Zechariah 9:11-17 — The Blessings of the Coming Messiah

In Zechariah 9:11-17, God is addressing the Jewish exiles still in Babylon. Because of God's faithfulness and His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), He promises to bring the Jewish Diaspora back home to Jerusalem. Although three waves of Jewish exile went back to Jerusalem during Zechariah's day, some Jews remained outside of the Holy Land. Even worse after the first century, most Jews had left the area. God promises to set prisoners free from the waterless pit (the exile). However, this is yet another prophecy that would find its ultimate fulfillment at the end times during the Millennium, although it had started with the founding of the modern nations of Israel in 1948.

In His covenant with Abraham (Gen 15), only God walked between the torn animals, an indication that this was an unconditional covenant; God was going to fulfill His covenant regardless of what Abraham was going to do or not do. Consequently, this regathering points to spiritual deliverance through the blood and the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. The waterless pit symbolizes a place of despair and hopelessness, but God calls those in exile prisoners of hope because they had God's promise to being regathered. Their spiritual exile (being out of fellowship with God) was worse than their geographical exile (being outside the Holy Land). However, in the Millennium, when the Israel is ruled by King Jesus, Jerusalem will be called stronghold because of God's presence. God will restore twice as much, that is, His blessings in the Millennium will far exceed anything Israel has ever known. He promises to restore a double portion.

What does all this mean to us, New Testament Gentile believers who have been grafted into the new covenant? It means that God’s grace brings restoration and abundant blessings to those who trust in Him. We find freedom and hope through Jesus’ sacrifice, which breaks the chains of sin and death. On the national level, we must remember that God is not in a covenant with our nation like He is with the nation of Israel. We celebrated Independence Day yesterday. We are so blessed because our nation was founded on Biblical principles. Let’s pray that Independence Day is not in any way an indication of independence from God but rather independence from tyrannical rule so that we can continue to worship God freely. We should pray that our nation will return to Biblical principles.