The Second Coming

October 6
The Second Coming
Read Zechariah 12:10-13:9
 
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 
 
THIS is the worship of Christ as he returns. Israel’s grief comes from knowing they have opposed God’s Son, the Messiah, to crucify and kill him. Those who repent are saved at Jesus’ Second Coming. Zechariah 13:1 describes the spiritual cleansing, a baptism of repentance into new life for all. “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.”
   The houses of David and Levi – the leaders and the priests – plus the houses of all clans will repent. They will receive God’s Holy Spirit to graciously empower all God’s chosen people to believe.  
 
Zechariah 13:2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more.”  
 
At long last will come the fulfillment of the greatest commandment:
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” How marvelous will be the new creation with only the LORD God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – as the God all his people worship. Gone will be the detracting, deadly idols, our soul’s competition for God’s love and our obedience. False prophecy, too, will end. God’s people will destroy the liars: Zechariah 13:3 “And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him.”
   This is God’s law from Deuteronomy. God’s Word is eternal. What he said 4,000 years ago is still true now and forever. There is no time in heaven – only “That Day” when all the Law is obeyed, all the prophets’ words will be exalted and all the Messiah’s authority be honored. On that day, all sinners will know God’s justice as it is fully accomplished on earth. Sin is no more. God’s grace to allow sin to rule is finished. His judgment is fulfilled.
   God’s chosen people will not be led into temptation and evil. False prophets will hide self-inflicted wounds associated with idol-worship. They will turn aside from evil.
 
Zephaniah 2:11 The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land. The nations on every shore will worship him, everyone in its own land.