Our Text today is found in Zechariah 8:4-8. And, like so many other Bible Passages we have studied, this one adds another unique “touch” to the Doctrine of the Millennium.

Anyone not believing in a literal “1,000 Year Millennium” (a redundancy, I realize) has a lot of allegorizing or spiritualizing or explaining to do … throughout the whole Old Testament! Maybe this is one reason that crowd does not preach much from the Old Testament, come to think of it!

Now our Text …

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; 8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.” Zechariah 8:4-8

“The Lord of Hosts” is one of God’s Names that implies warfare! It means “Lord of the armies” in Hebrew, precisely. When this Text becomes reality Jesus will have just defeated Israel’s enemies at the famous Battle of Armageddon.

During the ten-century Millennium … death will be a relatively rare event. Thus the reference here to the “old men and old women.” But yet human births will continue! Israel as a saved people… but still in their natural bodies, far as I can tell … will continue life much as we know it. Just under godly, sinless Leadership! Israel and anyone who had loved her and supported her through the Tribulation. Thus marriages will yield “boys and girls!” Lots of them apparently.

This condition (all joy and peace) will be “marvellous” in the eyes of earth’s inhabitants! But to God … all things are possible! (“Marvellous” translates the Hebrew “pala” … implying “miraculous,” that hard to accomplish!)

A whole world, earth … at peace!

Again the Lord uses the verb “to save!”

“Yasha,” the very semantic root of the nouns “Saviour” and ultimately “Jesus!”

God’s people (Israel) dwelling “in” and “around” Jerusalem!

And our Paragraph’s closing Words … “and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

Wow!

Who would even want to explain that away?

I guess anyone who hates (or does not love) Israel!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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