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The Coming of the Lord.
The O.T. foundation.
#6.
The visions of Zechariah.
pp. 22 - 24
There are allusions to the second coming in the minor prophets, such as Hab. 2: 3, 4
(with Heb. 10: 37), Hag. 2: 7-9, and Joel 3: 13-16 (with Rev. 14: 15-18), which the
reader should search out in order to make full acquaintance with O.T. testimony to this
important aspect of truth. For the present, however, we will turn to the visions of
Zechariah:--
"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" (Zech 9: 9).
There is a notable omission in the quotation of this prophecy in Matt. 21: 5 and
John 12: 15:--
"Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."
The multitudes "shouted", they cried "Hosannah", which means "Save now", but not
so the inspired writer. He omits the shout and the salvation. Not until the Lord comes
the second time will Zion cry out and shout, or salvation be brought to her.
Following the passage quoted from Zech. 9: 9 comes the resulting peace and
dominion:--
"And I will (He shall, LXX) cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from
Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the
heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river unto the
ends of the earth."
Our conception of "meekness" does not fit in with the idea of triumph and conquest,
and some may object to the application of this passage to Rev. 19: and the Rider on the
white horse. Psa. 45: 4, 5, however, shows that there is no incongruity:--
"And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness . . . . . Thine
arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies."
Jerusalem is the centre of interest in Zechariah, and is prominent in the prophetic
sections that speak of the Lord's coming. For example, chapter 12:, verse 2, says:
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about." And
it is in connection with the sore straits of the besieged city that Zechariah speaks of the
second coming:--