John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 2:10

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah." — Zechariah 2:10 (ASV)

He continues the same subject. The meaning is that God begins nothing which he does not determine to bring to its end. Since, then, he had already begun to gather his people, that they might dwell in the Holy Land, it was a work in progress, eventually to be completed; for the Lord’s will was not to be a partial Redeemer. This is the essence of what the Prophet says.

But he now exhorts Zion to rejoice, as if the happiness which he predicts was already enjoyed. This way of speaking, as we have seen elsewhere, is common among the Prophets. When they intended to encourage God’s servants to greater confidence, they brought them, as it were, into the midst of what was promised and dictated a song of thanksgiving.

We are not accustomed to congratulate ourselves before the time. When, therefore, the Prophets instructed the Church to sing to God and to give thanks, they thus confirmed the promises made to them. It is as if the Prophet had said that, although the brightness and glory of God was indeed still largely obscured, the faithful were beyond the reach of danger. Therefore, they could boldly join in a song of thanks to God, as if they were already enjoying full redemption, for the Lord will perfect what he begins.

Rejoice then and exult, you daughter of Zion, — Why? For I come. God had already come, but here he expresses the progress of his favor, by declaring that he would come. It is as if he had said, “I have already given you obscure signs of my presence; but you shall find another coming which will be much more effective to confirm your faith.” So, although God had already appeared to the Jews, he says that he would come, that is, when Christ would be revealed, in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in whom God’s perfect glory and majesty shines forth.

And this also makes it more evident, as I have already said, that this address cannot be applied to the Prophet without distortion, nor be suitably applied to the person of the Father. It then follows that Christ speaks here; but he does not speak as a man or an angel; he speaks as God the Redeemer.

From this we see that the name Jehovah is applied to Christ, and that there is no difference between the Father and the Son as to essence, but that they are only to be distinguished as to their persons. Whenever, then, Christ announces his own divinity, he takes the name Jehovah; but he also shows that there is something peculiar and distinct to him as the messenger of the Father. For this reason, and in this respect, he is inferior to the Father; that is, because he is sent as a messenger and executes what has been entrusted to him.

These things do not contradict each other, as many unlearned and turbulent men think, who entangle themselves in many vain imaginations, or rather in mere ravings, and say, “How can it be that there is one eternal God, and yet that Christ, who is distinct from the Father and is called his angel, is a true God?” So they imagine that the origin of divinity is God the Father, as if the one true God had begotten, and thus produced another God from himself, as by propagation. But these are diabolical figments, by which the unity of the Divine essence is destroyed. Let us then keep in mind what the Prophet teaches here clearly and plainly, — that Christ is Jehovah, the only true God, and yet that he is sent by God as a Mediator.

Behold I come, he says, and I will dwell in the midst of you. God then dwelt among the Jews, for the building of the temple had been begun, and sacrifices had already been offered; but this dwelling was only symbolic. It therefore follows that some new kind of presence is indicated here, when God would reveal himself to his people, not under ceremonial figures and symbols, but by dwelling, at the fullness of time, substantially among them.

For Christ is the temple of the Godhead and so perfectly unites us to God the Father that we are one with him. And it should further be carefully kept in mind that the Prophet here also makes a distinction between the ancient types of the law and the reality, which was eventually exhibited in Christ. For there is no need now for shadows when we enjoy the reality and possess the completion of all those things which God only foreshadowed under the law.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as you see that we continually tremble in the midst of dangers, and often stumble and fall through the infirmity of our flesh, — O grant, that we may learn so to rely on the strength and help which you promise to us, that we may not hesitate to pass through all kinds of dangers, and boldly and firmly to fight under your banner; and may we be thus gathered more and more into the unity of your Church, until having finished all our troubles and contests, we shall at last reach that blessed and celestial rest which has been obtained for us by the blood of your only-begotten Son. — Amen.