Steve Webb 0:00 What a privilege. Steve Webb 0:02 It's the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. and podcasting since 2004. My name is Steve Webb. I'm your OG Godcaster. It's prophecy Friday, and our reading today is Zechariah. Eight through 14. If you'd like to go to the website, it's at Lifespring media.com. and if you'd like to write to me in some way, or if you'd like to communicate with me in another way, the contact information will be at the end of the show. Before we read, let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we love you and we thank You for Your Word. We pray God that He would teach us to touch our minds touch our hearts. We pray this in Jesus name, amen. Steve Webb 0:44 Zechariah, chapter eight, the word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says, I am very jealous for Zion, I am burning with jealousy for her. This is what the Lord says, I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem, then Jerusalem will be called the faithful city and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. This is what the Lord Almighty says. Once again, men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age, the city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. This is what the Lord Almighty says. It may seem marvelous to the remnant of the people at that time. But will it seem marvelous to me declares the Lord Almighty. This is what the Lord Almighty says, I will save my people from the countries of the East and the West, I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem, they will be my people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God. This is what the Lord Almighty says. Now hear these words, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. This is also what the Prophet said, who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. Before that time, there were no wages for people or higher for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. But now I will not deal with a remnant of this people as I did in the past, declares the Lord Almighty, the seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops and the heavens will drop there do I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. Just as you Judah and Israel have been a curse among the nations. So I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid but let your hands be strong. This is what the Lord Almighty says. Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me, says the Lord Almighty. So now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do. Speak the truth to each other and render a true and sound judgment in your courts. Do not plot evil against each other and do not love to swear falsely, I hate all this declares the Lord. The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says. The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and 10th months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace. This is what the Lord Almighty says many peoples in the inhabitants of many cities will yet come and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going and many peoples in powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him. This is what the Lord Almighty says. In those days 10 People from all languages in nations will take firm hold by one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you. Steve Webb 4:00 Zechariah chapter nine. Prophecy. The word of the Lord is against the land of halftrack and will come to rest on Damascus for the eyes of all the people and all the tribes of Israel around the Lord and on Kamath to which borders on it. and on Tyre and Sidon though they are very skillful. tyre has built herself a stronghold. She is heaped up silver like dust and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea and she will be consumed by fire. Ashkelon will see it and fear. Gaza will writhing in agony and Akron to for her hope will wither Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines. I will take the blood from their mouths the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah and Nekron will be like the Jebusites but I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people. For now I am keeping watch. Rejoice greatly daughter Zion, shout daughter, Jerusalem. See your king comes to you righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey on a colt, the fall of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephrem and the war horses from Jerusalem and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to see and from the river to the ends of the earth. As for you because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress you prisoners of hope. Even now, I announced that I will restore twice as much to you. I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephram. I will rouse your sons Zion against your son's greys and make you a warrior's sword. Then the Lord will appear over them. His era will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet. He will march in the storms of the South and the Lord Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with Sling stones. They will drink and roar as with wine. They will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar of the Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in the crown, how attractive and beautiful they will be. Grain will make the young men thrive and new wine the young women Steve Webb 6:39 Zechariah chapter 10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. It is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people and plants of the field to everyone. The idols speak deceitfully diviners see visions that lie, they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. My anger burns against the shepherds and I will punish the leaders for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock the people of Judah and make them like a proud horse in battle. from Judah will come the cornerstone from him the tent peg from him the battle bow from him every ruler. Together they will be like warriors in battle, trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame. I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. The Efrain mites will become like warriors and their hearts will be as glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful. Their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. I will signal for them and gather them in Surely I will redeem them. They will be as numerous as before. Though I scattered them among the peoples get in distant lands, they will remember me they and their children will survive and they will return. I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from a Syria. I will bring them to Gilead in Lebanon and there will not be room enough for them. They will pass through the sea of trouble. The surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. A serious pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away. I will strengthen them and the Lord and in His name they will live securely declares the LORD Steve Webb 8:38 Zechariah chapter 11 open your doors Lebanon so that fire may devour your cedars. Well, you Juniper for the cedar has fallen. The stately trees are ruined whale oaks of Batian the dense forest has been cut down. Listen to the wail of the shepherds, their rich pastures are destroyed. Listen to the roar of the lions. The lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined. This is what the Lord my God says, shepherd the flock marked for slaughter their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say Praise the Lord, I am rich, their own shepherds Do not spare them for I will no longer have pity on the people of the land declares the Lord. I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land and I will not rescue anyone from their hands. So I shepherded the flock march for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one favor in the other union and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me and I grew weary of them and said, I will not be your Shepherd. Let the dying die in the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh. Then I took my staff called favor and broke it revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. It was revoked on that day. and so the oppressed of the flock who are watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord. I told them, If you think at best, give me my pay, but if not keep it. So they paid me 30 pieces of silver. and the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter, the handsome price at which they valued me. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. Then I broke my second staff called union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel. Then the Lord said to me, take again the equipment of a foolish Shepherd, for I'm going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost or seek the young or heal the injured or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock, may the Lord strike his arm at his right eye, may his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded. Steve Webb 11:03 Zechariah chapter 12 and Oracle, the word of the Lord concerning Israel, a declaration of the Lord who stretched out the heavens laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering for the peoples who surround the city. The siege against Jerusalem will also involve Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples all who tried to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her. On that day, this is the Lord's declaration, I will strike every horse with panic and its writer with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but strike all the horses of the nations with blindness, then each of the leaders of Judah will think to himself, the residents of Jerusalem are my strength through the Lord of hosts, they are God. On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves, they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and the left, while Jerusalem continues to be inhabited on its site in Jerusalem. The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of David's house and the glory of Jerusalem's residence may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day, the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that on that day, the one who is weakest among them will be like David on that day, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. On that day, I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Then I will pour out of a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn. On that day, the morning in Jerusalem will be as great as the morning of had written in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn every family by itself, the family of David's house by itself and their women by themselves, the family of Nathan's house by itself and their women by themselves, the family of Levi's house by itself, and their women by themselves, the family of shimmy i by itself, and their women by themselves, all the remaining families, every family by itself, and their women by themselves. Steve Webb 13:29 Zechariah chapter 13. On that day, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem to wash away sin and impurity. On that day. This is the declaration of the LORD of hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. If a man still prophesize his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, you cannot remain alive because you have spoken falsely in the name of Yahweh. When he prophesies his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through. On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. They will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. He will say I am not a prophet, I work the land for a man purchased me as a servant since my youth. If someone asks him, what are these wounds on your chest? Then he will answer I received the wounds in the house of my friends, sword, awake against my Shepherd against the man who was my associate. This is the declaration of the LORD of hosts strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. I will also turn my hand against the little ones in the whole land. This is the Lord's declaration. Two thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it. I will put this third through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will restore them. I will say they are my people, and they will say, Yahweh is our God. Steve Webb 15:07 Zechariah chapter 14. A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle, the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as he fights on a day of battle. On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south, you will flee by mountain valley for the valley of the mountains will extend to Azle you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, the sunlight and moonlight will diminish. It will be a day known only to Yahweh without day or night, but there will be light at evening. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea, and the other half toward the western sea in summer and winter like on that day Yawei will become king over all the earth, Your Way alone and his name alone. All the land from Giza to Rehman south of Jerusalem will be changed into a plane, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain on its site from the Benjamin gate to the place of the first gate to the corner gate, and from the Tower of Hanoi canal to the royal wine presses. People will live there and never again will there be a curse of complete destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell in security. This will be the plague the Lord strikes all the peoples with who have warned against Jerusalem, their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot on their mouths. On that day, a great panic from the Lord will be among them, so that each will seize the hand of the other, and the hand of one will rise against the other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected gold, silver and clothing in great abundance. The same plague as the previous one will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals that are in those camps. Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the festival of booths. Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, rain will not fall on them. and if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them. This will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the festival of booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the festival of booths. On that day the words holy to the Lord will be on the bells of the horses, the pots and the house of the Lord will be like this sprinkling basins before the altar, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts, everyone who sacrifices will come and take some of the pots to cook in. and on that day, they will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts. Steve Webb 18:30 In chapter seven, the Lord through Zechariah said that his people ignored him. So he ignored them and scattered them among the nations. But in chapter eight, he once again said how much He loves them, and then makes nine more statements that demonstrate that love so that they would not be discouraged by the punishment they had received because of their disobedience. and isn't that how a loving father disciplines his child. It's sad when a parent allows a child to lose hope and to doubt that he or she is still loved, isn't it? Discipline should always be couched in love, and the child should always have that love reinforced. and this is what God the Father has always done for us His children. Now in verse one of chapter 12, we read the Word of the Lord concerning Israel, a declaration of the Lord who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him. That verse is confirming that the God who created all that is spoke this message just in case there was any doubt about its veracity. The supreme being of the universe has a message and all who here should listen. and then the bottom line of God's message is that any nation that comes against Jerusalem will ultimately be soundly defeated. Any nation that comes against Israel is on a fool's errand. They may try off for a day, but the final outcome is sure. Chapter 12 ends of course with a look forward to Jesus himself and the fact that he would be pierced and the mourning that would take place upon his death. and then chapter 13 begins with a declaration of what would be the result of the piercing it says, On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem to wash away sin and impurity. Now, of course, being on this side of the prophecy and having knowledge of the New Testament and the work of Jesus, we know that this promise applies to all not just to the house of David in the residence of Jerusalem, it applies to all who believe it. and then the rest of the chapter speaks more of who this Messiah would be. and it ends with another beautiful promise, that promise is, I will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them, I will say they are my people, and they will say, Yahweh is our God. Imagine Beloved, this God who created all that is says, Steve is mine. Mike is mine. Suzy is mine. Put your own name in there. You are his if he is your God, what her privilege? Are you feeling bad today? Do you think no one loves you? Do you get no respect? Well, listen, you are his hallelujah, you are his that should thrill your heart. I know it thrills mine. The final chapter of Zechariah shows us a glimpse of one of the final chapters of man's history on Earth. It talks about a last battle with those who are against God in the resolution of the aftermath, peace. So why did the Lord leave this message with us, so that even when we're still in the midst of the turmoil and pain that we all must endure, our heart can have peace in the knowledge that we belong to Him. and as such, we will be included in his victory and then have lasting peace. Yes, there are difficulties in life, but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that they are temporary. Every situation we're in, it's only for a season. It is not permanent. But God is permanent and unchanging. His promises never fail. and his promise is that victory assure, and peace is secure. Rest in that beloved. We have good news everybody shared with boldness, you have thoughts or questions, let me hear from you send a Boostagram or call the Lifespring family hotline, or go to the comments page or write an email. At the end of the show. I'll tell you how to do those things. Tomorrow will be gospels Saturday, and we'll read Acts 17 and 18. Steve Webb 22:44 You know, the Lifespring! One Year Bible relies on the value for value support of the Lifespring family. Who is the family? Well, it's you. If this is the first episode you've ever listened to or the 3000 which is possible. The Lifespring family is you. You may have noticed there are no advertisers on the show because advertisers are uncomfortable, shall we say, with the clear, plain, uncompromised teaching of God's Word. Advertising is censorship, beloved, and the Word of God will not be censored on this show. So to pay the bills value for value is the only way this works. You decide if you have received any value from the Lifespring! One Year Bible, if you have all I do is ask you to return a portion of that value back to me in the form of time, talent or treasure. and if you haven't received any value, then why are you listening? Seriously, I'd like to know, go here to learn more about supporting the show Jingle 23:40 Lifespringmedia.com/ support Announcer 23:47 The Lifespring 714 club. Steve Webb 23:49 Yeah. You know, one of the great things about being a believer is that we are adopted into God's family. He is our Father and we are sons and daughters of the King. We are invited to come to his throne of grace with our prayers and our petitions. He wants to hear from us. and when we ask according to His will, He is pleased. The 714 Club exists because we believe that God is the only answer to the problems in our world today. You know, here in the US, we have a presidential election next year and the campaigning is beginning to really heat up. and that's fine, that's normal. But beloved, there is no man, no political party that will save us. and of course that's true, wherever in the world you are. But Scripture does tell us to pray for those in authority. It also tells us that God puts people in those positions. and sometimes he allows the unrighteous ungodly people to rise to positions of power as a way to bring judgment. and that's where Second Chronicles 714 comes in. It says if my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now, of course, God was speaking to the children of Israel when Second Chronicles was written, not to us. But I believe that He is pleased when we come to him with this kind of a heart, will he heal our land? I don't know. If we are indeed in the end times, then perhaps not. But it is still never wrong to confess our sins and to seek His face. It is never wrong to pray for and about our leaders. and it is never wrong to pray according to His schedule, a plan, some of us need structure to get things done. So the 714 Club was formed. With all this in mind, we have purposed to pray every day at 7:14am, or pm or both. My phone reminds me twice a day to stop what I'm doing, and to go to the Lord in prayer specifically for our nation and our world, that God would heal our land and forgive us where we have sinned. Join us, won't you? and by the way, there is no cost. All we ask is that you pray with us at 7:14am pm are both set an alarm on your phone, pray ID 714. and as s mark one three set in a Boostagram, just a few days ago, the 714 Club has made my prayer life much more intentional and meaningful. So beloved, just go to 714 club.org and scroll to the bottom of the page and put your name in the comment section. and then I'll add your name to the roll that you see on that page there. Pray with this, won't you? Steve Webb 26:44 So here's how to contact me call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511. Or if you have a prayer request or a praise and our Sunday prayer time is coming up soon. Go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com. If you've got a comment or if you've got a question for me go to comment dot Lifespringmedia.com. and if you'd like to send an email, you can do that at steve@lifespringmedia.com. and then of course you can always do what all the cool kids are doing. They're sending Boostagram using a modern podcast app, they got it podcast apps.com. Steve Webb 27:27 Jason Paschall is our show art artists today. Thank you, Jason. Thanks also to Sister Denise who does the transcripts. Thanks to Michael Haner, who does the chapters thanks to Scott Snider, who also does show art and to SR Brittaney for publishing the newsletter for us. and thank you, beloved, for inviting me along with you today. Lord willing, I'll be back with another episode tomorrow and until then, may God bless you richly. I am Euro je Godcaster Steve Webb Steve Webb 27:57 Lifespring media, bringing the message of hope, love and good news since 2004 Transcribed by https://otter.ai