Scripture Reading : Zechariah 14
Theme : Glorious Return of the Messiah
Return of the Messiah (1-15). Just before the Messiah returns, the nations of the world will attack Israel and Israel will be exiled again. But their Messiah, Jesus, will physically and literally come down on Mount Olives (fulfilling also the prophecy in Acts 1:11) with His holy ones, angels (Matt. 22:31), to save Israel physically and spiritually. Those who attack Israel will literally melt away. Then the topography of the world will be altered. Israel will be completely flat except for Jerusalem itself (Micah 4:1). Then the glorious Messianic Kingdom will be ushered.
Messianic Kingdom (16-21). The survivors from all the nations after Jesus judges the world will be required to worship God and go to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Booths, aka Feast of Tabernacles, where they would dwell in temporary makeshift places. If they do not worship God, God will withhold rain. This description of the Messianic Kingdom clearly tells us there is a near-paradise kingdom for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6), where sin still exists, that is different from the complete paradise of the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21-22), where no sin exists. Isaiah 65:20 also speaks of this near-paradise kingdom, “No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.”
Praying the Scripture
- People crave for world peace and a perfect environment, but they do not believe that only the Messiah can bring such glorious world. Sadly, people who do not believe in Jesus will weep when they miss out on such glorious world (Luke 13:28). They do not believe because they love their sins. We pray God will open their hearts to believe. We also pray that God will help us to set our eyes on this eternal glory and align our lives according to this glorious, eternal world. We do not work for this salvation, but work out of this salvation with reverent fear and thankfulness (Phil. 2:12).
- We pray, God, that we will constantly desire the return of our Lord who will usher in righteousness and rid the world of evil. When we see the sickness of this world: abortion, human trafficking, murder, rape, and sexual perversion; we are grieved and we long for the Messiah to come and set this world right. We long also for the redemption of our bodies, to be set free from the presence of sin (Rom. 8:23).
经文：撒迦利亚书14
主题：弥赛亚的光荣归来
弥赛亚的归来（1-15）。就在弥赛亚归来之前，世界万国将攻击以色列，导致以色列再次被流放。然而，他们的弥赛亚耶稣将与祂的圣者降临（太22:31），并亲自站在橄榄山上（从而也应验了使徒行传1:11），拯救以色列的国与灵魂。凡攻击以色列的必遭消没。接着，世界的地形将改变。除了耶路撒冷（弥4:1），以色列将夷为平地。之后，以色列将迎来弥赛亚荣耀的国度。
弥赛亚的国度（16-21）。耶稣审判世界后的生还者，不论从哪国，都要敬拜神，并每年到耶路撒冷守住棚节，住在临时凑合的住所。他们若不敬拜神，神就不降雨。这段对弥赛亚国度的描写清楚表示千年国度将与天堂极为相似（启20:1-6）；罪仍存在，而这便是与新天新地的完美天堂的主要区别（启21-22）。以赛亚65:20也叙述了这似天堂的国度：“其中必没有数日夭亡的婴孩，也没有寿数不满的老者，因为百岁死的仍算孩童，有百岁死的罪人算被咒诅。”
用经文祷告
- 人总渴望世界能和平，环境能完美，但他们就不愿相信唯有弥赛亚能迎来这等荣耀的世界。可悲的是，不信耶稣的将在错过这荣耀的世界时哭泣哀号（路13:28）。他们爱自己的罪，所以不愿相信。我们也求神能使我们定睛这永恒的荣耀，并按这荣耀、永恒的世界调整自己的生活。我们不是要积德得救，乃恐惧战兢，做成我们得救的工夫（腓2:12）。
- 神啊，我们祈求自己能持续渴望主的归来，迎来正直，除尽世上的罪孽。当我们看到世界的恶行时：堕胎、贩卖人口、谋杀、强奸和性变态，我们满怀悲愤，渴望弥赛亚归来改革世界。我们也渴望身体得赎，摆脱罪性（罗8:23）。
