Our Sovereign King and Mediating Priest

Zechariah 6:1-15

Vision of the Four Chariots

1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

5 And the angel answered and said to me, "These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country." 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, "Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth." So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, "See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country."

The Command to Crown Joshua

9 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 10 "Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.

11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying:

"Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!
From His place He shall branch out,
And He shall build the temple of the LORD;

13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD.
He shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both."'

14 "Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the LORD for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 

15 Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."

The sovereign ruler and great high priest is the man who was named the BRANCH.  This is a term used for the branch of the lineage from king David, son of Jesse as the Messiah who we know as the Christ.  Once again this prophetic message was about both the earthly Jerusalem and its temple being rebuilt as well as the heavenly one to come (Revelation 21:2, 10) according to the pattern from above (Hebrews 8:1-2, 5) standing before God’s presence.  This passage begins, however, with the four horsemen who are angelic scouts and defenders of God’s world. They are commanded to go and “walk to and fro throughout the earth” as seen in Zechariah 1:10-11 and other places, probably the watchers of Daniel 4:17 and the horsemen of the coming apocalypse (Revelation 6:2, 4, 5).  These suggest that the LORD is always watching and has angels assigned to be ready to intervene as needed (2 Kings 6:17) in the wars and affairs of men.  Immediately after this reassuring revelation, Zechariah was commanded to give the riches taken out of Babylon and make a crown for Joshua to be made as the high priest and ruler who would build the temple again in Jerusalem.  This man was a picture and type of the Messiah Christ to come as absolute Sovereign (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:13, 16) and Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), the true Branch of the lineage of King David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3-4) that He might be traced back to the son of God, Adam, and of the promise here to Joshua as a picture of the divine Joshua we call Jesus the Christ.  What a marvelous foreshadowing of God’s work and promises!  Yes, the Joshua then would rule from and earthly throne and meditate as priest from Jerusalem, but the divine Joshua from heaven would perfectly and completely rule as Sovereign of all creation and mediate forever for us before the Father as our High Priest (Hebrews 9:23-24, 28, 10:19-20) for eternity.  Yes, the counsel of peace is between us (Psalm 85:10, Isaiah 32:16-17, Luke 2:14) and God by His mediation as High Priest has through His one sacrifice for all time (Hebrews 10:10) become our Sovereign King as well whom we have submitted to.  The message to the people of God then was to diligently obey these words of His to see these things come to pass on earth, but we see in the true Branch our deliverance for sin and death is all His work (John 6:29) which we receive by faith and repentance to turn from sin to Him under His sovereign rule and eternal meditation for our sin, having taken it upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21) and putting it to death for us instead of us (Romans 5:17-18, 6:10-11).  May we all diligently read and obey the gospel of the living Word of God under His sovereign hand of grace and mediation of our sins by His ministry.  He is our Sovereign King and eternal Mediator, our heavenly High Priest.  Amen.