After a vision depicting God’s judgement upon the nations (note the similarities to the horses spoken of in Revelation 6) comes a complex but remarkable Messianic prophecy. Zechariah is told to crown Joshua the high priest and declare a prophecy, not about him, but to him. The prophecy is about the coming Messiah whom Joshua, as high priest, prefigures. The Messiah will bring the offices of priest and king together creating a “harmony between the two’. This is why he is crowned as a king even though he is a priest. The promise here is that the Messiah will branch out from Jerusalem and build the Temple of the LORD along with those he gathers for the task. This of course is precisely what Jesus the Messiah did and what he is now doing. He is building a new Temple of the Holy Spirit, his church (Ephesians 2:19-22; Matthew 16:18). And he is doing it through his people. There is something wonderful happening all over the world in fulfilment of this prophecy. God is building his family. He is bringing an otherwise fragmented humanity back together under Jesus Christ. To be a part of this is to be a part of the most important thing that is happening in the world today. So, make sure the cause of Christ is what is most important to you.
Reflect on your role in God’s mission.
Read Zechariah 6
