(6-13) This address to Zion may be taken as the words of the prophet himself, or of the angel who had been speaking before. In any case, it was intended to be communicated to the people by the prophet, whose mind had been prepared by the foregoing vision for the reception of such a revelation. read more
(10) I will dwell in the midst of thee.—These words (comp. Zechariah 8:3) were, no doubt, meant by the prophet to refer, in the first place, to God’s indwelling in the second Temple (see Note on Haggai 2:9), although the visible manifestation of His presence (the Shekinah) was not again given. This prophecy received a glorious fulfilment, little dreamt of by the prophet, in the great event chronicled in John 1:14. read more
(10-13) The prophecy contained in these verses is admitted by most Jewish as well as Christian commentators to be of a Messianic character; but opinion is not so unanimous with regard to the nature of its fulfilment. Now, in considering such passages as this, we must bear in mind that the prophets were but men—inspired men, it is true—but still, men with the unrestrained use of their natural faculties preserved to them. When they received a prophetic inspiration, some grand idea of God’s... read more
The Man with the Measuring Line Zechariah 2:1-2 The vision. This vision is really the protest of the Prophet against the attempt the Jews were making to narrow down the Divine purposes to the limit of their own paltry plans. In his vision the Prophet sees a young man, who stands for the Jewish people, with a measuring line in his hand. The Prophet hails the young man, and asks him whither he is going, and what is his errand. The young man answers, 'I go to measure Jerusalem, to see what is... read more
THE THIRD VISION: THE CITY OF PEACEZechariah 2:5-9Like the Second Vision, the Third follows from the First, another, but a still more significant, supplement. The First had promised the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and now the prophet beholds "a young man"-by this term he probably means "a servant" or "apprentice"-who is attempting to define the limits of the new city. In the light of what this attempt encounters, there can be little doubt that the prophet means to symbolize by it the intention of... read more
CHAPTER 2 1. The man with the measuring line (Zechariah 2:1-2 ) 2. The message of the third night vision (Zechariah 2:3-9 ) 3. The glorious kingdom (Zechariah 2:10-12 ) Zechariah 2:1-2 . The third night vision is one of the coming glory. The number three stands in the Word of God for resurrection, life from the dead. Thus in Hosea, concerning Israel, “After two days Thou wilt revive us, and on the third day Thou wilt raise us up” Hosea 6:2 . In this third vision Zechariah sees the... read more
The Third Vision - A Man With a Measuring Line (vv. 1-5) Another vision draws the eyes of Zechariah-a man with a measuring line. Zechariah 1:16 told of a line being stretched upon Jerusalem. Now, in answer to Zechariah's question, the Man tells him that he has come to measure the length and breadth of Jerusalem. This Man is the Lord Jesus who alone is capable of discerning the precision of God's counsels in regard to the future blessing of the earthly Jerusalem. Notice that only the length... read more
THE PROPHET ’S OWN TIME Zechariah, like Haggai, had a twofold mission, to strengthen the hands of Israel for the rebuilding of the temple, and to quicken their hope as the earlier prophets had done, by painting in glowing colors the coming time of triumph over every foe. This mission is set before us in a two-fold division of the book. Chapters 1-8 give us a series of prophetic visions bearing primarily, upon the prophet’s own time, while chapters 9-14 deal chiefly with the events... read more
"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. (11) And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee." The Prophet Zephaniah had called upon Zion to rejoice in nearly the same words, and from the same cause. Zephaniah 3:14-17 . Yea, all the Prophets had been directed to bless the Church, in those... read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Zechariah 2:1-13
A SERIES OF SEVEN VISIONS.Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15. Between the commencement of Zechariah’s prophetic labours and the incidents recorded in Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15, the Prophet Haggai received the revelation contained in Haggai 2:10-23. On the four-and-twentieth day of the eleventh month, just five months after the re-building of the Temple was resumed, Zechariah sees a succession of seven visions in one night, followed by a symbolic action (Zechariah 6:9-15). read more