Ultimate Jerusalem and World Rule
Zechariah (NKJV) 14:
1 BEHOLD, THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING,
AND YOUR SPOIL WILL BE DIVIDED IN YOUR MIDST.
SPOIL. In Hebrew "shlal" usually understood to mean booty, possessions.
RADAK explains this to refer to the War of Gog and Magog described in the Book of Ezekiel ch.38. The booty that is being divided is that of Jerusalem and Israel that the enemy has taken from them.
TARGUM YEHONATAN however explains it in the opposite sense, the Israelites will divide among them the spoil they take from the defeated heathen.
2 FOR I WILL GATHER ALL THE NATIONS TO BATTLE AGAINST JERUSALEM;
THE CITY SHALL BE TAKEN,
THE HOUSES RIFLED,
AND THE WOMEN RAVISHED.
HALF OF THE CITY SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY,
BUT THE REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF FROM THE CITY.
According to the simple meaning the women will be raped. Yosef Kelner in an article on this passage ("Chesed le-Meshico") uses the terminology and method of Rabbi Isaac HaKohen Kook. Kelner stresses the symbolic significance of the verses. He opines that the Hebrew translated as "THE WOMEN RAVISHED" symbolize the psychological surrender and identification with non-Israelite values and moral degradation.
Yosef Kelner:
# AND THE WOMEN [ravished]. Spiritual degeneration and moral corruption along with the cessation of ambition to realize sacred elevated ideals will create among the people a materialistic attitude. This will be characterized by emotional-fantasizing, shallow rootless and hollow pluralism, resulting in psychological vulnerability towards all passing phase, i.e. a feminine psyche. AND THE WOMEN RAVISHED. This is the common surrender to impurity emanating from the alien soul which imposes itself over the Israelite one. #
In other words the men will become like women and weakly allow themselves to be seduced by Gentile Culture.
This whole scenario is speaking about a specific situation in the future entailing Jerusalem.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, we can take the message as a general one applying to all Israel.
In such a case "Jerusalem" could represent the Heartland of the Israelite nations, perhaps London or New York or Texas?
Western man in our time is suffering from drastically lowered levels of testosterone and lessened fertility rates. Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and physical virile agent in males.
Physical causes such as environmental pollution may be partly to blame but sociological and psychological factors are also at play.
Extracts:
https://www.npr.org/2017/07/31/539517210/sperm-counts-plummet-in-western-men-study-finds#:
An international team of scientists analyzed data from nearly 43,000 men in dozens of industrialized countries and found that sperm counts dropped by more than half over nearly four decades.
The analysis found an overall 52.4 percent decline in sperm concentration and a 59.3 percent decline in the total sperm count over the 39-year period. (Sperm concentration is the measure of the concentration of sperm in a man's sample - how many millions of sperm are in a milliliter of semen. Total sperm count is the number doctors get when they multiply that by the volume of the sample.)
While no one knows why sperm counts and concentrations may be falling, there are a variety of theories.
Swan suspects that one factor may be exposure to chemicals while in the womb, which could harm the normal development of males' reproductive systems.
Men's testosterone levels declined in last 20 years
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-testosterone-levels-dc-idUKKIM16976320061031
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has found a 'substantial' drop in U.S. men's testosterone levels since the 1980s, but the reasons for the decline remain unclear. This trend also does not appear to be related to age.
The average levels of the male hormone dropped by 1 percent a year....
Israeli study sounds alarm as sperm count halved in Western men
New international research led by Hebrew U shows says that change over the last 40 years has been 'steep and significant'
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-sounds-alarm-as-sperm-count-halved-in-western-men/
Sperm count is the best measure for male fertility, and the data shows that the proportion of the male population with sperm counts below the threshold for subfertility or infertility is increasing. In addition, recent studies have shown that reduced sperm count is also related to increased diseases and mortality among men, so the the ongoing 'alarming' decline points to serious risks to male fertility and health, the researchers said.
Reproductive Problems in Both Men and Women Are Rising at an Alarming Rate
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reproductive-problems-in-both-men-and-women-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/
A likely culprit is hormone-disrupting chemicals
scientific data show a 1.1 percent per year increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between 2000 and 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The truth is, these reproductive health effects are interconnected, and they are largely driven by a common cause: the presence of hormone-altering chemicals (a.k.a., endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs) in our world. These hormone-hijacking chemicals, which include phthalates, bisphenol A, and flame retardants, among others, have become ubiquitous in modern life. They're in water bottles and food packaging, electronic devices, personal-care products, cleaning supplies and many other items we use regularly. And they began being produced in increasing numbers after 1950, when sperm counts and fertility began their decline.
You're Not The Man Your Father Was
https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/2017/10/02/youre-not-the-man-your-father-was/?sh=12c3cf8e8b7f
The decline in testosterone levels is almost certainly linked to higher rates of obesity (which suppresses testosterone) ... Many observers put more weight on increased exposure to environmental toxins, such as pesticides, parabens, and chemicals common in household products like phthalates and bisphenol A. ... Meanwhile, certain forms of close relationships, such as marriage, fatherhood, and increased time spent with children, are causally linked to lower testosterone levels.
In the case of elephants it has been shown that a disruption in the social cohesion of the elephant her adversely affects the testosterone rates.
The same could apply to humans.
Women are taking the place of men. Many males are no longer certain who they are.
3 THEN THE LORD WILL GO FORTH
AND FIGHT AGAINST THOSE NATIONS,
AS HE FIGHTS IN THE DAY OF BATTLE.
4 AND IN THAT DAY HIS FEET WILL STAND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES,
WHICH FACES JERUSALEM ON THE EAST.
AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES SHALL BE SPLIT IN TWO,
FROM EAST TO WEST,
MAKING A VERY LARGE VALLEY;
HALF OF THE MOUNTAIN SHALL MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH
AND HALF OF IT TOWARD THE SOUTH.
The RADAK [see RABBIS QUOTED https://hebrewnations.com/articles/sources/rabbisquoted.html explains that in Biblical Hebrew the term"Feet" (Hebrew "regel") also connotes "as a consequence of, caused by." God will cause the mountain to split.
5 THEN YOU SHALL FLEE THROUGH MY MOUNTAIN VALLEY,
FOR THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY SHALL REACH TO AZAL.
YES, YOU SHALL FLEE
AS YOU FLED FROM THE EARTHQUAKE
IN THE DAYS OF UZZIAH KING OF JUDAH.
THUS THE LORD MY GOD WILL COME,
AND ALL THE SAINTS WITH YOU.
In the time of King Uzziah (also known as "Azariah") there was a famous earthquake accompanied by panic and flight. So too, it will be the same this time.
6 IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY
THAT THERE WILL BE NO LIGHT;
THE LIGHTS WILL DIMINISH.
7 IT SHALL BE ONE DAY
WHICH IS KNOWN TO THE LORD,
NEITHER DAY NOR NIGHT.
BUT AT EVENING TIME IT SHALL HAPPEN
THAT IT WILL BE LIGHT.
8 AND IN THAT DAY IT SHALL BE
THAT LIVING WATERS SHALL FLOW FROM JERUSALEM,
HALF OF THEM TOWARD THE EASTERN SEA
AND HALF OF THEM TOWARD THE WESTERN SEA;
IN BOTH SUMMER AND WINTER IT SHALL OCCUR.
This phenomenon was also described in the Book of Ezekiel ch. 47.
9 AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH.
IN THAT DAY IT SHALL BE,
"THE LORD IS ONE,"
AND HIS NAME ONE.
People will worship God without the use of spiritual intermediaries.
10 ALL THE LAND SHALL BE TURNED INTO A PLAIN FROM GEBA TO RIMMON SOUTH OF JERUSALEM. JERUSALEM SHALL BE RAISED UP AND INHABITED IN HER PLACE FROM BENJAMIN'S GATE TO THE PLACE OF THE FIRST GATE AND THE CORNER GATE, AND FROM THE TOWER OF HANANEL TO THE KING'S WINEPRESSES.
11 THE PEOPLE SHALL DWELL IN IT;
AND NO LONGER SHALL THERE BE UTTER DESTRUCTION,
BUT JERUSALEM SHALL BE SAFELY INHABITED.
12 AND THIS SHALL BE THE PLAGUE WITH WHICH THE LORD WILL STRIKE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM:
THEIR FLESH SHALL DISSOLVE WHILE THEY STAND ON THEIR FEET,
THEIR EYES SHALL DISSOLVE IN THEIR SOCKETS,
AND THEIR TONGUES SHALL DISSOLVE IN THEIR MOUTHS.
The whole earth will have to acknowledge the Almighty and HIS Temple in Jerusalem. Those who do not will be punished. This is what the Bible says.
13 IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY
THAT A GREAT PANIC FROM THE LORD WILL BE AMONG THEM.
EVERYONE WILL SEIZE THE HAND OF HIS NEIGHBOR,
AND RAISE HIS HAND AGAINST HIS NEIGHBOR'S HAND;
14 JUDAH ALSO WILL FIGHT AT JERUSALEM.
AND THE WEALTH OF ALL THE SURROUNDING NATIONS
SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER:
GOLD, SILVER, AND APPAREL IN GREAT ABUNDANCE.
There are indications in the sources that this whole description is not confined to just Jerusalem and Judah.
Judah (i.e. Judah and the Ten Tribes) will have been divided. Half will have become the Jews who keep the Torah and stay in Jerusalem.
The other half (i.e. assimilated Jews and the Ten Tribes) will have joined the Gentiles and become like them. When this reprobate half sees that the Almighty is on the side of Judah in Jerusalem they will change sides and join up with the Jews in Jerusalem.
15 SUCH ALSO SHALL BE THE PLAGUE
ON THE HORSE AND THE MULE,
ON THE CAMEL AND THE DONKEY,
AND ON ALL THE CATTLE THAT WILL BE IN THOSE CAMPS.
SO SHALL THIS PLAGUE BE.
16 AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT EVERYONE WHO IS LEFT OF ALL THE NATIONS WHICH CAME AGAINST JERUSALEM SHALL GO UP FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO WORSHIP THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS, AND TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
17 AND IT SHALL BE THAT WHICHEVER OF THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH DO NOT COME UP TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS, ON THEM THERE WILL BE NO RAIN.
18 IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT WILL NOT COME UP AND ENTER IN, THEY SHALL HAVE NO RAIN; THEY SHALL RECEIVE THE PLAGUE WITH WHICH THE LORD STRIKES THE NATIONS WHO DO NOT COME UP TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
19 THIS SHALL BE THE PUNISHMENT OF EGYPT AND THE PUNISHMENT OF ALL THE NATIONS THAT DO NOT COME UP TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
20 IN THAT DAY 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' SHALL BE ENGRAVED ON THE BELLS OF THE HORSES. THE POTS IN THE LORD'S HOUSE SHALL BE LIKE THE BOWLS BEFORE THE ALTAR. 21 YES, EVERY POT IN JERUSALEM AND JUDAH SHALL BE HOLINESS TO THE LORD OF HOSTS. EVERYONE WHO SACRIFICES SHALL COME AND TAKE THEM AND COOK IN THEM. IN THAT DAY THERE SHALL NO LONGER BE A CANAANITE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD OF HOSTS.
"Canaanite" here could represent an unclean officiate. Religious officials in many religions throughout the world are faced with the problem of "bad eggs" among them. This is a human failing but it should be prevented.