The measuring rod, retribution, and the Apple of His Eye

Zechariah 2

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Jesus Christ is God’s measuring rod to size up who are with Him.
• Encouragement given before seeing the measurement of this Godless world.
• We are to live as individuals set apart from the global culture of the beast.
• Jesus Christ is coming back to bring us into the New Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ is God’s measuring rod to size up who are with Him. “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going? And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” Zachariah 2:1-2

The idea of measuring is to determine where God and Jesus Christ are within the world, the churches, and individual people. Jesus Christ is the measuring rod. If you want to know where the churches are within prophecy, then look to see where Jesus Christ is within the churches. If you want to know where the world is within prophecy, then look to see where the Lord Jesus is within the world. If you want to know where people are within their soul, then look to see where Jesus is within their soul. If you want to know where America is within prophecy, then look at where Jesus Christ is within America. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation19:10

The same measuring rod is used for Israel of today as for the followers of Christ who live for the New Jerusalem. The measuring rod of Israel will show a people who have denied God by rejecting His Son Jesus Christ, “And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,” 1 John 4:3 The measuring rod used for us who live for the New Jerusalem will show a people who have been reconciled to God by the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. However, when the churches were measured in Revelation 11:1 (And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.’” Revelation 11:1), the measuring rod showed a huge falling away with only a faithful few holding to the testimony of Jesus.

Measuring of the Churches in Revelation 2 and 11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. ^[a]And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. ² But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” Revelation 11:1-2

Encouragement given before seeing the measurement of this Godless world. “And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ” Zechariah 2:3-5

The Lord knew what Zachariah would find when he measured Jerusalem, and the findings wouldn’t be favorable ones. For that reason, an angel ran to give Zachariah some encouraging news to think on while doing the measuring.

The bad news of what the measuring of Jerusalem would show reflects Isarael of today. Today, Israel is far from measuring up. The Israeli citizens riot and protest for their “democratic” rights as defined by the global culture. Those rights include the killing of the unborn and promoting the LGBQT+ lifestyles. They have abandoned their Biblical heritage. With Israel, those who should be living for the New Jerusalem have fallen away from the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is no longer in the churches. The common factor between Israel and those fallen from the pathway to the New Jerusalem is their willingness to welcome the thing which forms what they think, feel, do and say. It enables the image of the beast to live and speak through them, and by what they say and do, they are far from measuring up to God and Jesus Christ. They are conformed to the “democratic” global culture as they are groomed to the mark of the beast.

The good news given to Zachariah before beginning measuring is that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and bustling with people faithful to God. God would be a fire of protection and the glory in their midst. As followers of Jesus Christ living for the New Jerusalem, we know that is the description of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. The description of the New Jerusalem can be read about in Revelation 21 and also Revelation 22. That is the hope which we have through Jesus Christ, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,” Hebrews 6:19 The hope we have for eternal life in the New Jerusalem will help us through these difficult days. These are days where it’s obvious Israel nor the churches are measuring up to belief in God, nor accepting Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, nor living in the Holy Spirit. We are living under the global government of the beast, which is the United Nations.

We are to live as individuals set apart from the global culture of the beast. “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” Zachariah 2:6-7 “Dwelling with the daughter of Babylon” refers to forming a cozy relationship with people and the nations who live and govern for the global government of the beast. Those people and nations are working to establish the goals of the United Nations, which involves conforming people and the State of Israel to the global culture. It is a culture of killing the unborn, homosexuality, sexual perversion of all types, mocking God, ridiculing the Holy Spirit, and extinguishing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Peace in the Middle East refers to submitting the State of Israel to the surrounding culture. That means they turn away from God and their Biblical Heritage to live by the thing which forms their thoughts, behaviors, words, and feelings. Israel is given a clear warning not to form any association at all with any nation promoting the goals of the United Nations (government of the beast). Rather than conforming to live by a national pride rooted in the image of the beast by welcoming the thing forming thoughts and feelings, they should individually be happy to be spread abroad and live as individuals for God.

As followers of Jesus Christ living for the New Jerusalem, the same thing applies to us to “flee the daughter of Babylon.” We are to be set apart from the broad way of mainstream society which leads to destruction. We are to remain set apart on the narrow way to life in the New Jerusalem. As quoted below,

“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’

Revelation 18:4-7

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zachariah 2:8 God sends Jesus Christ in the glory of His name to avenge those who afflict His people. The enemies of Israel are the spiritually wicked who plunder Israel’s Biblical heritage and faith in God. They are also the instrument of the God’s judgment which comes against Israel for their rejection of Jesus Christ. The same enemies of Israel happen to be the enemies of God, which is an enemy of one force under the global government of the beast. In that respect, those who touch Israel touches the Apple of His Eye.

Jesus Christ reminds us that the Jewish people do not get a free pass into the New Jerusalem. They are grounded to the old Jerusalem on this earth, and to eternal hell, unless they reconcile to God through Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus gave the parable of the rich Jew and Lazarus the poor Jew, one in Heaven and one in hell, as quoted below,

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

(The Jewish people were not even persuaded when God raised Jesus Christ from the grave after three days.)

Luke 16:19-31

As followers of Jesus Christ and living for the New Jerusalem, we are without question the Apple of God’s Eye. We have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ and those who afflict Christians are touching the Apple of His Eye. The following is what the Holy Spirit says about us,

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

In Revelation 4, it is revealed that after the falling away of the churches, it leads to the coming of God’s judgment on this earth by the opening of the Seven Seals. Then comes the sounding of the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Plagues. For those of the global culture of the beast, it doesn’t turn out well, “For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.” Zachariah 2:9

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven,

 “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people,free and slave, both small and great.”

Revelation 19:17-18

Jesus Christ is coming back to bring us into the New Jerusalem. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.” Zachariah 2:10-11

There will be Christians from every nation around the world in Heaven when Jesus Christ comes back to take us home. It’s obvious that the verse above is referring to the New Jerusalem and not the old Jerusalem on this earth. It is also plainly said that in order to see the Kingdom of God we must be born again, as Jesus said to Nicodemus a prestigious leader of the Pharisees, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:3-4

“And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” Zachariah 2:12-13

The Holiness of the Lord is aroused (disturbed) by the sin of the flesh. The Holy Spirit tells us to quiet our flesh and live to please God. However, because of our sin, there is no way to be on good terms with God. That is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ, so that whoever comes to Him through Jesus will be considered righteous in His eyes. The Holy Spirit is our Helper to guide us in silencing the flesh. Jesus Christ gives us the Holy Spirit by the remission of sin.

Unless the Israelis silence their flesh, the judgment of God will come against them. The way they are rioting and protesting for their “democratic” rights as defined by the global culture, it’s obvious they won’t be silencing their flesh. They vocalize the flesh so loud that the world hears their pleas for the right to kill the unborn and to promote the LGBQT+ lifestyles etc.

It’s apparent that God will not be choosing the old Jerusalem of this earth again, but He will choose those who live for the New Jerusalem which is waiting for us in the new heaven and earth. The Holy Land is definitely not the Jerusalem we see today, but it is the land promised to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As people born into the family of God through Jesus Christ, we are His inheritance, and He will bring us through the Heavenly gates.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1