Wishful thinking and Zech 12-14.

This originally appeared in the Moriel Bulletin of July 2014

Some time ago, I had conversations with a number of Israel supporters, and we were discussing the prophecies contained in these chapters, particularly this one:

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

Though I do not remember the context or topic of the original conversations, what was interesting about these them was the response when asked about the above Scripture.

The first was "Oh no I don't believe in that. The LORD wouldn't do that." The second, "Oh, that refers to the Holocaust or the events of 70A.D. the Jewish people have suffered enough already, it can't literally mean that."

Now both these individuals with whom I spoke are passionate advocates for Israel, both love the Word of God, the Jewish people and the Lord deeply, but I do not believe their responses were biblically informed.

You may remember when Jesus began to speak of His future suffering and death:

"From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee! But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men."

These people were doing exactly the same thing. One was a purely emotional response, and the other tried to justify his position by taking refuge in a form of preterism or historicism. The problem with both of their approaches to this text, is that were conditioned not from biblical considerations, but by emotional ones. If I had to give this a label perhaps it could be called carnal sentimentality, or fleshly wishful thinking.

Zech. 12-14 in context.

Contextually Zech. 13. is set against the backdrop of the Day of the LORD. It is abundantly clear that the context is eschatological, referring to the end of this age. Secondly the LORD is not decreeing that 2/3 of the population die, but predicting it, He does not take pleasure in it. Thirdly it is the very fact that this awful catastrophe is heading our way, that should drive the proclamation of Gospel witness to Israel to get ready because the Day of the LORD approaches (see Joel). Fourthly Scripture indicates that, at least in the first half of the 70th week of Daniel, the nadir of Israel's national apostasy and rebellion will have been reached, as she makes a covenant with the Antichrist; whose reign is actually a judgement on the nations and of Israel in particular. Nobody takes pleasure in knowing that disaster of this magnitude will eventually overtake Israel, and the terrible suffering it will bring. But Scripture records also, that this terrible crisis is exactly what will eventually bring Israel to her knees in repentance, when she sees the One that she pierced appearing to rescue her. When we look at Zech. 12-14 contextually, we see that the outpouring of the Spirit of grace and supplication in Zechariah is completely eschatological in context, and clearly refers to an event that will only happen at the LORD's return. Her national salvation will happen; "the Redeemer will come to Zion, to those who turn from transgression in Jacob", Paul relates this particular scripture to the time when "all Israel will be saved", but it only comes on the wings of suffering and catastrophe. To make soothing noises then, when the LORD is calling for the alarm trumpet to sound, is to behave like the false prophets in Jeremiah's time, even though it might be well intentioned.

The LORD has shown us these things for a purpose, that we can watch and pray, but if our minds are filled with wishful thinking, or the contra-scriptural but flesh-pleasing novelty that the LORD will not allow His Body to endure the Tribulation, in the end we will not pray with the fervency that is meet for the occasion. Events are happening very fast, and the scenery on the world stage can change very quickly; and yes, like anyone else, my flesh shrinks from the thought of suffering, but it is not beyond probability at all, that we could be the Tribulation generation, that will see the Lord's Return.

But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare:  for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.  But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:34-36).

In Luke 21, contextually these verse are not speaking of escaping by avoidance, but escaping by enduring through the Tribulation until the Lord returns. This is a mindset that desperately needs restoring to us. Away with wishful thinking!