The Prairie Light
Fallon Evangelical Church, Sermon Notes
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| Sunday June 28, 2020 This Sunday was Dan Nefzger's last sermon with us as our pastor as he chose to retire at this time. We do thank him for the years he gave to our church and community The Lord Jesus Christ Reigns Zechariah 14:8-21 Zechariah has been called the Revelation of the OT. It has taken history a long time to get to this point that Zechariah describes. There has been no peace on earth since the Garden of Eden. There have been wars and rumors of war all throughout history. But now here in the middle of chapter 14, we see a war to end the Great Tribulation. There is only one more war past the Millennial Kingdom and that comes at the end of time, before we enter into Heaven and eternity. There will be peace during the Millennial Kingdom as Jesus rules with a rod of iron. Satan and all his buddies are locked away in the bottomless pit for 1000 years so they cannot cause any trouble or temptation on earth. That is not to say that there will not be any sin since man can still exercise his free will. Mankind can sin without Satan’s help. As vs 8-9 show, God will refine His people like gold and silver to purify them. When gold and silver are heated, the impurities burn off. So it is with God’s people in the furnace of affliction, God wants us to reach the end of ourselves and call out to Him. The godly remnant of Israel (1/3rd) will be spared during the Tribulation; the rest will be rejected and perish. The godly remnant who called on the Lord (Acts 2:21) will be saved and become the nucleus of the promised kingdom where the Lord will acknowledge them as His own people. Just as Israel was and still is the church today is a defiled people who need to repent and be cleansed. The promise of forgiveness is still valid (1 John 1:9-10). 2 Chronicles 7:14 says If God’s people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land.. In v 8, we are told of a mighty river of living water that will flow from under the temple in Jerusalem, and that brings healing and fertility to the land (Isaiah 35). One half flows to the eastern sea, the Dead Sea, some 1300 feet below sea level. The water turns the salty Dead Sea into fresh water teeming with fish (Ezekiel 47). Today, the Dead Sea is so salty that it would be hard to drown in it because of its buoyancy. The west flowing river flowed into the Mediterranean Sea and will be used for irrigation. When Jesus establishes His rule (v 9), there will be only one King, and Satan, the prince of the air, will not have any influence over it because he is locked away in a bottomless pit which is not hell. Satan is released after the Millennial Kingdom ends to battle the Lord Jesus one last time before being consigned to the Lake of Fire. In the Millennium, Jehovah will be universally recognized, accepted, and worshipped as the only unique, solitary, and incomparable God in the universe. Never since the Fall of Man will people so readily accept the Triune God. In verse 10, we learn that during the earthquake mentioned earlier, Jerusalem rose up over the whole land as the surrounding area was lowered down and smoothed out to become a plain. As people will make their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it will be visible for miles. There is great promise in v 11 as it details how the inhabitants will live there in safety. Earlier we studied how the old men and women would sit in the streets and visit and the children would play in the street. We often pray for the peace of Jerusalem and it will happen after Jesus comes again. Psalms 122:6-7 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." The description given in vs 12-14, 15 describes what happens to those who had fought against God’s chosen people at the end of the Tribulation age in the conflict called Armageddon. First, there is a plague on all the soldiers that causes their bodies to rot away. Second, the Lord will send a panic amongst the enemy soldiers so that they kill each other. Third, Judah will fight with Jerusalem in their victory (v 14), and Israel will gather the great abundance of wealth from the surrounding nations. Israel will have a ministry to the Gentiles who will trust the true and living God and come to worship at His temple. The Shekinah glory will return to this Millennial Temple through the East gate making it a holy Temple. Verses 17-19 explain what will happen to those who do not worship God at His holy temple. They will not experience the blessing of life giving rain. Holiness will characterize all of life as even the bells and household utensils are deemed holy (vs 20-21). There is no secular or sacred in the Christian life, because everything comes from God and should be used for His glory. No unclean person may enter into the presence of God. How sincere are we in our worship and is it obvious to those around us? Are we blind to our own repetitive routines that dull our spiritual sensitivities? What do others see as important in our lives? Is it the routine or is it the time spent in a meaningful relationship with our God. |