ZECHARIAH 7-8 - INTERMISSION WITH QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

TWO YEARS PASS BY ON HISTORY'S STAGE
BEFORE THE NEXT PROPHETIC PAGE
REVEALED GOD'S COSMIC MYSTERY PLAN
FOR ISRAEL IN THEIR PROMISED LAND.

THE INTERMISSION TIME WAS SPENT
WITH QUESTIONS BETHELITES HAD SENT
ABOUT IMPORTANT DAYS TO FAST
THAT CALLED FOR MOURNING FROM THE PAST.

THE PROPHET SOUGHT AN ANSWER CLEAR
FOR SCATTERED JEWS BOTH FAR AND NEAR
WHO WERE RELEASED FROM BABYLON'S HAND
AND GIVEN BACK THEIR CONQUERED LAND.

BUT SPECIAL DAYS TO MOURN AND WEEP
HAD TURNED THEIR FAST FOR FOOD TO EAT
THE CALL FOR JUSTICE, LOVE AND GRACE
WAS ABSENT FROM THE HEBREW RACE.

A STRONG REBUKE FROM YAHWEH CAME
BECAUSE OF ALL THEIR SIN AND SHAME
THEY WOULD NOT TURN AND DO HIS WILL
UNTIL HIS JUDGMENT DID FULFILL.

YET IN THE MIDST OF THEIR DISTRESS
THE PROMISES OF PEACE AND REST
TURNED ISRAEL'S NIGHT OF GLOOM AND PAIN
TO LASTING PRAISE THROUGH YAHWEH'S NAME.

THE LORD ALMIGHTY SPOKE IN LOVE
ASSURING JUDAH FROM ABOVE
THEIR TEMPLE SOON WOULD BE COMPLETE
AND ALL OPPOSED WOULD FACE DEFEAT.

BUT THEN HE LEAPS THROUGH SPACE AND TIME
WHERE FEAST AND DANCE WILL THEN COMBINE
AS KING MESSIAH CLAIMS HIS THRONE
THE SOVEREIGN LORD WILL REIGN ALONE.
---B. PENT