Jesus’ Kingship over Jerusalem and the Whole Earth
I. THE RETURN OF JESUS TO THE EARTH AS KING OF THE NATIONS (ZECH. 14)
9 The LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be--"The LORD is one." (Zech. 14:9)
A. Jesus is returning as King of kings in context to a military conflict around the city of Jerusalem.
12 In righteousness He judges and makes war...13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood…15 Out of His mouth goes
a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations…16 He has…a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS. (Rev. 19:12-16)
B. The Book of Zechariah (like Daniel and Isaiah) gives us significant details about Jesus’ End-Time plan. In
Zechariah 14, the prophet concludes his book by describing some geological, physical and spiritual implications of
Jesus showing His power as He openly reigns on earth.
10 I heard a loud voice saying…, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ
have come (openly displayed on earth) …” (Rev. 12:10)
15 The seventh angel sounded…there were loud voices…saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms
of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign… (Rev. 11:15)
II. THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM: JESUS’ 1,000-YEAR REIGN ON EARTH
A. The Millennium is a literal 1,000-year period in which Jesus will rule the whole world from Jerusalem (Rev. 20:4-6).
The Kingdom will be openly manifest affecting every sphere of life in every nation (political, agricultural, economic,
educational, media, social institutions, etc.).
B. The Millennium is one of the major revelations of Scripture. At this time, all kings will worship Jesus (Ps. 102:15;
138:4; 148:11; Isa. 62:2; Rev. 21:24) resulting in unprecedented blessing.
11 All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. (Ps. 72:11)
C. There will be three types of people on earth when Jesus appears in the sky. The redeemed will be raptured.
The reprobate who took the mark of the Beast will be killed. The resisters are the unsaved survivors of the Tribulation
who refused to worship the Antichrist. Many will be saved then populate the Millennial earth (Isa. 4:3; 10:20; 11:11; 49:6;
65:8; 66:19; Jer. 31:2; Ezek. 20:38-42; 36:36; Amos 9:9-10; Joel 2:32; Zech. 12:14; 13:8; 14:16).
D. Jesus will rule without suspending the natural human processes, yet significantly enhance them by the
supernatural dimension of the Spirit. The natural and supernatural dimensions of life will exist together without
animosity between animals and humans (Rom. 8:20-21; Isa. 11:6-9).
20 No more shall an infant…live but a few days…for the child shall die 100 years old, but the sinner being 100 years old shall
be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards 22…As the days of a tree, so shall
be the days of My people …25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox…
(Isa. 65:20-25)
III. BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM: JESUS COMES AS A VICTORIOUS WARRIOR KING
A. Israel will be on the point of annihilation when suddenly Jesus delivers her (Zech. 14:1-3). Zechariah describes
Jesus’ coming as being in context to a military conflict around Jerusalem. He will come to win the Battle of Jerusalem.
Zech. 14:1-3 give more details and perspective into Zech. 13:7-9 as well as the siege and military conflict in Judah in
Zech. 12:1-9.
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 (raped). Half of the city
shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth and
fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle… (Zech. 14:1-3)
B. Jerusalem will be surrounded by Gentile nations resulting in half of it being taken into captivity.
2 I will gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (near Jerusalem); and I will enter into judgment with
them there… (Joel 3:2)
14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth…to gather them to the battle
of that great day of God Almighty… (Rev. 16:14)
C. Who is responsible for the military invasion of Israel by the Gentile nations? God will gather all the nations against
Jerusalem. Satan will also be at work to gather the nations (Rev. 16:13-14) using evil motives of wicked men filled with
envy (greed) and bitterness (Ezek. 35:11).
D. Jerusalem will be temporarily taken by the Gentiles. This will result in the thousands of Jewish captives being
deported out of the city (Zech. 14:1-2). When Israel is at her lowest point and completely shattered emotionally,
physically, and spiritually, then Jesus will deliver Israel.
7 I heard the man (angel) clothed in linen…he held up his right hand…and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall
be for a time, times, and half a time (3½ years); and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered,
all these things shall be finished. (Dan. 12:7)
E. There will be two stages of conflict in the End-Times against Judah and Jerusalem (Zech. 12-14).
1. Stage One: the Judean Siege (Zech. 12:2-9): the Antichrist will lay siege against Jerusalem that will continue during
the final 3½ years before Jesus returns (Zech. 12:2-3). Israel is defended primarily by a Jewish resistance movement
that counterattacks the Antichrist (Zech. 12:4-9). The picture from Israel’s history of Judas Maccabaeus and his armies
living in the hills of Judea revolting against the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes is helpful. They had a measure of Divine
intervention in the military conflict (Dan. 11:34). The Antichrist’s armies will be in the region of Judea as the abomination
of desolation is established in Jerusalem (Mt. 24:15-22). Jerusalem will appear to be defeated as half of the population
is carried off to prison camps as God supernaturally protects the remnant.
2. Stage Two: the battle at Jerusalem (Joel 3:1-2, 9-16; Zech. 14:4-5). The nations will gather to destroy Jerusalem.
Jesus comes in the sky to end this battle (Zech. 14:4-5).
F. Jesus will arrive at the perfect time to rescue the unsaved remnant of Israel. Jesus as the “greater Moses” will
split the Mount of Olives to rescue them (instead of the Red Sea). The splitting of the mountain will create a large valley
in which the Jews will escape.
4 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. 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…Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints
with You. (Zech. 14:4-5)
G. The pinnacle of Jesus’ Second Coming Procession is His re-entry into the city of Jerusalem to be officially received and
celebrated by the governmental leaders of Israel as their Messianic King.
39 I say to you (governmental leaders in Jerusalem), you shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the LORD!” (Mt. 23:39)
IV. JESUS’ POWER OVER THE ELEMENTS: LIGHT, WATER AND LAND (ZECH. 14:6-11)
A. Jesus’ Kingship is announced by supernatural light and living water (Zech. 14:6-8). The unique day on which
Jesus returns will have no sunlight (Zech. 14:6-7).
6 It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one (unique) day which
is known to the LORD-- neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. 8 In that day it shall
be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea (Dead Sea) and half of them toward
the western sea (Mediterranean Sea); in both summer and winter it shall occur. (Zech. 14:6-8)
B. In the fifth bowl of wrath, total darkness has struck the Antichrist kingdom (Rev. 16:10). Other prophets described
this time of darkness (Amos 5:18-20; Isa. 13:9-10). The veil of supernatural darkness will be broken by the brightness of
Jesus’ coming (2 Thess. 2:8).
10 The throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness… (Rev. 16:10)
8 The lawless one (Antichrist) will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the
brightness of His coming. (2 Thess. 2:8)
C. Jesus will be exalted as King over the nations as He destroys Antichrist worship and idolatry.
9 The Lord shall be King over all the earth…The Lord is one, and His name one. (Zech. 14:9)
D. Jesus’ capital city of Jerusalem will be leveled, exalted and safely inhabited (Zech. 14:10-11). This describes the
dimensions of the restored city, which shall be "lifted up" and safe in contrast to the danger of being in Jerusalem at
various times in history, especially in the Tribulation.
10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba (northern Judah) to Rimmon south of Jerusalem (southern Judah).
Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's Gate (north wall) to the place of the First Gate
(north-east corner) and the Corner Gate (north-west corner), and from the Tower of Hananeel (north wall) to the king's
winepresses (south wall). 11 Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. (Zech. 14:10-11)
E. Jerusalem will be leveled and turned into a plain by a series of earthquakes. The earthquake sequence in
Revelation (Rev. 6:14; 8:5; 11:13; 16:18-20) ends with the 7th Bowl which is the mightiest in history (Isa. 2:10, 19, 21;
13:13; 29:6; Ezek. 38:19; Hag. 2:6, 21; Heb. 12:26-27).
18 There was…such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city
was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell….20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were
not found. (Rev. 16:18-20)
F. Isaiah, Micah and Ezekiel declared that God’s house would be established on the top of the mountains. These
topographical details demand that this prophecy be interpreted in a plain literal way. It is impossible to spiritualize these
boundaries with intelligent meaning.
V. JESUS’ POWER OVER ISRAEL’S ENEMIES AND SIN IN THE NATIONS (ZECH. 14:12-20)
A. Jesus will punish all the people that persisted in opposing His leadership (Zech. 14:12-13). The Lord will release a
great panic and confusion on the Gentile armies (Zech. 12:4). They boasted of their power, now God will use it against
them as they attack one another.
12 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. The wealth
of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. 15 Such 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.
(Zech. 14:12-15)
B. The Gentiles shall be converted and unified with Israel in worshipping Jesus (Zech. 14:16-19).
16 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 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. (Zech. 14:16-19)
C. Israel will be the first entire nation to walk holy in every area of life. All things whether viewed as sacred and
common will be dedicated to Jesus because they will be under His leadership. The Hebrew word for Canaanite can be
translated as a “merchant” or “trader” because the Canaanites were known as traders. A possible translation: "There
shall be no trafficker in God’s House."
20 In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses (what is common). The pots in
the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar (what is sacred). 21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah
shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day
there shall no longer be a Canaanite (traffickers) in the house of the LORD of hosts. (Zech. 14:20-21)