God tells us He will protect, guide and keep watch over us for His eternal purpose. In our scripture this morning, we will witness this Spiritual behavior.
We read of Zerubbabel being the master carpenter over the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. In the physical realm, he did physically build a temple in Jerusalem, however, the scripture alludes to one being named, ‘The Branch’, to build the temple, and, ‘they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord.’
Speaking about Gentiles, Apostle Paul tells Ephesus this, 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph. 2:19-22
Gentiles are they that are a far off who are builded in the Temple of God with ‘The Branch’ being the ‘chief corner stone’ of the building.
Who is ‘The Branch’? The Branch is also spoken of to Zechariah in chapter 3 verse 8. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
We see the identification of ‘The Branch’ as ‘The Stone’ also. Jesus is ‘The Stone’. 1 Peter 2:6-8. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Those ‘appointed’ were given opportunity to believe and ‘build’ or be built into the Temple of God but they choose to not be a part thereof.
This stone, elect, precious, which God did ‘lay in Sion’–Israel, is a direct indication of Jesus, the son of God, the ‘chief cornerstone’. All the church, made up of many peoples, languages and nations is founded on Jesus Christ. When the angel spoke to Zechariah concerning the building of the temple, we spoke of a two meaning subject, a physical building (representation of the true spiritual temple) and the spiritual temple in the realm of God, The Church.
Zechariah 3:9 speaks of ‘seven eyes’ on that stone. The seven eyes are the spirits of Jesus, eyes indicating ability to see all around; eyes indicating light to illuminate and make manifest all things happening to be witnessed all around. To judge the actions and heart or intent of mankind, all things must be witnessed. Jesus will judge and bless or discipline all thoughts and actions of mankind.
Being merciful, God will remove what iniquities He chooses because of Jesus. When God looks upon Jesus, ‘The Stone’, whatever or whomever Jesus has forgiven, God will have mercy upon and forgive.
Now Joshua, the High Priest at the time of the rebuilding of the earthly temple in Jerusalem, and in all time forward, along with other men, shall ‘call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.’ Zechariah 3:10. The vine and the fig tree each represent the ‘called’ of the earth to participate in the riches of Godliness.
How do we know this vision includes actions in the future from the time of this vision? Return to chapter 6.
Zechariah 6:12-13. 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: 13 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.
The Branch shall grow up out of his place. For something to grow, it must be planted. Where it is planted is where it will grow. The kingdom of God through the son Jesus, was planted in the cornerstone of the temple. It was chosen by God for the root of the kingdom. Jesus Christ was planted to bring forth the kingdom beginning in Jerusalem. From there, under the ‘vine’, Jesus is the vine, and here included is the ‘fig tree’, is where all nations shall be protected.
Jesus alluded to this concept of gathering and protecting in Matthew 23:37. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! From here does God gather His chosen people, under the ‘vine’.
The Branch is further identified by ‘he’ which shall build the temple and shall bear the glory, sit upon and rule from his throne. He shall have dominion over his kingdom being the one upon a throne; a symbol of kingship. Being named a priest also indicates Jesus who became the high priest after the order of Melchizedek. He shall reign forever.
Next the author says, the counsel of peace shall be between them both. One of these two is Jesus, The Branch. The other is Joshua, the current high priest. Verse 11 indicates the high priest as the directive this dialog is speaking. Vs. 11. 11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; vs. 12 says to speak to him, the high priest.
The narrative includes the high priest, Joshua and The Branch. These two shall have peace between them. The time of building the temple, both the earthly temple and the spiritual temple needed a time of peace to establish themselves. God, with His spiritual beings, angels, established a time of peace to allow the establishment of the kingdom of God to grow on earth where Satan and his evil minions could hinder their starting.
God’s spirits, angels, kept peace over the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel for the reconstruction thereof. In the beginning of this chapter we see spirit beings, horses in chariots, ‘which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.’ Vs. 5. They are identified as ‘the four spirits of the heavens’. These angelic beings had a task; to go forth of all the earth. Each group of horses were identified by a different color to identify the difference in their duties. Each group was to go in a different direction to cover all the earth. Vss. 6-7. 6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
God was preparing the climate, if you will, of the people and their desire to have confrontations with one another. The hostilities were to become peaceful so the Israelites could return to their homelands. Notice, therefore, what the spirits going north, the black horses, did. Vs. 8. 8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
God has a way to invoke the spirits of man to do His will. Here, these horses, angel servants of God, quieted the spirits of those who had constantly been hungry for warfare. Now the people of God, Israel, could travel peaceably to return from where they had been scattered to their homelands. And, they could have peace while rebuilding the temple of God in Jerusalem.
God, Jesus, is the same yesterday, today and forever. Heb. 13:8. Why did I include God in that sentence? John said Jesus is the same as God. John 1:1. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus, the Word, ‘was God’. If God did things through his angelic servants then, he can do the same through His angelic servants today.
We need to not be afraid of the will and work of God however he decides to accomplish it. Leaders of nations are ordained and placed by God. How does He do it? We do not directly know, but with the knowledge we now have obtained of the spirit world, we can have an idea of how. It is by the influence, or provoking of man’s spirit by God to do the task in the earthly realm to accomplish God’s greater higher objective.
