Zechariah – Chapter 14

Old Testament21 Verses

Chapter Summary

Zechariah 14 opens with the words: "Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee." Across its 21 verses, two threads run through the text: God's kingdom and kingship and God feeding His people. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee.

2And I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses shall be rifled, and the women shall be defiled: and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the rest of the people shall not be taken away out of the city.

3Then the Lord shall go forth, and shall fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is over against Jerusalem towards the east: and the mount of Olives shall be divided in the midst thereof to the east, and to the west with a very great opening, and half of the mountain shall be separated to the north, and half thereof to the south.

5And you shall flee to the valley of those mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall be joined even to the next, and you shall flee as you fled from the face of the earthquake in the days of Ozias king of Juda: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with him.

6And it shall come to pass in that day, that there shall be no light, but cold and frost.

7And there shall be one day, which is known to the Lord, not day nor night: and in the time of the evening there shall be light:

8And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem: half of them to the east sea, and half of them to the last sea: they shall be in summer and in winter.

9And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name shall be one.

10And all the land shall return even to the desert, from the hill to Remmon to the south of Jerusalem: and she shall be exalted, and shall dwell in her own place, from the gate of Benjamin even to the place of the former gate, and even to the gate of the corners: and from the tower of Hananeel even to the king's winepresses.

11And people shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more an anathema: but Jerusalem shall sit secure.

12And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord shall strike all nations that have fought against Jerusalem: the flesh of every one shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

13In that day there shall be a great tumult from the Lord among them: and a man shall take the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall be clasped upon his neighbour's hand.

14And even Juda shall fight against Jerusalem: and the riches of all nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and garments in great abundance.

15And the destruction of the horse, and of the mule, and of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts, that shall be in those tents, shall be like this destruction.

16And all they that shall be left of all nations that came against Jerusalem, shall go up from year to year, to adore the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

17And it shall come to pass, that he that shall not go up of the families of the land to Jerusalem, to adore the King, the Lord of hosts, there shall be no rain upon them.

18And if the family of Egypt go not up nor come: neither shall it be upon them, but there shall be destruction wherewith the Lord will strike all nations that will not go up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

19This shall be the sin of Egypt, and this the sin of all nations, that will not go up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

20In that day that which is upon the bridle of the horse shall be holy to the Lord: and the caldrons in the house of the Lord shall be as the phials before the altar.

21And every caldron in Jerusalem and Juda shall be sanctified to the Lord of hosts: and all that sacrifice shall come, and take of them, and shall seethe in them: and the merchant shall be no more in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.

Important Verses in Zechariah 14

Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Zechariah 14:1

And there shall be one day, which is known to the Lord, not day nor night: and in the time of the evening there shall be light:

Zechariah 14:7

In that day there shall be a great tumult from the Lord among them: and a man shall take the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall be clasped upon his neighbour's hand.

Zechariah 14:13

In that day that which is upon the bridle of the horse shall be holy to the Lord: and the caldrons in the house of the Lord shall be as the phials before the altar.

Zechariah 14:20

Historical Context

Zechariah addresses the post-exilic community, and all who would recognize the Messiah's coming within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 14 of 14 brings the book to its close, gathering up themes introduced earlier. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 21 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. It opens with the line: "Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee." The chapter ends with: "And every caldron in Jerusalem and Juda shall be sanctified to the Lord of hosts: and all that sacrifice shall come,…" The wider setting of Zechariah is this: A contemporary of Haggai, Zechariah encouraged the Temple's rebuilding through eight night visions, then looked far beyond it: a king coming 'humble and riding on a donkey' (9:9), the shepherd sold for thirty pieces of… The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Beginning in 520 BC; later chapters possibly added by his school.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah

When It Was Written

Beginning in 520 BC; later chapters possibly added by his school

Catholic Commentary

In this 21-verse passage, the sacred author describes events, speeches, or revelations central to messianic visions and the coming king. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee." The passage repeatedly touches on God's kingdom and kingship.

According to Catholic interpretation, this chapter contributes to the book's portrait of messianic visions and the coming king. Zechariah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ's passion (CIC 557). The Catechism and the liturgy frequently draw on such passages to nourish faith and moral life (CIC 2632).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that Behold, your king comes to you, humble and riding on a donkey. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Zechariah 14 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.
  • From the manna to the Last Supper, God feeds His people — fully in the Eucharist.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

Reflection for Today

Zechariah Chapter 14 belongs to the Old Testament and forms part of the Catholic canon proclaimed in the liturgy of the Word.

Through typology, the Church often reads Old Testament passages as preparing for Christ, while New Testament passages reveal Him explicitly. Zechariah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ's passion (CIC 557). Here the believer is invited to ponder poverty of spirit and detachment.

Consider praying with this chapter again at day's end, offering God gratitude for one insight received. The Church encourages daily contact with Scripture (CIC 1032) so that Christ's mind may be formed in us.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zechariah Chapter 14 about?

Zechariah 14 contains 21 verses. It opens with "Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee." and closes with "And every caldron in Jerusalem and Juda shall be sanctified to the Lord of hosts: and all that sacrifice shall come,…". The book as a whole is prophetic visions and messianic oracles.

What is a key verse in Zechariah 14?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Behold the days of the Lord shall come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote Zechariah and when?

The prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah. Beginning in 520 BC; later chapters possibly added by his school.

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