No More Canaanite
The prophet Zechariah gave witness to a time in the future when a new Kingdom will be established on earth. It will be like no other kingdom. This new Kingdom will begin like most - through battle. It will be ruled by a Sovereign Leader. One who is all-powerful and ordained to govern forever.
The book of Zechariah prophecies of a coming Ruler and the day when no Canaanite is found in the house of God.
The capital of this Kingdom will be Jerusalem, that old city loved by God and the center of most turmoil in the world. The Ruler has visited Jerusalem previously. Not to spy it out, but rather to warn the inhabitants and all peoples that He will return. Before He returns, things are going to get apocalyptic. Many people will blame this Ruler for the turmoil that is to come. However, those people could not be more wrong. The apocalypse is coming because of our own maladies. This Sovereign Ruler's role is to put an end to the tribulation proceedings we humans start.
Zechariah states that the Sovereign's coming will cause an earthquake to split the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. The earth will split from east to west, opening up a "great valley" through which the inhabitants of the city will escape the attacking armies from every nation. At that point, according to the prophet, the Ruler, who is accompanied by "the holy ones", will afflict the attackers with a "plague," and panic among the peoples of the nations will ensue. The end of this battle will see the city of Jerusalem, fully intact, but raised up above the surrounding lands by the earthquake. All people of every nation who attacked Jerusalem will be no more. Those inhabitants who escaped the battle and others around the world who survived the tribulation will remain as a remnant. These people will be responsible for going to Jerusalem to worship the King, at least once a year, on the Feast of Tabernacles. Any nation that refuses or neglects this duty will not receive rain. This Ruler is very powerful.
Zechariah ends his prophecy with an intriguing statement. He writes, "And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty." This statement appears to be interpreted in two different ways. One school of thought is that the word "Canaanite" is intended to mean pagan. The land promised to the descendants of Abraham, which became the nation of Israel, was previously Canaan, and the inhabitants of that land were called Canaanites. These people were pagan, worshipping many gods or natural things. As the Jewish people conquered the land of Canaan, some of these pagan peoples were killed, some were vanquished from the land, and others were assimilated into the Jewish communities. Those that were assimilated brought with them their pagan worship traditions. These pagan traditions, like worshipping idols, were adopted by many of the Israelites. This corruption ended up with the people of Israel turning their backs on the true God. The prophet Zechariah's use of the term "Canaanite" may have been referring to the removal of any pagan influence from the presence of the people of the Lord God Almighty.
There is another train of thought that the word "Canaanite" used in the fourteenth chapter of Zechariah may mean merchants or traders. This belief is based on the fact that many of the people who previously inhabited the land of Canaan became merchants within Israel's communities, including Jerusalem. The Canaanite merchants did not share the same faith in one God that the Jews had. They were indifferent to God's commands and even violated the Temple of God by selling within its premises. This activity, while permitted by corrupt religious leaders in Israel, would have been repugnant to a devoted follower of God like Zechariah. He would have relished a day when the Sovereign Ruler would ban all merchants from the House of God.
The use of the word "Canaanite" in Zechariah's prophecy could mean either of these two proposed interpretations, or it could mean both. (Let me know what you think in the comments below.)
In any case, I agree with Zechariah's prophecy and, with him, look forward to a day when the pagans and the merchants are out of the House of God. The church has long languished under the presence of merchants in its ranks. People, even leaders, who are only interested in self-gain and profiteering from people's faith and the move of the Holy Spirit. Clergy willing to use the Word of God to obtain personal power. Merchants who take advantage of the weak and the poor. The day is coming when a Sovereign Ruler will enter the city of Jerusalem. He will, one last time, cast the traders out of the House of God. He will banish impurity and ungodliness from God’s house, and there will be no place for the merchant in His temple.
On that day, it would be best if your name were not included in the list of pagans and merchants. It will be a terrible day for those who are on that list.