When Zechariah was prophesying to the returning exiles, he was motivating them to continue with the building program for the temple and city in their worship of God. Under the inspiration of God and through a series of visions, Zechariah gives a message to God’s people to keep going. Part of the motivation of Zechariah’s message was to give them a glimpse of the ultimate victory of God for his people on “that day.” In the 14th chapter, the day Zechariah seems to be talking about is the final day of deliverance and most Christians would ultimately see this as the second coming of Christ.
On that day, Zechariah says, “his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.”(Zechariah 14:4-5). In apocalyptic images, we have a picture of the Lord coming in final judgment and salvation on the Mount of Olives and his coming is so powerful and awesome that the very mountains spread out in his presence. This is a scene of absolute sovereign power and majesty. The return of Christ will be full of awe and glory.
Why is Jesus depicted as coming on the Mount of Olives? We can only guess why this is chosen as the arrival destination of the Lord in this vision, but recently something stood out to me with piercing force. Two thousand years ago this is exactly where Jesus came from in his “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem.
The Mount of Olives stands above the Temple Mount on the other side of the Kidron Valley. I have stood at a lookout on the Mount of Olives as I looked down upon Jerusalem and the mosque that now stands in the place of the temple. This was once the glorious scene of the coming of Christ on this mountain. He rode the foal of a donkey from the Mount of Olives toward the great City of the King. The crowd around Jesus threw their cloaks and cut of branches and threw them on the ground before the donkey in making way for the King’s procession. The shouts and acclamations of Hosanna echoed across the valley and the residents of Jerusalem looked up and across. Shockwaves spread across the city of Jerusalem and the Judean residents demanded to know, “who is this?” (Matthew 21:1-11).
This was not the second coming of Christ, it was the first. In one sense it was a fulfillment without consummation. The King has indeed stood on the Mount of Olives, he has indeed come in victory and the people of Israel have looked up and heard his proclamation. He came into the city with both acceptance and widespread rejection. They crucified him. Little did they know that their wicked judgment upon the rejected Messiah was the victory of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. One day he will return and like Israelites in Jerusalem we will look up and hear his proclamation. The final day of judgment and salvation will arrive because the day of judgment and salvation has already arrived. On that last day, those who believe in him will be made like him because they will see him as he is. (1 John 3:2). Others will perish for all eternity? …. Who is this? It is the one who brings justice and salvation. He is the King.