Zechariah 2:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We have been filled with His gifts, receiving authority over unclean spirits and the ability to restrain the lures of unholy demons, as Christ has trampled down and subdued both Satan and the forces of evil under the feet of the saints. Moreover, we can reclaim what once had dominion over us in another way: by conquering our own desires and recognizing the call to master worldly and fleshly temptations, as well as any irrational and unnatural cravings. In doing so, we overcome our previous captors, even as we acknowledge our own culpability in them. Through experience, we come to understand that God the Word was sent into this world in the flesh by God the Father, not for any other reason than to mend what was broken, to reinforce what was weakened, to restore the defeated, to empower the feeble, and to heal what was lost.

The regions of the earth, identified as κλίματα by the Greeks, are noted here in relation to Jerusalem and the temple. The Assyrians and Babylonians, who have tormented God's people, reside in the northern territories. The prophet Jeremiah notes that the cauldron, a metaphor for Jerusalem, is heated from the north (Jer. 1:13-14), and Ezekiel also mentions this (Ezek. 24:3-4). The angel who met with the prophet Zechariah commanded him to speak to a young man—symbolizing human nature in its comparison with angelic glory; it is not angels that are elevated to our state, but rather we are lifted to theirs—to declare that outside of the walls, Jerusalem shall be inhabited and so on.

The same word of the Lord is directed to those in the north: let them be gathered from the regions where they were scattered and return to Zion, those dwelling in Babylon. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as a call to those dispersed across the earth to escape from the northern land, and you, O Zion, nesting now in Babylon, return to your former home. The repetition of 'O!' in the vocative emphasizes the urgent exhortation to flee, underscoring the seriousness with which they are called to escape.

The northern winds are the most ferocious, hardening the hearts of its inhabitants, bringing calamity upon the earth's residents. Zechariah indicates that the swift horses of judgment correspond to the northern territory (Zech. 6:6). Furthermore, the one who arrogantly claimed in Isaiah, 'I will ascend into heaven... above the heights of the clouds' (Isa. 14:13) boasts of dominion over this frigid region. In another instance, we are told, 'Look, smoke rises from the North' (Isa. 14:31), and those distant from the sacred city are described as coming from afar, from both the North and the sea (Isa. 49:12). The Spirit of the Lord calls out through Jeremiah to those in captivity to return to Jerusalem, saying, 'Return unto Me, O habitation of Israel' (Jer. 3:12).

Thus, we who have been in the North, having lost our fervent devotion to the Lord, spread across the entire globe, of whom the Gospel proclaims that the Lord will send His angels to the four corners of the earth (Mark 13:27), and gather us who are entangled in the vices of this age, are commanded to flee to Zion, meaning the Church of the Lord, and to steadfastly uphold its doctrines while turning away from the worldly temptations.

The subsequent declaration, 'Thus says the Lord of Hosts: For glory He has sent me,' introduces the voice of the Savior within the prophet's words. He, the Almighty God, proclaims that He was commissioned by the Father not merely to exhibit power but to bring glory. Though existing in the form of God, He did not consider equality with God something to cling to but humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant and obeying even unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6-8).

It is fitting that Christ is referred to as the Almighty, of whom it is stated in the Revelation of John: 'These things says the faithful witness, the beginning of the creation of God' (Rev. 1:4-5). Also, we read in Psalm twenty-three, 'Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in' (Ps. 23:9). When the angels questioned those unacquainted with the mystery of the incarnation, 'Who is this King of glory?' (Ps. 23:10), they were speaking of Christ; where it says Lord of Hosts, the Hebrew employs the term sabaoth, which the Septuagint translates as Almighty.

Thus, we comprehend that Christ, recognized as the Lord of Hosts, embodies omnipotence. It is no surprise that He is called omnipotent, as all authority has been bestowed upon Him in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18), claiming, 'All that the Father has is Mine' (John 17:10). Since all things derive from God—from God, from Lord, from Light—then the Mighty comes from the Mighty, and this is fitting for the shared nature of His glory.

He was sent for the exaltation of divine majesty to the nations that preyed upon God’s people, so that they who once oppressed might become the prey of the very ones they enslaved, proving that the Almighty has indeed sent Him. The phrase, 'He who touches you touches the apple of His eye,' signifies touching in the context of affliction and harm, resonating with the scriptural admonition, 'Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm' (Ps. 104:15). Anyone who dares to harm God’s saints is attempting to injure the pupil of His eye, as they seek to extinguish His brilliant light, which is reflected in the Gospel: 'You are the light of the world' (Matt. 5:14).

The Lord will raise His hand to shake the hostile nations and return His people, whether to Jerusalem or to the Church. In a figurative interpretation, the term 'nations' refers to the opposing forces that continuously subjugate sinners and compel them to serve in bondage.”

Among the Jews, this prototype was realized, and the precise fulfillment of prophecy has come upon us; for the Lord Christ has cast out the demons that robbed us, transforming our minds and freeing all members of our bodies to serve His holy purpose. Isaiah captures this more vividly, proclaiming: “The embassies of peace will cry out, and the messengers will shout from the mountains, calling for peace: ‘Desolate are the highways’” (Isaiah 33:7). The demons exclaimed, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29), and “I implore You, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7). In Philippi, a girl possessed with an inquiring spirit cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). Even now, the demons continue to cry out before the victorious martyrs, unwittingly confessing their defeat and revealing their frailty. Therefore, those who previously victimized us have been reduced to mere spoils of glory, as the ancient honor, lost through the deceit of our forefather Adam, has been restored to our nature. We came to recognize the Benefactor and Savior of our souls, who was sent by the Father’s profound love for humanity. Yet He was sent not as God, but as man; for in His divine essence, He is co-equal with the Father. He states, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me” (John 14:10), “The Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10), “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and “He who sees Me sees the Father” (John 14:9). He was sent as a man to fulfill the divine plan, all while retaining His divine nature intact. For “He who existed in the form of God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6, 7). Consequently, the Prophet reveals not only the duality but also the equality of the Persons. As the Almighty declares, “In the trail of glory hath He sent Me,” emphasizing the identity of the Sender, He adds: “And ye shall know that the Lord Almighty hath sent me.” Thus, both the Sender and the Sent are the Lord Almighty, with no distinction in their exalted status. The one sent comes in humanity, not in Godhead, to fulfill the divine plan for us. And in Him who was sent, the Father is present, as He states, “My Father who abides in Me, He does the works.” The Prophet then continues:

Yet the Israelites turned away from the salvation I fulfilled: "I will come to gather all nations and tongues" (Isaiah 66:18). He came to His own, but His own did not accept Him (John 1:11). You are approaching, what will you offer to the nations? "I will come to gather all tongues, and I will place a sign upon them" (Isaiah 66:18-19). For after My victory on the cross, I will bestow upon each of My soldiers a royal insignia to bear upon their foreheads. Another prophet said, "He bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was beneath His feet" (Ps. 17:10). His descent from heaven remained unknown to mankind.