The Strange Ending in Zechariah 14:21

I finished reading Zechariah today, but I had a question about something in the last line:

Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.

Zechariah 14:21 (NIV)

The Canaanite reference seemed out of place because Canaanites weren’t allowed in the Temple. I checked other translations. Instead of “Canaanite,” some used the word “trader” or “merchant.” This is odd because the Old Testament mostly uses “Canaanite,” or “Kna’aniy” in Hebrew, to describe people from the land of Canaan. The only times it describes a merchant or trader are in Job 41:6 and Proverbs 31:24. In the other 72 instances, it refers to a Canaanite.

But that’s not what grabbed my attention—although it’s curious. What I noticed was that most of the commentaries I read connected Zechariah 14:21 to Revelation. They typically cited Revelation 21:27 and Revelation 22:15.

Can I Get a ”Yes,” Please?

Yesterday, we examined why God doesn’t say “Yes” to our prayers. We concluded that God doesn’t say “Yes” when a prayer isn’t in line with His will. Although we didn’t discuss it, this verse from 1 John reveals that God grants prayers that align with His will.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:14 (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see the point in praying anything that’s not in God’s will. However, knowing why God doesn’t say “Yes” isn’t the same as knowing how to get a Yes. In other words, how do we pray according to God’s will to get a “Yes”?

Why Didn’t God Answer My Prayer?

One question every Christian will eventually ask is, “Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” If you haven’t asked that yet, you must be new. Unless, of course, you recognize what so many of us fail to or don’t want to consider: a “no” is an answer—it’s just not the one we want.

The River

flows from—
or is it
to—the east?

Where beatific
beauties wander,
heads bowed
contemplating
goodness,
cherry pie,
and
angels
dancing
atop
prickly
pins.