Here's another Bible-Prophecy which is popularly thought to be awaiting its fulfilment during a future millennium - but which actually must already have been fulfilled during Old Covenant times - if you read it in light of the simple New Covenant truth, that:
ANY PROPHECY ABOUT LEVITICAL-STYLE WORSHIP MUST HAVE BEEN FULFILLED WHILE THE OLD COVENANT STILL STOOD - because God isn't into returning to a shadow.
Whether we see the following prophecy as future or past will have a practical and powerful impact on our Christian life.
Zechariah prophesied:
"And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zech.14:16).
According to many, it's a prophecy about a future millennium. Nations are going to make annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast, they say, during a future millennium.
But if it's about a future millennium, then Judaism will be required in your future. It’s because of that view that many Christians nowadays have mistakenly begun attempting to 'keep the feast'.
It can't be about the future, because Jesus said the hour had come when true worshipers would no longer be required to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship (John 4:21).
The Feast of Tabernacles was only a shadow of our experience in Jesus Christ - and Paul taught that once the New Covenant came, it forever superseded the shadow.
The passage mentions a plague and punishment coming on the nations that wouldn't make the annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast (14:12,15,18, 20). That can't be future, because Paul taught that the cross of Jesus Christ removed the curse of the Law.
The prophecy mentions the altar, pots, animal sacrifices, and the Temple (14:20, 21). Those things don't exist any more - and even if replicas do get recreated in future, they won't be legitimate and therefore they can't be the Temple Zechariah was talking about here - because we're already in a New Covenant.
The prophecy said the Canaanite would not be allowed in the house of the Lord (verse 21). That statement only had relevance while the Law still stood - but no more, because Paul taught that the cross removed the barrier that was against the Gentiles.
All of those details in the prophecy had relevance ONLY while the Old Covenant still stood.
And there are other time-indicators:
The prophecy mentioned Hananeel's tower; the king's winepresses; Benjamin's gate, the first gate; the corner gate - none of which exist anymore; people dwelling in tents - not in modern housing; a subsistence economy - not a sophisticated modern economy; cavalry, chariots and archery - not modern weaponry; idols being removed from the land - which was needed then, but not an issue with Israelis now; it described the nation of Judah as still being distinct from the nation of Israel - a distinction which is no longer relevant to modern Israel; it mentions Jewish families still being known by and still grouping-together by their tribe - which isn't possible anymore; Israel's return from ancient captivity/exile in specifically-named countries was mentioned - which came to pass; the rebuilding of the Temple after the captivity was mentioned - which also came to pass; it mentions Israel's enemy-nations meeting their day of recompense - which also came to pass.
All of those details place the fulfilment of the prophecy squarely in the past and while the Old Covenant still stood - not in the future.
Some of Zechariah's imagery was admittedly quite dramatic. But keep in mind he was a young man (2:4), and God often chose to speak to him in picture-form. The mood of the imagery was dramatic because it had to be - for the Jews of the captivity to have the courage to believe for the full-restoration of their nation would require a miracle second only to their nation's exodus from Egypt. They'd become discouraged, so to encourage them to take up the task again was exactly why Zechariah was sent to prophesy to them.
But the most important evidence of all that the prophecy is now past and not future is this: the passage includes prophecies about the Messiah. If the prophetic passage is still future, then the coming of the Messiah must also still be future, and our faith in Jesus would be in vain.
But the Apostles quoted the very Messianic verses which appear in this prophecy, and asserted that they had been fulfilled by JESUS - by Messiah's first coming, not His second coming!
If we instead make the prophetic passage about the future, it would weaken our case for asserting that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied Messiah. And if you want to convince modern Jews that Jesus is their promised Saviour, it could help if you are able to show from their own Scriptures that JESUS fulfilled Messianic prophecy - you won't be able to do that if you're unclear about whether the prophecies are already fulfilled or not.
For example:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (9:9). Matthew declared that it was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people praised Him (Matt.21:5).
"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced," Zechariah prophesied (12:10). Many preach that this will be fulfilled at the second coming and that all Israel will be saved after they have seen the second coming. But John wrote that it was fulfilled at the cross (John 19:37).
"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness" (13:1). Christ Jesus achieved that by His cross, the New Testament asserts.
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (13:7), Zechariah wrote. Matthew and Mark wrote that it was fulfilled when Jesus was arrested and His disciples fled.
Those Messianic-prophecies were part of the same prophecy as the prophecy about the nations gong up to Jerusalem and keeping the feast of Tabernacles. Therefore the Messianic prophecies were meant to be fulfilled at a time when the other details of the same prophecy had also already been fulfilled and were still a reality in Israel.
That means Messiah had to come at a time when Israel had already been restored to their land and were still keeping the Law in their rebuilt Temple, and people from the nations were already making pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast.
So, did the nations ever keep the feast of Tabernacles? Sure they did. Luke records in Acts 2 that people "from every nation under heaven" (verse 5) were in Jerusalem for the feast - not only Jews, but also "...strangers (non-Jews)...and proselytes (Gentile followers), Cretes and Arabians" etc (verse 10). And that wasn't the first time it had happened - it had been an annual thing.
So all those details of Zechariah's prophecy had been fulfilled by the time Jesus came, and they ceased to be a reality again in Israel from AD70 onwards (when the Temple and everything associated with it were destroyed). Therefore if the Messiah had not come somewhere in that timeframe, then the prophecy forever lost its opportunity to be fulfilled.
But the Word of God cannot fail. Jesus fulfilled it. He completed it. Precisely. And on time. In every detail. And then in that very generation circumstances forever changed in Israel - and the window of opportunity for the prophecy to be fulfilled was forever closed.
If we try instead to make the prophecy about the future, then the prophecy can't be fulfilled precisely as it was fulfilled at the time of Jesus. That's playing with prophecy - and it weakens our own case for Jesus.
If it's still future, it would also legitimise Judaism.
It also leads to some ideas about the future which don't line up with New Covenant truth - such as the idea that a future millennium will bring the salvation of national Israel. Jesus told a Jewish ruler, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, EXCEPT a man be BORN AGAIN, he CANNOT SEE the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) - irrespective of whether the man happens to be a Jew or not.
But if we understand that it's already fulfilled, then it leaves us with only one thing to do: embrace JESUS.
It assures our conscience that we don't need to observe Judaism - Jesus is all.
It equips us to convince Jews about Jesus. (This truth was burning in my heart so much I asked the Lord to let me meet Jews so I can witness to them about it. Within days I met an Orthodox Jew, and I've been meeting Jews ever since. At first he was reluctant to let us pray for him. But after sharing with him the reasons why Messianic prophecies HAD to be fulfilled already, he responded, "Interesting. Okay - you can pray for me". So there on the footpath we laid hands on Him in Jesus' Name. He felt the love.)
All nations including Israel are now at a point of history where they are already on THIS side of much of Bible-Prophecy - NOT still back on the other side. We're all on THIS side of the cross, including Israel. On this side of the promised-kingdom.
Certainly there will come a greater manifestation of the Kingdom and of judgment at the resurrection when Jesus comes. That's our one blessed hope! But nothing that is yet to come in future needs to involve going back under the Law, because those parts of the prophecies were fulfilled long ago. We are free in Christ.
Nevertheless if some still have a different conscience about these things, we can take the attitude of "live and let live".
While we wait for our lovely Jesus to come.
To all who believe, He is precious.
ANY PROPHECY ABOUT LEVITICAL-STYLE WORSHIP MUST HAVE BEEN FULFILLED WHILE THE OLD COVENANT STILL STOOD - because God isn't into returning to a shadow.
Whether we see the following prophecy as future or past will have a practical and powerful impact on our Christian life.
Zechariah prophesied:
"And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zech.14:16).
According to many, it's a prophecy about a future millennium. Nations are going to make annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast, they say, during a future millennium.
But if it's about a future millennium, then Judaism will be required in your future. It’s because of that view that many Christians nowadays have mistakenly begun attempting to 'keep the feast'.
It can't be about the future, because Jesus said the hour had come when true worshipers would no longer be required to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship (John 4:21).
The Feast of Tabernacles was only a shadow of our experience in Jesus Christ - and Paul taught that once the New Covenant came, it forever superseded the shadow.
The passage mentions a plague and punishment coming on the nations that wouldn't make the annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast (14:12,15,18, 20). That can't be future, because Paul taught that the cross of Jesus Christ removed the curse of the Law.
The prophecy mentions the altar, pots, animal sacrifices, and the Temple (14:20, 21). Those things don't exist any more - and even if replicas do get recreated in future, they won't be legitimate and therefore they can't be the Temple Zechariah was talking about here - because we're already in a New Covenant.
The prophecy said the Canaanite would not be allowed in the house of the Lord (verse 21). That statement only had relevance while the Law still stood - but no more, because Paul taught that the cross removed the barrier that was against the Gentiles.
All of those details in the prophecy had relevance ONLY while the Old Covenant still stood.
And there are other time-indicators:
The prophecy mentioned Hananeel's tower; the king's winepresses; Benjamin's gate, the first gate; the corner gate - none of which exist anymore; people dwelling in tents - not in modern housing; a subsistence economy - not a sophisticated modern economy; cavalry, chariots and archery - not modern weaponry; idols being removed from the land - which was needed then, but not an issue with Israelis now; it described the nation of Judah as still being distinct from the nation of Israel - a distinction which is no longer relevant to modern Israel; it mentions Jewish families still being known by and still grouping-together by their tribe - which isn't possible anymore; Israel's return from ancient captivity/exile in specifically-named countries was mentioned - which came to pass; the rebuilding of the Temple after the captivity was mentioned - which also came to pass; it mentions Israel's enemy-nations meeting their day of recompense - which also came to pass.
All of those details place the fulfilment of the prophecy squarely in the past and while the Old Covenant still stood - not in the future.
Some of Zechariah's imagery was admittedly quite dramatic. But keep in mind he was a young man (2:4), and God often chose to speak to him in picture-form. The mood of the imagery was dramatic because it had to be - for the Jews of the captivity to have the courage to believe for the full-restoration of their nation would require a miracle second only to their nation's exodus from Egypt. They'd become discouraged, so to encourage them to take up the task again was exactly why Zechariah was sent to prophesy to them.
But the most important evidence of all that the prophecy is now past and not future is this: the passage includes prophecies about the Messiah. If the prophetic passage is still future, then the coming of the Messiah must also still be future, and our faith in Jesus would be in vain.
But the Apostles quoted the very Messianic verses which appear in this prophecy, and asserted that they had been fulfilled by JESUS - by Messiah's first coming, not His second coming!
If we instead make the prophetic passage about the future, it would weaken our case for asserting that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied Messiah. And if you want to convince modern Jews that Jesus is their promised Saviour, it could help if you are able to show from their own Scriptures that JESUS fulfilled Messianic prophecy - you won't be able to do that if you're unclear about whether the prophecies are already fulfilled or not.
For example:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (9:9). Matthew declared that it was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people praised Him (Matt.21:5).
"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced," Zechariah prophesied (12:10). Many preach that this will be fulfilled at the second coming and that all Israel will be saved after they have seen the second coming. But John wrote that it was fulfilled at the cross (John 19:37).
"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness" (13:1). Christ Jesus achieved that by His cross, the New Testament asserts.
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (13:7), Zechariah wrote. Matthew and Mark wrote that it was fulfilled when Jesus was arrested and His disciples fled.
Those Messianic-prophecies were part of the same prophecy as the prophecy about the nations gong up to Jerusalem and keeping the feast of Tabernacles. Therefore the Messianic prophecies were meant to be fulfilled at a time when the other details of the same prophecy had also already been fulfilled and were still a reality in Israel.
That means Messiah had to come at a time when Israel had already been restored to their land and were still keeping the Law in their rebuilt Temple, and people from the nations were already making pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast.
So, did the nations ever keep the feast of Tabernacles? Sure they did. Luke records in Acts 2 that people "from every nation under heaven" (verse 5) were in Jerusalem for the feast - not only Jews, but also "...strangers (non-Jews)...and proselytes (Gentile followers), Cretes and Arabians" etc (verse 10). And that wasn't the first time it had happened - it had been an annual thing.
So all those details of Zechariah's prophecy had been fulfilled by the time Jesus came, and they ceased to be a reality again in Israel from AD70 onwards (when the Temple and everything associated with it were destroyed). Therefore if the Messiah had not come somewhere in that timeframe, then the prophecy forever lost its opportunity to be fulfilled.
But the Word of God cannot fail. Jesus fulfilled it. He completed it. Precisely. And on time. In every detail. And then in that very generation circumstances forever changed in Israel - and the window of opportunity for the prophecy to be fulfilled was forever closed.
If we try instead to make the prophecy about the future, then the prophecy can't be fulfilled precisely as it was fulfilled at the time of Jesus. That's playing with prophecy - and it weakens our own case for Jesus.
If it's still future, it would also legitimise Judaism.
It also leads to some ideas about the future which don't line up with New Covenant truth - such as the idea that a future millennium will bring the salvation of national Israel. Jesus told a Jewish ruler, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, EXCEPT a man be BORN AGAIN, he CANNOT SEE the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) - irrespective of whether the man happens to be a Jew or not.
But if we understand that it's already fulfilled, then it leaves us with only one thing to do: embrace JESUS.
It assures our conscience that we don't need to observe Judaism - Jesus is all.
It equips us to convince Jews about Jesus. (This truth was burning in my heart so much I asked the Lord to let me meet Jews so I can witness to them about it. Within days I met an Orthodox Jew, and I've been meeting Jews ever since. At first he was reluctant to let us pray for him. But after sharing with him the reasons why Messianic prophecies HAD to be fulfilled already, he responded, "Interesting. Okay - you can pray for me". So there on the footpath we laid hands on Him in Jesus' Name. He felt the love.)
All nations including Israel are now at a point of history where they are already on THIS side of much of Bible-Prophecy - NOT still back on the other side. We're all on THIS side of the cross, including Israel. On this side of the promised-kingdom.
Certainly there will come a greater manifestation of the Kingdom and of judgment at the resurrection when Jesus comes. That's our one blessed hope! But nothing that is yet to come in future needs to involve going back under the Law, because those parts of the prophecies were fulfilled long ago. We are free in Christ.
Nevertheless if some still have a different conscience about these things, we can take the attitude of "live and let live".
While we wait for our lovely Jesus to come.
To all who believe, He is precious.
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