“And the LORD will be king
over all the earth.” (Zech. 14:9a)
Jehovah will be king over all the
earth. “LORD” written in the Bible in all capital letters is the
personal name for God - “Jehovah.” The Bible clearly says that
Jehovah shall be king over the earth. The Bible also teaches
that Jehovah’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is to be king over
all the earth (Psa. 2). Speaking of Jesus Christ we read;
“And on His robe and on His
thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS.’” (Rev. 19:16)
How can both Jehovah and Jesus
Christ be king over the earth?
There are three basic names for
God in the Old Testament: Elohim, Adonai, and Jehovah.
The name “Elohim” in
Hebrew means, “putter forth of power,” and is found more than
2,300 times in Scripture. It is found in the first verse in the
Bible.
“In the beginning God (Elohim)
created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)
We are to understand that the One
who puts forth power created all things.
“Adonai” means “master or
owner.”
“Abram said, ‘O Lord (Adonai)
GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the
heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus.'" (Gen. 15:2)
The Creator of everything is also
the one who is master over it all.
Then there is Jehovah! As
mentioned earlier, “Jehovah” is the personal name of God.
God first revealed this name to Moses prior to the Exodus. It is
found in Exodus 3:14. At the bush that burned but was not
consumed, God commissioned Moses to go back to Egypt to help
free the Jews. Moses asked God for some personal identification.
Notice God’s response!
“God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO
I AM; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of
Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'“ (Ex. 3:14)
“I AM” is the Hebrew being verb
YHWH. It literally means, “I exist.” The name reveals
God’s eternal nature. There never was a time that God did not
exist. He always was what He is now and forever shall continue
to be. He is the self-existent God. Notice that the name YHWH
has no vowels and for that reason could not be pronounced. Later
vowels were added and the name was pronounced “Jehovah.”
The Jews, God’s
Word, and Jehovah
God carefully
protected and preserved His written word down through history.
Long before the printing press, each Jewish family selected a
scribe. The scribe copied each Hebrew manuscript by hand. These
manuscripts were passed down from generation to generation.
When the scribes came upon the
names Elohim or Adonai, they prayerfully meditated
upon the name. They then changed pens before they wrote the
name. But when they came to the name Jehovah, they
prayerfully considered the name. Then they took a bath and put
on a clean change of clothes. Only then would they return to
carefully write the name. This is how holy this name was to
them.
There are many places in the Old
Testament where the name “Jehovah” is found often and
close together. We can just imagine this very clean scribe
running back and forth writing the name Jehovah. Such was
the care that God provided in order to preserve His word for us.
Christ’s
Footprints
Remember, the
Bible teaches that both Jehovah and Jesus Christ would one day
rule this world. How could this be possible? Footprints give us
a tremendous clue! Just prior to His ascension back into heaven,
Jesus Christ met with His disciples. They asked Him several
questions concerning the restoration of His kingdom upon the
earth. Our Lord did not deny that He was going to rule over a
kingdom, but He made an issue of the time of His coming kingdom.
“So when they had come
together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord, is it at this
time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to
them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the
Father has fixed by His own authority.” (Acts 1:6-7)
Then Jesus was taken up into
heaven and disappeared from their sight. He just took off! He
ascended into heaven right in front of their eyes.
“And after He had said these
things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a
cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
Two angels standing nearby must
have startled the disciples with their presence and these words:
“They also said, 'Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus,
who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in
just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called
Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey
away.” (Acts 1:11-12)
So the Lord ascended into heaven
from the Mount of Olives with a promise that He would some day
return in the very same way that he left. The last footprints
of Jesus Christ upon the earth were found upon the Mount of
Olives. Keep this thought in mind!
Jehovah Was
Pierced
Now back to the name Jehovah.
Remember that the name “LORD” is speaking of Jehovah. In
Zechariah chapter twelve, verse one we read:
“The burden of the word of
the LORD (Jehovah) concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD
who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the
earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, ‘Behold, I am
going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the
peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it
will also be against Judah.’” (Zech. 12:1-2)
Zechariah speaks of Jehovah
through several verses of this chapter. Look closely at verse
ten.
“I (Jehovah) will pour out on
the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look
on Me (Jehovah) whom they have pierced; and they will
mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will
weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a
firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10)
Catch this insight! Who is the
“Me” of this passage? It is speaking of Jehovah God, the
Great I Am. It is speaking of the God who is self-existent! But
who was the one pierced by the Jews? It was the Lord Jesus
Christ! God gives us a fascinating glimpse of the true identity
of Jesus Christ.
Jehovah’s Feet
Zechariah 14:1-4 describes
Jehovah's timely return to deliver Jerusalem from certain
annihilation from the nations of the earth. Zechariah explains
that Israel will one day be attacked by many nations of the
earth. God will use this horrible time to refine Israel and
prepare her for the return of the Messiah (Zech. 14:8-9; Mal. 3:1-4). Notice carefully Israel’s desperate condition and God’s
timely rescue.
“Behold, a day is coming for
the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among
you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to
battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered,
the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest
of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the
LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when
He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will
stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of
Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split
in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so
that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the
other half toward the south.” (Zech. 14:1-4)
Jehovah,
the Great I Am, has feet? Yes, and notice carefully the precise
location where His feet are going to land. His feet are going to
touch down upon the Mount of Olives. Did you catch the
glimpse? That is the exact spot from where Jesus Christ
ascended. The feet of the One whom they have pierced (Zech.
12:10) are going to stand that day upon the Mount of Olives, and
His footprints do not lie!
The Mount of Olives will be
changed, splitting into two parts. God at that time will
geologically renovate this fallen earth and establish His
kingdom here.
“And the LORD will be king
over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only
one, and His name the only one.” (Zech. 14:9)
Jehovah,
the Great I Am, will be king over all the earth and His name
will be only one; and that name will be “the Lord Jesus Christ.”
That will be the name that is above all names (Phil. 2:5-12).
The major theme of the Bible is that Jesus Christ will come
again to establish His kingdom over the earth (Isa. 9:6-7; Rev.
19:15, 20:4). On that special day, God will assume His role as
our Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
and the Prince of Peace. God will one day be King of all the
earth in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sources
New American Standard Bible
Dr. Art Crawford
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