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A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line - Part 2

The passage we are examining is  Zechariah 2.  In the previous Blog, we learned that this vision of the "surveyor" points forward to the time when God will dwell with His people and the city of Jerusalem, will be filled with the God-worshiping nations of the earth.  Let's look at some of the details of the vision and try to determine who or what they are; and what they mean.

There is a:

1. Man with a measuring rod, a surveyor. 
2. There was an angel who talked with Zechariah
3. There was an another angel who came forward to meet this angel.
4. There's a young man.
5. Jerusalem with no walls
6. The recipients of the message who have been scattered by the Lord.

We are not sure who the surveyor is.  Some believe he is the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ, similar to Ezekiel 40:3.  The angel who talked to Zechariah was probably the interpreting angel and we are not sure who the second angel is other than a messenger from God.  "The 'young man' (v. 4) is Zechariah himself." [1]   The Jerusalem with no walls and multitudes of people is undoubtedly the eschatology Jerusalem. "This anticipates the Lord's personal presence through the Messiah in his kingdom on earth (cf. 2:11-12; 14:9; Isa 60:19; Ezek 43:1-5, 48:35)." [2]

The recipients of the message of this vision are those scattered by the Lord. "These verses are addressed to the exiles remaining behind in Babylon. They are urged to come forth, and flee from the land of the north (i.e., north with reference to Jerusalem viz., Babylon). The matter is urgent. The exiles have been spread … abroad by the LORD, though they are urged to take the initiative in returning." [3]

“Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 2:11–12, NIV). "The result will be Jews and Gentiles together in one nation, my people, with the Lord dwelling in their midst (cf. Ephesians 2:13–16)." [4]

The call to Israel is to "return". God is going to judge Babylon. They mustn't fail to listen to this message or they will be destroyed with the rest.  They must come out, in order to separate themselves and distinguish themselves from the pagan nations. Not unlike Lot, he must escape the city.  And to us today we hear the call of God, 

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”” (2 Corinthians 6:14–18, NIV)  

Separation from the influences, the coercement, the obligations of unbelievers is a necessary state of living for the Christian. Zechariah is clearly seeing a New Covenant relationship, the one Church.  The believer needs to stay in fellowship with Christ and His people and stay out-of-fellowship with the world.  

Father, the joys of this passage are mingled by the sorrow and the concern that we would not be counted as one with the world, but one with Christ and His people.  The call of the Gospel is that we are not our own, we are bought with a price.  There is no question as to our need to withdraw from the world and its entrapments and feast on the nourishment that You alone can provide. Anything that draws me away from my Savior is of the world.  Anything that captivates my love for You is wrong.  Anything that grasps my affection, apart from Jesus, must be discarded.  Indeed my heart is prone to wander.  Take it today, Lord Jesus.  Seal it.  Seal it for Thy courts above.  Amen. 



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1.  Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zec 2:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/II. A Series of Eight Night Visions (1:7-6:8)/C. The Third Vision: The Surveyor (2:1-13), Book Version: 4.0.2
3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1802). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
4. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1755). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 

God's Endgame: To Dwell With Man.

The third vision of Zechariah was:

A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line - Part 1.

Remember these visions form more of a collage than separate prophetic looks.  In general God has been telling Zechariah that Christ will build His Church and it will stand for eternity.  He has been telling him that Christ's kingdom will come and reign forever.  This is the motivation for Israel to continue on the work God has called them to do.  It is intended to pry them from the lethargy.  Now we have a third aspect called The Man with a measuring line.  You can read it in Zechariah 2.

This vision involves such players as a surveyor ("a man with a measuring line in his hand"), an angel that provides the meaning and another angel.  The point of the surveyor is to show the immensity and the size of this future "city".  "The “man with a measuring line” (v. 1) is not identified, though it is conjectured that he is probably the Angel of the Lord, as in Ezek. 40:3." [1]  This is a vision that is pointing forward to the progressive fulfillment of the promises of God.  "Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.” (Zechariah 2:4, NIV).

This vision points forward to the time when God will dwell with His people and the city of Jerusalem, will be filled with the God-worshiping nations of the earth. “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:2–3, NIV).

There is a constant allusion here to the eschatology reality of God dwelling with His people:

• Zechariah 2:4–5 (NIV), ⁴ and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. ⁵ And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
• Zechariah 2:10 (NIV), ¹⁰ “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.
• Zechariah 2:11–12 (NIV), ¹¹ “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. ¹² The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

There is a warning to pagan nations in this vision also.  "In view of the return of the Lord’s glory to Jerusalem and his coming judgment on their former rulers (1:18–20), those still in exile in Babylon should escape from there and return to Zion, the home of the temple." [2]  And this is certain, for the vision ends with a similar call as Psalm 46:10: “Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”” (Zechariah 2:13, NIV).

The joy, the peace, the security, the glory of God are all contingent on His Presence.  His lack of presence leaves a people insecure and vulnerable.  We become very aware of the devastation when the glory of God's Presence departs. But even more so, when God's Presence is manifest in His fullness, what joy!  What peace!

Father, to see again that Your goal is to dwell with mankind in holy, radiant, glory is no surprise. We know that the consummate blessing is when You cause Your face to shine upon us; when instead of turning Your back on us, You turn toward us.  We know that the ultimate security is when You dwell in the center of the habitation.  Like Moses we pray today that Your Presence will go with us and before us.  I thank You this day for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I thank You that You have not left Your children orphans, but You have sent Your Spirit to be with us always.  Yet as unspeakably miraculous that is, it does not compare to what it will be like in the New Heavens and New Earth when You dwell with Your redeemed in unhindered glory.  My mind cannot conceive of such wonder.  I cry, "Be still world!  My God is in His holy Temple!  My God is coming to dwell forever with His people!"   Oh come Lord Jesus, come.   Grant the grace of diligent service and obedience as we await the day when our faith shall be sight.  Amen!

 

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1. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zec 2:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 

2. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1754–1755). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.