Zechariah 14:7

The Prophet is speaking of the last times—the period after 'that day' when the 'feet' of the Lord 'shall stand upon the Mount of Olives'.

Whether 'that day' refers to the occasion when our Lord made His public entry into Jerusalem, and, pausing on Olivet, 'wept' over the doomed city, or whether it refers to His future Second Coming, when He shall 'reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously,' one thing is certain, that after that day a period follows, which is described as being 'neither clear nor dark: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night'.

I. 'At evening time it shall be light' There are two principles in this promise which, for the most part, regulate all the dealings of God. There is—

1. A principle of surprise. God delights to frustrate human speculation. The day seems passing; the darkness deepening; night falling, when, in a moment, the light kindles into meridian lustre; 'at evening time it shall be light'. Thus human pride and reason is humbled, and God's glory and love stand out alone and supreme.

2. The principle of patience. The blessing waits till the 'evening'. You look for it in the morning watch, or you seek for it at midday, but it is nowhere to be found; it is 'evening' now; soon it shall be night, when—lo! it is here. Do not doubt but that the morning's gifts, be they what they may, are as nothing to the evening's blessing. The sun may have been shining on you throughout the day, but still, 'at evening time it shall be light'.

II. Consider how true the text is of old age under certain conditions. The old age of a purely worldly man or woman is one of the most distressing and abject of all sights. One cannot be surprised that such dread to be even thought old. The very power to please or to derive pleasure, as they understand it—all gone Boon companions, where are they? A solitary being, with very uncomfortable thoughts of the past, looking back on sin and folly—forward, to a dark unknown. But mark the Christian man. He, too, has reached the verge of life's pilgrimage. He has had his share, perhaps more than the average, of cares and trials by the way; his physical powers, too, are waning fast, many a loved object has passed from his sight; but all along he knew full well that this world is no resting-place, and that there is nought abiding; and therefore he did not set his affections on things below, but on things above. Now in such a man there are things—sweet memories of the past, confidence in that Arm which has supported him throughout his pilgrimage, hopes of the future, 'sure and certain'; and the old man's 'mouth is filled with praises, and his tongue with joy'. His old age is the happiest and brightest period of his life; while others are nearing the tomb in darkness and uncertainty, his last words will be the triumphant cry, 'At evening time it shall be light'.

References.—XIV. 7.—T. De Witt Talmage, Sermons (1st Series), p. 16. T. A. Gurney, Nunc Dimittis, p. 10. T. L. Cuyler, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxi. 1902, p. 121; see also vol. lxxii. 1907, p. 94. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iii. No. 160. XIV. 8, 9.—W. Green, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlvii. 1895, p. 315. XIV. 9.—F. E. Paget, Helps and Hindrances to the Christian Life, vol. i. p. 14. XIV. 20.—J. Pulsford, Infoldings and Unfoldings, p. 58. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vii. No. 399. J. Stalker, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lv. 1899, p. 118. G. T. Candlin, ibid. vol. lxi. 1902, p. 396. XIV. 20, 21.—C. Brown, ibid. vol. xliv. 1893, p. 373.