Zechariah 14:20 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →On that day even the bells of the horses bear the inscription once reserved for the high priest, and common pots become as holy as sacred vessels.
What Does Zechariah 14:20 Mean?
The chapter closes with a vision of pervading holiness. The words "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD" were engraved on the gold plate of the high priest's turban (Exod. 28:36), the most sacred of inscriptions. Now they appear "upon the bells of the horses," the most ordinary of objects. And the everyday cooking pots in the LORD's house become as holy as the sacred bowls used at the altar.
The boundary between sacred and common is dissolving; everything is being drawn up into holiness. What was once reserved for priest and altar now reaches the whole of life, even the harness of a horse. This is the goal of God's redeeming work, a world wholly consecrated to him, where nothing is profane because all belongs to the Lord. The believer glimpses here the day when every part of life, the great and the small alike, is made holy unto God.
Zechariah 14:20 in the Original Language
qodesh (קֹדֶשׁ), 'holiness' -- that which is set apart and consecrated to the LORD, here extending even to the most ordinary things.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zechariah 14:20
What does Zechariah 14:20 mean?
On that day even the bells of the horses bear the inscription once reserved for the high priest, and common pots become as holy as sacred vessels.