today's meditation (Zech.2) Knowing

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Zechariah 2:1-13) Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. 4 And he said to him, “Run, speak to that young man there, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as open country because of the multitude of people and cattle within it. 5 But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

6 “You there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “because I have spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “You, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of armies says this: “After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I am going to wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me. 10 Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “And many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

13 “Be silent, all mankind, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The first time the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) came to dwell in Israel's midst, they rejected and crucified Him.  God knew this was to happen, and He allowed it to happen in order to pay the price for sin.  Jesus rose again to have victory over death so that anyone who believers in Him, accepting His free gift of salvation, will be saved from the Tribulation and eternal death.

The second time Jesus comes to earth will be when Israel as a nation sees the signs (the judgements of the Tribulation) and realizes that He was and is their Messiah.  Other people will also become believers during those seven years, realizing and knowing that Jesus is Christ the Lord.

As verses 9 and 11 say, we can KNOW that Jesus is from God and is God, Himself, because we can witness and know His truth.  Here is another portion of scripture from the New Testament to support this.  Read the entire chapter for more context, but I will give you the two key verses which put this very plainly...

(John 1, 14)  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As well, we can KNOW that we are saved, and that God hears us...

(1 John 5:13-15)

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.