Zechariah 14

BEhold Here are things of very great importance, and of very misterious nature, proposed by the Lord to us, and therefore we are called upon to attend to them., the day of the LORD The day which the Lord has appointed for punishing the sins of his antient people, day of his Sacrifice, Zeph. 1.8. let. t. of vengeance Ioel 2.1, 2. cometh, hasteth, or will soon overtake you, O sinful, unthankful! bloody! Iewes, who first despised and next murther'd the Messiah. cometh, and thy spoil All thou hast, O Ierusalem, shall become a prey to thine Enemy. shall be divided in the midst of thee Thy conquering Enemies shall be such absolute Ma ters of thee, that in greatest security they shall divide among themselves what they take from thee, in the very place where they take it, Ierusalem is their own, and all in it, and where they find their own they will take it, so they reckon..

For This gives not the Reason why, but introduceth an account how, this thing shall be done. I will gather God will summon, and bring together his Army, they do it themselves by their own counsels, for their own works and ends: God also has his work for them to do, and by his counsel, and at his call they shall come. all nations The Romans with the Power of their Empire which at that time had the Rule over all the known world, or over all the Nations of that part of the World. against Jerusalem to battel To make War with the Iewes which lasted some years and cost many thousand lives and ended at last as our prophet foretold., and the city shall be taken By assault and force whereby all lay at mercy of the Souldiers who showed little to those who first refused the mercy of their God, and justly given up by God to their own blind obstinate wills, refused the mercy of their Enemy also., and the houses ri led All houses pillaged, and all in them worth taking was taken away., and the women ravished Wives, Widows, and Virgins barbarously violated., and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people That small number of the Iewes, which fled to Pella, and who were spared by Titus. shall not e cut off from the city Literally were not forbidden to dwell in, or about the City, mystically were not cut off from the Church, not ceased to be a Church, this the more likely, for Titus utterly ruin'd the City.. A certain part for uncertain, or in common speech, many, were it one half precisely it would be but a sixth part of what were before the Wars. Two thirds being cut off, as chap. 13.8. and one third remaining, of which one half is for Captivity.

Then After that he has sufficiently punished Ierusalem and the rest of the Iewes. shall the LORD go forth Out of his holy place (spoken after the manner of men) as a warriour prepared for battel., and fight against those nations Which had sack'd Ierusalem, and opprest his people., as when he fought in the day of battel As in any of those days past, when God fought or his people and gave them great Victories.?

¶ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives Ver. 3. the Lord is said to come forth to fight for his people, this 4th. verse tells us where he will take his Post, or make a stand, viz. on Mount Olivet, which for its scituation, in its height, and nearness to Ierusalem, and the Temple might appear a convenient post for succours to post themselves on, God (speaking after the manner of men) promiseth succours to his Church, and assureth her of his nearness to her, and of the prospect he has over all that is about her, or in her that she might be encouraged to wait on God, who is so near to her., which is before Jerusalem on the east A Geographical description of the scituation of this Mountain with respect to Ierusalem., and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof As if it were sensible of the Majesty of God, who stands upon it, this cleaves, melted, at the presence of the God of the whole Earth. toward the east, and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley The consequent of this dividing of the Mountain, a mighty valley appears running strait from East to West; so there should be plain and easie access from the place of the feet of the Lord unto Ierusalem.; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south As if it knew how to comply with the design of God, and withdraw on each hand far enough out of the way, and be no hindrance to the intended relief of the Church. So I Judge (if these things were not by Vision represented to the Prophet, which I will not avow though I may think so) the Prophet does Parabolically set forth the future preservation and deliverance of the Church of Christ, and suppose we then what wonderful effects the Presence of God wrought of old when ever he appear'd to rescue his people; how mountains fled, or melted, or sunk into plains, or as here is said divided, and made a deep, and large valley, i. e. how every obstacle removed, that the relief might be sure and easie; so shall it be with the Church of Christ, the Gospel-Ierusalem in all times of its troubles, and though Iewish-Ierusalem, that antient City be ruin'd, never to be built, yet a more excellent City, the Christian Ierusalem, shall be built, guarded, rescued, and never ruin'd; for the feet of the Lord shall stand so near to her, as Olivet to Ierusalem, and the way plain and easie before him on purpose to save her. In this manner I understand somewhat of the Text, but I cannot suit it with particular accommodation of the events here mention'd, if I look on it as a prediction of what shall be done, according to the letter, or be matter of History. Nor do I meet with any that do tell me any such thing has been done between the time of Zechariahs prophesying, and Titus wasting and sacking Jerusalem, nor shall any such thing ever be if material Jerusalem never be built..

And ye You that are members of the Church, and whom God does in wonderful power, and majesty come to save. shall flee Fill'd with apprehensions of such strange things, and troubled at the convulsions, and struglings of Nations against God, and you; shall as in a great fear fly to some place of safety, and repose; you will fly the valley it self which God maketh; by terrible things in righteousness does God answer, and his people tremble before him when he cometh to save them; so here are represented to us a people wonderfully saved, and astonished at the methods of it, God makes valleys in the midst of Mountains, and they (for whose good they are made) fly those valleys. So the words were better read, our Marginal readings and the Gallic Version do so read it. to the valley of the mountains, for Or although, or notwithstanding, this valley reach to Azal, which speaks say some a separate place, i. e. provided of God for their safety, a Zoar for Lot, or Pella for the Citizens of Jerusalem. They shall as is usual in great frights and consternation of mind not see how safe they are, or whither to go, but some will run for a while from or beyond their Refuge. the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the earthquake This was some dreadful Earthquake, and put the People into a mighty fear, and made them fly in all haste, 'tis mentioned Amos 1.1. and the Prophet tells us, that when God shakes the Kingdoms of his Enemies, to make a plain, and level way for his ransom'd ones it shall make them fly for fear too. in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and the LORD my God shall As thus rendred it gives reason of this commotion of mind and this hasty flight. But it would be plainer if it were as it may be (I think) read. And or, yet O Lord my God come, and bring all the Saints with thee. As if 'twere said, Though 'twill, O Lord, put us into such fears; yet without such wonderful works we shall not have our hopes, nor see thy Salvation; therefore, O Lord my God come, and bring thy Saints, holy ones, Angels with thee, and so will this be like tha of St. John, Rev. 22.20. shutting up the Visions of the New Heaven, and the New Earth, and the Appendages of them with, Come Lord Jesus. come, and all the saints with thee.

And it shall come to pass in that day Whilest God is fighting with the Enemies of his Church, the Nations that fought against Jerusalem., that the light Good Estate, Peace and Welfare. shall not be clear Unmixt good, all light, 'twill not be so well with the Church., nor dark Not so sad as all darkness, there shall be a temper of both, some peace with some trouble; some prosperity with some adversity; some mercy in midst of Judgment to allay the bitterness of Judgment, and some Judgment with our Mercy to allay their sweetness..

But it shall be one day One continued day, no setting of the sun to make it quite night, God will always act in order to the full Salvation of his spiritual Jerusalem. which shall be known unto the LORD The Lord knows when it shall begin, how long last, and how, and when it shall (not as other days end in a night, but) end in glorious light, till then 'tis enough for us that our God knows this day that is mixt of trouble and of peace., not day nor night: but it shall come to pass that at evening time When other days end. it shall be light This shall be all light and glory, Isa. 58.8. Psal. 97.11..

And it shall be in that day When the Gospel shall be preached, and the days of dark Ceremonies among the Jews, and darker Ignorance, and Idolatry among the Heathens, shall end., that living waters Not only such as springs and fountains afford, living waters in opposition to standing, muddy and dead waters; but such as Ezek. 47.1, 6, 7. give life. The quickning, saving Truths of the Gospel, with all its Ordinances in Purity. shall go out Spread themselves or flow down as currents from good springs. from Jerusalem The Church of Christ the true Jerusalem.: half of them toward the former sea Or Eastern Sea, so far Eastward, as the Sea will give leave, and who knows that Sea., and half of them toward the hinder sea Or Western Sea. Synechdochically 'tis both East, West, North and South so from Jerusalem, i. e. the Church, the Doctrine of the Gospel is preached abroad, and runs down as does living water.: in summer and in winter shall it be Perpetually without intermission or interruption, these waters should never drie away, nor ever lose their healing virtue..

And the LORD God, Father, Son and Spirit. shall be King Acknowledged to be, Men shall confess, that as he only is, so he ought to be owned only true God, and King of his Church. over all the earth Over the Heathen, the Gentiles or Roman Empire, as well as once over the Jewish State.; in that day Of deposing Idols, and advancing the true God, all his Churches shall cast off Idolatry, and agree in worshipping one God, in one way of Spiritual Worship, and hearty obedience. shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

All the land The whole land of Judea, here is, Type of the whole Earth, seat of the Catholick Church, filled with the knowledge of God, and abounding in multitudes of Converts. shall be turned as a plain All high, uneven places, all high thoughts, and Imaginations, all Rocky, and barren ground, changed into fruitful vineyards. So the Church of Christ shall be fruitful, humble and lovely, as pastures rich in sheep, and rich for sheep. from Geba North boundary of the land. to Rimmon The South boundary of Judaea. south of Jerusalem Which taken here not literally but mystically, is the Church of Christ in Gospel days, and by the repair of all parts of this Jerusalem, as here described, is shadowed out the full, and complete building of the Church on all sides North, South, West and East., and it shall be lifted up Raised out of the dust and rubbish to which Enemies had brought her, through Gods permission, but never should be able to keep her in that low state since God was resolved to raise her., and inhabited in her place Still 'tis Emblematical of the Christian Church.: from Benjamins gate Benjamins Gate North-East, Corner-gate North-West Hananiel's Tower South, Wine-presses North; that is in brief, compleatly round the City. unto the place of the first gate, unto the cornergate, and from the tower of Hananiel unto the Kings wine-presses.

And men i. e. Many for number, or eminent for worth. shall dwell in it As 'twas Type, this was verified, say some, when in League with Bacchides, and succeeding Kings. But in the Antitype, to which Zechariah looks, 'tis now, as it has been, fulfilled, and more fully shall be, when the fulness of the Gentiles cometh in., and there shall be no more utter destruction There may be afflictions and troubles, but no utter wasting of Jerusalem; the gates of Hell shall not prevail., but Jerusalem The Antitype, the Gospel Church. shall be safely Not secure from troubles, but secure enough from total destruction. inhabited.

¶ And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people, that have fought Maliciously to destroy, and waste, and extirpate Jerusalem; the Ringleaders, especially such as Antiochus, Herod, &c. against Jerusalem: Their flesh When they are fat, fleshy and strong, their flesh or strength shall utterly perish. shall consume away while they stand on their feet Either in Armes ready to fight, or so suddenly they shall not have time to sit down, a very sudden death is threatned to them., and their eyes shall consume away in their holes A dreadful and exemplary blindness shall seise them., and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth In which Member, by strange judgments on them som persecutors also have felt Gods hand..

And it shall come to pass in that day When God punisheth those that invaded and wasted Jerusalem, his Church., that a great tumult Con usion, Vexation and inclination to turn all upside down. from the LORD From the just displeasure of God, and in revenge on them for troubling his People, shall be among them The bloody, cruel, and insatiable Enemies of Jerusalem., and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against From Murmurs and Grudgings one against other they shall at last run into Civil Wars, and fight one with another, and so destroy themselves, and revenge Jerusalem. As did &c. Judg. 7.22. and 9.23. the hand of his neighbour.

And Judah The Jewes, and particularly those of the Tribe of Judah, and possibly Judas Maccabeus might be intended too, as those who in that day were valiant Warriours, and successful against the Churches Enemies. And many such have been among the Christians too since those days. also shall fight With courage, good conduct and success. at Jerusalem Both in the Land of Judaea and also at Jerusalem., and the wealth of all the heathen Nations round about them, who having by forreign War peeled and rob'd many Nations, had brought it home, and now God gave it to the Jewes, and in like manner have many Christians spoiled those that spoiled them. round about shall be gathered together, gold and silver, and apparel in great abundance.

And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague. Those creatures which the Enemy in the Wars made use of against the Church shall by the hand of God be suddenly and strangely either destroyed or made useless, neither fit to annoy the Church, nor to benefit their owners. As God destroy'd much of the cattel of the Egyptians by hail, and murrain, &c. So now shall it be with the cattel of these Persecutors they shall perish with their masters; The Horses, as the Horsemen, were drown'd in the Rà Sea.

¶ And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left Such as escape the stroke, and are by mercy reserved, very many of them, among all the Nations, shall consider Gods hand, repent, and submit themselves to his Law, they shall (as many did) on sight of Gods hand for the Church, and against the Churches Enemies, convert became Proselytes and Christians. of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship By a ceremonial phrase and usage, which shadow'd out a better worship, the Prophet foretells the constant Zeal and care the converted Gentiles should have to worship the Lord. the King the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles One solemn Festival, by a figure, put for all the days consecrated to God for holy Worship, and this perhaps with an eye to Christ's Tabernacling with us, and may point to the Christian Sabbath..

And it shall be, that whoso will not come up If there be any more remiss than they ought herein, and neglect to worship the Lord. of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem, to worship the King the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain They shall be punished with want of Rain, and with want of the blessings which plentiful and seasonable Rain produceth, their land shall be barren..

And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain Egypt should think though they had no rain they should not be much losers by that, having Nilus to water their ground and make it fruitful. God by his Prophet answers them, They shall fall under Penury and Famine, the very self same punishment which shall fall on other Nations, if they neglected his worship; the Lord has more wayes than one to with-hold the fruits of the Earth, and send Famin among People.: there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

This shall be the punishment of Egypt And what he says of Egypt, he says of all contemners of his Law and Worship, their sin is the same, their punishment shall be the same, for with God is no respect of Persons. and the punishment of all nations, that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

¶ In that day When the Nations are converted to God, as 'tis ver. 16. shall there be upon the Written as 'twere on every common thing; such as the Bells, Bridles or Collars, or Stables of Horses, in these very things, i. e. the use of them they should make it appear they were for God, and for his worship, wheresoever these things may serve, or promote it. bells of the horses This was the inscription on the rich Mitre of the Iewish High Priest, denoting the great holiness of his Office, and how he was dedicated to God, and that he ought to keep himself holy in all things, especially in things of Divine Worship. Now in these days of the Gospel when Gentiles are converted to Christ, made Priests unto God, are made holy Nations, a Royal Priesthood, the grace of God shall so abound and prevail, that common ordinary things in the hands of Christians much more. Their persons shall bear the dedicating inscription of Holiness to the Lord, and by their study of holiness they shall make good their Motto., HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots Which were used in the Kitchins of the Temple, for the use of the Priests, and were not accounted so sacred as the Utensils nearer to the sacrifices, and Altar. in the LORDS house shall be like the bowls Which received the blood of the Sacrifices, and retain'd it, until the ministring Priest had finish'd his service, and sprinkled it as commanded, now these as appropriated to be used nearer to the Altar were more esteemed as more holy, so should holiness in these days spoken of exceed the holiness of those former days. before the altar.

Yea, every pot The Utensils of private houses shall be so dedicated to Gods service that without scruple they shall on occasion be used, or might be used in the worship of God. in Jerusalem and in Judah The Types, but the Gospel Church is the Antitype, in the times hereof every family shall be a Temple in which God shall be worshipped, and their house-pots in the Worship of God shall be in extraordinary Cases used without scruples. shall be Holiness unto the LORD of hosts See ver. 20. let. m.: and all they that sacrifice In allusion to sacrifices, the Prophet expresseth all Religious affections, practice, and worship, which shall be as pleasing to God, as were the sacrifices of his People offered up with divine warrant and approbation., shall come and take of them Freely, without scruple., and seethe therein Seeth that part of the Sacrifice which pertaineth to the Priests, and to the offerer to feast on, in their house Pots.: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite Any of the accursed Nation, or one who makes Merchandise of Religion. In a word, by allusion used here, we understand, That time will come, when scrupulous adhereing to Ceremonies, shall not be as formerly 'twas deemed, so necessary, so material in the worship. in the house of the LORD of hosts But all shall know that the Lord has greatest pleasure in upright, hearty, and sincere Love and Holiness..