A Prophecy of Peace on Planet Earth

War keeps repeating because the human heart keeps repeating, and that’s why the promise of peace can sound like a myth. We start with a blunt observation about history’s constant conflict, then follow Zechariah’s prophecy to a specific claim: lasting peace comes when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom, not when humanity finally “gets it together.”

We walk step by step through Zechariah 12–14, where end times prophecy turns intensely personal. As Jerusalem faces a final global assault and the Antichrist’s campaign reaches its peak, God does more than defend a city. He pours out a spirit of grace, moves Israel to look on “Him whom they have pierced,” and brings repentance that leads to cleansing. The imagery is vivid: mourning that becomes faith, and a fountain of forgiveness rooted in the shed blood of Christ and the new covenant promise of restored hearts.

Then the spotlight swings back to the battlefield. Jerusalem falls into chaos, hope seems thin, and the Lord arrives to fight as on a day of battle. The Messiah stands on the Mount of Olives, the landscape splits for rescue, and the war ends with a judgment so decisive it barely resembles a fight. What follows is the millennial kingdom: King Jesus worshiped in Jerusalem by a surviving remnant and believing Gentiles, with peace on earth finally secured by holiness, justice, and joy.

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Transcript

War’s Pattern In Human History

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When you hear this quote, the history of mankind is the history of war. Oh, you might think some famous historian or philosopher said that, and you'd actually be wrong. It came from a modern songwriter. You know, the truth is you don't have to be a philosopher or historian or even a musician to recognize this characteristic of world history, and you certainly can't deny it. The history of mankind is the history of war. You know, at the same time, everybody longs in their hearts for peace, a time when, you know, big wars and small wars alike finally come to an end. But peace never seems to last, does it? I I've heard it said that peace is when everybody stops fighting to reload. But let me tell you, a day of peace is coming. A day of peace and justice is going to arrive on planet Earth and the human race, and it's going to arrive when Jesus Christ returns and establishes his kingdom according to God's word. But have you ever thought about the fact that when Jesus Christ returns, it'll be in the midst of one last great battle? In fact, a a battle that he will win in that coming day. Well, as we come to the close of this prophecy from Zechariah, this little book here, it's it's about to wrap up today in our wisdom journey, and the prophet is going to center his thoughts on Israel and the return of Jesus, Israel's Messiah, in that day. In fact, the expression in that day is going to be repeated nineteen times in these three final chapters of Zechariah. Now, chapter twelve begins with this wonderful reminder that the Lord is the one who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him. In other words, his power as creator God gives us the assurance that he's going to be victorious. Think about it, if he's able to create the world, he's going to be able to calm the world. Now, before the world is calm with peace that finally arrives, there's great turbulence. Zechariah gives us a message describing the coming tribulation on earth. This is the final attack of the Antichrist on Jerusalem in these last days. This is part of the final military campaign that ends with the Battle of Armageddon. Verse 3 says, and just try to imagine this. All the nations of the earth will gather against Jerusalem. And let me tell you, the odds are going to be overwhelmingly in favor of the Antichrist. But God doesn't operate by the numbers, does he? In fact, the Lord's going to bring confusion upon these armies, and verse five tells us that he's going to empower the inhabitants of Jerusalem with strength through the Lord, this text says. Chapter 12 and verse 8 promises, On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. Now here in verse ten, the prophecy shifts to the spiritual work God's going to carry out at the same time. He says, I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace, and please for mercy, so that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child. Oh, this is the work of God's grace as he will move the Jewish people to repent and look in faith to Jesus, their Messiah. And as Jesus descends, Zachariah says they're going to look upon him whom they pierced, a clear reference to the Lord's crucifixion, the piercing of his side when he was on the cross, and they're going to have this national revival, so to speak, among the Jewish people. God will do a tremendous work of grace in their hearts, so that they're going to believe in Jesus as their Messiah and their Savior. Now, their conversion to Christ is going to bring spiritual cleansing from sin. This is described here now in verse 1 of chapter 13 as a fountain of forgiveness. This is a forgiveness that comes through the sacrifice and the shed blood of Christ. I think the hymn writer put it really well when he talked about a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Oh, that's a fulfillment of the new covenant promise of forgiveness of sin, all the way back in Ezekiel chapter 36. Now, verse 7 shifts back to the rejection of Jesus at his first coming. Verses 7 to 9 extend from Jesus' crucifixion all the way through the tribulation period. Verse 7 says here, strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and that's referring to Israel's rejection of their true shepherd, and through the Messiah's death, this was God's plan, by the way, all along, as the once for all sacrifice for sins. But because of the rejection, the nation now suffers the consequences of their rejection of him, and they are literally scattered among the nations as God promises here. Now ultimately the scattering of the sheep, a reference to Israel, is going to lead to this, this promise here in verse 8. Two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. Now the context indicates for us this is going to happen in the future, the future tribulation, the end times when Israel in particular is going to suffer great persecution at the hand of the Antichrist. The one third who survive are going to be prepared through that suffering, that tragic and terrible time, and they're going to be prepared by God to ultimately call upon the Lord to be saved. In fact, verse 9 says, they will say, The Lord is my God. Romans chapter 11, verse 26 tells us that this is the time when all Israel will be saved. Beloved, God is not going to get rid of Israel. The church has not replaced Israel. Just listen to the prophet Zechariah. God's going to bring Israel to repentance. He's going to bring the people back into their promised land where they wait to receive Jesus, their Messiah. Now, with that, chapter 14 of Zechariah takes us to that final attack on Jerusalem by the world's armies under the leadership of the Antichrist. Jerusalem initially suffers under this great onslaught. Verse 2 tells us here, the city shall be taken and the houses plundered. Half of the inhabitants of Jerusalem go into exile, but the rest, we're promised here, shall not be cut off from the city. In other words, just when things look hopeless, the Lord arrives to intervene. Verse 3 says, Then, at that point, the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. And let me tell you, Israel couldn't have had a better ally on that day. Verse 4 says, The Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives, returning there just as he left from that same spot at his ascension centuries earlier. And you know, when the Lord touches down on the Mount of Olives as he returns, we're told that the mountain is going to be divided. It's going to form a valley, and through this valley the inhabitants of Jerusalem will flee to safety. We read here in verse five. Now all these holy ones are angels and primarily believers who come from heaven with him, accompanying the Messiah as he descends from heaven and wins this battle, and the nation Israel is restored and revived. Now I got to tell you, this isn't much of a battle. In fact, those attacking Jerusalem are going to be destroyed. Verse 12 describes the scene, their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. That's another way of telling us that many of these soldiers will simply turn to dust right where they're standing. Verse 13 describes the panic that results, and all the other soldiers, all the armies of these nations will turn on one another and essentially defeat each other. Now, the rest of Zechariah chapter 14 brings this book of prophecy to a close. It gives us some details about Christ's millennial kingdom, which follows this great military victory. Gentiles who've come to faith in Christ during the tribulation, they've survived all the way to the end, they haven't died, but they're going to enter the kingdom along with this Jewish remnant, these Jewish believers who've survived the tribulation period as well. They're going to join together in worshiping King Jesus in Jerusalem. So what you have is true and lasting peace. It's finally arriving on earth with the return of Christ, the establishment of Christ's kingdom. A kingdom, by the way, that is also characterized by holiness and joy and grace. What a wonderful time, a wonderful future awaits all of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Yes, we can have peace in our hearts today, but one day there's going to be peace on earth as the Prince of Peace sits on his throne in his glorious kingdom. Then and only then, beloved, will there be peace on earth at last. Well, until we set sail again, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.