Some people wish God would go away and leave them alone. File that under, "Be Careful What You Wish For." Before Jesus returns to rule, there will be a period of time when the usual safeguards are removed, and the Man of Sin gets his shot at running things. It will be a time of "hell on earth," almost literally. But Zechariah tells us that all will end well. We wrap up our study of this important prophet on today's broadcast.

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"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." (2 Timothy 2:13) The Israelites had broken their covenant with God, but Zechariah's message was that the Lord will still use them. And His plan for the future is still centered in the Jewish capital, Jerusalem. Today we'll hear the next-to-last part of our trek through the book of Zechariah. Pastor Jim is reflecting on some of the things that have stood out to him during this study. We're in Zechariah 14.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

If you don't understand something about end-time prophecy, keep reading! God uses symbols to communicate future events. And He repeats the same message using different symbols, just in case we didn't catch it the first time. Pharaoh dreamt of 7 fat and 7 skinny cows, then the 7 plump and 7 sickly ears of grain. That pattern is a clue to understanding Zechariah, and other prophecies.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Apocalyptic visions have always been dismissed by the "smart set." Since John penned Revelation, it has been controversial. And its Old Testament counterpart, Zechariah, has had plenty of people who would rather twist and reinterpret it, than simply read and learn from it. But some people do take it seriously, including Jesus...and including some Jews today. We're beginning to wind up our series through this powerful little book with a message on Zechariah 14. Here's Pastor Jim.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Many want to turn Zechariah's prophecies into parables. But there's no good reason to do that! The prophet gives us details, including topographical changes, that should signal to us that this is a literal depiction of "future news." And he provides clues about things we read in Revelation, and even the Gospel of Matthew. There's a lot packed in to this sermon, so listen carefully. We'll pick it up from yesterday's program in the middle of the battle fought by the Lord; Pastor Jim is explaining Zechariah 14, verse 13.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

How about this for a headline: God Declares War! As we come to the final chapters of the book of Zechariah we see what appear to be two separate attacks on Jerusalem. And in the second event, we read, "...Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle." God will indeed wage war on some human beings, and the fight will be quick and devastating. To help us see the big picture of these prophecies, here's Pastor Jim with a reminder of where we started.

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Independence is good; repentance is better. Happy 4th-of-July to our listeners here in the US; it's always good to remember the birth of our nation and the role that Providence played in it. Today as Pastor Jim concludes his sermon on Zechariah 12, we see another nation on an even more momentous day in the future: I'm talking about the day that Israel's eyes are opened, and they recognize their messiah. It will be a day of tears, not fireworks - but what a glorious day it will be.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

We call it the "Middle East Crisis," but at this point it's a chronic affliction. One day it really will be a "crisis." Zechariah prophesied that tensions will come to a head sometime in the future: the Gentile nations will gather against Israel and Jerusalem. Outnumbered, and with no hope but God, God will intervene. And that will be one of the watershed events of human history. We're in Zechariah 12, noticing that God does "take sides" when it comes to our affairs.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Want to solve the "Jerusalem problem?" You may be going on a fool's errand. Throughout my lifetime politicians, religious leaders, and other do-gooders have tried to mediate peace in the City of Peace. It certainly seems like a worthy goal. But if they had read the book of Zechariah they might have done something else instead. God said He would make Jerusalem a "cup of reeling" and a "burdensome stone" that cuts those who try to lift it.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

It would be unthinkable that the Jews would reject the Messiah they had waited so long for; but Zechariah foresaw it. We're opening our Bibles to a very sobering passage today. The "30 pieces of silver," the rejection of Christ, the devastating judgment on Jerusalem - all laid out for Israel 500 years beforehand. If there's a "silver lining" to this prophecy it's that none of this caught God by surprise.

Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand.