231203 Zechariah 6: He Will Build His Temple

Mark Organ

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Romans 11:36“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

INTRODUCTION

Please open your Bibles to Colossians 1:15–22. Colossians 1:15-22 is one of the great portions of Scripture that truly focuses on the centrality of Christ. All of redemptive history is about Jesus. All of Scripture points with one voice to Christ. With such a strong emphasis it is clear that He is to be our whole life, He is to have first place in everything and we are here today to do just that, to celebrate Him now because of what He has done for us. READ SLOW

Col 1:15-22 | 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, And in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, 22 but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

Although we were apart, although we were separated, like the exiles of Judea, we, who are Christians have been brought near by Christ and He has made us perfect through His sacrifice. Now in Him we are holy and blameless and beyond reproach.

MAINPOINT

The main point of the message today encapsulates what we just read and what we will see in Zechariah 6. Our main point is taken from Romans 11:36 which says “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” For the Christian recognizes that everything is given to us through Christ because everything has been given over to Him. He is the one that will be glorified forever and as such Christ is to be our life, not a part of our life, not something that we do on Sunday’s but the driving force behind every decision, every action, everything said and and all that we do.

ROADMAP

Today we will be in the book of Zechariah in chapter 6 and we are going to see just how central Christ is as He is presented as the Branch, the King, the Priest. The One who draws exiles near for the building up of His temple for His glory. We are going to learn just who this Branch is and what He possesses and what He will do. We will see our part as Christians in His building up His physical presence as the Sanctuary of God and learn just how we are to accomplish these. Ultimately, the main goal that I have for this message and I believe that all of Scripture has is to absolutely elevate Christ in our understanding and create within us such joyful devotion to Him for all that He has done for us ultimately all for His glory alone. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Abba, Your glorious Son is who we desire to know. Not just know about, not just to study but to experience and enjoy. To revel in His great goodness and graciousness. To delight in Your intricate and detailed plan that even considered us who were apart as outsiders as those who would be drawn near to You. Oh Abba, we love Your Son. Please remake us in His image. Please help us to submit to His reign over us in our lives. Please help us to believe His Words, to absorb them and make much of them day by day. We ask this not for our glory but for His. To Him be the glory forever and ever amen.

CONTEXT:

Historical Context: Please turn if you would to Zechariah chapter six and while you are turning there I will give us the context which I will be taking from the book of Ezra. In Ezra 3 we learn that upon the return of the exiles to Judea in 537BC the levitical priests gathered with Joshua the High Priest and rebuilt the altar on the Temple mount. Interestingly, chapter 3 says that these people were terrified of the enemies that were around them (Ezra 3.1-3). They surely must have been, because there was a period of about 17 years that passed where the people did not work to rebuild the Temple. They became distracted rebuilding their homes and forgot that they were supposed to be building the Temple of the Lord.

Motivation: We cannot miss this point - its important to understand that because of their fear of man they became unfaithful. Ezra 4.4 affirms this, that the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, they turned their heart from obedience. Ezra 5.12 told us that the exiles understood that because of disobedience they had been removed from the land. Two prophets began operating in 520BC, 17 years after the arrival of the exiles; Haggai who we will look at next week and Zechariah whom we studied two weeks ago.

Rebuke and Return: These two prophets arose in Ezra 5-6. Zechariah 1 and Haggai 1 indicate these prophets rebuked the people for their unfaithfulness and the people turned, they repented and began the rebuilding of the Temple that the Lord had commanded. Ezra 6.13-15 indicated that the prophets worked to encourage the people to rebuild the Temple.

The Reminder about Joshua: Two week ago, if you will remember in Zechariah 3, we looked at Joshua the High Priest who was standing accused by satan before the Lord in filthy garments, in that narrative he was cleansed by God and crowned with a crown as a wondrous sign. We read about how the Servant of the Yahweh, the Branch, would come and remove the iniquity of the land. He would be a new kind of leader, One who both represents as Priest and rules as King. Today we are going to be hearing more about this Branch and who He is, what He will be like and what He will do not only through the Jews but also as we will learn through us, those previously apart from the people of God.

SERMON

I. Crowns Offered By Exiles (v9-11)

Big Picture: The text that we will be in is Zechariah chapter 6, verses 9-15. I have divided the text into three points. Our first point is verses 9-11 and I have titled the point “Crowns Offered.” In verses 9-11 we will see a couple of the returned exiles and meet up in Josiah’s home to present the High Priest Joshua, with crowns which God has both commanded and supplied - proving God is the divine source of all good things.

Text: Let’s read the text starting in verse 9. Zechariah 6:9–11“And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you come the same day and come into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. “And take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.”

Replay and Related to Context: In this passage we see Joshua crowned again, literally, in the Hebrew with “crowns” plural; as I read it more than one crown. Zechariah has taken both Gold and Silver to do this. Crowns in the Old Testament are symbolic of rulership, royalty, glory and honor. What is amazing is considering the context… Right now, this is not a free state, they are under the domination of foreign rulers and have been for the last century. This is astonishing in and encouraging, this sign points to a point in time in the future when they will be under the rulership of the Messiah. These beautiful crowns are a symbol of the glory and honor to be given to the coming Messiah as we will soon see; but just briefly, we should understand that although they offered the crowns, this was commanded and supplied by God.

Future Expectation: And we see that principle laid out in Revelation 4.10-11 where 24 elders seated before the throne of Christ cast their crowns before Him. Crowns are symbolic of honor and glory and in the future those before the throne will give Christ all glory. Romans 11:36“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Crowns To Be Received: Crowns are a fascinating subject to dive into, because the Christian can expect to receive them… and I will briefly mention three crowns that are referred to in Scripture. For those who are earnestly anticipating, or rather love, the return of Christ 2 Timothy 4:8 says that there is a crown of righteousness. James 1.12 says that for those who love Christ and persevere under trial they can expect a crown of life. Lastly, 1 Peter 5:4 says that for those who are elders in Christ’s church and under-shepherds we can expect a crown of glory. These crowns are an encouragement to grow in our love for Christ, they are expected rewards that we will return to Christ because we will recognize that they are from Him. These crowns are promised and we know the character of the Promise Maker is good. PAUSE

Transition: Let’s go to our next point.

II. King and Priest (v12-13)

Brief overview of point II: Verse 12-13 are our second point and it is all about this mysterious Messianic figure known as the Branch. When He comes He is going to be very obvious. He will do what no one else can do. He will build the Temple - which incidentally the folks from the exile still have not yet completed - and He will rule and represent as both King and Priest. So that is the title of our second point, King and Priest. Let’s read the text.

Text: 12 “Then you will say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, and He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of Yahweh. 13 “Indeed, it is He who will build the temple of Yahweh, and He who will bear the splendor 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.”’

Replay the text: The Sovereign God of all the universe promises what was alluded to in Zechariah 3:8. This coming One, this Branch will be a man, He will be both Priest and King - something previously unseen within the family of Israel - there are no Levitical King Priests ever recorded in Scripture. The Branch will be different… this Branch will have dominion over everything, He will build the Temple, and then that promise is repeated to ensure no one misses the point - the Branch will build the Temple. Furthermore, the text says that there will be harmony between these dual roles of Priest and King. Representation and Rulership will be joined together in this mysterious Branch.

The Branch Explained: The Branch character in Zechariah clearly points to Christ, but let’s develop who the Branch is just from Isaiah, there are other texts but Isaiah’s are unique compared to Zechariah. The Branch in Isaiah 4.2-6 is One who is beautiful, glorious, fruitful, and He washes away filth - Just what we saw alluded to in Zechariah 3. In Isaiah 11:1-4 we learn that the Branch will sprout from the Stump of Jesse - He will be a descendent of King David. This Branch will possess the 7 Spirits of God, The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of Yahweh. He will judge righteously and put the wicked to death and something not even David consistently did! On the other hand, Isaiah 53 tells us that this tender Shoot, will be a man of sorrows, despised and He will carry our griefs and sorrows - He would be pierced for our transgressions so that we might be healed. This Branch is astonishing! There is no one else like this in History. Only Christ could be the Branch.

The Role of King-Priest: This revelation must have caused some confusion to the exiles hearing this message. The roles of King and Priest are quite distinct. The Priest represents the people before God and the King has the role of shepherd over God’s people. These roles in Israel’s history had never been united previously, but that being said, consider this, approximately two millennia previously another Priest King existed and is mentioned in Genesis 14, Melchizedek, who was without father and mother, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but like the Son of God. There is precedent for this unique role of King Priest and Christ is the fulfillment of the type! This dual role of King and Priest is a picture of Christ who is to come. This Christ will represent His people before God and rule over them. Ok, we looked at the Old Testament, we have looked at Zechariah, I have summarized Isaiah’s contributions and alluded to Melchizedek in Genesis - let’s look at the fulfillment in Christ in Hebrews 10.

What Christ Has Done: Turn with me to Hebrews 10:11–14 “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” PAUSE This King Priest, who is Christ, has made His saints perfect before God and has sat down at the right hand of God waiting until God places all of His enemies under His feet. Zechariah has told us this King Priest, this Branch, He will build the Temple of Yahweh, He will bear the splendor, He will sit as King and rule, He will represent as Priest and there will be harmony in these dual roles.

III. Come Build (v14-15)

Transition to final text: Let’s get back to Zechariah as we close out the chapter. We are going to see our part as Christians even 2500 years ago hinted at as the Prophet speaks of those who are far off coming to participate in building the Temple and friends I believe that this is speaking about us

14 “Now the crown will become a memorial in the temple of Yahweh to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 “And those who are far off will come and build the temple of Yahweh.” Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. And it will happen if you utterly listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.

Focusing on the Jew Gentile Temple Connection: I want to zero in on verse 15, the text says that those who are far off will come. The phrase “those who are far off” can indicate more than just returning Jewish exiles - it can also include Gentiles who are apart, separated, not of the people of God by heritage. Both Jew and Gentile will come together to do something interesting. THEY will come and build the Temple of Yahweh. Isn’t that fascinating? If we look back at the second point we will see that Zechariah 6:12–13 stated, no, repeated that the Branch would build the Temple but apparently these who return from the exile are going to take part… How can that be? Did that ever happen? Did that happen after the Exiles returned, did Gentiles come to build the Temple? We need to recognize that a fundamental change needs to take place in our understanding. The role of the Physical embodiment of the Presence of Yahweh will no longer be confined to a building but will instead be in people. This is a change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.

Transition from Old to New Covenant Reality: This change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant from Physical to Spiritual was mentioned by Christ to the Samaritan woman by the well in John 4:21 “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” Physical location, physical building is not the reality, it is the spiritual reality that ultimately matters and He affirmed that just three verses later when He said John 4:24““God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”” Christian you are the Temple of Yahweh!

Draw Out To the Body of Christ as the Temple: The Temple functions as the physical representation of the presence of Yahweh. When Christ came in the flesh and left His Spirit to indwell believers we who are Christians, both Jewish and Gentile members of the Church became, as it were, the Temple of the Lord.1 Corinthians 3:16“Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” A few chapters later in 1 Corinthians 6:19“Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Indwelt by the Spirit of Christ He is using Christians to build up the Sanctuary of God - His very presence here on earth. That is a stunning responsibility! Let’s turn to Ephesians for a bit. Ephesians 2:19–22“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Transition to Developing the Importance of the Church: Christian, you are the building, you are the Temple of Yahweh. Will you build the Temple of the Lord with wood, hay or stubble (1 Cor 3:12) those won’t last, will you build with gold, silver and precious stones, will you build a Temple that will satisfy yourself or Yahweh? Will you build in your own strength? That will never do! We must be empowered by Christ’s Spirit, we must believe what Christ’s Spirit has taught us in His Word. We must grow in and mature in Christ’s Church, we must exercise our Spiritual Gifts given by God and that ultimately takes place when we listen to the Lord… Please turn to John 15 and as you are turning there I will mention that Zechariah 6 closes out with Zechariah 6:15c it will happen if you utterly listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.

APPLICATION:

That text is our linchpin to the application portion of the message, these things will happen when we listen to the Lord. How do we listen to the Lord. Do we head out into the woods to wait for an audible voice? Do we look for signs in the sky? No, we have the Word of God that teaches us how to do what He has called us to do. We need to listen and keep on listening to God’s Word and furthermore we need to listen with the intent to obey. I had you turn to John 15 because it is here that the Branch motif becomes personally relevant to us. Unless we are in the Branch, listening to Him, abiding in Him we are not going to build up the body, we are not going to be fruitful, we are not going to further His kingdom. Abiding in Christ is critical, the most essential part of your spiritual life and Christ affirms that in John 15:4-8 which says: John 15:4–8““Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

Three things of note: First, Abiding in Christ is intentionally believing what He says in His Word, this will always force action on our part, that’s called fruit. Secondly, if Christ’s word is in us we are to ask for and desire God’s will, whose will? God’s will to be done in our life no matter what, Thirdly, to maximize God’s glory we must bear fruit, which is what proves we are actually in Christ. These things will take place when we utterly listen to the voice of Yahweh our God

Two final things to mention, an observation and a warning as a segue to our conclusion.

OBSERVATION

First the observation, boasting in our own merit, deeds or accomplishments is about giving ourselves glory and divorces us from the Branch - but if we are seeking after the glory of God we will not be proud and arrogant, we will not be building up the Temple of the Lord in our own strength with burnable, perishable items… John 7:18““He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” So let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly so that you might seek after His glory alone.

WARNING

Lastly, a warning speaking of the Messiah and His kingdom is not popular and costs… Jesus states in Matthew 23:35 that Zechariah lost his life, he was murdered between the sanctuary he was provoking the Jews to build and the altar where they offered sacrifices. Following the Crucified Christ has a cost but it is so small compared to the glory waiting ahead.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I would have you turn to Romans 11 as I summarize what we have learned today. In our text today we learned that God had returned the exiles from Babylon to the promised land to rebuild the Temple. A period of about 17 years passed and the temple was not rebuilt but then Zechariah and a few others participated in this wonderful sign. These new exiles had come offering crowns which were placed on the head of Joshua the High Priest as a picture of the crowns to be offered to Christ in eternity, returning glory to Him. We looked at three types of crowns and how they were earned, through eagerly waiting for and anticipating the return of Christ, loving Him and persevering under trial as well as faithfully serving Him in this life. We looked at the Branch who would build up His temple as both King and Priest. We learned about the Branch who He would be and what He would do and then we recognized our part hinted at in the text in that those who are far off would be brought near to participate in the building of the Temple - that was not just exiles but also Gentiles. We saw in the New Testament how the Physical representation of the Temple would be replaced by those worshipping in Spirit and in truth and understood what our role is as the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. And then we closed out our text by hearing the promise made by God, that these things would happen if we utterly listen to the word of Yahweh. Christ, fleshed out this understanding in John 15 as we were taught how to abide in Him. First we must believe what He says, Secondly, we must ask for and desire God’s will, Thirdly, we must bear fruit to glorify God.

I had you turn to Romans 11 because it chapter filled with hope for the Jews. It speaks not only of the Gentiles being grafted into the family of God but it also speaks of the time when the Jew will fully enjoy communion with the Lord. Because of God’s grace we as Christians are experience that now but there is coming a day when all the people of God will enjoy Him together because of what the Branch has done… In the end of Romans we hear the Apostle burst into praise for what God has done. He says in Romans 11:33–36“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE REPAID TO HIM? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

It is all about Jesus, let’s stand and I will close in prayer

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v13 Bear the splendor Colossians 2:8–15 | 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily, 10 and in Him you have been filled, who is the head over all rule and authority; 11 in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions. 14 Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, He also has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.

Behold the Branch who will build His temple Matthew 16:18““And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Context Ezra 3:2“Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.”

John 2:13–22 | 13 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.” 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

John 15:5““I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Hebrews 3:1–3“Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession—Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.”

Hebrews 4:14–16“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Proverbs 31:26–31“She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the instruction of lovingkindness is on her tongue. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; As for her husband, he also praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done excellently, But you have gone above them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. Give to her from the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.”

Revelation 20:4–6“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who also had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

MAINPOINT

John 15:4““Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

9 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you come the same day and come into the house of Josiah (YAHWEH HEALS) the son of Zephaniah (YAHWEH HAS HIDDEN), where they have come from Babylon. 11 “And take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua (YAHWEH SAVES) the son of Jehozadak (YAHWEH IS RIGHTEOUS), the high priest.

Paraphrase

v9 Yahweh’s divine revelation came to me - the prophet Zechariah - this is what was said. v10 Take from the exiles, from Heldai, from Tobijah and from Jedaiah and come immediately into the home of Josiah (whose name means “Yahweh Heals”), he is the son of Zephaniah (whose name means “Yahweh Has Hidden”), these men are there having come out of exile from Babylon. v11 Take silver and gold, make crowns, and place on the head of Joshua (whose name means “Yahweh Saves”) who is the son of Jehozadak (whose name means “Yahweh is Righteous”), Joshua is the high priest.

Notes

LXX has “the things of captivity” - interesting as this seems to restructure the sentence to not refer to the exiles but of the exile. The names of the men are not mentioned (ex Josias)

Questions

v10

Who is Josiah? Perhaps a Levitical priest - name might suggest a naming after Josiah King of Judah. Name means “Yahweh heals”

v11

Who is Ιησου? Jesus? A picture? Joshua - name means “Yahweh Saves”

Why is crown singular when in the text it is plural - i am going to make a statement that this should be plural

Cross References

Zechariah 3:1“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.”

Ezra 7:15“and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,”

Revelation 4:10“the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,”

GOOD TRANSITION TEXT TO NEXT SECTION (V12-13) Haggai 2:7–9“‘And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares Yahweh of hosts. ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.””

Observations:

Seems to be a picture of Revelation 4:10–11“the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”” 2 Timothy 4:8“In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” James 1:12“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” 1 Peter 5:4“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you (FAITHFUL ELDERS) will receive the unfading crown of glory.” Revelation 2:10“‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Warning

Application

The text that we will be in is Zechariah chapter 6, verses 9-15. I have divided the text into three points. Our first point is verses 9-11 and I have titled the point “Crowns Offered.” In verses 9-11 we will see 3 exiles return and meet up in Josiah’s home to present the High Priest, whom we saw in chapter 3, with crowns which God has both commanded and supplied - proving God is the divine source of all good things.

Let’s read the text starting in verse 9. Zechariah 6:9–11“And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you come the same day and come into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. “And take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.”

In this passage we see Joshua crowned again, literally, in the Hebrew with “crowns” plural; as I read it more than one crown. Zechariah has taken both Gold and Silver to do this. Crowns in the Old Testament are symbolic of rulership, royalty, glory and honor. What is amazing is considering the context… Right now, this is not a free state, they are under the domination of foreign rulers. This is astonishing, this sign points to a point in time in the future when they will be under the rulership of the Messiah. These beautiful crowns are a symbol of the glory and honor to be given to the coming Messiah as we will soon see but just briefly, we should understand that although they offered the crowns, this was commanded and supplied by God.

And we see that principle laid out in Revelation 4.10-11 where 24 elders seated before the throne of Christ cast their crowns before Him. Crowns are symbolic of honor and glory and in the future those before the throne will give Christ all glory.

Crowns are a fascinating subject to dive into, and I will briefly mention three crowns that are mentioned in Scripture. For those who are earnestly anticipating, rather love, the return of Christ 2 Timothy 4:8 says that there is a crown of righteousness. James 1.12 says that for those who love Christ and persevere under trial they can expect a crown of life. Lastly, 1 Peter 5:4 says that for those who are elders in Christ’s church and under-shepherds we can expect a crown of glory. Are these not an encouragement to grow in our love for Christ, to love His church and persevere under hardship? These crowns are promised and we know the character of the Promise Maker is good. Let us commit ourselves to honoring Him. These crowns may be given to us but they will not stay with us. In eternity we will have a greater understanding of just how gracious God is, that these are from Him, through Christ’s Spirit and to Christ. God alone will receive the glory.

Brief overview of point II: Let’s get back into Zechariah 6. Verse 12-13 are our second point and it is all about this mysterious Messianic figure known as the Branch. When He comes He is going to be very obvious. He will do what no one else can do. He will build the Temple - which incidentally the folks from the exile still have not yet completed - and He will be glorious and be both King and Priest. So that is the title of our second point, King and Priest. Let’s read the text.

Replay the text: The Sovereign God of all the universe promises what was alluded to in Zechariah 3:8. This coming One, this Branch will be both Priest and King - something previously unseen within the family of Israel. The Branch will have dominion over all, He will build the Temple, and then repeats it to ensure no one misses the point - the Branch will build the Temple. Furthermore the text says that there will be harmony between these dual roles of Priest and King. Religion and Rulership will be joined in the Branch.

The Branch Explained: The Branch character clearly points to Christ but when we look at the broader Old Testament understanding of the Branch we get a better understanding. The Branch in Isaiah 4.2-6 is One who is beautiful, glorious, fruitful, and He washes away filth - Just what we saw alluded to in Zechariah 3. Isaiah 11:1-4 tells us that the Branch is a descendent of David - which is fascinating because the priesthood belongs to the Levites and yet this coming King will have a role as Priest as we just read. This Branch will possess the 7 Spirits of God, The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of Yahweh. He will judge righteously and put the wicked to death. Jeremiah also makes a contribution to our understanding as well… He says in Jeremiah 23:5-8 that He will be a Savior, a Protector and will be One who gathers those who are scattered. Jeremiah 33:14-16 tells us that He will save Judah and Jerusalem. The Branch is amazing.

Christ Connection: The King Priest will rule and build and He will be glorious. But that connection must have caused some confusion to the exiles hearing this message. The roles of Priest and King are quite distinct. The Priest represents the people before God and the King has the role of shepherd over God’s people. These roles in Israel’s history had not previously been united but that being said consider this, approximately 2500 years previously another Priest King existed, Melchizedek, to whom Abraham gave tithes and received blessings - you can read about that in Genesis 14. This dual role is a picture a type of Christ who is to come. This Christ will represent His people before God and rule over them.

Let’s look closer, turn with me to Hebrews 10:11–14 “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” This King Priest who is Christ has made His saints perfect before God and has sat down at the right hand of God waiting until God places all of His enemies under His feet. He has offered up an acceptable sacrifice to one for all the Just for the unjust forgiving those who are His. This is One worth waiting for!

Furthermore, our text in Zechariah 6 tells us that He will build the Temple of Yahweh and repeats it so we cannot miss it. I want to make a connection from Christ to us. In John 2, Jesus after cleansing the Temple of corruption, is confronted by the Jews and in verse 19-21 Jesus says that the Sanctuary is His body which they will destroy but He will raise it up. Have we heard of Christ’s body before? Yes, the Church of Christ is His body, we are the sanctuary of Christ’s Holy Spirit! Let’s turn to Ephesians to look at two passages.

v12 Transition to the Temple as the Body Ephesians 2:19–22“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

We are the Temple of Yahweh, and He has chosen to build this a certain way. v12 How is God building His temple? Ephesians 4:11–16 | 11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Christian, are we here to be passively hearing God’s Word? Oh far from it, God is using all the saints to build up the Body of Christ. May I ask, when was the last time your spiritual gifts were employed? Are you using what God has entrusted to you. Is there abundant and increasing fruitfulness from God through you to your neighbors, to your family, to your friends, to your brothers and sisters in Christ?

May I suggest we turn to John 15. If we cannot say that is the case we may need a change in perspective. This is not something we muscle out - what a relief - but it is something we submit to. Building up the Body does not come through strength but through dependence and abiding in Christ. Jesus said in verse 5 something that should penetrate to our core. John 15:5““I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We can do nothing apart from Branch and if we are truly a part of His body and His Temple we will have to stop building our own kingdom, our own temples and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Paraphrase

v12 After these things you will say to Joshua, “Yahweh of Hosts has said thus, “Behold, a man whose name is Shoot, He will spring forth from where He is; this is the One who will build My Holy Habitation). v13 Most assuredly, it is He who will build the Temple of Yahweh, He will carry splendor, He will sit and rule on the Throne given Him. Not only will He rule as king but as a priest, and there will be harmony between the offices of priest and king.

Notes

Need to really develop the Branch. Isaiah 11:1–4“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh. And He will delight in the fear of Yahweh, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor render a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with uprightness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will put the wicked to death.”

Questions

v12

*Need to answer if נזר used or the other word for branch No צֶ֤מַח is used

Is there a reason for Yahweh of hosts being used (military/mighty push?) 54x in Zechariah

Is there any other passage that unites the office of priest and king (Melchizedek)

Cross References

v12 How is God building His temple? Ephesians 4:11–16 | 11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

v13 Priest and King (Spirit of Prophets) Hebrews 10:11–18 | 11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,” He then says, 17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

v13 Confirmation of veracity of Priest King Motif in Scripture Genesis 14:18–19“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. Then he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;”

v13 The Priest has come and is seated on the throne Hebrews 8:1“Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”

Isaiah 4:2–6 “In that day the Branch of Yahweh will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the honor of those of Israel who escape. It will be that he who remains in Zion and is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is written down for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and rinsed away the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then Yahweh will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her convocation a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. And there will be a booth to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and a hiding place from the storm and the rain.”

Isaiah 22:23–24““I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house. “So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.”

Isaiah 53:2“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should desire Him.”

Observations:

Will

He will repeated 5X

You will repeated 1X

Priest Overtly expressed

King indirectly mentioned (throne, rule)

v13

Dual role

Warning

Application

III. Come Build (v14-15)

Draw Out To the Body of Christ as the Temple: The Temple functions as the physical representation of the presence of Yahweh. When Christ came in the flesh and left His Spirit to indwell believers we who are Christians, both Jewish and Gentile members of the Church became, as it were, the Temple of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:16“Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” A few chapters later in 1 Corinthians 6:19“Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Indwelt by the Spirit of Christ He is using Christians to build up the Sanctuary of God - His very presence here on earth. That is a stunning responsibility! Let’s turn to Ephesians for a bit. Ephesians 2:19–22“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Transition to Developing the Importance of the Church: Christian, you are the building, you are the Temple of Yahweh. Will you build the Temple of the Lord with wood, hay or stubble (1 Cor 3:12) a Temple that will satisfy yourself ? Will you do this in your own strength? That will never do! We must be empowered by Christi’s Spirit, we must believe what Christ’s Spirit has taught us in His Word. We must be grow in and mature in Christ’s Church, we must exercise our Spiritual Gifts given by God.

STILL NEED TO TIE BACK TO LAST CLAUSE The Temple will be built when we utterly listen to the voice of Yahweh your God

We are the Temple of Yahweh, and He has chosen to build this a certain way. Ephesians 4:11–16 | 11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, 15 EMPHATIC but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. We are to grow up into Christ, all of us. All of the saints are desperately needed.

The Branch has given the whole body to be fruitful. He intends for all to be empowered through Him for the work of ministry. We do this by abiding in Him. Turn with me John 15. This is the application portion of the message. Some Christians struggle to exercise our Spiritual gifts. Some Christians don’t know what our spiritual gifts are. Can it be that the reason why we are dry, why we are not abundantly fruitful is because we think we have to do something amazing, something spectacular, or showy. Dear Christian brother or sister, it isn’t about us, it is about Christ! He is the One who calls us out of sin and death, like an exile, He is the One who enables us to build up His Temple - it is all about Jesus! Building up the Body does not come through individual personal strength but through dependence upon and abiding in Christ. Jesus said in verse 5 something that should penetrate to our core. John 15:5““I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” If we are fruitless, it is because we are apart, building our own kingdom. If we are not growing up into the body it is because we have separated ourselves. We can do nothing apart from Branch and if we are truly a part of His body and His Temple we will have to stop building our own kingdom, our own temples and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. This is accomplished only by abiding in Him. How do we do that?

APPLICATION:

Three things of note:

First, Abiding in Christ is intentionally believing what He says in His Word, this will always force action on our part, that’s called fruit.

Secondly, if Christ’s word is in us we are to ask for and desire God’s will, whose will? God’s will to be done in our life no matter what,

Thirdly, to maximize God’s glory we must bear fruit, which is what proves we are actually in Christ.

These things will take place when we utterly listen to the voice of Yahweh our God

In John 15 the Branch Himself tells us how. This text is intended to answer the question: How do we glorify God, how to receive whatever we ask, how to prove that we are actually followers of Christ. This text is fundamental to our understanding because we are not going to be able to build the Temple of the Lord in our own strength, no, He has to do it and we need to submit