Join us as Dr. J. Vernon McGee embarks on a deep exploration of the book of Zechariah, uncovering the layers of prophecy and their implications for Israel’s future and ours. This episode delves into the enduring messages of peace that resonate from ancient texts to our present day. We’ll explore various kinds of peace, the historical context of the scriptures, and the promise of a future kingdom filled with righteousness and glory.
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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Welcome to Through the Bible, I’m Steve Schwetz, and I’m so glad that you’re here as our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, is going to give us insights into one of those prophecies about Israel’s future. If you’re new on the Bible Bus, well, we’re so glad that you’ve joined us as we continue our study of God’s entire word together. We’re in the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Today we’re beginning in chapter 2, verse 5. But don’t worry, it doesn’t matter where you start. Just know that when you stay with us for five years, you will have traveled through all 66 books of the Bible. And if you’ve got any questions about this journey, or maybe you want to learn more about our teacher, the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, then ttb.org is a great place to go. You can also download our app from your favorite app store. Now, before we dive right into our study, here’s another great introduction from Dr. McGee. This one about several kinds of peace spoken of in the word of God.
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Last time we were talking about peace, the thing that is so devoutly longed for by the world today. With the last camp I had, there were 57 wars going on right now in the world. And we talk about how far that we have come that man has in his civilization. Well, he’s been able to work with the mechanical and the electronic And now he’s moved into a new world of computers and of missiles. It’s a strange new world, but the heart of man has not been changed. And he wants to continue to use these missiles as the caveman used to club. And man has not been changed. What this earth needs is peace. The first thing that the Lord Jesus will bring to the earth when he comes, he is the Prince of Peace. He will bring peace. We’re told that in his kingdom that peace and righteousness are going to cover this earth as the waters cover the sea. That’s the great message in the Sermon on the Mount, that there’s a day coming when those Great long for things will be made available to mankind. What a glorious day that is. Now we were talking about one of those and that’s peace. And I think I need to make very clear the peace we’re talking about. And that peace is not peace with God. There are several kinds of peace mentioned in the scripture. There’s peace with God. And Paul spoke of that in Romans 5, 1, when he said, having been justified by one act of faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have peace with God. That’s kind of a peace that comes into the human heart knowing that the Lord Jesus now has paid for our sins and God is not angry with us. God is not today a big guard that’s standing on guard duty waiting for you to do something wrong. God has his arms outstretched to a lost world and says you can come. And when you come to him and trust him, you can know that He’s made peace by the blood of his cross so that you and I have access to God. That’s a wonderful thing. And that’s peace with God. And that’s something, by the way, that the lost man cannot enjoy at all. He tries to wipe God out of his entire imagination completely. but he’s not quite able to do that. It’s said of George Bernard Shaw when he was dying that he made this statement. He says, you are looking now at an atheist who has lost his faith. He’s lost his faith in atheism and there’s nothing, nothing to hold on to. A man in a situation like that could never have peace of mind.
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Be sure to join us next time for more of this introduction as Dr. McGee tells us about two more types of peace. Let’s pray together and get started. Heavenly Father, thank you for all those who are showing up ready to hear your word. Would you bless us as we listen and learn? And may the words that we hear be alive in our hearts and then stir us to deeper confidence in your character and work in our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Now here’s Dr. Jay Vernon McGee with our study of Zechariah 2 on Through the Bible.
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Now, friends, we come back to Zechariah, the second chapter, and we’re in this section where we have the man with the measuring line. This is the vision that was given to Zechariah, by the way. Then that means that God was getting ready to deal with that city. God was getting ready to move in behalf of the city and of the temple that was there. And this prophecy is a prophecy that that has a local application, but its perfect fulfillment looks down the arches of time and goes to the millennial kingdom when it will be fulfilled. And we find here, because of this, that God has a purpose with Israel, and He’s not about to cast them off, and because local circumstances At that day were discouraging to the people. They thought maybe God had deserted them. He wanted them to know that he not only had not deserted them for that time, but he intended to carry out his eternal plan and purpose for them. And they could say with us that they being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. You see, these prophecies, though they relate to the nation Israel, and though they find their interpretation in that nation, great principles are stated here that are for us today, and they are generally enunciated in the New Testament as an interpretation for us today also. But these prophecies must be fulfilled, friends. God has given them And up to the present, many have already been fulfilled. All that was local was fulfilled, but the prophecy has not been fulfilled. And to say that it has, has been the custom of a great many expositors, which of course has brought prophecy into disrepute and gives an interpretation of it that certainly is not sound exegesis at all. Now, I’m just going to put in here at verse 5, He says, for I, saith the Lord, will be unto it, that is the city, a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of it. Now, God says that I’ll not only be a protection around the city, but God says that I also intend to be in your midst. In other words, the Shekinah glory would be back in the temple. And that certainly was not fulfilled in that day in any way at all. It’s the same thing he’s saying here that God said to Abraham after he had delivered Lot. God says, I am thy shield. I’m your protection. I think that Abraham was frightened in the battle because I think that his life was in danger. And he says, I’m thy shield. God said, I’ll protect you. And I’m thy exceeding great reward. Now, that simply means God will make good all that he’s promised. And so he’s saying that to the city. I’m going to be the glory in the midst of you. And that is when the Lord Jesus comes and enters the Millennial Temple. Now, that picture has been given to us in another apocalypse in Ezekiel. Remember, we said that Daniel and Ezekiel and Zechariah and Revelation are four apocalypses in the Bible. And they all look down to the future when the kingdom is to be established here upon the earth. And we have here Ezekiel. And I’m going to quote here an extended section because I think this is rather important. It’s from the 43rd chapter of Ezekiel. Now, here’s the glory that is coming. What do you mean by it? Well, listen to this. “‘Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east.'” And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and his voice was like a noise of many waters. This is the coming of the Lord Jesus. This is the coming of the Messiah into the temple. And he’s coming from the east. And that’s the reason that that eastern gate is so prominent today, though sealed up, and all of the graves that are there. My, there are many Muslim graves too, by the way. But all thousands of Israelites are buried there in the Kidron Valley on both sides, up on the side of the Mount of Olives there. And why? Because this is going to be fulfilled someday. And his voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision I saw by the river Kibar. And I fell upon my face, and the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.” So the Spirit took me and brought me into the inner court. And behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house. And the man stood by me, and he said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. Now, that’s a long time, forever. You see, this is not a prophecy in Zechariah or Ezekiel that finds its fulfillment and its interpretation in a local happening. It looks down through the ages, to the millennium, to the time the Lord Jesus will come and establish his kingdom. And he says, “…and my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile.” Now, that’s Ezekiel 43, 1 through 7. Now, here, briefly, he says, “…for I, saith the Lord, will be unto it a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of it.” Now, that’s verse 5. Now, verse 6. Whole, whole. Well, we saw that last time. And actually, what that literally is doing is calling particular attention to the fact that he wants them to pay particular attention. In other words, one whole would be enough. But when you got a double whole, it’s to arrest their attention. And he’s giving something that’s very important here. And it’s a warning at this place because he says, come forth and flee from the land of the north. Now, that means get out of Babylon. Why? Babylon was going to fall. God was going to bring it down. In other words, let me revert back to the two visions about the horns and about the carpenters. That first horn is Babylon. And now the carpenter’s coming and going to take it down. And that’ll be Mediapersia. But Mediapersia will become a great power, a horn. And then they will persecute God’s people. And then God will move them off the scene by bringing in another carpenter. And that carpenter will be Greece. And then Greece will be a proud nation. And believe me, under a ruler that came out of the division of the empire of Alexander the Great, there came Titus Epiphanes, how he persecuted these people. And then God raised up another carpenter. And he came and cut down this power. And he became a world power. That was Rome. Now, where’s the carpenter to cut down Rome? Rome fell apart, but it’s going to come back together again. Who will put it down? Well, the Lord Jesus is going to come from heaven. He’s the carpenter Nazareth, remember? And he is the man with the measuring rod. And he’ll put down the Antichrist and his kingdom and will establish his kingdom here upon the earth. Now, that’s the picture that’s given to us here in these visions. They are of utmost significance, as you can see. Now, let me move on here. He says, “‘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 heavens, saith the Lord.'” In other words, God says, actually, come back to the land, but I’m going to spread you throughout the four winds, that is, to the four corners of the earth. And that’s exactly what he did after that. Verse 7, “…Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.” In other words, get out of Babylon. “…For thus saith the Lord of hosts, After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoil you. For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” Now, that is an unusual expression. It occurs frequently. I think a couple of other times in the scripture, and it refers to these people that touches you, the apple of his eye. Well, what’s the apple of the eye? Well, an apple, I think actually it’s an orange in that land. They didn’t grow apples there. They did grow oranges. And an orange is a very attractive sort of fruit. On a tree, an orange stands out in the green leaves. It’s just like a sore thumb stands out. Oh, it’s much prettier than a sore thumb. But it really is out where you can see it. And God says, you are just that prominent and important to me. Now, don’t tell me that God’s going to be blind to the apple of his eye. He just simply is not going to be. Verse 9, For behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be spoiled to their servant. and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. In other words, these people were going to get an assurance that God had sent this young man, Zechariah. Now, will you notice verse 10, and he says, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. Now, here is one of the great prophecies, friends, of Scripture. One of the great prophecies of Scripture. Now, with this verse, how can anyone say that God is through with these people, with the nation Israel? How can anyone say that? And how can anyone just up and appropriate what God is saying to these people, O daughter of Zion? Well, Zion is a mountain over in that land. England doesn’t even have a mountain at all. There’s none there. And how would you relate it to the United States? We have plenty of mountain. Now, I know that there are several places in this country called Zion. The only problem with that is God never called them Zion. But he did call Zion and Israel Zion. And when he says Zion, I don’t think he’s talking about Illinois or Utah or any other place. He’s talking about that land over there. There is a danger, and I would call attention to that here, of taking these prophecies that were given to this nation and relate them to us today by way of interpretation. Now, you can by application because they’re great principles stated here. But when God is talking about geography, he means that. Now, somebody says, but this is a vision. Granted, but a vision is a vision of reality. A friend of mine tried to explain away the book of Revelation. He disagreed with my interpretation. Then he came and he said to me, it doesn’t mean that. I said, then you tell me what it means. He says, it’s a symbol. I says, it is? All right, now I said, you tell me what it is a symbol of. Oh, he says, just a symbol. I says, don’t you know that a symbol has to be a symbol of something? And it has to make sense. You can’t just pull out of the air like a magician, your own understanding. You can’t reach down in a high hat and pull out a rabbit and say, well, this is what it means. How do you know what it means? It’s a symbol of something. And you’re to determine then what it is if you think it is. But when God uses a geographical term like Zion, he’s talking about Zion. And he’s talking about, oh, daughter of Zion. Now, the daughter of Zion would be the nation Israel. That is a very familiar figure for them. And it can’t mean any other people. And it does mean those people. Now, may I say this? It does not mean the church, and it does not mean Great Britain or the United States. Zion means Zion. You know, it’s amazing if you just let the Bible say what it wants to say. You know, the scripture is being poured through some very peculiar funnels. If you ask me, and of course, I know some people think this is a peculiar funnel that you’re listening to right now, but test it by the Word of God. That’s the only way you can do. No prophecy is of any private interpretation. You have to put it alongside others, and it must make sense. If it doesn’t make sense, then it’s certainly not the Word of God that you’re giving. All right, notice this. He says, “‘O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come.'” And I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. Now, that means exactly what it says, that God intends to come to Zion. And that’s a geographical spot on the earth. And a certain group of people will be there. And actually, I don’t think it’ll be Arab. It’ll just happen to be those that are the daughters of Zion. That’s the nation Israel. And I don’t believe that it can be twisted, distorted, and made to mean something else. Because I don’t believe that it means something else in any way whatsoever. Now, if you’d refer to the second chapter of Isaiah, you’d find out that it parallels this passage of Scripture. And let me read, therefore, verse 11. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day. Now, not only Israel, but many nations. 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 unto thee. They certainly don’t know that today, but they will know it in that day. And the Lord shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Now, this ought to answer once and for all the question, the Lord shall inherit Judah. Now, who are we talking about? We’re talking about Judah. Now, those today that have a bitter and acrimonious anti-Semitism in their hearts and always like to say Judah refers to Jews and that Israel is something else. Did you notice what God said in this passage of Scripture here? And the Lord shall inherit Judah. That ought to be the answer to the anti-Semites. God says he intends to inherit Judah. Now, Judah is Judah, and as his portion in the Holy Land. And by the way, this is the only place in the Bible where the term Holy Land is used. Now, it’s not the Holy Land today. I have made that statement on radio. I’ve made it in giving many messages around over the country. And generally, it’s challenged. Somebody says, well, that is the Holy Land. That’s where Jesus walked. May I say to you, friends, his footprints are all gone. They’re not there anymore. And he’s not walking there right now. He will someday. And when he does, it’ll be the Holy Land. But it’s not the Holy Land today. It’s anything but holy. and in the Holy Land, and he shall choose Jerusalem again, which means he’s not choosing it right now. And I go along with that. I wouldn’t choose it either right now. But when he chooses, it’s going to become the capital of this earth. Now, again, may I say that if you can’t put scriptures down for the side of this, then I think that you’re in trouble. Now, you go over to the second chapter of Isaiah. And listen to this, verse 2, Isaiah 2, “…it shall come to pass in the last days,” now we’re moved out to the last days, “…that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us of his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Now, friends, that’s looking forward to the millennium. God is not through with these people. Many nations will be chosen at that time. Now, will you listen to him? “…the Lord shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem.” Again, now verse 13, the last verse in this chapter. “…Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.” In that day, the whole earth will keep silent. Won’t that be wonderful? We talk about freedom of speech, and there’s going to be a marvelous freedom of silence in that day. Won’t hear a thing. Why? Because God is in His holy temple. That looks forward, friends, to the millennium that’s coming on this earth someday. Now, with that prospect for the future, that ought to be an encouragement to these people in Zechariah’s day, which it was. It ought to be an encouragement to us today that God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. And he’s working in your life and my life. Don’t fear, God. He’s working in your heart, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Oh, to be in step with him today. We’ll be going the same direction he’s going. Well, until next time, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
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God does have a plan and purpose for each one of us. And that plan becomes clear as we read and meditate on His Word. So I’d encourage you to take some time out of every day, preferably in the morning, not only to listen to this study, but to read the Word for yourself. For suggested daily readings, just download our free Bible reading bookmark at ttb.org or call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE to receive our monthly ministry newsletter. and to get the bookmark along with it. Or write to us at Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109, or in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. And when you contact us, please tell us how you hear through the Bible. As we’ve said before, this little bit of information does help us to be good stewards of the resources that are so generously provided by listeners like you. So thanks in advance for your help. Now hop back on the Bible bus next time as we continue this fascinating journey in the book of Zechariah. I’m Steve Schwetz, happy to be with you as together we make our way through the Bible.
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He washed it white as snow.
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Through the Bible is a five-year study of God’s entire Word, and together we discover God’s purposes in history and our lives, found only when we believe in Jesus Christ. Do you know Him yet?
