Monday 4 July 2016

Zechariah's Prophecies

Maybe the whole prophecy wasn't fulfilled - but at least part of it was.

The Second Coming is still future, of course.

We might still see some turmoil among the nations, of course.

But it's also possible some of the imagery in the prophecy was symbolic. In fact, it's almost certain.

And it is true to say that many nations did begin observing the Feast, after the captivity period. Acts 2 shows that proselytes of all nations were in Jerusalem for the Feast.

During Israel's captivity, three or four Gentile kings in a row experienced a conversion to the true God. They wrote letters to all people, of all languages, in all countries under heaven, ordering them to fear the true God and to say nothing against Him.

Many people of the lands became God-fearing in those days, and became proselytes. One of those empires spanned from Ethiopia to India. Pilgrimages to Jerusalem continued through history all the way up to Acts 2.

There was even a day when the Jews were allowd by law to slay all their enemies in every place, all over the known world. Jews today still celebrate that date.

And it is true to say that none of the kingdoms which came against Israel in that era of history, still maintained their kingdoms. They all lost them.

Another reason why the prophecy can't all be in the future, is because if it's all still future, then Jesus was too early in history to be Messiah - because the same prophecies described Messiah's coming.

The Apostles quoted those Messianic verses, and said it was fulfilled by Christ's first coming, not His second coming.

So we have both Old Testament history, and New Testament authority, for saying there has already been a fulfilment of parts of the prophecy, at least.

Of course history isn't finished. Maybe the prophecy isn't all over.

But the parts about Messiah's first coming have been fulfilled.

And the parts about Levitial worship were fulfilled, and can't be fuflilled again in future - because God isn't into returning to the shadow.

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