Zechariah 2:1-2 – And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 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."
Chapter two begins with the third vision of Zechariah. Before we take a closer look at it, let's review the first two visions.
Vision #1 – This vision showed a 'man' (Jesus) on a red horse, with an army of other horses and riders behind him. The other riders were angels who roamed through the earth and reported that all the nations of the world were at rest.
The idea is that while Israel is suffering/struggling, her enemies are enjoying peace. We then find that Jesus cries out (intercedes) to the Father on behalf of Israel. A promise is given that the temple, the symbol of fellowship between God and man, will be restored.
Because of God's presence among his people, Jerusalem would again overflow with earthly prosperity and spiritual blessings. The implication is that all the ruined cities of Judah would not just be restored, they would increase and spread out with an explosion of population.
This word caused hope to spring up within the hearts and minds of the Jews. In turn, this caused them to renew their commitment to rebuilding the temple and the city. There was a fulfillment of this vision during the time of Zechariah and most scholars believe there will be a bigger future fulfillment of it when Christ returns to earth.
Vision #2 – In this vision, Zechariah saw four horns, followed by four craftsmen.
The horns represent nations which had (in the past) and would (in the future) bully and oppress Israel (for details on the possible identities of these nations, see our last post). Though God allowed these nations to have dominance over Israel for a time, he was going to send 'craftsmen' or other nations to destroy/subdue the enemies of his people.
In short, God saw his people, he was very aware of their plight and he was going to act on their behalf.
Vision #3 follows the same basic pattern as the first two.
First, Zechariah sees the vision. In this case, it is a picture of a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Second, the vision causes a question to be raised in the mind of the prophet. In this case, he wants to know what the man is doing or measuring.
Third, in response to his question, the Lord gives answers to Zechariah through an angel who was commissioned to assist him in understanding/interpreting these visions.
The significant part of this vision is that the angel does not appear to be measuring the exact length and width of the current city. Rather, the angel is marking out the dimensions which would be the boundaries of the city at some point in the future.
Remember, at the time of Zechariah's vision, Jerusalem had been destroyed. All of its former glory and prosperity were gone. God had been removed from it and it was overrun with Gentiles. His people were on the verge of hopelessness.
Consequently, God's vision to Zechariah tells the Jews not to despair, because their story wasn't over yet!� In essence, the third vision picks up where the second vision left off – God gives a clearer picture or a more precise indication of the future plans he has for his people.
Jeremiah 31:28 - And it shall come to pass, that as I [God] have watched over them [Israel], to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, says the LORD.
This vision caused joy to rise up within the Jews of Jerusalem. They had every reason to rejoice – God had not abandoned them; he had big plans for their future!
It should also be noted that God STILL has big plans for the Jews. He has in no way abandoned them or replaced them with the church:
Jeremiah 31:37 - Thus says the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the descendants of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.
Let's be honest if God were going to cast off the Jews for being unfaithful to him, he would also need to cast off most of the church, because we are no better! But none of us need to worry about that. God is not looking for reasons to get rid of us. He is looking for reasons to bless us. He desires to work through us so that his glory and power can manifest through our lives.
As Christians, it is our honor and duty to stand for Israel and to pray for her. God has amazing plans for her just as he does for the church.
Zechariah 2:3-4 – And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 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.'
It would seem as though the assisting angel, who was explaining the visions to Zechariah, went forward to meet another angel, who provided clarification of the vision in response to the prophet's question.
We are familiar with the assisting angel; we met him in the last two visions. But what is the identity of the other angel who gives instructions to the assisting angel?
We will answer that question by saying that the second angel in this vision is the same angel/man that stood among the myrtle trees and rode a red horse in vision number one. Because we identified that angel/man as Jesus, then by default the second angel in this vision (who gives orders to the assisting angel) would also be Jesus
Consequently, if you believe the 'man' in the first vision was the archangel Gabriel, then you would probably identify the second angel in this vision as Gabriel as well. Those who take this view point out that Gabriel is the highest ranking angel (that we know of), so it would not be unusual for him to give orders to other angels under his command.
In either case, the assisting angel is instructed to 'run' to the prophet with the information Jesus gives him. Thus we see that God always hears and answers the prayers of his people. Those who truly seek God for wisdom can be sure that God will provide understanding to them in a timely manner.
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.
By the same token, if God calls us to do a task for him, we should not delay. Think about it this way – right now, someone is crying out to the Lord for a need they have. God hears that prayer and in response, he commissions you to move forward and do something. If you delay in doing what God has commissioned you to do, it appears to the needy person that God is late, careless or indifferent to their problem.
For example, suppose there is a person in your fellowship who is having a hard time financially and they have been praying for money to fix their car. It would not be unreasonable to imagine that God would lay it upon your heart to give some money that that family, even if you were unaware of the need.
If you fail to answer that call in a timely manner, the other person is left waiting for God to act; they may wonder why he is taking so long!
This raises a good question: Do your works reflect the true, loving nature of God, or does your service imply God is cold, distant, half-hearted or unwilling to help?
The second thing we notice in vision #3 is that the prophet is described as a 'young man'. This is yet another example of how God uses people in all stages and seasons of life. Young, middle aged, old, with kids, without kids, retired, married or single – all of us are in active service to the King. Though our service may change during different seasons of life, we all have something to contribute to the kingdom!
Now let's get into the heart of the message contained in the vision. Jesus instructs the assisting angel to tell Zechariah that 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls'. What is the significance of that?
Back in the days of Zechariah, all major cities had walls and gates. These were used in defense of the city and her people. But they also had the side effect of limiting the size of the city as well as the number of people who could dwell there.
The walls also limited the amount of resources that could be held in the city. This was a very important factor when an ancient city was under siege. The city would be taken when its resources were eventually exhausted.
The image of an un-walled Jerusalem speaks of an unconfined, unlimited, steadily expanding population spreading itself out freely without restraint and without fear of attack. It also indicates a state of prosperity.
The question is, has this prophesy been fulfilled?
Again, our answer must be 'yes' and 'no'.
During the time that Zechariah was functioning as God's prophet, the Jews had been give two major assignments from God: Rebuild the temple and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah 2:17-18, Daniel 9:25, etc). When the walls were finished, the enemies of Israel were confounded because it was evident that God was behind their project (Nehemiah 6:15-16). This tells us that they were still in need of the walls. Therefore the vision could not have been fulfilled at that time; it must have a future fulfillment.
We can point to a possible/partial fulfillment of it during the reign of Herod Agrippa, because the noted historian Josephus tells us (Wars 5:4:2) that in during Agrippa's reign Jerusalem had "by reason of the multitude" gradually "extended beyond its original limits" so that another hill had to be "taken in" to the city limits and fortified.
While this definitely proves Jerusalem expanded somewhat, it still had walls and gates. For this reason, it is doubtful that this fulfills the word/vision given to Zechariah.
Another possible fulfillment has been mentioned by many.
Scripture speaks of a 'New Jerusalem" which comes down from heaven. This Jerusalem will be without walls; it will be open to the world. Yet, its inhabitants will dwell in safety and without fear because God also dwells there.
Revelation 21:2-3 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Obviously, if this is a fulfillment of the vision, it is still in the future.
However, there is another, almost universally accepted theory, which says that the vision is actually being fulfilled right this moment! This theory says that the expansion of the physical city of Jerusalem is actually picture of the church.
Thus, through the spreading of the gospel we see the gradual, unconfined, steady expansion of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom's expansion reaches every continent and every nation, without bounds or limits. It is a kingdom without physical defenses because its protector is Father God.
Scripture verifies that the kingdom began in Jerusalem, expanded through Judea and now continues its spread to the uttermost parts of the world.
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Like an expanding city, the kingdom of heaven overflows and gently enlarges itself to the right and left (Isaiah 33:20). It continues to grow and multiply boundlessly, ever ready to receive countless souls who desire to worship and serve the Lord. Hallelujah!
This explanation seems to best correspond to the message given in the vision.
Zechariah 2:5 – 'And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"
Here is an additional promise regarding Jerusalem (and thus the church). God is not only her fortress (Psalms 18:2, Psalms 144:2, Isaiah 26:1, etc) he will be a wall of fire all around her.
In a physical battle, men may try to scale walls, but they cannot scale fire. The concept being presented is that though there are no watchmen, soldiers or walls to protect Jerusalem, her inhabitants will be perfectly safe because God himself surrounds and protects them like a wall, while simultaneously striking fear/terror into her enemies like a raging fire which cannot be tamed or breached.
This is a picture of the perfect protection that God uses to defend the church today. Satan has tried countless times to destroy both the Jews and the church over the years, but he has never been successful and he never will be!
Not only that, God promises to be the glory in her midst. In other words, the real peace and happiness of the citizens of Jerusalem (and the church) will be found in God. He will give or adorn his people will everything that is good and perfect. He will not only supply what they need, he will lavishly give them the desires of their heart. There will be no lack among them.
Overall, the meaning of the vision is something like this:
The Jews were despondent because they were lacking in resources, few in number, weak in strength, and despised by all. Yet, they had reason to hope. Though only a small number returned from the exile, God planned to increase his people into a vast multitude of both Jews and Gentiles – aka, the church. (The church was founded by the Jews, then the Gentiles were grafted in, and in the end times, the Jews will return; both Jew and Gentile are united together in the church).
No matter how weak the Jews were compared to their enemies, God was sufficiently strong and powerful enough to defend them. Their enemies would not be able to prevail over them; victory was assured. Likewise, God has mandated victory for his church; the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against us.
No matter how destitute God's people currently were, God was ready to enrich the Jews with every good thing, as long as they relied on him. It was his will to bless them and keep them safe. Likewise, we can be confident that whatever resources the church finds itself in need of, God will supply them (Haggai 2:8).
The vision was/is a sure and certain promise which was ultimately fulfilled when God broke down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles and established his church (Ephesians 2:11-16). From that day forth, the church has continuously expanded and grown, reaching toward the uttermost parts of the earth. Although there are formidable enemies in every generation (including ours), God has not changed. He is still well able to protect and bless his children, while giving us victory over our enemies.
Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:
The third vision of Zechariah speaks of God doing/accomplishing the impossible. As the Jews evaluated themselves and their position, they correctly determined that only God could bring about the astonishing plans and blessings he revealed to them.
In the period of time between the moment of revelation and the moment the vision came to pass, they had to live by faith.
Please consider the following:
Faith sees that which does not yet exist. Think back to the vision. The angel had been sent to measure a city/kingdom which had not yet been built and, in fact, would be immeasurable (Hebrews 11:12). All of the practical, matter-of-fact people in the world would describe that as a waste of time. They would call it foolish. If it doesn't make sense in the scope of their limited knowledge, they refuse to even consider it.
But what they don't understand is that you can't measure anything that God builds. No plumb line can measure the depth of God's love. No meter can register the strength of his power. No pump can put a dent in the ocean of his blessing.
You could have measured the height of Goliath, but it would have been impossible to gauge the faith and courage of David. You could have counted the age of Sara, but it would have been impossible to weigh the faith which made her body fruitful again. You could have numbered the Midianite army, but you could never have quantified the faith of Gideon and his 300 men.
Faith in the promises of God seems foolish to the world, but for the Christian that kind of faith is the very basis of the gospel message:
1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(See I Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:14, 3:19, etc).
- By faith we are sons and daughters of Abraham, by faith we receive salvation, by faith we are filled with Holy Spirit and by faith we know that Jesus has prepared a place for us in heaven.
- By faith we know that the city or kingdom of heaven is being built up and advanced daily, even though we don't see the full manifestation of it yet.
- By faith we know that our children/families will be saved, even though they still spend Sunday mornings in bed.
- By faith we know that God is our protector, our healer and our soon coming King, even though we are still living with pain and waiting for the rapture to occur.
- By faith we know that we have the keys to the kingdom and the power to bind and loose things on earth, even though evil is still clinging on to power.
- By faith we know that victory is ours through Christ Jesus, even though we are still in the midst of conflict.
- By faith we know that nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 17:20, Mark 9:23, Luke 1:37).
So whatever your faith is waiting and believing for, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE.
Habakkuk 2:3 - For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Remember Abraham? By faith he received a promise that his offspring would be as countless as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5-6) or the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). His faith grasped that promised and never let it go. The book of Hebrews tells us that he died before he saw the final/complete manifestation of his faith (Hebrews 11:8-13).
However, his faith in the promise influenced/determined the way he lived his life. For example, he believed he would have children, so he continued to be intimate with his wife despite the fact that she was past child bearing, and he wound up with two sons. Though he did not own any land, he wandered through the Middle East, knowing that every place the sole of his foot touched would become the Promised Land.
The same was true of his offspring during the days of Zechariah. They grasped the promise (given through Zechariah's third vision) of a city/kingdom that would overflow the walls of Jerusalem and steadily spread. They believed that walls would be unnecessary, because God would be the protector and defender of the city. They believed that God's glory and blessings would rest upon that nation.
Obviously, they died before the promise was manifested in the church. But their faith in the promise influenced the way they lived their lives. After the vision, they experienced renewed hope and joy. They got to work and rebuilt the walls and the temple. They got rid of their foreign wives, married other Jews and began to repopulate the nation.
The same must be true for us. Even if we have not yet seen the final fulfillment of that which we grasp by faith, we must live our lives in way that demonstrates our belief. We must speak/proclaim victory, celebrate the victory, praise and worship God for the victory and prepare like our victory is imminent.
If we will allow our faith to influence our lives, we too will eventually see our promise come to pass.