What is the meaning of Zechariah 14:4? On that day • “On that day” signals a specific, future moment God has already set in His timetable (cf. Zechariah 12:3, 9; Zechariah 14:6–9). • Scripture often links that phrase to the climactic “day of the LORD” (Joel 3:14; Malachi 4:1), a time when God openly intervenes in history. • Because prophecy has never failed (Isaiah 46:9-10), we can trust this date is literal and certain, not symbolic or metaphorical. His feet will stand • The verse makes clear that the Messiah Himself—not merely an angel or representative—will touch the earth (Acts 1:11-12). • At His first coming, Jesus’ feet walked Galilean roads; at His second, His resurrected, glorified feet will plant themselves on the Mount of Olives just as surely (Revelation 19:11-16). • Personal contact underscores tangible reign: “The LORD will be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). on the Mount of Olives • This exact ridge overlooks Jerusalem and is inseparably tied to Messiah’s ministry (Matthew 24:3; Luke 22:39). • Ezekiel 11:23 pictures God’s glory departing to “the mountain east of the city,” hinting it will return the same way. • Acts 1:9-12 locates Jesus’ ascension here; the angels promise He will return “in the same way,” anchoring Zechariah’s prophecy in the ascension narrative. east of Jerusalem • Geography matters: the eastern approach faces the Temple Mount, symbolizing direct access to rule and worship (Ezekiel 43:1-2). • Historically, armies attacked from the north or south; the eastern setting highlights divine, not human, initiative (Psalm 24:7-10). and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west • A supernatural earthquake tears the mount along an east-west line, unlike natural north-south fault lines—pointing to God’s hand (Revelation 16:18-20). • The parting echoes the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22): once again the Lord opens a path of deliverance for His people. • Micah 1:4 and Nahum 1:5 describe mountains melting at His presence, reinforcing that creation yields instantly to its Creator. forming a great valley • The newly created corridor becomes a refuge route (Zechariah 14:5) and a thoroughfare for the King’s procession (Isaiah 35:8-10). • Isaiah 40:4 foretells valleys lifted and uneven ground leveled, picturing obstacles removed before God’s glory. • Joel 3:2 locates judgment in “the Valley of Jehoshaphat”; the split here may literally shape that arena. with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south • The north-south displacement widens the passage, granting safe escape and clear access for the Lord’s advance (Zechariah 14:5). • Psalm 97:5 says, “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD of all the earth,” capturing the ease with which He rearranges geography. • The detail underscores literal fulfillment: specific directions, specific results, verifying God’s precision. summary Zechariah 14:4 foretells a future, physical return of the Messiah to the very hill He left. On a divinely appointed day, Jesus plants His feet on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. A miraculous east-west quake splits the mountain, carving a broad valley as half shifts north and half south. This event clears a path of rescue for His people and establishes the staging ground for His universal reign. Every element—time, place, action—is concrete, assuring believers that God’s promises stand rock-solid and will unfold exactly as written. |
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