Zechariah 1:17

"Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity: and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem."

My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity ..." This is not a flat promise that the walled city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt. Note that "cities" are in view, not merely Jerusalem. The same corresponds with "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls" (Zechariah 2:4), making it obvious that there are significant overtones in these visions suggesting the kingdom of Messiah in the age of the gospel.

Higginson split the meaning of the verse, applying half of it (Zechariah 1:17a) to the successful era of the Maccabees,[31] and referring the latter part of it (Zechariah 1:17b) to the times of Christ and the gospel. It appears to this writer that the whole passage, indeed this whole series of eight visions, is principally Messianic, with the lesser fulfillments in the history of secular Israel only tokens of the ultimate reality.

Before leaving this first vision, we would like to point out that it is the Covenant Angel which stands out. We do not therefore call this a horse-vision, nor the company in the myrtle trees, but the dramatic appearance of Israel's ancient champion, the angel of Jehovah.

One other thing. We have scarcely noted the many emendations, rearrangements, omissions, additions, and alterations of the text which have been advocated by the liberal scholars. It is our deep and unwavering conviction that an examination of such operations against the sacred text is a waste of time.

In no case, does the result they arrive at recommend itself as more feasible than does a sober Scriptural exposition of the very text as we find it.[32]

We do not reject legitimate corrections of the text based upon acceptable manuscript authority, but the subjective, imaginative guesses of men who know far less about the word of God than is generally supposed, we feel privileged to reject with impunity.