Word of Salvation - June 2018

 

Building the Super City

 

Sermon by Rev. David Waldron on Zechariah 2:1-13

Scriptures:  Zechariah 2:1-13; Revelation 21:1-5; 22-27

Suggested song of response: STTL429 ‘Jerusalem the golden’

Series:  Zechariah - Sermon 6 of 19. 3^rd night vision

Theme:  God’s rebuilding of Jerusalem to be an enormous glorious city in which He dwells together with His chosen people from all the nations of the world

FCF:  We try to build our own protective walls and to generate our own prosperity

Proposition:  Christ has come and is coming. He dwells within the church now, protecting and providing for her

 

Introduction

On 1^st November 2010 the Auckland City Council began operating as a single “supercity”, combining the functions of the previous regional council and seven city and district councils. The hope was that the 8,000 staff of this local government body would be able to cope better with the continuing pressures of an expanding city with insufficient infrastructure and housing.

The 3^rd night vision we consider this morning focusses on the rebuilding of a “supercity”, not Auckland, but Jerusalem.

You may recall that we have been working our way through the eight night visions of Zechariah in chapters 1 through 6. We saw that these form pairs; 1&8, 2&7 and now visions 3 and 6.

The link between these two visions is the answer to the question: which people are going to be inside God’s Kingdom and which outside? Today we’ll see both immigration – the nations coming into the new Jerusalem - and deportation, those who break the law being banished from the city.

This third vision picks up on the theme from the first one; the man amongst the myrtle trees. There we heard of the Lord’s promise that He would return to Jerusalem with tender compassion, once again choosing her and committing Himself to rebuild His bride (Zech 1:16-17): ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the LORD Almighty. Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

1. See what God is doing (v1-5)

In this vision, the Lord shows Zechariah what He is going to do in His holy city, Jerusalem.

The prophet sees a man with a measuring line in his hand; just as you might have seen a builder with a simple string line in times past and would now see a surveyor with a laser level on a construction site. Not surprisingly, a measuring line, literally a ‘cord of measurement’ is linked in Scripture with the building of a new structure such as the new temple (Eze 40:3), the new city walls (Ezra 3:7) or as here the new city itself; God’s own place of dwelling Jerusalem (see also Jer 31:38-39).  

The man is on his way to survey the area of the city; it’s length and breadth. As he is going off, two angels meet, the interpreting angel and another celestial being who says “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” (Zech 2:4-5)

The surprising message here is that the new Jerusalem is to be an extremely large city without walls. There is excitement and urgency in the angelic commands “run! Tell!”. This will be a city with expandable boundaries to meet the needs of a large and growing population.

The idea such a ‘super city’ would have been strange indeed for the returned exiles. Back then, lots had to be cast, and people compelled to move into the city (Neh 11:1-2). Only 10% of the people lived in Jerusalem at that time. It took courage then to live in a city without protective walls. Recently, Nelson man Lewis Stanton was sleeping rough outside the entrance to the council office when someone came and poured solvent into his mouth, causing burns. He was vulnerable to attack without the protection of a home. Would you feel safe if you lived in an open tent on your street and everyone could look inside the open door to see you and all your belongings?

In the ancient world for a city to be without walls was a sign of disgrace, weakness and vulnerability. Yet here there is no danger from outside attack because the Lord Himself will be the protecting force, surrounding the city with Himself, like a wall of fire. Here we can see echoes of the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve had sinned, they were cast out of paradise. They were prevented from returning by a ‘flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life’ (Gen 3:24b). Now the curse has been reversed, the garden has become the city. Now God’s people are safe inside the place where God’s glory dwells.

The vision clearly shows a very great city. The reference to a large number of livestock indicates prosperity and provision. This contrasts to the time when the Babylonians besieged the city resulting in mass starvation within the walls.  There were dark days before the destruction of the city, times of famine, pestilence, terror and the sword.

Under the threat of attack, the population of the city increased rapidly as the enemy approached. For example, the nomadic Rechabites (Jer 35:11) sought safety behind the city walls. Whilst the city had an internal water supply (Hezekiah’s tunnel), food was limited to what had been stored and carefully rationed. Once all the firewood was gone, people had to use their own excrement as cooking fuel. With limited water, sanitation and hygiene decreased, disease then spread rapidly amongst the weakened population who wait anxiously for the day when the siege engines roll up to the city wall and the enemy swords would come to finish off the survivors, or when they would be taken away as captives.

The prophet Jeremiah describes the inhabitants of Jerusalem this way in Lamentations 4:8-10: Their appearance is blacker than soot, they are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shrivelled on their bones, it is withered, it has become like wood. Better are those slain with the sword than those slain with hunger; for they pine away, being stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. The hands of compassionate women boiled their own children; they became food for them because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The Christchurch earthquakes were not as damaging as the siege of Jerusalem, yet in the midst of the resulting destruction and despair, the question which came to the mind of many was “where is the Lord God in all this?”

Back then, the Lord’s glory had withdrawn from the city of Jerusalem just before it was destroyed (Eze 10:18-19; 11:22-24), but the prophet Ezekiel had promised that when God began restoring the nation, his glory would return (Eze 43:4; 44:4).

Now, here in the vision, the glory of the Lord is once again inside the city, amongst His people. The Lord’s presence amongst them removes their vulnerability; He Himself will be their safety and protection. They will have no cause for fear or anxiety any more. Now there are plenty of livestock for food and there is no risk of attack from outside.

The man with the measuring line is stopped because the security and prosperity of this city will not come about by human activity. This rebuild is God’s own work.

The Lord Himself needed to come and be in the midst of His own people. This happened about 500 years later when a virgin gave birth to a son who was called “Immanuel”, which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Now Jesus is building an expanding kingdom without boundaries.

This local church is part of that great kingdom. This vision reminds us to stop thinking that our own activity is the driving force in the building of this church and to be reminded that it is Christ’s work in His church that God’s glory might be seen to dwell with her.

There is also a call here to be part of what God is doing, which brings us to our 2^nd point.

2. Come, Escape quickly! (v6-9)

Only some of the many Israelites who had been taken captive by the Babylonians returned with Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, Haggai and Zechariah. 43,360 to be precise! (Neh 7:66). Many remained in the relative comfort of Babylon, the land of their captivity. After 70 years it is understandable that for many this place had become home.

Now the Scripture moves from the details of the 3^rd night vision to take up an urgent call: "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, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" (Zech 2:6-7)

God is calling his people to escape Babylon while there is still time; before the Lord’s hand of judgement falls on those who are enemies of Him and His people. This is an urgent call to return to Him and to join in with the rebuilding of His city. The Israelites in Babylon were in danger of being like the proverbial frog in hot water, they had become accustomed to their environment. The Lord was calling them to the land of promise before they perished.

If you have trouble understanding verse 8 - "After he has honoured me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you-- for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye” – you are not alone! The Hebrew underlying these words is amongst the most difficult in the entire book.

It is simplest here to regard the one who is sent to the nations as being the prophet Zechariah. The verse would then have the sense “In pursuit of his own glory, the Lord of Hosts sent me (Zechariah) with a message concerning the nations that have plundered you”. For the sake of His own glory, the Lord issues an invitation to escape judgement and to come and be part of His work, a citizen in His city, a person who is most precious in his sight. 

Here we find the beautiful description of God’s people as being the ‘apple of his eye’. This is a term the Lord first uses in Deuteronomy 32:10 when he speaks through his servant Moses about Israel about his care for them “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye”.

The ‘apple of the eye’ refers to the pupil; the most delicate part – which is essential for vision and is to be shielded at all costs. NZ health and safety regulations require the use of eye protection in workplaces where the pupil is exposed to risk of impact from tools or materials.

Here then is the Lord’s call to his rebellious, but nevertheless precious, people to come to Him while there is yet time.  He will come in judgement upon all who oppose Him and His chosen people. Then the world will know that the Lord Almighty has sent his prophet.

In these last days, God has spoken to us by his Son, Jesus Christ, the last and great prophet. This Jesus is no ordinary man, he is the one through whom God made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Hebrews 1:2-3). In His Word, Jesus calls you to escape from the judgement to come and to come quickly to Him while there is yet time.

 “I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b)

This is the time to come to Jesus, to turn away from the pull of this world, and to turn to Him. Come and join in with what God is doing now in this church for His glory and for the protection and provision of His precious people. Young people, if you have not yet publicly professed your faith and joined yourself to a local church, now is the time!

Congregation, we are by grace, God’s precious possessions, the apple of His Holy eye, but we are not alone as a local church, or as the federation of Reformed Churches in New Zealand, people from many nations are to be brought into the kingdom of God, as we see in our third point.

3. Rejoice in the growth (v10-12)

Look at verse 10 in our text and you’ll see that now the focus changes again as Zechariah speaks to the returned exiles in Jerusalem: "Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. This is a call to rejoice exuberantly! Why? Because God Himself is coming to stay!

Later in the book of Zechariah we are going to read of the coming of Zion’s King; One who is righteous and has salvation. A Saviour who is gentle and rides on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).

We know that this prophesy was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the joyful cries of the crowd who said, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!”. They spread their cloaks on the road, together with branches from the trees. We know that the rejoicing of that crowd over their living king was very short-lived. He was soon to be crucified, dead and buried. We know that the grave could not hold Him. He is risen, risen indeed! He is coming again and that is part of our reason for shouting and being glad today!

God Himself is in our midst as a church by His Spirit. He truly does dwell amongst us. The Kingdom has arrived but is also yet to come.  As we hear the details of this vision, we think of the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven as pictured in Revelation 21. This future ‘Supercity’ is the place where God will dwell with His people. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple in this place. The glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp (Rev 21:22-23). Then we will see our Lord face to face and live with Him in His Supercity, the new Jerusalem.

But if that is not enough reason for us to throw a party now, there is yet more!

Listen to the incredible promises God makes to Old Testament Israel:

"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. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem”

Now we see how this supercity is going to expand dramatically. Now we understand the source of the great population growth. Those who are yet outside the covenant community will come in and become part of the city! The nations will flood into Jerusalem to make their dwelling there. They too will become God’s chosen people! The presence of the Lord will have a magnetic effect on the surrounding nations who will stream into the expanding supercity!

Remember that overcrowding or a shortage of resources to sustain the community will not be lacking. God Himself ‘will cover those bases’ as he provides and protects. The infra-structure of His celestial city will not groan with the impact of so many immigrant inhabitants. This will be a large and well-resourced Supercity.

Now the Old Testament saints knew that they were called to be a ‘light to the Gentiles’ (e.g. Isaiah 42:6). They were called to live lives which showed their love for the Lord so that the nations would be drawn to worship the only True God. Now some did; Rahab the prostitute from Jericho and Ruth the Moabitess, daughter-in-law of Naomi, later wife of Boaz. But the numbers were small in Old Testament times. The nation of Old Testament Israel relied principally on growth through the birth of children born within the covenant community.

Then Christ came. He has broken down the distinction between Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14) so that a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language could one day stand before the throne and in front of the Lamb in this Supercity of Jerusalem (Rev 7:9).

With the supreme authority over heaven and earth that the risen Christ has received from His Heavenly Father He issues a call to the citizens of His Kingdom, the members of His church, saying:

 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Can you see that here is the promise of Zechariah’s 3^rd vision on the lips of our Saviour? I will live among you! I am with you always. Christ, by the Holy Spirit never leaves His church.

With the pouring out of God’s Spirit the church becomes the temple of God, his dwelling place on earth (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19-20; Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:4-5). It is then through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that God’s people themselves represent God’s holy presence in the world. Brother and sisters, in our own weakness, but by His great strength, we serve as ambassadors on behalf of Christ. Through us He is pleased to transform this world with the gospel (2 Cor 5:11-21), bringing those from many nations into His Holy Supercity. As a community, the church then becomes an outpost of the new creation and a picture to the world of what a people should be like when God dwells among them (Col 3:1-17).

It follows then that we can, and we must, go out with the gospel, making and equipping disciples of Jesus, our Saviour who joyfully serve and glorify God. We are called to actively join in with what God is doing in this place.

How does the pitiable become glorious? The vulnerable protected? The forsaken empowered? The barren prosperous?

Answer: when Christ builds His church and gathers His sheep to Himself, as He has promised to do.

Congregation, what can you take home from this message from Zechariah’s third night vision?

God is building a supercity which will not suffer from housing shortages, congestion or threat from hostile forces. His city, the new Jerusalem will last forever. That is in the future. Now for the present, look and see what God is doing in building this church now spiritually through the presence of his Holy Spirit

Come and join in the work! – leave the comforts of the world and set your mind on the city to come. If you haven’t yet become a member of this church, come on, be part of the team of willing workers on God’s building project!

Expect this church to grow as people stream into her! Remember that the nations are well represented here in New Zealand. The Lord has brought them to our doorstep! Our task is to make and equip disciples from these nations who joyfully serve and glorify God! Remember that this is Christ’s work through us.

Zechariah 2:13 “Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling"

AMEN