Yes, it does.
Yes, it does.
First, when someone reads Zechariah 14:1-2, do you understand it and what it means by spoil being divided?
Zec 14:1-2
(1) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and
thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
(2) For I will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the
city shall be taken, and the
houses rifled, and the
women ravished; and
half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the
residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
This chapter describes the
great conflict or warfare of God's congregation (not the physical city of Jerusalem) and how her enemies bring her by force into spiritual captivity (Matthew 11:12). It explains how the coming of Christ ends the warfare and brings comfort to Jerusalem by setting her captives free and judging her enemies. Selah!
The language of "dividing the spoil" in the midst of Jerusalem is to signify the people (who are the spoil) being taken by the enemy. All these descriptive prophesies of Zechariah chapter 14
must be understood symbolically. The enemy took the spoil of the kingdom (which were God's people) and the Lord Jesus Christ brings restoration by defeating them and freeing the spoil from this enemy. Christ spoke of this in His parable about His kingdom, His defeat of the ruler Satan and His binding and spoiling of that house.
Matthew 12:25-29
- "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
- And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
- And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
- But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
- Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."
This is a lesson Christ taught, He said that if He had cast out Satan by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God had come unto them. Satan is the enemy, this strong man illustrated here in this parable, and his spoil are those whom Christ came to release from bondage under Satan. But
first Satan had to be bound which Christ did in Revelation 20:1-2. The same Kingdom that Christ said suffered violence and was taken by force by the enemies of God. Jesus took a remnant from those in control of the kingdom, returned the captivity (the spoil) and gave the kingdom to another (Matthew 21:43). All of these things of Zechariah 14, including the gathering of the nations/gentiles against Jerusalem as judgment, the mount of Olives (verses 2-4), the removal of the mountain, the fleeing to the valley, the great earthquake (verses 5-6), the neither light nor dark, the waters flowing from Jerusalem, earthquake and the one king over all the earth (Zechariah 14:7-9), it turning as a plain, Jerusalem again safely inhabited while there is judgment for her enemies as plagues (Zechariah 10-15), the assemblage of all nations at Jerusalem to keep the feast of tabernacles, the holiness to some and judgment to others, and the use of "every pot in Jerusalem and Judah" for sacrifice (Zechariah 16-21), is all part of this prophecy of the coming of Christ and must be understood symbolically.
When Zechariah 14:1 says "
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee," that is describing the great conflict or warfare in God's kingdom on earth with the enemies that spoil her, before Christ comes to comfort Jerusalem, spoil the enemies and give the kingdom to others who will bring forth fruits. It speaks of the apostasy and conflict in Israel when Christ came and took the spoil of the enemy. As also Christ Himself taught in Luke chapter 11 when He said that "all that were not with Him were against Him." In other words, they were the enemies that fought against Him. Please read carefully:
Luke 11:20-22
- "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
- When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
- But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
- He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth."
All that was not with Christ were the enemies that were gathered together against Jerusalem. These are they that fought against the Holy City, who were judged of the Lord for doing so, and the remnant enjoyed that prosperous estate promised by the Lord. It was Christ who freed the captivity and restored the Kingdom to Israel. Not as national Israel and Premillennialists dreamed, but as God had always intended.
As for Christ's feet would stand upon the Mount of Olives, the scripture says clearly He that fought against the nations was the Lord, and in that day His feet would stand upon the Mount of Olives before Jerusalem.
This was Christ at His first advent. Scripture proof:
Matthew 21:1
- "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,"
Matthew 24:3
- "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
Christ made His triumphant Entry AS KING into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Surely you don't believe this is all coincidence? Their King had come, He did fulfill Scripture, He did rule from Jerusalem, and Everlasting waters did flow. It's not a future occurrence, it is Done!
Christ did NOT literally split the mountain but to signify that the kingdom (Old Testament congregation of Israel) has fallen and he made a way for Jewish believers into the New Testament Gentile congregation where they will hold the Feast of the Tabernacles, spiritually! Not physically.
Again, those with spiritual eyes and ears will understand this in Scripture. Not someone who tries to interpret it with Jerusalem Post.