and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build Yahweh’s temple; even he shall build Yahweh’s temple; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. The crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Yahweh’s temple. Those who are far off shall come and build in Yahweh’s temple; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Yahweh your God’s voice.” ’ ”
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Zechariah 6:12-15 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build Yahweh’s temple; even he shall build Yahweh’s temple; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. The crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Yahweh’s temple. Those who are far off shall come and build in Yahweh’s temple; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Yahweh your God’s voice.” ’ ”
Parallel Translations
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and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build Yahweh’s temple;
even he shall build Yahweh’s temple; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
The crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Yahweh’s temple.
Those who are far off shall come and build in Yahweh’s temple; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Yahweh your God’s voice.” ’ ”
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And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.
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and speak unto him, saying: Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying: Behold, a man whose name is the Shoot, and who shall shoot up out of his place, and build the temple of the LORD;
even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and there shall be a priest before his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And it shall come to pass, if ye will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God —.'
Cross-references (98)
- Psalms 110:4 (v13) Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Jeremiah 33:15 (v12) “In those days and at that time, I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David. He will execute justice and righteousness in…
- Zechariah 3:8 (v12) Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring out…
- Isaiah 4:2 (v12) In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of…
- Isaiah 11:1 (v12) A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
Show all 97 cross-references
- Jeremiah 23:5 (v12) “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will…
- Isaiah 53:2 (v12) For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no…
- Isaiah 60:10 (v15) “Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will serve you: for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
- Isaiah 49:5-6 (v13) Now Yahweh, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, says to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am…
- Hebrews 3:1 (v13) Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,
- 1 Peter 2:4-5 (vv12, 15) coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual…
- Exodus 12:14 (v14) This day shall be a memorial for you. You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh. You shall keep it as a feast throughout your generations by…
- Psalms 21:5 (v13) His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.
- Isaiah 11:10 (v13) It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will…
- Zechariah 3:7 (v15) “Yahweh of Armies says: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall…
- Zechariah 4:6-9 (v12) Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’…
- Psalms 45:3-4 (v13) Strap your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty. In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth,…
- Psalms 85:9-11 (v13) Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace…
- Isaiah 22:24 (v13) They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the…
- Isaiah 56:6-8 (v15) Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him, and to love Yahweh’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the…
- Isaiah 57:19 (v15) I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”
- Isaiah 58:10-14 (v15) and if you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in darkness, and your obscurity will…
- Matthew 26:13 (v14) Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a…
- Mark 14:9 (v14) Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be…
- Acts 2:39 (v15) For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
- Acts 17:31 (v12) because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given…
- Romans 5:1 (v13) Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
- Romans 16:26 (v15)
- 2 Peter 1:5-10 (v15) Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;…
- Revelation 3:21 (v13) He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.
- Genesis 14:18 (v13) Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.
- Exodus 28:12 (v14) You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel. Aaron shall bear…
- Exodus 28:29 (v14) Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a…
- Numbers 16:40 (v14) to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn…
- Numbers 31:54 (v14) Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting for a…
- Joshua 4:7 (v14) then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant. When it crossed over the…
- 1 Samuel 2:30 (v14) “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But…
- Ezra 3:8 (v12) Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the…
- Ezra 3:10 (v12) When the builders laid the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, with the Levites the sons…
- Psalms 72:17-19 (v13) His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed. Praise be…
- Psalms 80:15-17 (v12) the stock which your right hand planted, the branch that you made strong for yourself. It’s burned with fire. It’s cut down. They perish at…
- Isaiah 3:10 (v15) Tell the righteous “Good!” For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
- Isaiah 9:6 (v13) For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,…
- Isaiah 32:1-2 (v12) Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a…
- Isaiah 54:10 (v13) For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not…
- Jeremiah 7:23 (v15) but this thing I commanded them, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Walk in all the way that…
- Jeremiah 23:6 (v13) In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
- Daniel 7:13-14 (v13) “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of…
- Daniel 9:25-27 (v13) “Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince,…
- Micah 5:4 (v13) He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he…
- Micah 5:5 (v12) He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven…
- Zechariah 2:8-11 (v15) For Yahweh of Armies says: ‘For honor he has sent me to the nations which plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his…
- Zechariah 4:8-9 (v15) Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it;…
- Zechariah 4:14 (v13) Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
- Zechariah 6:10 (v14) “Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son…
- Zechariah 6:11 (v13) Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
- Zechariah 6:12 (v15) and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he…
- Zechariah 8:9 (v12) Yahweh of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day…
- Zechariah 13:7 (v12) “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep…
- Matthew 16:18 (v12) I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
- Matthew 26:61 (v12) and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’ ”
- Mark 14:58 (v12) “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”
- Mark 15:29 (v12) Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days,
- Mark 15:39 (v12) When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son…
- Luke 1:78 (v12) because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
- John 1:45 (v12) Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son…
- John 2:19-21 (v12) Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to…
- John 13:31-32 (v13) When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in…
- John 17:1-5 (v13) Jesus said these things, then lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also…
- John 17:20-21 (v15) Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father,…
- Acts 10:4 (v14) He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy…
- Acts 10:36-43 (v13) The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all— you yourselves know what…
- Acts 13:38 (v12) Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,
- 1 Corinthians 3:9 (v12) For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.
- 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (v15) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each…
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (v14) For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. When…
- Ephesians 1:20-23 (v13) which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all…
- Ephesians 2:13-18 (v13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke…
- Ephesians 2:13-22 (v15) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke…
- Ephesians 2:20-22 (v12) being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building,…
- Philippians 2:7-11 (v13) but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself,…
- Colossians 1:2 (v13) to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Colossians 1:18-20 (v13) He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the…
- Hebrews 2:7-9 (v13) You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”…
- Hebrews 3:3-4 (v12) For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is…
- Hebrews 4:14-16 (v13) Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. For we…
- Hebrews 6:20–7:3 (v13) where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For this Melchizedek, king…
- Hebrews 7:4 (v12) Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder.
- Hebrews 7:24 (v12) But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
- Hebrews 7:24-28 (v13) But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near…
- Hebrews 8:3 (v12) For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something…
- Hebrews 10:12-13 (v13) but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from that time waiting until his enemies are…
- 1 Peter 3:22 (v13) who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
- Revelation 5:9-13 (v13) They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your…
- Revelation 19:11-16 (v13) I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes…
- John 19:5 (v12) Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!”
- Hebrews 10:12 (v12) but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God,
97 distinct cross-references across this passage (98 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv12–15 The vision is now explained; for if the chief…
The vision is now explained; for if the chief priest, without this explanation, had been adorned with two crowns, there must have been much talk among the people, “What means this?” God here shows that what he has commanded to be done to Joshua does not belong to him, but has a reference to another, Thou shalt say to him, Behold the Man, Branch is his name. It is the same as though the Prophet had expressly testified that Joshua was not crowned, because he was worthy of such an honor, or because he could look for royal dignity; but that he was to bear this honor for a time, in order that the Jews might understand that one was to arise who would be both a king and a priest. Hence he says, that there would be a man, whose name was to be Branch
As to this name, it has been explained elsewhere. I omit those refinements with which some are delighted; but as I have shown in another place, the simple and true reason why Christ is so called, is, because he was not like a tall tree, with deep and strong roots, but like a small plant. He is indeed called in another place, “a shoot from the root of Jesse.” (Isaiah 11:1.) But the meaning is the same; for that root of Jesse was obscure and of no repute. Besides, this kind of shoot has nothing in it that is illustrious. We hence see that Christ is called Branch, because his beginning was contemptible, so that he was of hardly any repute among heathens; nay even among his own nation. But God intimates at the same time, that this little plant would be set, as it were, by his own hand, and thus would gather strength. Though then the beginning of Christ was humble, yet God declares, that he would give vigor for continued growth, until he should attain to a great height. In this sense it is that Christ is called Branch: and we clearly conclude, that the minds of the people were transferred to Christ who was to come, that they might not fix their attention on Joshua, who was then but a typical priest. Say to Joshua, Behold the man, whose name is Branch. Where is that man? He does not speak of Joshua; he does not say, “Thou art the man;” but he says, Behold the man, whose name is Branch, that is, who comes elsewhere. We then hence learn, that these crowns were those of Christ, but given to Joshua, that the Jews might see in the type, what was as yet hid under hope.
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He afterwards adds, He shall arise from himself, or grow up from his own place, literally, from under himself. Here also some have too refinedly philosophised, — that Christ arose from himself by his own power, because he is the eternal God. I think, on the contrary, that all human means are only excluded, as though the Prophet had said, that though Christ was like a little plant, he would yet grow up as though he had roots deeply fixed in the earth. There is indeed no doubt, but that Christ grew up by his own celestial power, and this is what the words of the Prophet include; but what he meant was this, — that Christ had nothing in his beginning calculated to draw the admiration of men. Though then Christ was only a shoot, yet God had sufficient power, that he should grow from his own place, that though human means were absent, it would yet be enough, that God should bless this branch, so as to cause it to grow to its proper height.
He then says, And he shall build the temple of Jehovah. This is a remarkable passage: it hence appears that the temple which the Jews had then begun to build, and which was afterwards built by Herod, was not the true temple of which Haggai had prophesied, when he said,
“The glory of the second house shall be greater than that of the first.” (Haggai 2:9.)
For though the temple of Herod was splendid, yet we see what the Spirit declares in this place, — that to build the temple would be Christ’s own work. Hence no one, had he heaped together all the gold and the silver of the world, could have built the true temple of which Haggai prophesied, and of which Ezekiel has so largely spoken near the end of his book. Christ alone then has been chosen by the Father to build this temple. Christ indeed himself was a temple as to his body, for the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him, (Colossians 2:6;) but he built a temple to God the Father, when he raised up everywhere pure worship, having demolished superstitions, and when he consecrated us to be a royal priesthood.
We now then see what was shown to the Prophet, — that though the Jews were then exposed to many evils, to reproaches and wrongs, yet Christ would come to restore all things to a perfect order, that he would be not only a king but also a priest; and further, that his beginning would be obscure and despised by the world, and yet that he would attain without any earthly helps his own elevation; and, lastly, that his own proper office would be to build a temple to God.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Meaning, Christ, of whom Joshua was the figure: for…
Meaning, Christ, of whom Joshua was the figure: for in Greek they were both called Jesus.
Which declareth, that none could build this Temple whereof Haggai speaketh, but only Christ: and therefore it was spiritual, and not material, Hag. 2:10.
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That is, of himself without the help of man.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh…
Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Ver. 12. And spake unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying] That is, confidently and constantly affirm and aver it; that, notwithstanding all unlikelihood and unbelief on the people’s part, Almighty God will surely bring it to pass; this heap of words importeth so much; for "do ye think the Scripture speaketh in vain?" saith St James, not without some holy indignation, Jas 4:5.
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Behold the man whose name is The Branch] The man Christ Jesus, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, Rom 1:3; and as a Branch grew out of his roots, Isa 11:1. {See Trapp on "Zec 3:4"} Joshua, that he might not be exalted above measure with the abundance of this new honour, or think of himself more highly than he ought to think, 2Co 12:7 Rom 12:3, is given to understand that he is crowned for no other cause than this, that the Jews might understand that there should One arise that should be both a king and a priest also for ever, after the order of Melchisedec; and his name should be the Branch, not only because when he was a child he grew in age and in wisdom, and in grace with God and men (which is Vatablus’ reason), but because he is the root, fountain, and foundation of all the faithful, who do grow up and increase in him, with the increase of God: hence it followeth,
He shall grow up out of his place, and shall build the temple of God] That is, the Church, which at all times hath been gathered together by Christ, through the preaching of the gospel.
And he shall grow up out of his place] Or he (the Branch) shall branch up de sub se, from under himself; he shall be born of himself, as it were, of poor parentage; for this Branch grew out of the root of Jesse, when that goodly family was sunk so low, as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter. He that writeth the life of King Edward VI saith of his tutors, Dr Cox and Mr John Cheek, that they were men of mean birth; but so well esteemed for virtue and learning, that they might well be said to be born of themselves (Sir John Heywood).
And he shall build the temple of the Lord] i.e. The spiritual temple, that temple, the Church, the glory whereof was far greater than the glory of the former, Hag 2:9. {See Trapp on "Hag 2:9"} And this he should do in the quality of a king, and with royal magnificence. "Ye also, as lively stones, elect and precious, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood," &c., 1Pe 2:5.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Speak unto him; Joshua, but in hearing of others,…
Speak unto him; Joshua, but in hearing of others, and in the name of the Lord.
Behold; consider thoroughly the import and meaning of this unusual ceremony.
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The man; thou, Joshua, art the type or figure, but he that is the man signified by thee, is that great person God hath promised, and you do expect, and who shall come.
Whose name is the Branch; whom you know by the name of the Branch, who was called so long since, Messiah Ben David; this wonderful person is the man that is crowned, as King and Priest, by proxy, or in effigy: thou, O Joshua, art the portrait; he is the Branch itself, Zec 3:8.
He shall grow up; though you may perhaps suspect the root dry or dead, yet assuredly it is not, the Branch will spring up, Messiah, King and Priest, shall be born in due time.
Out of his place; of the same tribe and family, and in the same place, foretold.
He shall build the temple; he it is, though unseen, that stands by you, that builds the material temple: neither Zerubbabel nor Joshua, nor all the Jews, could do any thing without Christ in the present building, which is yet far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, beautify, and preserve, and dwell in for ever.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv12–14 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord,....…
Even he shall build the temple of the Lord,.... Which is repeated, as Kimchi observes, for confirmation sake:
and he shall bear the glory; that is, of building the temple; and the phrase denotes that the glory of it shall be upon him, shall be hung upon him, as in Isa 22:24 and so shall be visible; that it would be weighty and heavy, he having many crowns on his head, put there by all the saints, who everyone of them ascribe glory to him; that it would continue, and not pass away like the glory of this world; and that he, and he alone, should bear it; not Joshua, nor Zerubbabel, nor the ministers of the word, nor members of churches, nor any other, but himself; he, and he alone, shall be exalted:
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and shall sit and rule upon his throne; in heaven, having done his work on earth, where he is at ease and rest, and exercises power and authority; he rules over the whole world, and the kings of it in general, and in particular over his saints, by his Spirit, word, and ordinates, feeding, protecting, and defending them:
and he shall be a Prince upon his throne; he is both Priest and King, and exercises both offices at one and the same time, and even now in heaven; having offered himself as a sacrifice on earth, by which he has put away sin for ever, and perfected his people; he is set down upon his throne, as a King crowned with glory and honour; and ever lives as a Priest the throne, to make intercession for them; by appearing in the presence of God for them; by presenting his blood, sacrifice, and righteousness, to his divine Father; by offering up the prayers and praises of his people; by declaring it as his will that such and such blessings be bestowed upon them; and by applying the benefits of his death unto them:
and the counsel of peace shall be between them both; not between Joshua and Zerubbabel, who should agree together, as they did, in the administration of government belonging to their distinct offices; rather between the priestly and kingly offices of Christ; nor the council of peace between the Father and the Son, concerning the salvation of the elect; for that was past in eternity; but better the Gospel of peace, called the whole counsel of God, which, in consequence of Christ being a Priest on his throne, was preached to both Jews and Gentiles; which brought the glad tidings of peace and salvation by Christ to both, and was the means of making peace between them both.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv12, 14, 15 Unto him - Joshua, but in the hearing of…
Unto him - Joshua, but in the hearing of others. Whose name is the Branch - Whom you know by the name of the Branch, who was called so long since. Thou, O Joshua art the portrait, he is the Branch itself. Out of his place - Of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold. He shall build - He it is, though unseen, that stands by you, who build the material temple, far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, preserve, and dwell in forever. 13. The glory - Of both kingly and priestly office; the glory of both those crowns shall abide on him. Shall sit - Which speaks both his royal magnificence, and the perpetuity of it. A priest - The great high-priest, to offer the great sacrifice to God, to make reconciliation, to intercede for his people. The counsel of peace - The peace made for God's people shall rest upon these two, the kingly and priestly office of Christ; by his priestly office he shall make their peace with God, by his kingly office he shall deliver them from their spiritual enemies.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Verse 12. Behold the man whose name is The…
Verse 12. Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH!] I cannot think that Zerubbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in Zec 3:8. Joshua and his companions are called אנשי מופת anshey mopheth, figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the BRANCH, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he was the type or figure. The Chaldee has, "whose name is my MESSIAH," or CHRIST.
And he shall grow up out of his place] That is, out of David's root, tribe, and family.
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And he shall build the temple of the Lord.] This cannot refer to the building of the temple then in hand, for Zerubbabel was its builder: but to that temple, the Christian Church, that was typified by it; for Zerubbabel is not named here, and only Joshua or Jesus (the name is the same) is the person who is to be crowned and to build this spiritual temple.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv12–14 Zec 6:12. And speak unto him, saying — Bishop…
Zec 6:12. And speak unto him, saying — Bishop Chandler justly observes, that the prophet’s speech is directed to Joshua only; the two crowns are put only on the head of Joshua; to him only it is said, Behold the man whose name is The Branch — As much as to say, “Behold the sign of the BRANCH, the person whom I promised to David in Solomon, and by the prophets after David to the Jews, by the name of the BRANCH.” “There cannot be a doubt,” says Blayney, “that the same person is meant by the BRANCH here, who is so called chap. Zec 3:8, and this has been already shown to be, not Zerubbabel, but the Messiah himself; of whom Joshua is made the type, or representative, by the crown placed on his head. For to what end should he have been called in to represent Zerubbabel, who was his cotemporary, and altogether as ready at hand as himself. Nor will the passage, strictly and literally translated, answer to any other but him who was at once both king and priest, and, by uniting both characters in himself, was completely qualified to bring about the counsel of peace, or reconciliation between God and man.” It must be observed, however, that the human nature of our Lord is here chiefly intended by the expression, The man, the BRANCH. For, considered in his divine nature, he is not the branch out of the stem of Jesse, or David, but their root, as he is termed Isa 11:10; Rev 5:5; Rev 22:16. In this his human nature, he was small in his beginning, even as to his kingdom as well as his person; and mean in his appearance, as a mere bud or sprout, but gradually flourishing and becoming great and fruitful. As a branch, he was to be cut off, but would produce sprouts, branches, and trees of righteousness innumerable. He shall grow up out of his place — Out of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold; as if he had said, Though you may suspect the root to be dry and dead, yet assuredly it is not: the branch will spring up, the Messiah, who shall be both priest and king, will make his appearance in due time. The Hebrew, מתחתיו יצמח, is literally, He shall spring up, or flourish, from under himself; by his own power, or by the power of his own Spirit, he shall be both stock and stem to himself. The words seem evidently to express his miraculous conception. He shall build the temple of the Lord — As the preceding clause speaks of his person, his conception, and birth, so this describes his work; as if he had said, He it is that stands by you, though unseen, and enables you to build this material temple; which neither Zerubbabel, nor Joshua, nor all the Jews uniting with them, would be able to complete without him. This, however, is a temple far inferior to that spiritual building, the gospel church, which the Messiah will in due time raise, beautify, preserve, and honour; the spiritual house, in which he will dwell, 1Pe 2:4; the temple built on the foundations laid in Zion, where he will manifest his grace and glory, and be worshipped in Spirit and in truth, 1Co 3:9-16; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:19-22.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv12–15 The prophet is taught to explain his own symbolic…
The prophet is taught to explain his own symbolic act. “Behold the Man whose name is the Branch” . “Not for himself, but for Christ, whose name Joshua bare, and whose Priesthood and Princedom he represented,” was the crown given him. The prophet had already foretold the Messiah, under the name of the Branch. Here he adds,
And he shall grow up out of His place - Lowly and of no seeming account, as God foretold by Jeremiah, “I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David” Jer 33:15; and Jesus Himself said, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” Joh 12:24. Alone He grew up before God, as a tender plant Isa 53:2, unknown of man, known to God. It is that still, Divine Life at Nazareth, of which we see only that one bright flash in the temple, the deep saying, not understood even by Joseph and Mary, and then, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them” (see Luk 2:49-51).
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And he shall build the temple of the Lord - The material temple was soon to be finished, and that by Zerubbabel, to whom this had been promised, Zec 4:10, not by Joshua. It was then a new temple, to be built from the foundation, of which He Himself was to be “the foundation” Isa 28:16; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20-21, as He said, “On this rock I will build My Church” Mat 16:18; and in Him “all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple to the Lord” Eph 2:21. Osorius: “He it is, who built the house; for neither Solomon nor Zerubbabel nor Joshua son of Josedech could build a house worthy of the majesty of God. For “the Most High” Act 7:48-49, Stephen says, “dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet; Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool; what house will ye build Me, saith the Lord?” For if they could have built a house for God, He would not have allowed His house to be burned and overthrown. What then is the house of God which Christ built? The Church, founded on faith in Him, dedicated by His Blood, stablished by the stayedness of divine virtue, adorned with divine and eternal riches, wherein the Lord ever dwelleth.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Orient. Protestants, "the branch, and he shall grow up…
Orient. Protestants, "the branch, and he shall grow up out of his place." (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "under or from himself." This alludes to the miraculous birth of Christ, (Isaias xi. 1.) whom the prophet had principally in view; though his hearers might naturally understand (Calmet) Zorobabel, who was to preserve the royal family and build the temple. (Theodoret; St. Jerome) --- Yet he was only a shadow of the Messias, chap. iii. 8. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Behold, the man--namely, shall arise. Pilate unconsciously spake God's…
Behold, the man--namely, shall arise. Pilate unconsciously spake God's will concerning Him, "Behold the man" (Joh 19:5). The sense here is, "Behold in Joshua a remarkable shadowing forth of Messiah." It is not for his own sake that the crown is placed on him, but as type of Messiah about to be at once king and priest. Joshua could not personally be crowned king, not being of the royal line of David, but only in his representative character.
Branch--(See on Zac 3:8; Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5; Jer 33:15).
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he shall grow up out of his place--retaining the image of a "Branch"; "He shall sprout up from His place," that is, the place peculiar to Him: not merely from Beth-lehem or Nazareth, but by His own power, without man's aid, in His miraculous conception [HENDERSON]; a sense brought out in the original, "from under Himself," or "from (of) Himself" [CALVIN]. MOORE makes it refer to His growing lowly in His place of obscurity, "as a tender plant and a root out of a dry ground" (Isa 53:2), for thirty years unknown except as the son of a carpenter. MAURER translates, "Under Him there shall be growth (in the Church)." English Version accords better with the Hebrew (compare Exo 10:23). The idea in a Branch is that Christ's glory is growing, not yet fully manifested as a full-grown tree. Therefore men reject Him now.
build the temple--The promise of the future true building of the spiritual temple by Messiah (Mat 16:18; Co1 3:17; Co2 6:16; Eph 2:20-22; Heb 3:3) is an earnest to assure the Jews, that the material temple will be built by Joshua and Zerubbabel, in spite of all seeming obstacles. It also raises their thoughts beyond the material to the spiritual temple, and also to the future glorious temple, to be reared in Israel under Messiah's superintendence (Eze. 40:1-43:27). The repetition of the same clause (Zac 6:13) gives emphasis to the statement as to Messiah's work.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv12–15 12. the Branch] See chap. Zec_3:8 and note.
12. the Branch] See chap. Zec_3:8 and note.
out of his place] Lit. from under him. Comp. for the expression Exo_10:23; and for the meaning Isa_11:1; Isa_53:2. Other less satisfactory renderings are, it shall grow up under Him, i.e. all things fair and good shall spring up and flourish under Him. Cf. Pers. Sat. 2, 38: “quidquid calcaverit hic, rosa fiat” (Maurer); or, “He shall sprout forth from under Himself, i.e. send forth shoots as from a parent stem.” (Speaker’s Comment.)
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv12–15 (12) The man.—Better, a man, as in Isa_32:2.
(12) The man.—Better, a man, as in Isa_32:2.
Branch.—See Note on Zec_3:8.
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Shall build.—This verb is often used in a figurative sense: e.g., of a family (Gen_16:2). Since Zerubbabel is not even mentioned in this passage, Zechariah’s hearers could not possibly have thought that this symbolical action was merely a repetition of the promise of Zec_4:9, but must have perceived that the building of the Temple here spoken of referred to something of a higher nature than the material building then in progress.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Speak unto him, saying. The prophet is to explain…
Speak unto him, saying. The prophet is to explain to Joshua the meaning of this public act. Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH; literally, behold the man, BRANCH is his name. (see note on Zec_3:8) The Targum has, "Behold the Man, Messiah is his name." It is plain that the term "Branch" or "Shoot" (LXX, Anatolh : Vulgate, Oriens) could not be addressed to Joshua; indeed, the very form of the sentence, "his name," not "thy name," shows this. All who saw the transaction and heard the words must have understood that they had reference to the "Shoot" of David, the Messiah that was to come, to whom was committed the regal and priestly dignity. And he shall grow up out of his place; Septuagint, Kai upokatwyen autou anatelei , "And item beneath him he shall spring up;" Vulgate, Et subter eum orietur; Drake, "He shall sprout forth from under himself;" Revised Version margin, "And it (or they) shall bud forth under him;" Hitzig, Ewald, "From under him there shall be sprouting." But them is no need to alter the rendering of the Authorized Version, which indicates that the shoot shall grow from its own soil, that Messiah shall arise in his own country and nation, and shall spring from a lowly origin to the highest glory. (see Isa_11:1 Isa_53:2) He shall build the temple of the Lord. He should build, not the material temple whose foundations Zerubbabel had laid, but the spiritual temple of which the tabernacle and the temple of Jerusalem were only the type and shadow that new sanctuary which Ezekiel beheld. (Eze 41) a house not made with hands, the Church of the living God. (Eph_2:20, etc.; 1Pe_2:5)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v13 He shall build the temple of the Lord, and…
Zec_6:13
He shall build the temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the glory
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Christ glorified as the Builder of the Church
Heaven singeth evermore.
And this world is singing too. The tune to which heaven and earth are set is the same. And mark how the music of the Church is set to the same tune as that of heaven and earth, Great God, Thou art to be magnified. Is not this the unanimous song of all the redeemed below? In the text the Lord Jesus Christ is alluded to. The context runs, Behold the man whose name is the Branch--a title ever applied to Messiah.
I. The temple. It is the Church of God. All Christians constitute the Church. I mean all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth, for these make up the one universal Church. This Church is called the temple of God, and Christ is said to be its builder. The temple was the place where God specially dwelt. It is true that God is everywhere, but in a special manner He dwelt in the temple. If you would find God, He is everywhere in creation. If you would know what is the secret place of the Most High, you must go where you find the Church of true believers, for it is here He makes His continual residence known. The temple was the place of clearest manifestation. He who would see God the best of all, must see Him in His temple. The Church is like the temple in that it is a place of worship. As there was only one temple, so there is only one Church.
II. Christ is the Churchs only builder. Make a parallel between Christs building the Church, and Solomons building the first temple. In this Solomon fails to be a type of Christ. Christ builds the temple Himself. And Jesus Christ excels Solomon, for He provides all the materials.
III. Glorify Christ. The glory which He shall have will be a weighty glory, an undivided glory. He shall have all the glory. Practical application--Are we built up upon Christ? Then let us evermore honour Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Builder of the spiritual temple
This passage relates to the dispensation of the Gospel, when it would be proved that Jesus Christ by His person and work did actually rebuild the spiritual temple, which fell into ruins by the disobedience of our first parents.
I. The building.
1. The ruinous state of the temple.
2. Whose temple it is. The Lords.
3. The builder of this temple is Christ.
4. The agent employed is the Holy Ghost.
II. The glory of our salvation belongs unto the Lord. In redeeming us from sin; in justifying our souls; and in preserving us for glory.
III. The nature of His government. He rules in heaven, having accomplished His work. He rules over the world generally. He rules over the Church collectively. And over each believer in particular. He rules in the Word, in the Gospel, and in every Christian duty.
IV. His priestly office. He lives as a priest to make intercession. By appearing in the presence of God for us. By presenting His sacrifice and righteousness. By declaring His will of our final glory.
V. The nature of the counsel there spoken of. Some explain it as between the Father and the Son; or between the altar and the throne; or between Christ and His Church; or between Jew and Gentile; or between the soul and God. (T. B. Baker.)
The temple
I. The temple.
1. Because the Church is consecrated to the service of God.
2. Is hallowed by His residence.
3. Is honoured by His self-manifestation.
II. The builder. Because He--
1. Prepares the materials.
2. Employs the workmen.
3. Superintends the workmanship.
III. The glory.
1. From the unlikelihood of the materials.
2. From the magnitude of the obstacles.
3. From the diversity of the workmen.
4. From the perfection of the work. (G. Brooks.)
Christ, the Builder and Ruler of the temple
Of the man here spoken of it is affirmed that His name is the Branch, and that He shall grow up out of His place. The Branch that was to grow out of the root of Jesse was to be more than man; for who could bear that wondrous name, The Lord our Righteousness, but the Lord Himself? The text refers to One who should combine in His own person the fulness of Divinity with all that is essential to the constitution of our nature.
I. The work here ascribed to Christ. He shall build the temple of the Lord. The prophet was commanded to make two crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua. Under the Levitical economy the high priest wore a crown, and in ancient times the crown was the badge of royalty. Joshua was thus a striking type of Him who is at once the High Priest and the King of Zion. As the person of Joshua typified that of Christ, so the work to which Joshua was called was typical of that which Christ was to accomplish. The temple Christ was to build is the Church universal, consisting of all who in every age and nation are washed and justified and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Why the Church is called a temple is not difficult to perceive. It is so called in allusion to the sacred edifice which, by Divine command, was erected in Jerusalem. That edifice was dedicated to the service of God, and so are all who believe in Jesus. In the Jewish temple the Lord was pleased to reveal His glory; and so He does in the Church, but more spiritually and more fully. He manifests Himself to all that love and serve Him. The Jewish temple was regarded as Gods residence, for the visible emblem of His glory dwelt between the cherubims. And is not His life-giving presence with His Church on earth? Has He not promised to be always with His people? In the one temple were observed the rites which He was pleased to institute; in the other, He is worshipped in spirit and truth. Of this temple Jesus is the builder. Before a structure can be reared the foundation must be laid; and Christ has laid the foundation of His Church, virtually, in the counsels of eternity, when He undertook to accomplish the work of our redemption; actually, in the fulness of time, when He obeyed and suffered in our stead. He is Himself the rock on which His Church is built. On Himself as foundation God rears the spiritual temple. This He does by the instrumentality of His Word, and by the agency of His Spirit. The soul, when united to the Saviour, undergoes a thorough change of character as well as of condition. Christ imparts His virtues to the soul that rests on Him as the foundation of its hope. Christ sanctifies it by His Word and Spirit, and thus it becomes a living stone, reflecting the glory of Christ Himself. Such is the way in which Christ carries on the work that is here ascribed to Him. As one sinner after another is converted, one living stone after another is added to the temple which He is building. Amid all the uproar and turmoil of this ungodly world, this work is silently but surely going on. How glorious shall the temple be, when the last living stone shall complete the harmony of its vast proportions! Then, purified from every soil, and resplendent with the beauties of righteousness and holiness, it shall stand out before the universe the noblest monument of the Divine perfections. What a signal honour to be fellow workers with Christ in speeding on this blessed consummation!
II. Christ bears the glory as the Ruler in the temple. It is to His glory in this respect that the text more especially refers. There is a very obvious and important distinction between His government of the universe, and His headship over the Church. The Church is a society of a special nature, requiring special laws and institutions for its government and guidance. It is a kingdom not of this world, though in this world. The glory which Christ bears as ruler in the temple is represented in Scripture as the fruit of His sufferings. This honour was secured to Him in the covenant of redemption, as the stipulated reward of obedience unto death. Application--
1. Relating to the duty of individuals. To yield submission to Christs authority.
2. Relating to the duty of a Church--or any particular society of professing Christians. Is it not a Churchs duty to have respect in all things to Christs authority--to regulate its procedure by the principles and the precepts of His Holy Word? (David Couper.)
Christ, the Builder of the Church
I. The person spoken of. Observe the circumstances of the prophecy, and see how undeniably they all point to Christ, the High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle.
II. The work assigned Him. To build the temple of the Lord. The true and spiritual Church of God, which is spread over all ages and all nations, which consists of all believers, all faithful men and sanctified persons throughout the world, gathered out of the vast multitudes of mankind, and brought into one mystical body. It is the glory of the Son of God to be the builder of this temple. The Redeemer builds the temple of the Lord try the virtue going forth continually from His kingly and priestly offices.
III. An appropriate reward. Two particulars are mentioned, possessing each a deep interest in connection with the missionary work; the one holding forth our encouragement, and the other our duty. He whom we serve is invested with the government; and He shall bear the glory. Then let us--
1. Beware of building without Christ.
2. Give all the glory to Christ.
3. Contribute with a self-denying liberality of our labour and our substance for the work of building the temple of the Lord. (J. Scholefield, M. A.)
Christ the Branch, and the Builder of the spiritual temple
Our text is a prophecy set forth and highly adorned with metaphor. The text--
1. Announces the Saviour by a singular yet significant title. Behold the man whose name is the Branch.
2. It predicts--the allotment to Him, and the accomplishment by Him of a most important and magnificent work. He shall build the temple of the Lord.
3. It recognises--the great Builders right to have all the praise, whilst it assigns to Him a well-deserved reward. He shall bear the glory. Two inferences--
(1) The cause of real religion is in the hands of Jesus Christ.
(2) All success in the prosecution of any important part of the glorious work of building up the temple of the Lord must be looked for and derived from the great Master-Builder. (Josiah Redford.)
The spiritual temple of Jehovah
I. Every true believer is a temple of God.
1. A temple is the residence of Jehovah; and in this view every true believer is a temple of the living God. It is the prominent design of the Gospel to enthrone Jehovah in the affections, dispositions, and habits of men.
2. A temple is consecrated to the service, the worship, and the glory of God. In this sense every true believer is a spiritual temple of the Lord. Christian believers are represented in Scripture as renewed in the spirit of their minds, as built up spiritual houses, as consecrated in every part to the service and glory of God.
3. A temple is the scene of Divine manifestation; and in this sense also every true believer is a spiritual temple of the Lord. Every true believer exhibits in his own person, in his principles, in his habits, in his privileges, and in his bright hopes, a manifestation of God, a practical exemplification of the Saviours work, a public and accredited testimony of the truth of the doctrines of Scripture, as imprinted on his mind, as brought to bear with powerful effect on his life.
II. The glory of Christ in building, beautifying, and completing this temple.
1. Christ, by His mediatorial interposition, has paved the way for the erection of the temple of God.
2. The glory of building the temples by His Holy Spirit belongs also to Him. Christ, by the Holy Spirit, begins, carries forward, and completes the building of the spiritual edifice. It is the glory of the Gospel dispensation that it is complete in all its parts. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the process of sanctification is carried forward.
3. The glory belongs to Christ because He has provided those means by which, under the ministry of grace, the temple is built.
4. The glory belongs to Christ, inasmuch as He constantly superintends the Churches, takes a tender interest in all their concerns, sympathises with them in all their vicissitudes, and completes the purposes of God ultimately in regard to them. This subject displays
(1) In a very interesting and pleasing manner the glory of our great Redeemer.
(2) It tends also to elevate our conceptions of the Christian character. There is something in the very idea of a temple that is associated with holy and sacred pursuits, with holy and hallowed enjoyments. (Robert Burns, D. D.)
The living temple
To understand this Scripture we must consider when the prediction was uttered, and to what it primarily refers. To relieve the anxious mind of Joshua, the high priest, and to animate his soul with the prospect of happier days, the prophet Zechariah is sent with a special message from the Lord, to assure Joshua that the temple should be built; that his fears were without foundation; that his prayers should be answered, and his utmost wishes accomplished. An outward sign was given. Two crowns were placed on the head of Joshua, as emblems of priesthood and royalty; and were then to be deposited in the temple, as memorials of what God had determined to accomplish in future times. Thus the Jews were led to contemplate a more durable and glorious temple than that which they were then building. In the language and symbols of prophecy, they were told that the Messiah, whose name is the Branch, would be much more to this spiritual building, than Joshua was to their external temple. He would be Priest and King, Redeemer and Lawgiver, Prince and Saviour. When He humbled Himself to appear in the nature of man, He seemed to be no more than a feeble stem from the root of Jesse. Yet this tender plant sprung up and spread forth its branches, and became a sheltering to the weary, and still flourishes with undecayed vigour; the leaves whereof are for the healing of the nations; and the fruit thereof sweet to the taste. In various passages of the New Testament, believers in Jesus are declared to be the temples of God; temples of the Holy Ghost; living temples, built up a spiritual house, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Christ.
I. Consider every real Christian as the living temple of the Lord. Observe this dignified and distinguished character here ascribed to the righteous: each one of them is a temple of the Lord. A soul, the temple of the Lord, suggests the sublime ideas of solemn consecration to His honour of worship and sacrifice, of the Divine residence, and of peculiar manifestations; such manifestations as discover a present Deity, and render His glory in us evident to our souls.
1. Believers in Jesus are temples of the Lord, because they are separated from idolatry and impurity, are consecrated to sacred purposes, and are dedicated to the honour of Him whom they worship.
2. Believers in Christ are the temples of God, because they offer up to Him dutiful worship and acceptable sacrifice. Not sacrifices of propitiation or atonement, but sacrifices of daily thankoffering for the mercies of God, and the blessings of His great salvation. Every faculty and affection of the Christian soul may ye considered as engaged in the service of this living temple.
3. Believers in Christ are the temples of the Lord, because in them He resides to manifest His glory; and them He blesses with all the satisfying consolations of His presence. In every renewed person much of the image of God is displayed; the power of God in forming, from such unlikely materials, a new creature, or a new creation, the holiness of God, in stamping upon every child of the family some lineaments of their Fathers image; and the sovereign mercy of God, in rescuing from deepest ruin, and imparting the noblest hopes and happiness, to the praise of the glory of His grace. In all saints, so far as they are sanctified, we may trace some resemblance of God. God is said to dwell in His people as His temple, when He manifests His glory to them, and admits them to delightful intercourse with Himself. This honour have all the saints; but it is enjoyed by them in very different degrees, according to the measure of their faith.
II. This temple is, in all respects, the workmanship of the adorable Redeemer. He who is the Branch, builds the temple--
1. In His mediation between God and man.
2. He lays the foundation of that living temple by bestowing that living faith which unites us to Himself, and interests us in all the blessings of His mediation.
3. He not only lays the foundation of the spiritual temple, but He rears the superstructure by His grace and Spirit. Every grace and duty of religion is a living stone in that temple which every believer is rearing unto God on earth. All these graces and duties are intimately connected, and by their union the spiritual building is rendered fair and useful.
4. The Almighty Builder carries on to perfection the good work which He has begun. By His dispensations He carries forward the perfections of His people. He carries on to perfection by the ordinances of His grace. By the powerful energy and gracious influences of His Holy Spirit, working in them to will and do of His good pleasure.
III. The cheering and animating promise, He shall bear the glory. This is now fulfilling on earth, and shall be fulfilled forever in heaven. Amidst meditations on Gods gracious ways with them, at every new survey, saints feel their hearts warmed with gratitude, and they say, Not unto us, not unto us. He hath built the temple, and He shall bear the glory. (A. Bonar.)
The Church the temple of God
This is a prophecy of the Messiah. The prophet puts two crowns on the head of Joshua the high priest, and then speaks to him, not only as the raiser up of the desolated temple, but as a type of an enthroned Saviour, the builder of a spiritual and far more glorious structure. Behold the man whose name is the Branch, etc.
I. The Church is Gods temple. By the Church is meant all that the word imports in its highest and its widest sense--all Gods real servants, all His believing and pardoned and sanctified people of all ages and places. When God builds, His habitation shall have a name and character of its own--it is a temple. View the Church simply as Gods house, then we look on it as something which God dwells in, and rests in, and delights in. View it as Gods temple, then a sacredness comes over it. The house becomes--
1. A consecrated place, a place appropriated and set apart for holy purposes.
2. The idea of worship and devotion is connected with this term. It implies not only that God designs His people to show forth His praise in heaven, but that they do show it forth there; they answer there the end for which they are taken there: God is served, and worshipped, and magnified by them.
II. The Lord Jesus is the Builder of this temple. Elsewhere spoken of as the foundation or chief cornerstone, He is here described as the great Builder. No one figure can suffice to set forth His importance. Therefore they apply figure after figure to Him. They do not heed what we deem incongruities and contradictions. Three things the builder of a temple has to do.
1. To form the plan of it. He has to settle in his mind what its form and size shall be, and of what materials it shall consist.
2. A builder has to prepare his materials. At least the builder of a temple has. He does not find them prepared for him by nature, the wrought stone in the quarry, and the carved beam in the forest. Nor can they prepare themselves. And we, brethren, are not naturally fit for heaven, nor can we make ourselves or one another fit for it.
3. A builder has to join his materials together, to put each one of them into the place for which it is prepared. And this also is the work of Christ.
III. The text bears us out in asserting that it really is a very glorious building. It does not expressly say this, but it implies it. There is to be a glory result to Christ from it, and this glory is doubtless to proceed in part from something excellent and magnificent in the building itself. What a subject opens itself to us here! Does beauty make a building glorious, a noble plan and excellent workmanship? Oh, what so beautiful as the Church of the firstborn? Bear in mind two facts in reference to the glory of this temple.
1. It is such that it satisfies Christ Himself.
2. This temple has occupied the Mighty Jehovah far longer than any of His works. From this fact also we infer its gloriousness.
IV. The Lord Jesus will have all glory of this temple. Two reasons why Christ is so little honoured on earth as the author of His peoples salvation. The greatness of the salvation is not known, and we do not see how entirely the work is His. Gods design in this building was His own honour. Is Christ the Builder of Gods temple? Then this text calls on all of us really to regard Him as such. And if the Church is the temple of the Lord, then we should cherish in our minds a high reverence and love for it. (C. Bradley, M. A.)
Zec_6:13
A Priest upon His throne
The Priest of the world and King of men
It is in accordance with the law of prophetic development from the beginning that the external circumstances of the nation at the moment should supply the mould into which the promise is run.
Here, the kingless band of exiles are heartened for their task by the thought of the Priest-King of the nation, the Builder of an imperishable dwelling place for God.
I. The true hope of the world is a priest. The idea of priesthood is universal. It has been distorted and abused; it has been made the foundation of spiritual tyranny. The priest has not been the teacher nor the elevator of the people. Yet there the office stands, and wherever men go, by some strange perversity they take with them this idea, and choose from among themselves some who shall discharge for their brethren the double office of representing them before God, and of representing God to them. That is what the world means, with absolute and entire unanimity, by a priest--one who shall be Sacrificer, intercessor, representative; bearer of mans worship, channel of Gods blessing. This is the result of the universal consciousness of sin. Men feel that there is a gulf between them and God. The Jewish people, who have at all events taught the world the purest theism, and led men up to the most spiritual religion, had this same institution of a priesthood for the very centre of its worship. What is the priest whom men crave? The first requisite is oneness with those whom he represents. We have a Priest in all things made like unto His brethren. The next requisite is that the priests should possess, at all events, a symbolic purity--expression of the conviction that a priest must be cleaner and closer than his fellows. And we have a Priest; who is holy, harmless, undefiled. And again, as in nature and character, so in function, Christ corresponds to the widely expressed wants of men, as shown in their priesthoods. They sought for one who should offer gifts and sacrifices on their behalf. They sought for one who should pass into the awful Presence, and plead for them while they stood without. They sought for a man who should be the medium of Divine blessings bestowed upon the worshippers, and we know who hath gone within the veil for us. We have great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.
II. The Priest of the world is the King of men. He shall be a Priest upon His throne. In Israel these two offices were jealously kept apart. The history of the world is full of instances in which the struggles of the temporal and spiritual power have caused calamities only less intolerable than those which flowed from that alliance of priests and kings which has so often made monarchy a grinding tyranny, and religion a mere instrument of statecraft. Our Priest does rule. The kingdom of Christ is no unreal fanciful phrase. The foundation of His rule is His sacrifice. Men will do anything for him who does that for them. His rule is wielded in gentleness. Priestly dominion has ever been fierce, suspicious, tyrannous. The sway of this merciful and faithful High Priest is full of tenderness. The end of His rule is, that His subjects may be made free in obedience.
III. The Priest-King of men builds among men the temple of God. Christ is Himself the true temple of God. Christ builds the temple. Christ builds this temple because He is the temple. By His incarnation and work He makes our communion with God and Gods dwelling in us possible. Christ builds the temple, and uses us as His servants in the work. Christ builds on through all the ages, and the prophecy of the text is yet unfulfilled. Its fulfilment is the meaning and end of all history. In one of the mosques of Damascus, which has been a Christian Church, and before that was a heathen temple, the portal bears, deep cut in Greek characters, the inscription, Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. Those words are graven over the temple which Christ rears. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Christ--Priest and King
I. Notice this significant designation of the Lord Jesus--The Branch. The family of David was like a decayed tree, the stump of which alone remains; but from so lowly and unlikely an origin, a shoot or scion would emanate, which would again become a noble forest tree, and perpetuate the memory and influence of the royal line. Certainly Davids race had reached a low ebb when Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, because they were of the house and lineage of David. Through a branch the fulness of the root is carried to the fruit, which swells in ruddy beauty on its extremity, and presently falls into the hand of the wayfarer: so Jesus is the blessed channel of communication between the fulness of God and the thirsty wastes of human need.
II. The combination in Christ of the priestly and kingly offices. He shall be a Priest upon His throne. Mans nature demands a priest. Conscious of sin and defilement, he rears an altar wherever he pitches his tent; and, selecting one of his fellows, he separates him from the ordinary duties of life, and bids him stand as mediator and priest between God and himself. It was thus that Micah addressed the young man, the Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, when he said, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and priest; and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and thine apparel, and thy victuals. If an argument were needed to prove the unity of the human family, it surely would be suggested by the universal distribution of temples and altars over the world, as though men were everywhere alike in this--that they know themselves to be sinful, and desire to find some way of propitiating and approaching the Almighty. In the Levitical system, and, above all, in Jesus Christ, God has met this universal craving of the human heart. Man also requires a king. God had designed to meet this need by Him self being Israels King, that they should not be like other nations, but a peculiar people unto Him. How remarkable it is that the Kingship of Jesus should have been so accentuated in His trial! It was the centre around which the storm raged. Pilate challenged His claims: Art Thou a king, then? and Jesus asseverated them: Thou sayest that I am--a king. The faded purple robe flung over His shoulders, the reed in His hand, the mocking bending of the knee, the crown of thorns on His brow, were but the grotesque and heartless mockery of His claims. And since He has passed into the glory, He is still the Priest-King. Not Aaron, but Melchizedek, is the true type of our Saviour now. As Aaron, He made atonement and propitiation for sin; but as Melchizedek, He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This Melchizedek was king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God. As priest, Jesus pleads the merit of His blood; as king, He exerts power on our behalf. As priest, He pacifies the guilty conscience; as king, He sends thrills of His own victorious life into our spirits. As priest, He brings us nigh to God; as king, He treads our enemies under His feet. It is of great importance to us all to think of our Saviour in this dual aspect. On the one hand, we get all the benefit of His cross and passion; on the other, all the benefit of His resurrection and session at the right hand of God. May it not be that the weakness of thy Christian life is due to the fact that thou hast viewed Him only in the light of Calvary, and hast not, with Stephen, seen Him seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High--a prince as well as a Saviour--a Saviour because a prince? He accounts Himself absolutely responsible to achieve the uttermost salvation of those who trust in Him. If there is some sin which defies thee, at least it shall not be too strong for Him. And if the outflow of His delivering power towards thee seems restrained and ineffective, be sure that, in some one particular, which He will be quick to show thee, if only thou art willing to be informed, there has been a failure to yield Him the obedience which is due to Him as thy king.
III. As the Priest-King, Christ builds the temple of God. Twice over this is affirmed; but what untold comfort the assurance must have brought when first addressed to that little band of exiles! Their temple site was strewn with ruins: it seemed almost hopeless to contend with those heaps of rubbish, impossible to rear a fabric worthy of the past and adequate for the future; but these words must have greatly heartened them. As the hand of inspiration drew aside the vail, they beheld another and greater than either Joshua or Zerubbabel, working with them and for them, and bearing the chief responsibility in all the toils and labours of their new erection--He; not they. They would work with new energy and courage, knowing, as they did, that they were fellow workers with God. What difficulty could daunt, what enemies thwart or frustrate, the work of His right hand? If these words should be read by any who are losing heart because of the difficulties presented by their parish, their church, or the souls of their charge, let them be reassured, as they behold the trowel in the hands of the Priest-King; and let them be sure that He will succeed. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
A Priest upon His throne
As the enthroned king, Jesus reigns over His church as the vicegerent of God. He as king reigns over the intellects, the hearts, the wills, the bodies of all who yield allegiance to Him. He distributes to all His people the gifts of God according to His will. At His hand every good and perfect gift must be sought, and from His hand received. He giveth gifts to men through the power of His delegated authority received from the triune God. He is the true Joseph reigning over the kingdom of the true Pharaoh. As Pharaoh raised Joseph from his prison, and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt, so the eternal Father has raised Jesus from His cross and tomb to enthrone Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies. As Pharaohs commission to Joseph was Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled, so Christ is revealed to us as being over Gods house as its delegated king. As Pharaohs gifts were distributed by Joseph to the needy Egyptians, so Gods good gifts of grace come to us through the kingly ministry of Jesus. It is from Jesus seated on the throne of grace as the priest upon His throne that we are bidden to seek pardoning mercy and aiding grace in every time of need. This revelation of Jesus as being the giver of grace as Heavens enthroned king, is one that does not receive the recognition it demands. This is of course a necessity in all those theological systems in which the continuous priestly ministry of our ascended Lord is denied or ignored. But even where His ministry of priestly intercession is recognised He is not seen to be the priest sitting on His throne. That all the blessings of the kingdom of the incarnation come to us through His intercession is confessed. But men fall to see that these blessings are given to us by Him as the bountiful king of that kingdom. Nay, not unfrequently men shrink in dread from the statement that every good and perfect gift coming from the Father of Light is given to us not only by the hand, but according to the will, of the ascended Lord. Yet unless this truth be grasped Jesus mediatorial ministry is not fully confessed. That He is the mediator of the new covenant is a matter of faith. There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Now His mediation means that through Him, the Word made flesh, we draw nigh to God in worship and Gods gifts of grace come to us. This truth does not involve the idea that God has ceased personally to reign and to give gifts. The recognition of Jesus delegated sovereignty does not involve the denial of Gods essential sovereignty as an ever-living fact. When by Pharaohs authority Joseph ruled Egypt this was not the virtual abdication of his power by Pharaoh; nay, it was the strengthening of his dynasty and the perfecting of his rule. Between him and Joseph there was perfect oneness of conviction as to the policy to be adopted in that crisis of his nations life. In raising Joseph to his high position, and giving him liberty of action, he was but carrying out in the most effective way the policy his own wisdom approved. So the enthronement of Jesus as man, as king of the Church, is not the dethronement of God. For the sovereignty of the Son of Man is a delegated sovereignty, and its glory must exalt the throne of Him whose delegate He is. The wisdom and the love of the only Potentate is revealed in the king He has enthroned. And still more is this seen to be true when we remember the absolute union of thought and action that there is between them. What our King hears He speaks. What the Father doeth that doeth the Son likewise. In an union so close there is no place for conflict of action or variance of will. Not by constraint but by union Jesus in His delegated sovereignty rules according to the will of God. He is a throned king, and gives His gifts according to His own free will. But even in His free rule He is the minister of the Fathers pleasure because of His absolute conformity with the will of God. With full assent of mind then grasp the truth of Jesus delegated sovereignty. See Him throned by God in the Church as the giver of His supernatural gifts. See in the revelation of Jesus as enthroned in Heaven, and hence ruling over His Church in Paradise and on earth, the fulfilment of Zechariahs glorious vision. Gazing by faith on Jesus at Gods right hand, in Him, Behold the Man whose name is the Branch, who has built the temple of the Lord, and who in it bears the glory, and as a priest upon His throne sits and rules. (G. Body, M. A.)
Of Christs offices in general
There are three.
1. The office of a prophet. He builds the Church by the Word of the Gospel, which it is His work to promulgate as a prophet.
2. The office of a priest. To expiate the sins of His people, to purchase peace for them, and to manage their cause with God.
3. That of a king: for He has a throne, which denotes His kingly office. He is a priest upon His throne, denoting the reward of His sufferings. In Him the glory of all these offices is to meet. The text affords foundation for the following doctrine--Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of prophet, priest, and king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.
I. The verity or reality of these offices in Christ.
1. From plain scripture testimony.
(1) To His having or being possessed of these offices.
(2) To His executing these offices.
2. From His name Christ, or Messiah, the anointed one. The unction signified--
(1) His being set apart to the mediatory work.
(2) His being fully furnished with gifts and qualifications suitable to these offices, in respect of His human nature, to which the Spirit was given, not by measure, but in fulness.
II. The necessity of His exercising these offices. This will be clear if we--
1. Consider our misery by sin, ignorance, guilt, and bondage. We were ignorant of the way of returning to God again; and therefore Christ as our prophet must teach us; our priest must make atonement for us; our king must bring us back again, leading captivity captive.
2. Consider the salvation which the elect were to be made partakers of.
3. Consider Christ as mediator of the covenant, who behoved to deal with both parties, in order to bring them together.
4. Consider the work of conversion; what the soul needs.
5. Consider our daily necessities.
6. Consider the promises, which are the stay and staff of the Christians life, without which they could never bear up.
III. When did Christ execute these offices? As He was the Redeemer of the Church in all ages so did He execute these offices in all ages of the Church. But more especially after His incarnation, and that in His twofold state of humiliation and exaltation. These three offices are not to be divided, especially when they are executed in a way that is effectual for the salvation of the subjects thereof. Wherever He executes one of these offices in a saving way, He executes them all. Inferences--
1. How great and glorious is our Lord Jesus Christ, who was meet to bear all these offices at once, and exercise them at once, so as one does not mar or clash with another!
2. Let this commend Christ to you as a full and a suitable Saviour.
3. You cannot take Christ as a Redeemer, if you take Him not in all His offices.
4. Employ this mighty Redeemer in all the offices wherewith He is invested, and which, as mediator, He exercises for the benefit of the ruined race of mankind. (T. Boston, D. D.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v13
Zechariah
THE PRIEST OF THE WORLD AND KING OF MEN
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Zec 6:13.
A handful of feeble exiles had come back from their Captivity. ‘The holy and beautiful house’ where their fathers praised Him was burned with fire. There was no king among them, but they still possessed a representative of the priesthood, the other great office of divine appointment. Their first care was to rear some poor copy of the Temple; and the usual difficulties that attend reconstruction of any sort, and dog every movement that rests upon religious enthusiasm, beset them -strong enemies, and half-hearted friends, and personal jealousies weakening still more their weak forces. In this time of anarchy, of toil at a great task with inadequate resources, of despondency that was rapidly fulfilling its own forebodings, the Prophet, who was the spring of the whole movement, receives a word in season from the Lord. He is bidden to take from some of the returned exiles the tribute-money which they had brought, and having made of it golden and silver crowns-the sign of kingship-to set them on the high priest’s head, thus uniting the sacerdotal and regal offices, which had always been jealously separated in Israel. This singular action is explained, by the words which he is commanded to speak, as being a symbolic prophecy of Him who is ‘the Branch’-the well-known name which older prophets had used for the Messiah-indicating that in Him were the reality which the priesthood shadowed, and the rule which was partly delegated to Israel’s king as well as the power which should rear the true temple of God among men.
It is in accordance with the law of prophetic development from the beginning, that the external circumstances of the nation at the moment should supply the mould into which the promise is run. The earliest of all Messianic predictions embraced only the existence of evil, as represented by the serpent, and the conquest of it by one who was known but as a son of Eve. When the history reaches the patriarchal stage, wherein the family is the predominant conception, the prophecy proportionately advances to the assurance, ‘In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ When the mission of Moses had made the people familiar with the idea of a man who was the medium of revelation, then a further stage was reached-’a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me.’ The kingdom of David prepared the way for the prediction of the royal dignity of the Messiah, as the peaceful reign of Solomon for the expectation of one who should bring peace by righteousness. The approach of national disaster and sorrow was reflected in Isaiah’s vision of the suffering Messiah, and that prophet’s announcements of exile had for their counterpoise the proclamation of Him who should bring liberty to the captive. So, here, the kingless band of exiles, painfully striving to rear again the tabernacle which had fallen down, are heartened for their task by the thought of the priest-king of the nation, the builder of an imperishable dwelling-place for God.
To-day we need these truths not less than Zechariah’s contemporaries did. And, thank God! we can believe that, for every modern perplexity, the blessed old words carry the same strength and consolation. If kings seem to have perished from among men, if authorities are dying out, and there are no names of power that can rally the world-yet there is a Sovereign. If old institutions are crumbling, and must still further decay ere the site for a noble structure be cleared, yet He shall build the Temple. If priest be on some lips a name of superstitious folly, and on others a synonym for all that is despised as effete in religion, yet this Priest abideth for ever, the guide and the hope for the history of humanity and for the individual spirit. Let us, then, put ourselves under the Prophet’s guidance, and consider the eternal truths which he preaches to us too.
I. The true hope of the world is a priest.
The idea of priesthood is universal. It has been distorted and abused; it has been made the foundation of spiritual tyranny. The priest has not been the teacher nor the elevator of the people. All over the world he has been the ally of oppression and darkness, he has hindered and cramped social and intellectual progress. And yet, in spite of all this, there the office stands, and wherever men go, by some strange perversity they take with them this idea, and choose from among themselves those who, being endowed with some sort of ceremonial and symbolic purity, shall discharge for their brethren the double office of representing them before God, of representing God to them. That is what the world means, with absolute and entire unanimity, by a priest-one who shall be sacrificer, intercessor, representative; bearer of man’s worship, channel of God’s blessing. How comes it, that, in spite of all the cruelties and lies that have gathered round the office, it lives, indestructible, among the families of men? Why, because it springs from, and corresponds to, real and universal wants in their nature. It is the result of the universal consciousness of sin. Men feel that there is a gulf betwixt them and God. They know themselves to be all foul. True, as their knowledge of God dims and darkens, their conscience hardens and their sense of sin lessens; but, as long as there is any notion of God at all, there will be a parallel and corresponding conviction of moral evil. And so, feeling that, and feeling it, as I believe, not because they are rude and barbarous, but because, though rude and barbarous, they still preserve some trace of their true relation to God, they lay hold upon some of their fellows, and say, ‘Here! be thou for us this thing which we cannot be for ourselves-stand thou there in front of us, and be at once the expression of our knowledge that we dare not come before our gods, and likewise, if it may be, the medium by which their gifts may come on us, unworthy.’
That is a wide-spread and all but universally expressed instinct of human nature. Argue about it as you like, explain it away how you choose, charge the notions of priesthood and sacrifice with exaggeration, immorality, barbarism, if you will-still the thing remains. And I believe for my part that, so far from that want being one which will be left behind, with other rude and savage desires, as men advance in civilisation-it is as real and as permanent as the craving of the understanding for truth, and of the heart for love. When men lose it, it is because they are barbarised, not civilised, into forgetting it. On that rock all systems of religion and eminently all theories of Christianity, that leave out priest and sacrifice, will strike and split. The Gospel for the world must be one which will meet all the facts of man’s condition. Chief among these facts is this necessity of the conscience, as expressed by the forms in which for thousands of years the worship of mankind has been embodied all but everywhere-an altar, and a priest standing by its side.
I need not pause to remind you how this Jewish people, who have at all events taught the world the purest Theism, and led men up to the most spiritual religion, had this same institution of a priesthood for the very centre of its worship. Nor need I dwell at length on the fact that the New Testament gives-in its full adhesion to the same idea. We are told that all these sacerdotal allusions in it are only putting pure spiritual truth in the guise of the existing stage of religious development-the husk, not the kernel. It seems to me much rather that the Old Testament ceremonial-Temple, priesthood, sacrifice-was established for this along with other purposes, to be a shadow of things to come. Christ’s office is not metaphorically illustrated by reference to the Jewish ritual; but the Jewish ritual is the metaphor, and Christ’s office the reality. He is the Priest.
And what is the priest whom men crave?
The first requisite is oneness with those whom he represents. Men have ever felt that one of themselves must fill this office, and have taken from among their brethren their medium of communication with God. And we have a Priest who, ‘in all things, is made like unto His brethren,’ having taken part of their flesh and blood, and being ‘in all points tempted like as we are.’ The next requisite is that these men, who minister at earth’s altars, should, by some lustration, or abstinence, or white robe, or other external sign, be separated from the profane crowd, and possess, at all events, a symbolic purity-expression of the conviction that a priest must be cleaner and closer to God than his fellows. And we have a Priest who is holy, harmless, undefiled, radiant in perfect purity, lustrous with the light of constant union with God.
And again, as in nature and character, so in function, Christ corresponds to the widely expressed wants of men, as shown in their priesthoods. They sought for one who should offer gifts and sacrifices on their behalf, and we have One who is ‘a merciful and faithful High Priest to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.’ They sought for a man who should pass into the awful presence, and plead for them while they stood without, and we lift hopeful eyes of love to the heavens, ‘whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever.’ They sought for a man who should be the medium of divine blessings bestowed upon the worshippers, and we know who hath gone within the veil, having ascended up on high, that He might give gifts unto men.
The world needs a priest. Its many attempts to find such show how deep is the sense of need, and what he must be who shall satisfy them. We have the Priest that the world and ourselves require. I believe that modern Englishmen, with the latest results of civilisation colouring their minds and moulding their characters, stand upon the very same level, so far as this matter is concerned, as the veriest savage in African wilds, who has darkened even the fragment of truth which he possesses, till it has become a lie and the parent of lies. You and I, and all our brethren, alike need a brother who shall be holy and close to God, who shall offer sacrifices for us, and bring God to us. For you and me, and all our brethren alike, the good news is true, ‘we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.’ That message quenches the fire on every other altar, and strips the mitre from every other head. It, and it alone, meets fully and for ever that strange craving, which, though it has been productive of so many miseries and so many errors, though it has led to grinding tyranny and dark superstitions, though it has never anywhere found what it longs for, remains deep in the soul, indestructible and hungry, till it is vindicated and enlightened and satisfied by the coming of the true Priest,’ made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.’
II. Our text tells us, secondly, that ‘the priest of the world is the king of men.’ ‘He shall be a Priest upon His throne.’
In Israel these two offices were jealously kept apart, and when one monarch, in a fit of overweening self-importance, tried to unite in his own person the kingly and the priestly functions, ‘the leprosy rose up in his forehead,’ even as he stood with the censer in his hand, and ‘Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death.’ And the history of the world is full of instances, in which the struggles of the temporal and spiritual power have caused calamities only less intolerable than those which flowed from that alliance of priests and kings which has so often made monarchy a grinding tyranny, and religion a mere instrument of statecraft. History being witness, it would seem to be a very doubtful blessing for the world that one man should wield both forms of control without check or limitation, and be at once king and priest. If the words before us refer to any one but to Christ, the prophet had an altogether mistaken notion about what would be good for men, politically and ecclesiastically, and we may be thankful that his dream has never come true. But if they point to the Son of David who has died for us, and declare that because He is Priest, He is therefore King-oh! then they are full of blessed truth concerning the basis and the nature and the purpose of His dominion, which may well make us lift up our heads and rejoice that in the midst of tyranny and anarchy, of sovereignties whose ultimate resort is force, there is another kingdom-the most absolute of despotisms and yet the most perfect democracy, whose law is love, whose subjects are every one the children of a King, the kingdom of that Priest-ruler on whose head is Aaron’s mitre, and more than David’s crown.
He does rule. ‘The kingdom of Christ’ is no unreal fanciful phrase. Take the lowest ground. Who is it that, by the words He spoke, by the deeds He did, by the life He lived, has shaped the whole form of moral and religious thought and life in the civilised world? Is there One among the great of old, the dead yet sceptred sovereigns, who still rule our spirits from their urns, whose living power over thought and heart and deed among the dominant races of the earth is to be compared with His? And beyond that, we believe that, as the result of His mighty work on earth, the dominion of the whole creation is His, and He is King of kings, and Lord of lords, that His will is sovereign and His voice is absolute law, to which all the powers of nature, all the confusions of earth’s politics, all the unruly wills of men, all the pale kingdoms of the dead, and all the glorious companies of the heavens, do bow in real though it be sometimes unconscious and sometimes reluctant obedience.
The foundation of His rule is His sacrifice; or in other words-no truer though a little more modern in their sound-men will do anything for Him who does that for them. Men will yield their whole souls to the warmth and light that stream from the Cross, as the sunflower turns itself to the sun. He that can give an anodyne which is not an opiate, to my conscience-He that can appeal to my heart and will, and say, ‘I have given Myself for thee,’ will never speak in vain to those who accept His gift, when He says, ‘Now give thyself to Me.’
Brethren! it is not the thinker who is the true king of men, as we sometimes hear it proudly said. We need One who will not only show but be the Truth; who will not only point, but open and be, the Way; who will not only communicate thought, but give, because He is, the Life. Not the rabbi’s pulpit, nor the teacher’s desk, still less the gilded chairs of earthly monarchs, least of all the tents of conquerors, are the throne of the true King. He rules from the Cross. The one dominion worth naming, that over men’s inmost spirits, springs from the one sacrifice which alone calms and quickens men’s inmost spirits. ‘Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ,’ for Thou art ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’
His rule is wielded In gentleness. Priestly dominion has ever been fierce, suspicious, tyrannous. ‘His words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.’ But the sway of this merciful and faithful High Priest is full of tenderness. His sceptre is not the warrior’s mace, nor the jewelled rod of gold, but the reed-emblem of the lowliness of His heart, and of authority guided by love. And all His rule is for the blessing of His subjects, and the end of it is that they may be made free by obedience, emancipated in and for service, crowned as kings by submission to the King of kings, consecrated as priests by their reliance on the only Priest over the house of God, whose loving will rests not until it has made all His people like Himself.
Then, dear brethren! amid all the anarchic chaos of this day, when old institutions are crumbling or crashing into decay, when the whole civilised world seems slowly and painfully parting from its old moorings, and like some unwieldy raft, is creaking and straining at its chains as it feels the impulse of the swift current that is bearing it to an unknown sea, when venerable names cease to have power, when old truths are flouted as antiquated, and the new ones seem so long in making their appearance, when a perfect Babel of voices stuns us, and on every side are pretenders to the throne which they fancy vacant, let us joyfully welcome all change, and hopefully anticipate the future. Lifting our eyes from the world, let us fix them on the likeness of a throne above the firmament that is above the cherubs, and rejoice since there we behold ‘the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it.’ ‘Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee.’
III. Our text still further reminds us that the Priest-King of men builds among men the Temple of God.
The Prophet and his companions had become familiar in their captivity with the gigantic palaces and temples which Assyrian and Babylonian monarchs had a passion for rearing. They had learned to regard the king as equally magnified by his conquests and by his buildings. Zechariah foretells that the true King shall rear a temple more lasting than Solomon’s, more magnificent than those which towered on their marble-faced platforms over the Chaldean plain.
Christ is Himself the true Temple of God. Whatsoever that shadowed Christ is or gives. In Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead. ‘The glory’ which once dwelt between the cherubim, ‘tabernacled among us’ in His flesh. As the place of sacrifice, as the place where men meet God, as the seat of revelation of the divine will, the true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched is the Manhood of our Lord.
Christ builds the temple. By faith, the individual soul becomes the abode of God, and into our desecrated spirits there comes the King of Glory. ‘Know ye not that ye are the temples of God?’ By faith, the whole body of believing men ‘are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.’
Christ builds this temple because He is the Temple. By His incarnation and work, He makes our communion with God and God’s dwelling in us possible. By His death and sacrifice He draws men to Himself, and blends them in a living unity. By the gift of His Spirit and His life, He hallows their wills, and makes them partakers of His own likeness; so that ‘coming to Him, we also are built up a spiritual house.’
Christ builds the temple, and uses us as His servants in the work. Our prophecy was given to encourage faint-hearted toilers, not to supply an excuse for indolence. Underlying all our poor labours, and blessing them all, is the power of Christ. We may well work diligently who work in the line of His purposes, after the pattern of His labours, in the strength of His power, under the watchfulness of His eye. The little band may be few and feeble; let them not be fearful, for He, the throned Priest, even He, and not they with their inadequate resources, shall build the temple.
Christ builds on through all the ages, and the prophecy of our text is yet unfulfilled. Its fulfilment is the meaning and end of all history. For the present, there has to be much destructive as well as constructive work done. Many a wretched hovel, the abode of sorrow and want, many a den of infamy, many a palace of pride, many a temple of idols, will have to be pulled down yet, and men’s eyes will be blinded by the dust, and their hearts will ache as they look at the ruins. Be it so. The finished structure will obliterate the remembrance of poor buildings that cumbered its site. This Emperor of ours may indeed say, that He found the city of brick and made it marble. Have patience if His work is slow; mourn not if it is destructive; doubt not, though the unfinished walls, and corridors that seem to lead nowhere, and all the confusion of unfinished toils puzzle you, when you try to make out the plan. See to it, my brother, that you lend a hand and help to rear the true temple, which is rising slowly through the ages, at which successive generations toil, and from whose unfinished glories they dying depart, but which shall be completed, because the true Builder ‘ever liveth,’ and is ‘a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’ Above all, brethren! take heed that you are yourselves builded in that temple. Travellers sometimes find in lonely quarries long abandoned or once worked by a vanished race, great blocks squared and dressed, that seem to have been meant for palace or shrine. But there they lie, neglected and forgotten, and the building for which they were hewn has been reared without them. Beware lest God’s grand temple should be built up without you, and you be left to desolation and decay. Trust your souls to Christ, and He will set you in the spiritual house which the King greater than Solomon is building still.
In one of the mosques of Damascus, which has been a Christian church, and before that was a heathen temple, the portal bears, deep cut in Greek characters, the inscription, ‘Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.’ The confident words seem contradicted by the twelve centuries of Mohammedanism on which they have looked down. But though their silent prophecy is unheeded and unheard by the worshippers below, it shall be proved true one day, and the crescent shall wane before the steady light of the Sun of Righteousness. The words are carven deep over the portals of the temple which Christ rears; and though men may not be able to read them, and may not believe them if they do, though for centuries traffickers have defiled its courts, and base-born usurpers have set up their petty thrones, yet the writing stands sure, a dumb witness against the transient lies, a patient prophet of the eternal truth. And when all false faiths, and their priests who have oppressed men and traduced God, have vanished; and when kings that have prostituted their great and godlike office to personal advancement and dynastic ambition are forgotten; and when every shrine reared for obscene and bloody rites, or for superficial and formal worship, has been cast to the ground, then from out of the confusion and desolation shall gleam the temple of God, which is the refuge of men, and on the one throne of the universe shall sit the Eternal Priest-our Brother, Jesus the Christ.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v12 (See Scofield "Isa 4:2")
BRANCH
(See Scofield "Isa 4:2")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12, 14 Speak to him and say
Speak to him and say
"Speak to Joshua and say"
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his name is Branch
The word "Branch" refers to a messianic figure that would serve as king over Yahweh's people. Yahweh speaks of this person as if he were a branch that grows out from a tree. Since the word "Branch" is a title, it should be translated with an equivalent word in your language. See how you translated this name in Zechariah 3:8. (See: Metaphor)
He will grow up where he is
The phrase "grow up" refers to the growth of a plant, and so continues the metaphor of this person as a "Branch." This likely refers to this person appearing or coming into power as the one who would supervise the rebuilding of the temple. (See: Metaphor)
He will be a priest on his throne
Possible meanings are 1) the "Branch" will be both priest and king or 2) the "Branch" will be king, and another person will be a priest who will share the royal power. AT: "There will be a priest upon his throne"
he will bear a counsel of peace between the two
The words "the two" refer to the roles of king and priest. The meaning of this phrase depends upon the meaning of the previous phrase. Possible meanings are 1) the "Branch" will faithfully carry out his duties as both priest and king and not forsake one in order to fulfill the other or 2) the "Branch" who serves as king and the other person who serves as a priest will each carry out their duties faithfully and they will work together in peace.
translationWords
Yahweh of hosts
temple
splendor
rule
throne
priest
understand
peace
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12, 14, 15 6:12-13 The Branch is a title for the Messiah…
6:12-13 The Branch is a title for the Messiah (see 3:8), whom Jeshua represents. • he will build the Temple of the Lord: Just as Jeshua the high priest helped to build the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:1-2, 8-9; 5:2), Jesus the Messiah would build the eternal heavenly Temple through his death, burial, and resurrection (John 2:19-22; 4:23-24; Eph 2:19-22; Heb 8:1-2). • The Messiah would rule as king, a role associated with David and the tribe of Judah (2 Sam 7:12-16). • He will also serve as priest from his throne: The Messiah’s priestly role is associated with Aaron and the tribe of Levi (Exod 29:44). • Jeshua’s crown represents his two roles. Melchizedek also fulfilled the double functions of priest and king (Gen 14:17-20), as does the Messiah (Ps 110:4; Heb 7:1-3, 15-17).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.