Understanding What is Happening in the Middle East
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Zechariah 12-14 is one of the most dramatic prophetic passages in Scripture. We see the end of God’s mysterious
End-Time plan. History ends with all the nations coming together to make war against Israel. How is it possible that one
small nation could enrage the whole world? The Lord has chosen this unusual plan as the best way to end natural history.
It is a gift from God to show us the end of the story. In this, the Church can be prepared to cooperate with God on the
journey. The Church must proclaim these themes for several decades to believers and unbelievers, Jews, Gentiles, and
Arabs so that all are well informed about God’s plan set forth in Zechariah 12-14.
B. God’s plan is motivated by His passion to fill the earth with voluntary lovers of Jesus. God will first produce an
entire nation of people (Israel) who will love God and then will lead the whole earth back to God (Zechariah 14:20-21).
II. ISRAEL’S CONFLICT, DELIVERANCE AND WORLD LEADERSHIP (ZECHARIAH 12-14)
A. Section one (Zechariah 12:1-13:6): Israel’s sudden military and spiritual victory
1. Gentile nations will gather against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-3)
2. The Gentiles will be defeated as Israel puts her trust in the Lord (Zechariah 12:4-9)
3. The outpouring of the Spirit shall produce a great national repentance (Zechariah 12:10-14)
4. National purification that includes idolatry and false prophets (Zechariah 13:1-6)
B. Section two (Zechariah 13:7-14:21): Israel’s suffering, victory and worldwide leadership
1. Israel will pass through much tribulation to refine the remnant to be saved (Zechariah 13:7-9)
2. Jerusalem is temporarily taken and captives are deported (Zechariah 14:1-2)
3. Jesus returns and brings victory with great upheavals in nature (Zechariah 14:3-7)
4. The land shall be transformed as Jesus is the King of all the earth (Zechariah 14:8-11)
5. Remembering how God judged the nations that rebelled against Him (Zechariah 14:12-15)
6. The Gentiles shall be converted and unified with Israel in worshipping Jesus (Zechariah 14:16-19)
7. Israel as the first entire nation to walk holy before God in all areas of life (Zechariah 14:20-21)
III. THE LORD’S THREE -FOLD INTRODUCTION (ZECHARIAH 12:1)
A. The Lord introduces Himself as He who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth and formed the
human spirit. He created humans because He loves humans.
1 The burden…of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the
foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: (Zechariah 12:1)
B. God presents Himself as full of power, wisdom and love as He introduces this prophetic plan to Zechariah that is
remarkable. It will take divine wisdom, power and love to execute the plan given in Zechariah 12-14.
IV. TWO METAPHORS: CUP OF DRUNKENNESS AND A HEAVY STONE (ZECHARIAH 12:2-3)
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege
against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone
for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are
gathered against it. (Zechariah 12:2-3)
A. First, He will make Jerusalem like a cup that makes all the nations drunk. All the nations will hate the Jewish people
and therefore, will surround Jerusalem and lay a siege against her with zeal to destroy Israel and then use Jerusalem for
their own religious purposes.
B. Jerusalem will be like a cup of drunkenness to the nations. She will be as cup of strong wine that intoxicates all who
drink it. The nations drink this cup by agreeing with the plan to destroy Israel. They will get “drunk” in the process. In this,
they will lose their strength and their ability to think rationally. The Lord will defeat them as easily as one could push a
drunk man over.
C. Second, God will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone with edges like razor blades that will cut to pieces all the
nations who seek to “heave Israel out of the land.”
D. The Lord will gather the military forces of all the nations together in one place. At that time, Israel will have a very
small military budget, with few weapons of warfare. The David and Goliath drama will be reenacted on a world stage. One
little nation against all the nations. They falsely imagine that they will easily conquer Israel. They will gather with this false
sense of confidence because they don’t know the Lord is jealous for Jerusalem.
3...Though all nations of the earth are gathered against it (Jerusalem). (Zechariah 12:3)
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem… (Zechariah 14: 2)
2 I will gather all nations… I will enter into judgment with them there (Jerusalem)... (Joel 3:2)
E. Zechariah begins this prophecy at the end of the story where all the nations have surrounded Jerusalem. He
doesn’t tell us how it happens. God put oil in Arab land on purpose so that the money from the oil could be used to
seduce the nations to stand with them against Israel.
F. The Lord put Himself in “divine checkmate.” It will take the power of God to solve the dilemma. That is exactly how
God wants it. No one has the power to deliver Israel from this crisis. The ally that Israel needs is a holy, praying and fasting,
prophetic Church. Israel has Jesus on her side and thus, does not need the military strength of America. America needs
Israel more than Israel needs America.
G. God will kick every prop out from Israel and the Church. America won’t be a prop for Israel. What political Israel is
doing will ultimately and utterly fail. God’s plan is to turn Israel to Jesus then make them the worldwide leaders of true
Christianity. This is not the agenda that the current leaders of Israel are working for.
V. GENTILES WILL BE DEFEATED AS ISRAEL TRUSTS IN THE LORD (ZECHARIAH 12:4-9)
A. The Lord will release confusion and a spirit of insanity on the Gentile armies (Zechariah 12:4). Their strength will
end up being their weakness. They will use their military might with a spirit of insanity. They boasted of their power. They
will use it against themselves.
4 “In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will
open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.”
(Zechariah 12:4)
13 In that day…a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his
neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand… (Zechariah 14:13)
B. The leaders of Judah see God’s power on their Jerusalem brethren as step one to accepting Jesus. He will anoint
Israel so that they will be like a fire pan (vessel they put hot coals in to carry to ignite other fires). Israel’s victory in battle
will be as fire burns dry grass, effortlessly and instantaneously. This will be the greatest military victory and reversal in all
of history.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the
LORD of hosts, their God.' 6 "In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and
like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left,
but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place--Jerusalem. 7 The LORD will save the tents of Judah
first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become
greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is
feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of
the LORD before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against
Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:5-9)
C. The outpouring of the Spirit shall produce a great national repentance (Zechariah 12:10-14).
10 I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication;
then they will look on Me (Jesus) whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his
only son… (Zechariah 12:10)
1. Instead of military pride, in the wake of this stunning victory they will have great humility. God will pour out the spirit of
grace and prayer so that they cry out to Jesus. The spirit of grace and supplication is the anointing of revelation, power
and prayer that leads to Israel’s national conversion. Even then, God will release salvation through prayer. God wants to
deliver them in a way that causes them to love Jesus more than the nations that help them.
2. God will pour it out on the house of David, on the royal family as well as out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
common people. Zechariah 12:11-14 describes the mourning in a graphic way. It is a description of a national repentance
and mourning. They will look on Jesus of Nazareth and understand that He delivered them because He loved them! They
will see the tragedy of hating Jesus for 2,000 years as He loved them!
D. National purification includes idolatry and false prophets (Zechariah 13:1-6). God will open a spiritual fountain of
the anointing for Israel to cleanse her of all her national and individual sin.
1 In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin
and for uncleanness. 2 "It shall be in that day…that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and
they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from
the land.” (Zechariah 13:1-2)
E. First, Jesus will bring a military breakthrough (Zechariah 12:4-9). Second, Jesus will bring a spiritual breakthrough
(Zechariah 12:10-13:6). He will bring them to personal conversation then He will cleanse the land. The revival will include
being cleansed from idols, false prophets, and an unclean spirit and being anointed in prayer. Zechariah 13:3-6 shows
how great the cleansing will be. It will be to such a degree that false prophets will be put to shame.
F. Zechariah points out that the three areas God will cleanse the land from are idols, false prophets and an unclean
spirit. These three all work together. The Antichrist will have been worshipped through the land of Israel. The False
Prophet will have been working with the Antichrist in Israel. They will have had a network of false prophets working under
them
G. The pattern of activity that God employs in Israel’s salvation reveals the same principles that He uses to cleanse
and revive the rest of the nations. God will break the pride of all nations.
VI. ISRAEL’S SUFFERING, VICTORY AND WORLDWIDE LEADERSHIP (ZECHARIAH 13:7-14:21)
A. In this second section, Zechariah starts describing Israel’s suffering in the End-Times (Zechariah 13:7-14:2). Then
he shows us that the great victory that begins in Israel will spread to the whole world Zechariah 14:3-21. If all we had was
Zechariah 12, we would not know about Israel’s End-Time suffering. Nothing He will do will be unnecessary or too severe.
He will use the least severe means to bring the greatest number of people to Him at the deepest level of love.
B. Israel will pass through much tribulation to refine the remnant to be saved (Zechariah 13:7-9) and Jerusalem is
temporarily taken and captives are deported (Zechariah 14:1-2).
7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd (Jesus), against the Man who is My Companion," Says the LORD of
osts. "Strike the Shepherd (Jesus), and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little
ones (End-Time Israel). 8 It shall come to pass in all the land," Says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be
cut off and die, But one- third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them
as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will
say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' " 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD is
coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against
Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into
captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 13:7-14:2)
C. Jesus returns and brings victory with great upheavals in nature (Zechariah 14:3-7).
3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that
day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives shall
be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the
north and half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain
valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of
Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You. 6 It shall come to pass in that day That
there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD-- Neither day
nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light. (Zechariah 14:3-7)
D. The land shall be transformed, as Jesus is the King of all the earth (Zechariah 14:8-11).
8 And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea
And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. 9 And the LORD shall be
King over all the earth. In that day it shall be-- "The LORD is one," And His name one. 10 All the land shall be
turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in
her place from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of
Hananeel to the king's winepresses. 11 The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter
destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. (Zechariah 14:8-11)
E. They will remember how God judged the nations that rebelled against Him (Zechariah 14:12-15).
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their
tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. 13 It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the LORD
will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor's
hand; 14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered
together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. 15 Such also shall be the plague On the horse and
the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague
be. (Zechariah 14:12-15)
F. The Gentiles shall be converted and unified with Israel in worshipping Jesus (Zechariah 14:16-19).
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall
go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And
it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the
LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they
shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come
up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the
nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16-19)
G. Israel will be the first entire nation to walk holy before God in all areas of life (Zechariah 14:20-21).