104 Iwan M. Whiteley The issue of the four horns and craftsmen shall not be explored here because they are not mentioned in Revelation. Next, a man with a measuring line goes out to measure Jerusalem. He is told that the eschatological city will be too big to be measured. The text implies that the there is a future for Jerusalem, it will prosper and therefore the people should come back from exile. Implicit in the text is lethargy on the part of the people to return, apparently due to a lack of confidence in Yahweh. Zechariah enthuses the people by resorting to two emotive images; first the enthronement of Yahweh in their presence, bearing messianic undertones (1:16), leading to joy (2:10)58 and second the silence of God’s people upon Yahweh’s presence.59 Consequently, although the images of silence and joy appear to conflict, yet they are speaking about the same event from different angles. The former focuses on the joy that Yahweh brings while the latter emphasizes Yahweh’s greatness and holiness, leading to silence.60 Importation of Concepts from Zechariah 1-2 into Revelation 6-8:1 We are now in a position to import ideas from Zech 1-2 into Rev 6-8:1. We shall run systematically through both texts. Zech 1-2 is not the only source to influence Rev 6-8:1, and it will not be possible to extend our analysis into other areas. Consequently, we shall not be able to posit an explanation for the full meaning for the discourse. Instead, this study will merely suggest ideas that may be imported from Zechariah into Revelation. The general background of Zechariah is that a large proportion of the people of God still live in exile due to a loss of confidence in Yahweh. This appears to correspond with some of the churches of Asia. John’s call to the church at Smyrna, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer” (Rev 2:10) suggests that church members are afraid and possibly 58 Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, 110; Redditt, Haggai, Zechariah, 61; Petersen, Haggai and Zechariah, 179. 59 This notion conforms with Hab 2:20 and Zeph 1:7. Unger’s suggestion that the aim is to silence raging nations fits with the idea in Hab 2:20 (Unger, Zechariah, 53), but Achtemeier’s proposal that the silence is ‘…to catch’s one’s breath and wait in hope and obedient faith for the final fulfilment of the prophet’s words’ is unlikely (Achtemeier, E. Nahum-Malachi (Atlanta 1986) 121). 60 The call for people to be silent is generally adopted in the OT when someone who is greater is in the room (Num 13:30; Judg 3:19; Neh 8:11; Hab 2:20; Zeph 1:7) see also J. Oswalt, “hsh”, NIDOTT I, 1048.