Zechariah 12

After listening once again to international condemnation of Israel for attacking a "peace" flotilla that challenged its Gaza blockade, I came across Zechariah 12.

"On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations," says the LORD in verse 3.

I note "all the nations of the earth" and think about how God has used the United States in the past to back Israel against so many foes. It is chilling when you consider that the United States is also a nation of the earth, and it is not Israel. So when does the U.S. turn into just another one of those other nations, and when it finally does, how long can it possibly be before the LORD sets out "to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem"?

Or is this even talking about something that is yet to come? It seems to me like it is, but I'm not sure.

More and more and relatively slowly the U.S. is turning, I fear. I hear more talk among even people I know well how heavy-handed and unfair Israel appears to be to them. In some ways I wish that neither I nor my children would have to see this happen.

Then there's another part of me that believes I should be wishing for the LORD's will to be done, knowing that the judgment of giving men and nations over to their godless desires, even when it's a nation you grew up loving, is also sometimes a part of the LORD's will.

knowing the prophecy yet not recognizing the fulfillment

A couple verses in John 7 filled me with wonder today:

⁴¹Others said, "He is the Christ."
Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? ⁴²Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"

I have more questions about this than answers right now. Here were folks who knew the Scriptures. They even knew nuances of prophecy. They appear to have caught the equivalent of an Associated Press summary version of who this man Jesus was--simplified to the point of misleading. How were they to know he was actually born in Bethlehem?

"Study the authentic and the counterfeits will be easy to spot" I often hear in apologetic circles especially. I believe that, certainly, it makes sense. But this doesn't seem to fit that mold. Here is a case of studying the authentic Bible and then not having enough extra-Biblical information to be able to verify the genuine.

Shouldn't the Bible be enough? Not for us, you also need a relationship with Jesus through the Spirit to discern truth, and these people didn't have that yet, correct? This appears to have implications on several levels:

1. The Bible is a good start, but help from the Holy Spirit in both understanding the Bible and filtering extra Biblical truth is a better aim, though a result of this will likely be even more Bible study.

2. For the armchair prophet in me with Daniel and Revelation in one hand and a newspaper in the other, might I also miss the signs even though I think I'm watching for them?

3. Maybe this is actually just a unique feature of his first appearance here. What became of those who thought he wasn't from Bethlehem? John doesn't declare a judgment upon them here. You have to trust that God gave them enough light to walk in since it is not his will that any should perish.