Zec 2:1-5 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter speaks of the glory God will bring over His city. Zechariah lifts up his eyes again ( ). The first time he has seen judgment. Now he sees “a man with a measuring line”. It is the same Man as in the previous chapter ( ), but in a different capacity. Here He is the One Who alone can measure Jerusalem and Who alone can work restoration. With this the Jewish people are encouraged to continue with the rebuilding of the temple. We have here the explanation and confirmation of the promise made in the previous chapter ( ). A measuring line is used in building. Using the measuring line is symbolic of God’s claiming the city as His property (cf. ; ; ). This has not yet been fulfilled. Again Zechariah takes the questioning position. The Man is the Lord Jesus Who alone is able to comprise the scope of God’s counsel in view of the future blessings of the earthly Jerusalem.

‏ Zechariah 2:1-5

Introduction

This chapter speaks of the glory God will bring over His city.

A Man With a Measuring Line

Zechariah lifts up his eyes again (Zec 1:18). The first time he has seen judgment. Now he sees “a man with a measuring line”. It is the same Man as in the previous chapter (Zec 1:8), but in a different capacity. Here He is the One Who alone can measure Jerusalem and Who alone can work restoration. With this the Jewish people are encouraged to continue with the rebuilding of the temple.

We have here the explanation and confirmation of the promise made in the previous chapter (Zec 1:16). A measuring line is used in building. Using the measuring line is symbolic of God’s claiming the city as His property (cf. Psa 78:55; Eze 40:3-15; Rev 11:1-2). This has not yet been fulfilled. Again Zechariah takes the questioning position. The Man is the Lord Jesus Who alone is able to comprise the scope of God’s counsel in view of the future blessings of the earthly Jerusalem.

The Sizes of Jerusalem

Zechariah wants to know where the Man is going. He gets an answer. The Man is going to measure the city of Jerusalem, because He wants to see how wide and how long it is. The city is measured with a view to a complete restoration. This restoration did not take place in the days of Zechariah and is still the future. In the future there will be room for many (Isa 54:2 ; Isa 60:4; cf. Lk 14:22; Jn 14:2).

In the application to the church as the city where God dwells, we see that the church is also a city in decay. Yet it must be measured by God’s measure. That measure is the origin of the church, how she is when she comes into being, as described in Acts, and how she will be in the future, when she is with Christ in perfection. How she will be in the future we read in Revelation 21. Of the earthly Jerusalem only width and length are measured; of the heavenly Jerusalem also height is measured (Rev 21:15-16).

A Message for Zechariah

Zechariah asked a question in the previous verse and received an answer. He knows what the Man is going to do. Then suddenly the Angel of the LORD appears. The word “behold” indicates that it is a sudden event. On that initiative another angel approaches Him. That angel receives a commission from the Angel of the LORD, that is the Lord Jesus. He must run to Zechariah and tell him something.

Zechariah is called “that young man” here. The LORD knows the age of His servant. It may be that Zechariah feels the burden of the ministry of prophecy heavy (cf. 1Tim 4:12). In any case, he receives a quick encouragement from the LORD, Who commands an angel to do so. The encouragement is that there will come a time when Jerusalem will be a city without walls. Living without walls speaks of peace and security, without fear of enemies. The LORD Himself will protect the city (Eze 38:10-11). All this will be fulfilled at the return of the Lord Jesus (Eze 43:1-12; Hos 1:10).

Jerusalem has not yet known what is described here. Only a handful returned from Babylon to Judea in the days of Zechariah. The glory of the LORD has not yet returned and does not yet dwell in the city. It is also not yet possible to be without a protective wall.

This scene also has something to say to us. God will fully realize His plan for the church in the future. It is important for us to trust only in the Lord and not to seek salvation from organizations or the world. What it will be like in the future is an encouragement to build the church now in a way that we build with the right materials (1Cor 3:10-13).

What the LORD Is to Jerusalem

There is Divine protection and Divine presence in the city of God. The emphasis is on “I”. The safety of the city lies in the protection by God Himself. He is that wall around the city that consumes all the enemies that want to harm the city. He is also the wall around the city in view of what is happening in the city. Also in the city the fire of His judgment does its work when sin happens in the city. He dwells in the midst of the city, so His glory rests on it. Therefore no sin can be tolerated. He and sin do not tolerate each other.

Just like Jerusalem then, the church today also needs a wall to separate it from the world. If this does not happen, a mixture will take place with unbelievers. In heaven that wall is no longer necessary. But God desires now to have a place where He can dwell in the midst of His people. His glory is the center there. The wall is necessary to keep the church free from sin.

The fiery wall recalls the pilar of fire that separated the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exo 14:24; cf. Isa 4:5; Zec 9:8; 2Kgs 6:17; Isa 26:1). This fiery wall is an inward protection and outwardly an extermination of the enemy.