Zechariah 2:11, commentary and pictures

The promise was given in a series of encouraging visions at the time when the returned exiles feared that permission to rebuild Jerusalem might be withdrawn, assuring them of divine compassion and love and encouraging those advancing the work in Israel. It declares that the Lord Himself will come and dwell in the midst of the daughter of Zion, and that in that day many nations shall be joined to the Lord and shall become His people. She is therefore called to sing and rejoice over His coming presence, and by that presence to know that the Lord of hosts has sent Him. With that joining comes the inheriting of Judah as His portion in the holy land and the choosing of Jerusalem again, and all flesh is called to be silent before the Lord raised up out of His holy habitation.

The promise looks beyond its immediate setting to the gathering of obedient people from all nations into the everlasting kingdom, where the divine purpose for humanity is fulfilled and He dwells with the saved. In that fulfillment His presence and the joining of many nations are connected with His restoration of His tested and purified people. His church is dear to Him above all things in the world, and with jealous care He guards those who seek Him and has not forsaken them. Having paid a ransom to save and redeem them, He refuses to let them be separated from where He can protect and prosper them for His name's glory.

He permits them to be sorely tried in the fiery furnace to separate and burn away dross, while His eye is upon them every moment so that in being purified they are not consumed. It offends Him when Satan's servants strive to rob His people of their rights by pointing to their mistakes and holding up their past unworthiness to make them believe they are separated from God and hopeless. He has given an all-powerful Redeemer who came from heaven in humanity to live the principles of righteousness and to minister power to all who accept Him in order to succor the repentant who are convinced of the sinfulness of sin.

The message of mercy is for the whole world and every creature, with abundant provision for the salvation of all. It calls sleeping virgins and believers to arise, awake, trim their lamps, rejoice in the promise of God's presence, and take up their appointed work of gathering souls. They are to go forth with weeping and precious seed to invite thousands in trust in Christ's abiding presence and the power of the gospel until many souls are added to the church and the spiritual desert rejoices and blossoms as the rose. The Lord goes before His people in these last days in a large and aggressive work of lifting the standard and proclaiming present truth, using His money to establish memorials in new places in this country and in Australia as a missionary field, including the greatly needed sanitarium there, because the fields are opening and extending and the warning must be given.