Zechariah 14:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

‘Behold, saith He, the days of the Lord,’ which signifies the periods marked by just and righteous judgment. Thus, it is accurate what another prophet states: “There is no evil in the city, neither will the Lord do evil” (Am. 3:6), for any calamity that befalls the city must occur only through His divine permission and will to chastise those irresistibly inclined toward sin. He identifies these days because His wrath is made known, particularly during a time when the people had grown wild, having assaulted the prophets and joined them in persecution. The prophecies concerning those days disclose: ‘thy lucre shall be divided in thee (evidently all nations gathered together), and the houses shall be scattered,’ with wives along with their children forcibly taken away; it is stated that ‘half the city shall go into captivity.’ History reveals that the Romans, upon capturing the city, paid little attention to the audacity of those who resisted them, setting fire to the temple and the fortifications, yet sparing the inhabitants of the upper city and the temple who sought their mercy. Observe the boldness, as the victors, though having looted the homes, did not hastily depart with their spoils, instead choosing to divide them within the city itself—a scenario that would not have transpired had there been any protectors for those who suffered such devastation or champions against the marauders. The tragedy of war is reflected in how wives are violated, forcibly seized by others while stripped of their dignity, often before their rightful spouses. Such are the grim realities of conflict and the misfortunes faced by those who have been subjugated and left utterly defenseless.

How dire will be the circumstances necessitating the division of spoils within the city! Typically, when a city is suddenly besieged, its riches are shared beyond its walls to avoid further attack. However, in this instance, the extent of devastation will compel the victors to distribute the spoils within the city, secure in their triumph. Jerusalem, beset by the fury of all nations, will be overtaken, its homes ravaged, and its women dishonored—causing immense grief to the husbands and lords who find themselves unable to prevent the looting and the violation of their wives, as noted elsewhere: They that are gathered together among you shall fall by the sword, and shall tear your children before your eyes, and plunder your houses, and take your wives (Isaiah 13:15-16). Nothing could be more dreadful than to face such horrors, where fear for their own lives leads them to forgo defense of their children's lives and their wives’ purity. The prophet Amos speaks similarly to the sinful priest Amaziah: Your wife shall be unfaithful in the city, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided by a surveyor’s line (Amos 7:17). All these events will befall the city of Judah due to the rebellion of the tribes and the futile conspiracies of nations; kings have risen and rulers have united against the Lord and His Anointed (Psalm 2:1-2). But He ridiculed their plots, and in His wrath, He caused confusion among them. This was evident even to the Apostle, who recognized that the time for repentance had expired; yet those who crucified the Lord and persecuted His prophets and apostles persisted in their denial, leading to the Apostle’s lament: The wrath is coming upon them or upon us to the end (1 Thessalonians 2:16). Josephus, in his historical account, details the suffering of the Jews, which exceeded even the prophetic descriptions. Similarly, Cornelius Tacitus chronicles events during the reigns from Augustus to Domitian in his extensive writings. The seizure of the central part of the city while others remained fortified is highlighted, showing that while the lower and northern sections were overrun, the temple mount and Zion, where the fortress stood, remained secure. The Jews contend that these events will occur under Gog, while others claim partial fulfillment during the reigns of various kingdoms, including the Macedonians and Egyptians. Yet, we shall leave the determination of timing to the Lord and focus on elucidating the scripture.