A Question About Zechariah 8:23
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
A querist asks, “In Zechariah 8:23 KJV the phrase, “take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew” is a very interesting phrase. Can you please tell me what this phrase refers to?”
The “skirt” of a Jew was one that had a fringe and blue ribbon upon it (Numbers 15:38; Deuteronomy 22:12) and was a distinguishing badge of a Jew.
The idea here presented is that the Gentiles shall eagerly seek to share the religious privileges of the Jew. This was fulfilled in Acts 13:44-52 when the Jews angrily rejected God’s Word (Acts 13:44-45) and the Gentiles gladly accepted and were obedient to God’s Word (Acts 13:48).
Zechariah 8:18-23 is a prediction of the setting up of the Lord’s church (kingdom) and the reign of Christ over His kingdom (church) beginning at Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:22; cf. Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Acts 2).
The same prediction is in Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-5. It is the kingdom the prophet Daniel saw in his prediction of the kingdom that was to “stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).