2. The oracle about enemy destruction and Israelite blessing 2:6-13

This message brings out the practical implications of the two visions just related. It is a section of poetry in the midst of the prose visions. The prophet now spoke for the Lord, first to the Jews still in exile (vv. 6-9) and then to the Jews in Jerusalem (vv. 10-13). The first part deals with the overthrow of enemies and so connects with the second vision. The second part declares Yahweh's sovereignty in Zion and reinforces the third vision.⁵⁵

"The future greatness of Zion is too important a subject to be quickly dismissed. Various aspects of it should yet be unfolded; therefore verses 6-13 follow, which are very much in place at this point, and for just this reason."⁵⁶

 The destruction of oppressing enemies 2:6-9

2:6-7 The Lord called His people to flee from the land of the north (cf. Jer. 3:18; 16:15; 23:8; 31:8) where He had scattered them as the four winds (cf. Isa. 43:5-6; 49:12). Most of the Israelite exiles had gone into captivity in Assyria, and most of the Judean exiles went into captivity in Babylon. However, there were many other Israelites who had been taken or had fled to Egypt (Jer. 43:7), Moab, Ammon, and Edom (Jer. 40:11-12), Persia, and many other nations. These were Jews who later constituted the Diaspora, those who did not return to Palestine but remained dispersed throughout the ancient world. The Lord called these people to escape from Babylon among whose daughters they lived. This was a call for the Jews still living in Babylon to return home in Zechariah's day and help rebuild their nation. But it is also, because of the context and lack of fulfillment, a prophetic call to those living in the end times to abandon the Babylon of their day (cf. Rev. 18:4-8).

"Since Babylon in the post-exilic period epitomized all the suffering and indignity inflicted on Judah at the fall of Jerusalem and after, the name could stand for all lands of exile, and was not confined to the geographical area known as Babylon."⁵⁷

2:8-9 They were to flee because the Lord purposed to send His representative to plunder the nations for afflicting His people, the apple (lit. gate, the pupil, which is the most sensitive part) of His eye (cf. Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8; Matt. 25:34-45; Acts 9:1, 4-5). This would result in His glory.

"This statement ["after glory"] anticipates the New Testament revelation of the Father sending the Son to glorify Him, both in His first advent (John 17:4, cf. Isa. 61:1, 2; Luke 4:17-19) and in His second advent (Isa. 61:1, 2)."⁵⁸

"This will be fulfilled in the judgment of the Gentiles at Messiah's Second Advent (Matt. 25:31-46)."⁵⁹

The person whom the Lord would send as His representative ("Me") could not be Zechariah, in view of what the following verses say He would do. He must be Messiah, the only one with sufficient power and authority to fulfill what God predicted here. He would simply wave His hand over these nations in a menacing gesture and they would become plunder for the Israelites whom they had enslaved (cf. Esth. 7:10; Isa. 11:15; 14:2; 19:16; Gal. 6:7-8). Then God's people would know that Yahweh of armies had sent this One (cf. Isa. 61:3; John 17:4). This would be the sovereign Lord's doing, so the Jews should rejoice, return to the land, and prepare.

 Yahweh's ultimate blessing of Israel 2:10-13

2:10-11 The Israelites in Jerusalem and elsewhere were to rejoice because the Lord promised to intervene for them and to dwell among them. His return to Jerusalem would prompt the nations to come there and acknowledge Him as sovereign (cf. Ps. 47:9; 96:1; 97:1; 98:4). Many nations would turn to the Lord in that day (the eschatological day of the Lord, cf. ch. 14; Isa. 2:12-21; 24-27; Joel 1:15; 2:28-3:21; Amos 5:18-20; 9:11-15; Zeph.) and become part of his family of believers (8:20-23; Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; Isa. 2:2-4; 60:3). They would resemble Him as well as acknowledge Him (cf. Is. 56:6-8; 60:3, 21). He would dwell in the midst of His people (cf. 8:3; John 1:14; 2 Cor. 6:16; Rev. 21:3), and they would know that Yahweh had sent this One. This is clearly a reference to Messiah's second advent, not His first advent.

"In fulfillment of the great OT covenants, particularly the Abrahamic covenant, this section anticipates full kingdom blessing in the messianic era. . . . This language is ultimately messianic--indirectly or by extension from God in general to the Messiah in particular."⁶⁰

2:12-13 The Lord would at that time possess Judah as His inheritance in the "holy land"and would choose Jerusalem for special blessing (cf. Isa. 19:24-25).⁶¹All the people of the earth should be still because Yahweh would arouse Himself from His heavenly habitation and take action on the earth.⁶²

"The first vision introduced the judgment (or curse) and blessing motif (1:15-17). That motif is then developed in the second and third visions in an alternating cycle: judgment for the nations (1:18-21) but blessing and glory for Israel (2:1-5); judgment for the nations (2:6-9) but blessing for Israel--and the nations (2:10-13)."⁶³