Zachariah

Zechariah Chapter 2

• Zechariah 2:1 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

This is the third vision of a man measuring Jerusalem. Prophecy is a pattern sometimes with immediate fulfillment and future. Sometimes the future can be more than once according to some I've heard explain the pattern of prophecy in the Jewish way of understanding the prophetic visions. Jerusalem was in bad shape after the return from exile in Babylon and it needed restoration. This was also the case in 1948 and will be finally restored at the return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. Most of this prophecy is for the latter day at the 2nd coming of Christ. 

• Zechariah 2:2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
• 3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
• 4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

What a day that will be. One day Jerusalem will dwell safely without walls, without guards. A multitude will dwell safely. They will not be surrounded by enemies. All will be at peace and rest. At this present time (2025) walls still surround the old part of the city of Jerusalem.

The Lord Jesus Christ will be ruling and reigning on the throne. This is a prophecy of the future Messiah's reign over the whole earth. This will occur when the literal Jesus Christ rules over the earth during the Millennium.

Isaiah also speaks many times of those days coming in the future:

• Isaiah 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

God offers His faithful believers so many good things but He has not left out Israel. They will be restored all their land in the latter times. 

• Isaiah 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

The evil events we read about; disasters, rioting, discontent, depression, abortion, sickness and all,  will one day be no more for those that are believing in and waiting for Jesus to return again. Those that die in the Lord are included.

• Zechariah 2:5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

This reminds me of the time God led Israel out of Egypt with a pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Israel was protected from any and all enemies at that time. No one will ever succeed in defeating Israel once Jesus rules over the earth.

• Zechariah 2:6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
• 7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

This prophecy jumps back to the immediate fulfillment when God delivered Judah from Babylonian captivity and restored their temple at Jerusalem. This was only a temporary fulfillment and not the complete fulfillment. Their nation was not completely restored as it was in the days of David the King. They still were under the rule of the Medes and Persians, later the Grecians and then the Roman Empire.

• Isaiah 48:20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

This has a complete latter day fulfillment which started in 1948 when the nation of Israel was reborn and the fulfillment will be complete at the coming of Jesus Christ a second time.

According to how some understand Revelation on this subject, a latter day Babylon is to arise that will also go down in defeat making these prophecies having a final once and for all time fulfillment. They are to flee literal Babylon as well as spiritually. The believers in Christ today have to flee a spiritual type of Babylon which represents the world and its influence which is against God's word. However, as important as that is for us to flee a type of Babylon and Egypt which represents the evil of the world we must not allegorize any part of the bible and forget the literal meaning at any time. 

Scattering is a type of judgment such as at the tower of Babel and the time when Israel went into captivity and was scattered to other lands in later years. In Deuteronomy God warns that if Israel turns to other gods and worships idols like the nations around them, they would go into captivity and be forced to serve their gods against their will.

• Deuteronomy 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

Judgment will come upon the disobedient and those that willfully do evil. Idolatry is a serious sin we must avoid at all costs. Why would that be? God our creator, created and gave us all good things. What an insult it is to give glory to an image instead of worshiping the real God. An image can't speak, feel or do good or evil. However, evil surrounds any image worship or worship that substitutes an image in place of God.

• Ezekiel 17:21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.

We see that in Ezekiel, God warns of being scattered at the captivity to Babylon. Yet we see also the prophecy here in Zechariah of restoration from the Babylon captivity both in the past in yet in the future. 1948 may have been a preview of future complete restoration at the return of Jesus the Messiah, Son of God, Prince of Peace and Lord of all. 

In verse 8 below we see God calls Israel the apple of His eye. That has not changed because God sees them restored not as we sometimes see Israel now as a nation that does not recognize their Messiah yet. 

• Zechariah 2:8. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Imagine being the apple of God's eye. For some reason this is how God feels about Israel. Whoever pressures Israel to give up land for peace are really trying to take God's land away. That land belongs to God. We have no authority to force Israel to leave that land or divide that land.

• Deuteronomy 32:9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
• 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Below we see that King David was also the apple of God's eye.

• Psalm 17:7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
  8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

We see here that those that also trust in the Lord according to the Psalm of David above can also become the apple of God's eye.

• Zechariah 2:9  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

God will bring vengeance upon nations that mistreat his chosen people.

• Isaiah 19:16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.
• 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.

Men were believed to be strong and never fear as women but in that day to come, they will fear as women according to those scriptures in Isaiah. Of course we know now of women who are fearless and brave. In fact there was some throughout all ages but usually as a rule most women are more fearful than men.

• Zechariah 2:10. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

This prophecy can refer to the New Heaven and the New Earth when God the Father will come down from heaven to dwell with us. It also could refer to the time when Christ Jesus rules for 1000 years. God our Father comes to dwell after the final end of all evil and He creates a new Heaven and Earth. I am looking forward to that day.

Even so come heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah also speaks of this:

• Isaiah 12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
• 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
• 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
• 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
• 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
• 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Isaiah prophesies many times of the Millennial reign of Christ.

• Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
• 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

The whole book of Revelation also tells of this time; first when Christ rules for 1000 years and then the new heaven and earth where there will be no need of the sun when God Himself and Christ will dwell with both Israel and all who have received Jesus Christ and had their sins washed away and have been resurrected and changed forever to live with God.

• Zechariah 2:11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

All nations will serve the Lord Jesus Christ. How different will be the attitude of men and women in that day. There will be no nonsense about no prayer in school. No group of people will try to throw out the Ten Commandments and rule them unconstitutional. People that do that will not even be in existence. The Lord will rule. This will be a divine rule, a literal rule and not man made.

We cannot force this into existence and try to have an earthy one-world government. We are not to try to do this before the coming of Christ. Natural man can't do this by ourselves. There will be some that will try to do this but they will be in error and may even be part of the antichrist and the beast kingdom. Have nothing to do with an earthy one-world government. That government will tumble and fall at the coming of Jesus Christ with all His saints. We have to stay in separate nations until the literal coming of Christ. Anything else before His literal coming will be a dictatorship of control and terror to innocent people. How do I know this? By reading history.

• Zechariah 2:12. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

He will choose Jerusalem again. This shows that there has been long years of Jerusalem being apart from God and out of His will. The separation between Israel and God will be ended at the literal coming of Jesus Christ the second time.

• Zechariah 2:13. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

There are times when we shout and praise but there are times when we are silent. This speaks of  a time of awesome, holy reverence that all are silent before His presence.

• Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

God is eternal and has made a way that we who believe and trust in Him receiving salvation through faith in Jesus Christ can also be eternal. This is awesome to think about and should make us humble of heart.

• Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Even so come Lord Jesus; let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. DC