Zechariah (6)

Here is another installment of our small group study in Zechariah. Are you participating in the rebuilding and restoration of the Temple?

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 6.

This chapter is the conclusion of Zechariah’s series of visions which began in 1:7 (remember there were no chapters or verses in the original OT and NT documents).

After reading Chapter 6, please review the material in 1:7 – 5:11 and do your best to identify similarities between that material and Chapter 6.

What do you see that is interconnected?

What appear to be the main themes in 1:7 – 6:15?

What do these themes have to do with Jesus Christ?

How is God revealing Himself in these passages?

How might God’s revelation (self-disclosure) of Himself influence the way we live?

Influence our priorities (what’s important to us, what we invest ourselves in)?

Note how the vision begins (1:8) and how its conclusion is introduced (6:1).

Note the correspondence between 3:8 – 10 and 6:11 – 13.

Note 4:9 and 6:13. In 4:9 the focus is on Zerubbabel (of Judah), the head of civic authority completing the rebuilding of the Temple. In 6:13 the focus is on Joshua (of Levi) the high priest completing the Temple. But notice this comment in 6:13, “…Thus he will be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” (Translations might differ, but this should be close to what all translations say).

This is a picture of the offices of ruler and priest being combined in one person. Notice that the image of the Branch is back in 6:12 (remember 3:8). What we have here is an image of the Messiah in whom we find our King (ruler) and our Hight Priest. All Scripture points to Jesus Christ, again and again and again.

What happens on earth is a reflection of what is happening in the heavens. The rebuilding of the earthy Temple gives us a picture of what the rebuilding of the heavenly Temple on earth looks like. In the OT the high priest did not wear a crown (symbolizing ruling authority), but here we have an exception and the exception is prophetic, it is an image of the Messiah, who is Priest and King – it is a vision of unseen reality in Jesus Christ.

Think about our study of Hebrews and the prominence given to Melchizedek. Take a look at Hebrews 7:1, “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High…” Here we see the merging of King and Priest in one person, who is an image of the Person of the Messiah (remember the importance of Psalm 110 in the book of Hebrews).

I hope we see the interconnectedness of the Bible, the flow and interchange of the Holy Spirit throughout the Scriptures. This mighty Mississippi has many tributaries; the headwaters of this mighty River flow from the Throne of God and the River leads us to Jesus Christ (Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:15).

The rebuilding of the Temple is all about Jesus Christ – and it is about us living in Him and Him living us - all to His glory.

How are we seeing Jesus Christ in the book of Zechariah? This is really the main question…this is always the main question. And how are we responding, in obedience, to what we see of Christ? This is pretty much always the second question linked to the first question.