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I'd like to speak to you on this Palm Sunday today. The lowly king comes. It speaks of his two comings. There's two comings. The lowly king comes to save and conquer. To save and conquer. Keep in mind that if you read through the book of Zechariah, I'd like to encourage you to do so.
I was listening to Pastor John MacArthur at the Shepherd's Conference and this was his heart, passion about eschatology and about the second coming of Jesus Christ. And he pointed everyone, all these elders or these shepherds, under shepherds I should say, that shepherd God's people to the book of Zechariah.
And I didn't hear the whole message but what little I heard, I was stirred to go to this book. And I said, how fitting it is. Here we are approaching Palm Sunday. And you go to Zechariah 9 and there's so much there in chapter 9.
Especially verse 9 which speaks about his first coming and then transition to verse 10 all the way to the end of the entire book speaks about his second coming. There is much, much here. And the more I read it, the more I was meditating on it, God's Word was just taking hold of me and certain verses were just really leaping out of the pages.
And as I was reading the Word of God and hearing audibly, it's incredible. I encourage you, really encourage you, before the Lord comes back, read Zechariah. Read the book of Zechariah. And before I go any further, let's bow in prayer and seek the Lord's face in this time of worship as we open His Word and hear from Heaven and ask His blessing upon this time.
Let's pray. Our Father and our God, we come before Your throne now having access only through the blood covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, I come and I confess my weakness before You. Yet I tremble, Lord, before this Word,.
Your holy Word.
And as I tremble, Lord, we all do with great respect because of Your eternal Word. We come boldly, Lord, with confidence in Your Spirit, confidence in You and not in the flesh to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Lord, we need Thee.
As the old song goes, we need Thee every hour. These are desperate times we're living in. Encourage our hearts, convict our hearts and help us. Lord, we need to be praying desperately because of these desperate times.
As the prayer we heard this morning, the Apostle Paul, we pray, O God, help us by Your Holy Spirit in this hour. Hide me behind the cross, Lord. May we hear Your Word and may Jesus Christ be praised. Sanctify us through that Word for that Word is truth.
And Lord, we know that only by Your Word, as David says in Psalm 19, Your servant is warned and in keeping Your Word, there is great reward. So, Father, we pray that You will be glorified and Jesus Christ, Your Son, be lifted up.
Change us from glory to glory and from faith to faith, O God, that we would be more of a burning and a shining light in what remainder days that we have until Christ comes or until You call us home. O Lord, our prayer is that may we make a difference in our generation for Your glory.
And our heart cry is, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. We ask this in the name that's above all names, the name of Jesus.
Amen.
When we step back and view the whole Bible in its context, the panorama view astonishes us how God in His sovereignty is fulfilling His awesome plan to enthrone His Son, as Psalm 2 speaks of, His King upon Mount Zion, Jesus Christ, as King over all kings,.
Lord over all lords,.
And over all nations. This is God's goal for His Son. The Father's goal for God the Son, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are fulfilling itself as we speak at this moment. And the events during Passion Week, especially Palm Sunday and Easter are deeply embedded into God's redemptive plan.
And saying that, an introduction here, we do well to remember the great importance of the two comings of Christ,.
The King.
And keep this before our eyes.
Sadly but true,.
There will be some like Judas Iscariot that had no place for a lowly king.
When he came.
And actually, if you read in Zechariah, it speaks about the 30 pieces of silver that Jesus was portrayed for. These people,.
The hypocrites,.
They allow their earthly visions to drive them as Judas, not even being aware of the very reason why Jesus had come humbly mounted upon a donkey. They don't understand the significance and the great humility of who it is who came.
But Jesus will soon come again in full power over all the nations to reign as King of Kings. Sadly, right down the road, there's a church, a very liberal church, a United Methodist church that has a woman pastor.
Which is unbiblical.
God does not permit a woman to be a pastor and God is frowning upon this. And yet, they put on that sign, Jesus is coming. Such blasphemy. We know that's true, right? But not for people that does not understand the biblical context of the significance of the second coming of Jesus.
They're going to be quite surprised when He comes. In the meantime, we should keep our eyes of faith upon Jesus.
Amen?
And let Christ deal with those that are blaspheming His name because this is why judgment is upon us. No matter how enticing global leaders, by the way, in the political realm, the government realm, make empty promises of peace and prosperity, we ought to keep our eyes on Jesus.
And beloved, let me say this, there's no book of the Bible that's more concise and clear, more clear, outside of the book of Revelation and the New Testament, but I speak about the Old Testament that is more precise, more clear in the Old Testament than the prophet Zechariah.
Concerning the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Specifically.
Now, as you turn to Zechariah, hold your place at chapter 9. We're going to be jumping around here, but I'd like to take you through in this introduction a brief introduction as much as possible, but Zechariah chapter 9 is tremendous.
There's a transition here. But if you read through this entire book, the prophet begins basically a call to repentance. His people to a call to repentance. But yet at the same time, in that same chapter, the Lord will comfort Zion.
There's much here. There's many prophecies that are spoke of. And if you read it, throughout this, you will see that God Himself, I heard this come up. You have to look for the verses. I didn't get a chance to write these verses down, but time and time and time again, you see that God is jealous over His people.
He's jealous over them, and they are God's people. Israel is the apple of God's eye. He's in covenant with these people. These are His people forever. And through an everlasting covenant, we will see this.
Now, Zechariah chapter 9 is tremendous, but the entire book is tremendous. So to understand chapter 9, you need to read through the entire book and what the whole message is about. This awesome book is, like I said, second in the Old Testament.
I would say second to Isaiah. I should have mentioned that at the offset, but Isaiah in the Old Testament. But when it speaks about the second coming of Jesus, Zechariah has much to say. The breadth of the prophet's writings about the Messiah is tremendous.
It's in depth. According to tradition, let's talk about who is Zechariah. Zechariah the prophet was a member of the great synagogue. He was part of the council of 120 originated by Nehemiah. So it would really pay to read Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai.
Zechariah's opening words are dated from 520 BC before Christ even arrived on this earth. The historical background and the setting of Zechariah are the same as that of his contemporary Haggai. So read Haggai in conjunction with Zechariah.
Matter of fact, Zechariah and Haggai were commissioned by the Lord to stir up the people of God to rebuild the temple along with Nehemiah. And as a result, the temple was completed four years later in 516 BC.
According to Ezra chapter 6 verse 15. Now we come to chapter 9. That's just a very brief introduction. There's much, much more that could be said about Zechariah. But I'd like to get right into the message.
When we come to this chapter in Zechariah, we have the first look of a promised king. This is incredible. But how accurate God's word, precise God's word is and are these prophecies. When we come to this chapter in Zechariah, we have the first look of this promised king.
And you would note a common thread throughout human history since Adam's fall and since sin entered into this world. Number one, oppression. There's oppression. Two, there's great pressures in life. The pressures of life.
And three, there's destruction. And last, there's death. Back up a little bit and look at verse 1. Before we get to verse 9. Verse 1 says, The burden of the word of the Lord against the land of Hadrach.
And Damascus, its resting place for the eyes of man and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord. Are on the Lord. God's word says this. From chapter 9 verse 1 to chapter 14, the end of the chapter, the end of the book, to verse 21, it basically, the employing phrase, the phrase, in that day, in that day continues to rise.
You will see this pop up. In that day, in that day. That day is talking about the day, not of the Lord,.
It is of the Lord,.
But it's also day for the Lord. Day for the Lord. It's actually mentioned 18 times in Zechariah and places primary focus in his two undated oracles, which are burdens. Number one, the downfall of the nation.
Two, the salvation of Israel. And three, the establishment of the Messiah as king to reign. The first oracle in chapter 9 verse 1 to chapter 11 verse 17 deals specifically with the first and third features and ends with the prophecies of the rejection of Christ at His first coming.
Important.
So it's divided up here. Then you have a second oracle, a second burden, basically an oracle. Chapter 12 verse 1 to 14 verse 21 to the very end deals primarily with the second and third culminating with the kingdom of the Messiah.
Jesus.
Now notice the phrase with me in verse 1. The burden of the word of the Lord. The burden of the word of the Lord. This is very important to understand. This basically refers to a weighty load. A very weighty load that God places upon the prophets to speak.
I assure you it's much more of a weighty load than we will ever know. God Himself placed this upon His prophets to speak. The prophecies that God gave them as the Holy Spirit was breathing upon them were often very heavy.
And these men knew even though they were holy men of God and righteous men of God they knew that this message was not going to be pleasant because most of the time as they spoke it was a message of judgment.
A judgment because of their obstinance, their rebellion, and their sin and their iniquity and their breaking and disobedience to the commandments of the Lord and the statutes of the Lord and God was displeased with them.
Even though they were still God's people because of His covenant upon them God was always faithful to His covenant but God always acted in loving kindness and mercy even in discipline to give judgment to bring them back and to restore them.
A lot of people look at the thunders of judgment as something horrific and it is horrific but God's purpose in judgment is always to restore.
You will see this.
Order in Scripture and as God works. The prophecies that God gave so that it was very heavy upon them. The term.
The burden of the Lord.
The oracle of God the oracle of the Lord also extended to the burden upon the people and nations that heard these prophecies. Example. If you turn to Zechariah turn a few pages over. Notice in verse 1 chapter 12 this whole chapter speaks about the coming deliverance of Judah.
It begins.
The burden.
There it is the burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Matthew and Henry basically comment when you hear the burden of the word of the Lord.
The oracle.
He says the sermon is just beginning. Thus says the Lord who stretches out the heavens lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within them. You see this time and time again. Nahum 1 .1 the burden of Nineveh.
Isaiah 15 .1 the burden of Moab. Isaiah 17 .1 the burden of Damascus. Isaiah 19 .1 the burden of Egypt. And the NASB again and the LSB the new translation that is very accurate to the original Hebrew and Greek translates this word burden as oracle again.
Malachi 1 .1 the oracle of the word of the Lord. Habakkuk 1 .1 the oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw constantly. You see this. It's interesting as a footnote here that this phrase became so overused by the false prophets that in Jeremiah's day that the Lord himself forbade them from using it.
Period.
It is a phrase that only God's called prophets could speak. The false prophets were not allowed to speak it. As a matter of fact Jeremiah 23 .38.
Says this.
And he is speaking to these false teachers these false prophets for if you say the oracle of the Lord surely thus says the Lord because you said this word the oracle of the Lord I have also sent to you saying you shall not say the oracle of the Lord.
Kind of like people saying the Lord told me.
Flippantly praise the Lord flippantly.
Beloved this is taking the name of the Lord in vain right here in it's context. God says those who do so the Lord will not leave him unpunished. Who takes his name in vain.
And that is scripture.
The word vain.
Basically.
Does not mean necessarily a curse word. It can mean that but here in it's context it's speaking in vain means.
Emptiness nothingness.
Worthlessness.
Flippantly.
So when we when people use the Lord's name in vain without giving it it's proper weight.
It is.
That's what they are doing and God is forbidding them.
You don't speak this.
The false prophets. So the burden of the Lord.
The burden of the Lord the oracle of the Lord.
Is to be taken very seriously and those who uses his name in vain this is an abomination to God and God will not leave them unpunished. But when Zachariah the prophet uses it here in Zachariah 9 .1 the sermon begins as Matthew Henry says it's not flippant it's serious.
There is something weighty he has to say to us and it is very serious and that's why we need to be very attentive when God speaks. When we speak from this Bible.
God speaks.
Now.
Let's jump to verse 9.
This is.
Really the meaty portion of it.
The coming king.
The coming king we see his first coming here. This is a prophecy of Jesus his first coming.
It says this.
Rejoice.
Greatly.
Don't you love that? Rejoice greatly oh daughter of Zion. I cannot help to hear in my head right now a soprano. A soprano whether it be Renee Fleming or someone getting up singing from George Frederick's classic The Messiah and that part and he takes this verse and he basically puts beautiful glorious music to it and you can almost hear it.
Rejoice greatly oh daughter of Zion. Shout oh daughter of Jerusalem.
It's.
It's highlighted it's almost like a shout behold your king is coming to you he is just having salvation.
Lowly.
Riding on a donkey a colt.
The foal of a donkey.
Wonderful text isn't it?
Wonderful.
A colt.
The foal of a donkey. Now we see the promised king Jesus coming his first coming. And what we see however is not what his people really expected right? They did not expect to see a lowly king coming on a donkey as Alexander the Great conquered.
And by the way one of these verses was fulfilled by Alexander the Great in history later on as he came.
And as he conquered.
Nation after nation. And he would ride a king would gloriously ride with a with a horse and triumph as he conquered but not Jesus. The first time he came he comes riding on a donkey lowly riding on a donkey a colt the foal of a donkey.
Not what they expected right? But that at this particular time the post-exilic Israel had no king. Let's keep this in mind.
But they.
They are told to rejoice greatly because the king was coming. He would be a good king he would be a gracious king he would not be an evil king no one like Alexander the Great.
Would be all good and great and gracious. And there's several attributes. We'll look at them here briefly in a minute but it's described of Jesus and the New Testament basically reveals to us exactly who this king is.
And we know.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ no doubt about it. And all by the way all four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew 21 is being read this morning. Mark chapter 11 Luke 19 John 12 all four gospel writers speak about this event.
All four accounts four accounts tell and speak of how the king comes into Jerusalem now. Zechariah 9 9 and 10 are tremendously tremendously significant. It presents a prophecy.
Whose fulfillment.
Was clearly set in motion and although not completed yet by Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem.
On a colt.
The well known triumphant entry. There is more to the story that was only part of the prophecy right? But it's important.
Fulfillment.
As we see his first coming that has been fulfilled the second coming.
Not yet.
But it's soon to come both Matthew and John. This is interesting as I was looking into this in my own personal study. Both Matthew and John mention this passage. All of them do but John even notes that the disciples saw no immediate connection between Jesus.
Riding on the colt.
And his identity as the Messiah prophesied in Zechariah. Only all of them mention this event but.
The verse here the fulfillment. Matthew and John mention the passage but it was kind of fog to them after Jesus was glorified and basically that means after he was risen from the dead. According to John 12, 16 the scripture says then they remembered.
That these things.
Were written about him then they remembered then they remembered after he rose from the dead. These verses in Zechariah include an important transition and the arrival of the saving king is followed immediately.
By the description.
Of the effects.
Of his long term reign.
That is soon to come as king of kings and lord of lords. One commentary put it this way this is an example of prophetic compression. I like that.
Why does he say.
Prophetic compression because verse 9 and verse 10 is compressed with two comings. And as they were speaking as the spirit of God was giving these words they had no idea of the timelines. Nor do we only his first coming because we do know his first coming.
You see.
We're in between. We look to the past. They were looking to the future. We look to the past but we're in the middle. They were in the past looking to the future of the first and second coming. We're in the middle looking back to his first coming.
But in the middle.
Waiting for his second coming. You see that? Now that is a prophetic compression these two verses the two comings of Jesus Christ.
His first.
And second coming.
Is compressed.
Into two verses viewed from the broader context of the prophecy Zechariah was mentioning together the two stages.
Here.
The two phases and God's sovereign plan which are actually separated in time. Jesus came first as a humble king of peace endowed with salvation manifested in.
Jesus'.
Earthly ministry and his death on the cross as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
Second.
Jesus will come as a victorious ruler on his second coming to conquer over the whole entire world and over all nations. It's going to happen and it's going to happen soon.
Beloved beloved.
We should rejoice greatly as the text says rejoice greatly greatly over Jesus' first coming and his anticipation.
To complete the fulfillment.
Of Zechariah's prophecy at Christ's glorious return as he comes again.
In verse 8. To back up a little bit notice with me I will camp around my house because of the army because of him who passes by and him who returns no more shall an oppressor pass through them. For now I have seen with my eyes rejoice greatly oh daughter of Zion.
If you notice.
In verse 9 as this wonderful text says there is a fanfare. Rejoice greatly.
There is a coronation of the king the cult's connection with the anointing.
Third.
He is just meaning righteous.
Fourth.
He brings salvation he is endowed with salvation.
His identity.
He is humble.
He enters Jerusalem.
On a cult.
Rejoice greatly. Oh daughter of Zion oh daughter of Zion let's look at that for a minute here daughter of Zion this is a wonderful term of endearment. Again like I said daughter of Zion Jerusalem Israel they are the apple of God's eye.
People say well pastor what about the church. Well if you read in Romans Paul basically says the church is grafted in.
So the church.
And Israel even though they seem to be two they are one. It's kind of like in marriage the two become one. We are grafted in still with Israel because of the covenant the blood covenant specifically.
But this whole book.
Is a Jewish book and it's all about.
The Jewish people.
And it's about Israel.
And you're going to see.
That God fights for Israel because he made a covenant with Israel he made a covenant with Abraham that's why he's called the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Because of the covenant he entered in with each one of them and it was renewed through the Davidic covenant.
It's beautiful.
And when God makes a covenant.
He keeps his word.
It's a contract it's an agreement that God makes.
This.
Daughter of Zion don't you love that term. It's endearment. Of course it's. It's a mountain upon which Jerusalem is built and scripture says Jerusalem is the city of the great king so Zion and Jerusalem are virtually synonymous with the context here.
This verse is reminiscent of chapter 2 verse 10 which says sing and rejoice daughter of Zion for behold I come and I will dwell in the midst of you. And says Yahweh. It's almost very similar. It is also reminiscent of Zephaniah 3 .14 which says sing daughter of Zion shout Israel be glad and rejoice with all your heart daughter of Jerusalem.
Zephaniah goes on to assure the people of Yahweh's forgiveness and his presence among them his forgiveness his presence. And may I ask this question what's the cause of rejoicing here?
Why should we.
Rejoice greatly? Well the text tells us there's much cause to rejoice.
The kingdom has come.
But not in its fulfillment. The kingdom is here and it's yet to be but the king himself has arrived that's the good news.
Isn't it?
That's the good news it ties in with the birth of Christ why he came and he comes lowly in great humility. Isn't it incredible when you see the the Lord Jesus Christ and how he comes. And this is God who made the world as we've been looking at through John's gospel and yet he comes in the most lowly and humble way.
Folks.
We really do not know what true humility is. We can know it intellectually but we don't know it by personal affliction and actually that's what.
It really means.
It means personal affliction. Well look at that now the cause to rejoice is the king has come.
And he's just.
Actually that word just means he's righteous and does not the scripture say that Jesus is the righteous one. He is the righteous one he's endowed with salvation he has salvation and he's humble he's gentle.
He's lowly.
Glorious attributes of king Jesus. The word just means righteous and lawful makes me think about Jesus as described in the Bible especially the fulfillment of the law. When he preached that great great sermon the sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 he said I did not come to destroy the law but I came to fulfill the law.
And he did. He fulfilled all the law and taught us the true meaning of the law of God. In Matthew 22 36 through 40 he is the righteous one he is the holy one he is true and faithful he is righteous who fulfilled the law of God to the very T crossing of the T and the dotting of the I.
Jesus is truly humble you know this word humble is interesting.
It means.
It's a root word meaning afflicted and oppressed afflicted and oppressed. Jesus said in Matthew 11 29 who is meek and lowly and gentle of heart.
He said.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and I am lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. I tell you what when I think about that and the way people is out and about so disturbed in their souls and so much in torment and they reject the one that can only give them rest.
For their souls.
The one that died upon the cross gentle, meek and lowly died in shame and the closest and accurate translation of lowly and gentle is this word that is literally to the original Hebrew. Here it means afflicted.
Afflicted, of course that to people that rejected him doesn't make sense. We're talking about a king to rejoice over until we recognize.
That he.
Because of who he is and because of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53.
Jesus was afflicted.
Rejected. And he's our king. Isn't that glorious? King of all kings but yet.
Afflicted.
We see this in Isaiah don't we? Doesn't it remind you of Isaiah 53? And that is a.
Wow.
That is a incredible chapter. MacArthur says this is. How did he say it brother Ben? This is the slaughter the torture chamber for the Jewish people. That's right torture chamber. Verse 4. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted.
There it is afflicted. A lot of times when we think afflicted we think of. We think of torture but it means humble.
He is humbled he humbles.
And there is affliction of the physical torments and the spiritual torments and no one took it like Jesus did. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed.
So many of the.
Prosperity. Gospel preachers all take this as the healing. Physically. They can't get beyond the physical. Can they? This means soul healing. This means God heals your soul. We all like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Listen to verse 7. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearer is silent.
So he opened not his mouth.
Incredible lowly gentle.
Humble.
Afflicted of course the Lord Jesus Christ he is endowed now with salvation. This just one the righteous one. In the original Hebrew it means Yahshah. Yahshah it is a verb that means to save or to be a savior.
God is our savior Jesus is our savior. They are synonymous. They are together because Jesus is God. Jesus means Jehovah saves.
Actually.
Luke 2 verse 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord. I can't help but think every time I read that verse. The wonderful cartoon put together by Charles Schultz.
It's short but it's so sweet and they still play it amazingly. It tells the Christmas story and Linus gets up with his little blue blanket and Charlie Brown is saying tell me what is Christmas all about.
And he gets up and he quotes the verses.
All about Jesus.
And then Linus.
Goes with him.
Goes up to Charlie Brown and says. And Charlie Brown that's what Christmas is all about.
Even the men of Samaria said in John 4 42 we have heard for ourselves and know that this one is indeed the savior of the world. He came as savior the first time and the next time he comes he's coming as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
King Jesus rode in Jerusalem with a donkey not a white stallion. That white stallion is later. He's coming when he comes as King of Kings. But the first time he came he came meek and lowly just endowed with salvation.
Although we could spend the whole time right here in verse 9 beloved back in Zechariah we need to go to verse 10 and look at this second coming because that's where I like to spend the bulk of my time here.
In this message the humility of God's Son displayed the depth of God's great love didn't it.
And the commitment.
To his people. But Jesus would rise again that is spoken of in the feast of the first fruits. Then he will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now look with me to verse 10. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem.
The battle bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace to the nations. He's the prince of peace. Right. This is the prince of peace. He shall speak peace to the nations and his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.
There's the second coming. Now go with me to Psalm 72 and I want you to see this. How this ties in to Psalm 72.
Glorious because Psalm 72 speaks about the glory and universality of the messianic reign of King Jesus. Let me just read all 20 verses and by the way this is basically the end of David's prayers as he sings this on a harp.
And it says it's a psalm of Solomon. But at the end of it says the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. So give the king your judgments O God and your righteousness to the king's son. Listen to this.
He will judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people.
He will save the children of the needy. He will break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear you as long as the sun and the moon.
Endure throughout.
All generations he shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing like showers that water the earth in his days. The righteous shall flourish and the abundance of peace until the moon is no more.
Listen to that. And he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. We just read that. And those who dwell in the wilderness who bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.
And the kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents and the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes all the kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him. And he will deliver the needy when he cries the poor also and him who has no helper.
And he will spare the poor and the needy. Notice that the time and time again the poor and the needy the poor and the.
Needy. Jesus said blessed are the.
Poor at heart and he will.
Save the souls of the needy and he will redeem their life from the oppression and the violence and the precious shall be their blood in his sight.
And he.
Shall live in the gold of Sheba and it be given to him. Prayer also will be made for him continually and daily. He shall be praised. There will be an abundance of grain in the earth on the top of the mountains and its fruits shall wave like Lebanon and those of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.
His name shall endure forever. His name shall continue as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him and all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel who only does wondrous.
Things and.
Blessed be his glorious name forever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. And the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended isn't that glorious. Don't you long to see that day.
When king Jesus comes.
Back beloved. Go back to Zechariah. I won't go through this as fast as I can because my time is so limited. Look at verse 11 through 17. This speaks of the return of the king and his second coming. Of course that transition is made in from verse 9 to 10.
There's a compression a prophetic compression. Verse 11 basically to the end of the chapter God will save his people when he returns. Beloved. Why is it that Israel is so blessed. Why is it that the church is so blessed.
Surely not because of her faithfulness because she was unfaithful just like us many times we have been unfaithful but he remains.
Faithful still.
Through the centuries and we can relate to that can't we. How many times have we disobeyed and how many times have we broken God's law. But yet God is so gracious to restore us back as we would repent.
And that's the way it is with God's people as well. His own. They are the apple of his eye you are the apple of God's eye. He's jealous over you he's jealous over his people. And all this is because they're so blessed because of God's unfailing love his hesed his mercy his devotion to his covenant his covenant of blood made with Abraham in Genesis 15.
Notice what he says in verse 11. As for you also because of the blood of your covenant he's speaking about the Abrahamic covenant.
An everlasting covenant which is enforced as long as God lives and how long does God live throughout all eternity. Infinite he never had no origin he never will have no end. He is and that's why he says I am.
That I am this is the blood.
Covenant now. This is spoken of also in Jeremiah Jeremiah 31 go to 31 31.
Very this speaks of the.
New covenant. Behold the days are coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in that day and I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt.
My covenant which they broke though I was a husband to them says the Lord but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days says the Lord I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people.
No more shall they shall. Every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord. For they shall all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them says the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.
I will remember no more. Verse 35. Thus says the Lord who gives the sun for a light by day the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night who disturbs the sea and its waves. The Lord of hosts.
Is his name.
If those ordinances depart from before me says the Lord then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me forever. And then he says this in verse 37 the dust says the Lord if heaven above can be measured and there are foundations of the earth searched out beneath and I will also cast off the seed of Israel for all that they have done says the Lord.
Behold the days are coming says the Lord that the city shall be built for the Lord for the tower of Hananel and to the corner of the gate. Beloved. I'll stop right there. If you read to the end of the chapter of Zechariah that's exactly what it talks about.
God fights for Israel because he's in covenant with Israel. He swore to himself in Hebrews and it was because there was no one else higher. Isn't that great? God himself.
Keeps his.
Holy word. Zechariah 9 11 through 17 speaks of how God will fight for his people. God adjunct with me to Zechariah chapter. Let's look at.
A few of these.
First I want to go to chapter 14 because I want you to see this glorious this glorious fulfillment of Jesus when he came. Look at chapter 14. Behold the day. Let me back up. 13 in that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
That's happened.
That fountain. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. Sinners plunge beneath that.
Flood lose all their guilty.
Saints that has come in his first coming. You jump to Zechariah 14. The day of the Lord. Behold the day of the Lord is coming and your spoil will be divided in the mist. Listen what it says. And I will be.
I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem and the city shall be taken. The house is ruffled and the women ravished and half of the city shall go into captivity. But the remnant the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Verse 3. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations. And as he fights in the day of battle and in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And 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 and you shall flee.
And as you flee fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzzah king of Judah. Listen what it says. Thus the Lord my God will come and all the saints with you. What does that sound like. I tell you what it sounds like.
Jump to Revelation 22 20. It sounds like right there that who testifies these things. Surely I'm coming quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus. Go to Revelation 19. Revelation 19. I want you to see this.
Look at.
Verse.
19 I'm sorry. Chapter 19 verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoice. Give him glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made her ready and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen.
Clean and bright. Don't you love that word. Clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me right blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
And he said to me these are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me see that you do not do that. That's an angel that's speaking to John. The angel rebukes him.
He says don't worship me. I'm your fellow servant and I'm of your brethren who have testimony.
Of Jesus.
Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Then now I saw heaven open.
Behold.
A white horse there it is. He comes back now with a white horse. He's not on a.
Donkey here.
He who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes was like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. That's why we sung crown him with many crowns.
He had a name written that no one knew except himself. And how dare any of these theologians today try to guess that one. Only he knows himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God.
The armies and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen white and clean followed him on white horses. This is how he fights folks. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword and with it he should strike the nations.
All he's got to do is speak the word.
He's going to strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron and he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath.
Of almighty.
Almighty God and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written king of kings and lord of lords and then you see how he does it. He smites everything with the word of his power and this is glorious.
And go back to Zachariah. Watch this as for you. Also because of the blood of your covenant I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit return to the stronghold. You prisoners of hope even today I declare that I will restore double to you for I have bent Judah and my bow fitted the bow of Ephraim and raised up the sons of Zion against your sons O Greece and made you like the sword of a mighty man.
Listen to this verse 14. Then the lord will be seen over them and his arrow will go forth like lightning anytime you see lightning as judgment and the lord God will blow the trumpet.
We're going to go to that.
In just a minute that's 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. And he will go with the whirlwinds from the south and the lord of hosts will defend them he's going to defend them he's going to fight for them Revelation 19.
They shall devour the subdued with the sling stones and they shall drink and roar as if with wine and they shall be filled with blood like basins like the corners of the altar and the lord their God will save them in that day.
As the.
Flock of his people for they shall be like the jewels of a crown lifted like a banner over his land and for how great is its goodness. I like the old King James better here for how great is his goodness and how great is his.
Beauty.
Grain shall make the young men thrive and new wine the young women. Now if you look at verse 14 the lord God will blow the trumpet. Does not that sound like 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. Go with me to 1st Thessalonians.
Look at chapter 4. This is at the second coming. Folks I want you to see this for the lord himself. Now verse 16 the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel.
And with the trumpet of God the dead in Christ shall rise first for the lord himself the voice of the archangel with the trumpet of God. God himself is going to blow that trumpet. Then we which are alive and remain shall be called up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air.
This is the great resurrection. That when Jesus comes forth at the second coming that the sound of his voice because all of the dead in Christ will rise first and the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous will happen here.
But the righteous is first. Thus we shall always be with the lord. And then this is what Paul says because of the persecution that they were going through.
He said this is something.
That we've got something to look forward to saints therefore comfort one another with these words. We don't understand that because we're not going through this kind of suffering. But if we were going through the sufferings like the early church was we would understand.
This is a great comfort. Notice right into 1st Thessalonians 5 the day of the lord. But concerning the times and the seasons brethren you have no need that I should write to you. We don't need to worry about the time when the lord comes.
He's going to come for you yourselves know perfectly that that the day of the lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them. What's he talking about they.
Is he talking about the government. Not necessarily. He's talking about false teachers.
False prophets that's all they talk about.
Peace safety peace safety.
Well there's sudden destruction is going to come upon them as labor pains is upon a pregnant woman they shall not escape. But you brethren you're not in darkness so that this day should overtake you.
As a thief.
This is an application folks. For you are sons of light sons of the day. We are neither the night nor darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as others do but let us watch and be sober. Let us watch and be sober.
Here's my application. One application. Be ready. Be ready at all times. Be prepared. Be prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ for it can happen anytime. And let me squeeze this in the sermon here 35 years ago this day my wife and I, I praise God for we married.
But I'm going to pull this right into this application. At that time as a bride a bride to be my wife was preparing herself to be married to the bridegroom myself. She was preparing herself. Any bride prepares herself to be married to the bridegroom.
This is what we should be doing. We should be preparing ourselves. Pastor will you see this. It's all over scripture. Go with me to Ephesians. Brother Keith touched the first part of this this morning.
But if you look at Ephesians.
Chapter.
Chapter 5 look at this wives. Verse 22 wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord that submission is as we submit to Jesus. That submission is shown and demonstrated there. And for the husband is the head of the wife also Christ is head of the church he is the savior of the body.
Therefore just as the church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. I'm telling you that's a tall command as Christ gave himself.
For her.
He died for her he offered himself for her for why? Verse 26. That he might.
Sanctify.
And cleanse her.
This is how we prepare ourselves.
To meet Jesus.
That's why we are to be obsessed with sanctification that he might.
Notice he.
Sanctifies us.
He is the sanctifier he cleanses her with the washing of the water by the word that's the only way we can be cleansed and that's how a husband is to beautify his wife.
And to.
Cleanse her and protect her. That he might present to her himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or such thing but that she should be holy and without blemish.
We should be.
Preparing ourselves for that great day just as it says in scripture let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife his bride has made herself ready.
In the meantime before Jesus comes we anticipate his second coming. We thank God and praise him for the first coming for salvation that he is endowed with and he gives us that. And we are to submit to him as the bride submits to the husband right?
And we are to prepare ourselves for the marriage supper of the lamb just as it says the specific commands here that Jesus himself might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word be prepared.
Beloved.
See the book of revelation not only is about the lamb's victory but it's also about the great passion being fulfilled and the readiness of the bride the rendement, the church, God's people God's Israel.
John the baptist spoke of this in John 3 .29. The one has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this is my joy is now complete.
Matthew 25 read it in devotional time. The virgins. That's why Jesus mentioned about the ten virgins, half was ready half wasn't the red. The ones that was ready had the wicks trimmed.
And the oil.
They were ready and when the cry at midnight came at midnight when they least expected it they were ready. But the other five said no give us some oil. Give us some oil. It was not enough. It was not enough.
First time Jesus came he came humble meek as a lamb.
Second time.
Second time he comes he comes in great power as the lion of the tribe of Judah to conquer. The first time he came he changed history beloved. The next time he comes he's going to end history. The next time he comes he's coming gloriously as king of kings.
Lord of lords.
First time Jesus came he came to die on a cross. He wore a crown of thorns to a criminal's cross. The second time he comes he's coming to reign forever and ever with his saints wearing many crowns. The first time he came he came.
He rode a lowly donkey into Jerusalem.
But beloved.
The second time he comes.
He's going to ride.
That white stallion.
And he's going to make war.
May we be ready. May we be ready. One closing thought. And this is always on my mind. People take so many great lengths to talk about the time. The time. The time when Jesus is coming we do not know. Read chapter 24 Jesus says no man knows the time or the hour the day or the hour.
No one now think of this Jesus before his ascension.
In Acts 1 verse 6 says. Therefore when they had come together think of this they asked him saying Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel. What a question. And Jesus gave them an answer and he said to them it is not for you.
To know.
Times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority. Why can't we take that as it is instead of trying to trifle.
With the times.
Paul even said it about the times and the seasons. I'm not even right to you about these things. Let's take God's word as it is.
And what did Jesus.
Charge them to do. Yes we're to study astrology but beloved we're to have Jesus in view. We're to study about just not the time frames even though scripture does speak about but we don't know the time frame.
We're to be ready. If God told us the time people would wait to the very last minute to try to repent but he's coming as a thief.
He wants us to sanctify ourselves and be ready and prepare ourselves and then also to evangelize. Listen this is it Jesus says to them in verse 8 but you shall receive power dunamis power dynamite when the Holy Spirit.
Has come upon you.
And you shall be witnesses to me.
In Jerusalem.
And all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth and they turned the world upside down and they didn't have seminaries and all that. And I'm not against godly seminaries there's very few nowadays but that just gives us the tools.
But we need to be the evangelist. As Spurgeon says we are imposters or missionaries.
To the Lord.
Thomas Brooks says something very significant right here. Jesus said this in Luke 6 46. Why do you call me lord lord and do not do what I say. Thomas Brooks and I close with this. A hypocrite is all for a saving Christ for a sin pardoning Christ for a soul saving Christ but has no regard for a ruling Christ a reigning Christ.
A commanding.
Christ a sanctifying and this at last will prove his damning sin.
You see that.
People want god for the benefits.
The blessings.
They don't want him for who he is but we as Christians take Jesus just not as savior.
As savior.
We take him as lord he is lord but we submit to him under his lordship. No one makes him lord he is lord we submit to him may we.
Submit to him.
Let's be sanctified be set apart from this world and let's go out and evangelize this world. Amen. For the glory of god the father the son and the holy spirit. Let's pray lord and heaven and earth. We thank you for this time of worship lord.
We would just pray that you would change our hearts. Oh god you've spoken to us so clearly from your word lord. These are such heavy scriptures. And we do rejoice greatly lord that you have sent your son your one and only son.
You sent your best in great humility and all the way. In his entire life he lived a life of such humility all the way to the ultimate humility. Affliction was the death of a cross to cleanse us to wash us to purify us and make us your children.
Born.
Again by the spirit of god and while our faith is in the precious blood of the lamb the lord jesus christ and our justifications by faith alone and not any works of the flesh lord we thank you for.
That all.
Sufficient sacrifice the lord jesus christ. And now lord as your children help us to be as we wait and anticipate the second coming of the lord jesus christ king of kings and lord of lords. May we be fervent and passionate to speak to everyone lord about this glorious gospel.
We know we cannot save them but lord that's in your hands but lord we are commanded to tell people.
In our.
Jerusalem judea samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth about the lord jesus christ.
And lord give us.
That power that passion as the early church had and lord until the day.
Comes.
That day the day of the lord.
And for you.
And for your glory and when you come back when christ comes back as king of kings and lord of lords may we be prepared and ready.
Sanctified.
And cleansed.
We thank you for this time lord and we bless your holy name. May this be so and we ask this in the name of the lord jesus christ.
Amen and amen.