There are a few very plain OT scriptures that refer specifically to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah 12 is one such passage.
Zechariah 12: The LORD Will Give Salvation
1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:
2 "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah.
3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.
4 On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
5 Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.'
6 "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.
7 "And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah.
8 On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them.
9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Him Whom They Have Pierced
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas 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, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
12 The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;
13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves;
14 and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Things to think about…
1. It is interesting to note, the bible has nothing to do with reincarnation or receiving other people’s or animal souls/spirits. It is the Lord who gives us individually our entity as a human being. Our Lord is the One “who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him.”
2. Zechariah describes Jerusalem as “a cup of staggering”, Zech 12:2 and “a heavy stone for all the peoples”, vs 3. This has been true for most generations, but certainly within the last 70 years. Jerusalem and what is to be done about its identity, title holding, constituency, political, social and spiritual tensions has been and will continue to be a cause of grief to not only the middle east, but to the world. Shifting the American Embassy to Jerusalem in 2019 and the latest (rejected) peace deal as well as current civil unrest on Temple Mount last week with the Palestinians only confirms the setting of the stage for what Zechariah says will occur “on that day”, which is mentioned 6 times in this chapter, Zech 12:3,4,6,8,9,11.
3. When will the events in Zech 12:1-9 happen? I believe it will be when the prophecy of Paul is fulfilled in Rom 11 – that all Israel will be saved and the people of Israel will finally look upon the “One whom they have pierced”, vs 10 and see Christ for who He truly is – the Messiah. This battle is not allegorical and certainly has not happened in Israel’s past. The Jews will finally understand who Jesus truly is – their Saviour! All the nations that come against Jerusalem at that time will be destroyed. This obviously did not happen at AD70 or anytime since then. This will be the battle of Armageddon that Ezekiel 38&39, Joel 3, Matt 24 and Revelation 16 (and other places) describe.
4. After a horrible time of war and rejection by the antichrist and armies that will once again surround Israel, the Jewish people will finally turn in repentance to their true Saviour, Yeshua, Zech 12:10. They will finally look upon the One whom they have pierced, repent and worship Him. The mourning will be great in Jerusalem – the city of burden and in “Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo”, Zech 12:11. This refers to the mourning over King Josiah’s death (2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:20-25). He was such a godly king that the whole nation wept bitterly at his death. This is why the final battle is called Armageddon, from the Hebrew - Har Megiddo, because it will occur in the Megiddo valley. This is also where the Ramat David Airbase is, one of the 3 main air force bases of the Israeli Defence Force.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups on break over Easter and school holidays
Prayer Points
1. That the contacts made over Easter and the Family Fun Day will be maintained and that strong connections and discussions may draw people to Christ.
2. Been a big term for our teachers pray Rosie and our teachers get a good rest over these next 2 weeks.
3. Pray for Chuwar Youth and Jarrod’s ministry. Pray as he meets with youth at Westside, Ipswich and Bundamba high schools as well as developing senior leaders.
4. How you can serve in ministry this year.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for our Easter services. A number of visitors came to CBC over the weekend.
2. Graham’spreaching on Friday and Jarrod’s leading and the worship team on Sunday.
3. Kids@Church and Youth ministries are a great blessing. Keep praying for Rosie and Jarrod as they rest and recuperate for next term.
4. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Chuwar Youth and Kids@Church on break over Easter and School holidays.
2. Remember to check your duty rosters.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for April...
Q. 7. In how many persons does this one God exist? A. In three persons.
