Zechariah 14:14

"And Judah shall also fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel in great abundance."

This is one of the most astonishing passages in the Old Testament. Although classified as "ambiguous"[26] by scholars, based upon the fact that the Hebrew word here rendered "at" (Judah shall fight at Jerusalem) may also be accurately rendered "against."[27] Although practically all of the current scholars insist that the passage means that Judah will fight in Jerusalem, we strongly believe that the RSV and the Douay Versions of this verse are correct: "And even Judah shall fight against Jerusalem."

"Jerusalem" signifies either all of the literal Jews, as used in some statements, or all of the people of God's church in other passages. "Judah" is not needed as an additional symbol used in connection with "Jerusalem" to mean the church. Therefore, "Judah" in this passage has reference to the secular, fleshly Israel, particularly that segment of Abraham's posterity who rejected Christ and have carried on a relentless war against Christianity ever since. That warfare is exactly what Zechariah prophesied here. Furthermore, this interpretation harmonizes perfectly with the revelation of Zechariah 12:2, in which the "cup of reeling" which destroys the enemies of the true Jerusalem (the church), falls likewise upon Judah, revealing Judah in that passage, as in this, as an enemy of God and his holy church. At any rate, that is what Judah has consistently been now for a period approaching two millenniums, and we believe that astounding truth is exactly what Zechariah here prophesied; and it will take something besides an alternate translation of a Hebrew word to destroy that conviction. Even if the alternate rendition (as in the ASV) is allowed, it still falls short of presenting Judah as a helper of the holy Jerusalem.

This understanding of the place is very old. The Catholic Bible translates it: "Even Juda shall fight against Jerusalem"; and the footnote explains it thus: "The carnal Jews and other false brothers shall unite in persecuting the church."[28]

"Gold... silver ... apparel ..." These elements of wealth are here represented as buttressing Judah's fight against Jerusalem, all three of them being precisely the type of wealth characteristic of carnal Jews throughout history.