Zechariah 1:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We also observe that God, while strengthening the faith of His saints and the love of His devoted followers, sometimes permits the church to endure persecution. Yet, after a period of suffering, He promptly restores it, once more protecting it and adorning His house with grace from above. Every believer lives as a place where God dwells, sometimes facing trials when fleshly desires and worldly distractions provoke sinful inclinations, making the afflicted soul feel as though it is engulfed in flames and stripped of safety. Nevertheless, when God extends His mercy and inclines toward the faithful through the intercession of the saints, it is rebuilt ‘into a holy church, the habitation of God by the Spirit’ (Eph. 2:21-22). Freed from all impurity, it is encircled by God, becoming the abode of the great King, Christ.

This divine jealousy reflects a love that seeks to reclaim, as opposed to the disdain voiced through Jeremiah, who noted, "As a wife despises her husband, so the house of Israel has despised Me" (Jeremiah 3:20). In speaking through Ezekiel, the Lord expresses, "In my anger, I will no longer be angry with you, and my jealousy has departed from you" (Ezekiel 16:42). Therefore, He who feels jealous for Jerusalem and Zion—essentially one city—is now displeased with the affluent nations, previously described as red, motley, and white; He had intended their prosperity for the discipline of others, yet they treated the oppressed with cruelty. God desired to correct a son through a child-master, but they sought to destroy him as an adversary. This mirrors Isaiah's words: "I delivered them into your hand; yet you showed them no mercy; you burdened the elderly, declaring, 'I will be mistress forever'" (Isaiah 47:6).

Jealousy, like anger, is often perceived through human emotion. Yet, from this prophetic passage, it is clear that the God of the Old Testament does not seek destruction for those He is displeased with but wishes only to reform them. He states, "Since I have been jealous for Jerusalem with immense jealousy, and for Zion, whom her enemies have oppressed beyond my desire, thus says the Lord: 'I will return to Jerusalem not only with compassion but with overwhelming mercy, and My house—namely, the temple—will be rebuilt there," says the Lord of Hosts, "and a measuring line will be extended over Jerusalem." Jerusalem and Zion—the heavenly observatory, which transcends the struggles of this world and looks toward divine peace and harmony—symbolizes the Church. God, angered by her transgressions and the waning of her love (Matthew 24:12), permits her persecution so that she may emerge as refined gold and silver. Her adversaries, whom she has become attached to, will fill Jerusalem with the blood of the slain at every gate. Yet, the Lord, who promises peace and mercy, indicates a renewal is at hand. A measuring line will be used, thoughtfully marking out dimensions and organizing every part accordingly. The significance of this measuring line is clarified in the subsequent chapter, where the prophet states, "I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand" (Zechariah 2:1).

We see the temple of God, which was destroyed by His opponents, in the hallowed Body of Christ, of which He professed, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). It was shattered through suffering yet restored in resurrection, becoming the foundational seed for all temples. As the Apostle further affirms, "You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells within you" (2 Corinthians 6:16).

Consequently, the temple was erected, and the well-being of Jerusalem flourished.

We are not physically present in Jerusalem. The temple was not built solely for the city or its inhabitants. It faced no obstruction nor compulsion; this city, which has historically cherished God's houses, does not require coercion for such undertakings. It was the goodwill, spiritual fervor, and compassion of its citizens that brought forth this temple, alongside a house of worship, so that the destitute and weary, symbolized by Lazarus, would no longer “lie at the rich man's gate” (Luke 16:19-20) or in similar despair elsewhere. Here, as Christ’s judgment calls for blessings, there would be a fulfillment of caring for the outcast, the ill, the needy, and providing sustenance for the hungry and garments for the naked. Furthermore, Christian charity has desired for those receiving care here not only to have a place of rest but also access to the house of God, where they may discover spiritual nourishment and healing for their souls through the sacred services and sacraments offered in the holy temple.

This aspiration is being realized. Praise be to God! Blessed is Christian charity! One might ponder: why recall the circumstances surrounding the construction of the Jerusalem temple? - In Jerusalem, we observe that when the people lacked diligence in constructing God’s temple, He sent extraordinary messengers to inspire them. This illustrates God's desire to have a temple established in His name, assuring those who labor to build His temple that they are fulfilling His divine will. How blessed were those urged by God's messengers to contribute to the temple's construction! Yet, surely, those who engage in building the temple of God through pure zeal and love for His holiness, without any compulsion, experience even greater joy.

It is not just the builders who should reflect on this; all believers and those seeking salvation ought to understand that God Himself desires and requires a holy temple. The very first temple of the true God on earth was built and consecrated by the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt at Mount Sinai, directed solely by God’s command without any prior human desire. Later, when King David intended to establish a permanent structure rather than a portable one, the Lord took this endeavor into special consideration. As David had shed much blood, the task was then entrusted to Solomon, his son, who reigned in peace. Even before this judgment was rendered, the merciful Lord foresaw and through the prophet Isaiah prophesied the establishment of the second temple, choosing King Cyrus for this purpose before he was born. Furthermore, when the construction of the second temple, initiated under Cyrus’ patronage, faced delays under his heirs, the Lord again took charge of the endeavor, achieving it through His “great zeal” (Zechariah 1:14) by sending the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, empowered by His divine will.

Ultimately, the second temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, a judgment of God for the grave sin of the Jews in “killing the chief of life” (Acts 3:15), our Lord Jesus Christ. Concurrently, in accordance with God’s wise providence, the worship of the Old Testament gave way to the more perfect, New Testament, Christian worship. At this point, as Christianity spread across the globe, the establishment of Christian temples became essential. Once more, God Himself was the architect of these holy structures. For when the only-begotten Son of God, following His ascension, “clothed His disciples and Apostles with power from on high, which is the Holy Spirit,” they, filled with the Holy Spirit’s grace, “were mighty in deed and word, baptizing, building churches, establishing altars, laying down priesthood rules and laws,” of which we now “hold the tradition.”

Did not God, speaking through Saint Peter to the Grand Duke, echo the same call to “build the temple” of the Mother of God and promised to “turn to Moscow with bounties”? For five centuries, this divine word has been verified by the testimony of believers. Reflecting on God’s ancient dealings concerning His temples, what conclusions can we draw? Those who ponder deeply will discern several instructive truths: 1. The temple of the true God, with its sacred rites and sacraments, is not merely a human construct but a divine order. 2. The structure and actions of God’s temple should be founded not on human will but on the “rules and laws of the priesthood” established by the Apostles guided by the Holy Spirit. 3. God’s wisdom deems the arrangement of the holy temple not only beneficial but essential for human salvation, as divine wisdom never acts in vain. 4. Thus, anyone wishing for salvation must diligently come to God’s temple, participating in its prayers and praises and heeding the teachings heard therein, striving for sanctification through the sacraments according to the guidelines imparted by the divinely inspired Apostles and wise Fathers.

What then should we consider regarding those who, influenced by baseless accusations against the Orthodox Church, distance themselves from its divinely ordered temple and its gracious sacraments? Such actions are brazen, futile, and detrimental to the soul! They estrange themselves from the unity of the life-giving body of Christ, namely, the one true holy Church. A member severed from the body lacks life, just as they are devoid of Christ's life-giving grace and sanctification. The Apostle warns us: “keep yourselves from evil doers, keep yourselves from being cut off” (Philippians 3:2). What can we say about those who are not drawn away from the holy temple by false wisdom but are often barred from entering by worldly distractions and vanity? If we reflect sensibly, we must judge ourselves harshly for such negligence. Nearby, or not far from us, is a temple—created by God’s will, consecrated according to divine order, filled with His presence and mysterious grace, as the Lord Himself declared: “My eyes shall be open, and My heart all the days” (2 Chronicles 7:16). It is prepared to enliven our prayers through the Holy Spirit, to enlighten us with God’s word, and to nourish us with the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Lord has made available such spiritual treasures in His temple for our eternal benefit, aligning with His eternally generous will. Yet, when a day set apart for God arrives, or the hour designated for His temple comes, some choose to rush not into the temple but rather to their homes, their villages, or engage in worldly pursuits, often frivolous or morally questionable, flattering only the spirits opposed to our salvation, seeking our ruin. What folly! What bondage to vanity! What disregard for our true and eternal good! What ingratitude towards God, the Benefactor! What absence of the fear of God! Just as God’s mercy invites even the undeserving to experience His grace, awaiting our repentance and amendment, His justice may also revoke divine gifts in response to neglect and punish ingratitude.

We wish you well, beloved. As the establishment of the Jerusalem temple was unified with God’s blessings towards the city, may the grace of His holy temple, according to your faith and devoutness, be for you a source of blessing, sanctification, and salvation of the soul, as well as an increase in God’s bounty throughout your earthly life with the hope of eternal bliss. Amen.