First, God sees and measures. He has a plumb-line. His words are His plumb-line.
The remnants of the children of Israel (representing the people of God) had started re-building the temple but halted and procrastinated for twenty years (from the time the remnants returned to Jerusalem and the foundation laid to the time the temple was ready for consecration). In the meantime they built their own businesses, houses, accumulated wealth etc. for themselves. (In the book of Haggai, some Israelites even abandoned their first wives and married foreign women, cheated their employees of wages, tried to cheat God by offering sick and defective animals. in short, they simply did not believe in God.) The two prophets: Haggai and Zechariah were sent by God to warn them and urge them to return to God and resume the building work. Not giving God a mere cheap lip service but really obeying God’s words from the hearts and the following the spiritual leading of the Holy Spirit. For God is the God of glory.
[ The Two Witnesses ] Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
A second point is He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Why does He mention He will be the wall of fire for His chosen dwelling?
Fire refines believers (the people of God). Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Fire eliminates the idols and unclean spirits. Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Fire destroys the evil works of the devil. Deuteronomy 9:3 Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
Third point: The Lord God Almighty says very clearly He has chosen to take possession of His dwelling and He will dwell in the midst of His people.
3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”
Fire refines believers (the people of God). Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Fire eliminates the idols and unclean spirits. Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Fire destroys the evil works of the devil. Deuteronomy 9:3 Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
Third point: The Lord God Almighty says very clearly He has chosen to take possession of His dwelling and He will dwell in the midst of His people.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
__________________________Zechariah 2
Vision of the Measuring Line
Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?”
And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”
