Pastor Jeon

The Man Who Has a Measuring Line

The Man Who Has a Measuring Line (Zechariah 2:1-13) preaching and practice

Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”

3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.

7 “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

  1. Here, the man is the rider on the red horse. Pre-incarnated Christ.

  2. What shall he accomplish at Jerusalem? We can find three important issues that are related to the redemption.

  3. First of all we have to admit that he is the Angel of the Lord. Zechariah see the redemption of the angel of the Lord for his own people.

The metaphor reveals the glory of redemption of Christ very obviously to us.

  1. It is to make the new Jerusalem as our absolute refuge.

  1. Verses 3-5 say, “ He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.” 3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.

  2. The focus of the metaphor is set at the protection of Jerusalem, as a city without walls, with the fire wall. And the Lord shall be the glory in the city. This expression suggests us about the abundant reality of redemption. What are they? It points the absolute protection as Eden Garden and as the protection of Samaria of the northern Israel out of attacking of Syria. God is the double protector of Jerusalem. Later in the New Testament, Jesus emphasized that the double protection for his people. Jn10:28-29 “28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” “ Now, we lives in the fire wall in the world as we know when Israel came out of Egypt through the pillar of fire that protected Israel out of attacking of Egyptians. It is the fire wall. Isaiah emphasized that absolute protection for his people.(Ish41:8-10)“But you, Israel, my servant,    Jacob, whom I have chosen,  you descendants of Abraham my friend,
    9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’;  I have chosen you and have not rejected you.10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
     do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The Old Testament emphasized such symbolic points but now we live in Christ’s complete armor.(Ephsian6:10-11) “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Immanuel is protection of protections. Our Lord shall keep his promise faithfully, “I will be with you eternally.”

  3. When we serve the world in the name of Jesus, we should claim such protection. Many people are wandering because of that issue in their future about money, health, and relationship. Then we look at the new Jerusalem I Jesus Christ as an element of abundant redemption.

  1. God shall rules over the kingdom

  1. 6-9 says, “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the LORD. “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8 For this is what the LORD Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.

  2. From that passage we can find another element of kingdom as feature of our redemption. What is it? It is that God Himself rules over the kingdom of God as his sovereignty power. He shall give freedom out of captive states of Babylon, and He shall destroyed their enemy with his powerful hand (four winds) Still God loves the Zion as the ball of the eyes and also his judging hand shall make them known the Lord deeply. In other words the knowledge of God shall overflow in the earth by his dominion of the kingdom.

  3. We now live under any dominion anytime, anyplace in the earth. Cambodian cannot depart out of the dominion of this government. But we should observe the superior dominion, God’s hand in the Scripture. So we have to seek first the his kingdom and his righteousness in our actual lives.(Matthew 6:33) because we belongs to the redemption of the kingdom.

  1. All nations shall be joined in the city.

  1. And also the redemption points the other wonderful feature. It is the point of universal redemption except the national zion. So, verses 10-13 says “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The LORD will inherit Juion.dah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

  2. Theses passages emphasizes the universalism of redemption that is, the chosen people among all nations shall return to the Zion. Actually the prophesy was accomplished in the new testament. As we know the Acts reveals that all national people gathered at Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost. They were the first universal church in the history , consisted of the Gentile and Israel. This is the detailed accomplishment of the redemption by the providential hand. Now we live in it.

  3. When we study the Scripture at this school we should see the glorious redemption , absolute protection, the sovereignty dominion of God and the universal redemption. For this purpose we have to devote ourselves to Him.

After we finish to proclaim this abundant grace tour neighbors, we have to go to the eternal world.

Conclusion:

1) Please do not see to the miserable picture, secular vision. But we have to concentrate to the glorious vision , the abundant redemption in Christ. Here we have to invest our whole life in will of God. This is our sufficiency and our contents and our source and our power in the world.

2) The Cambodian monks are respected by the village people with several methods although their proclaiming is false, ridiculous, we should be gathered by the people because of the only truth. For this things God call for you.