Zechariah 5:2
And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
The verse belongs to a series of symbolic visions given when the Jews faced uncertainty about rebuilding Jerusalem and its temple, meant to sustain and encourage God's people by revealing His compassion and love. It describes a flying roll twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide, giving the vision an imposing form. Those dimensions match those of the porch of Solomon's temple. The roll is a curse that goes out over the whole earth. It brings judgment on thieves and on those who swear falsely by God's name, entering their houses and consuming them. The vision shows that every evildoer receives from God according to his works.
The flying roll is a sign of God's law and its condemnation of wrongdoing, whose warning follows those who steal or swear falsely, bears witness against them at judgment, and ends in the destruction of the unrepentant sinner. The roll represents a record of wrongdoing that bears the wrongdoer's name unless the wrong is repented of, pointing to God's watch over every transaction and His judgment on those who do wrong.
The roll's words are a message that many will fail to understand and will stumble over. It is linked with the worldwide proclamation of the everlasting gospel of the judgment hour and the call to fear God and give glory to Him rather than to sinful people. Applied to those who hindered the work in the South, it warns that dishonesty toward fellow believers and God, and neglect of duty, bring divine judgment.