Cyberseeker
Member
Several prophets speak of the 'day of the Lord' however Zechariah’s scenario is different to all the others in that it speaks of survival after the holocaust. There seems to be a contradiction between them.
Here are two possible explanations to this contradiction, and I'm using the forum as a sounding board to see whether people think one views is better than the other and/or if I’ve represented your preferred view fairly. Please give me you impressions – brickbats, bouquets and otherwise.
Cyberseeker
A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it ... Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King.
(Zechariah 14:1,16)
The great day of the LORD is near ... the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.
(Zephaniah 1:14,18)
Here are two possible explanations to this contradiction, and I'm using the forum as a sounding board to see whether people think one views is better than the other and/or if I’ve represented your preferred view fairly. Please give me you impressions – brickbats, bouquets and otherwise.
- Strict Literal View
Zechariah 14 will happen in the future and has to be fulfilled literally in all aspects. It will begin at the return of Christ and will be a partial destruction after which the earth will be refurbished and the survivors go into the millennial reign. The end of the world will occur 1000 years after that.
Double Fulfillment View
Zechariah 14 is a 'double fulfillment prophecy.' The initial fulfillment is the destruction of Jerusalem by armies in AD70 followed by the spread of the gospel (in symbolic language) throughout the Church age. However this early fulfillment prefigures a more final and complete destruction at Christ's return.
Cyberseeker