Zechariah 2

Chapter 2, the next vision, the fourth in the series of ten.

I lifted up my eyes again, and I looked, and behold there was a man with a measuring line in his hand [He had a ruler]. I said, Where are you going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, And he said unto him, Run and speak to this young man (Zechariah 2:1-4),

Calling Zechariah a young man, and that is why I said he was probably a young man when he prophesied. He said, "Run and speak to this young man,"

saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein (Zechariah 2:4):

In other words, Jerusalem is going to grow far beyond the boundaries of the walls. Now, if you go to Jerusalem today, you'll find that this prophecy is fulfilled. It wasn't really fulfilled until more recent years. Until really the last century. But Jerusalem has expanded tremendously. In fact, there are new settlements in Jerusalem way out towards the city of Jericho. Probably eight miles out of the center of Jerusalem. New settlements, huge settlements. Jerusalem has new settlements almost to Bethlehem. They have settlements almost to Ramalah. Jerusalem has expanded her borders tremendously. So this prophecy of Zechariah was not really fulfilled until our day, and you can go over now and see how it is being fulfilled even now.

For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about (Zechariah 2:5),

In other words, they will expand from the walls. And the walled city of Jerusalem is now just a small little portion there in the center, and it comprises just a little area of about one square mile, where I would imagine that the city limits of Jerusalem proper now are probably now somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 to 200 square miles, as it has expanded so large. So the Lord said, "I will be a wall of fire around them. They won't have to build a wall around it, for I will be the wall of fire round about."

and I will be the glory in the midst of her (Zechariah 2:5)

Of course, that has not yet taken place, will not take place until Jesus comes again, that is His being the glory in the midst of her.

O come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD (Zechariah 2:5-6).

So He speaks of their dispersion; He had spread them abroad as the four winds.
Now in the New Testament, Matthew, chapter 24, when the disciples asked Jesus "What will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?" Jesus began to tell them the various signs to look for. Incidentally, it just so happens that one of the signs that Jesus spoke about took up a full-page ad in today's L.A. Times. For one of the signs Jesus said, "There will be false christs who will be coming." In the L.A. Times today there was a full-page ad, and in the major newspapers around the world, these full-page ads were run, proclaiming that the new Christ is now here, and will be revealing himself to the world in two months in a worldwide telecast, to be broadcast simultaneously throughout the entire world by satellite, and he is going to bring in the new era of peace and prosperity for all mankind. That everybody around the world will understand his speech by mental telepathy, so that it doesn't matter what language you speak, you will understand him as he is speaking. Because through mental telepathy his speech will be translated into your language, and you will think that he is speaking English, because you will understand him as though he were. So far this group has spent about twenty million dollars in advertising the Messiah, or they call him the Christ, who will be revealing himself in two months to the world.

Now Jesus said, "There will be false christs, and they will say, 'Lo he is here, or Lo he is there. Or, he is in a secret place." Of course, right now the paper said he is at this moment in a secret place and nobody knows who he is except the few chosen people that he has decided to reveal himself to. But he is already a world leader. He already has spoken out on national issues, and the world has been listening to him, but he will reveal his true identity in two months to the whole world. Now that's one of the things Jesus said in Matthew 24 was gonna happen. So in the L.A. Times today, you got a full-page ad showing that the Lord is coming soon. Not the guy that's gonna be appearing in two months.

Now, as Jesus went on in Matthew 24, He told of the Great Tribulation that was going to come, such as the world has never seen before or will ever see again. He begins to tell them some of the things that are gonna happen in the Great Tribulation. The moon will be turned to blood, and the sun into darkness before the day of the Lord come. The stars are gonna fall from heaven like a fig tree casts forth her untimely figs. Jesus said, "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall they see the Son of man coming with clouds and great glory." That is the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ; it's gonna come right after the Great Tribulation period. Then Jesus said, "And then shall they gather together His elect from the four corners of the earth."
Now those people who declare that the rapture of the church will take place after the Great Tribulation use this as one of their key proof text. That the Lord gathers together His elect from the four corners of the earth, after He returns in power and great glory.
But here in Zechariah we find that those elect that God will be gathering together from the four winds of the earth are actually the nation Israel, not the church. That is also confirmed by parallel prophesies in Isaiah.
So the Lord is saying, "Come forth!" Now there are thousands of Jews in Russia today wanting to immigrate to Israel. But, of course, at the present time Russia has a very restrictive quota against them, and it's been holding them back. But God says, "Oh, let them go. And they will flee from the land of the north," as God has spread them to the four winds of the heavens.

Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon (Zechariah 2:7).

That is, deliver yourself out of that commercialism into which you have fallen.
Now in the book of Revelation, God expresses His anger against commercialism as we know it that has been guilty of enslaving the souls of men. Those who have been taking advantage of other people and taking more profit than is necessary from their products. God speaks of the destruction of that commercial Babylonian system in Revelation, chapter 18. Chapter 17 is the destruction of the religious Babylonian system, chapter 18 the destruction of the commercial Babylonian system.
Now in Revelation, when He speaks of the commercial, He said, "Come out of her My people." That is the same thing that He is saying here. Calling His people to come out from that Babylon commercial system.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye (Zechariah 2:8).

Now God is saying that concerning the Jewish people. And I don't know what your particular opinion of the Jews may be, but if you touch them you are touching the apple of God's eye.
Now, because I have taken a supportive position towards the Jews and towards Israel, because I come from a biblical base, you would be amazed at the mail that I get and how many ministers even write to me, and castigate me for my pro-Israel stance. I get hate mail all the time because of my support for the Jews and the nation of Israel. But I do believe that God said, "He will bless those that bless them, and curse those that curse them." The Lord said, "If you touch them, you are touching the apple of My eye."
Yes, I know that they have turned their backs upon God; yes I know that they have been guilty of corrupting the morals of the world. I know that they've controlled Hollywood, and I know that they've controlled a lot of things that have brought corruption into the world. And yet, I know that God has chosen them, and you just better not touch them. Now, a lot of people have become extremely angry because of the dealings that they've had where they've been taken. There are a lot of people who just have a bitterness towards the Jewish people. But don't touch them, for the Lord said you're touching the apple of His eye.

For behold, I will shake my hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. [Turning to Israel he said,] Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD (Zechariah 2:9-10).

A glorious prophecy of the second coming of Jesus Christ, and they're exhorted to sing and rejoice because the Lord is gonna come and dwell in the midst of them.

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 the LORD of hosts has sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation (Zechariah 2:11-13).

So according to the scriptures, Jesus is going to come again and He's going to dwell upon the earth for a thousand years. He's going to reign over the earth during this time, and He will set His throne in Jerusalem. Judah, the area of Judah will be His portion. And it says the kings of the earth will come annually and present their gifts unto Him. And He will be the Lord over the earth at that time, and the peoples of the world will worship Him.

Now in that glorious Kingdom Age, we will be here to live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. In fact, in the book of Revelation it says, "Unto Him who loved us and washed us with His blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:5-6). Then in the fifth chapter of Revelation, when we are singing praises unto the Lamb for His worthiness to take the scroll and loose the seal because He was slain and has redeemed us by His blood, and the song goes on to say, "And we shall reign with Him and has made us kings and priests unto our God, and we shall reign with Him upon the earth."

So when you read of the kings of the earth coming and presenting their gifts unto the Lord in the Kingdom Age, that's you that it's talking about. Annually we'll have a great tour to Jerusalem as we gather together from all over the world. I'll come from Hawaii. Tell the Lord, "Well, things are going pretty well there on Maui, Lord, got things under control. Great worship services, keep the surf up." But the kings of the earth gathering, and how glorious that's going to be when the Lord reigns over the earth, and righteousness covers the earth, as the waters cover the sea.
You know, if you miss that, you miss the whole reason for living! You miss the whole purpose of life. The purpose of your being here is that you might come to know Jesus Christ now as your Lord and as your King, in order that loving Him, living for Him, and serving Him now, you might continue loving Him, living for Him, and serving Him forever. That's why you're here. If you miss knowing the Lord now, you've missed the whole purpose of life, and your life is in vain. It's empty. It's worthless. So many people have wasted their lives because they've lived for the present pleasures, for the present glories, for the present age, and they haven't taken eternity into view at all. "