Article #386
by Bill Nugent
The Bible contains thousands of predictive prophecies. Many of these prophecies are coming to pass in our own time. In this article let’s take a look at some prophecies contained in the Old Testament book of Zechariah, particularly chapters 12, 13 and 14 that are coming to fulfillment now or will soon be fulfilled.
“And 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” (Zechariah 12:3 NASB).
This passage in Zechariah, which refers to Jerusalem as being like a heavy Stone, is something we see being fulfilled in our own day. All the world is concerned about the Middle East and about Israel and the Palestinians. Many nations are trying to move Jerusalem towards a peace process. All of us are in favor of peace. However, there must be peace in accordance with God’s justice.
A Sovereign Palestinian State
The nations try to persuade Israel to do things that would compromise Israel’s national security. They try to persuade Israel to give up land for peace. Many high ranking officials in the US, the UK, the European Union and the UN pressure Israel to give up so much land for peace that Israel would end up with a small piece of land which would be very difficult to defend. Furthermore, a Palestinian state would likely be governed from its outset by members of terrorist organizations such as Hamas, the PLO and the Palestinian Authority.
Israel is being restored to their land by God. The Jewish people were promised a land flowing with milk and honey to which Moses led them after the exodus out of Egypt around 1500 BC. Israel was given this land by God. Those who try to force Israel to give up this land or part of this land are working against God.
We’re all familiar with God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse” (NASB).
In Genesis 15:18 we read “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (NASB).
“Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance'” (Psalm 105:10-11 NASB).
Consider the words to Israel in Zechariah 2:8: “he who touches you, touches the apple of His [God’s] eye” (NASB).
The nations need to be very careful about how they approach Israel and seek Justice for both Israel and the Palestinians.
Tragedies Befall Nations Who Try to Lift the Heavy Stone
I recommend a book titled Eye to Eye and subtitled Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel. It’s written by William Koenig who’s a very prominent journalist with extensive Middle East experience. In this book he documents the consequences to nations trying to lift Jerusalem, when Jerusalem is like a heavy stone.
Zachariah 12:3 says that those who lift the heavy stone will be severely injured. Koenig’s book gives documentation of certain weather patterns, natural disasters and economic setbacks that have happened to nations after they have resisted Israel in a grossly unfair way.
The book Eye to Eye by William Koenig contains exhaustive documentation of the US president and State Department pressuring Israel to give up land for empty promises of peace. They were trying to lift the burdensome stone of Zechariah 12:3. For instance the book contains a table on pages 186 to 191 that tells of diplomatic actions and other pressure put on Israel and then immediately following this, catastrophic events occurred in the United States.
Koenig’s book covers decades of History and gives reams of evidence and valuable discussion. Given the close proximity of natural disasters to times of pressure on Israel to accept a sovereign Palestinian state on its borders, shows that the natural disasters and other tragedies which occurred were not coincidental.
This makes me shudder to think of what could be in store for the United States given the extreme pressure that the Biden administration is putting on Israel to accept a sovereign Palestinian state.
Zionism is a Conservative Movement in a Liberal World
Israel is doing something very conservative and traditional. Israel is claiming land based on the Bible. We don’t often think of Jewish people as being socially and politically conservative. When I grew up in New York, in a part of the US that has a large Jewish population, I saw Jewish people on the vanguard of progressive liberal politics.
Zionism, which is the movement among Jews over the past century to claim land in the Middle East that was owned by the Jewish people for thousands of years is a very conservative movement. Zionism is both theologically and politically conservative. Zionism is conserving the traditional biblical understanding of the Jewish people being the chosen people living on a chosen land.
Most of the nations on earth have moved away from God and the Bible. The Bible prophesies: “in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self” (II Timothy 3:1-2 NASB), “In later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (I Timothy 4:1 NASB). The nations mostly reject biblical revelation that gives Israel their land.
The conservative movement called Zionism is a factor that causes all nations to gather against Israel.
Heartland of Israel Proposed to Be Given to a Palestinian State
Such a Palestinian state, if it is recognized by the UN and most of the nations of the earth, would amount to a transfer of Israel’s promised land to Israel’s enemies. The land proposed for the new Palestinian state includes the heartland of biblical Israel. Hebron, Bethel, Jericho and other cities and landmarks would be ripped from Israel and given to terrorist anti-semites.
Worse still is the proposal to divide Jerusalem and give part of it to the terrorists as capitol of a Palestinian state.
I believe we need to pray for the United States and all the other nations that are pressuring Israel. We pray for God’s mercy on them. We pray that they would change course and not trifle with Israel. Israel has a right to its land given to them by God millennia ago!
It seems like all the nations of the Earth are gathered against Jerusalem. The United Nations has passed resolutions overwhelmingly against Israel. Israel is more vilified and accused than any other member of the United Nations.
The UN Security Council
The United States is a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and has veto power. The US has, with few exceptions, vetoed UNSC resolutions that would undermine Israel. If the US were to refrain from vetoing a UNSC resolution recognizing a Palestinian state, it would establish the Palestinian state as a sovereign nation under international law.
An ordinary UN General Assembly resolution is almost powerless. A UNSC resolution is international law. If a UNSC resolution which recognizes a Palestinian state passes, better run for cover.
Prophecies of the Soon Second Coming of Christ
Zachariah 12:10 gives a very important Messianic prophecy. It’s a prophecy of the second coming of Christ to the land of Israel. It reads as follows: “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on 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 the bitter weeping over a first born” (NASB).
Another verse in Zechariah that predicts a time of repentance in Israel at the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ is found in Zechariah 13:1 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the House of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity” (NASB). The “fountain” is for the washing away of sins by blood atonement (Leviticus 17:11, Revelation 1:5).
This refers to a time of repentance as Israel sees Jesus as their Messiah whom they have rejected over the centuries. The word “Christ” means the same as “Messiah.” All Israel will repent of their sins and they will repent of rejecting Christ. This occurs at the second coming of Christ. The second coming of Christ will happen very soon, probably within the lifetimes of most people reading this.
Someone could say that the fountain of Zechariah 13:1 is already open because so many Jewish people in Israel are turning to Christ now and forming Messianic Jewish congregations.
We read of Jesus in Revelation 1:5 “Unto him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
The Second Coming of Christ Will Be at Jerusalem
Another verse of interest regarding the second coming of Christ is found in Zechariah 14:4-5 “And 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 towards the south. And 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!”
The above passage in Zechariah clearly shows that the second coming will be not at Rome, London, New York or Salt Lake City, but at Jerusalem!.
Be Ready to Meet Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth came in fulfillment of hundreds of Old Testament Bible prophecies. No person in all of world history, other than Jesus of Nazareth, fulfills the Bible’s Messianic prophecies. Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel.
The Old Testament prophets foretold that Christ would suffer and die for the sins of the people. “All of us like sheep have gone astray; Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him” (Isaiah 53:6 NASB).
The New Testament teaches that Christ died for our sins. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (I Peter 2:24 NASB).
God has great love for all humanity. The prophets foretold that Christ would rise from the dead to offer forgiveness of sins to all who turn to Him in repentance. I invite you to turn to Christ today to receive forgiveness of sins.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!