Additional Arguments Against Zechariah 12 as an Armageddon Prophecy
on Thursday, January 30, 2025 by Bill SalusThis is a sub-article that was created as an attachment to the master article entitled Zechariah 12: The War Before Armageddon. It answers three additional arguments as to why Zechariah 12 is not an Armageddon related prophecy.
Other Comparative Arguments
1. What about the fact that Zechariah 12:9 mentions “all the nations;” doesn’t that identify “all the nations” that gather together for the Armageddon scenario?
2. Zechariah 12:3,4,6,8,9,11 informs the events happen, “In that day;” isn’t that alluding to “The Day of the Lord” that takes place at Armageddon?
3. If Zechariah 12:10-14 is fulfilled early on in the Millennium, then why wouldn’t Zech. 12:2-9, happen just prior at Armageddon?
These three questions are answered below.
1. What about the fact that Zechariah 12:9 mentions “all the nations;” doesn’t that identify “all the nations” that gather together for the Armageddon scenario?
“It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:9)
Since the biblical text in Zechariah 12:2,6 clearly does not support the interpretation that all the nations of the earth will come against Jerusalem as explained in this article, it is reasonable to say the Lord is simply saying in Zech. 12:9, that He will destroy all the neighboring nations coming to attack Israel that are spoken about in Zech. 12:2.
Again, the timing is “in that day” when God turns Jerusalem into a cup of trembling. “All the nations” instigating the trembling of Jerusalem are the surrounding Arab states. They make an unsuccessful siege upon Jerusalem in Zech. 12:2 and as a result are destroyed as per Zech. 12:6. The means by which God will “seek to destroy” these Arabs is through the IDF.
2. Zechariah 12:3,4,6,8,9,11 informs the events happen, “In that day;” isn’t that alluding to “The Day of the Lord” that takes place at Armageddon?
Some teach that The Day of the Lord encompasses the entire Seven-Year Tribulation Period. Others limit it to just the last three and one-half years within this period. Some confine it to only a single day at the end of the Tribulation Period. Whatever the case, the timing of the war in Zechariah 12:2,4-9, is a day in the future when all the surrounding peoples with armies try to overwhelm Israel at one time and attack Judah and Jerusalem.
If you look at the war in Zechariah 14 you will see that those prophecies do take place in close correlation with “the day of the Lord” based on verse one that says, “behold the day of the Lord is coming.” On the other hand, when we look at the war in Zechariah 12:2,3-9 there is no mention of “the day of the Lord.”
Moreover, “in that day” does not find biblical exclusivity within “The Day of the Lord.” This same timing phrase appears in Isaiah 17:4,7,9, Ezekiel 38:18, 39:11 and several other places.
According to a very large number of well-respected Bible teachers the use of “in that day” in last days prophecies in the Bible does not mean that these last days prophecies must every time take place at Armageddon or very close to the Second Coming of Christ.
Do the words “in that day” in Ezekiel 38:14 and Ezekiel 39:11 mean that these last days prophecies MUST take place at Armageddon or very close to the Second Coming of Christ? The following list of Bible teachers represents only a sample of the very large numbers of Christians that do not believe Ezekiel 38:14 and Ezekiel 39:11 will take place at Armageddon or very close to the Second Coming of Christ. These would include.
Dr. Thomas Ice, Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. Chuck Missler, John Ankerberg, Jack Hibbs, Chuck Smith, Tim LaHaye, Amir Tsarfati.
What is even more interesting is that many of them believe the events of Ezekiel 38:14 and Ezekiel 39:11 which are “in that day” prophecies could even take place BEFORE the 7-year Tribulation Period which would include myself. With all of this in mind, it is reasonable to believe that the unfulfilled prophecies in Zechariah 12:2,3-9 do not have to take place at Armageddon and could take place before the 7-year Tribulation Period.
3. If Zechariah 12:10-14 are fulfilled early on in the Millennium, then why wouldn’t Zech. 12:2-9, happen just prior at Armageddon?
It is true the events of Zechariah 12:10-14 happen in the early part of the Millennium, but they are entirely unrelated to Zechariah 12:1-9. There is a time gap between Zechariah verses 9 and 10. Such gaps are found elsewhere in scripture. One example is found in the Zechariah passage below.
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7)
This happened in the 1st Century when the crucifixion of Christ took place. John 10:1-21 points out that Christ is the “good shepherd.” Only a few decades after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven, the Jews were scattered. This worldwide dispersion began in 70 AD when the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the second Jewish temple. Their worldwide regathering started 1878 years later in 1948.
Then a significant time gap ensues between the previous passage and the next one.
“And it shall come to pass In all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, 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, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:8-9)
These future events happen in the Tribulation Period. At the midpoint of the tribulation the Antichrist will begin his genocidal campaign of the Jews and two-thirds of the Jews will die. Fortunately, a remnant of one-third will survive. Dr. Andy Woods points this out in the quote below.
“We get into (Zechariah 13) verses six through nine… he sort of reaches all the way back in a comprehensive way and talks about what got Israel into trouble…in the first place they struck their own shepherd. That’s what they did. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered so God scattered the nation and He’s going to… put them through a time of unparalleled distress called Jacob’s Trouble which is going to be so severe that by the time you get to verses 8 and 9 you learn that two-thirds of the Jewish nation is going to be destroyed.”[i]
By recognizing a gap of time between verses 9 and 10, the Zechariah 12 war can take place at a different time than Armageddon. Armageddon would happen within this time gap. After Armageddon the mourning in Zechariah 12:10-14 could happen after the Second Coming of Christ.
In Zechariah 12:2,4-9 we see that the governors or leaders of Judah, which would include the IDF, militarily defeating all of the peoples and nations surrounding them with the supernatural help of the Lord. This decisive victory will cause Israel to greatly rejoice, rather than deeply mourn. With this in mind, isn’t it logical to conclude that two completely different scenarios take place that are interrupted by a gap of time occurring between Zech. 12:9 and Zech. 12:10?
Zechariah 12:2-9 is a war that precedes Armageddon and then at the end of Armageddon, the Second Coming of Christ happens. Subsequently, Zech. 12:10-14 describes events that happen after Jesus Christ returns. Zech. 12:10 informs that the Jews will “look on Me whom they pierced.” This implies that Christ has returned in His Second Coming and thus, the Jews can literally look upon Him. He will be standing in their presence.
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10)
[i] Woods on YouTube: Zechariah 30. “Living Waters.” Zechariah 13:1-5. Dr. Andy Woods 5/18/22
