Under the name of Jerusalem, he prophesieth the progress of the church of Christ, by the conversion of some Jews and many Gentiles.
2:1. And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold a man, with a measuring line in his hand.
2:2. And I said: Whither goest thou? and he said to me: To measure Jerusalem, and to see how great is the breadth thereof, and how great the length thereof.
2:3. And behold the angel that spoke in me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him.
2:4. And he said to him: Run, speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls, by reason of the mult.i.tude of men, and of the beasts in the midst thereof.
Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls... This must be understood of the spiritual Jerusalem, the church of Christ.
2:5. And I will be to it, saith the Lord, a wall of fire round about: and I will be in glory in the midst thereof.
2:6. O, O flee ye out of the land of the north, saith the Lord, for I have scattered you into the four winds of heaven, saith the Lord.
2:7. O Sion, flee, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon:
2:8. For thus saith the Lord of hosts: After the glory he hath sent me to the nations that have robbed you: for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye:
2:9. For behold, I lift up my hand upon them, and they shall be a prey to those that served them: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts sent me.
2:10. Sing praise, and rejoice, O daughter of Sion: for behold I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee: saith the Lord.
2:11. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee: and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to thee.
2:12. And the Lord shall possess Juda his portion in the sanctified land: and he shall yet choose Jerusalem.
2:13. Let all flesh be silent at the presence of the Lord: for he is risen up out of his holy habitation.
Zacharias Chapter 3
In a vision Satan appeareth accusing the high priest. He is cleansed from his sins. Christ is promised, and great fruit from his pa.s.sion.
3:1. And the Lord shewed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord: and Satan stood on his right hand to be his adversary.
Jesus... Alias, Josue, the son of Josedec, the high priest of that time.
3:2. And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan: and the Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke thee: Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3:3. And Jesus was clothed with filthy garments: and he stood before the face of the angel.
With filthy garments... Negligences and sins.
3:4. Who answered, and said to them that stood before him, saying: Take away the filthy garments from him. And he said to him: Behold I have taken away thy iniquity, and have clothed thee with change of garments.
3:5. And he said: Put a clean mitre upon his head: and they put a clean mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments, and the angel of the Lord stood.
3:6. And the angel of the Lord protested to Jesus, saying:
3:7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my charge, thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt keep my courts, and I will give thee some of them that are now present here to walk with thee.
I will give thee, etc... Angels to attend and a.s.sist thee.
3:8. Hear, O Jesus thou high priest, thou and thy friends that dwell before thee, for they are portending men: for behold, I WILL BRING MY SERVANT THE ORIENT.
Portending men... That is, men, who by words and actions are to foreshew wonders that are to come.-Ibid. My servant the Orient... Christ, who according to his humanity is the servant of G.o.d, is called the Orient from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world.
3:9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Jesus: upon one stone there are seven eyes: behold I will grave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will take away the iniquity of that land in one day.
The stone... Another emblem of Christ, the rock, foundation, and corner stone of his church.-Ibid. Seven eyes... The manifold providence of Christ over his church, or the seven gifts of the spirit of G.o.d.-Ibid.
One day... Viz., the day of the pa.s.sion of Christ, the source of all our good: when this precious stone shall be graved, that is, cut and pierced, with whips, thorns, nails, and spear.
3:10. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, every man shall call his friend under the vine and under the fig tree.
Zacharias Chapter 4
The vision of the golden candlestick and seven lamps, and of the two olive trees.
4:1. And the angel that spoke in me came again: and he waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
4:2. And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its lamp upon the top of it: and the seven lights thereof upon it: and seven funnels for the lights that were upon the top thereof.
A candlestick, etc... The temple of G.o.d that was then in building; and in a more sublime sense, the church of Christ.
4:3. And two olive trees over it: one upon the right side of the lamp, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4:4. And I answered, and said to the angel that spoke in me, saying: What are these things, my lord?
4:5. And the angel that spoke in me answered, and said to me: Knowest thou not what these things are? And I said: No, my lord.
4:6. And he answered, and spoke to me, saying: This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying: Not with an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
To Zorobabel... This vision was in favour of Zorobabel: to a.s.sure him of success in the building of the temple, which he had begun, signified by the candlestick; the lamp of which, without any other industry, was supplied with oil, dropping from the two olive trees, and distributed by the seven funnels or pipes, to maintain the seven lights.
4:7. Who art thou, O great mountain, before Zorobabel? thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring out the chief stone, and shall give equal grace to the grace thereof.
Great mountain... So he calls the opposition made by the enemies of G.o.d"s people; which nevertheless, without an army or might on their side, was quashed by divine providence.-Ibid. Shall give equal grace, etc... Shall add grace to grace, or beauty to beauty.
4:8. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
4:9. The hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to you.
4:10. For who hath despised little days? and they shall rejoice, and shall see the tin plummet in the hand of Zorobabel. These are the seven eyes of the Lord, that run to and fro through the whole earth.
Little days... That is, these small and feeble beginnings of the temple of G.o.d.-Ibid. The tin plummet... Literally, the stone of tin. He means the builder"s plummet, which Zorobabel shall hold in his hand for the finishing the building.-Ibid. The seven eyes... The providence of G.o.d, that oversees and orders all things.
4:11. And I answered, and said to him: What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?