… and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.
In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:9b-10 [circa 519 B.C.]
Looking Back to the Prophets
From Moses to the late Prophets at the time of Zechariah and Haggai, the LORD spoke to the faithful of Jacob. (Call them: Israel, Judah, Judea, Galilee, even Samaria at the time of Jesus.)
They were divided after David, captured after Solomon, conquered by foreign lands and driven into distant empires. Even after rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple, Israel would never be the same.
Prophets spoke judgment of evil nations, cities and leaders.
Prophesy during the times of the first dispersion accomplished the Lord’s purpose. Jerusalem and the Temple were rebuilt, then rebuilt again by Herod and Rome. Between the time of these two Temples, no word from above – generations of silence.
Surely those hearing of the miracles of the great Prophet approaching Jerusalem for the Passover festival had high expectations of this greatest Prophet, Jesus.
He is the Messiah of God!
The crowds cover the road with palms and shout:
“Son of David,”
as the King of the Jews (Jesus) rode victoriously up to the gates of Jerusalem.
‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed be the Lord.’ ‘Savior!’
And what had the prophet Zechariah written?
“and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day..
.. In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”
The Sacrifice of the Lamb of God accomplished the removal of sin; yes, in a single day: Good Friday.
What did Jerusalem expect?
The Judeans, Galileans, Samaritans, even Jews on faithful pilgrimage to the Passover festival from other lands followed Jesus with different high expectations from nearly forgotten writings of Zechariah and others.
Zechariah 9:
The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach (Syria) and Damascus is its resting place.
[Of course, Rome would control all of these Mediterranean lands 500 years later, not just Judah, Galilee and Samaria.]
The Coming King of Zion
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! The crowds, some who had followed Jesus for three years, knew the Son of Man riding victoriously into Jerusalem on a donkey had all power to defeat Rome in a day! But it was not the Lord’s will to save Jerusalem in a day, but sinners. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” For it was not the season for figs and those who will not repent remain cursed and will wither to be burned. To be continued…
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River A Powerful Professed King
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