Zechariah
Chapter Five
I. Biblical Zionism
“1 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3 And, behold, the angel {the preincarnate Son of God} that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her” (Zechariah 2:1-5).
Zechariah 2:1-5 gives us two critical criteria that define Biblical Zionism. We cannot have a true Biblical vision of Zionism if either of these two criteria are absent. In many cases, the Jewish movement known as Zionism is the hope of a restored nation of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital but absent of the hope of looking for the Messiah. Biblically, if the Messiah is absent Zionism has not taken place.
1. The Messiah MUST be physically present in POWER
2. Jerusalem MUST be restored as the capital city of the nation of Israel
In Scripture, Zion is synonymous with the city of Jerusalem. However, Zion can refer to the city of Jerusalem on earth throughout all dispensations and especially the city of Jerusalem as the center of the world-wide dominion of Jesus during the Millennial Kingdom. During this one-thousand-year rule with a “rod of iron,” Jesus reigns on earth as the Great Prophet, High Priest of a Melchizedecan Priesthood, and King of kings. Jesus will rule over the population of the world during the Kingdom Age through the instrumentality of His faithful new Priesthood of all Church Age believers. At the beginning of the Kingdom Age, the Church will be grafted into restored and revived national Israel.
Replacement Theology demands an allegorical interpretation of prophecy. Allegorical interpretation of Scripture means the prophetic words of the Bible have “hidden spiritual meaning that transcends the literal sense of a sacred text.”[1] Allegorical interpretation of Scripture allows a person to read almost any imagination or supposition into the Scripture. For instance, when Replacement Theology comes to Scripture with the presupposition that God has cast away the nation of Israel and replaced Israel with the Church, that supposition demands an allegorical interpretation be used for all prophecy. This means these people use two different methods to interpret the Bible (double Hermeneutic). They claim a literal interpretation for most of the Bible while using an allegorical method for prophecy (and anything else that does not fit their theology).
Therefore, when a person using a grammatical/historical method of interpretation of the Bible is in a discussion with such people, it is important to understand that these two methodologies are incompatible. In other words, do not expect to make much progress in convincing a person using an allegorical methodology of his errors.
Zechariah chapter two certainly establishes God’s intent for a literal interpretation of prophecy. We know this especially because of Zechariah 2:1-5. In this text. God is establishing a literal Jerusalem that can be physically measured (compare Revelation 11:1-2). If this was an allegorical, mystical Jerusalem there would be no possibility of physically measuring it. This is a physical Kingdom Age Jerusalem with measurements and boundaries, although no physical walls to protect against invasions. Jesus is the Protector of this physical Jerusalem.
Secondly, the Jerusalem of the Kingdom Age should not be confused with the Jerusalem of the New Heaven/Earth created after the Kingdom Age in the New Genesis.
“1 And I saw a new {kainos} heaven and a new {kainos} earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new {kainos} Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new {kainos}. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done {everything God said He would do is finished, including the New Genesis} I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:1-8).
The modern Zionist Movement is credited to have begun through a book entitled Der Judenstaat (meaning The Jew’s State) published in 1896 A.D. by a Jew named Theodor Herzl. Herzl described his vision of the founding of a future Jewish state during the twentieth century that would be independent of another overlord nation. However, the modern Zionist Movement is predominantly secular and therefore is disconnected from looking for a coming Messiah to physically reign over Zion. This is important because Bible believers should not confuse the Zionist Movement with Biblical Zionism.
Biblical Zionism is Kingdom Age Dispensationalism where Jesus will physically reign on the restored throne of David over twelve literal tribes of a literal and physical national Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. All faithful Church Age believers will reign with Jesus. In Revelation 2:18-29, Jesus is speaking to professing believers in the church of Thyatira. It is important to understand that Jesus is speaking so we understand that the pronouns He uses is referring to faithful believers.
“26 And he {believers} that overcometh {saved; I John 5:4-5}, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him {the faithful believer} will I give power over the nations: 27 And he {the faithful believer} shall rule them {the people of the Kingdom age} with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers {divided into small city states}: even as I received of my Father” (Revelation 2:26-27).
Why is knowing these things important to every true Christian? Knowing these things is important to every true Christian because every true Christian is commanded to be involved in winning souls to Christ by preaching the Gospel. Every true Christian is commanded to make disciples of all nations, which involves them in understanding these truths and teaching them to others. We cannot teach what we do not know.
Psalm 122 gives us many details about Kingdom Age Zionism. As we read Psalm 122, remember that Zechariah 2:5 tells us that the protecting “walls” of the Kingdom Age Jerusalem will be Jesus. Zechariah 2:5 does not say the Kingdom Age Jerusalem will be without walls, but that Jerusalem will be “inhabited as towns without walls.”
“1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. 5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good” (Psalm 122:1-9).
The Jews during the 1800’s remained dispersed throughout the nations of the world, especially in Europe. There were many Jews predominant in almost every field of science and business. The Rothchild family (Jews) controlled most of European wealth through their banking system. Nonetheless, there was a prevailing attitude of Anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world. Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and most Reformed denominations hated the Jews.
“6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me” (Zechariah 2:6-9).
The preincarnate Jehovah in the form of a “man” (Zechariah 2:1) is still speaking. He is also “the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 2:6). Anytime the KJV uses the word “LORD” with all capital letters, it is translating the Name Jehovah. Zechariah 2:6-9 tells us that Jehovah dispersed the Jews into all the Gentile nations of the world and it is Jehovah who calls the Jews back to the land of Israel. “[T]he daughter of Babylon” refers to all Gentile nations and corrupt religions occupied by the children of Israel. Although God is again assembling the Jews in our present time in the land of promise, Zechariah 2:6-9 is the Kingdom Age call of Jesus, the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). The return of the faithful remnant at the time of Zechariah was only typical of what Jesus will do at the beginning of the Kingdom Age. “Ho, ho” of Zechariah means “Alas, alas.” It is the final proclamation by the LORD to the dispersed Jews around the world to gather themselves to Jerusalem. Only believing saved Jews will obey.
“11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).
In Zechariah 2:7, Jehovah says, “Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.” The “daughter of Babylon” is the Gentile political powers of the world in which the children of Israel had grown comfortable. Even though a large remnant at the time of Zechariah had returned to Jerusalem to labor rebuilding the city and the Temple, the vast majority of Jews were satisfied to languish in the comforts and wealth of their captors. Zechariah 2:7 addresses the same problem in the last days prior to the second coming of Jesus. During the last three and a half years of the seven-year Tribulation, Jehovah will use “two witnesses” and one-hundred and forty-four thousand sealed Jews to preach the Gospel to the Jews as they are called to return to their land of promise (these are NOT the cult of Jehovah Witnesses). In Revelation 17:5, God reveals that the “daughter of Babylon” in Zechariah 2:7 is offspring of the “MOTHER OF HARLOTS.”
“1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:1-6).
The greatest apostasy corrupting Biblical Christianity can be traced back to Constantine’s integration of paganism in with Christianity when he declared the Roman Empire to be Christian. In doing so, Constantine would lay the foundations for the Roman Catholic Church and thereby paganized the vast majority of Christianity. Augustine would systemize the theology of Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism has persecuted Jews wherever they were found. The Roman Catholic Christian Crusades was to take the Holy Land of Israel from Muslim control for Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism claims that the first church in Jerusalem was the first Roman Catholic Church and is the mother of all churches everywhere.
The San Giovanni Laterno Church is the first church of Rome. An inscription on the front of the church (translated from Latin) says, “MOST HOLY LATERAN CHURCH, MOTHER AND MISTRESS OF ALL CHURCHES OF THE CITY AND THE WORLD.” God calls this “Mother and Mistress” “the great whore” and “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS.” She gave birth to religious apostasy within Christianity. The believers in Heaven will rejoice at God’s judgment of “the great whore,” which corrupted the world with her false beliefs and apostasy.
“For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand” (Revelation 19:2).
Some of the apostasy introduced by Augustine through Roman Catholicism was the corruption of a literal one-thousand-year Kingdom Age. Augustine introduced an allegorical/mystical interpretation of the end times that came to be known as Preterism. The word Preterism comes from the Latin word praeter meaning past or beyond. Preterists, those who believe in Preterism, believe that all (full Preterism) of the events, or most (partial Preterism), of the book of Revelation took place before 70 A.D. Since the Apostle John was given “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1) in 96 A.D., the Preterists believed John was just giving an interpretation of past events that had already happened. There is but one word for this nonsense – FOOLISHNESS!
Anonymous comments will not be allowed. Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/ Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist. He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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