THIS third vision is meant to compliment the first two and increase the encouragement to Israel at this time. In the first vision Israel was given assurance, as they faced the daunting task of rebuilding the temple and Jerusalem, by being told that the Lord was in the midst of his people. In the vision of the four horns and the four craftsmen, Israel was assured that they would be defended from all the enemies that surrounded them. In this vision of the man with a measuring line, Israel is given the assurance that Jerusalem and the nation would grow and expand, and so they would succeed in the task of rebuilding the city and the temple.

In this multiplicity of visions we see the goodness of God to his people. In one sense one vision is enough, but God knows how easily we get discouraged, and how easily further questions, fears and doubts are raised in our minds to keep us from going forward with Christ, so the Lord anticipates these doubts with further assurances that answer and allay these doubts. Even though each vision so far has had a similar message, yet each address a different side to the problems Israel had to face.

The meaning of the vision is not hard to grasp, but the details do seem to produce many different points of view. Even if you are like me, and find it difficult to sort out the details, this does not effect the clear meaning and message.

The prophet sees a man who has a measuring line in his hands. When the prophet asks this man where he is going, he is told by this man that he is going to measure the length and width of Jerusalem. Immediately our minds remember the mention of the measuring line in the first chapter verse 16 where the Lord assures Israel that he will return in blessing and mercy, the temple would be built, and the measuring line would be stretched out over Jerusalem. Clearly in this reference in the first chapter, the meaning of the measuring line is interpreted by the fact that it goes with the promise that the temple would be built, and so it must refer to a growth in the size and prosperity of the city. There is no reason to suppose that the meaning is any different in the vision before us. Indeed when we read on we find there is the promise of the growth and prosperity of the city.

The vision, therefore, is a further assurance to Israel so that they would go forward in faith and hope in the great work of rebuilding which seemed beyond their capacity and strength.

Following the vision we read that the angel who spoke to Zechariah then left him and was met by another angel, who gave the message of interpretation of the vision which was this message of assurance of growth for Israel and the city. I have no doubt that this second angel is the Angel of the Lord, that is a pre-incarnation presence of Christ. This is certain because in verse 5, this angel speaks in the first person and says 'I myself will ...' and goes on to say that he will be the blessing and give the blessing of growth and prosperity to Israel.

Now we must at least notice the problem, which is the question of who the man in the vision with the measuring line is. I myself can't make up my mind. It could be that he was simply a man who makes up the picture in the vision. It could be that the man is the angel who spoke with Zechariah, and this is supported by the fact that Zechariah speaks to the man of the vision. Some think that the man in the vision is in fact the angel of the Lord, the second angel who comes to speak the message for Zechariah to the angel who speaks to the prophet. I can't make up my mind, but it does not really matter. If I am pushed for an opinion I would chose the first option, that the man in the vision is simply a part of the vision and nothing else.

There is one other small difficulty of interpretation and that is who the young man is referred to in verse 4. The Angel of the Lord says to the angel who speaks to Zechariah, "Run, tell the young man, ...". I have no doubt that the young man here refers to Zechariah. Some, however, say that the young man in verse 4 is the man in the vision of verse 1. If this is so, then the message of verse 4 is a rebuke to the man in the vision for measuring the city, and this seems a nonsense to me, and not according to the meaning obviously set forth in the vision.

The message to Zechariah, referred to as the young man, is that the vision portrays what God is going to do, which is to cause the size and the prosperity of Jerusalem to increase so that the walls of the city would be in the way and constricting the growth of the city.

As it is the Angel of the Lord making this prophecy, it comes to Israel with the assurance that it is by his power and will that this blessing would be realised. Because of this it was a strong assurance to move the people to go forward in faith and not be put off by the difficulties and trials which the task would bring.

Then the Lord addresses a further question which would arise in the minds of the people. If there were not protecting walls around the city, how secure would Israel be from their enemies. The Lord assures his people that he would be a wall of fire around them. The wall to defend them would not be the limited protection of a physical wall, but the almighty protection of God himself. This spiritual wall around Israel is described as a wall of fire. Fire is a most powerful protection against people coming through.

God is always a wall of fire of protection around his people and a far greater defence than any human contriving.

The Lord adds a further assurance. He tells Israel he would be the glory within them. There could be nothing more exalted and blessed than this. God is telling Israel he would dwell with them, and make them a glorious people as his glory shines through them to the world around. The glory of the Lord is all his character and attributes, and so if the glory of the Lord dwelt amongst the people, then all his character would be imparted to his people, and all his attributes engaged to make them strong and skilled and content.

Every such revelation of God for his people is a revelation of the ways of God for his people in every age. Jerusalem is a picture of the church, and so the promise of God here that God will be a wall of fire around the city applies to the church, and the promise that he will be the glory within the city is a promise that God will be the glory within his church. How can this be unwrapt for us today.

What is the wall of fire around the church today and in every age. Surely it is the gift of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church. The Spirit is illustrated in the New Testament as fire. This was the symbol used when the Spirit was poured out on the church at Pentecost. The Spirit has been poured out on God's people, and it is the Spirit of God who defends God's people from all danger.

This thought is worth meditating upon. Let me offer just pointers for us all to pursue.

The Holy Spirit is a defence for God's people who are suffering persecution. When the world attacks and afflicts the church, the Holy Spirit is a wall of fire to defend the church in this trial, giving God's people strength to stand firm, and courage to endure, and does bring them through all such persecution stronger than before. The history of the church down the ages is a testimony to this. How often has the world sought to exterminate the people of God, but the church still remains, and comes through such suffering stronger and better than it was before. Even those believers who suffer the ultimate sanction of persecution which is the loss of life, the Spirit of God is each believer's strength. He gives them courage to endure. He most surely gives the power to face the suffering with sure faith. He, the Spirit, brings them through to their ultimate goal of heavenly glory. One has only to read the stories of martyrs torn apart by wild beasts, or burnt in the fire, to see the triumph of faith the Spirit gives at these times.

The Holy Spirit is the defence against error. He is the Spirit of truth. He leads his people into all truth. He has given us the Bible as the sure word of truth. He gives his true people the desire to study the Bible, and the illumination to discern the message of God for them there. So when Satan attacks the church with error, the Spirit of God holds God's people in the truth, whether it is the church as a body, or the individual believer, who is being attacked. Even at the worst times in the churches history, God has had his remnant who have held firm to the truth, and eventually truth triumphs again.

The Spirit also is a wall of fire against temptation and despair. He is the one who applies the word of truth, so temptation is discerned and renounced, and despair is counteracted with full assurance of faith.

Then the Holy Spirit is the Glory of God within the Church. This is the greatest of blessings. It is the Spirit who shines light into our hearts, so that we are given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And this is an ever increasing glory shining into our hearts as the Spirit reveals the glory of God in the face of Jesus to us more and more as we are enabled to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God.

The Spirit of God is the glory of God within us to work in us the gracious work of sanctification so that we conform more, in action, thought and desire, to the holy character of God in the lives we live. And although as we grow in such grace it illuminates more clearly the sinfulness of our flesh, so that the believer sometimes feels there is no progress, yet like Moses after he had been with God on the mount whose face then shone with God's glory though he did not know it though the people saw the glory, so for the believer the glory of God shines from the sanctified life so that the world sees, and acknowledges the work of God within that believer.

Lastly, there is the glory of God within which is the glory of the presence of God filling the soul. It is the sense of the presence of God with us, so that we know we are loved and beloved of the Lord, and it is the sense of the presence of God which fills our hearts with joy, and exalts our souls in the heavenly places as we are enabled to have communion with God and enjoy him, which is the beatific vision.

As Israel was promised that God would be a wall of fire around his people, and their glory within, so it is always for God's people who truly believe and walk with their God. Having this promise let us seek the blessing more and more in walking with the Spirit day by day.

We must leave the rest of these verses connected with the vision of the measuring line to the next sermon.