Zech. 12:4-5

4 In that day [yowm], saith [na'um] the LORD [Yahovah], I will smite [nakah] every horse [cuwc] with astonishment [timmahown], and his rider [rakab] with madness [shigga`own]: and I will open [paqach] mine eyes [`ayin] upon the house [bayith] of Judah [Yahuwdah], and will smite [nakah] every horse [cuwc] of the people [`am] with blindness [`ivvarown].

5 And the governors ['alluwph] of Judah [Yahuwdah] shall say ['amar] in their heart [leb], The inhabitants [yashab] of Jerusalem [Yaruwshalaim] shall be my strength ['amtsah] in the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts [tsaba'] their God ['elohiym]. KJV-Interlinear

4 In that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with bewilderment, and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.' NASB

The fight for Jerusalem will not be just a battle, to whom the city goes the victor, and the defeated go to some prison camp, to be later released or traded in a prisoner exchange, or even prisoners that might be rescued by some freedom fighters.

This battle is to the death and no prisoners will be taken. You either win and survive, or you lose, and for the loser there will be no more tomorrows.

In history, there has always been a hope for the losers. Another country or even their own country would gain allies for help, and then seek their release. But at the end of the Tribulation, there will be no one to turn to, no one to whom a defeated party could look to for help. Everyone will be on their own.

When the earthquakes and tsunami s come crashing down on people around the world, there will be no rescue efforts, no rescue groups quickly assembling and on their way to provide relief. Those who are trapped or exposed to the elements will simply die from their injuries or from exposure. The injured and the helpless will also suffer at the hands of others like gangs, criminals and such, who are also caught up in the disaster.

Our passage is centered in Jerusalem in particular and Judah in general, at the time of the end of the Tribulation. Our study in Revelation 19 has brought us here in a round about way. We still have a lot to cover back in Ezekiel 39.

In Jerusalem, life will be the most difficult that anyone has ever been faced with, in all of human history. There will be no allies to turn to, and yet the Jewish people, who have believed in Christ, will fight for their lives, and they will be somewhat successful.

Their fighting successes will not be of their own making, however. God will bring about lots of confusion within the ranks of their enemies. This confusion will give the residents of Jerusalem hope, as well as time, while God continues to draw the evil enemies of the world, into the arena of Armageddon.

The Jewish peoples will be able to observe the maneuvers and activities of their enemies, and they will see them do many very weird things. The only explanation for their actions is that, it is the work of God causing their confusion, and bringing about their decisions for doing the things that they will be doing.

In defending Jerusalem, the Jewish people will presume that their enemies will be doing the logical things. They should be attacking here or there, and doing this or that. Any reasonable commander and fighting unit would be doing those things. But, the very unexpected actions of the enemy will make the Jewish people look at one another and ask the question, That was dumb. Why did they do this or that?

There will be mass confusion, blindness, and lack of coordination and worse. These are terms, which speak of a lack of communication, and confusion in purpose and objectives. Command and control functions will have broken down, and the common thought of the day will be, everyone for themselves.

The left hand will not know what the right hand is doing, and thus the enemy will not only be fighting the citizens of Jerusalem, but they will be fighting each other. A Jewish fighter might even fire in one direction and then in another, in order to get those enemy forces to shoot at each other.

The discipline that is necessary in a fighting army will have fallen by the wayside, and very exaggerated imaginations will be seeing death in every shadow and behind every door. Enemy troops will be filled with fear, and easily startled into knee-jerk reactions.

The enemies of Jerusalem, far out number the Jewish fighters. Realize that these Jewish fighters are by now, Christian in their faith. Jerusalem is out numbered and out gunned in every respect, and yet the enemy forces will make one blunder after another. This enemy confusion will serve to lift the spirits and moral of the citizens of Jerusalem.

The successful results for Jerusalem, from all of the many little battles, will be so dramatic that the leadership and those fighting for Jerusalem, will conclude that it is God, who is giving them their victories, as well as time. And, more important, it is the faith, of the people, which is gaining them this favorable treatment and protection, which is from God.

Now is the time to post a prayer.