Zechariah 14:12–21 (August 22, 2025)

12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

13 And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem.[a] And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.

16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain;[b] there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.

20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader[c] in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.

Footnotes

Zechariah 14:14 Or against Jerusalem

Zechariah 14:18 Hebrew lacks rain

Zechariah 14:21 Or Canaanite

Zechariah 14_12-21Brian Lee

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Summary

Zechariah 14:12–21 gives a dramatic vision of the final day of the LORD. The nations that once attacked Jerusalem will face God’s plague, consuming flesh and striking terror among them (vv. 12–15). Survivors from the nations will be required to come yearly to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths (vv. 16–17). Those who refuse will be punished with drought or plague (vv. 18–19).

The prophecy ends with a sweeping declaration of holiness:

On that day, even the bells of horses will bear the inscription “Holy to the LORD,” and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy. No trader will remain in the house of the LORD of hosts (vv. 20–21).

In other words, God’s reign will extend into every ordinary detail of life. Everything will be holy unto the Lord. No more sin and death. Hallelujah!

Who is God?

God is the Righteous Judge who brings perfect justice against His enemies:

“And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet…” (v. 12).

He is also the sovereign God who deserves worship from all nations.

“Then everyone who survives of all the nations… shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths” (v. 16).

Finally, He is the holy God whose glory sanctifies all things. Nothing is too ordinary to be set apart for Him:

“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar” (v. 20).

What is Our Guilt?

Our guilt is resisting God’s reign. Like the nations, even as Christians, we often oppose Him through pride, refusing to submit to His kingship. Even if we do not fight with weapons, we are too busy building up our own kingdoms. We seek comfort instead of discipleship, and pursue God only to advance our own goals.

This mirrors the nations that refused to worship the LORD:

“If any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them” (vv. 17–18).

We are also guilty of dividing life into “sacred” and “secular.” We often think of a few hours on Sundays as all that we are required to give to the Lord. We often think that as long as we volunteer for some religious duties, then we are free to use the rest of the time for whatever pleases us. Yet Zechariah’s vision shatters that illusion:

“And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts…” (v. 21).

To be a Christian does not mean doing some religious things for a few hours a week. No, instead, being a Christian means every aspect of our life must be consecrated to Him. Religious people make God their "number one priority", while Christians make God the center of all that we are and we do.

How does Grace Shine?

Grace shines in God’s commitment to draw even the disobedient and rebellious nations into worship. The very nations once judged are now invited to come year after year to celebrate the Feast of Booths, remembering God’s provision and salvation (v. 16). This anticipates the gospel call to all nations through Christ.

Grace also shines in the promise of holiness pervading every detail of life:

“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the LORD’” (v. 20).

This foreshadows the Spirit’s work in the Church, making every act, every tool, and every corner of our lives holy unto the Lord (1 Cor. 10:31).

Ultimately, grace shines in Jesus Christ, the King who bore judgment for us and now reigns over us. By His death and resurrection, He calls us into a kingdom where everything is holy to the LORD (v. 21).

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You are the King of all the earth. You judge the nations in righteousness and call them to worship You in truth and love.

Forgive us for resisting Your reign, for dividing our lives into what we call sacred and secular, and for holding back from full devotion.

Thank You for Christ Jesus, who bore our judgment on that cruel tree. Thank you for making even the ordinary details of our lives holy. Teach us what it means to be holy and consecrated unto You, so that others may see in us that You are King. May our sanctified lives invite the people to join us in worship.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.