IN THE second chapter of Zechariah we have a picture of the Jerusalem of the future. In this dramatic presentation there appear four actors. The first one is the man with the measuring line in his hand who goes forth to measure Jerusalem in order to ascertain its length and breadth. The second person is the prophet himself. The third is the interpreting angel who accompanies the prophet in all of the visions. The last character is an angel who apparently is in association with the man who has the measuring line.

Who is this individual with the measuring line? He is called a man and yet he is more than a man. This fact is seen by the message He sends to the prophet relative to His building Jerusalem and dwelling in the midst of it. The prophets constantly speak of Jehovah and of His reigning in the midst of restored Jerusalem. Since this one is to dwell there and to be its protection, it is evident that He is none other than Jehovah the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ in His pre-natal state.

As stated above, the interpreting angel was associated with the prophet. Upon his seeing the angel of Jehovah, the Lord Jesus, the interpreting angel left the prophet's side and went forth toward the man with the measuring line. At this point there went forth from the side of the man with the measuring line another angel to meet the interpreting angel who had come from the prophet. They seem to have met, possibly on half-way ground. The interpreting angel was instructed by the other angel to return to the prophet's side and to deliver a message from the man with the measuring line. These actions will become clear to one who carefully reads the chapter.

In verses 4 and 5 the interpreting angel is instructed to tell the prophet that "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein. For I, saith Jehovah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her." What is meant by Jerusalem? Two answers have been given. The first is that it is a reference to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the second is that it is literal Jerusalem in Palestine. The first answer cannot possibly be correct for we are told that this Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls "by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein." By no stretch of the imagination can we understand the word cattle in any way other than that which is conveyed by the literal meaning. Furthermore, since we must follow the Golden Rule of Interpretation which insists that we take everything at its face value unless the facts of the context indicate clearly otherwise, and since there is no negative evidence, we must understand "Jerusalem" to be a reference to the literal city in Palestine by that name.

According to this prediction Jerusalem is to be inhabited as villages without walls by reason of the multitude of men and cattle. We can readily understand why men will be there because that will be Jerusalem in the great Kingdom Age. But why the cattle? From certain passages we learn that the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Passover will be observed during the Millennial Age. Furthermore, Ezekiel speaks of the resumption of some of the sacrifices that were observed during the Law Age and of their being made in the Millennial Era. In view of these prophecies one naturally concludes that the animals will be there for sacrificial purposes. Under the Dispensation of Law men looked forward to the coming of Christ who was the real sacrifice, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. They thus had a prospective significance then; but in the Millennial Age they will be retrospective and will have a memorial connotation. The people during that era will need to have their attention constantly called to the fact that their redemption was very costly. Since the animal sacrifices were used to set forth that idea to the patriarchs and to Israel of old, it should not be thought strange that God will again use the identical means to impress the same lesson.

At that time Jehovah will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and will protect it as a wall of fire round about. In ancient times travelers who were in an animal-infested territory at night would build a fire round about the camp, because no wild beasts would go through fire even to attack a man. The prophet spoke of the protection which God will exercise over Jerusalem at that time in terms of this familiar experience.

In verse 6 there is sounded a call for Israel to leave the places where she has been scattered during the present dispensation and to return to the land of the fathers. This is an echo of former prophecies by such men as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

In verse 8 and 9 we see the prophet quoting Jehovah of hosts and hear the latter saying that Jehovah of hosts had sent him. Thus, according to this prediction, there are two personalities called Jehovah of hosts. This should not surprise any of us who are familiar with Israel's great confession, Deuteronomy 6:4, which literally rendered is: "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah, our Gods, is Jehovah a unity." There are three personalities in the God-head. They are, Jehovah the Father, Jehovah the Son, and Jehovah the Holy Spirit. When we read this passage in the light of other scriptures, it becomes apparent that in this prediction Jehovah the Father sends Jehovah the Son.

According to verse 8, Jehovah the Son is sent by the Father: "After glory hath he sent me unto the nations." This phrase is most difficult, but in all probability it simply means that Jehovah the Father sends Jehovah the Son to vindicate and to demonstrate the glory of God before all nations and to punish all anti-Semites to whom reference is made in these verses. One cannot persecute the Jew and go unpunished. See Genesis 12:3.

The Daughter of Zion--the Jewish people--is called upon to sing and to rejoice over the fact that Jehovah will come and dwell in the midst of her. A beautiful picture of Jehovah's dwelling in Zion in the future is set forth in Isaiah 33:17-24. Zephaniah likewise spoke of this same future glorious reign (3:14-17). At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of Jehovah (Jer. 3:16-18), because Jehovah will dwell there.

According to verse 11 of our passage many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that day and shall be His people. This verse is doubtless an echo of such former predictions as Isaiah 9:6,7. There we are told that the Messiah will mount the throne of David and that there will be an increase of His government until He reigns from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. At the end of the Tribulation Israel racially repudiates her national sin and accepts the Lord Jesus Christ, inviting Him to return. He will at that time rend the heavens, return, and become in reality King of the Jews. Converted Israel will go forth and bear the glad message of redemption to the nations which survive the Tribulation. They will then, being converted, ask to be incorporated into the kingdom of Messiah. Thus one after another of the nations will be brought into the kingdom of His glory. There will, therefore, be but one King and one kingdom at that time.

In verse 12 of this prophecy we are told that Jehovah will inherit Judah as His portion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. This promise is simply assurance that the seat of government will be in Judah, that is, in the Tribe of Judah as set forth by Ezekiel.

In view of this wonderful future when the era of peace will be established upon the earth, the prophet calls upon all flesh to be silent before the Lord God Almighty. May He hasten that time is my sincere prayer.