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Friday 25 January 2019

Zechariah 12:4-6 - On that day

12:4
We should be wary of interpreting verses like this over literally. It would seem best to take it as simply meaning that God will strike down Israel’s enemies as they attack, throwing them into confusion. However, we should note that the use of horses in battle was seen as a significant advancement at this stage of history. The nations will try many things to destroy Judah, but the Lord is watching over Judah.

12:5
The people of Judah would then become strong. This will happen because they realise that the Lord is their God. We can try all sorts of things to bolster our courage, trusting in ourselves, in others, or something, but true courage only comes when we trust in the Lord, when we know that He is indeed our God.

12:6

Judah will be a source of much destruction to the nations. It will not be so much that Judah attacks them, but the consequence of their attacking Judah, and Jerusalem herself will remain in place. There are some who spiritualise everything in the OT referring to Israel and Jerusalem. Now there are many ways in which this does give important to insights, but to just spiritualise it seems to me to be very dangerous. There are so many promises in the OT referring to Israel and to Jerusalem that it seems almost certain that physical Jerusalem and Israel are involved as well.

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