"On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives..." (Zechariah 14:4)
"On that day there shall be no light..." (Zechariah 14:6)
"On that day living waters shall flow..." (Zechariah 14:8)
"And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one." (Zechariah 14:9)
As we came to understand from the sermon last Sunday, these "markers" are like a fruit stand that is described as a landmark in one's travels towards a destination. This is a hard-to-miss sign that is difficult to describe briefly but unmistakable when you are driving along and you suddenly come upon it.
"Look! There it is!" you exclaim. "That is what was meant in the directions!"
And the temptation is to stop, get out of your vehicle, browse through the fruits (and often vegetables) on display, enjoy a sample and some conversation with the stand owner, and maybe even buy some of the items. But the fruit stand is NOT the destination.
Yes, it can be interesting.
It might be a much-needed rest stop.
And certainly, it can be a delicious diversion from an otherwise regular trip. But again, it is NOT the destination (unless, of course, it IS the destination). Time to get back in your vehicle and continue the journey.
This is similar to "travelling" through the prophetic scriptures. A lot of fruit stand type of descriptions are given as markers, signposts which guide the journey. But all of these biblical prophetic markers are pointing to something else; usually involving SOMEONE else.
Jesus Christ appeared through the Old Testament scriptures as what is called a "Christophany", appearances usually described as "the angel of the LORD". Then in the New Testament we learn that Jesus Christ came in the flesh as a little baby, born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. And following His perfect life, murderous death because of humanity's sin, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, Jesus is going to come again.
The markers that we read about in Zechariah and other prophetic books are meant to remind us of God's workings in the past, the outcomes in history, God's workings in the present, and the soon return of the Coming King - Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas, the King is Coming back!
~ Pastor Sean & Tess (and Teagen and Shabree)
PS Don't miss the family friendly Christmas Eve worship service which starts with birthday cake for Jesus at 5 pm on December 24.