Zechariah 6: Crowning Joshua

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

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In the second portion of Zechariah 6, the prophet Zechariah sees a situation in which Joshua, the son of the high priest Jehozadak (Zechariah 6:11), is given an ornate crown and installed as priest and king. This is an amazing event considering that God previously had never combined those two offices into one. In fact, when Saul took it upon himself to offer a sacrifice to God while waiting for Samuel to arrive, it was the ultimate cause of Saul’s rejection by God. Another king – Azariah- tried the same thing, and God disciplined him with leprosy, making it impossible for him to go near the priestly accoutrements and/or try to sit in as a priest before God (2 Kings 15). Azariah had to live separately and his son ended up doing most of the ruling at that point.

Yet, here we are in Zechariah 6 with Joshua being crowed and installed in both offices; king and priest! How can this be? It only makes sense when we realize that Joshua is simply standing in for Someone else, who would come much later. That Someone is none other than Jesus Himself! Let’s take a look, starting with Zechariah 6:9.

Following the final vision of the chariots in the first part of Zechariah 6, Zechariah wakens from his dream-like state. There he sees what is highlighted in Zechariah 6:9-15, the symbolic crowning of Joshua. This essentially points to the coming Millennial Kingdom over which Jesus will rule with Joshua as a “type” of Christ, standing in at this point.

This will all take place after the judgments against Gentile world powers symbolized by the previous horsed chariots (Zechariah 6:1-8), upon Jesus’ physical second coming.

Much of Zechariah to this point has been dealing with judgment of Israel and the Gentile world powers that dominated/controlled that nation. But now, beginning with 6:9, we see a change coming.

The 8 previous visions have ended, but Joshua’s coronation reveals the full establishment of Israel in blessing! Here, Joshua stands in for THE Branch – Jesus – who is inaugurated in His role as Ruler over the earth (3:8). This symbolic act with Joshua points to Jesus appearing as King-Priest and would build God’s temple in the future.

Starting in v9, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah and he was instructed to:

• Take from the exiles silver and gold (v11)
• Make a crown
• Place it on the head of Joshua, the high priest
• Joshua is to be told that the “man” who is the Branch

The Branch will build the Temple of the Lord (v12). He will bear royal honor, and He will sit and rule on His throne. He will also be a priest and king. Moreover, during His coming reign, there will be peace (v13).

The Aramaic Targum, the Jerusalem Talmud, and a Midrash all regarded verse 12 as messianic. Of special interest here is the fact that when Jesus stood before Pilate after being scourged and then presented to His accusers, Pilate said, “Behold, the man” (John 19:5). In that situation, unbeknownst to Pilate, he was actually announcing to the Jews unwittingly that Jesus was the Branch promised in this verse!

It is interesting to me that Zechariah 6 ends on such an up beat here. God is pointing to the end of human history still in front of us and alerts us to the fact that Jesus will return and He will reign over this earth as priest and king!

Consider all the problems in this life now in just the political realm. There are constant rumors and talks of escalating war in areas of Europe and the Middle East. The USA is in turmoil due to the massive amount of foreigners illegally in this country due to the illegal actions of the Biden administration, which consistently ignored federal law. Beyond that we have groups of people who continue to push the hoax of “climate change,” insisting that if we do not get CO2 down to zero, everyone and everything on this planet will die. That includes a change in the way we eat (move to fake foods), stop using so-called fossil fuels, essentially depend solely on government handouts (socialism), and a push to censor anyone who does not speak approved things. All this and more is making life untenable for many of us. We tend to grown under all the lawfare, the mandates and the tyranny. People were created to be free and to be able to freely choose. Of course, our sin has enslaved us with the curse that God had to put into place, but there is a time coming when that sin and curse will be removed.

That time is during the coming Millennial Kingdom over which Jesus will reign and life will be so far removed from what we experience now. It is difficult for us to fully absorb and understand.

The other day, my wife and I were helping serve at a food kitchen started by folks in our church. I’ve said many times how much I love dogs. The family has two dogs, both German Shepherds and we were working out of their garage. When a break came in between cars of people picking up food, I walked over the fenced in area where the two dogs were housed. I had met the one dog – Jacob – previously and though he had grown very large, he was still a puppy. There was also another dog, a female shepherd that I had not met before.

As I approached the fence, Jacob appeared to remember me and wagged his tail. His face also got “rounder” and he seemed happy to see me. However, the other dog would have none of that. She barked and growled. She did not approach me but stood back, hair on her back slightly raised. Jacob was far different. I tried to talk to the female and did my best to show her I meant no harm.

Ultimately, I went over to Jacob who let me pet him and licked my hand through the fence. The female continued her barking and growling so after a very short time, I simply went back to where I had been. As I walked away she stopped barking. I would have liked to have spent more time petting Jacob but I didn’t want to continue upsetting the female.

During the coming Millennial Kingdom, this would not have happened. No dog in the Millennium would go on the offensive. The curse will be gone. Life, laughter, joy and a general lightness will be the norm of that day that is sorely lacking in life right now.

Throughout Scripture, God gives us glimpses (sometimes more than just glimpses), into the future where He promises to right wrongs, to rework and recreate things and in general, make life very pleasant for those allowed into the Millennial Kingdom. Zechariah 6 is merely one case of many where the curtain is pulled back from the future and we are enabled to see a glimpse of what to expect then.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Source: https://studygrowknowblog.com/2024/11/12/zechariah-6-crowning-joshua/