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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