Teacher: Pastor Chet Lowe

Main Scriptures: Zechariah 1, Daniel 12

Date of Message: November 3, 2022

• Review
  • The nation of Israel had returned after 70 years of exile
  • Those who returned were charged to build rebuild the city and the temple
    • They were caught up with building their own houses
      • Haggai challenged them
      • Zechariah encouraged them with comforting words (8 visions that he received in one night)
        • We need to remember that
          • Prophecy has both partial and complete fulfillment (i.e. Malachi 4, Revelation 11)
          • In terms of timeline, prophets see mountain-peaks of history, not the valleys (i.e. In one verse, there can be a span of hundreds of years, and the timeline won’t be explained)
  • Vision #1 You have a part to play in God’s plan
    • Zechariah 1:7-17
      • The world around them was at peace, but Jerusalem was in shambles
        • The Jews are struggling with understanding why “the wicked prosper”
      • The angel of the Lord is a Christophany (Jesus in the Old Testament)
        • Jesus intercedes for us
        • Jesus is jealous for His people
      • The Messiah was going to enter Jerusalem on a colt in the Gospels…therefore, it had to be rebuilt (Zechariah 9:9)
  • Vision #2 God is in control despite what we see
    • Zechariah 2:18-21
      • God has a plan for the Jews’ enemies to destroy themselves
      • God has a plan for the Jews to be ultimately rescued (Jeremiah 30:7)
        • In the book of Judges, we see God getting the Jewish nation’s attention through war, disease, famine, plague, pestilence, etc. (In contrast, the Gentiles’ attention is capture by grace)
          • In the future tribulation, we will see God working in this way again
      • God has re-formed this nation, made it prosperous and will supernaturally protect its existence (Ezekiel 37:7-8; 38:8, 11; Daniel 9:27; Zechariah 14:2)
• Vision #3 God is building His kingdom His way
  • Zechariah 2:1-13
    • Jesus, the Branch, is going to rebuild the nation of Israel (Zechariah 6:12)
      • This same Jesus says “I will be build my church,” and we can trust Him to do it (Philippians 1:6)
    • v.5 There will be a rebuilding of the third temple in the 1000-year-reign and the glory of the Lord will be its light (Revelation 21)
      • This is the temple that will be defiled by the Antichrist for 3.5 years (Matthew 24:15)
      • God tells us there will be 7 years of tribulation (Daniel 12:11)
        • In the last 3.5 years of the tribulation, there are
          • 1260 days=3.5 years of a lunar calendar
            • At 1290 days (30 days later), there will be a judgment of the nations and the separation of the sheep and goats
            • At 1335 days (45 days later), there will be a purification of the temple
        • He is telling us that He has an end planned for the enemies of God
    • v. 8-9 The Jewish nation is the apple of God’s eye
      • The Nations have been poking at God’s pupil, and Jesus will destroy them at the end of the 7 year tribulation
    • v. 10 When Jesus delivers the Jews, there will be a national revival and they will believe (Zechariah 12:10)
    • v. 13 God will stand up to say “It is enough” and punish the nations. All of heaven will be silent for 30 minutes
      • The Jews will fear God and be aware of their past failures
• Vision #4 But God is a redeemer
  • Jesus is our judge and defender, and Satan is our accuser (Revelation 12)
    • Joshua knew he was guilty and confessed
    • Jesus forgives and uses us despite our failures