There are so many images and messages contained in these 7 chapters that we couldn’t possibly discuss them all in one writing…not that I would be qualified anyway…
That being the case, for the purposes of this blog, let me stick to what I do best…muse about what sticks out to me as I read this morning.
I know that God is showing Zechariah two things at one time. He is speaking to him about the immediate future (when the Jews will rebuild a temple in Jerusalem and install Jeshua as High Priest) and He is showing them the distant future when Jesus will be the High Priest for everyone.
There are two images associated with the high priest: 1. the Branch 2. the 7 faceted stone. The stone that he sees with seven facets, or seven eyes means “perfect sight or all-encompassing sight”. Seven is a perfect number, when you see it used with images meant to reveal the future, it almost always means “perfect” something. (7 horns = perfect strength). This stone that is set before Jeshua will take away the sin of the whole world in a single day. Something perfect, that takes away sin…and is associated with the high priest….is coming soon. Hey, that’s Jesus!
In the same way, the branch symbolizes something small that grows and eventually builds the temple. Again, Jesus is symbolized.
So Jeshua is to be the high priest when the temple is rebuilt..but the high priest wears a turban, not a crown. That’s why in Chapter 3 Zechariah says “he should have a clean turban as well”. That’s very appropriate.
But when we get to chapter 6:9 and beyond we see that God tells Zechariah to manufacture a crown and place it on Jeshua’s head! The priest never wore a crown, that was only for the king. And the role of king and priest were always separate…in fact, Saul lost the kingdom because he offered a sacrifice (which was the priests job) while he was king. So this is radical. What it says is that Jeshua will now have two roles that will not conflict with each other. He will be both king and high priest, he will be called “the branch” from which the temple grows, and he will offer a sacrifice that will take away the sin of Israel. Jeshua would to on to do all those things, but he was simply foreshadowing Jesus. That clue is given in 3:8 when the Lord says “soon I am going to bring my servant The Branch”. As is popular with prophecy, this has a dual fulfillment.
Jesus fulfilled all three roles: Prophet, Priest and King. He is the only one to ever do so, and as the Jews returned home to their promised land, The Lord encouraged them by allowing them to see what He would do in the future.
Stray thought: God mentioned in Haggai “go into the mountains and get wood” and here he speaks of the humble beginnings of the temple that is being built. As I read Ezekiel it seemed clear that God wanted the temple built that He showed Ezekiel, but now The Lord hasn’t mentioned it again. I wonder now if that temple was supposed to be built. Perhaps it was to be built by others? I still think that the time for it has passed…but I wonder what place it was supposed to have. I can’t imagine sin sacrifices being made in a celestial temple, so it must be a temple built on earth. and since Christ as already come and completed that work, it seems outdated. I wonder why the Lord didn’t mention building Ezekiels temple to them?
One other thought: did you notice that God is angry with the 4 nations because they treated Israel more coarsely that He had intended? God may turn us over to others to teach us a lesson, but they have limits in what they are allowed to do as well. They also have free will…maybe this explains in part why such brutal things sometimes happen. God didn’t intend for it to be as harsh as it was…that is man’s doing.
Faithfully,
PR