Jealous God

Verse 18 says, “Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and will have compassion for His people.” From this verse, let us learn several things. (1) The Lord loves the land of Israel, and especially Jerusalem. This is also written in Zechariah 1:14 and 8:2. (2) That love is a jealous love. That God is a “jealous God” is written in Exodus 34:14: “For you shall not worship any other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (see also Ezek. 39:25). (3) The land of Israel and the people of Israel have an extremely close relationship. When we consider that verse 18 is written in Hebrew parallelism, we can see even more clearly how close that relationship is. The God who loves the land of Israel with jealous zeal also has compassion on the people of Israel. In other words, even though many of the people of Israel may be killed, they will never be completely annihilated. Some people think that the importance of Jerusalem has passed, based on the following words that the Lord Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman: “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John 4:21). However, according to biblical prophecy, in the end times Jerusalem will once again become the center where God’s redemptive drama unfolds.

The battle of Armageddon

Verse 20 contains the expression “the northern army.” This refers to a third invasion, an invasion by a human army. (1) When the forces from the north advance against the land of Israel, the final battle, the battle of Armageddon, will begin. (2) However, by the power of God, Israel will escape destruction. Many of the enemy forces that come from the north will die in the Negev Desert (the southern region of Israel). Those who remain will be driven into the Dead Sea (the eastern sea) and the Mediterranean Sea (the western sea). (3) The stench of the slain will rise over the entire surrounding area. This will be a sign that the enemy has committed great evil. God’s “jealous love” for the people of Israel is also directed toward us in Jesus Christ. James says this: “Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, ‘He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us’?” (James 4:5). In other words, those who have received God’s love are to walk in obedience to God. When we do so, the devil will have no choice but to flee from us.