Zechariah 8:22

"Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

This is but a continuation of the prophecy of the previous two verses regarding the worldwide multiplication of followers of Jehovah during the reign of Christ, that is, during the present times, when Christ is upon his throne in full possession of "All authority in heaven and upon earth" (Matthew 28:18-20).

"In Jerusalem ..."

"In the light of what preceded we now realize that seeking "in Jerusalem" is purely a bit of local color that states the case in the thought forms of the 01d Covenant, where all seeking the Lord was required to be done there."[17]

Also, these words are appropriate, because it was indeed "from Jerusalem" that the word of the gospel went out to all nations, and that "Salvation is of the Jews."

"Him that is a Jew ..." We recognize here a reference to the Messiah himself. "How earnestly have men sought salvation! They find it in Him, a member of the Jewish race, the Saviour of the world."[18]

Failing, absolutely, to find anything resembling even a token fulfillment of this in the period of Israel prior to Christ's coming, and denying its application to the spread of Christianity, the premillennialists suppose that:

"Here is a remarkable picture, not of world conversion in this age, but of the restoration of the Jew to the center of God's favor. With the Davidic kingdom established, Israel will be a medium of blessing to the entire globe."[19]

We cannot accept such a notion, because the apostle Peter, whom we believe to be inspired, stated categorically on Pentecost that the resurrection and elevation of Christ to the right hand of God in heaven was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the restoration of the Davidic kingdom.

"The literal fulfillment of this prophecy (centering the kingdom of God in literal Jerusalem) is not to be looked for. This declares the future conversion of the Gentiles, and their being made one with Israel in the Church of Christ, `one fold under one Shepherd'" (John 10:16).[20]

"Ten men ... out of all the languages of the nations ..." is a perfect number, following the Hebrew usage of numbers, standing for an infinitely greater number from all the nations, that is, the Gentiles of the world. The same number applied to the "ten horns" of Revelation's scarlet colored beast (Revelation 13) is a similar usage standing for the numerous world powers that shall rise up simultaneously following the progression of the seven great monolithic powers identified as the seven heads. It is our conviction that we now live in the age of the "ten horns" of the beast. Higginson also pointed out this usage of the number ten: "Ten stands for an indefinitely large number."[21]

This chapter ends the first section of Zechariah, all of the visions and direct revelations forming the overture, or prelude, for the rest of the prophecy. Just as no one expects the second movement of a symphony to follow the pattern of the first, so we should be prepared for a different type of book in the remaining six chapters.

How incredible must this prophecy have seemed to the enemies of Israel. Who could have believed that a little handful of despised returnees would yet see the whole world turn to one of them for redemption and salvation? Yet it has been gloriously fulfilled.