God's Vision: A City Without Measure (Zechariah 2:1-13) Series

Today, we continue our Zechariah series, in Zechariah chapter 2. In this chapter, we get to read Zechariah's third vision, and then we have an oracle that builds on that vision. But before we dive in, we need to go back to the first vision. What Zechariah saw first, is something we need to see again, for today to make sense. We'll just read part of it, from Zechariah 1:14-17. In these verses, the interpreting angel who is Zechariah's companion, and the one who explains to Zechariah the meaning of what he sees, gives Zechariah some comforting words, that he is to pass on to God's people living in Jerusalem:

(14) and the angel/messenger-- the one speaking with me-- said,

"Call out, saying, [2nd masc. sing; this is the message Zechariah is to give]

"Thus has said Yahweh of Armies:

"I am passionate toward Jerusalem and toward Zion a great passion,"

(15) while [with] a great anger I [am] angry concerning/against the nations that are at ease,

because I was a little angry,

while they joined together for evil/disaster.

(16) Therefore, thus has said Yahweh:

"I hereby return to Jerusalem with compassions.

My house will be built in it-- utterance of Yahweh of Armies--

while a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.

(17) Again call out, saying,

Thus has said Yahweh of Armies:

Again they will overflow-- my cities-- from good/prosperity,

and Yahweh will comfort/have compassion again on Zion,

and He will choose again Jerusalem.

For 70 years, God was angry with his people. But those days are done, and God is now changing how He relates to his people, and to Jerusalem. And actually, God's people aren't even mentioned. God's focus is on the land. God is returning to Jerusalem. He's making it his home on earth. He will make sure that a house is built for him in that city-- a temple. And in the last line of verse 16, God says that a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.

Now, we need to see that God uses a passive voice here. He doesn't say who will stretch that measuring line out. But there will be a measuring line.

Now, if there's a measuring line, there's also a surveyor. You need someone who will put on the reflective vest, and map out the future construction zone. Someone has this vision for what will be built, and the surveyor makes sure that this vision is carried out in the exact spot, with the exact dimensions, that you plan. You don't want to accidentally build too big, or too small. If you're building an addition to your garage, you want to make sure that you build that on your property, and not on your neighbor's. You don't want to build something too close to the road, and have the city slap your wrist, or force you to demolish it. A surveyor is the one who establishes where you build, and how big you build. And the idea in verses 16-17, is that the measuring line you bring to this construction site needs to be quite big. God's cities are going to overflow with prosperity. You need to build big, and measure big, to fit with what God plans.

Are you with me?

With this, we are ready for today's passage. This surveyor imagery, and measuring line imagery, now reappears. Let's read verses 1-2:

(1) and I lifted my eyes,

and I saw,

and LOOK! A man!,

and in his hand, a measuring line!,

(2) and I said,

"To where [are] you going?,"

and he said to me,

"To measure Jerusalem: to see what [is] its breadth, and what is its length,"

In chapter 1, we weren't told "who" would measure Jerusalem. Was it just a metaphor? Was it God? Was it ordinary people, who would rebuild this war-torn city?

Here, Zechariah lifts up his eyes again, and he sees someone. He sees a man. Now, there's quite a lot of debate over this man, actually. Is it an ordinary man, that Zechariah just happens to see one day while he's walking the ruins of Jerusalem (*Peter Craigie)? Or is this man an angel? And does it even matter (*Elizabeth Achtemeier)?

The language that Zechariah uses here-- of lifting his eyes, and seeing, and LOOK!-- all this is how Zechariah lets us know he's entered into another vision. God is giving Zechariah another movie clip that reveals spiritual realities. What Zechariah sees probably isn't literal. It's probably invisible to anyone who happened to be around him. It's a spiritual vision, designed to reveal something of God, and God's plan.

People debate whether this man is an actual man, or if he's a spiritual being-- an angel. But whoever this mysterious man is, the important thing about him, is that he goes out, ready to carry out God's vision. What he is doing, is more important than he is (*Elizabeth Achtemeier). God had said a measuring line would be stretched out over Jerusalem-- and that's what the man is going to do.