“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:32)
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom 10″12,13)
Joel & Zechariah in end-time prophecy
- The book of Joel is positioned between Hosea & Amos (both prophesying at the time of king Uzziah). It is thus most likely Joel was also a pre-exile prophet. The book of Joel does not leave an indication of exactly when he lived, but since all other major and minor prophets occur chronologically in the bible, it seems safe to say that Joel also lived around the time of Hosea & Amos.
- Zechariah prophesied after the exile, and is a contemporary of Zerubbabel (leader) and Haggai (prophet).
For an overview of the history and events of the time of Joel and Zechariah click on 2304 Joel & Zacheriah. Also refer to Appendix E and G for some narrative style summaries of O.T end-time prophecy.
What is covered here, in App G2, is a word-for word study, to ensure that all the context is picked up. The bulk of this study is on PowerPoint, to utilize its benefits in terms of colour coding, and for group study/presentation purposes. Consider, however, that these PowerPoint slides offer my personal proposed interpretation, and that this will probably subject to continuous development as my understanding grows.
The further motivation, for the method of colour coding the PowerPoint text, is that it removes the need for inserting interpretative comments, Interpretative comments, as was presented earlier in appendix E, imposes the interpreters views and may be ‘leading’. In this App G2 method, the leading of the Holy Spirit to open up scripture is more suitably transferred to the reader.
There are two main objectives with the colour coding:
- To be able to position a specific end-time passage from Joel or Zechariah on the timeline. (i.e. Whether it is a tribulation, a 2nd coming, a wrath or a millennial reference)
- At the same time, by colouring the text, indicating whether it is a multiple or specific fulfillment prophecy, or a millennial reference)
Two basic principles regarding end time interpretations:
- to be aware of multiple fulfillments
- to be aware of long-term and short-term ‘weaving’
Long-term and short-term ‘weaving’
Example 1: Long-term (i.e. end-time) and short-term ‘weaving’
Zecheriah 9:3-8 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. 4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire….8 for now have I seen with mine eyes.
- Tyre was indeed destroyed as prophesied, by the Greek armies. (a short-term prophecy)
- But now suddenly, in the next verse, the prophecy shifts to Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, entering on Palm Sunday, just before he was crucified for our salvation:
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
- The next verse leaps into the millennium: (an end-time ‘long-term’ prophecy)
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
- Jesus will reign over the entire earth, from sea to sea during the millennium,
- After this single millennial verse, we’re back to the short-term, then to the next empire Greece, three verses further on in v13:
13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
This occurs throughout Zechariah, e.g. Zech 11:12 & 13, with the seemingly random reference to the 30 pieces of silver which, in hindsight, we know was paid to Judas to betray Jesus, and which was afterwards used to buy the potter’s field. This ‘weaving’ principle is especially important for interpreting Zechariah 14, which seems to present so much conflicting information. After the clear and lucid reading of Zechariah 12 and 13, which are so coherent (see summary below), we land into a mire in the next chapter. Zechariah 14 seems to demand that we implement every bit of the ‘weaving’ lessons we have learnt from Zecheriah 1-11.
Examples of multiple fulfillment: The ‘abomination of desolation’
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet…
What did Daniel prophesy about the ‘abomination’? It seems like it is a blasphemous object was prophesied to be placed in the sanctuary:
Dan 11:31-32 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
- Daniel 11’s first (or shadow) fulfillment was with Ephipanus (~175BC).
He caused sacrifices to cease and erected a blasphemous statue in the temple
- Jesus in Matt 24 refers to a future Abomination standing in the holy place (temple area), quoting Daniel 9 and 11: (Daniel’s prophecy ~538AD)
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Clearly Jesus is referring to a more dramatic desolation than the Dan 11 ‘Ephipanus abomination’, some time in the future, AFTER the Messiah is ‘cut-off’ , now quoting Daniel 9:
Daniel 9:26-27 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, (Jesus killed ~30AD) but not for himself: and the people (Romans) of the prince that shall come (antichrist) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; (second destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations (emptying out) are determined.
And he (antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he (the antichrist) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (terminate the sacrificial offerings), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate (emptying out of the sanctuary and Jerusalem for the purpose of blasphemies), even until the consummation (the millennium, the completion of the 1260 day prophesies), and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Note the three dual fulfillment aspects :The sacrifices the abomination & the desolation)
It seems like it is a blasphemous object is to be placed in the sanctuary, which presumably is the place ‘where God dwells’. (i.e. the ‘sanctuary’ may not necessarily be a temple in in Daniel’s ’70th week’ end-time prophecy)
Why are multiple fulfillments important?
- The most notable example of interpretational blundering are by those saying The ‘Abomination’ (ref Daniel) has already occurred, and was Antiochus Epiphanus’s statue in ~175BC, hence this prophecy ‘doesn’t apply’ anymore.
- However, Jesus applies Dan.9, 200 years later (in Matt 24:15, approx 30AD). He talks of a time ‘not yet’ when another abomination will occur. Clearly Jesus places this abomination in the future, and thus speaks of a second fulfilment of Dan 9:27. This will occur just before the ‘gathering of the elect’ as per Matt 24:31.
Why are the dates important?
Refer to the powerpoint slides 2, 8,9 & 10 for the timelines. Click on 2304 Joel & Zacheriah
When considering foreshadowing, or multiple fulfilments, dates become important. As the PowerPoint timeline shows, some multiple fulfilment options must be excluded because such events have already happened. Most (yellow highlighted) pre-exilic prophets above warn about Israel and Judah’s coming punishment. This punishment was prophesied to be via Assyria & Babylon, taking them out of their country as slaves into exile. As we know, these prophesies came true.
Note, however, that after the exile the empires of Assyria/Babylon had disappeared, they were no more. Hence any post-exile prophesies, when considering multiple fulfilments, must exclude interpretations that involve Assyria and Babylon; e.g. c could not have prophesied about the first fall of Jerusalem, which occurred during the Babylonian invasion. Hence Zechariah must be prophesying about some future ‘fall of Jerusalem’.
Prophesies of Joel:
Summary: Refer to PowerPoint slides 11-18 for the proposed interpretation.(Also refer to appendix E for a narrative-style approach to the interpretation of Joel)
Joel 1: Historic chapter:
- Locusts invade and descend on Judah.
- Devastation by drought and fire follows the plague.
- People lament, howling, in shame and sackcloth.
Joel 2-3: Prophetic chapters:
- The Day of the Lord is near, dark and gloomy.
- It’s a great and terrible day, the heavens tremble.
- Armies will descend on the Land, like locusts.
- Fear not, be glad, rejoice; He will restore you.
- Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord is delivered.
- Deliverance to the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
- The wicked and heathen will be judged.
Prophesies of Zechariah:
Summary: Refer to PowerPoint slides 20 and onwards for the proposed colour coded interpretation.
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- A Call to Repentance (1:2-6)
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- The Horseman among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17)
- The Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)
- A Man with a Measuring Line (ch. 2)
- Clean Garments for the High Priest (ch. 3)
- The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees (ch. 4)
- The Flying Scroll (5:1-4)
- The Woman in a Basket (5:5-11)
- The Four Chariots (6:1-8)
- The Symbolic Crowning of Joshua the High Priest (6:9-15)
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- The Question by the Delegation from Bethel (7:1-3)
- The Rebuke by the Lord (7:4-7)
- The Command to Repent (7:8-14)
- The Restoration of Israel to God’s Favor (8:1-17)
- Kingdom Joy and Jewish Favor (8:18-23)
- Part II (chs. 9–14) Two Prophecies:
- The Great Messianic Future and the Full Realization of God’s Kingdom (chs. 9–14)
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- The rejection of the Messianic Shepherd-King (ch. 11)
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- . The siege of Jerusalem (12:1-9)
- . The establishment of the Messianic kingdom (14:1-20)
Refer to post 2.6 for the summaries on the other prophets.
Keys to interpreting Zechariah 12 to 14
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)
This is the first key-verse from Zechariah, the most prominent centre-piece statement, which allows us to build most of our ‘end-time prophecy’ interpretations around. Similar to Matthew 24:29-31, this particular piece of the puzzle, if one places it right, will help us to place the remainder of puzzle-pieces smoothly.
This verse places the repentance of Israel at Armageddon.
‘That Day’
The second key: Zechariah 12 & 13 makes nine references to ‘That Day’. That Day refers to the events regarding Armageddon. There is no reference to ‘the day of the Lord’ as in Zechariah 14.
- Clearly Zech 12 and Revelation 19 (&16-14-16) speak of the same event. All the people of the earth are gathered together against Jerusalem
- Zech 12: v4, “In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment…(v9) in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem“.
- This lines up with Revelation 16:14-17 “
- For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon…Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” This is the day Jesus, on the white horse destroys the armies of the nations.
Hence, as per the next verse in Zechariah, the repentance of Israel occurs on that same day, they see Jesus (v10), when ‘…they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him..”
Now compare the above to Zechariah 14:1} Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. {14:2} For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. {14:3} Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
These two verses exemplify the dilemma we face as attempt to line these up with Jesus’s words and with Revelation. Zech 12-13 speak of Armageddon and Zech 14 speaks of the captivity of Jerusalem’s inhabitors. This is not the Armaggeddon event, hence is this perhaps the nations gathered just before the second coming of Jesus, at the 6th seal, at the resurrection and the rapture? And what do we do with Jesus’s feet on the mount of Olives, some verses later? This is where weaving is employed in earnest.
Refer to the colour coded interpretation for a proposed solution. 2304 Joel & Zacheriah