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Answer
In Zechariah 14, the prophet foretells a time when the Messiah will reign in Jerusalem on earth. During that period, Israel will be rescued from its adversaries, and retribution will befall those who have opposed the nation. Israel will carry out its divine mandate of being “holy to the Lord,” as outlined in Deuteronomy 7:6, as prophesied in Zechariah 14:20: “And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar” (ESV). Even the most ordinary objects—such as horse bells and cooking pots—will be deemed “holy to the Lord.”
A time is approaching when the Messiah will be the Sovereign over all the earth “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”, (Zechariah 14:9). During this era, Israel will not be under any curse, and its inhabitants will dwell securely “All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.”, (Zechariah 14:10). Conversely, the Messiah’s reign will commence with a period of severe judgment, affliction, and death upon those who have waged war against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:11-15). Among the nations, there will be individuals who remain unscathed and will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for worship (Zechariah 14:16-19). It is during these times that the horse bells will proclaim, “Holy to the Lord.”
«In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE Lord; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. », (Zechariah 14:20), and even common, everyday cooking pots will be holy to the Lord of hosts «Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.», (Zechariah 14:21).
These passages serve as an important reminder that one day the Messiah will rule over all; they also illustrate the significance of holiness to the Lord. Although the days of Messianic reign have not yet arrived, holiness to the Lord remains crucial even today. In fact, the holiness of believers is so significant to God that, before the foundations of the world, He chose us to be in Christ and to be holy and blameless in Him «Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: », (Ephesians 1:3). Believers in this age, collectively known as “the church,” are growing together into a holy temple in the Lord «in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: », (Ephesians 2:21). Like the Holy One who called us, we are to be holy ourselves, as Peter explains (1 Peter 1:15-16).
The concept of “holy to the Lord” is not solely about the distant prophetic future. While there are indeed literal fulfillments awaiting in the future, “ho”Living holy to the Lord” is God’s expectation for every believer. Positionally, believers are holy to the Lord, and it is no surprise that Paul, for example, challenges believers to walk in the manner of that calling, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” (Ephesians 4:1).
