Zechariah 2
January 23
Reading: Zechariah 2
1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand!
2 Then I said, "Where are you going?"
And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length."
3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"
6 Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. 7 Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.
8 For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 "Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem."
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
The structure of book of Zechariah is worth meditating upon. The first half of the book is comprised of the eight night visions of Zechariah.
1:7-17 Sovereign Judgment: A man in the myrtles and the patrol of the earth
1:18-21 God will rescue His people: Four horns and four craftsmen
2:1-13 God is with his people: A man with a measuring line
3:1-10 Joshua: The cleansing of the High Priest
4:1-14 Zerubbabel: A golden lampstand and two olive trees
5:1-4 God is with His people: A flying scroll
5:5-11 God will rescue His people: A woman in the basket and women with the wind in their wings
6:1-8 Sovereign Judgment: Four chariots and the patrol of the earth
The Lord concludes these night visions by crowning Joshua the High Priest, a symbol of the Lord’s plan to fulfill His promises in the Messiah. (Zechariah 6:9-15)
This is followed by the prophet’s message two years later to a people who need to learn how to repent because the Lord is zealous to save them. God promises to save them. (Zechariah 7-8)
After this the book is concluded by two lengthy oracles (prophetic burdens).
Zechariah 9-11 The Messiah: His advent and rejection
Zechariah 12-14 The Messiah: His advent and reception
We know from Matthew 23:35 that Zechariah will be murdered in the Temple that he helped build.
In Zechariah 2:1-2 we read of the vision of the man with a measuring line in his hand. An ancient builder used a plumbline, a wooden square, wooden measuring rods, and a measuring line. Clearly the man in the vision is preparing to build. But, in verses 3-4, one angel sends another to tell the man that his measuring is going to be too small. The city will be bigger than the man imagines, and God will protect the city with a wall of fire.
In ancient times, a city without walls was vulnerable. But it will be a hundred years before Jerusalem has a wall again. God is making a promise to protect the city as it is being reinhabited without walls. And so, in verses 6-7, the prophet is urging the people of God to trust Him and return to Jerusalem.
In verses 8-13 we get the long view of God’s plan in the ages to come. The current restoration of Jerusalem is but a foretaste of the great plan of God. The Lord will bring his people back to Himself and plunder the nations to show that He is the Lord of Hosts, a military title. Then He will draw the nations to His own people as He lives in their midst. Ultimately this will be completely fulfilled in the people of God created when Jesus the Messiah comes to His people and adds other peoples to them. Finally, the new people of God will become the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-4) and the nations will bring their riches to the Lord in His Holy city. (Revelation 21:24)