Special Gifts from God    227 

Success for Catholicism and Christianity 

      `And the L

ORD

 will give victory to the tents of Judah first, that the glory 

of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not 

be exalted over that of Judah.'   (Zech 12:7). 

    Here Holy Scripture is using  Judah  to refer to the Catholic Church and 

 the inhabitants of Jerusalem  to refer to Christians in general. Judah is a 

prophetic symbol of the Catholic Church because, when Israel became 

divided after the reign of Solomon, the tribe of Judah remained faithful to all 

of the Jewish Law. (Hence, the Jewish faith is called  Judaism.) Similarly, 

when divisions arose in the Christian faith, the Catholic Church remained 

faithful to all that Christ lived and taught. 

    This day will be a source of guidance and strength for all faithful 

Christians (Zech 12:8) and for all faithful servants of God in every religion. 

But it will also particularly favor the Catholic Church. Only the Catholic 

Church will be able to fully explain what has happened. People will realize 

that the Catholic Church has a deep and clear understanding of God's will. 

Catholics will have great success in guiding sinners back to God and in 

moving society away from sinful ways (Zech 12:6). And many people will 

be converted to Christianity and to Catholicism. 

A Failed Persecution of Christians 

      `And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against 

Jerusalem.'   (Zech 12:9). 

    Those who reject the gift of repentance and those who would do harm to 

God's servants will not succeed in persecuting the Church at this time. 

Notice that God says He will  seek to destroy,  not merely that He will 

destroy. This expression means that this day is the beginning of the undoing 

of evil on earth, an early step towards loosing the hold which sin has over 

the world. 

Fasting and Mourning 

     In that day the Lord God of hosts called to weeping and mourning, to 

baldness and girding with sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, slaying 

oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. `Let us eat and drink 

for tomorrow we die.' The L

ORD

 of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: 

`Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you till you die,' says the Lord God 

of hosts.  (Isaiah 22:12 14).