Zechariah 2:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Psalmist foretold, ‘God will come, our God, and will not be silent’ (Ps. 49:3). He revealed Himself to the Gentiles too, not solely guiding the people of Israel by the ancient law; rather, the entirety of creation has been graced by the proclamation of the Gospel, elevating His name in every nation and region. He is indeed ‘the expectation of tongues,’ as the Prophet said (Gen. 49:10), and ‘every knee shall bow, of heaven, and of earth, and of the underworld; and every tongue shall confess, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father’ (Phil. 2:10-11). Through faith in Him, those from the farthest reaches of the earth have come to dwell in the holy and spiritual Zion, recognizing that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). The Father sent His Son from heaven as our Savior and Redeemer so that, by believing in Him, we might perceive the Father through Him, seeing in Him the exact likeness of our Creator and comprehending the original image. Thus, Judas became the Lord’s inheritance, symbolizing all who confess and glorify Him, for the name Judas signifies confession. As Paul writes, ‘He that is in the flesh is not a Jew, nor he that is in the flesh is circumcision: but he that is in secret is a Jew, and the circumcision of the heart is by the spirit, and not by the writing: for to him the praise is not of man, but of God’ (Rom. 2:28-29). Therefore, we who have received spiritual circumcision through Christ have become His inheritance in the holy land, aspiring towards the higher city, the spiritual Jerusalem, to which ‘God is the author and maker’ (Heb. 11:10), designating us as favored and chosen, as He declares, ‘He shall choose Jerusalem again.’ It is not far-fetched to consider that even now, Jerusalem is identified as the Church, which the divine David refers to as the city of God, stating, ‘As we have heard, so also have we seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God’ (Ps. 47:9).

He will be among them, promising His disciples, Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). The Lord will claim Judah as His inheritance, encompassing those who trust in Him and have faith in His name, specifically in the holy land, which refers to the Church. He will once again choose Jerusalem, which has faced trials and tribulations.

Some Jews believe that this promise was partially fulfilled during the time of Zerubbabel, Jesus, Ezra, and Nehemiah, particularly in the election of Jerusalem and the claiming of Judah by the Lord, with two tribes returning from the Babylonian captivity, known as Judah rather than Israel. Others, however, see this as a future event, asserting that when the nations come to faith in Him who is sent from the Lord, Jerusalem will then be chosen, as it is currently in ruins. It is entirely fitting for the daughter of Zion to be called to rejoice after her period of exile, as affirmed in the Psalms: When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob will be glad and Israel will rejoice (Psalms 52:7).