Zechariah Sermon Series: Sermon 20
12-29-24 – Pastor Martin Saine
Chapter 8, Part 3
God’s Promised Restoration and Blessing of Israel
Verses 1-17: Restoration and Blessing—How to Respond
Verses 18-23: Fasting Turned into Feasting!
Haggai 2:1-9
Haggai 2:1 – In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying:
Haggai 2:2 – “Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying:
Haggai 2:3 – ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?
Haggai 2:4 – Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Haggai 2:5 – ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
Haggai 2:6 – “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
Haggai 2:7 – and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Haggai 2:8 – ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Haggai 2:9 – ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
The message in Chapter 8 actually begins in Zechariah 7:1 as God’s response to the emissaries from Bethel:
Zechariah 7:1 – Now in the fourth year of King Darius, it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev (a month and a half after Haggai’s message).
Zechariah 8:1-8
Zechariah 8:1 – Again, the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying,
Zechariah 8:2 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.’
Zechariah 8:3 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’
Zechariah 8:4 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.
Zechariah 8:5 – The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’
Zechariah 8:6 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ says the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 8:7 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;
Zechariah 8:8 – I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.'”
These are similar messages, given to the same people—those who returned from Babylonian captivity and were rebuilding the Temple—in the same location, Jerusalem, by two separate prophets.
Did Haggai’s message prepare Zechariah, Zerubbabel, and Joshua for their work? And not just them, but the rest of the people as well?
One last comment on verse 8:
Zechariah 8:8 – “I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.”
This refers to the national conversion and restoration of Israel, God’s people, which is the overall goal of God’s plan! If there is one concise principle for Israel, it is this verse. Man’s history on this planet CANNOT and WILL NOT be complete until this is fulfilled!
Zechariah 12:10-14 & Zechariah 13:1
Zechariah 12:10 – “And 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 whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Zechariah 12:11 – In that day, there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
Zechariah 12:12 – And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;
Zechariah 12:13 – The family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;
Zechariah 12:14 – All the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Zechariah 13:1 – “In that day, a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.”
History will not be complete until Zechariah 8:8 is fulfilled:
Zechariah 8:8 – “I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.”
Zechariah 9-17 instructs the people on how to respond.
Zechariah 8:9 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD of hosts, that the temple might be built.'”
Historical Background
See: Ezra 1
Ezra 1:1 – Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing, saying:…
[Citations from Ezra, Isaiah, and Josephus discussing Cyrus’s role in fulfilling prophecy]
This prophecy, calling Cyrus by name and outlining his career, was given 150 years before Cyrus was born! This moved him so much that the Lord stirred up his spirit to set the captives free and provide goods, services, and material help to build the Temple in Jerusalem.
