THEN YOU WILL KNOW

"And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and THOU SHALT KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME unto thee" (Zech 2:11). "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and THOU SHALT KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME unto you" (Zech 4:9). "And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and YE SHALL KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God" (Zech 6:15).

"THEN YOU WILL KNOW that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you." These are the words of the revealing angel who was making these things known to Zechariah (4:1,4,5), and with whom he was talking (4:2,5,13). They were also words the prophet would no doubt relay to Zerubbabel and the people. A project was under way to rebuild the Temple, and it was headed up by Zerubbabel. However, the work was not progressing as well as was desired. As a consequence, discouragement was setting in, and some people began to doubt that the work could ever be finished – even though God Himself had commanded that it be done.

NOW COMES A WORD FROM HEAVEN that the completion of the building of the Temple would confirm that the work itself had been ordained and commissioned by God. Although the work involved the labors of men, it was not originated by them.

THIS WAS AN APPOINTED WORK – one that was initiated from heaven, and into which men were drawn by God. The Lord had "stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia" to commission that the temple be built (2 Chron 36:22; Ezra 1:1; Isa 45:13). He had also summoned kings Darius are Artaxerses to the work, moving them to command the work to be done (Ezra 6:14). The spirits of the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, the Levites, and others, had been "raised," or stirred up, by God to "go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:5). Ezra had been moved to prepare the people for the Temple by returning to holiness (Ezra 10:10-16). Nehemiah had been moved to rebuild the walls around the holy city (Neh 2:13-18). There was no question about it, this was the work of God!

THE POINT, HOWEVER, was the completion of the work – finishing what God had commissioned to be done. The angel apprizes the prophet that when the house of God was completed, then he and the people would "know the Lord of hosts" had sent him.TWICE HEARD. This is not initial knowledge, but confirming knowledge. It is when the truth comes home to the heart the second time. David referred to this kind of knowledge when he said, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God" (Psa 62:11). This is the knowledge that confirms the soul – the inner witness that brings stability. It is a deeper knowledge that is more related to faith than the intellect.

THE ANGEL HAS ALREADY MENTIONED this kind of knowledge twice to Zechariah. "For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me" (2:9). And again, "And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee" (2:11). What a precious knowledge this is!

EZEKIEL. The Lord frequently speaks of this kind of knowledge – the knowledge that comes from seeing the fulfillment of what He has promised. How poignantly it was revealed to Ezekiel. "And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: THEN SHALL YE KNOW that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD" (Ezek 37:14). And again, "And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: AND YE SHALL KNOW that I am the LORD" (Ezek 20:38).

ISAIAH. Isaiah also spoke in this manner when he foretold the restoration of the Jews. "Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; AND THOU SHALT KNOW that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me" (Isa 49:22-23).

JOEL. In his declaration of the era of the New Covenant, Joel also mentioned this kind of knowledge. "The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

SO SHALL YE KNOW that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (Joel 3:17).JESUS. Jesus also spoke in this manner. "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, THEN SHALL YE KNOW that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things" (John 8:28).

IT IS MY PRAYER that you will have some of these confirming experiences – times when you will be able to say, "Now I know!"

– Given O. Blakely