Zechariah 12 Explained: The Last Days Convergence Surrounding Israel On That Day
Bible Study Guide
Introduction: Zechariah 12 Explained
Jesus, standing on the Mount of Olives the week before He was crucified, delivered His Olivet Discourse. It was a prophecy of the events of the Tribulation, directed specifically toward the Jewish people. In the same manner, God gives Zechariah prophetic events concerning the Jews that will occur before, during, and after the Tribulation.
Imagine standing on the top of a mountain, gazing out across the horizon. You see a series of mountain peaks rising in the distance. What you cannot see from that vantage point is the distance between each peak. This is how prophets were given prophetic revelation. Each peak represents a divinely revealed event, while the time and distance between those events remained hidden from their view. Thankfully, we now have the full counsel of Scripture, allowing us to discern the order and meaning God has ordained.
What makes Zechariah 12 so profound is that the opening movements of this prophecy are unfolding today, in our lifetime. The Olivet Discourse aligns directly with Zechariah’s vision. Jesus declared that the generation witnessing these signs would also see their fulfillment. We are that generation—watching the early peaks rise clearly into view as history moves toward its appointed climax.
“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” (Matthew 24:34)
This study explores what happens on that day, the prophetic phrase that anchors Zechariah 12 and pulls our attention toward the last days of this age.
On That Day God Establishes His Sovereign Authority (Zechariah 12:1)
(Verse 1) Zechariah introduces this prophecy with unmistakable authority. The phrase on that day appears no less than 15 times in the final chapters of this book, pointing not to a single twenty‑four‑hour period but to a divinely appointed season at the end of the age. It is the time when all that God has spoken through the prophets and through Jesus begins to converge.
Before describing the events themselves, God establishes who He is. He identifies Himself as the One who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit within mankind. By anchoring the prophecy in creation itself, God reminds us that the One who began history also determines its end. Because there was a beginning, there will be a conclusion—and on that day God will directly intervene in human affairs to bring His purposes to completion.
“A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth,” (Zechariah 12:1)
Zechariah even goes on to mention another early act of creation. Making man in the image of God, having spirit within him.
“and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares:” (Zechariah 12:1)
On That Day Jerusalem Becomes the Center of the World (Zechariah 12:2–3)
(Verses 2-3) Listen carefully to what Zechariah reveals. What he describes is no longer distant or theoretical—we are living in its early fulfillment. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been thrust into the center of global attention. Nations that could barely locate Israel on a map now obsess over her existence, her actions, and her right to defend herself.
Zechariah foretold that on that day Jerusalem would become a cup that sends surrounding peoples reeling and an immovable stone that injures all who try to move it. Since that moment in modern history, Israel has proven exactly that. Terror organizations and hostile nations have come against her and found themselves weakened, scattered, or exposed. Israel has become immovable—not by its own strength alone, but by the unseen hand of God.
Despite relentless pressure, Israel has prospered in sovereignty, defense, innovation, and national resolve. The days of bending to global demands at the expense of survival are over. Anyone who comes against Jerusalem today and on that day finds themselves reeling under the weight of divine resistance.
What does this have to do with the rapid rise in antisemitism?
On That Day God Goes Before Israel’s Enemies (Zechariah 12:4–5)
(Verses 4-5) Zechariah makes it unmistakably clear that Israel’s defense is not merely military—it is supernatural. God Himself promises to strike Israel’s enemies with panic and confusion while keeping His eyes fixed on Judah. No enemy that rises against Israel will ultimately prosper.
This truth echoes earlier prophetic assurances that Israel’s existence is as certain as the sun and moon in the heavens. As long as creation remains intact, Israel will remain a nation before God.
“This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the Lord Almighty is his name:
“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
On that day, antisemitism will intensify, but so will divine protection. As opposition grows, Israel’s strength will become a testimony that the Lord Almighty is her God.
On That Day God Makes Israel Unconquerable (Zechariah 12:6–8)
(Verses 6-8) Zechariah describes a future moment when God empowers Israel beyond human explanation. This does not negate coming conflicts—it prepares the stage for them. The groundwork is already being laid for larger alliances and greater opposition, including the Ezekiel War coalition described in Ezekiel 38–39.
The events that followed October 7, 2023 will force Iran to move toward more powerful alliances with nations from the Ezekiel war coalition—Turkey, Russia, Libya, and Ethiopia. As Iran lays powerless, ashamed, and defeated her attention will naturally turn to a clear view of the coming Ezekiel War.
Yet even as enemies gather, on that day God declares that Israel will not be defeated. The nation may be surrounded, pressured, and threatened, but victory will not belong to her adversaries. God Himself will ensure that His purposes advance, regardless of how overwhelming the opposition appears.
On That Day God Destroys the Nations That Attack Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:9)
(Verse 9) This verse widens the prophetic lens. On that day, God sets out to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem. While this includes the final Battle of Armageddon, it also encompasses the series of wars that rage throughout the Tribulation period, beginning with the Ezekiel War.
In that conflict, Israel will not prevail by its own power. God will intervene unmistakably, defeating Israel’s enemies in a way that leaves no doubt about His hand. This divine intervention carries through every final conflict until the return of Christ brings this current age to its close.
On That Day Blindness Is Removed and Grace Is Poured Out (Zechariah 12:10)
(Verse 10) The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Jews in Rome and said:
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening (blindness) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” (Romans 11:25-26)
This blindness upon the Jews is part of God’s divine redemptive plan. So that salvation might come to the Gentiles through the Jews. This was not a total or permanent blindness. It was meant for the purpose of extending grace to the Gentiles until the full number appointed by God had come in to accept Christ as their Savior.
One of the most profound moments on that day is spiritual rather than military. God pours out a spirit of grace and supplication upon Israel, lifting the partial blindness that has remained until the fullness of the Gentiles is complete. This blindness was never permanent—it was purposeful.
Verse 10 brings us to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. The remnant that remains will recognize the One they pierced. National repentance will follow. The remnant preserved through the Tribulation—one third of the nation—will turn fully to their Messiah. In that moment, all Israel will be saved, exactly as God promised.
“All of Israel” is the one-third that did not perish in the Tribulation. They will have survived. Being divinely ordained and preserved by God for this very moment at the end of earth’s worst days in history. Zechariah explains this in Zechariah 13:
“In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
“two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
yet one-third will be left in it.” (Zechariah 13:8)
A Sorrowful Nation Reminded of Their Messiah (Zechariah 12:11)
(Verse 11) The Jews will weep in sorrow and mourn over what they did to Jesus at the cross when they see Him return and their blindness is removed. This is compared to the weeping in Hadad Rimmon. This is a reference to the story in 2 Chronicles 35:22-25 of the good King Josiah. In the plains of Megiddo (where we get our word Armageddon), in Hadad Rimmon is where the king was killed by Pharaoh of Egypt.
This moment stands at the heart of Zechariah’s end-times framework, where repentance leads to restoration.
On That Day Mourning Turns Into Restoration (Zechariah 12:12–14)
(Verses 12-14) Zechariah closes the chapter by describing a deep, personal mourning that touches every facet of Israeli life—royal (King David), prophet (Nathan), and priestly (Levi). The sorrow is genuine, but it is not hopeless. On that day, mourning becomes the doorway into restoration of Israel and their relationship with Messiah.
Those who survive (remnant) will cross into the Millennial Kingdom, restored, forgiven, and redeemed. The rejected Shepherd will reign, and the promises spoken long ago will stand fulfilled. Zechariah 12 is not merely a warning—it is a declaration that God keeps His word, and history is moving steadily toward that day.
Closing Reflection
Zechariah’s words no longer feel distant. They are pressing in on our moment. The return to the land is underway, the regathering continues, and the remnant is being drawn home even now. History is not drifting—it is being guided. What was spoken long ago is moving steadily toward fulfillment.
A refining still lies ahead. The fire will come, and through it a remnant will be preserved—tested, purified, and made ready. Like gold and silver drawn from the furnace, what remains will bear the mark of God’s faithfulness and purpose. Nothing will be wasted.
And beyond the fire is glory. The surviving remnant will cross from sorrow into restoration, from survival into original purpose — to bless the nations. The King will stand in His land, and the long-awaited promise will give way to peace. The age will turn. The kingdom will come. And in the presence of Christ, all will be made right.
On that day, all will be good.
📖 Related Prophetic Bible Studies
Explore additional Scripture passages that align with the prophetic themes discussed in this study.
• Matthew 24:29-31 – The Second Coming and the Gathering of the Saints
• Revelation 19:11-14 – The Second Coming of Christ & the Battle of Armageddon
Closing Prayer for Discernment and Wisdom
Faithful God,
Open our eyes to see what You have spoken and our hearts to understand what You are revealing. Give us discernment to rightly understand Your Word and wisdom to recognize the times in which we live. Guard us from confusion, anchor us in truth, and lead us by Your Spirit into understanding that produces faith, obedience, and peace. Teach us to listen, to watch, and to trust You as Your purposes unfold.
In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
<< Zechariah 11:1-17 “Rejected Shepherd, Broken Covenant, and the Road to the Last Days” | “The Final Refining Before the King Returns” Zechariah 13:1-9 >>