"Get up, O Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!" Get up, O Zion!This phrase is a call to action for the people of Zion, representing the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The term "Zion" often symbolizes Jerusalem and the spiritual center of God's people. The call to "get up" suggests a sense of urgency and readiness to leave a place of captivity. This echoes the call to leave Egypt during the Exodus, highlighting a theme of deliverance and return to the Promised Land. Escape,
The command to "escape" indicates a need for immediate departure from a place of danger or spiritual compromise. It suggests that remaining in Babylon poses a threat to the spiritual well-being of the Jewish people. This reflects the biblical theme of separation from worldly influences and a return to God's covenant promises. The urgency of escape is reminiscent of Lot's escape from Sodom, emphasizing the need for swift obedience to God's call. you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!
The "Daughter of Babylon" refers to the city of Babylon itself, personified as a woman. Babylon is historically known for its wealth, power, and idolatry, and it represents a place of exile and spiritual corruption for the Israelites. The phrase implies that the Jewish exiles have become too comfortable or assimilated into Babylonian society. This call to leave Babylon is prophetic, anticipating the fall of Babylon and the eventual return of the exiles to Jerusalem. It also foreshadows the New Testament call for believers to separate from worldly systems, as seen in Revelation 18:4, where God's people are urged to come out of Babylon to avoid sharing in its sins and plagues. Persons / Places / Events 1. ZionRepresents the city of Jerusalem and, symbolically, the people of God. In this context, it calls for the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon. 2. Daughter of BabylonRefers to the Babylonian empire, which held the Israelites in captivity. It symbolizes a place of exile and spiritual bondage. 3. The ExilesThe Jewish people who were taken captive to Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem. They are being called to return to their homeland. 4. The Call to EscapeThis event is a divine command for the exiles to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, signifying a spiritual and physical restoration. 5. The Prophetic VisionZechariah's vision is part of a series of night visions that convey God's plans for the restoration and future glory of Jerusalem. Teaching Points Call to Spiritual SeparationJust as the Israelites were called to leave Babylon, Christians are called to separate themselves from worldly influences that lead them away from God. God's Faithfulness in RestorationThe call to return to Zion is a reminder of God's faithfulness to restore His people. Believers can trust in God's promises for spiritual renewal and restoration. Urgency of ObedienceThe command to "get up" and "escape" underscores the urgency of responding to God's call. Delayed obedience can lead to spiritual stagnation. Hope in God's DeliveranceThe return from Babylon is a foreshadowing of the ultimate deliverance through Christ. Believers can find hope in God's plan for redemption. Living as a Distinct PeopleThe call to leave Babylon challenges Christians to live as a distinct people, set apart for God's purposes, reflecting His holiness in a secular world. Bible Study Questions 1. What does the call to "escape" from Babylon symbolize in your personal spiritual journey? 2. How can you apply the urgency of this command to areas in your life where God is calling you to change or act? 3. In what ways does the promise of restoration in Zechariah 2:7 encourage you in your current circumstances? 4. How can the concept of spiritual separation from "Babylon" be applied in today's context, especially in relation to cultural influences? 5. What other biblical examples of deliverance and restoration can you draw parallels with, and how do they strengthen your faith in God's promises? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 51:6This verse also calls for the people to flee from Babylon, emphasizing the urgency and necessity of leaving a place of judgment. Revelation 18:4Echoes the call to come out of Babylon, symbolizing the need for God's people to separate themselves from worldly corruption and sin. Isaiah 48:20Urges the Israelites to leave Babylon with a joyful proclamation, highlighting the theme of deliverance and redemption. People ZechariahPlaces Babylon, Jerusalem, ZionTopics Babylon, Danger, Daughter, Deliver, Delivered, Dwell, Dwellest, Dwelling, Escape, Flight, Ho, O, Thyself, ZionDictionary of Bible Themes Zechariah 2:7 5674 daughters Library The City Without Walls
'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls.... For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.'--ZECHARIAH ii. 4, 5. Zechariah was the Prophet of the returning exiles, and his great work was to hearten them for their difficult task, with their small resources and their many foes, and to insist that the prime condition to success, on the part of that portion of the nation that had returned, was holiness. So his visions, of which …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScripturePrayer for the Lord's Promised Presence. Zech 2:10
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John Newton—Olney Hymns The Lord Reigneth
Hallelujah; for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth! T he book of the Revelation, being chiefly prophetical, will not, perhaps, be fully understood, till the final accomplishment of the events shall draw near, and throw a stronger light upon the whole series. But while the learned commentators have been, hitherto, divided and perplexed in their attempts to illustrate many parts of it, there are other parts well adapted for the instruction and refreshment of plain Christians. Particularly, those passages …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting The Extent of Messiah's Spiritual Kingdom
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever! T he Kingdom of our Lord in the heart, and in the world, is frequently compared to a building or house, of which He Himself is both the Foundation and the Architect (Isaiah 28:16 and 54:11, 12) . A building advances by degrees (I Corinthians 3:9; Ephesians 2:20-22) , and while it is in an unfinished state, a stranger cannot, by viewing its present appearance, form an accurate judgment …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 John's Introduction.
^D John I. 1-18. ^d 1 In the beginning was the Word [a title for Jesus peculiar to the apostle John], and the Word was with God [not going before nor coming after God, but with Him at the beginning], and the Word was God. [Not more, not less.] 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him [the New Testament often speaks of Christ as the Creator--see ver. 10; I. Cor. viii. 6; Col. i. 13, 17; Heb. i. 2]; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. [This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Noble Results of this Species of Prayer
The Noble Results of this Species of Prayer Some persons, when they hear of the prayer of silence, falsely imagine, that the soul remains stupid, dead, and inactive. But, unquestionably, it acteth therein, more nobly and more extensively than it had ever done before; for God Himself is the mover, and the soul now acteth by the agency of His Spirit. When S. Paul speaks of our being led by the Spirit of God, it is not meant that we should cease from action; but that we should act through the internal …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Gifts Received for the Rebellious
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. W hen Joseph exchanged a prison for the chief honour and government of Egypt, the advantage of his exaltation was felt by those who little deserved it (Genesis 45:4, 5) . His brethren hated him, and had conspired to kill him. And though he was preserved from death, they were permitted to sell him for a bond-servant. He owed his servitude, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 This State of Prayer not one of Idleness, but of Noble Action, Wrought by the Spirit of God, and in Dependence Upon Him --The Communication Of
Some people, hearing of the prayer of silence, have wrongly imagined that the soul remains inactive, lifeless, and without movement. But the truth is, that its action is more noble and more extensive than it ever was before it entered this degree, since it is moved by God Himself, and acted upon by His Spirit. St Paul desires that we should be led by the Spirit of God (Rom. viii. 14). I do not say that there must be no action, but that we must act in dependence upon the divine movement. This …
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Zechariah 2:7 NIVZechariah 2:7 NLTZechariah 2:7 ESVZechariah 2:7 NASBZechariah 2:7 KJV
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