A wonderful day.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark," etc. However obscure, in some respects, the opening verses of this passage, the "day" they speak of is to be, very manifestly, a day by itself. How strange, e.g; the character of its light! Is it the light of "day"? or the darkness of "night "? How strange, also, its time—so that it should be, apparently, at its brightest just when the light of day is no more (end of Zechariah 14:7)! Altogether, a kind of "day" only fully "known to the Lord" (see, though not in exactly the same connection, Matthew 24:36). Corresponding to this, in other respects also, shall be the character of that day. In particular, "Jerusalem" shall then, as never before, be
I. A CENTRE OF BLESSING. This is represented to us under the figure of a flow of "living waters" therefrom (see Joel 3:18; Ezekiel 47:1-23; passim, and especially Ezekiel 47:9; also John 4:10; John 7:38) What is remarkable in this case is that the flow of these waters shall be:
1. In most unusual directions. Some will flow, naturally enough, along the intervening descent to the "former," or eastern sea; but some also, altogether supernaturally according to the lie of the land, to the "latter," or western sea. Countries and races, that is to say, which at present are hardly sprinkled with gospel influences, and to which at present it seems almost impossible to send them, shall then be overflowed by them as by a flood.
2. At most unusual seasons. How sadly intermittent, as things are now, is the flow of Church work! Now in decadence, now restored! Now frozen by indifference, now revived by warmth! Now exhausted by heat, now refreshed by rain (Psalms 68:1-35:92)! The flow of these days is to be independent of seasons—rivers all the year through (comp. Revelation 22:2).
II. A CENTRE OF RULE. Very naturally does this head follow from that before. Influence of such a gracious character, so universally and constantly in operation, will subdue the whole world in due time. This is what seems foretold in Zechariah 14:9. In the present divided rule of the world—and, in some measure, of the Church as well—it is difficult to give hearty subjection to this authority without rebelling against that. Not so when, in all the world, there shall be but one supreme Head. Not so, still more, when the possessor of that supreme authority shall only be known by one name. At present, in many cases, we have vast composite sovereignties, "united kingdoms," "dual empires," at best. The man obeyed here as Emperor of Austria is only obeyed next door as King of Hungary. Not so at all in "that day." The King of "Jerusalem"—Christ in his Church—shall be the one title of that "only Potentate".
III. A CENTRE OF STRENGTH. "Jerusalem" is to be strong then for three different reasons. There shall be:
1. No facilities for attacking it. Beginning from the ancient fortress of Geba on the north (Pusey, in loc.), down along the whole mountain range to Rimmon in the south, instead of lofty hills sheltering the invaders and dominating the hill of Mount Zion, the "whole land shall be a plain."
2. Every facility for defending it. What those other mountains lose, as it were, the hill of Zion shall gain. Remaining still "in her place," but "lifted up" (setup. Isaiah 2:2) far above her former elevation, the holy city shall look down then on the whole subject neighbourhood—every ancient wall and battlement being also restored and elevated together with it, and so made doubly effective as a means of defence.
3. Better still, the knowledge of the possession of these advantages shall prevent the very thought of attack. "Men shall dwell there"—shall choose to dwell there—knowing how secure it is from attack. What had been so often there shall be never again. "Jerusalem" now is a city which can never be touched. This shall be felt, this shall be acted on, by all without, by all within.
This glorious prospect of that future day of blessing and peace, whether comparatively near or far off, may console us greatly in the days that now are, whether in witnessing:
1. Their cruel dissensions. What a scene of selfishness, greed, competition, strife, suspicion, distrust, and violence is that now around us! Worse than a "struggle for existence," it is too often a struggle, even where existence is not imperilled, to keep others down. See how the whole civilized (!) world is standing armed to the teeth, possessed of deadlier weapons, and, consequently, of deadlier determination, than ever. How restful to the spirit to look beyond all this to that described here!
2. Their cruel disappointments. Much as these evils have been bewailed and lamented, and often as many men have hitherto tried to relieve them, how little comparative success they have reached! Political endeavours to remedy these evils have only led to worse, as a rule. Even the religion of Jesus, the religion of "liberty, equality, and fraternity," in the very best (and perhaps only possible) sense, has become the occasion, too often, though not the cause, of that which it sought to remove. It is a comfort to know that another hand will itself apply this remedy in due time; and that that will be easily accomplished by him when he comes down from the "mount," which is now impossible to his friends (Mark 9:14-27).