If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD of hosts, they will have no rain. The principle of blessing and curse governs the eschatological age, with those refusing to worship in Jerusalem experiencing the withholding of rain—basic agricultural necessity. This conditional curse emphasizes that the eschatological order requires voluntary submission to God's authority and participation in covenantal worship. The targeting of rain (essential for agriculture) as the instrument of judgment suggests that those refusing God's worship forfeit the basic provisions that make life possible. This principle of blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience echoes the covenant structures established throughout Scripture. This verse establishes that eschatological reality maintains the nexus between obedience and blessing that characterizes all covenantal relationship.

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