The fourteenth chapter of the Book of the Prophet Zechariah contains one of the most striking eschatological references in the Old Testament, and arguably in the Bible itself.
The Chapter is a startling pronouncement of the coming ‘Day of the Lord’, a vindication of the people of Israel and an end to their long exile. The passage is too lengthy to be quoted in full in this short article, but it is advised that the reader seeks out a copy of the Bible in order to follow along with the argument.
The following is a brief synopsis of the themes of the chapter:
The Day of The Lord is heralded by terrible destruction in Jerusalem, including plunder, rape and destruction of property in the city. Half of the population will be able to escape, but the other half trapped within the city. A great army of nations will beset Jerusalem. At this moment of Crisis, the Lord himself will appear and go out to fight the nations. He will stand upon and split the Mount of Olives, giving a means for the oppressed people to escape. He will then reign in triumph over all the Earth.
Interpreting the prophecy
While most Old Testament prophecies can be clearly explained as being fulfilled in the coming and life of Christ, this cannot be fully said of Zechariah 14. While there are certainly Messianic overtones to the prophecy, Zechariah also mentions details that do not appear to have been fulfilled in the course of the Gospel narratives. Does this mean that key elements of the prophecy, such as the famous ‘split the mount of olives’ assertion are events destined to take place in the future? Or maybe these words are merely symbolic, and are not to be interpreted literally?
The Preterist Viewpoint
A Preterist interpretation of the Bible argues that the passage should be understood to mean exactly what it says. In other words, a literal interpretation of the text is the correct means of reading it. However, Preterists understand the passage to refer to specific historical events that transpired in the first century A.D, during the Jewish war with the Romans. The next article in this series will give a verse-by-verse interpretation of some of the key themes raised by Zechariah in his profound prophecy.
Revelation Revolution has an abundance of information on prophecy, the end of times, and god’s word. Visit their website to find out how ‘split the mount of olives, and other prophecies should be understood.