Zec 2:1-2 | 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 2:1-2

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).