Yes, Zechariah 8 reveals that in the future, after the King returns and the kingdom is established, Israel will be the center of Jerusalem-based worship, with the Gentile nations coming to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of hosts and taking hold of the Jew, saying, 'We will go with you.'
In Zechariah 8:20-23, the Lord of hosts declares that people from many cities and strong nations will say, 'Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts.' The passage says they come to Jerusalem, not heaven. Les Feldick teaches that this describes Israel's promised role as the vehicle through which pagan Gentiles will be brought to the knowledge of her God after the tribulation, when Christ is ruling in Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:20-23 — This is the passage Les Feldick reads and interprets when answering what Zechariah 8 says about Israel's future role.
Zechariah 8:20-23 is introduced with the formula 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts' and is forward-looking: 'It shall yet come to pass.' The passage says that the inhabitants of many cities will go to one another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.' Verse 22 continues: 'Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.' Verse 23 then gives the climax: 'In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.' The text does not describe a move to heaven; it places the nations in Jerusalem, and it ties Gentile seeking to the Jew. That is the biblical picture of Israel's future role in this chapter.
Les Feldick teaches that Zechariah 8:20-23 is prophecy — something that 'shall yet come to pass' in the future (Clip 3). He emphasizes that the people and nations coming to seek the Lord are Gentiles, not Israel, and that they are coming to Jerusalem on the earth, not to heaven (Clips 3, 5, 6, 7). For Les, this is Israel's 'prospective role' once the King is on the throne in Jerusalem: Israel is to be the vehicle through which the pagan Gentiles are brought to a knowledge of her God (Clips 0, 1, 5). He points out that verse 23 pictures ten men from every language of the nations taking hold of the skirt of a Jew and saying, 'We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you' — and he says this will happen 'in those days' when Christ is ruling in Jerusalem and His kingdom is set up (Clips 4, 5, 6).
Les reads Zechariah 8:20-22 and notes that God says 'people' and 'strong nations' — plural — and he concludes, 'We're not talking about Israel here. These are the Gentile nations' (Clip 3). In verse 23, 'ten men shall take hold out of all the languages' refers to Gentiles from all the languages of the nations (Clip 4). For Les, this fulfills the Old Testament promise that Israel would be the vehicle to bring pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of her God (Clip 0).
Les repeatedly makes the point that the nations come 'to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem' — not in heaven (Clips 1, 5, 6, 7). He says Jerusalem will be 'the center of all this activity' (Clip 7). This is not a heavenly scene; it is the earthly kingdom, because in those days Jehovah God is ruling in Jerusalem, the King of Israel and King over all the earth (Clip 5).
Les summarizes the passage by saying that when the tribulation is over and the King is sitting on the holy hill of Zion, 'here was Israel's prospective role' (Clip 5). It is an evangelistic role: because God is with Israel, the nations will say to the Jew, 'We will go with you' (Clip 4). Jerusalem will be the dwelling place of Israel's God, and the nations will be drawn there to seek Him (Clips 1, 5, 7). The Gentile response is not a command given to Israel to evangelize; rather, the nations themselves will initiate the journey, saying, 'Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD' (Clips 1, 2, 7).
Les says the phrase 'It shall yet come to pass' makes it prophecy, because when God speaks of something future it is prophecy (Clip 3). He connects it to the Old Testament program: after Israel rejected and crucified her Messiah, Christ would ascend until His enemies are made His footstool; then would come the wrath, vexation, and tribulation, and then 'Christ would return, set up His kingdom' (Clip 0). The Zechariah 8 scene is therefore after the tribulation, when the King is sitting on the holy hill of Zion and ruling in Jerusalem (Clips 5, 6).
Israel as the Vehicle to Bring Gentiles to God
Les says the Old Testament program promised Israel that after Christ returned and set up His kingdom, Israel would be the vehicle to bring the pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of her God.
Zechariah 8:20-23 Read as Israel's Future Role
Les reads Zechariah 8:20-23 as a concrete promise that inhabitants of many cities will say, 'Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD,' and strong nations will come to Jerusalem to pray before the Lord.
God Speaking Prophecy
Les stresses that these are the words of God Himself speaking prophecy, not the figment of man's imagination.
The People and Nations Are Gentiles
Les shows that the 'people' and 'strong nations' in Zechariah 8 are Gentile nations, not Israel.
Ten Men from All Languages
Les explains that the ten men from all languages are Gentiles who take hold of the skirt of a Jew and say, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'
Jerusalem on Earth and Israel's Prospective Role
Les says the nations come to Jerusalem, not heaven, and calls this Israel's prospective role after the tribulation when the King is ruling in Jerusalem.
When Christ Rules in Jerusalem
Les says the event takes place 'in those days' when Christ is ruling in Jerusalem and His Kingdom is set up.
Jerusalem as Center of All Activity
Les emphasizes that Jerusalem will be the center of all the activity, with plural Gentile nations coming to pray before the Lord.
Zechariah 8:20: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
This verse introduces the future prophecy that Les emphasizes is still to come.
Zechariah 8:21: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
This shows the Gentile cities urging one another to go to Jerusalem to seek the Lord.
Zechariah 8:22: Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
This confirms that the seeking happens in Jerusalem on earth, not in heaven.
Zechariah 8:23: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
This pictures the Gentile nations taking hold of a Jew and recognizing that God is with Israel.
Les teaches that the nations come to seek the LORD in Jerusalem, not heaven. He reads 'Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD' as an earthly, kingdom-time scene (Clips 5, 6, 7).
Les teaches they are Gentiles from all the languages of the nations. Ten men take hold of the skirt of a Jew and say, 'We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you' (Clip 4).
Les says it is future prophecy: after the tribulation, when Christ has returned, set up His kingdom, and is ruling in Jerusalem. The phrase 'It shall yet come to pass' makes it prophecy (Clips 0, 3, 5, 6).
Watch the Teaching: Why the Apostles Stayed in Jerusalem: Israel vs. The Church