Zechariah 14:6 kjv
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
Zechariah 14:6 nkjv
It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish.
Zechariah 14:6 niv
On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness.
Zechariah 14:6 esv
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.
Zechariah 14:6 nlt
On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,
Zechariah 14 6 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Zechariah 14:6 | "And it shall be, in that day..." | Day of the Lord / Future Event |
Zechariah 14:7 | "...it shall be one day which is known to the Lord, ..." | God's Sovereignty |
Revelation 21:23 | "The city had no need of sun or of moon to shine in it..." | New Jerusalem / Divine Light |
Revelation 22:5 | "...they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light." | New Jerusalem / Divine Light |
Isaiah 30:26 | "Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun..." | Messianic Age / Divine Light |
Isaiah 60:19 | "The sun shall no longer be your light by day..." | Messianic Age / Divine Light |
1 Corinthians 15:41 | "There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon..." | Heavenly Bodies / Resurrection |
Psalm 74:16 | "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours;" | God's Dominion Over Time |
Genesis 1:3 | "Let there be light;" | God's Creative Power |
Exodus 10:21 | "Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt...’" | Divine Judgment / Darkness |
Amos 5:8 | "He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns death into the morning..." | God's Astronomical Control |
Joel 2:31 | "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood..." | Day of the Lord / Cosmic Signs |
Matthew 24:29 | "Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light..." | Jesus' Olivet Discourse / Cosmic Signs |
Mark 13:24 | "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light..." | Jesus' Olivet Discourse / Cosmic Signs |
Luke 21:25 | "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars..." | Jesus' Olivet Discourse / Cosmic Signs |
Acts 2:20 | "The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes." | Pentecost / Prophecy Fulfillment |
John 8:12 | "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." | Jesus as Divine Light |
1 John 1:5 | "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." | God as Light |
Philippians 2:15 | "...that you may be blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation..." | Witnessing in Darkness |
Romans 13:12 | "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." | Living in Light |
Zechariah 14 verses
Zechariah 14 6 Meaning
This verse describes a supernatural cessation of ordinary sources of light, signaling divine intervention and judgment, possibly tied to the day of the Lord. It emphasizes God's unique power over the natural order and a subsequent period of divine illumination and peace following tribulation.
Zechariah 14 6 Context
Zechariah 14 depicts a future eschatological event, often referred to as the "day of the Lord." This chapter culminates a series of prophetic visions concerning Jerusalem's future restoration and vindication. Specifically, chapter 14 focuses on the final deliverance of Jerusalem from invading forces, a decisive divine intervention, and the subsequent establishment of God's universal reign. The verse in question describes an unprecedented disruption of natural light, immediately preceding God's presence and rule from Jerusalem. This cosmic upheaval is part of the purification and transformation of the earth for a new era of peace and divine communion. The immediate context of verse 6 sets the stage for a miraculous occurrence on a day known only to God, before His eventual coming to establish His kingdom.
Zechariah 14 6 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (və·hā·yāh): "and it shall be" or "and it came to pass." This common introductory phrase signals a consequential event or a shift in the narrative. It sets a prophetic tone, indicating something future and significant.
- בַּיּוֹם (ba·yōm): "in the day." Here, "day" signifies a specific, often crucial, time. In prophetic literature, "the day of the LORD" is a prominent concept referring to a time of divine judgment and/or salvation.
- הַהוּא (ha·hô·): "that day" or "that." This demonstrative pronoun specifies a particular day, pointing to the future context previously established (e.g., the day of judgment and salvation mentioned earlier in Zechariah 12 and 13).
- אוֹר (’ōr): "light." This word signifies natural light, such as from the sun or moon. Its removal or alteration implies a supernatural event.
- יִהְיֶה (yih·yeh): "shall be" or "will be." Future tense, continuing the prophetic outlook.
- קָפָא (qā·p̄â): "shall be removed," "shall be extinguished," or "shall congeal." This is a significant and somewhat unusual verb. While sometimes translated as "frozen," in this context, it conveys a sense of stopping, cessation, or utter darkness, perhaps even a freezing of the normal functioning of light. It implies a divine withholding of the usual sources of illumination. The term suggests a sudden and complete failure of light, a negation of its normal properties and sources.
- וְאוֹר (wə·’ōr): "and light." Again, "light," emphasizing the nature of what is removed.
- קַרָּח (qar·raḥ): "and frost," "clearness," or "brightness." This word is challenging in this context. It can mean baldness or brightness. Some interpret it as a type of frost or extreme cold, contrasting with the cessation of heat. Others see it as an intensification of light in a different, perhaps spiritual, sense, or a peculiar atmospheric condition. The meaning here is debated, but it most likely refers to a dimming or altered quality of light, or perhaps a phenomenon associated with extreme cold or clear but non-luminous skies, rather than normal light. The "and" could connect it to the preceding light being removed or imply a dual absence of bright light and its typical associated heat or vibrancy. It likely refers to a state where light exists but does not provide its usual warmth or intensity, or it could be the removal of both normal light and extreme brightness.
Word-Group Analysis
- "And it shall be in that day": Establishes the temporal framework for the described event within the eschatological "day of the Lord."
- "light shall be removed, and light cold/frost": This is the core phrase describing the celestial anomaly. It suggests the removal or cessation of the normal light sources (sun, moon) and possibly an accompanying condition of frigid clarity or altered atmospheric luminosity. The "cold" or "frost" aspect suggests a stripping away of the vitalizing warmth that light normally brings, emphasizing desolation or divine judgment.
Zechariah 14 6 Bonus Section
The concept of celestial disturbances as signs of divine intervention is a recurring theme in biblical prophecy. The cessation of light and associated atmospheric phenomena can be interpreted both literally as a physical manifestation of God's power and symbolically representing the downfall of earthly powers and the dawn of a new divine era. Scholars have noted the similarities between Zechariah's prophecy and the "signs in sun, moon, and stars" described by Jesus in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), suggesting a unified prophetic theme of cosmic portents preceding climactic divine events. The specific verb qap̣a is crucial; its nuance implies a freezing or cessation, distinguishing this event from a mere dimming of light.
Zechariah 14 6 Commentary
Zechariah 14:6 presents a scene of cosmic disruption on "that day"—a term for the eschatological Day of the Lord. The verse vividly portrays the cessation of natural light sources, an event described as "light being removed" and a peculiar state of "coldness" or "frost." This signifies a profound disruption of the natural order, indicating God's direct intervention. This supernatural darkness serves as a prelude to the Lord's arrival in glory, turning judgment into salvation for His people. The removal of normal light contrasts sharply with the subsequent description of divine illumination in verses 7-9, where the Lord Himself becomes the source of light and peace for the restored earth. The peculiar "coldness" might imply a void where the sun's warmth should be, or an unearthly brilliance lacking heat. This signifies that the systems men relied on are being stripped away, awaiting the true, life-giving light of God's presence. This event echoes prophetic warnings and descriptions of the Day of the Lord found throughout Scripture, including in Joel, Isaiah, and the Gospels.