"The cosmic, eschatological sweep of this last portion . . . is almost without compare in the prophetic literature of the OT for the richness of its imagery, the authority of its pronouncements, and the majestic exaltation of the God of Israel who will be worshiped [sic] as the God of all the earth."276
14:1 The Lord announced through His prophet that a day was coming, for His benefit primarily, when the nations that had plundered Israel victoriously would divide their spoil among themselves in Jerusalem. This would be the Lords' day in which He would do His will, in contrast to man's day in which man conducts his affairs without divine interference.
14:2 The Lord would gather all the nations against Jerusalem to fight against her (cf. Rev. 16:16-21, Armageddon). They would capture the city, plunder the houses, and rape the women. Half of the Jewish residents would depart as exiles, but the other half would remain.277This has never yet happened.
"The only [?] explanation is that this is an ideological conflict to remove a non-co-operative element that blocked the way to an international world order."278
"This eschatological verse alone--with its statement that the city will be captured'--is sufficient to refute the notion popular in certain circles that the times of the Gentiles' (Luke 21:24) were fulfilled as of the rebirth of the modern state of Israel. According to Lucan theology, after the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,' Jerusalem will be trampled on no more. Since Zechariah 14:2 clearly indicates that Jerusalem will be trampled on' again in the future, the times of the Gentiles' would seem to extend to the Messiah's second advent, when those times' will be replaced by the final, universal, everlasting kingdom of Daniel 2:35, 44-45."279
14:3 Yahweh would then take the role of the divine warrior and fight for His people Israel (cf. 1:3; 9; 10:4-5; 12:1-9). He had done this previously in the Exodus and on numerous other occasions (cf. Exod. 14:13-14; Josh. 10:14; 23:3; Judg. 4:15; 2 Chron. 20:15).
"The actual order of events in this day peculiarly the Lord's is: (1) the nations assembled to war against Jerusalem (vs. 2); (2) the city captured and plundered, etc. (vs. 2); (3) the spoil of the city divided within its walls (vs. 1); (4) the Lord's intervention (vs. 3)."280
14:4 In that day Yahweh's feet, in the person of Messiah (cf. Acts 1:9-12; Rev. 19:11-16), would stand on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 1:11).281Since people were east oriented in ancient times, Zechariah described this mountain as in front of Jerusalem. The Lord would split this mountain in two (with an earthquake?) so half of it would fall away to the north and the other half to the south leaving a large east-west valley down the middle (cf. Rev. 16:18-19).
14:5 The Israelites would flee for safety through this valley with mountains on either side (cf. 2 Sam. 15:16, 30; 2 Kings 25:4; Ezek. 11:22-25). The valley would reach as far as Azel (lit. "be joined to"or "be at the side of, near;"cf. Mic. 1:11), a site presently unknown but obviously some distance east of Jerusalem. They would flee as they did during the great earthquake that happened during King Uzziah's reign over Judah (cf. Amos 1:1).282Then the Lord would come with all His holy ones with Him, namely, Christians in heaven and angels (cf. Ps. 89:5, 7; Matt. 25:31; Col. 4:4; 1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-16). Zechariah expressed his own relationship with the Lord, his faith in Him, and his wonder at this revelation by referring to Him personally: "O my God."
14:6 In that day the luminaries will dwindle (lit. congeal) and there will be a reduction of light on the earth (cf. Joel 3:15-17; Amos 5:18).
"The meaning is that the loss of light is explained by the congealing of the heavenly bodies, their thickening' as it were to the point that they cannot shine [cf. Exod. 15:8; Job 10:10; Zeph. 1:12]."283
14:7 It will evidently be like twilight, neither day nor night (cf. Gen. 1:3-5). Even in the evening there will be more light than usual. It would be a unique day in human history (cf. Jer. 30:7). This phenomenon would occur on a day that only Yahweh would know (cf. Matt. 24:36; Acts 1:7).
Other passages also predict cosmic phenomena in the Day of the Lord (Isa. 13:9-10; Joel 2:31; 3:15; Amos 5:18; Matt. 24:29-30; Rev. 6:12-14; 8:8-12; 9:1-18; 14:14-20; 16:4, 8-9). Bear in mind that this "day"is an extended period of time, not just a 12-hour or 24-hour period. Here the end of the Tribulation is in view all of which the prophets spoke of as the Day of the Lord along with the Millennium.
14:8 Also in that day life-giving water would flow rapidly out of Jerusalem half of it flowing east into the Dead Sea and half west into the Mediterranean Sea.284This water would flow all year round, even in the summer when most streams in Palestine dry up (cf. Ps. 46:4; Joel 3:18). The Israelites divided their year into two seasons instead of four: summer and winter (cf. Gen. 8:22; Ps. 74:17; Isa. 18:6).285Probably the water will be literal, but it certainly has symbolic significance as well (cf. Ps. 46:4; 65:9; Isa. 8:6; Jer. 2:13; Ezek. 47:1-12; John 4:10-14; 7:38; Rev. 22:1-2).
"There is no reason to take this [whole description] in any but a literal way, unless one is prepared to deny a literal coming of YHWH as well."286
14:9 In that day Yahweh would rule over the whole earth. He would be the only king; there would be no others. His name would be number one in the earth; there will be no other so-called gods (cf. Deut. 6:4-5). This verse refers to Christ's millennial kingdom (cf. Ps. 2; Matt. 6:9-10).
"Israelites for generations had been singing The Lord reigns' (Pss. 93; 97; 99), but it had been a declaration of faith. Once that day' comes He will be seen to be King over His world kingdom."287
14:10 The land around Jerusalem would become level whereas Jerusalem itself would be elevated (apparently due to a great earthquake; cf. Isa. 2:2; Rev. 16:18-19). In view of the place names mentioned, this verse probably refers to the literal city and to its topography. Geba stood about six miles north of Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:8), and the Rimmon south of Jerusalem stood about 35 miles southwest of it (Josh. 15:32; Neh. 11:29). The sites mentioned in Jerusalem were on the east, west, north, and south sides of the city, indicating its totality.288
14:11 People would live in millennial Jerusalem. Jerusalem would never again suffer depopulation by being put under the curse (or ban, Heb. herem). Canaanite cities placed under the ban were totally destroyed (Josh. 6:17-18). In other words, the city and those in it would enjoy security because Jerusalem would never again suffer destruction.
Chronologically these verses describe what will follow verse 3.
14:12 The Lord would smite the nations that warred against Jerusalem (vv. 1-3) with a plague that would cause the people's flesh to rot off them wherever they might be. They would not be able to see or speak (cf. Isa. 37:36).
14:13 Panic would seize them from the Lord in that day, and they would fight one another (cf. Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:15-20; 2 Chron. 20:23). This would happen near Jerusalem.
14:14 The Israelites would also fight their enemies there and would gather much spoil from the people they would defeat. Thus there are three instruments God would use to defeat Israel's enemies: plague (v. 12), themselves (v. 13), and the Israelites (v. 14).
14:15 The plague that the Lord would send on Israel's enemies (v. 12) would also afflict their animals precluding their escape (cf. Josh. 7:24-25).
14:16 The remaining former enemies of Israel who would not die would bow to the sovereignty of Yahweh (cf. 8:20-23; Isa. 2:2-4; 45:21-24; 60:4-14; Ezek. 40-48; Phil. 2:10). They would be expected to make annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship the one King, Almighty Yahweh (cf. Ps. 24:10; Isa. 6:5; Rev. 11:15; 19:16), and to celebrate the feast of Booths. The feast of Booths (or Tabernacles, Ingathering) commemorated the Lord's provision of agricultural bounty and the Israelites' redemption from Egyptian slavery. Strangers were welcome to participate in it in Israel's past history. It also anticipated entrance into the Promised Land and kingdom blessings (Lev. 23:34-43).289It was the last of the three most important feasts on Israel's calendar, so it would be an appropriate one for these Gentiles to celebrate in Jerusalem yearly. This feast was a time of grateful rejoicing (Lev. 23:40; Deut. 16:14-15; Neh. 8:17). This may not be the only feast these people will celebrate, but it was the only one Zechariah mentioned, perhaps because it was so climactic.290
"There are many views as to why choice was made of the Feast of Tabernacles, but the most probable is that, speaking of the joys of the ingathering, it will celebrate the gathering of the nations to the Lord and especially His tabernacling among them [cf. Rev. 7:15-17; 21:3]."291
14:17-19 As punishment for not making the pilgrimage, the Lord would withhold rain from those who did not attend the feast (cf. Ps. 2:8-12; Rv. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). This was also a curse for covenant disobedience under the Mosaic Law (Deut. 28:22-24). For example, if people from Egypt did not go up to Jerusalem, the Lord would withhold rain from them. This would be His punishment on any nation that did not participate (cf. 9:11-10:1). Rain is a figure for spiritual blessing (cf. Ezek. 34:26), but both literal and spiritual blessing are probably in view here.
"Egypt was an exception among the nations because it depended for water not on rainfall but on the Nile. As Egypt had experienced plagues at the time of the Exodus, and through them had been brought to acknowledge God's sovereignty, so plaguewas a fitting symbol of disaster in the new era."292
"Zechariah portrays the Messiah as the complete and perfect King by applying all six royal functions [of ancient Near Eastern kingship] to him . . . : (1) mediating Servant (3:8); (2) Priest (6:13); (3) Judge (14:16-19); (4) Warrior (10:4; 14:3-4); (5) Shepherd (11:8-9; 13:7); and (6) Peace'-bringing King (3:10; 9:9-10)."293
14:20 In that day even the most common things would be as consecrated to God's glory as the gold plate on the high priest's turban that previously indicated his consecration (Exod. 28:36). This plate was to remind the Israelites of their holy calling as well. Finally all the people would indeed be consecrated to the Lord and would fulfill their holy calling (cf. Exod. 19:6; Jer. 2:3). The ordinary cooking pots in the temple would be as holy as the bowls used to sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the brazen altar had been.
14:21 In fact, every cooking pot throughout the holy city would be set apart to honor Yahweh Almighty. People would even be able to use them to bring their sacrifices of worship to the Lord. Finally, there would be no more Canaanites in the temple of the Lord of hosts in that day. The Canaanites throughout Israel's history represented people who were morally and spiritually unclean, reprehensible to Yahweh, and doomed to death (cf. Gen. 9:25; Isa. 35:8; Ezek. 43:7; 44:9; Rev. 21:27). Probably that is the significance of the name here, not just the ethnic Canaanites alone. There would be no more people like the Canaanites in the land because all would acknowledge Him as God and King.
"There will be holiness in public life (the bells of the horses,' v. 20), in religious life (the cooking pots in the LORD's house,' v. 20), and in private life (every pot in Jerusalem and Judah,' v. 21). Even common things become holy when they are used for God's service. So it is with our lives."294
