God's Economic Recovery Plan Series

Zechariah 2: 1 – 13

God’s Economic Recovery Plan

1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So 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.” 3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” 6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the LORD; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the LORD. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. 10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

In chapter 1 we had read about how the nations of the world had done absolutely nothing to help the returning exiles. They were at peace with themselves but there was no peace between them and our Holy Yahweh. In the end of chapter 1 we read that our Holy Father begun to help the Israelites in their recovery. We will see in chapter 2 how our Holy Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Who Providees – gives evidence of His intentions. Jerusalem will be reestablished as God’s dwelling place.

1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So 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.”

This is Zechariah’s third vision. The Lord made a decision to encourage His people. He has instructed an angel to go and measure the city of Jerusalem, ‘1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.’ We will read later on that these visions all appeared on the same night to him. So, being in the flow, he decided to get involved and find out what was going on, ‘So I said, “Where are you going?” The angel didn’t hesitate in delivering his reply, ‘And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

So all this is nice, but what is so important about all of this? This act of measuring Jerusalem is a sign from God that He has plans to rebuild this city and make it flourish again. The man is going to mark out the boundaries as we read in the book of Jeremiah chapter 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 seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD. 38 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”

3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.