Zechariah 14:1-8 says...

Today's verses are Zechariah 14:1-8, which read,

v.1 - Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you.

You get the idea from the Old Testament minor prophet book of Zechariah that there is a special day coming  There will be a day when the enemies of Jerusalem and in a sense the enemies of God will overtake that place where God's people are residing.  The enemies will take everything they have and it will be distributed to others.  

v.2 - 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.

On that day, the devastation will be great.  God is speaking of this as something happening in the future and it is to be known by them because God is telling them.  This should be no surprise to them if they are listening to God and at the time spoken through the prophets He had designated to speak for Him.  Today we have the Word of God in which God has spoken and still speaks to us through His revelation to be fulfilled.  A question for us is the same as them, "Are we listening to God and what He has said?"

v.3 - Then the LORD will got forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.

Here come our Savior riding in on His white stallion per say to save the day.  There will be a battle against those who are going against the Bride of God, the church.  

v.4 - In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Look at all the details that are given to us about this return of Jesus.  Where He ascended into heaven is where He will return to.  We are given the location of the Mount of Olives and where it is given in relationship to the city of Jerusalem.  There will be some type of event that will create a valley in the midst of this mountain much like God splitting the Red Sea when He delivered the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  

v.5 - You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.  Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!

Zechariah is giving us more details about the coming events that we read of in the book of Revelation some 1000 years later.  The way of escape is provided by God for those who are here and trust in Him.  This valley traveling east to west that has been created by this event will offer protection from Him.  When this happens, it is another sign that Jesus is coming back and He is bringing others with Him.  These could be angels or children of God who have been resurrected from their graves in a rapture event.  Another devotional question this morning for us is, "Do we take the way of escapes that God gives us when Satan is battling for us to follow him and his ways?"  

v.6, 7 - 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 time there will be light.

Only God knows the exact day.  On that day the lights of the sun, moon, and stars will go out but there will come another light by the evening.  We are told in the Bible that He will be the light of heaven.  There is going to be a salvation to those who believe in Him who have taken the way of escape through the valley He created for them.  It will go dark but another light will come.  

v.8 - And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.

There will be a rebirth of the area after this event.  A new water source will emerge that will travel down this valley.  It will be a water source that doesn't dry up in the summer like some of our small creeks when the rains to not come.  This stream will be different because it is bringing living water.  God not only is coming to do battle against His enemies and not only providing a way of escape for His Bride yet on earth through this created valley of His but He is also going to give rebirth to the region so a future is coming.  Do you look forward to the Day of the LORD?  Do you see His plan that is going to be fulfilled and therefore live your life in accordance to it?  

Zechariah will give us more of the story in our next devotional on Wednesday but I encourage you to see that what is written here is for our benefit to know.  We have been given a great gift from God in Him unfolding before us His final rescue of those who believe in Him.  Let us use this knowledge given by Him to continue to spread the news about being on the Lord's side.  Let us pray.

"Lord, You are unfolding before us the end of times as we sometimes call it but it really is the continuation of Your plan fulfilled.  You give the world warning and it comes through Your word that we have taken ahold of so it is in our hands to proclaim.  May we in our churches protect the reading, study, and authority of Your word to us so that we can share the salvation of You to all who believe.  Amen."

Pastor Adam