The vision of a man]

CHAP. II.

I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

3 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 :

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.

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.

[with a measuring-line.

7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth 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 ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

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

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 thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. (B)

commentators are not exactly agreed whether these are to be considered as distinct horns (like the horns of the altar), or as horned animals, as in Daniel's visions. By four labouring or working men coming to fray or frighten them away, we are naturally led to think of living animals; and if the number of the horns, or military powers implies that Israel had enemies on every side (i. e. to the four winds), it naturally leads us to the idea of one-horned animals, or unicorns, whereof we read in different parts of scripture, and which were certainly ferocious animals; and not to tame cattle, which seldom did any mischief. Who the powers were that scattered Israel; and who the agents that conquered and dispersed them, Daniel will inform us. See

chap. vii. throughout. The more immediate object of this vision, however, appears to be, to allay the apprehensions of the pious Jews, as to the opposition they should meet with in erecting the second temple.

CHAP. II.

(B) By the vision of a man with a measuring line, Israel is encouraged to expect great enlargement.-The vision with which this chapter opens portended great increase and prosperity to Jerusalem. Accordingly Josephus tells us that "the city overflowing with inhabitants, extended beyond its walls" (as predicted in ver. 4.), and acquired much glory, especially during the time of the Maccabees. But these promises of the Shechinah in the midst, and

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. A measuring line-Heb. "And in his hand a line of measuring.

Ver. 4. To this young mani. e. the prophet: but Dr. Stonard understands it of the angel, though we think without reason. The Angel that had talked with Zechariah, "went forth "as if to leave him; but the superior Angel directed him to run, i, e. to step quickly back with this message to the prophet. As towns without walls-that is, with an overflowing population, as in the next line.

Ver. 6. From the land of the north-that is, from Persia and Chaldea. Compare Rev. xviii. 4.

Ver. 8,9. After the glory-Newcome," After (the obtaining of) glory." Stonard, "After glory hath

he sent me;" i.e. after the glory of the nations; as it is added, "they shall become a spoil to their servants; that is, they shall plunder those who plandered them. See also Rev. xxi. 24.

Ibid. He that toucheth, &c. See Deut. xxxii. 10. -I will shake my hand upon-or "over;" i. e. in a threatening attitude.

Ver. 11. I will dwell. The Lord hath sent, &c.-From this passage, compared with Isa. xlviii. 16, an argument has been drawn in favour of the Holy Trinity. One person, who is Jehovah, seads another person, who also is Jehovah, yet are there not two Jehovahs. See Dr. Eveleigh's Sermon at Oxford, on Zech. ii. 8-11; Lond. 1796.

The vision of]

CHAP. III.

AND he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

[Joshua and Satan.

6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thọu wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the tig tree. (C)

"wall of fire all around," must have a farther reference to the glory and prosperity of the latter days of the Messiah. In consequence however of these promises, the Jews then inhabiting Babylon, and the regions round about, are called upon to hasten home, ("Ho! from the north," &c.) that they might not be involved in the fate of their enemies, who were to fall a prey to the nations which they had formerly subdued. The promises of God's presence with his church, and her consequent prosperity as set forth in the latter verses of this chapter, were in some measure fulfilled in the great number of proselytes made to Judaism, both during and after the captivity; still more so in the

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conversion of many thousands to Christianity after the day of pentecost; yet have we good reason to expect a farther signal and extensive fulfilment of them in the glorious days of the Millennium.

CHAP. III.

(C) The Jewish church vindicated, and Messiah promised.-The vision here exhibited, represents the enemies of the Jews, as incorporated in the person of the great adversary of mankind, while the Jewish church itself, as some expositors conceive, is personified in Joshua the high priest, and its melancholy condition represented by his tattered and defiled garments. The promised change of raiment plainly indi

CHAP. III. Ver. 1. And Satan-Marg. "An adversary. See Note on Job i. 6.--To resist himMarg. "To be his adversary."

Ver. 2. The Lord said. The Syriac, Newcome, Boothroyd, and others, supply from chap. i. "The angel of." Compare Jude, ver. 9. This angel, however, must be understood to mean, "the Angel

of the covenant."

Ver. 3. Filthy garments-perhaps "the garments of a captive." Newcome.

Ver. 7. Places to walk-Heb. "Walks." Comp. Matt. xxii. 30; Rev. iii. 4.

Ver. 8. Men wondered at Heb. "Men of wonder," as being all "brands plucked out of the burning;" or, " of a sign;" i. e. typical men, or types of a future great deliverance. The BRANCH that is, "The great Messiah himself, through

whom alone iniquity is put away." Dr. Blayney,

Ver. 9. The stone.-See Gen. xlix. 24; Ps. exviti, 22: Isa. viii. 13, 14; Dan. ii. 34, &c.—Epos one stone shall be seven eyes.--Some render this in the present tense, are seven eyes;" but as there is no verb in the original, we think, with Dr. Stonard and others, that none is necessary; Behold.... upal one stone seven eyes!" We can by no means, however, agree with our learned author, that these eyes "are intended to represent the angels of God, subject to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1. Angels are not (we believe) ever compared to eyes; and, 2. The Head of the church sees with his own eyes, and not, like temporal monarchs, with the eyes of others. See Expos.In one day.-Comp. Dan. ix. 14; Heb. ix. 26.

Ver. 10. Under the vine, &c.—See Micah iv. 4

The golden candlestick]

CHAP. IV.

AND the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

[and olive trees.

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have

cates reconciliation with God, to which, in the latter part of the chapter, is added an express prophecy of the Messiah, as the branch predicted by Isaiah two centuries before. (Isa. iv. 2; xi. 1.) Dr. Macknight (who is herein followed by Dr. Stonard) was of opinion, that the church personified as above in the person of Joshua, is intended by "the body of Moses" in the Epistle of St. Jude; but the enquiry would here perhaps be premature.

As to the Jews now occupied in rebuilding their temple, the vision was calculated to give them the strongest encouragement by assuring them, that God, after plucking them as "brands out of the fire" (i. e. from the captivity of Babylon), would not now give them up to their adversaries, but would still continue to prosper their undertaking; and that, notwithstanding all the interruptions they had met with, the work should be finished under the superintendence of a kind Providence; and that their high priest, clothed in his pontifical robes, should again officiate in the sanctuary.

As to Joshua, personally considered, he

is involved in no charge of public guilt (though it appears his sons were; Ezra x. 18); but is assured, that by due attention to his official duties, he should hereafter be accepted and rewarded; and that degraded as his present situation might appear, he should one day be numbered among the heavenly hosts, and have a place to walk in white amongst them. (See Note on Ver. 7.)

In the mean time the Messiah is brought again before us, as the foundation stone of all the church's hope; and upon this stone is engraved, by the hand of God himself, seven eyes. These eyes naturally remind us of him, who is described as having "seven horns and seven eyes." (Rev. v. 6.) i. e. a fulness of power and wisdom-or, which is the same thing, "the fulness of the Godhead"-residing in him “bodily.” (Col. ii. 9.)-The eyes of kings are their counsellors, and the kings of Persia had "seven counsellors" (Ezra vii. 14; Esther i. 13, 14.); but the king of Zion needs no foreign aid "The seven eyes are in the

stone."

CHAP. IV. Ver. 2. A candlestick is certainly an improper term, since it was to hold lamps; nor is chandelier more literally correct, though, as being a French term, its absurdity is not so glaring. The golden vessel here named appears to us to have strongly resembled the candlestick, or lamp-bearer, in the tabernacle, Ezod. xxxii. 31, &c., with perhaps this ditlerence, that instead of the branches being solid, they were hollow, for the purpose of conveying to each lamp the supply of oil winch was received by the bowl from the olive trees beside them.

Ibid. Seven pipes to the seven lamps Margin, "Seven several pipes to the lamps," &c. Dr. Stonard thinks that he has discovered in the Hebrew phraseology of this chapter, two sevens of lamps, one seven belonging to the Jewish, the other to the Christian church; but we confess that we see no evidence to support this discovery; nor do we think

"

it harmonious with the doctrine of the New Testament. It is true there were many Christian societies, or worshipping assemblies, both of Jews and Gentiles, but we have no idea of their forming two distinct and coeval churches. The Christian church is one, united under one head, and animated by one spirit. We hope to be excused in the freedom of this remark, though it would be absurd to attempt here the minute examination of an hypothesis which occupies several pages in the statement.

Ver. 6. Not by might, (or army) &c.-that is, the building of this temple, and more especially of the Christian church, should not be affected by secular power, nor by human might, but by the divine agency.

Ver. 7. Who (or what) art thou?-that is, Whois the chief opposer of this work? and what is the obstacle to its completion? Before the power of the Almighty, all opposition is as nothing."

laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth. (D)

CHAP. IV.

[a Aying roll.

CHAP. V.

THEN I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a

flying roll.

2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see: flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof wa cubits.

3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the faced the whole earth; for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the mids of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

5 Then the angel that talked with

(D) The vision of the golden candlestick and two olive trees.-The Prophet, overpowered by his last vision, is roused by the angel to behold another, intended farther to assure Joshua and Zerubbabel of their success in finishing the temple; that they should surmount every obstacle, and at length, by the good providence of God, bring forth the top-stone, amidst the joyful acclamations of the spectators. It is plain that the golden candlestick is the Jewish state; the oil, the spirit or power of God, in opposition to human efforts; and the two anointed ones, Joshua and Zerub

babel, the sole appointed instruments of the great work in hand. Neither was the high priest, nor the temporal governor, endowed with coercive authority or human

strength; but they were assisted by "the eyes of the Lord (chap. iii. 9.), which run to and fro throughout the whole earth, show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him. (2 Chron. xvi. 9.)-The application of this prophecy (in its typical sense) to the Mes siah, is, like that of the preceding ones, plain and obvious. Jesus Christ unites in his person both the kingly and priestly offices. He is anointed with the Spirit above measure. (John iii. 34.) He is the light of the church and of the world, (Joha i. 4, 9.)-and by his union with the divine nature, possesses an inexhaustible fund or supply of every thing necessary to fulfil his different offices as "a priest upon his throne," as represented in chap. vi. 13.

Ver. 10. With these seven-namely, the eyes of the Lord, mentioned chap. iii 9. See Exposition.

Ver. 12. Two olive branches. These appear to have overhung the lamp-bearer, and to have emptied their oil into the golden bowl at top.-Which through, &c.-Heb. "Which by the hand (i.e. by means of) two golden pipes (or tubes) empty out of themselves oil into the golden (candlestick), &c.

Ver. 14. Two anointed ones-Heb. "Sons of oil;" meaning, Zerubbabel and Joshua, who were appointed, qualified, and enabled to execute the arduous task.

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. A flying roll—i. e. a large sheet of parchment, written on both sides with the curses of God's law against wickedness; alluding, probably,

to the curses in Deut. xxvii. and xxviii., and tə Ezekiel's scroll, chap. ii. 9, 10.

Ver. 2. The length twenty cubits, and the breadth ten: that is, on the lowest calculation, 30 feet by lá Ver. 3. For every one that stealed, &c.— To us i appears, that on one side was written the earses against fraud and oppression; and on the other, these against perjury, profaneness, and idolatry, or swearing by false gods. We would therefore read the following clause (omitting the particle as), “Every one that stealeth shall be cut off, according to i (the writing) on this side; and every one that sweareth, according to it on that side."

Ver. 4. It shall consume it.-It shall be like the dry rot.

me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and

CHAP. V.

[and the chariots.

it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. (E)

CHAP. VI.

AND I turned, and lifted up mine

eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;

3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth.

6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after

(E) The flying roll, and the woman (wickedness) in an ephah.-The first vision, by the representation of a large flying roll, denotes that God's judgments against the wicked are great and swift. The vision seems to intimate farther, that the Babylonian captivity happened in consequence of the wickedness committed by the Jews before that period, and that a like calamity might befal them, if they relapsed into their former crimes; some of which are mentioned. The chapter may be considered altogether as a solemn admonition, that a multitude of curses, and particu

larly dispersion and captivity, should be the punishment of national depravity.

The woman in the ephah is wickedness personified, with a particular reference to idolatry, which had been hitherto their master sin. The cake of lead which covered the ephah, may denote the wrath of God against this sin; and the two women with wings powerful as those of storks, may represent (as the Chaldee Paraphrase seems to intimate) Israel and Judah, carrying back idolatry to the land of Shinar, which is Babylon, where it probably originated, and always reigned.

Ver. 6. An ephah-a dry measure of about three pecks, so that the figure of wickedness must appear like a diminutive hag, or pigmy, covered over with a talent of lead in a three peck measure.This is their resemblance--Dr. Stonard renders it "their Eye," aspect," or appearance; but Newcome, guided by the ancient versions, reads, " This is their iniquity," and Boothroyd, "This (shows) their iniquity." We think, however, that there is no necessity for either alteration.

Ver. 7. A talent of lead -3000 shekels, or 125 lb. We should call it a pig of lead. Dr. Stonard renders it "a cake."

Ver. 9. Came out-Newcome, "Went forth." Wings of a stork-whose wings are so strong that they will not only fly far, being birds of passage, but sometimes carry the parent birds (when old and in

firm) upon their backs. Dr. Harris's Nat. Hist.

Ver. 10. To the land of Shinar-that is, Babylon. We are perfectly aware that Rome is, in the New Testament, called Babylon; but we are not aware it is so called in the Old, or during the existence of the ancient Babylon; nor can we persuade ourselves that the predictions of this chapter have any reference to Europe; much less that "the north country" (ch. vi. 6.) can possibly intend the great western empire." Stonard's Comm. p. 387, &c.

Ver. 11 Upon her own base-that is, as we conceive, where it originated, or was founded.

CHAP. VI. Ver. 5. Four spirits-Marg. "winds;" so Blayney. But winds do not stand; besides, the like figure is else where explained in reference to spiritual beings, as chap. i. 10, So Newcome, &6.