"Then I said, What are these, sir? And the angel who spoke with me said to me, I will show you what these are. And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are those whom Jehovah has sent to go to and fro on the earth. And they answered the Angel of Jehovah who was standing among the myrtle trees, and they said, We have gone to and fro on the earth, and behold, all the earth sits still and is quiet" (vv. 9-11). Here we see that the red, reddish- brown, and white horses, signifying those among Israel who were to be redeemed and brought back to God for His justification and acceptance, had been sent by Jehovah to go to and fro on the earth; and they answered the Angel of Jehovah standing among the myrtle trees that they had gone to and fro on the earth and had seen that all the earth sat still and was quiet.
These verses reveal that in addition to Christ, who had been sent as the Redeemer to take care of Israel in their captivity, others had been sent by God to go through the earth to see the situation of the nations. As indicated by the movement of the horses, God's captured people were unsettled and were without peace, rest, and the enjoyment of life. The nations, on the contrary, were sitting still and quiet. This indicates that, in the eyes of God, all the nations around Israel at that time were sitting there enjoying their life in peace and quietness while God's elect were suffering.
In verse 12 we see that the Angel of Jehovah interceded for Israel. "Then the Angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long will You not have compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant for these seventy years?"
In verses 13 through 17 we have Jehovah's answer to Christ's intercession for Israel. Jehovah answered the angel who spoke to Zechariah with good words, with comforting words, and the angel said to him, "Cry out, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: I am greatly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion" (v. 14). Because the nations were sitting peacefully while Jerusalem was in trouble, Jehovah was very jealous for Jerusalem. He was extremely angry with the nations, who were at ease, sitting still and quiet (v. 15a). He was only a little angry with Israel, but the nations dealt with Israel excessively (v. 15b).
Verse 16 goes on to say, "Therefore thus says Jehovah, I return to Jerusalem with compassions; My house will be built in it, declares Jehovah of hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem." To measure is to possess. For Jehovah to cause a measuring line to be stretched over Jerusalem means that He will possess that city. For seventy years Jerusalem was given up by God. Now He was coming back to repossess the city, so He sent someone to measure it. In verse 17 Jehovah went on to say, "My cities will again overflow with good, and Jehovah will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem." This is the way Christ's prayer for Israel was answered by God.