Well here it is part two of our look into the book of Zechariah, as we have read in Gaz’s first post, we can see that Zechariah had eight visions all in the same night, and chapter two goes straight into another vision.

Now as you can see from the passage Zechariah encounters 3 different beings in this chapter, the first being that of a man in Verse’s 1-2 going to measure how long and wide Jerusalem is, there are many different theological arguments about who this “builder” is but for the prupose of this we will stay out of that debate, then in verse 3 the Angel that is accompanying Zechariah see’s another Angel and quickly go into conversation with each other, the second angel is clearly a messanger direct from God as he has words from the Lord with which he must share (verses 4-13)

This first part of the prophecy verses 3-5 had a short term fulfilment in God’s protection of the rebuilding, and blessing of the city under Ezra and Nehemiah; but clearly, its ultimate fulfillment is rebuilding under the rule of the Messiah.

As we carry on to the second part of the prophecy verse 6 in Zechariahs day few of those who were carried to captivity in the Babylonian Empire returned to the Promised Land when they were allowed to. Here the LORD exhorts His people to return back to their land. Sadly most of the exiles were comfortable in Babylon and refused to endure the challenge to build a work of God. Verse 7 , throughout the Bible Babylon is used as an idea as well as a city. If Jerusalem carried the idea of “God’s city” then Babylon carries the idea of the city of the world. Zechariah’s call to come out of Babylon is both literal and figurative (Revelation 18:4-5).

In the 3rd part of this vision God promises to protect his precious people, verse 8 – in modern translations of the bible, it usually changes the wording of this verse from for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye to anyone who harms you, harms my most precious possession. Spurgeon sums this section up quite nicely I quote

“He esteems them as much as men value their eyesight, and is as careful to protect them from injury, as men are to protect the apple of their eye. The pupil of the eye is the tenderest part of the tenderest organ, and very fitly sets forth the inexpressible tenderness of God’s love.”

In the final part of this vision (verses 10-13) Verse 10 God doesn’t expect His people to be passive or “cool” in view of such dramatic promises. He expects them to sing and rejoice. This is also the first reason why God’s people should be excited is because He will be among them in a unique and powerful way. Verse 11 is the second reason for joy is that God will bring many into His Kingdom. God’s desire to bless Israel was never intended to stop with Israel, but to use them as a channel of blessing for many nations. Verse 12 is interesting as this is the only place where the phrase Holy Land is used in the Bible. The land is holy because it is separated unto God in a unique way. Some assume that it is only the people of Judah and Jerusalem that are God’s holy inheritance but passages like this show that land itself is holy and precious to God.

What I find exciting more than anything is that this passage shows us that if we live for God that no matter what he will protect us, this isn’t to say we won’t come into problems or situations that we find difficult, but as we are his children we are his Precious Gift and he will do anything to keep us safe!