V. 1.2 Behold, the time cometh unto the Lord, that thou shalt be a spoil and a prey. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished.
Here I am caught in this chapter, because I am not sure what the prophet is talking about. So far it has been understood of the Antichrist and the last judgment. But because such an interpretation exists everywhere, presented by many, I will leave it here, because it is not good enough for me at all ends. Whoever wants to keep it, will also find it in Lyra. I will also present my understanding, even though it is not certain enough in many places, and finally let the Holy Spirit have the mastery.
2 First, because he said of Christ and his kingdom how it should be swept away and increased by adversity, he now prophesies how it should be with the unbelieving Jews who took offense at him and crucified him, and says that the city of Jerusalem should be disturbed by the Romans, who had all kinds of Gentiles among them and went against Jerusalem with them. As Christ also proclaimed Luc. 19, 41, when he wept over the city. According to this opinion the text is easy. For the day of the Lord is called the day when the Lord's death and torture was smelled on the Jews by the Romans, who were otherwise hostile to the Jews.
And half of the city will be taken away, and the rest of the people will not be driven out of the city.
(3) This is almost what happened to Jerusalem: one part of the city was killed by famine, pestilence, and the sword, and could not escape. But the other part is carried away captive among all the nations unto this day.
V. 3. But the Lord will go out and fight against these nations, as he is wont to fight in the time of battle.
4 Here it begins to sound as of the last judgment. But, as I have said, I now leave such understanding, and hold that he shall say, as after Jerusalem was destroyed, Christ shall go forth, and by the gospel shall fight against such heathen. For at the last judgment there will not be much disputing, since no one will be able to stand against him. But by the gospel he contends, as he is wont to do, that is, by his spirit, and not by weapons. In such disputes he has also had adversaries who have defended themselves vigorously.
V. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mountain of oil which is before Jerusalem eastward.
5. at the last judgment Christ will not stand with feet on the mountain of oil, but will float in the air in a cloud, as St. Paul writes [1 Thess. 4, 17]. Therefore I hold this: Because Christ apart from Jerusalem, on
The prophet wants to say that there the battle of the gospel should begin from Mount Olivet, when he gave the last command to the disciples to go into all the world and preach, Matth. 28, 19 and Marc. 16, 15, so that it is indicated that Christ no longer wants to reign in the fleshly Jerusalem, but completely outside of the fleshly city in all the world, from Mount Olivet on.
And the mountain of oil will split in two in the middle, from the exit to the descent, very far from each other, so that one half of the mountain will give itself about midnight, and the other about noon.
(6) When this shall come to pass at the last day, where shall the feet of the Lord stand in this mountain? But as the name Jerusalem is given to the people and persons who dwell in it, so Jerusalem above [Cap. 2, 4.) is described as coming as far as the world, that is, Christ, the apostles and disciples who were at Jerusalem should come as far as the world, so I also consider here that the name "Mount of Olives" is given to the people, that the disciples who were with Christ last on Mount of Olives should thus divide themselves into the whole world, very far from each other, toward morning, evening, noon and midnight; That as there was another Jerusalem spread abroad, so should there be another mountain of oil divided into all the world.
V. 5 And ye shall flee from such a valley between my mountains. For the valley between the mountains will reach Azal.
007 How shall they escape, or who shall escape? For he hath said that Jerusalem shall then be desolate and desolate. I consider, therefore, that, because the Mount of Olives is divided into all the world, the desolate, desolate valley is nothing but the desolate, desolate synagogue, or Judaism. From it all the devout Jews who become Christians will flee and join the disciples. For there is a valley between my mountains," he said, "that is, between the cleft mountains of oil, which he now calls his mountains, as he makes them with his clefts. But what the azalea is, I know not; in German it is called: nahe bei, though it is otherwise the name of a city. I
eighth, he wants to say: The desolate part, where the Jews sit between the two mountains, and are now neither Christians nor Jews, will stretch far and near, so that fes) almost all Jews understand, because few have converted to Christ.
And shall flee, as ye fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah etc.
In the earthquake the people flee from cities and houses, much more will they flee in such an earthquake, when the mountain of oil is thus cut apart, and leave Judaism, so that they may remain with Christ and in Christ etc. The prophet Amos also speaks of the earthquake in the time of King Uzziah [Cap. 1:1].
Then the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with him.
9 This is fine for the last day. But because the other texts do not read like this, I will now stick to the fact that Christ, who went out to the conflict through the gospel, also comes through his spirit, together with his apostles and preachers, and all Christians in one heap, much different than when he came out of the desert with his saints, of which Moses sings in the 5th book Cap. 32, 10.
V. 6. At that time there will be no light, but cold and frost.
(10) What if Christ should come without light, in cold and frost? But this is that Christ's word and Spirit makes Christians quite unsightly before the world without light and heat, but in the darkness and frost of persecution. Otherwise Christ will come with fire on the last day, 2 Thess. 1, 8.
And shall be a day known unto the Lord, neither day nor night.
(11) There he interprets himself. There will be no light, yet there will be a day, that is, a spiritual day, which no one can see except the Lord alone. For he is the sun himself, who makes this day in the hearts of the faithful. For they must believe it, therefore it is neither day nor night to speak in the natural way, but no light at all.
V. 7. But about evening it will be light.
12. turn around: All the days of the world become dark at evening when night comes, but this day becomes light only when it becomes evening and night comes, so that this day is dark during the day but light at night. Therefore it is called such a day, which is neither day nor night, as other days are. Now the evening is the end of the world, when faith shall cease, and the eternal light shall be revealed.
V. 8: At that time fresh waters will flow to Jerusalem; half of them toward the sea on the morrow, and the other half toward the last sea.
013 How? If Jerusalem is destroyed, how can fresh water flow out of it? But it is the spiritual Jerusalem from which the Holy Spirit flows through the gospel, as John 4:14 indicates the Holy Spirit through water. Now Jerusalem lies between two seas, the dead sea in the morning and the great sea in the evening, and water had to be led into Jerusalem. How then is it that fresh springs should run out of Jerusalem over so many mountains at both ends, and so far away as into the two seas? Not otherwise, for as it is said: the Spirit pours out toward the east and toward the west, that is, to reconcile with God His wrath, which He showed in the dead sea over Sodom; and below Himself, into the world, to comfort and strengthen in the midst of persecution and suffering.
And will last both, summer and winter.
Other waters dry up in the summer, but these waters flow forever, that is, the Spirit endures forever, never ceasing to propitiate God's wrath and comfort suffering Christians.
V. 9. and the Lord will be king over all the earth.
15 Not only over Judah and Jerusalem, as has happened until now, but in all the world, Ps. 2:8, which will happen through the fresh waters etc.
At that time, the Lord will be only One, and His name only One.
16 Until now, God has been divided into many gods and given many names; for, in ancient times, the Jews called him Baal, Astaroth; the pagans called him Jupiter, Saturnus; the Babylonians called him Bel and Nebo, and so on. For since all the world knows something about God, every man goes and devises a service according to his own conceit. This should please God, and must therefore receive from us a form and name, just as in our time we have also separated Christ, that one serves Him under the rule and name of St. Francisci, the other St. Dominici, and so on. Each one has chosen a way and a work, and all this under the one Christ. Summa, to establish and follow sects and cults in faith, that is, to divide God into many gods and to give Him many names, even though He remains simple in Himself. When sects and divisions cease, and one serves God in one spirit, faith, word and being, then God is called One, and His name One, which is done through the Gospel etc.
V.10. And they shall go throughout all the land, as on eyiem plains, from Gibeah to Rimon, toward Jerusalem at noon.
17 Gibeah is on the north side of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin. Rimon is toward the south in the tribe of Simeon. He said, "In those days it will all be a bad field, just as if there were a bad road and a bad field from Gibeah to Rimon, over such a mountain. That is all so much said: It shall all be equal and even, united and bad, no longer be such divisions, sects and differences, as also Isaiah Cap. 40:4: "Every mountain and hill shall be made low, and every valley shall be filled. What is crooked shall be made right, and what is uneven shall be made bad," so that all things may be equal under Christ, God granting that if one goes from Gibeah to Rimon, or from Rimon to Gibeah, one will come to Jerusalem in a bad field. For there shall be no more distinction of sects. And though there be many ministries of the spirit
And if one should go to Gibeah, the other to Rimon, the one to the other, all should come to Jerusalem in one accord, on a fine, even, level field, without all trouble and offence, each with his gift to serve the one Lord.
For it will be exalted and inhabited in its place.
18 That is, it shall be high on a mountain called Christ, that it may be seen and approached round about in the plain. It shall also be well built. But now not in the tribe of Benjamin, where it was before, and now is disturbed, as he proclaims above [v. 2], but in its place as far as the world is etc.
From the gate of Benjamin to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower 1) of Hananeel, to the king's winepress etc.
019 Of these gates and towers thou mayest read in Ezra and Nehemiah. He does not mention all the gates, but the most important ones, which are in the four places opposite the four places of the world, midnight, morning, noon and evening, so that Jerusalem will be in all the world. For Lyra also introduces an old Jewish rabbi who writes that Jerusalem shall be so great in Messiah's day that her walls shall be the end of the world. The text of Zechariah forced him to speak about this.
V.11. And they shall dwell within, and there shall be no more building: for Jerusalem shall surely dwell.
20. the holy new Jerusalem shall be full of people, and yet all of them holy and pure, that there be no condemnation, that is, that none be put out for his iniquity; for they are all holy and righteous in Christ; and not only righteous and holy, but also safe. For they have a good conscience in Christ, and are joyful and in great peace.
1) In the Erlanger and in the German Wittenberger: ^Thor" instead: Thurm. The latter is required by the first words of K 19.
V.12. And this shall be the plague, that the Lord shall afflict all nations which have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall rot, and they shall stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall rot in their holes, and their tongue shall rot in their mouths.
The persecutors of the Christians shall not go unpunished, and so they shall perish wonderfully, that is, they shall decay in themselves, lose strength and power, even when they think they are still standing. When the Romans perished, it was not known how. They had enough meat, that is, enough land and people, and they were well off. There was no lack of eyes, that is, of wise, sensible rulers. There was no lack of tongues, that is, of teachers and wise counselors. 2) It did not help yet. Just as Troy is described as being disturbed at the very time when she had the finest people. And Jerusalem, when she was most powerful, she also perished. Babylon in the same way. Why? Because God ceased to be with them, and the hour had come for them to be punished and destroyed, and, as he says here, for the tongue to be put in the mouth, and the eyes in holes, and the body on the legs to decay, that is, for power and strength, happiness and victory to be taken away from them. When this happens, it shall follow:
V. 13: In that day the Lord will make a great tumult among them, and one shall take another by the hand, and lay his hand on another's hand.
(22) That is, when they have thus become powerless, they shall also be divided among themselves, and shall attack one another, that they may soon perish, even as it came upon the Roman empire. The Lord will bring such turmoil upon them when he removes his hand and no longer keeps the peace. And not only will the heathen destroy one another in this way, but they will also be destroyed.
V. 14. Judah will also fight against Jerusalem.
(23) That is, in Christendom there will also be sects and mobs, that they may also be among
2) Erlanger and Wittenberger: Rathgeben.
The heretics have always been at odds with one another, even though they rage in unity against the true Christians. I fear that this will also happen in Germany one day, because the tyrants are persecuting the gospel so horribly. For the spirits of the mobs are already divided among themselves, and they destroy themselves quickly, even though they are united against the gospel.
So all the goods of the Gentiles around will be gathered up, gold, silver, clothing, beyond measure.
24 That is, their wealth, which they have gathered until now, for which they also raged against the gospel, will be taken from them, just as the Jews lost land and people, over which they fought against Christ. The same will be the fate of all belly servants and clergymen who now persecute the gospel out of great concern for their property and possessions. They must perish and lose everything shamefully.
V.15. And such a plague will also come upon the horse, the mule, the camel, the elephant, and all the animals that are in the army, as this plague is.
(25) That is, they also shall perish, and decrease, and be spoiled; so that all the power and strength of the Gentiles, which they have exalted and defied against the poor, miserable Christians, shall perish.
V.16. But all the remnant of all the nations that went against Jerusalem shall come up yearly to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
The Gentiles who do not remain in unbelief with the others will be Christians and serve Christ; and before others (he says): They will keep the feast of tabernacles yearly. Why not the feast of Easter or Pentecost? He said enough above that Jerusalem should be disturbed, therefore this must also be a new feast of tabernacles in the new Jerusalem. Well, the new tabernacle is that the Christians live here on earth as guests and wanderers, and think to come to the future city, as those who live in tabernacles think to stay there for a short time, as eight days, and always return home. The
is nothing else than that the Christians here on earth live joyfully in faith and hope, and wait for the future blessedness. To such a feast they will go up annually, that is, daily, and practice such faith and hope etc.
V.17. But what generation on earth shall not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King of hosts, the Lord of hosts, it shall not rain upon them.
27. those who refuse to keep such a spiritual feast are those who seek the belly and themselves more than Christ, because the word falls among thorns and is choked, so that it does not bear fruit [Luc. 8:7]. On them shall come the punishment, that it rain not; that is, for their ingratitude the word of God shall be taken from them at last.
V.18. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and come, it will not rain on them.
(28) Why do the Egyptians ask for it? They are not allowed to have rain, nor do they ever have rain, as Moses writes [Deut. 11:10]. But he includes the Egyptians in particular, so that the rain should be understood spiritually, which is also necessary for the Egyptians, as well as for all the Gentiles.
This will be the plague, so that the Lord will plague all the Gentiles who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. For this shall be the sin of the Egyptians, and of all the Gentiles, that they come not forth to keep the feast of tabernacles.
(29) He speaks much of this plague and of the feast of tabernacles, that it may be counted evil for sin, which shall not go unpunished. But these words are not in vain. For indeed, there is no greater grace on earth where God's word is preached; again, no greater sorrow where God's word is not preached, just as Isaiah 5:6, 7 proclaims the same plague on the vineyard. For where God's word does not rain, there can be no good, neither thought, word, nor work, and all toil and labor is lost, as the labor of Jews, pagans, monks and priests is always lost.
V. 20. At that time the armor of the horses will be holy to the Lord.
It is a mockery (says St. Jerome) that in this place some say that the prophet speaks of the nail of Christ, from which Queen Helena had a bridle made for the Emperor Constantine's horse, because the Latin says: Quod est super frenum equi, sanctum erit Domino. But the prophet wants to say so much that in Christianity also the laity, as the secular authorities with their office, should be holy and pleasing to God as well as the priests, so that not only the priests (as before), but also the secular rulers should be holy, because they also serve God, Rom. 13, 4. For this they may believe and be Christians as well as the others, as we read from Captain Cornelio, Apost. 10, 31. ff, and of Paulo Sergio, the bailiff, Apost. 13, 7. and afterwards of kings and princes. Summa, all shall be subject to Christ, both great and small, both high and low.
And the caldrons in the house of the Lord will be like the basins before the altar.
31. In the Old Testament, only the vessels consecrated and ordered for the altar and worship were holy, but in the New Testament, all the vessels or pots in the whole house of the Lord are to be as holy as the basins of the altar were there, that is, in the New Testament, all Christians who are at worship are to be holy, consecrated, and fit for the priesthood, so that henceforth there will be no difference between the consecrated and the unconsecrated, because they are all consecrated with Christ's Spirit, yes, which is even more:'
V.21. For all the cauldrons (or pots), both in Jerusalem and Judah, will be holy to the Lord of hosts.
That is, they shall all be priests through and through, and holy. Even though they are not in office and service, they are consecrated to it. For in the law not all pots were holy.
That all those who want to sacrifice will come and take them and cook them inside.
That is, the old priesthood with its holiness shall be finished and have an end, for the new priesthood makes everyone holy and consecrated who believes. Therefore, he who only wants to sacrifice, that is, preach and serve God, takes whatever Christian he wants, who can teach and cook him to be prepared and sacrificed to God, according to the old man, Rom. 12, 1. For they are all priests and taught by God [Is. 54, 13. Joh. 6, 45.]. And here the prophet himself comes first, and interprets the old priesthood with its office, lest the frivolous spirits come and pretend to great art with their allegories and interpretations, just as now our red-blooded spirits boast that it is a delicious thing to know what imago et veritas is, and that it must come forth what the old priesthood is. Just as if these were the main pieces, or were otherwise never brought forth, when this prophet himself has uncovered many of the Old Testament figures, as he does here with the priesthood, and above with the ark of Moses, and the like. .
And there shall be no more Cananite in the house of the Lord in that day.
(34) In times past, some Canaanites remained among the people, as we see in Joshua [Cap. 16, 10. 17, 12.) and Judges [Cap. 1, 29. 30.), that there was not a pure people of Israel in the land, but in Christ's time no unholy person shall not be in Christendom; they must all be of one mind and faith, that neither heretics nor other false Christians remain among them. Yes, they separate themselves like chaff, Ps. 1, 4.
So these last parts of the text move me, that I understand this chapter not of the last judgment, but full of Christianity. For all cauldrons are to be sanctified, and the armor of horses is also to be sanctified, and that sin should be to despise the feast of tabernacles, and almost all of the pieces, without the one about the mountain of oil that was cut in pieces, do not rhyme well with the last judgment, but quite well with Christianity, which lives on earth in faith and word. Whoever can do better, has room and arbor enough for it. May Christ help and protect us in his simple mind. Amen.