Zechariah 8

1-17 God’s Promises to Zion

1-8 The LORD through Zechariah declares his jealousy for Zion, and makes these promises:

• Jerusalem will once again be faithful and holy;
• Old men and women will once again sit in the streets while the children play there;
• Though it seems impossible, God will save his remnant from the east and west countries;
• He will be their God and they will be His people.

9-13 Before, there were no wages and no safety, but now:

• Peace will be sown;
• The ground and sky will produce, and my people will possess the fertile land;
• I will save you and be a blessing to you.

14-17 Just as I purposed against your ancestors, so I purpose good for you. This is what you must do:

• Speak the truth to each other;
• Render true judgments, and make peace
• Do not do the things I hate: devise evil and love false oaths

18-19 Joyful Fasting

18-19 The fasts of the 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th months will be cheerful festivals; “therefore, love truth and peace.” The fast of the 4th month occurred on the 9th day because of the following incident recorded in 2 Kings 25:3-4:

On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city wall; the king with all the soldiers fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. They went in the direction of the Arabah.

5th month fast, to observe the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in Jeremiah 52:12-13:

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month - which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon - Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.

7th and 10th months, from the commentary by Gill:

and the fast of the seventh; the month Tisri, which answers to September; on the third of this month a fast was kept on account of the murder of Gedaliah; see (Zechariah 7:5) and on the tenth day of the same was the day of atonement, which was the grand fast; see (Acts 27:9) : and the fast of the tenth;
the month Tebet; which answers to December, on the tenth day of which the city of Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar.

20-23 Many People Drawn to Jerusalem

20-23 People will come from cities and nations of every language to seek God and His favor in Jerusalem, taking hold of Jews and saying “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” When I read this, I immediately thought of the Day of Pentecost, where all Jews gathered, but as Gill points out, this is also talking about the Gentiles, who did indeed gather in the churches in Corinth, Antioch and Thessalonica. Another thought: When was the last time anyone told us: “I want to come to church with you, because I can see that God is with you”? Is that because people aren’t seeking, or because it’s not that obvious that God is with us?