John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 8:3

"Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain." — Zechariah 8:3 (ASV)

The Prophet now more clearly explains what he intended; however, it was necessary to preserve this order—that enemies were to be forcibly ejected from their possession, and the Church delivered, before God could dwell in its midst. For how could God have proved that Jerusalem was under His guardianship and protection without first having subdued its enemies?

It was not then without reason that the Prophet began with this promise—that God was prepared for war and was burning with wrath, so that He might deliver His Church from the hands of enemies. Then follows the fruit of the victory, for it would not have been enough for God to avenge the wrongs done to His chosen people without also gathering the dispersed and restoring the Church to its ancient condition.

For it often happens that those who have been cruelly treated find an avenger, but little or no comfort comes to them, as their situation does not improve. The Lord, however, here refers to these two things: that He would take up arms to defend His chosen people, and also that He would become, as was indeed the case, the defender and protector of the holy city.

The repetition of the sentence, Thus says Jehovah of hosts, almost in every verse, was no doubt intended for the purpose of strengthening their faith, for it was, as I have already said, something incredible. It was then necessary to repeatedly bring forward the name of God, so that the faithful might more readily assent to the prophecy which they knew proceeded from God, even the God of hosts, whose power is infinite, and to whom nothing is difficult, as we shall find it soon stated.

And he says that He had returned; not that the accomplishment of this prophecy was then visible, but the decree is put for the reality. God had been, as it were, silent for a long time while His people were exposed to the derision of their enemies. He seemed then to be far away from Jerusalem, for the place was desolate and waste—indeed, it was a scene of dreadful vengeance.

God, then, during all that time, seemed to have forsaken the place, according to the testimony of Ezekiel, who says that God had removed from the temple, and that it was an empty place, and profane, as it were. For this reason, he now says that He had returned, because He intended to show openly that it had not been made the seat of His glory in vain, when He had commanded His name to be invoked there.

It is indeed true that Mount Zion had never been forsaken by God. However, no other opinion could have been formed when there was no altar, no sacrifices, and no people there to worship God, for this is said with reference to divine worship. The holiness of the mount was also nothing, except insofar as God had consecrated it to Himself. Hence, these two things were connected: the holiness of the mount and the presence of God. It therefore follows that God, according to human judgment, was absent when no religion appeared there, and the Jews offered no sacrifices there.

He further says that He had returned, so that He might dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. It was necessary to add this, so that the Jews might be convinced that His return was not in vain. For many said that they had acted too hastily; that although the beginning had been favorable, many troubles would still come upon them in the future; that their building would last only for a short time; and that even if they spent much toil and labor rebuilding the city, it would only be for a season, as their enemies would soon come and destroy their new buildings. Since such reports were spreading, it was necessary to encourage the godly, so that they might be fully persuaded that God had returned to His people and had become the restorer of His exiles for this purpose: that He might, as before, dwell at Jerusalem.

We now understand the Prophet’s purpose: it was as if he had said that the people had not returned in vain to their country, but that they had been delivered by the authority of God, and that His dwelling at Jerusalem would be fixed and perpetual, as it had before been His habitation. We indeed know that the stability of the Church is only secured by the presence of God, as it is said in Psalm 46: God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. For the Church would not be less exposed to sudden and frequent destruction than other things, if God, her support, did not dwell in her. And this is what our Prophet means here when he says that God would dwell there.

He adds, And Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, and the mount of Jehovah the mount of holiness. By this first clause, the Prophet reminds us why God had for a time forsaken Jerusalem: namely, because it was a city given to falsehoods, wicked devices, deceits, and perverse counsels.

Since, then, the Jews had completely degenerated from true religion, the Prophet intimates that the city became destitute of its guardian and protector—namely, God Himself. And for the same purpose are added the words, the mount of Jehovah shall be called the mount of holiness. For however proudly the Jews boasted that they worshipped God, yet they had profaned both the temple and the altar by their sins, as we have seen it proved by the Prophet Haggai (Haggai 2:15).

Here then Zechariah indirectly rebukes the Jews for having corrupted all purity by their frauds, and also for having, by the defilements of their sins, polluted Zion and the temple of God. At the same time, he teaches us that God dwells in His Church where He sanctifies it.

Hence, God is never idle while He dwells in His people, for He cleanses away every kind of impurity and every kind of deceit, so that where He dwells may always be a holy place. Therefore, the Prophet not only promises here an external blessing to the Jews, but also shows that God performs something far more excellent: He cleanses the place where He intends to dwell, the habitation which He chooses, and casts out every kind of filth.

And since God promises to do this, we therefore see that it is His own unique work and gift to cleanse all our impurities and also to dispel everything false and deceitful. The meaning of all this is that when God reconciles His people to Himself, He not only brings an outward, earthly blessing, but also something better and far more excellent—namely, the renewal of the heart and mind. And when all things are polluted and filthy, He restores true and perfect purity and integrity.

We must also bear in mind what I have already stated: that their sins are indicated here to the Jews, so that they might be touched with shame and seek repentance. For we have seen that they were very slow in this respect. It was then necessary to stimulate them to repent.

For what the Prophet says clearly indicates that Mount Zion had been profaned, though God had consecrated it to Himself. God’s worship had been corrupted there, and there was no integrity there. The faithful city, at least as it should have been, had become full of falsehood and treachery.

For truth is not to be confined to the fidelity that people ought to observe toward one another, but is to be extended to the sincerity that the faithful ought to possess regarding the pure and sincere worship of God. This is the essence of the matter.