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Zechariah, Prophet of God's remembrance, part 9

In Zechariah 2:1-5, the angel measured the New Jerusalem. For this reason, the outcome was seen as positive and restorative. It is as if the angel was surveying the city to see how many people (overcomers) it could hold and how many houses it could contain.

In Revelation 11:1, 2 we see a similar scene with some different details.

¹ Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. ² Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.”

Here John himself was given the measuring rod (reed). Whereas the angel in Zechariah 2 was told to measure the city as a whole, John was instructed to measure the temple, but not the outer court. Hence, Zechariah speaks of the city, whereas John speaks more specifically of the temple and its worshippers.

The outer court was the court of the Gentiles, that is, foreign proselytes to Judaism, and women—even Jewish women—were also restricted to this outer court. Paul, of course, objected to this inequality of women in Galatians 3:28 and the inequality of non-Jews in Ephesians 2:14. Because we as individual believers are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), it is clear that we, being composed of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), are pictured in the temple in terms of its three main sections: the Most Holy Place (spirit), the Holy Place (soul), and the outer court (body/flesh).

John measured the temple itself and those who would worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Those who remain in the outer court, then, are those who remain as children of the flesh, having the potential to approach God by faith in Christ, but who have to take that step. In this case, John was not to measure the outer court, because “it has been given to the nations” to be trodden down “for forty-two months.”

This time of treading down the outer court implies some degree of desecration by unbelievers who have, nonetheless, been given divine authority to be there. Jeremiah and Daniel tell us that God raised up Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to that position of authority, and later we learn how Babylon was just the first of four nations who were given dominion.

Even so, it was not until the time of the little horn extension of Rome that the time of 42 months (1,260 days/years) was actually stated. Daniel 7:25 says, “a time, times, and half a time,” and John interprets this in Revelation 11:2 as 42 months (or 3½ years) and again in Revelation 13:5 as 1,260 days.

The Banking Beast

This time period appears to apply specifically to the dominion of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13:1-10. It was fulfilled by the Emperor Justinian, who changed times and law from 529-534 A.D. It ended with the French Revolution in 1789-1794., which largely destroyed the Roman church in France. This was 1,260 years.

Hence, the outer court of the temple was trodden down by fleshly religion for 42 months, correlating with a reed of time (42 handbreadths). John then revealed a second beast rising from the earth, a financial/banking beast in Revelation 13:11-18. This beast had been hidden even from the prophet Daniel, but its dominion has taken us to the present day when the banks have lost their solvency and have lost the power of debt-money.

Overall, it appears that the French Revolution and its aftermath saw a shift of power from the dominion of the church to the dominion of debt-money. The Rothschild banking system was not included in the treading down of the outer court, because it was secular, not religious. In a way, this beast from the earth was like a long-term secular appendage on the time of the little horn. The Rothschild banking dynasty is a satanist cabal wearing the mask of Judaism, having its own coven called the Order of the Golden Dawn.

I suggest, as well, that this financial beast was set forth cryptically in Zechariah 1:15,

¹⁵ But I [God] am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster!

In other words (as I interpret it), the beast from the earth extended the judgment against Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem in both time and intensity, going beyond God’s actual verdict. To put it another way, God “was only a little angry” with them, while “the nations” (beast from the earth) oppressed them beyond their actual mandate. For this reason, God obtained a legal case against the Rothschilds and their financial oppression, giving Him the lawful right to judge them. If they had remained within the bounds of God’s sentence against Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, they might have been able to keep the wealth that they had extracted from their slaves.

We see the same principle in the story of Pharaoh. If he had allowed Israel to leave at the end of their mandate, they could have kept the wealth and power that they had accumulated by having Israelite slaves. But Pharaoh’s greed and disrespect for God’s verdicts brought Egypt into disaster. (This is also why God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. It was to give God a legal case against Egypt for retaining slaves beyond the time that they should have been set free.)

Today we live in similar times. It is now no longer Egypt or even Babylon, but Mystery Babylon and the financial beast from the earth that God is bringing into judgment. Pharaoh has been replaced by the Rothschilds, and God has hardened their hearts as He did with Pharaoh, so that He may file a case against them and their beast system for the benefit of the world.

Divine Deliverance

Zechariah 2:6 says,

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

The Israelites were taken by Assyria to the north and settled in the land of Gamir, named for the Gamirri (from Khumri/Omri). These later migrated further north and west into Europe and around the world. Hence, God dispersed them “as the four winds of heaven.” But the Lord here speaks to those “lost tribes” as if they were still north of the old land. Assyria itself is long gone, but the Israelite captivity has continued to this day to allow the beast empires to spread their dominion to the rest of the earth.

Zechariah 2:7 continues,

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

Zion is the seat of government for Judah and was located on a hill in Jerusalem. But prophetic Zion was taken captive to Babylon and no longer was limited to a tiny piece of real estate. The old city (and empire) of Babylon had also fallen by the time of Zechariah, but he speaks of a later generation as “the daughter of Babylon.” The book of Revelation speaks of this “daughter” as “Mystery Babylon” (Revelation 17:5 KJV).

“Zion,” the government of the Old Jerusalem, is said to be “living with the daughter of Babylon.” The government of the children of the flesh has committed fornication with the daughter of Babylon. Revelation 18:9 describes “the kings of the earth, who committed acts of fornication and lived sensuously with her.” World leaders in Europe and around the world desire to benefit from the riches produced by the daughter of Babylon. Hence, they have sold themselves to the beast systems, helping her to oppress the people of the earth.

God calls them to repent, to come out of her, to “flee from the midst of Babylon” (Jeremiah 51:6) and “forsake her, and let us each go to his own country” (Jeremiah 51:9). During the captivity, the people were to submit to Nebuchadnezzar and settle down, build houses, get married, etc. (Jeremiah 29:4-7); but when the time of captivity ends, those same people are instructed to come out of Babylon and build God’s Kingdom.

It is plain that this “Zion” is carnal government and is not the New Covenant “Sion” where the overcomers rally around Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:22 KJV). Recall that Jesus was transfigured up the mount from Caesarea Philippi. Sion is Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 4:48), representing the government of Christ’s Kingdom.

Zechariah 2:8, 9 says,

⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After [ahar, “following”] glory, He has sent Me [Christ] against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple [pupil] of His eye. ⁹ For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.”

After Christ enters His glory, He will overthrow the nations that plunder their slaves. Christ was glorified at the cross and by His resurrection. Jesus’ high priestly prayer says in John 17:1, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.”

Though nearly 2,000 years have passed since that glorification, the overthrow of the slavers and plunderers still follows His entrance into glory. Babylon’s slaves will yet plunder her, not in an unrighteous manner (such as theft) but in a lawful way. Revelation 18:6 says,

⁶ Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

Those who have obtained wealth legitimately will keep it. But Babylon’s theft will be judged according to the law in Exodus 22:4,

⁴ If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double [restitution].