Timtofly
Well-Known Member
Because of verses 4-6Zechariah 14:1 declares, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.”
There are strong grounds for relating this to the great victory that was wrought through Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and His victorious resurrection. In keeping with the consistent pattern of the book of Zechariah this would seem to be a first Advent passage. It describes the benefits or “spoil” of which He “divided in the midst” of His Church. Christ rescued many from the firm grip of Satan. The devil was stripped of his influence in the lives of millions of sinners. The spoil in Scripture normally referred to the trophies or reward of victory. This must surely refer to the elect that Christ secured through His comprehensive earthly mission.
1 Chronicles 26:27 tells us: “Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.”
Are we not the Lord’s spoil from the enemy’s territory? Whilst the Old Testament temple was literal and physical and was so suitably adorned after battle, the New Testament temple is living and spiritual. We are now the spoil of battle – taken from the devil’s dark domain through the shed blood of Jesus at the cross.
Isaiah 53:10-12 confirms this is speaking of Calvary, when he prophesied of Christ’s first Advent and especially Calvary, “it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Here we have further confirmation linking the securing of the spoil with the accomplishment of His redemptive work. His redeeming of the elect is presented here as evidence that He had divided the spoil. It reads: “he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death.”
Isaiah 9:2-6 says of the Gospel going out during the intra-Advent period, and the authority and blessings that now is now bestowed in Gentiles through the victory wrought at Cavalry: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased thethey joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace.”
The spiritual light enveloping the darkened Gentiles through the earthly ministry Of Christ is here associated with the dividing of the spoil. This would seem to support the idea that the spoil is those who were being liberated from the enemy’s prison. Countless devotees of Satan would be released through the victorious advance of the Gospel through the once-deceived nations (ethnos).
Christ confirms the meaning of these Old Testament prophecies in Luke 11, when He alludes to Zechariah 14, whilst speaking of His own assault upon Satan and his dark kingdom. Jesus said, “if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man (Satan) armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him (namely Jesus), he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils” (Luke 11:20-22).
This is speaking of Christ’s victory over Satan through His victorious life, death and resurrection and the great “spoil” which He “divided in the midst” of His Church. Christ’ earthly ministry and the introduction of the kingdom of heaven on earth began heaven’s great assault upon Satan and his kingdom. This short period saw the spoiling of the devil’s goods and the disarming of devil’s enormous remit of influence. At every point Satan was decisively defeated on his own territory. The victory was finally secured with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. This opened up the Gospel opportunity to the Gentiles. Jesus also said in Mark 3:27 “No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
Calvary was the place where Satan was bound. This resulted in the spoiling of his goods, the liberating of the prisoner and the enlightenment of the darkened nations. The territory that Satan once exclusively controlled has now been massively invaded by the Lord's subjects and His Kingdom. Those that were once in total darkness can now see. Every enemy of heaven has been finally and completely defeated. All we are therefore waiting for is for the final put down. This occurs at the second coming. Colossians 2:14 explains how Calvary saw the “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
The phrase having spoiled is taken from the Greek word apekduomai meaning divested or disarmed. Christ disarmed the demonic realm during His ministry and particularly through the finished work of the Cross. Since Calvary, Satan’s kingdom has been restricted from their previous unchallenged global control – Christ “triumphing over them in it.” New King James Version renders it, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Satan was exposed time after time as Christ and His disciples defeated the minions of hell with the authority of heaven. The Gospel was now free to invade the once-darkened Gentile nations. Not that every single Gentile would believe, but that the nations would now be free to receive the Gospel.
"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:"
The Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night at the Second Coming. This is what Zechariah 14 is proclaiming.
I don't know any pre-mill who denies the change the Cross brought. They are accused of being dispensational. Satan was never given free reign ever, so this curtailing by you seems overblown for some particular reason yet you obviously don't want to be labeled dispensational.
Neither Israel nor the church have been great at being the light of the world, and some periods have been worse than other periods. Yet when Christ the King is on earth, it is like the difference between night and day. So there is no point, even if what you present is the truth, that will prevent the Day of the Lord being the next major event, and it will last 1,000 years.