I Lift Up Mine Eyes

Zechariah 2:1 I lift up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.

The first time Zechariah lifted up his eyes was in verse 18 of chapter one. There he saw the four horns and the four carpenters. The four horns symbolized the nations that had scattered Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. The four carpenters symbolized those who would overcome the four horns. It is important that we see the spiritual fulfillment of this vision. The four horns, then, would symbolize the antichrist spirit that has scattered Christianity, which is culminated in what is called spiritual Babylon in the New Testament. The four carpenters would represent the Body of Christ as seen in Revelation chapter nineteen.

You will notice in verses 18 to 21 of chapter one and in verse one of chapter two the emphasis in upon seeing. Zechariah lifted up his eyes. Prior to that in chapter one it was hearing. Zechariah heard the Word of the Lord. He did not hear the Word with his natural ears but with the ears of his spirit and the same with seeing. He saw with the eyes of his spirit. This is why Jesus said so many times in the Gospels “he that hath ears to hear let him hear.” It is very important for a Christian’s spirit to come alive so he can see and hear with his spirit. This is also an indication that he is truly born from above, so Zechariah lifted up the eyes of his spirit and he saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Zechariah 2:2 Then said I, Where are you going? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

This is prophecy! The man with the measuring line was not going to measure historical Jerusalem. It would be and has been measured and evaluated already by the Lord in Revelation 11:8 as “the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified.” So what Jerusalem was the man going to measure? He was planning on measuring spiritual Jerusalem, which is the Body of Christ and is called New Jerusalem and also the Bride of Christ in Revelation 21:2: And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Don’t let the phrase “coming down from God out of heaven” mislead you. It does not mean it is coming down out of the sky. God’s heaven of spirit is all around us; it is the realm of spirit. Whenever God meets man in some way it is pictured in the Scriptures as God coming down. When man meets Him, it is pictured as ascension.

To measure something is to give it a limit. This has always been the case with churches. Man has always wanted to fix and limit the boundaries of the church. This is how it has been with denominations. Each one has set its boundaries. This is how far you can go in God and no farther! This is what you can believe and no more! Sectarianism is one of the works of the flesh that the Apostle Paul condemns in Galatians 5:20 where he speaks of strife, seditions, and heresies. He refers to it again in I Corinthians 3:3-4: For you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal? Man is responsible for these carnal divisions among Christians not God!

Zechariah 2:3-4 And behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein…

There will be no denominational walls around Jerusalem, which is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Walls shut people in and they shut people out. Notice that the word “towns” is plural. New Jerusalem will not be a town singular but towns plural. Just as Israel was made up of twelve tribes the church of the Lord will have twelve towns which are termed twelve foundations in Revelation 21:14: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Now this verse speaks of the wall of the city, and we just said there would no walls around Jerusalem. How can that be? Well, that is explained in the next verse.

Zechariah 2:5 For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

The Lord Himself will be a wall of fire around spiritual Jerusalem. There will be no man-made walls, only the presence of the Lord, and He will also be a wall of fire. His presence of fire will be all around her and at the same time He will be the glory in the midst of her, which was also prophesied by Paul in II Thessalonians 1:10: When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Zechariah 2:6 Ho, ho, 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.

The ten tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrians and were dispersed. They were literally spread abroad and became known as the lost tribes of Israel. God said it was He that did spread them abroad because He took down their defenses which allowed Assyria to conquer them, and He did so because of their idolatry. For the same reason He also took down the defenses of Judah, and they were conquered by Babylon. In the same way and for the same reason spiritual Babylon has conquered the bulk of the churches in Christianity. The Lord is now saying through Zechariah’s prophecy for us to flee from the land of the north.

Zechariah 2:7 Deliver yourself, O Zion, that dwells with the daughter of Babylon.

The daughter of Babylon is spiritual Babylon! Christianity, for the most part, is dwelling in spiritual Babylon. Listen to what the Lord says in Revelation 18:1-4. After these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. And who are the people of the Lord? Christians! They are the people of the Lord.

I must tell you a true story that gives a good example of this. Back in the forties there was a family driving across the country on their way to California. In one of the western states, they stopped at a country store to get some gas. While the father was getting the gas his young son walked around back. Behind the store was a cage with an eagle in it. The eagle was walking back and forth in the cage, and while the door was open the eagle made no effort to escape. The young man walked back around and asked the attendant why the eagle did not try to escape the cage. The attendant said, “Son, that eagle has been in that cage so long it doesn’t know it can be free. The cage has become its home.” That is the way it is with denominations! Christians have been in their cages so long they do not realize they are in captivity. They think they are free even though they are not.

Zechariah 2:8-9 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of His eye.
9 For behold, I will shake Mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

The antichrist spirit moved into Christianity and has made captives of many of God’s people. It was spoken of as the four horns in chapter one because it had moved against God’s people to the four corners of the earth. And in response God says, “You have touched the apple of My eye.” The Lord calls His people the “apple of His eye.” In Malachi 3:17 He calls them “His jewels.” Are you aware of how much He loves His people? God will shake His hand over them that have touched the apple of His eye. Shaking His hand upon them speaks of the judgments He will bring upon them through the Body of Christ.

Zechariah 2:10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.

Now is the time for singing and rejoicing for this is the season when the Lord is coming forth in His people. When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. II Thessalonians 1:10. We are in the season of His coming now. It is not a coming like so many preachers preach today; it is not an instantaneous event when every Christian is taken away. That is a fairy tale. He is coming forth in “all them that believe.” And the reason so many Christians are not experiencing it is because they do not believe. Our verse in Zechariah (2:10) is not the first place this is spoken of. The whole Bible speaks of it, and yet so few Christians really believe it. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. This is not talking about getting saved and going to heaven. It is about you and I becoming the dwelling of the Lord. This is not pie-in-the-sky! This is for now!

Zechariah 2:11 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 you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me unto you.

Many nations will be joined to the Lord. That is not a new Word. All through the Bible God speaks of it. In fact, He spoke of it to Abram. In you Abram shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all nations of the earth shall be blessed in him (Genesis 18:18). Run the references; this teaching goes through the entire Bible. Listen to what Paul speaks concerning this. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed. Galatians 3:8.

Let’ read it again. 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 you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me unto you. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord. Not many denominations, but many nations! Christianity has become like Israel and Judah when God judged them – arrogant, proud, thinking they are really spiritual and special. God is going to dwell in the midst of the nations; read verse 11 again. It remains to be seen how many Christians will be found in that number.