Commentary - Zechariah 2:6-12

Bird's-eye view

This portion of Zechariah's prophecy is a gospel trumpet blast in the middle of the night visions. After seeing Jerusalem measured for a glorious, wall-less expansion, the prophet now delivers a series of urgent divine commands and promises. The central thrust is a call for God's people, still lingering in Babylon, to flee that doomed system and return to Zion, the place of God's presence. This physical flight from a geographical location is a type, a historical object lesson, pointing to the greater spiritual reality for all of God's people in all ages. We are to flee the world's way of thinking, its pride, its rebellion, its self-reliance, which is all Babylon writ large. The motivation for this flight is a set of glorious gospel promises. Yahweh declares His jealous, protective love for His people, calling them the very apple of His eye. He promises to personally intervene, turning the tables on their oppressors. And most gloriously, He promises His own indwelling presence, a promise that will attract multitudes of Gentiles to join themselves to the Lord. This passage is therefore a radiant display of God's covenant faithfulness, His sovereign power, and the certain, global triumph of His kingdom.

In short, God is telling His people to get out of Babylon because He is about to judge it, and to come to Zion because He is about to bless it beyond all their imaginings. This is not a suggestion, but a command rooted in the very character of God and the logic of His redemptive plan. The promises here find their ultimate fulfillment not in the rebuilt Jerusalem of Zerubbabel's day, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the explosive growth of His Church, the true, heavenly Jerusalem.

Outline

Context In Zechariah

This passage comes on the heels of the third of Zechariah's eight night visions, the vision of the man with a measuring line (Zech 2:1-5). In that vision, Jerusalem is measured and found to be destined for a population so vast that it will be a city without walls, with Yahweh Himself as a wall of fire around her and the glory in her midst. The oracle in our text (vv. 6-12) functions as the divine commentary and application of that vision. The vision showed the glorious future; this oracle commands the people to act in faith based on that future. If Jerusalem is to be the center of God's glorious, worldwide kingdom, then it is utter folly for God's people to remain entangled in Babylon. Babylon was the place of their exile and judgment, but it had also become comfortable for some. The command to flee is a test of faith: Do you believe God's promises for Zion more than you trust the apparent security of Babylon? This section therefore serves as a crucial bridge, moving from prophetic vision to practical, covenantal demand, and it sets the stage for the subsequent visions which deal with the cleansing of the priesthood and leadership that will be necessary for this glorious future.

Key Issues

The Great Escape

There is a great theme running throughout Scripture, and that is the theme of the two cities. From Cain's city of Enoch to the Tower of Babel, from Sodom to Babylon, from Jerusalem to the New Jerusalem, the Bible tells the story of humanity as a conflict between the city of man and the city of God. The city of man is built on pride, rebellion, and self-glorification. Its motto is, "Let us make a name for ourselves." The city of God is built on grace, humility, and the worship of the one true God. Its name is "Yahweh is there."

In Zechariah's day, the premier city of man was Babylon. It was the world system, the center of power, commerce, and pagan religion. And God's people were living there. They had been sent there in judgment, but the time of judgment was over. God, in His mercy, was rebuilding His own city, Zion. And so the command comes forth with divine urgency: Flee. Escape. Get out. You cannot have dual citizenship. You cannot keep one foot in Babylon and expect to enjoy the blessings of Zion. This is not just a historical command for Jewish exiles; it is a perpetual command for the Church. The world system, with its temptations, its philosophies, and its securities, is always Babylon. The Church is always Zion. And God is always calling His people to come out from among them and be separate.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 “Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares Yahweh, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares Yahweh.

The prophecy begins with a shout, an urgent summons: "Ho there!" This is not a gentle suggestion. God is grabbing his people by the lapels. The command is to flee from "the land of the north," which is a standard biblical designation for Babylon and the empires located in that direction. The reason given is rooted in God's sovereignty. He is the one who scattered them in the first place, dispersing them to the "four winds" as an act of covenant judgment. But the same sovereign hand that scattered is now the hand that gathers. The logic is inescapable: If God, who scattered you, now tells you to flee your place of exile, you had better listen. He is reversing the curse. The exile is over. It's time to go home.

7 “Woe, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.”

The summons is now addressed directly to "Zion." This is striking because they are not physically in Zion; they are in Babylon. God addresses them according to their true identity and destiny. You are Zion, even while you are living in the midst of the "daughter of Babylon." The term "daughter of Babylon" refers to the inhabitants, the culture, the entire system of that pagan empire. The command to "escape" reinforces the urgency. There is a great danger in staying. To linger in Babylon is to identify with Babylon, and Babylon is under a divine sentence of destruction. Notice the paradox: Zion is dwelling with the daughter of Babylon. This is the constant position of the Church in the world. We are in the world, but not of it. And the great temptation is to get comfortable, to assimilate, to forget that we are exiles and pilgrims whose true citizenship is in the heavenly Jerusalem.

8 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which have taken you as spoil, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.

Here we get the first great motivation for fleeing Babylon. A mysterious figure speaks, sent by "Yahweh of hosts." This is very likely a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ, the Angel of the Lord. He is sent "after glory" which can mean he is sent to bring glory, or sent in pursuit of glory. He is sent against the nations that plundered God's people. And the reason for this divine mission is breathtaking. God declares that anyone who harms His people is touching the "apple of His eye." The apple, or pupil, of the eye is the most sensitive, most vulnerable, most jealously guarded part of the body. This is one of the most tender and fierce expressions of God's protective love in all of Scripture. God's people are not an afterthought; they are central to His heart. To mess with them is to poke God in the eye. This is why Babylon is doomed, and why Zion must escape.

9 For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be spoil for their slaves. Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me.

The divine Messenger continues. He will simply "wave His hand" over the oppressing nations. This is a gesture of effortless, sovereign power. The result will be a great reversal of fortunes. The plunderers will become the plundered. The masters will become spoil for their former slaves. This was fulfilled in a limited way when the returning exiles received provisions from their neighbors, but its ultimate fulfillment is in the triumph of the gospel. The Roman Empire, which persecuted the Church, eventually fell and its treasures were consecrated to Christ. The world's systems, which enslave men, are ultimately plundered by the liberating power of the gospel. The purpose of this great reversal is theological: "Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me." God's actions in history are self-attesting. They prove the authority of His messengers and the truth of His Word.

10 Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares Yahweh.

The tone now shifts from urgent command to exuberant celebration. The "daughter of Zion," the covenant community, is told to sing and rejoice. What is the reason for this joy? It is the central promise of the entire Bible: "Behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst." This is the language of Immanuel, "God with us." God is not just going to visit; He is going to take up residence. This was fulfilled partially in the Second Temple, but that was just a shadow. The true fulfillment came when the Word became flesh and "dwelt" or "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14). And it is fulfilled now as Christ dwells in His Church by His Spirit. This is the greatest possible reason for joy. God's presence is our highest good.

11 “And many nations will join themselves to Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you.

This is the great, postmillennial promise. The result of God dwelling with His people is not a retreat from the world, but the conquest of the world. "Many nations", the Gentiles, will see the glory of God in Zion and will come to "join themselves to Yahweh." They will not just become allies; they will become "My people." The covenant family is going to explode beyond its ethnic boundaries. This is a clear prophecy of the Great Commission and the success of the gospel. The Church, the true Zion, becomes the magnet that draws the nations in. The verse then repeats the refrain: God's presence ("I will dwell in your midst") leads to the validation of His messenger ("you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me"). The growth of the Church is the ongoing proof that Jesus was sent by the Father.

12 Then Yahweh will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

The conclusion brings us back to the language of covenant inheritance. God will once again take possession of "Judah as His portion." This is not about real estate, but about a people. In the new covenant, "Judah" represents the people of God, those who praise Him, drawn from every tribe and tongue. The "holy land" is no longer a small strip on the Mediterranean; it is the entire earth, which is being sanctified by the presence of God's people. And God will "again choose Jerusalem." This is not the earthly city of brick and mortar, which was judged in A.D. 70. This is the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church of the firstborn, the mother of us all (Gal. 4:26). God's choice is reaffirmed, but expanded and glorified in Christ. The promises made to the old covenant people find their glorious, international, and spiritual fulfillment in the new covenant community.

Application

This passage puts a sharp, practical question to every Christian. Where are you living? We may have a mailing address in North America, but is our spiritual address in Zion or in Babylon? Babylon is the world's system of pride, entertainment, distraction, anxiety, and self-reliance. It is always whispering to us that security is found in our portfolio, that meaning is found in our reputation, and that pleasure is the highest good. It is possible to be a baptized, church-going member of Zion while still keeping a summer home in Babylon.

God's command to us is the same as it was to the exiles: Flee. Escape. This requires a conscious, daily act of repentance and faith. It means turning off the Babylonian noise so we can hear the songs of Zion. It means investing our hopes and dreams not in the fragile empires of this age, but in the indestructible kingdom of Christ. And the motivation is the same. God loves us with a fierce, protective love. He calls us the apple of His eye. He has promised to judge the systems that oppress and entice us. He has promised His own indwelling presence. And He has promised that the little flock of Zion will become a great multitude from every nation.

Therefore, we should be the most optimistic people on the planet. The future does not belong to Babylon. It belongs to the "daughter of Zion." Our King is coming to dwell with us, and through us, He is claiming all the nations for His inheritance. So let us flee our Babylonian attachments and sing for joy, for our God is with us, and He is winning.