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1–5. (according to Masoric t. vv. 5–9). Vision three: a husband with a surveying rope. 6–13. (according to Masor. t. v. 10–17). The Call to Return from Babylon and the Promises Explaining the Third Vision. Zechariah 2:1. And again I raised my eyes and saw: behold a man with a surveying rope in his hand. Zechariah 2:2. I asked: where are you going? and he said to me: measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and what is its length. The third vision is a clarification of what was revealed in the first vision regarding the upcoming restoration of Jerusalem (Zechariah 1.16–17). Zechariah 2:4. and he said to this: Go quickly, tell this young man: Jerusalem will populate the surrounding area because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. Jerusalem, on account of the great multitude of people and cattle, cannot be contained within any definite boundaries; it will represent a very vast inhabited space, not enclosed by walls, and therefore the husband’s intention to determine the size of Jerusalem is aimless. Zechariah 2:5. And I will be for him, says the Lord, a wall of fire around him, and I will be glorified in the midst of him. However, the absence of walls will not threaten the safety of the inhabitants, because the Lord Himself will guard the city in which His glory will again dwell, fencing it as if with a wall of fire. St. Cyril, in addition to the historical meaning of the prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel after the captivity, also relates this vision to the Church of Christ. Zechariah 2:6. Hey, hey! flee from the north country, says the Lord: for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven, says the Lord. The third vision depicts the expansion of the borders of Jerusalem, due to the multitude of its inhabitants, to the point of impossibility of enclosing it with walls. Where does this crowd come from? Few have returned from captivity so far. In Zechariah 2:6–13, which forms an addition to the third vision, the idea is expressed that the sons of Israel, scattered throughout all countries, will gradually return to their hometown. The Lord Himself, through His Angel, calls them, first of all, from the northern country, that is, from Babylon. Zechariah 2:7. Save yourself, O Zion, dweller of the daughter of Babylon. Staying in Babylon, which is threatened by the wrath of God, as shown in the first two visions, is no longer safe: those who remain among the pagans may suffer the same fate as them. Zechariah 2:11. And many nations will flee to the Lord in that day, and they will be My people; and I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. But Jehovah’s mercy towards Jerusalem and His people, which will be expressed in the gathering of all Israel and in the residence of God in Zion, will also be revealed in the fact that many pagan nations will turn to the Lord and join His people. You might be interested in: