‘“Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices,”’ (6:13).
We come to the eighth and final vision given to the prophet Zechariah.
From NIV Study Bible:
6:1-8. The eighth and last vision. It corresponds to the first (1:7-17), though there are differences in detail, such as the order and colors of the horses. As in the first vision, the Lord is depicted as the one who controls the events of history… He will conquer the nations that oppress Israel.
And in this final vision, God’s conquering Spirit sends out His divine judgments against the enemies, most of whom had invaded Israel from the north. And while God saw fit to work through the enemy to discipline His people, the enemy would also be judged and His wrath would be appeased.
When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.” (6:7-8).
God had called Zechariah to encourage His people to complete the work of rebuilding the temple. In calling His people to rebuild the temple, God was calling them to return to Him, that He would return to gather them again as a kingdom under His rule and reign; and in the temple, the high priest would again make atonement for their sins of the people.
Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts, (Zechariah 1:3).
And in this final vision, God again directs His people’s attention to His ultimate promise for their future. To the time when His wrath is appeased, His judgments are finished, His Kingdom is established and His Temple is built.
But this vision clearly reveals that the temple of the Lord will not be built by Zerubbabel or any other human; it would be built by the Man Whose Name is Branch.
Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord,”’ (6:12).
And this Righteous Branch from the line of David would establish His Kingdom of Justice and Righteousness, and provide Salvation and Security for Judah.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
6 “In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The Lord our righteousness,’ (Jeremiah 23:5).
And the Man Whose Name is Branch would accomplish that which no priest could ever achieve through the Law.
Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? (Hebrews 7:11).
And today we again see Jesus, Our Perfect Priest Who Makes Atonement for our Sins; Jesus, Our Perfect King Who Sits on His Throne. And truly, the Two are inseparable.
He Who Is the Great High Priest, Who Offered Himself as the Perfect Sin Offering, also Sits on His Throne as the King Worthy of all Honor as He rules in Perfect Righteousness. And because He Is both Our Perfect Priest and King, there is peace in His Kingdom.
‘“Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices,”’ (6:13).
Consider Him, Our Perfect Priest and King
He Is Our Perfect Priest:
- He Is Our Perfect Priest Who in His mercy and faithfulness, made propitiation for our sins.
- Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people, (Hebrews 2:17).
- He Is Our Perfect Priest Who though He was tempted in all things, was without sin.
- For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin, (Hebrews 4:15).
- He Is Our Perfect Priest Who though He is exalted above the heavens, offered Himself as a holy and undefiled sacrifice once for all, and forever.
- For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever, (Hebrews 7:27).
- He Is Our Perfect Priest Who entered through the tabernacle built by His hands to obtain our eternal redemption by His own blood.
- But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption, (Hebrews 9:11-12).
He Is Our Perfect King:
- He Is Our Perfect King Who zealously upholds His eternal government of peace, justice and righteousness.
- For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this, (Isaiah 9:6-7).
- For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
- He Is Our Perfect King Whose glorious kingdom will never be destroyed.
- “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14 “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed,” (Daniel 7:13-14).
- “I kept looking in the night visions,
- He Is Our Perfect King Who is seated in the heavenly places above all rule, authority, power, and dominion.
- which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all, (Ephesians 1:20-23).
- He Is Our Perfect King, Ruler over every King, Who has released us from our sins by His blood and has resurrected from the dead to make us His kingdom of priests.
- and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen, (Revelation 1:5-6).
How do we respond to Him, Our Perfect Priest and King?
‘“Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices,”’ (6:13).
I was continually drawn back to the peace between the two offices, the office of Priest and the office of King. These two offices had never been held by the same person. But Christ, Our Perfect Priest Who offered the Perfect Sacrifice as the Perfect Payment for our sins, reigns eternal as our Perfect King Who is Perfectly Worthy of our allegiance.
And what should our allegiance look like? Obedience. But lest we think He requires that we follow that quintessential list of dos and don’ts, let us remember that His concern has always been a matter of our heart, and that obedience is always for our good.
“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
His greatest commandment is that we love Him with all that we are; and that commandment has not changed.
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart, (Deuteronomy 6:4-6).
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment,” (Matthew 22:36-38).
And isn’t it really counterintuitive to believe we can know Him as Our Perfect Priest and not live in yielded allegiance to Him as Our Perfect King?
Consider this analysis from Matthew Henry Concise Commentary:
“We cannot come to God by Christ as our Priest, if we refuse to have him rule over us as our King. We have no real ground to think our peace is made with God, unless we try to keep his commandments.”
And the question we must each answer is this: if we have not subjected ourselves in obedience to Him as Our Perfect King, have we truly placed our faith in Him as Our Perfect Priest Who has reconciled us to His Love by His blood?
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life, (Romans 5:8-10).
Oh, that we would commit much time to reflect on all that He has done for us as Our Perfect Priest, to rescue us from our sin and darkness and bring us into His Perfect Kingdom.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, (Colossians 1:13-14).
And as we reflect on the redemption and forgiveness we have in Him, let us pray that we would become a reflection of our love for Him, Our Perfect Priest and King, through keeping His commands.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15).
Let us again think about what Jesus said. Loving Him will result in keeping His commandments; and keeping His commandments will result in our good.
“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
Truly, can there be anything as good for us as loving Him with all that we are so as to be controlled by His love? Oh, that we would be so grateful for His Perfect Sacrifice and so controlled by His love, that it would be inconceivable to live our lives focused on self. Let us daily and intentionally demonstrate our faith with unceasing gratitude and all-consuming love that we would no longer live for anything or anyone but Him, Our Perfect Priest and King. For what on earth could be better than that?
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf, (1 Timothy 6:13-15).