfilled almost every prophecy. So, in a sense all prophets ended, or were cut off on that day because their prophecies were fulfilled.
• Strike the Shepherd and Scatter the Sheep. Jesus was the Shepherd and Associate who was struck down and cut off. His disciples were scattered and in hiding, but the nation of Israel were also scattered.
• Two Thirds Cut Off. Israel and Judah were cut off, and the followers of Christ became the remnant.
• One Third in the Fire. This describes the work of the Holy Spirit who will purify the remnant.

Zechariah 14: The Day Of Battle.
Look, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you.
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. (Zechariah 14: 1-3)
Initially, Israel will be defeated. The day of battle occurs in two phases, and Jerusalem is surrounded twice in the last days. This makes the prophecy of Matthew 24: 34 accurate. The generation that sees all these things will see the coming of Christ. Israel was also surrounded by the Roman army before the final Day of the Lord. The event that occurred in 70AD was simply a pattern of the real fulfillment in the last days. We can use this pattern and its prophecies as a blueprint of what we should expect.

Ancient Jerusalem	70AD	Signs	Modern Jerusalem		Second Coming	1000 Years		New Jerusalem
Besieged by the Roman Army			Besieged by the Muslims					Besieged by Satan and the Wicked
Christians escaped			Distress	God fights for us			Christ lands on the Mount of Olives
Normal Time		Persecution		The Day of the Lord

• The Old Jerusalem (Before The Millennium). Before the Second Coming, the people of God are persecuted, they cannot buy or sell. This is the siege of the church of God. At the time this is happening around the world, the actual city of Jerusalem will be surrounded. This is the events of verse two, when some of the righteous are captured. This occurs simultaneously with the persecution of the church around the world.
  At this point, many prophetic expectations will converge and people will be compelled to march against Jerusalem, believing that it is the will of God.
  • Jews. Zechariah claims that Jerusalem will be surrounded by the nations when God gathers the nations.
  • Muslim. They claim that at a certain sign during a time when the Christians come to war in the Holy Land, they must surround Jerusalem because God will give them victory. This sign involves an army coming from Afghanistan with black flags and head bands. Read more here.
  • Evangelical Christians. Their eschatology says that they should not be found going against Israel. They influence the United States Middle East policy, thinking that Russia and China will go to war in the Middle East and will try to plunge the world into Atheism to fulfill Daniel 11.
    However they are incorrect. It is the United States that is acting out the prophecy.
    As Evangelicals saw the United States in the region, they began to reinterpret its presence there as the act of God to bring Christianity to the region. But as the United States began to torture people and rape children, and Islamic fundamentalists took over and Iraq became more Islamic they began to justify this behavior. They seem to be saying that they are bringing on Armageddon as if that was their Christian role. When was it the role of Christians to advance the kingdom of Satan by sinning?
    In an interesting turn of events, they have begun fulfilling prophecy, because they are becoming the brutal Christians who will force religion on the world.
    The real Armageddon will come when Christians obey God and Satan rises up to persecute them.
• The New Jerusalem (After the Millennium). The nations gather around the city after the judgment is over. Then God fights them as verse three says.

God Fights For Us. Zechariah 14: 3 and Zechariah 12: 9 show that God will fight for us during this war. Revelation 19 also gives a picture of Christ coming on a white horse with His armies to fight for us.
And I saw heaven opened, and saw, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. ... From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 19: 11, 15)

Christ Lands On The Mount Of Olives.
» The City On The Mount Of Olives. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven and rests on the Mount of Olives.
And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21: 2)

Mountain. And in that day His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall split in the middle of it toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal: yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah:
Third Coming. and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with you. (Zechariah 14: 4-5)
The saints who went to heaven at the Second Coming, return with Christ and the New Jerusalem after the millennium.
Light In The Evening. In that day there will be no light. The luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening there will be light.
Sea of Living Waters. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them towards the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.
New Earth. And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one. All the land will be changed into a plain ... but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site. (Zechariah 14: 6-10)

After that day there will be no light because God will always be our source of light. The sea is the water of life.
River of Life. And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the lamb.
No Night. ... And there will no longer be any night, and they will not have the need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22: 1, 5)

The False Second Coming On The Mount Of Olives.
The Bible indicates that the world will see a strong delusion and that Satan will come as a false Christ who will appear at several places on the earth. One test that Adventists think that they can use is the fact that Jesus will not land on the earth at the Second Coming but at the third coming.
However, Zechariah 14: 2-4 collapses a period that lasts over 1000 years into one sentence as he describes the events on the Day of the Lord. Daniel did the same thing when he described the two resurrections that are 1000 years apart as one event.
Time of Trouble. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12: 1-2)
Satan could point to scripture in Zechariah 14: 1-4 to show that the Bible teaches that God will land on the Mount of Olives during the siege of Jerusalem. Therefore, you need to understand that one thousand years comes between a siege of local Jerusalem and the real appearance on the Mount of Olives with the New Jerusalem. And, Jerusalem is besieged two times. And, the whole period of over one thousand years is the end of the great Day of the Lord.
So the time of the siege of Jerusalem is a perfect time for Satan to appear because he can quote a scripture to justify the manner of his appearance. Therefore, his first appearance must be in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Afterwards he will buzz around like a fly to other places because he is not omnipresent. He is an imposter!

Azazel Appears Alive. The Yom Kippur ritual is possibly a prediction of the appearance of Satan before the congregation in Jerusalem. The people are asked to choose between the slaughtered sin offering, Jesus Christ or this goat that appears alive before the congregation. Jesus was killed at Passover as every offering including the Passover Lamb and the Lord's goat, but the scapegoat was presented to the people at Yom Kippur. The choice between them is made at Yom Kippur. So the false Second Coming will be in Jerusalem, possibly on Yom Kippur.

It will be a time of great spiritual turmoil for Israel as they face war with the nations, then receive the Holy Spirit and recognize the Messiah. Now they have Satan pretending to be the Christ that they have just come to accept.

Jerusalem Besieged		Holy Spirit Comes	Israel Unites	False Second Coming	Persecution	Real Second Coming
Persecution		Latter Rain		Plagues
Time of Trouble					Resurrection	Rescue

The false appearance comes as an antidote to the success of the power of the Holy Spirit over the whole nation of global Israel. All believers in Christ will be tested by the fires of persecution and this false God. If he appears before the plagues, then his work will be to cause doubt and unfaithfulness and to justify a persecution. If he appears after the plagues, then his work will be to blame the righteous and urge the wicked to escalate the persecution.

The Wicked Are Destroyed.
This shows how the wicked are destroyed instantly, even before they can fall to the ground.
However, is this at the Second Coming when the battle of Armageddon begins and the nations surround the old Jerusalem or is it at the Third Coming when the battle ends after the wicked surround the New Jerusalem? Zechariah treats this war as one giant battle.
Melting Flesh. Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.
Panic. will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps. (Zechariah 14: 12-15)
The plague will fall on people and animals.

The Feast Of Tabernacles.
This sounds as if those who are against God are still alive and have the choice to go and worship Him.
These Former Rebels Go Up To The Feast. Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
These Rebels Do Not Go Up To The Feast. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.
No Rain. If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. (Zechariah 14: 16-19)
There is one scenaio in which this is true. Let us look at the symbols.

• The Feast Of Tabernacles (Succos). We begin the feast of Tabernacles at the Second Coming when all the righteous finally get to live with God physically. After the Third Coming God returns to earth where He places His throne among us. So it will be Tabernacles forever.
• The Nations Against Jerusalem. We are all rebellious nations who fought against God.
• Going Up To The Feast. Some of us will choose to go up to Jerusalem. In the rapture only the righteous "go up" to the feast when they are taken up in the sky to meet the Lord in the air and return to heaven.
• Not Going Up To The Feast. In contrast the wicked do not "go up" to tabernacle with God because they cannot. They may want to escape the terribe things that are happenning and "repent" and pretend to want to worship God but they cannot go up.
  In this case God presents a legal conundrum. They do not "go up" because they cannot "go up". He is not taking them to tabernacle with Him. So in essence He is asking these rebels who want salvation on their own terms, if they can do what only He can do. If they cannot, then they will be in violation of His terms for citizenship because they refuse to abide by the laws of the King.
• Those Left of The Nations". Who are those remaining who were fighting against God who might not want to go up to the feast? Since this scenario implies that God will be forcing people to worship Him under threat, then it cannot be the Third Coming when all these issues are resolved. Even by the Second Coming and before the pagues begin the decisions are already final.
• Plague: No Rain. Those who do not "go up" will be punished with no rain. The only rain that falls on the earth at this time is the hailstones of the Second Coming.
  These special wicked will not have the priviledge of instant destruction. Why?
• The Wickedest Of The Wicked. Every wicked person will be destroyed by the rain of fire at the Third Coming. However, at the Second Coming the worst of the wicked are spared for a period of revenge. This includes those wicked who are alive at the Second Coming who participated in the worst persecution ever on planet earth and those who are raised in the special resurrection.

The Messiah Builds A Temple In Jerusalem.
Many Evangelical Christians and some Jews are expecting the Messiah to come to the temple mount through the golden gate in Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and start His millennial reign on earth. Some believe that they must rebuild the temple before the Messiah comes to it. These interpretations are based on the following prophecies that actually point to the third coming after the millennium:

• Zechariah 14: 4-5. As discussed above, this text points to the coming of the New Jerusalem at the Third Coming.
• Zechariah 6. This prophesies that the Messiah will rebuild the temple.
  Builds the Temple. Then say to him, thus says the Lord of Hosts, "behold a man whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord."
  Priest-King. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus He will be priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.
  Those Afar. Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God. (Zechariah 6: 12-13, 15)
  This prophecy is conditional. Since they did not obey the Lord and were rejected for the Christian church, they cannot fulfill this prophecy. No other human, Jew or Gentile was completely obedient. Therefore the city cannot be built by human hands. It must be built by the obedient ones from afar. So when Jesus comes from afar off with a host of angels from heaven (Revelation 21-22), He will come with a pre-fabricated city because He was the only faithful, obedient human who will be allowed to build it.
• Ezekiel 44: 1-2. This actually teaches that the eastern gate will be shut after the Lord God enters it.
  Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. Then the Lord said to me, "This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. (Ezekiel 44: 1-2)
  This was fulfilled when the Arabs sealed up the entrance around 810, in a mistaken belief that they can prevent the Jewish Messiah from coming. They also buried their dead in the eastern section of the Mount of Olives facing the gate. This is so that the Messiah can not enter because He will be defiled by the dead.
  Such futile reasonings actually help to fulfill the prophecies until He comes. The Messiah will smash the eastern gate and the whole region with His new city and He will raise the dead so that they cannot defile Him.
  Ezekiel 46: 1-2, 12. The gate must be shut to fulfill this law.
  Thus says the Lord God, "the gate of the inner court facing east shall be shut the six working days, but it shall be opened on the Sabbath day and opened on the day of the new moon". The prince shall enter by way of the porch of the gate from outside and stand by the post of the gate. Then the priests shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate and then go out; but the gate shall be shut until the evening. (Ezekiel 46: 1-2, 12)
• Revelation 11:1-2. Evangelicals see the rebuilding in this prophecy, but it is the judgment of the righteous who are the temple.
  There was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it." Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty two months. (Revelation 11:1-2)

The Temples Of Israel.
These are the temples that have existed or will exist.

	Temple Destroyed		Rebuilding Fails				Christ Comes	1000 Yrs		New Jerusalem
31AD	70AD	132	363	688-715	810	1948		Sabbath		Jubilee Sabbath
	Titus	Bar Kochba	Julian	Muslims	Muslims	Israel	Christ Comes (The Day of the Lord)
Visits	War	Revolt, exile	Earthquake	Mosques	Seal Gate	Return	He does not Land		Lands on Mt. of Olives
Opened	Earthly Temple Destroyed and Closed Forever						Wicked Exiled		Temple Opened Forever
Herod's Temple		Ezekiel's Temple							New Jerusalem Temple

• Portable Temple. This is the temple in the desert that Moses built during the first exodus.
• Solomon's Temple. This great temple was destroyed after the siege of Babylon in 586 BC.
• Herod's Temple. This temple was built by Hezekiah after the return from Babylon. Then Herod remodeled and expanded it from 37 B.C to 4 BC. Since the perfect Lamb has been sacrificed and that system is over, God did several things to prevent any more sacrifices by the Jews. Just as God has thwarted every attempt to rebuild Babylon, it seems that He has stopped every attempt to rebuild the temple. The Jews cannot offer sacrifice until an approved temple is built. So a law also stops unnecessary sacrifices in His name at any other place.
  • Destruction. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. No stone of the temple remains. The wailing wall was not part of the temple. It is part of a wall around the temple compound. When the Jews tried to rebuild the temple in 363, they removed the remaining foundation stones to rebuild the new temple.
    And He said to them, "Do you see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another which will not be torn down." (Matthew 24: 2)
  • Bar Kochba Revolution (132-135). Emperor Hadrian supported a plan to rebuild the city and the temple dedicated to the god Jupiter, then the Jews revolted under the leadership of this false Messiah.
  • (313-324). Emperor Constantine tried to rebuild it. He built Christian churches all over Jerusalem.
  • Earthquake (363). Emperor Julian, the apostate, tried to rebuild the temple to discredit Christ's words that the temple will be destroyed. But an earthquake destroyed his plans. This was followed by reports of explosions and balls of fire that kept bursting from the ground.
  • Muslim Temples (688-691). Arabs conquered the city and built the Dome of the Rock mosque in 691 and the Al-Aksa mosque in 715 on the temple mount. The political tensions prevent their removal.
• Temple of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 40-48 describes a temple that is measured, the distribution of land, city and the priests and laws. It clearly describes a time when sin still exists. It is the time between the crucifixion and the Second Coming as the Prince and perfect High Priest, who is in the heavenly sanctuary, interacts with His imperfect people on earth. The temple is under measurement because the people are under judgment.
  The Man of Sin Corrupts the Temple. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4)
  » The Second Portable Temple. The temple that he corrupts is Ezekiel's temple. As the forces of evil corrupt this temple and the people of earth and persecute the righteous, they have to flee in a second exodus and become another portable temple.
• New Jerusalem Temple. This is the city and temple built by God that will be placed on the Mount of Olives at the Third Coming. Christ is the temple and the people are the perfect stones that built the temple and the city.

The Last Temple In Jerusalem.
It makes no sense for God to rebuild a temple and restart animal sacrifices because the death of Christ was sufficient for all sin. In addition, there will be no more death after He comes so animals cannot be killed as sacrifices or as symbols of what Christ has done. After the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, He removed the old temple and stopped the sacrifices and He has created historical situations to guarantee that another temple will not be built on that site in His name. Another temple will be built. However, it will be built by Christ in the New Jerusalem. This is the temple.

• Builder. God is the builder of a real city and the builder of the righteous who inherit it.
  He was looking for a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11: 10)
• Corner Stone. Christ is the corner stone.
  For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and He who believes in Him will not be disappointed." This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone," and, "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2: 6-8)
• Living Stone. The righteous are the stones.
  you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2: 5 also Isaiah 28: 16)
• Foundation. The twelve apostles are the foundation of the city based on the new covenant.
  And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21: 14)
  Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows into an holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2: 19-21)
• Gates. The twelve tribes of Israel are the gates because it is through them that we know about God.
  It has a great high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. (Revelation 21: 12)
• Temple. There is a new city but no physical temple building! The whole city, the people and God are the temple.
  I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (Revelation 21: 22)
  This is because the purpose of the earthly temple was to reveal the character of God and the plan of salvation. We no longer need a building to approach God or to know God.
• The Arrival Of The Messiah-Prince. These prophecies and laws teach that the Messiah Prince shall come through the gates from the east. And on Sabbath, or when He is here the doors must be open. When Jesus comes, the millennial Sabbath begins, but He does not land on earth or visit the temple site. He destroys the earth and the old defiled temple. When He returns after one thousand years, He lands on earth with a new city and temple, and the Jubilee millennial Sabbath begins.
  Comes From The East. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24: 27)
  Open Gates. ... its gates will never be closed. (Revelation 21: 25)
  No More Curse. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him. (Revelation 22: 3)
  No More Curse. People will live in it and there will no longer be a curse for Jerusalem will dwell in security. (Zechariah 14: 11)