The third vision, the man with the measuring line
This Zechariah was born in Babylon during the captivity. His grandfather was a priest, so he is a prophet and a priest.The 70 year captivity has reached it's end. Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Persian. He gave the decree to return to Jerusalem to build the temple and then to wall the city. Haggai gave the message to get back to work building the temple. Zechariah's prophecy began six months after Haggais first vision. Zechariah's prophecies are encouraging and most of what he speaks were promises that would occur in the last days. Some of these promises are being shown today as Israel has returned as a nation.
Zec 2:1 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
This may be Jesus in a pre-incarnate appearance.
Jeremiah spoke of a measuring line in Jerusalem.
Jer 31:38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
Jer 31:39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.
The tower of Hananeel, meaning "God has favored", was located at the northeast corner. Gareb was a hill on the southwest of Jerusalem. The name means "scabby". It was also the name of a hero in Davids army.
Goath means "bellowing" site unknown
Zec 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.
Zec 2:3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
Zec 2:4 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:
A town without walls refers to a city at peace with prosperity. Development of a world market.
Two angels come to speak to this young man, Zechariah. There will be so many people in the future that they will overflow beyond the walls of the city. This will occur when Jesus returns to reign during the millennium. Jerusalem will be a city of peace.
This is an important prophecy; there was giving hope for Jerusalem. The LORD had cursed other cities: Sodom and Gomorha, Jericho, Tyre for their transgressions, only Jerusalem is mentioned as God's favorite city.
Eze 26:4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.
Eze 26:5 It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
It is much better to be in the blessings of the LORD.
Zec 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.
The Shekinah glory of the LORD will be in the midst of Jerusalem.
Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Salvation and protection, His presence and his strength.
Isa 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.
The Lord is our salvation and our protector, He will glory in the midst of his people. His angels surround us.
Elisha and the wall of fiery chariots.
2Ki 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2Ki 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
Zec 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.
Zec 2:7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
The north was the caravan route. The desert was in the east and difficult to travel across.
Ho,ho: from the Hebrew word howy, hohe : ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!
Isa 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.
Not all wanted to leave the city of Babylon for the city of Jerusalem, the city of God. Babylon is symbolic in the Bible for the cities of the world where people do not want to come to God.
The LORD warned his people in the beginning that he would scatter them if they turned from him. He whistled to Babylon to come and get them.
Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Deu 28:62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deu 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deu 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.
Zec 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.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Jesus the Messiah; you my people are my glory, the apple of my eye. If the nations touch you it is as though they put there finger in the eye of God. Any nation who opposes Israel, opposes the LORD God.
Deu 32:10 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.
Psa 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.
Psa 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 17:9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Zec 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.
The LORD's hand is to punish the enemy. When the enemy took the ark of the covenant, the hand of God was heavy upon them.
1Sa 5:6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.
1Sa 5:7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
The saved are in His hand.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
The enemy nations, the spoilers, will be spoiled, they will serve the people of God. All nations will submit to the Lord in Jerusalem during his coming reign.
Zec 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.
Sing and rejoice in the LORD.
Zep 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Messiah Jesus shall return and dwell in the midst of Zion with his people.
Isa 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Zec 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
Spiritually he dwells with his people now.
Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Zec 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.
Isa 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.
Isa 2:3 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.
Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isa 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Zec 2:12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
Holy land is not yet holy. It is holy when Israel is saved and Messiah inhabits the city.
The entertainment park entitled Holy land experience, is not a holy place. Jesus has not returned to Jerusalem.
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Deu 32:9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Zec 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Hab 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Keep silent in anticipation.
Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
God is going to do a great thing, be silent flesh and listen with the spirit. Be still and wait upon the LORD.
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