All the Heathen Against Jerusalem
WORLD CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL IN PROPHECY
ZECHARIAH (NKJV) 12:
1 THE BURDEN OF THE WORD OF THE LORD AGAINST ISRAEL. THUS SAYS THE LORD, WHO STRETCHES OUT THE HEAVENS, LAYS THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND FORMS THE SPIRIT OF MAN WITHIN HIM:
The word translated here as "BURDEN" in Hebrew is "MASA" which according to the simple literal meaning means ""ON THE SUBJECT OF." In Modern Hebrew this word "Masa" means "Essay," i.e. "essay about."
The word translated here as "AGAINST" in Hebrew is "AL" which according to the simple literal meaning means "about" or "concerning." Why it is translated here as "AGAINST" must be to make it accord with some commentary or other. Anyway, "AGAINST" is incorrect.
The beginning of this verse should be translated as saying:
1 ESSAY ABOUT THE WORD OF THE LORD CONCERNING ISRAEL.
The NIV (New International Version) renders it more correctly as:
" A PROPHECY: THE WORD OF THE LORD CONCERNING ISRAEL."
2 BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE JERUSALEM A CUP OF DRUNKENNESS TO ALL THE SURROUNDING PEOPLES, WHEN THEY LAY SIEGE AGAINST JUDAH AND JERUSALEM.
A CUP OF DRUNKENNESS in Hebrew "Saf Raal" meaning "a brimful of poison."
Rabbi Moshe Valle (see RABBIS QUOTED) explains this to mean that Jerusalem and Judah (i.e. the Jews) were have become the recipient and focused hated target for all the poison and evil intentions of the Heathen.
Just like the Jews were accused of all the corruption in the world by anti-Semites through the ages so will it be towards the End Times.
This is in part the case today where in the UN most decisions are in condemnation of the State of Israel.
Wikipedia tells us:
"As of 2013, the State of Israel had been condemned in 45 resolutions by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Since the UNHRC's creation in 2006, it has resolved almost more resolutions condemning Israel alone than on issues for the rest of the world combined. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_resolutions_concerning_Israel
unwatch.com reports:
# 2021-2022 UNGA Resolutions on Israel vs. Rest of the World
November 29, 2021
In the current 76th session of the UN General Assembly (2021-2022), EU member states are likely to vote for one resolution each on the human rights situations in Iran, Syria, North Korea, Myanmar, and Crimea. See second table at bottom, showing resolution texts and votes. By contrast, EU states will likely vote in favor of nearly all 14 resolutions singling out Israel.
These same EU states have failed to introduce a single UNGA resolution this year on the human rights situation in China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, or on 175 other countries.
https://unwatch.org/2021-2022-unga-resolutions-on-israel-vs-rest-of-the-world/
The USA however through its Veto power has so far been able to prevent these false allegations from becoming anything more than that.
cf.
The negativity of the Heathen Nations will be applied against them. In Judging Israel unjustly they will have condemned themselves.
Psalms (NIV) 79: POUR OUT YOUR WRATH ON THE NATIONS THAT DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, ON THE KINGDOMS THAT DO NOT CALL ON YOUR NAME;
The ASV (American Standard Version) renders this verse:
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. "
The end part of thIs verse says, WHEN THEY LAY SIEGE AGAINST JUDAH AND JERUSALEM.
Valle interprets the end part of this verse (Zechariah 12:2) as if to say, AND SO TOO WILL JUDAH BE IN SIEGE AGAINST JERUSALEM.
" These are apostate Jews who will go out unto the Gentiles and join up with them when they are successful. They too will suffer a downfall and drink from the glass of poison when they all come to lay siege against Jerusalem. " Other Commentators however do not agree with Valle on this issue and explain the expression to mean that Judah will be together with Jerusalem when the Heathen lay siege to it.
3 AND IT SHALL HAPPEN IN THAT DAY THAT I WILL MAKE JERUSALEM A VERY HEAVY STONE FOR ALL PEOPLES; ALL WHO WOULD HEAVE IT AWAY WILL SURELY BE CUT IN PIECES, THOUGH ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH ARE GATHERED AGAINST IT.
4 IN THAT DAY, SAYS THE LORD, I WILL STRIKE EVERY HORSE WITH CONFUSION, AND ITS RIDER WITH MADNESS; I WILL OPEN MY EYES ON THE HOUSE OF JUDAH, AND WILL STRIKE EVERY HORSE OF THE PEOPLES WITH BLINDNESS.
The Prophets spoke in terms of what was familiar to them. "Horse" in this case could mean armored vehicle or some such weapon whose navigational equipment will be incapacitated.
Valle and others attribute this whole scenario tot he wars of Gog and Magog when the whole world will gather Israel in Jerusalem and be defeated. This will be a Prelude to all the Nations acknowledging the God of Israel and submitting to HIM.
5 AND THE GOVERNORS OF JUDAH SHALL SAY IN THEIR HEART, THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM ARE MY STRENGTH IN THE LORD OF HOSTS, THEIR GOD. 6 IN THAT DAY I WILL MAKE THE GOVERNORS OF JUDAH LIKE A FIREPAN [oven] IN THE WOODPILE, AND LIKE A FIERY TORCH IN THE SHEAVES; THEY SHALL DEVOUR ALL THE SURROUNDING PEOPLES ON THE RIGHT HAND AND ON THE LEFT, BUT JERUSALEM SHALL BE INHABITED AGAIN IN HER OWN PLACE JERUSALEM.
Valle seems to identify the GOVERNORS OF JUDAH with the heads of the Tribes of Israel.
7 THE LORD WILL SAVE THE TENTS OF JUDAH FIRST, SO THAT THE GLORY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID AND THE GLORY OF THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM SHALL NOT BECOME GREATER THAN THAT OF JUDAH. 8 IN THAT DAY THE LORD WILL DEFEND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM; THE ONE WHO IS FEEBLE AMONG THEM IN THAT DAY SHALL BE LIKE DAVID, AND THE HOUSE OF DAVID SHALL BE LIKE GOD, LIKE THE ANGEL OF THE LORD BEFORE THEM.
9 IT SHALL BE IN THAT DAY THAT I WILL SEEK TO DESTROY ALL THE NATIONS THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM.
Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 4;a: # God does not needlessly challenge his creatures. [HE says] If they have merit I will redeem them, and if they do not, I will destroy them.
SHALL BE LIKE GOD, LIKE THE ANGEL OF THE LORD BEFORE THEM. The word translated here as "GOD" is "Elohim." This word can mean "God" or "angel" representing "God" or even very holy spiritual like person as we find concerning Samuel when he was called up from the dead by the witch at Endor, cf. 1-Samuel (NASB) 28: 13 But the king said to her, 'Do not be afraid; but what do you see?' And the woman said to Saul, 'I see a divine being coming up from the earth.'
10 AND I WILL POUR ON THE HOUSE OF DAVID AND ON THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATION; THEN THEY WILL LOOK ON ME WHOM THEY PIERCED. YES, THEY WILL MOURN FOR HIM AS ONE MOURNS FOR HIS ONLY SON, AND GRIEVE FOR HIM AS ONE GRIEVES FOR A FIRSTBORN.
THEN THEY WILL LOOK ON ME WHOM THEY PIERCED. The Commentary Daat Mikra explains this as if to say that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will look on the one whom the Enemy Gentles pierced. The word translated as "ME" in Hebrew is "ELI" which if you pronounce the final letter would connote "to me" i.e. "they will look to me" but we find in the Bible (especially in Psalms) numerous cases where an "I" sound is there for euphonic reasons and is not part of the word as far as its meaning is concerned. This would make it mean "they will look to [the one] whom they have pierced."
Alternately the word spelt as "ELI" which could be read as "to me" should be "EIaV" (making it mean "to him") with the final letter "yud" replacing the "vav" which should be there. In this case too we find similar swapping of the letters ("yud" for "vav") elsewhere in the Bible.
The Sages said that ONE WHO HAS BEEN PIERCED refers to the Messiah son of Joseph who will have been killed in action. This is found in the Talmud, Succah, 52;a, but no further details are given. In later Rabbinical Literature, especially in the Modern Era, the Messaih son of Joseph is spoken of quite often. The Commentary "MALBIM" says he will be the future leader of the Ten Tribes when they return and other sources support this.
11 IN THAT DAY THERE SHALL BE A GREAT MOURNING IN JERUSALEM, LIKE THE MOURNING AS AT HADAD RIMMON IN THE PLAIN OF MEGIDDO. 12 AND THE LAND SHALL MOURN, EVERY FAMILY BY ITSELF: THE FAMILY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID BY ITSELF, AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES; THE FAMILY OF THE HOUSE OF NATHAN BY ITSELF, AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES; 13 THE FAMILY OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI BY ITSELF, AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES; THE FAMILY OF SHIMEI BY ITSELF, AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES; 14 ALL THE FAMILIES THAT REMAIN, EVERY FAMILY BY ITSELF, AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES.
The Family of the House of Davud is that decended from Solomon son of David.
The House of Nathan are also descendants of David but through Nathan an elder brother of Solomon. The family of Shimei decedned from Mordecai son of Yair from the Tribe of Benjamin as mentioned in the Book of Esther. Technically speaking the city of Jerusalem was half in the territory of Judah and half in Benjamin (Rabbi Chain Canon quotes from Zohar, "Shelach", and from the Tosefta to the Targum).
AND THEIR WIVES BY THEMSELVES. This passage is sometimes used to justify the separation of men and women from each other at public functions.