Zechariah 14:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As the Apostle Paul states, ‘We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad’ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Indeed, ‘He shall come, saith He, and all the saints with Him,’ referring to the pure assembly of holy angels surrounding Him, acts in His service, for Emmanuel is Lord of all and is glorified by them as God alongside Him who begotten Him. Furthermore, it is asserted that the saints themselves will be present, taken up in the clouds to meet Him in the air soon after His resurrection from the dead, as the wise Paul believes (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Similarly, the prophet Isaiah proclaims: ‘The firkins there shall meet, and shall see one another's faces: they shall pass away in number, and one of them shall not perish, neither shall they seek one another: for the Lord commanded them, and his spirit shall gather me’ (Isaiah 34:15-16). The divine David also foretells the descent of Christ, our Redeemer: ‘For the Lord will not cast away his people, nor forsake his inheritance, until the truth be turned to judgment, and those who hold fast to it shall all reign in their hearts’ (Psalm 93:14-15). Christ embodies truth, and He proclaims, ‘He shall turn to judgment.’ After experiencing death, He ascended to the Father, God who is in heaven (John 20:17). Yet ‘He shall return for judgement,’ accompanied by ‘all those who rule the heart,’ meaning the saints, as previously mentioned. It is indicated that at the end of the world, a new state of creation will emerge, rejuvenated by Christ, leading to a better existence. The prophet assures us by saying, ‘In that day there shall be no light, and winter and darkness shall be in one day: and that day we know the Lord.’ Here, the distinction of day and night is made clear; according to the Creator's intent, they mark time, with day following night. When the Judge comes to transform all things at His discretion, creation will experience a remarkable change, as previously stated, for ‘there shall be no light, and winter, and frost in one day.’ The conditions of night will cease to exist, transitioning the twenty-four hours into a single day. This illustrates that ‘When He descends from heaven, transforming everything for the better as the Creator, there shall be neither night nor daylight.’ A similar declaration is found in the blessed prophet Isaiah: ‘The sun shall not be to you for light by day; nor shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory’ (Isaiah 60:19). On that fateful day, the very operations of nature will be altered; Christ Himself assures us, saying, ‘But after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not provide its light’ (Matthew 24:29). Christ will be our everlasting light, our ceaseless and perpetual day. ‘And that day, He says, we know the Lord,’ for only God the Father knows the appointed end, as the Son declares, ‘But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone’ (Matthew 24:46, cf. Mark 13:32). Since He is regarded as a man like us, He does not possess knowledge of what is in the Father. However, being of divine nature, as He emanates from the Father, He does know the last day, notwithstanding His statement of ignorance from His human perspective. The prophet adds, ‘And it shall not be day nor night, but at evening there shall be light,’ indicating that during the night, light will shine again in the heavenly realms through Christ, as darkness will be entirely dispelled and will no longer blind the eyes of the saints. There is also the notion that creation will undergo a transformation for the better, as the Savior’s disciple articulates, ‘The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, wherein the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up… Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14). This necessary conclusion leads us to acknowledge that if our condition will be one of renewed life, then a new creation is equally necessary for us. As the divine Paul writes: ‘For the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God’ (Rom. 8:21).

Concerning this darkness, the prophet asserts it is neither day nor night, for from the sixth hour darkness covered the entire earth until the ninth hour (Matthew 27:45), but during the evening, meaning from the ninth hour until sunset, there was light.

As this day approaches, there will be no illumination, only coldness and deep chill, reflecting the waning of love among people and the numerous trials that will arise. Many hearts will grow cold, forsaking the warmth of their previous faith. Following this, amidst the frigid despair of sinners, there will be an everlasting day, where light and darkness, night and day, shall no longer alternate. The Lord Himself will become the true light for all, just as Isaiah elaborates: “Thou shalt not have the sun for light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee by night” (Isaiah 60:19). In another passage, he proclaims to Jerusalem: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

While darkness and gloom envelop the nations, those that will walk in the brightness of the Lord are the nations that follow the kings, namely the apostles and prophets, for it is written, “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord” (Proverbs 21:1). Ultimately, during the evening, representing the trials and tribulations faced by all sinners, there will be light for the saints—a singular eternal day. Although this day is known to the Lord, as He is aware of all His creations, we must also consider His words in the Gospel when He stated that neither angels nor the Son knows this day, but the Father alone (Matt. 24:36).

The Lord swiftly granted him pardon and a fresh start, leading him into paradise to partake in heavenly joys.

As the ninth hour approached, Christ cried out to the Father, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). After a short time, He called out with a loud voice, "O Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). And then He added, "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46), before He surrendered His spirit. They buried Him before the sun set in a new tomb. On the dawn of the first day after the Sabbath, He rose from the dead, fulfilling His own prophecy that the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). After His resurrection, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, then to Cleopas along the road, and finally to us, His disciples, who had fled in fear from the Jews, though we secretly sought Him. All of this is documented in the Gospel.

Thus, this day was neither fully day nor fully night, for it lacked light throughout its entirety to be considered a day, and it also lacked darkness throughout to be deemed a night. Yet, after the ninth hour, the sun emerged again. The Prophet spoke of this precisely; when he declared, ‘and it is neither day nor night,’ he continued, ‘and at evening there shall be light.’ - Witness the accuracy of the Prophet; behold the truth that is written.