Zechariah 14:16

16 And all that shall be residue of all folks, that came against Jerusalem, shall go up from year into year, that they worship the king, Lord of hosts, and hallow the feast of tabernacles. (And all who shall remain of all the nations, that came against Jerusalem, shall go up year after year, in order to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep, or to celebrate, the Feast of Tabernacles.)

Zechariah 14:16 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 14:16

And it shall come to pass
After the plague on man and beast is over: [that] everyone that is left of all the nations which come against
Jerusalem;
these are the remnant, according to the election of grace, who will have been among the enemies of Christ and his people, but preserved when others will be destroyed; and they will not only be frightened at the general destruction, but will be truly converted, and give glory to the God of heaven, ( Revelation 11:13 ) ( 19:21 ) : these shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of
hosts;
the King Messiah, as Aben Ezra and Abendana on the place observe; the same with the King overall the earth, ( Zechariah 14:9 ) who is Lord of hosts, of all the armies in heaven, that will have followed him, at this time, and is to be worshipped by angels and men; he is equal with God, the Creator of both, the Redeemer of men, and King of saints; and to worship him shall the above persons preserved and called go up to Jerusalem, the church of God, year by year, that is, constantly: and to keep the feast of tabernacles;
not literally, but spiritually; for, as all the Jewish feasts have been long since abolished, having had their accomplishment in Christ, not one of them will ever be revived in the latter day. This feast was originally kept in commemoration of the Israelites dwelling in tents in the wilderness, and was typical of Christ's incarnation, who was made flesh, and tabernacled among us; so that to keep this feast is no other than to believe in Christ as come in the flesh, and in the faith of this to attend to the Gospel feast of the word and ordinances; and whereas this feast was observed by drawing water with expressions of joy, this may respect the pouring forth of the Spirit in the last day, and that spiritual joy saints will then be filled with; to which may be added, that palm tree branches used to be carried in their hands at the time of that feast; and so the keeping of it now may denote the victory that will be obtained over the beast and his image, which palm tree branches are a token of; and this will issue in the personal reign of Christ, when the tabernacle of God shall be with men.

Zechariah 14:16 In-Context

14 But also Judah shall fight against Jerusalem; and the riches of all folks in compass shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and many clothes enough. (And also Judah shall fight against Jerusalem; and the riches of all the nations around shall be gathered together, yea, gold, and silver, and a great deal of clothes.)
15 And so falling shall be of horse, and (of) mule, and of camel, and of ass, and of all beasts that were in those castles, as this falling. (And a plague shall fall upon every horse, and mule, and camel, and donkey, yea, upon all the beasts that be in their camps/yea, upon all the beasts that were with those armies.)
16 And all that shall be residue of all folks, that came against Jerusalem, shall go up from year into year, that they worship the king, Lord of hosts, and hallow the feast of tabernacles. (And all who shall remain of all the nations, that came against Jerusalem, shall go up year after year, in order to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep, or to celebrate, the Feast of Tabernacles.)
17 And it shall be, rain shall not be on them that shall not go up of the families of earth to Jerusalem, that they worship the king, Lord of hosts. (And it shall be, that rain shall not fall upon those families of the earth, who shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts.)
18 That and if the family of Egypt shall not go up, and shall not come, neither on them shall be rain; but falling shall be, by which the Lord shall smite all folks, which went not up, for to hallow the feast of tabernacles. (And if any family of Egypt shall not go up, and shall not come, no rain shall fall upon them; but they shall suffer the same dis-ease, or the same disaster, with which the Lord shall strike all the nations, which do not go up to Jerusalem, to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.